Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the deep, dark morning something inhuman lurked in the woods of Wiskayok. Occasionally it stirred, but only upon beckoning. Waiting. 

But for the meanwhile…In the comforts of neighborhood and shelter, Shauna Shipman lay. Though undisturbed yet, the day would soon trial her. 

Groggily she woke up, disgruntled by her alarm. Threw on her always reliable flannel, got ready and drove to her best friend’s house. Jackie Taylor, who grinned at her from the distant driveway and came waltzing over. They were complete opposites, but despite it they shared a deep connection. A connection that for Shauna was turning into a fast infatuation. 

“Wow Shipman, on time once again? I'm gonna start thinking you like me or something…” she joked. 

Shauna flushed but retorted,”I just don't want to get marked tardy again. Two more tardies and I'm gonna end up in detention.”

“We only have three months left of school. I doubt anyone cares anymore.” 

“Maybe not, but….” 

“But it's worth it because we get to spend time together. And you get to be my cute little cabbie driver.” 

Cute? She had to smile about that. Shauna couldn't help but feel that Jackie was intentionally flirting with her, but part of her tried to rationalize it. That she wasn't and Shauna was just hearing what she wanted to hear. 

“Oh my goddd. I didn't tell you about what Jeff did…” Shauna frowned and looked back at the road. This was so typical and so annoying. They'd be talking, really talking like they used to and all sudden the topic of whatever they were talking about would change into jeff, jeff, JEFF. 

The guy got on her nerves big time. From every gross story she’d hear about him, to every time he stole Jackie away to presumably kiss each other, to every dumb comment that flew out of his mouth. She wanted the guy gone. Jackie deserved better, someone who actually cared about her and listened to her. 

On top of the Jeff blabber, Shauna had to halt her car because there was a horrible accident on 35th street. Great. Just fucking great. Which then resulted in tardy slips for the both of them when they got to school finally. Apparently bad accidents were not an excuse. 

As the day proceeded, it spiraled into a further descent. A school project shauna had worked really, really hard on got a D because it wasn't sourced correctly. At lunch Jeff decided to steal away Jackie because he didn't get to see her in the morning. Mrs. Benson was just being a bitch to her for no reason. Soccer practice went awful, every kick that she made was shitty. 

Everything was awful, truly horrible..The day had tested her, tested her to a point where it furthered beyond anger and into something else, but it still wasn't over. Jackie begged her to come to this party, a party that she just knew would be like the rest. She’d be standing alone and beer breathed men would talk her up whilst the only reason she came to the damn thing was off somewhere else. Possibly doing someone else and she’d sulk into her crumby drink and imagine what will never be. 

And there she was again. Wedged into the scene of a trashy party. Alone, or at least alone now after rejecting Randy Walsh’s advances on her again. Sighing at the sight of drunken couples walking off, laughing, making out. Jackie nearby ,but nowhere within her vision. 

Too many times. Too many fucking times had she been to these dumbass parties full of annoying people she didn't know. Why Jackie wanted her to come with she didn't know because half the time she just ditched Shauna in favor of hanging around with her slobbering boyfriend. 

Like she'd conjured her she got a full glimpse of it. Jackie and Jeff in the midst of a disgusting make out session. Shauna wanted to puke, but she swallowed the bile down because Jackie's eyes had opened, saw her and stared directly at her. Something deep churned in Shauna then, somewhere between fury and hunger. 

Shauna was already getting so sick of it. This game she and Jackie played, teetering past friends and into a forbidden territory. At times it felt like it was in fact reciprocated, where she indulged contests of staring. But Jackie closed her precious little eyes and went back to sticking her tongue back her boyfriend's throat. 

So she just huffed and turned away, in the opposite way of the party and people and reason. Shauna trudged into the forest, the only source of light being the moon. Stomping through mud and winding tree roots. Then when Shauna thought she'd reached far enough she picked a most unfortunate tree to start pounding on.

Starting with kicks and kicks merged with the grips of her hands. Shaking it in frustration, thinking of Jeff and his stupid fucking floppy hair and Jackie and her perfect fucking skin and Randy and his wide excited eyes. 

