Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Dominicus

The air is filled with bone-cracking snaps and animalistic growls. Each movement reverberates within me excruciating agony as my muscles contract and elongate- reshaping my form. It’s a slow and laborious transition, as my body struggles to shed its lupine form and reclaim its human identity.

It’s been so long since I’ve changed back that my body has almost forgotten how to do so.

With each agonizing twist and contortion, guttural groans and grunts escape me. The sound of flesh tearing and reforming echoes in my ears, punctuated by the heavy thuds of my paws as I slam them against the forest floor. Thuds become slaps as paws turn into hands.

Amidst the tumultuous transformation, the silence of the night is broken only by my labored breaths.

And then finally, as the last vestiges of fur recede and the final bones settle into place, there is silence.

Agile, my limbs slowly stretch until I’m standing on my bare feet. I flex my fingers and crack my neck. Keeping my eyes closed, I feel for my wolf but strangely, he’s quiet.

When was the last time my head was this silent?

The perpetual red haze of overwhelming rage and bloodlust that consumes everything in its path has also receded. For some reason, my ever irritable wolf has drawn back to recesses of my soul and shoved me forward; forcing my shift.

I growl in annoyance at the new state of my mind; it’s quiet, peaceful, serene…And I fucking hate it.

The silence does nothing but allow space for more unsavory memories to come back. Memories I would rather not have.

I growl even louder and clench my fists.

‘What. Are. You. Doing?!’

‘What the fuck are you doing?!’

I snarl at my wolf, but all he does is growl lowly and then proceed to ignore me. I push and I prod but the fucking thing just pretends not to hear.

Fuck.

Exasperated, I run a hand through my hair just for it to snag and get stuck in what is most likely a tangled clump, simultaneously shooting sharp pain through my scalp.

Fuck!

Scowling, I choose a direction and head deeper into the woods. Not caring a whit about my state of undress. I just shifted from wolf to human, of course I’m fucking naked.

Annoyed out of my mind, I wonder what the hell brought on this change. My wolf, who is the embodiment of darkness, rage and all sinister thoughts, is actually now completely calm. He’s not painting my mind with gruesome images of bloodshed… destruction… and his absolute favourite, and arguably mine too, mass murder. And for the life of me, I don’t know why. He’s never acted like this before…

‘I'm fucking talking to you!’ I growl.

Slowly, memories of times past and people long gone start to trickle in, creeping out from the dark corners of my mind from where I had locked them; demanding attention.

I violently shake my head to rid myself of the unwelcome images. With a frustrated growl, I lash out at the nearest object; a tree, and it makes a loud snapping sound before falling to the ground with a deafening thud. The noise does nothing but fuel my anger even more.

I feel the blinding hot rage start to bubble back up and grow- and I embrace it. But then just like cold water poured on a fire, the anger is doused and fizzles out. And then I’m chill again.

Fuuuuck!!

I start to pace in annoyance, mind rushing to make sense of this new state. The sooner I’m able to find the problem, the sooner I can fix it. Suddenly, I stop in my tracks.

I remember the encounter I just had with the four men and the she-wolf… In the moment, I had had no problem killing those pesky humans, but for some reason, had felt no compulsion to kill her and actually spared her life…

My brows furrow in contemplation.

Whenever I'm in a rage- which is all the time- my thoughts are disjointed and in a state of perpetual chaos, and other than the overpowering urge for violence, all other rational thoughts are clouded. Which is why I’m just figuring it out now.

Thinking further, it’s impossible for me to have spared her just because she is a woman. I spare no one; especially not Weres that trespass onto my territory…

Which means… and my eyes narrow dangerously… it must be her fault.

She did something to me.

She forced my wolf into this…this … docile state!

At this realization, I let out a snarl. Evidently, not killing her had been a mistake- a temporary lapse in judgement which I shall rectify expeditiously.

She must die.

Once she’s dead, my wolf and I will be back to normal.

I find the familiar path in the forest- or at least what used to be one, but is now long overgrown with vegetation- embraced by nature after years of neglect and follow it.