3rd Chapter

Valeria - 

Numb. 

That's exactly how I feel. I feel like my entire existence is disappeared, leaving behind an empty space. 

But soon, that space is filled, with anger, with a thirst for vengeance, and with an animalistic voice that keeps snarling at the back of my head for…

Wait. Voice? Snarl? 

My foggy head slowly clears, and I can hear fully well the sound coming out of my mouth. Or, if I'm to be more specific, my snout. Even though I'm thinking relatively straight, I'm afraid that the alcohol must have worked more than its usual wonders on me. Else, why on earth would I be seeing paws instead of hands, and why does every voice around me seem so loud? 

Just then, my gaze falls on something. No, not something. Someone. 

Dad's eyes are still wide open, emotionless. 

The entire incident comes flooding back to me all at once, and I slump to the ground, the newfound energy getting zapped out of me all at once. 

"*We must get revenge,*" the Angry Voice in my head says, and I nod, still tired, but happy at the fact that she hasn't lost her anger mode due to my fatigue.

"Let me lend you some of my strength, young one," the voice says again, and I blink. "I'm sorry, wha-"

In less than a split second, my entire body feels rejuvenated, like someone just poured an entire tank of sunshine on me. 

What in the actual - 

"Mirror," the voice urges, and I quickly pad over to the mirror (wincing when I step on the hem of Mother's maxi dress), only to freeze when I see the wolf in the mirror. 

"That's us," the voice says proudly. 

Us? 

Shoot. Maybe the alcohol was a lot more than I thought. 

"You are a werewolf, Valeria." The voice is quieter now, but I hear the firmness in its voice, the convincing tone in its statement. 

A werewolf? 

I mean, that did cross my mind when I first looked in the mirror and saw a wolf, but I waved it off. immediately. 

It isn't possible. Those things exist in movies and fantasy books only. This is real life. 

"This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real," I chant, shaking my head over and over. But if the snort from the inner voice is anything to go by, my chant is less than a percent close to convincing me of what I've seen in the mirror. 

And when the sound of screeching of tires comes from outside, almost destroying my eardrums with the loudness, I think again. 

"Valeria, to your room and lock the door. Now." 

This time, the voice is loud and clear in my head, and even though I want to stay, hugging my parents close to me, something in the urgency of that tone drives me to my room within seconds. 

Just as I lock the door behind me, I hear the front door bang open. My blood runs cold. 

"Search the entire study," I hear someone growl, and a woody scent wafts into my nose. 

"Werewolf," myself and the voice echo at the same time. 

"You're getting the hang of it," the voice says, and I can almost swear she- he- it is smirking. 

I'm about to say something, but the sound of a crash far away from my room causes me to freeze up. 

"Go to the bathroom. Get perfume all over yourself."

I do a double take when the voice says that. I should…I should what?

"It'll hide your scent. Now. Go."

I dive for the bathroom lotion gels, drowning myself in every form of scent I can apply to my body, and when I'm done, even I know that I've overdone it. That is, judging by the number of times I've had to hold my cough due to the tickling in my nose. 

"Too much," the voice growls, but after that it goes silent, and we both listen as the intruders troll around my father's study. 

One thing I know about Father is that he had secrets. Lots and lots of them. And he tried his utmost best to hide them efficiently, which meant locking hundreds of files and other documents in this huge safe I spied one time in his study. 

Then, if my hunch is correct, these people are here for the safe. Or, at least, what's in it. 

Ha. They'll never get it. 

I let out a low laugh in my mind. Father was the master of codes. When I was younger and we wanted to hide Mother's birthday surprise from her, he came up with all sorts of secret handshakes and winks and laughs. And if that was just for a birthday surprise, imagine how critical he would be if it was for a safe. 

As if in agreement with my thoughts, I hear one of the men say, "It's not budging. Break the door!" 

Break the door? 

Ah. Things just got interesting. 

You see, apart from special codes, Father also had plans as regards booby traps he could build against bad guys. I have a feeling there are some protecting the safe. 

A scream enunciates my statement, and just then, my ears hurt as hell again. The voice snarls in annoyance, but goes down a notch when it directs itself to me. 

"Enhanced hearing. Sorry about that; must be painful."

In response, I just nod. Even though I have no clue who I'm nodding to.

"Let's get out of here!" 

The stampede of about four pairs of legs running out of my father's study reaches my legs, and I grin. Even dead, my father's a genius. 

My smile falters as I realize that we'd had a fight just the night before, and I…

"We need to go to the study," the voice says, and I nod, jumping up. 

When we get there, I see that the entire place was thoroughly ransacked, even down to overturning Dad's favourite mug. 

My fists clench. They must pay. All of them.

"They must," the voice agrees, and I use the opportunity to enquire of its existence. 

"I am Kala, your wolf."  

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