She wanted them all gone, some of them dead. She groaned in anger, the palms of her hands aching with splinters. She fell to the ground, mud staining her brand new khakis. Shauna felt the urge to cry, but stopped instead focusing on the wrongful pain of it all and slumped breathless. 

Suddenly in the very moment erupted an eerie and low howl. Unsettling the hell out of Shauna. What the fuck is that? 

It seemed closer than it sounded. She noticed the hair on the back on her neck stand up as if she was being peered at from behind. Slowly she saw out of the corner of her eye, a huge dark wolf, sickly yellow fierce eyes and harbored grunting breaths. 

Shauna barely had time to respond before the wolf pounced on her. Attacking and scratching, mouth wide and foaming. It tore at her flannel and shirt, digging its thick claws into her chest and infecting her blood stream. 

The struggle didn't last because soon enough the wolf or dog or whatever it was fell to the dirt. Wincing like a suffering animal and convulsing like it was sick with a disease. 

Shauna looked down at her blood slicked shirt. If I wake up with fucking rabies….I 

But she couldn't finish her thought because the pain had sunk in. Just like the animal beside her slowly she sank into the same type of convulsions. Shauna’s sight started to blur and her muscles weakened. Despite it she got up and tried to stumble her way out of the woods. Her aim was for the party, thoughts of Jackie comforting her in her last possible moments giving her a sense of peace…..but completely missing that direction. 

She crawled her last bit of energy to the wide and elegant house of the Matthews family. Her voice strained and rough, crying out her last ragged breath and then finally collapsed on the perfect lawn. 

Chapter Text

Shauna woke up in a pristine and soft warm bed. Groaning as she rose, a massive migraine pinning her back down. She remembered the attack, the party, the tree, the wolf…..

“You’re awake!” Lottie exclaimed. 

“Lottie, what are y….”

“You got attacked by something, you were screaming in my backyard.” 

“I- Oh,” Shauna choked in partial confusion.

“I called Misty and she just left an hour ago.” 

“You called Misty, but you didn't call the doctor?”

“Oh no, I don't trust the medical system. Besides you're already healing….fast” 

From the mirror Shauna had realized that she was in a fresh, new, but foreign shirt. Bandaged up right where the wolf's paw had clawed at her. She moved a little, it still hurt, but nowhere near the pain she remembered from the previous night. 

“How long was I unconscious?” 

“Most of the night and most of the morning.” Lottie blinked, but seemed happy like she wanted Shauna to stay. 

“Did I wake up your parents ….” 

“My parents aren't around….I think I'm the only one who knows about…” she nodded to her shoulder. 

“Listen, thanks, but I need to go….” 

“Can I give you a ride at least?” 

“No, I…..my car is still somewhere in the forest….where the party…. I just gotta go….” And she rushed out the house not exactly knowing what direction she needed to be heading. Just a compulsive need to get out and get home. 

On the way back she passed the scene of the crime. But there wasn't any wolf corpse. The only way she could tell it took place there was by the desolation of the tree….and the puddle of blood, dyed into the dirt. The area still felt unbelievably tense. She chose not to stick around and finally took the path to where the rave once was. 

Her car had been turned into a table, cans and glass bottles littered on the top and on the hood. Shauna knocked them all off in a rage that didn't feel entirely permitted for the very situation, but she was snapping again just like yesterday. 

The drive back was normal. Her mother wasn't home. The night and attack hadn't changed anything. Same old boring life, same old lonely house, same old shit. 

Although the answering machine stood out. It was blinking and flashing and….

“Shauna? Are you there? Did you just run off last night? I didn't see you….” 

BEEP 

“Shipman, is this some joke? It's not funny. Call me back, right now. I NEED to talk to you.” 

BEEP

“I'm sorry. Shauna, I just want to make sure you're okay. Please just talk to me …” 

BEEP 

“I've been ignoring you, I admit that okay….if you're ignoring me back, I get it, but I'll stop if you just CALL ME BACK PLEASE….” 

Then the phone rang again. 

