No. No. No.
This could not be true. That book. Oh God, that book.
This couldn’t be happening. Oh, my Lord. This was real.
He transformed into a fucking wolf. Oh God. I was right. I didn’t want to be right.
This had to be a nightmare. I was dreaming. I must have been.
“He turned into a wolf. A real-life wolf,” I muttered.
The guy who was there to watch me shot to his feet and ran to the window next to me and stared out.
“You need to go to your room!” he screamed at me.
“NO! He’s a wolf. Werewolves. It’s true,” I shouted.
“Go to your room!” he yelled.
The wolf—Daxyn—took off running toward the woods. Quinnlyn took off running behind him. Was he a wolf, too? He must be—why else would he be running?
Hands wrapped around my arms, breaking my trance. I smacked him away, but he gripped me tight and started pulling me to the room.
“No!” I yelled at him.
“Yes!”
I started thrashing and smacking him. I wasn’t going without a fight. I needed to get the fuck out of here. I kicked him, trying to go between his legs, but he shifted in time, and my foot landed on his thigh. His fist connected with my face. Pain exploded from my right eye and nose. My vision went completely dark in that eye, and I stumbled back a little. He grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. I punched and smacked everything I could. My feet were trying to kick, but he had one arm holding them. He kept going, walked into my room, and tossed me onto the bed. He was out of the room in seconds, and I heard the latch on the outside click.
Oh God! I ran to the door and tried to pull it open, but it wouldn’t budge. My entire body ached, and my stomach churned. I pounded the door with both fists.
“Let me out!” I shouted. “Help!”
I banged on the door for several minutes, over and over, shouting and pleading to be let out of the room. Music from his stereo got louder than my cries. I walked over to my bed, my elbows resting on my legs, head in my palms. Tears ran down my cheeks and onto my tee, soaking it.
Daxyn's body twisting, breaking, becoming—it kept replaying in my head. Iknewit, I just didn’t want to believe it. The howls every night. Quinnlyn leaving. Always on the full moon and the first sliver after.Novo.I heard them say that. The book the midwifeleft me. The one that gave me nightmares. She was trying to tell me without telling me.
My stomach started aching. This felt different, not like a stomachache, almost like when my period would come. My right eye barely opened, and I reached up and patted my eyes and nose. There was blood mixed with my tears on my face. My eye was almost swollen shut. My head started throbbing. I laid down on my side.
I knew all of that had probably spiked my blood pressure. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly and deliberately, the way I’d learned to do when things got bad. As I laid there focusing on my breath, a tight pain low in my stomach grabbed my attention. It didn't stay. After a couple of breaths, it faded.
Then it happened again, this time the pain was stronger. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I knew it wasn’t normal. Then again, I had never been pregnant before. I tried to go to sleep, but I felt like I could feel my pulse in my head. I started to doze off before, but the pain made my one eye open wide. I placed my hand on my lower stomach. My stomach had gone rock hard.Contractions.The book talked about this. Lord. This was not good. It was far too early for contractions.
I got up, went to the door, and started knocking on it. The music was so loud, I could barely hear myself think. I doubt he could hear my knocking.
“Hey! I need help in here! Please let me out. I need the midwife!” I screamed as loud as I could, but he didn’t answer.
I grabbed the bottle of water I had, taking a big drink before I laid back down on the bed. Maybe if I rested and slept, it would stop. Then another wave hit me, stronger than before, taking my breath away.
“No, little one, it’s not time for you to come yet,” I pleaded to the baby.
I closed my eyes, trying to go to sleep. I'd drift off, and the pain would pull me back. There were about ten minutes between each wave of pain. Each time it felt as though it was worse. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. My lower back ached each time the pain hit my stomach.
At twenty-three weeks, I knew it was far too early for the baby to arrive. I was stressed, that had to be why I was in so much pain. Watching the father of this baby turn into a wolf… oh God… that meant this baby was going to be—
“Owwwwww!” I yelled out.
That one hurt worse than before, much worse. I needed help. I stood, and then another overtook my body. I screamed out in pain. The pain now felt like it was in my vagina. As soon as it stopped, I walked to the door and started beating on it as hard as I could. Tears streamed down my face, some from the pain, some from the fear of being alone.