I’m halfway to the window. My attention snaps between the two, deciding on a whim which one is more dangerous.
Both cursed. It’s a tossup.
“You have to get a grip,” I tell Grayson through another moan.
I’ve been waiting for him to change. Not knowing when it will be, or when he’ll react. Of course it would be now.
The chaos of the hunt sent him over the edge.
My fingers brush against the cleaver handle and I grab it, rising and swiping it between Grayson and the wolf outside.
Tears sting the corner of my eyes and they widen when the moon-mad wolf pulls itself through the husk of the window.
Grayson composes himself long enough to swing the remains of the table. The hit glances off the wolf and my scream cuts off as he yells, fingers flexing beyond his control.
He goes down again.
I have to do something. I have to handle the situation.
“Mandi.”
On his knees again, his spine bulges, the bones sharp. A gust of wind pulses through the open window.
All that chaos, the noise, then nothing.
He grunts, hands flexing, sharp tips of claws bursting through his skin. My throat closes. I’ve never seen a change like this. And I refuse to move.
Run.
“Okay. If we can’t stop the change then we accept it. Shifting for the first time isn’t easy. I’ll walk you through it. I’ve seen it done plenty of times.”
He shakes his head. Bones crack again and when he looks up at me, the wolf has overtaken his features. His nose lengthens into a snout, jaw cracking to make room for pointed teeth.
“Go. Bathroom.” His voice breaks. “Lock.”
It’s the last thing Grayson manages before the change warps his vocal cords.
I slap a hand against my chest to get my heart beating normally and the air to the bottom of my lungs.
“Are you crazy? You want me to leave you now? The moon-mad wolf is gone. We’re safe. It’s okay.” I maintain an even tone.
I’ve spent my entire life running, hiding from the truth of what I am. Skirting around the edges of the pack as a ghost instead of a person.
Leaving Grayson isn’t an option when he needs me most.
I have the chance to be the kind of person I need.
A tremor crests through him, bowing his back. He grunts and squeezes his eyes closed, muscles tensing and changing to accommodate the beast inside. More black fur spreads across his exposed skin.
I crouch so I’m not looming over him. Heart racing loud enough to give me a headache, I stretch a hand out, jerking it back when he lifts his head.
His face is trapped between human and animal. Fear paints his eyes, blown wide now by the change. He glances behind me at the bathroom door with a silent plea.
I shake my head. “I’m not leaving you.”
Fangs puncture his lower lip and blood trickles down his chin. Skin pulls tight over warping bone.
“I understand. I’ve seen other people I care about go through the change. It’s hard, and it hurts. I’m here for you. Okay?”