“Shauna?” 

“Yeah it's me.” 

“I thought you were dead! Have you been ignoring me??” 

“....” 

“I'm sorry about last night, okay? I'm gonna make it up to you. Let's have a sleepover. Just us, just like before. We can watch a movie, make some popcorn, stay up all night….” 

A sleepover. Like before. She sucked in her breath, trying not to tremble with pure anticipation. Their first kiss had been at a slumber party. Maybe just maybe she would have the chance to kiss her again. 

“Yeah we could do that,” she attempted to sound cool and calm, but she could still hear her own excitement. 

“I'll be over at 5.” 

Shauna had tried her best to shower and rub the dirt and the blood left off. Misty or Lottie or whoever it was had done a pretty good job of cleaning the wound. All that was left was the scar, three claw marks etched into her pale skin. They looked angry, but they were closed cuts. It was as if she'd healed a month ago and it happened weeks before. 

Even though the shower helped her calm down, Shauna still couldn't relax. Her head still hurt and her stomach burned, not in the hungry, but in the sick way. 

Jackie was coming over soon. She almost thought it would be better to cancel, but she honestly didn't want to. All she wanted was the company of her best friend again. Maybe they'd put on a VHS copy of Little Women and by then Shauna would be feeling better. 

It wasn't long until Jackie was already knocking on her door. Time was moving way too quick for her to keep up. She answered and Jackie pulled her into a tight hug. Shauna caught a whiff of her, unintentionally, but it was so intoxicating. She didn't want to let go, but soon enough they parted and walked inside. 

Jackie made her way through the Shipman household like she lived there. Which was a half truth. She spent almost as much time there as she spent in her own house. Not as much as she used to, but time hadn't made her lose the memories of prancing down the halls with Shauna dressed up as fairytale characters together. 

Even though they had the house to themselves they always ended up in Shauna's room. As Jackie sat down, Shauna watched her closely. She couldn't help but be captivated by her every move. It wasn't so unlike Shauna to be eyeing Jackie, but this time it seemed a ton more intense. Instead of the usual knots, it was the hunger from the night before, the flooding desire. She felt sick with it like any minute now she'd be….

“You okay, Shipman?” She looked up at Jackie’s concerned face. Without another thought padded over to her. 

“...yeah, I'm fine.” She lied. She felt tense with every step Jackie made towards her. 

“You look sick, like you're….is it that you were sick last night? Is that why you left the party?” 

Shauna shook her head, not trusting her words. She shivered like she had a fever. God can't I keep it together? This close proximity had her pulsing with insanity, it was like Shauna could smell Jackie beyond perfume and hair product, but she could smell her skin, maybe even blood?? She didn't know. 

“You're shivering….Shauna, you must've caught something….like really, really bad. My grandfather didn't look this bad when he was dying of pneumonia…” 

“Yeah….I don't know, but I haven't felt right since last night.” Shauna didn't know why she decided to keep the secret about the wolf attack. She didn't want to scare Jackie, after all maybe it was rabies…..

“Come on, lay down, you need to rest,” Jackie guided to the bed, opening up the window to let in the cooler air. As the wind blew, Jackie's hair blew along with it. And then came the sweetest scent she'd ever smelt in her life. It only lasted a second, but she could feel her heart rate elevate to astronomical levels. 

Jackie softly smiled at her and Shauna started feeling like a creep. She felt exactly like the teenage boys she hated so much, but for weirder things like hair and skin….The urge to get away from Jackie and hide became stronger. What's wrong with me? 

“Are you hungry?” It was an innocent question, but Shauna gulped and blinked. 

“I was thinking we could get pizza, but I don't think pizza is easy to digest…What about rice? We could get Chinese food?” 

“Whatever's fine,”Shauna mumbled, gripping the bed, physically holding herself down. 

“You poor thing,” Jackie reached over and tucked Shauna’s hair behind her ear even though her dark hair was wet with sweat. 

Jackie made the call and once the food was delivered she brought it upstairs. Handing Shauna the box of safe rice. But the rice wasn't enough. 

As the food digested the cravings grew. She wanted more. It surpassed typical teenage munchies, Shauna's stomach was in crisis….a bottomless pit that had her raiding her refrigerator for meat and eggs and even the expired pasta salad that may have been radioactive. 

“I should've ordered the egg rolls…” 

“Jackie, Jesus….” She jumped. Ashamed as she continued chewing the mash of various foods. Of course she had to follow Shauna, she was nosey like that. Jackie looked stunned, but not disgusted….not yet. 

“This is the weirdest fucking illness. I thought I was gonna have to drive you to the hospital like 30 minutes ago.” 

“I'm fine. I just….never ate today,” which was the truth, but the truth buried in the mounds of dishonesty. 

“Are you high?” 

“What?! No!” 

“You're acting stoned. And totally fucking strange. What are you hiding from me?” 

“Nothing! I'm just tired and hungry and-” Jackie gave her this annoying look, the kind of look that demanded her to spill whatever secret she'd been keeping. 

“….pissed the fuck off because you disappear every single party we go to and I don't get to see you at all!” 

“.....it really makes you that upset?” 

“Yeah!” 

“Why didn't you tell me?” Shauna shrugged. She didn't like making Jackie mad, maybe that was it. Or maybe it was the fear that even though she would tell her about how much it bothered her and nothing would change about it. 

“Jeff kinda just pulls me to wherever. I never stop him. I…I miss you too.” She admitted and held her hands out for an obligatory hug. Shauna melted in her arms, finding some relief in the embrace forgetting about her new heightened and twitchy sensations. 

“Shauna, you're burning up,” Jackie placed the back of her hand on her forehead and her cheeks,”You need to get back into bed right now.” 

Shauna slightly grinned. Finding amusement in the nurse protocol and she could feel in her heart that Jackie fully cared again. It was probably sick of her to want her friend's attention only on her, but there were worse things to worry about right now. 

With every step of the stairs Jackie was there leading her, holding her, caring. Not that it made all the pain fade, but it certainly eased it. 

Shauna collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes. Rest sounded so good right now. Despite a long sleep at the Matthew’s residence, nothing felt like enough. Like how cats sleep most of the day, it was like that. 

She drifted off, but felt the bed shift after a little while. Jackie was probably going to sleep now. She wanted to open her eyes, look at her, say something, say anything, but hadn't had the energy to do so. 

A kiss was placed on Shauna’s forehead and a “Goodnight, Shipman.” Gently she could feel herself being pulled into sleep's gapping doors of peace. Almost everything felt like she'd be granted it, almost everything. 

She woke up. She couldn't breathe. Shauna was choking on her breaths like her lungs were shrinking. Her head was throbbing, her fingers felt like they were being pulled like a slow and thick taffy. 

Rising from the bed, her bones had crACKED, crACKED into hitching type noises like they were trying to settle back into place. She had to get away from Jackie, she couldn't let her see this. Her room so hot and small, she ran downstairs and opened the front door and fell to the grass. Shauna convulsed violently, she let a groan as the alterations to her body set in. 

Her nails elongated into sharp tips. The hair on Shauna's arm and legs grew thick and coarse brown. The length of her body was extending, ripping her clothes and the arch of her feet bent. Finally her teeth became fangs that overwhelmed the cavern of her mouth so her mouth was forced open and saliva dripped out. 

A wild animal in the place of what once stood a girl. Without memory the thing in her place yelpped out a tremendous roar that began as a final cry for help and ended as a solid and mournful howl. 

Scurrying away she left the residence of her own home and searched for that longing; The longing to feed. Eventually after scouting the wood for prey she stumbled upon a night jogger. Dressed in a bright and merry red. 

It wasn't long before the stalking Shauna sprinted towards the man and knocked him down. Climbing over him and digging into his back for the soft, soft flesh. Her fearsome teeth tore at the tracksuit and the skin and her predator eyes rolled back in a kind of bliss. 

After that the night became blurred. All desires transferred to the satisfaction of the meal. The last she remembered was the gutted body of the jogger and the full of the moon that lit the way back into the wicked forest. 

Chapter Text

Somewhere between a branch and some leaves Shauna woke up. It was dusk and she was left cold in tattered clothing. The faint taste and smell of blood……blood staining her t-shirt, drying on her pallid face. 

She recalled the hunt, the shooting pain of her hands as the structure transformed completely into a claw. Bloodlust. Especially the bloodlust, the frenzy of appetite. 

Shauna got up. Surely she had come down from the fright of some bad dream that startled her and made her sleep walk… But that couldn't explain the blood nor the active memory of the night before. She felt crazy. 

Getting up she didn't feel tired, a surge of energy burst through her body, a newfound strength aching in her arms and legs. Even being barefoot this far from home didn't seem to bother her like Shauna was in this very element from birth. Like it was almost…..right. 

Back at her house she washed and put her clothed evidence in the fireplace. Briefly thinking of the man who was probably dead, lamenting that part at least. Somehow she remembered every part, every detail. She didn't want to, but the beastly part of herself seemed to savor it like she did in fact want it. 

Jackie had, apparently, slept through the whole night. That's the part that worried her the most. What'd Jackie do if she saw her covered in the blood and in the state of distress….becoming some….animal, some thing of cannibalism and hunger. She would hate it, she would hate her. 

But it's not true, she told herself. It was all some fever induced dream that spun out of control. She just sleep walked, that's all. Right? If Jackie was asleep that must mean that nothing actually happened. 

Shauna didn't want to even disturb her from the sweet peaceful sleep. It was a miracle she slept through any of the tossing and turning and convulsing, the saints had her back. What a monstrous back that was. 

Shauna's attempt to settle in the bed was enough to wake the clueless Jackie who smiled sleepily and said,”It's like you've been gone for hours, are you feeling better?” 

“Yeah,” Shauna lied. 

Jackie opened her eyes wider,”You look a lot better, damn.” 

“I had something to eat.” 

“That's good,” and Jackie tucked herself into the crook of Shauna's neck, placed her palm on the other girl's bicep and hummed. 

She couldn't fully convince herself that it was all some dream. Shauna fell stiff. A brutal realization that by being here in this bed she was placing Jackie in grave danger. She didn't know what prompted her to change, Shauna had to tell Jackie to leave and go somewhere else….

But nothing like that ever happened. Instead she listened to the sound of her best friend’s breathing. Her golden brown tresses within Shauna's mouth and nose, she moved her face closer and buried herself there. Afterwords it just didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was the entrancing smell and sleep. 

Things changed after the first night. It was like every sense she had was extremely heightened, she could see within a mile away, hear the most tiniest of movements, her teeth were sharper, her tongue threatened to cut if it moved too close to it. 

Her strength grew and anger level skyrocketed. During soccer practice she shoved Taissa Turner to get the ball to the goal. Then got upset at Taissa for it. Resulting in a benching and some seriously confused players.

Back in the locker room Shauna continued to mope. Jackie had decided to hit the showers asking if Shauna wanted to join, but she quickly refused. It was so hard being around Jackie now. She just kept thinking about how badly she wanted to be near her and she didn't think it was good for her. But everytime Jackie got further away from her she felt worse. 

After changing back into her regular clothes, Shauna had decided to go and apologize. She knew Taissa could hold a grudge for a while and she didn't want to make it any worse than it actually was. 

“Hi,” Shauna approached her in the locker room. 

“Hi,” Tai looked at her briefly and then back at her backpack that she was zipping up. Shauna could already see Van within the distance paying attention to conversation. It was sweet that she was protective of her like that. 

“I'm sorry, everything I did….it was really uncalled for and I…” 

“It's alright. I get being really into the game. It happens,” Taissa didn't seem that upset about it, Shauna let out a breath of relief.

Shauna turned away but then turned back. “Can I ask you kind of a weird question?” 

“Sure.” 

“Do you know anything about…. hallucinations?” 

“About what?” 

“Like really intense dreams that make you feel like you're really living them…” 

“Not really, are we talking about soccer?” 

“No, I just….I have to go …” 

It was like she could talk to no one. Not unless she wanted to sound crazy. Jackie was out of the question, she couldn't know, she wouldn't understand. Taissa had been a good friend to her in the past. She was a skeptic about everything, she thought maybe by asking her Shauna would be able to rationalize things. It felt too bizarre to discuss so that left Lottie. 

It wasn't that Shauna didn't like Lottie….Lottie was a good player and a nice person, but she was weird. Weird because she knew things that other people didn't know. Not that it made her an outsider necessarily, but there was a hint of division around Lottie and her ways. 

“Hi! How's your shoulder?!” Misty had come out of nowhere, spooking Shauna a bit. 

“It's fine, Misty,” she looked around trying to see if anyone was paying attention. Shauna didn't want word of this getting out. 

“I really wanted to stay, but Lottie said that you wouldn't want anyone around so I left. But I wanted to stay the entire night and let you know about all the antiseptics I would recommend for healing and scaring and-,” 

“Thank you, Misty, but I'm fine now. I'm doing much better.” 

“Wow, that's so fast! I really didn't know what to think when I saw how deep it was….I thought maybe we should call a doctor, but Lottie didn't think it was a good idea. Do you know what attack-” 

“Did you tell anyone?” 

“No, no I didn't let out a single peep.” 

“Good. I would like to keep it that way. It's important, okay Misty,” Shauna swallowed the twinge of shame being harsh to the curly haired girl. It was Misty who saved her life after all. But sometimes Misty just didn't get it and this was her life at stake. Misty and Lottie shared that trait of being off beat. 

She nodded enthusiastically. The one thing Shauna had to give Misty credit for was being loyal. Even though she was a little rusty on the social cues, Shauna didn't feel like she had to worry about her saying something. 

She used her soccer skill to pace up to Lottie who was exiting the gym and heading to the parking lot. 

“Shauna,” she greeted like she was waiting for this the whole day. 

“Lottie, I…..do you know anything about….people who have dreams of becoming animals?” For whatever reason it seemed like she could talk to Lottie about this. There was no fear of judgement here she figured that's why she just said it. 

“What animal?” 

“Like a bear or a…wolf…” 

“Is that what you think attacked you a few nights ago?” 

“I don't know, but it was big and….sick…I think it infected me. I think I'm having some sort of episode where I'm like a wild animal on the loose and….” She looked to Lottie who was listening intensely and following along like she actually believed her. “I'm….I sound fucking insane….so fucking insane. I think I need to go to the doctor….” 

“No Shauna, I don't think you should. I don't think they'll be able to do anything….” 

“And how the fuck do you know that?! What if I have rabies and what if I'm dying?” Shauna's throat tightened and she had the impulse to cry, but she stuffed it down. 

“.....do you know about…..the forest?” 

“What about it?” here she goes with the weird shit. 

“Like the history of the town, anything about that, about the settlements….” 

“I mean I know that Wiskayok was founded in the 1700s, but what does this have to do with-” 

“I have something to show you, come on….” 

Shauna hesitated at first. She was bringing Jackie home and she was still in the locker room probably wondering where she went, but Lottie seemed to know more about this than she let on the morning of the attack …so she followed Lottie and decided to trust her for once. 

Chapter Text

Shauna and Lottie walked two blocks away from the school. Making their way to a certain memorial. Shauna had passed by it numerous times, but never stopped to read the plaque. It was just some old colonist guy. 

“This is a statue of Thomas Flynn. He was one of the original founders of Wiskayok. He went missing in 1806.” They stared up at the bronze statue. It crested the courtyard, standing gigantic compared to their smaller bodies. The face was handsome and chizzled. He sported one of those phoney hats and the typical colonist garb for the time. 

“Thomas was involved with Sally Roth. Sally had three sisters. It was rumored that these sisters dabbled in witchcraft. The story is that Sally and Thomas had fallen in love and for a while they were happy, but it didn't last. Thomas had a temper. That temper entered their relationship. Sally tried her hardest to look past this and love him anyway. One day he lost his control and he slapped her, Sally was devastated and infuriated by it.”

“The other witches had suggested that they create a curse to bind and punish him for his deeds. They connected five trees together, trees that they knew he passed when he took the trail to his cabin. Once he passed the trees they would feed on his anger and alter his appearance. He would become the wolf, as angry as his heart had been….were you angry that night Shauna?” 

“I was …..furious.” 

“Those trees they're like less than a mile from my house. I used to take walks in the forest, but I stopped because I would pass by this area where the birds stopped singing and the air stood still. It gave me such bad energy.” 

“And what? You think I'm under a witches curse then?” 

“Yes.” 

“Thats crazy, Lottie! I'm not under anything! I'm…This is all a bunch of….it’s just a legend…” 

“But isn't it bizarre, Shauna? How it's all connected?? What more proof do you need??” 

“I'm not a fucking werewolf! I'm just sick with …. something.” 

“Anger, just like Thomas! He never was able to reverse the curse. He stayed in the circle for the past two hundred years. He attacked you that night, he transferred it to you so he could finally die,” Lottie stated not looking away from Shauna as she shook her head in disbelief. 

“I knew this was a lost cause….do you even hear yourself, right now?!”

Lottie remained confident, head held high. Shauna needed to get away before she did something she regretted. Lottie was loading her up with pure nonsense, if she said anymore Shauna would be falling for it too.

She left in an instant and sped back to the school, her newfound agility benefiting her. Leaving Lottie at the courtyard where the memorial was. The school was nearly empty, time had passed peculiarly fast. Jackie was nowhere to be seen. Not in the parking lot, the locker room, the field; she was gone. The only person still at the damn school was Coach Scott.

“Coach Scott, where's Jackie?” 

“Jackie left a while ago.” 

“With who?”

“With uh….” He snapped his fingers like it was the key to jogging his memory,”...Jeff. Yeah that's his name.” 

Jeff. Fucking Jeff. And all because she decided to trust Lottie and go to that dumbass memorial. Shauna flung herself into her car and keyed the ignition, racing home so she could call Jackie and apologize for abandoning her. 

Blasting Garbage’s Vow she raced home. Running through red lights and screeching through sharp turns. She didn't care anymore, nothing mattered. Jackie probably hates me now. Hates me and won't want to talk to me….I'm gonna lose her. She's not gonna want to be my friend anymore. 

She arrived home, slammed the door in a rush. Shauna punched the numbers into the downstairs phone. Dialing. Dialing. Dialing. 

“Hello? Jackie?” 

“Shauna? Where's Jacqueline? She was supposed to be back an hour ago!” 

“I know Mrs. Taylor, I hoped she'd be back home by now.” 

“You've lost my daughter?” 

“I..,” Jackie's mother was an insolent woman, showed it when it really mattered. Totally unreasonable when she was agitated, a temper that she and Jackie tip toed around since youth. “She got a ride home from someone else.” 

“You refused to give her a ride? Is that it?” 

“No! You're not letting me speak!” 

“All that matters is that my daughter is missing and you have something to do with it!” 

Heat seared through her nose, her mouth and all Shauna saw was red,”IT'S NOT MY FUCKING FAULT!” and slammed the phone back into it's receiver, breaking the white plastic and watching the wirey guts of the device spill out. 

Shauna grunted in frustration, grabbing the remote and flipping the TV on. Anything, anything to distract her from what possibly could've been happening with Jackie and Jeff. Xena, X files, Beavis and Butthead anything to help her forget. 

“-locals are saying that the body had been sitting abandoned for days. The John Doe has not been identified yet, but it's certain the man was attacked by a large animal. Wiskayok police department is enforcing a curfew starting around sundown to keep our community safe.” The news had interrupted her grumbling. 

Oh my God. Pictures of the forest right by Lottie's house were shown on the screen. Shauna gulped, vividly remembering the exact area, the smell, the taste. 

Lottie's right, I'm a fucking werewolf. 

Chapter Text

Shauna sat in disbelief. It felt so vivid and visceral, but now….it was really true. The morning of the transformation she'd been so convinced that it happened, but logic had clouded her brain. Nothing about this was natural or normal. She couldn't process it so she kept telling herself it was a dream. It was all one giant dream because she was so enveloped with anger and the anger manifested itself in that. 

Certainly the anger had manifested her into something; A monster. A cold blooded cruel contemptuous murder who craved for flesh and violence. Was she nothing of what she once was? 

The phone rang, but she had to run upstairs to answer it. The downstairs phone was wrecked. 

“Shauna?” 

“Jackie! God I'm so sorry I left you, I didn't mean to!” 

“My mom said you tried to call me…” it sounded like Jackie had been crying. 

“Are you okay? 

“Yeah, yeah I'm just…. grounded for a week….” 

“Oh ……..this is my fault …..” 

“Why did you leave?” 

“I was talking to Lottie and she wanted to show me something and it took longer than I thought it would.” 

“My mom isn't gonna let you drive me to school tomorrow she says you're unreliable now.”

“Do you think….the same?” 

“No, but I really was confused why you didn't tell me….” 

“I know, everything's happened so quickly.” 

“I have to go…see you tomorrow.” Jackie hung up. The conversation was vague and abrupt, it was weird and not like Jackie at all. She thought maybe it was that she was upset because she was punished, but she wondered? Was it Jeff? Did something happen? Why was she home so late? 

Shauna frowned and slumped to the floor. At least she knew Jackie was safe somewhere. Away from her, away from this. How would she tell her? Shauna couldn't under any circumstance tell her. 

Jackie would never love her, especially now. Jackie was all things pure and sweet And she was all things wretched and evil now. Shauna had to protect Jackie from whatever this was, whatever she was. 

The next day Shauna asked Lottie to meet her at the library that morning, somewhere they could discuss things. A more private place than a classroom. 

“You’re right. I'm... it." 

“What changed your mind?” Lottie said it like she expected Shauna to be in denial for much longer. 

Shauna bit her lip. This school’s public library was not the place to be confessing she killed someone. “....it does add up. And also I have no way of explaining these…” She opened her mouth and tilted her chin up to reveal her canines. To Shauna the fangs stood out, but no one sensed or asked about them. 

“Oh wow, they don't go away?” 

“No. Neither does my appetite, I ate three different breakfasts today and I'm still hungry for more.” 

“Your body probably wants meat. Maybe start eating rare steaks? Or…liver….I could probably actually get you liver…my mom loves it, we always have it in the house.” 

“Hey, Shauna….” Tai called from the library door, Van treading behind her. They approached the table, a look of puzzlement overtook Tai’s face. Lottie and Shauna typically did not hang out, so to anyone else this probably seemed abnormal. 

“Are we having a soccer meeting I was not aware about?” she teased. 

“Shauna’s a werewolf.” Lottie blurted with an entirely straight face. 

“Lottie!” Shauna sunk her face in her hand. 

“I'm sorry what?” Tai blinked. 

“No way!! Really??” Van said in partially playful manner with slight intrigue behind the tone. 

“I thought about what you said to me….did you know that northern red oak in our forest’s host various species of poisonous moss. It releases its toxins primarily at night. ” 

“You think….” 

“Your hallucinations or dreams or whatever could be caused by invasive vegetation? Yes I do.” 

“Okay…” that made sense, maybe she inhaled it and the moss was the true cause of it all. It was during the night, the time where the moss was most active. Still meant she killed a man though, that part didn't feel like it could be explained away by moss. 

“But what about the animal?” Lottie intervened. “Shauna got mauled, Taissa. You think she got attacked by moss? She had scars, she was bleeding to death in my backyard.” 

“You were bleeding to death and you didn't go to the hospital?” Tai turned to Shauna and questioned. 

“We had Misty,” Shauna defended. 

“Oh so that's supposed to make it better?” 

“I was unconscious for half a day and I couldn't do much.” 

“Shauna, you probably just got to an extremely undisturbed area in the woods and stirred up some toxic plant life. It's probably fucking with your head.” 

“I don't know, Tai. She got attacked by an animal. Was it a wolf?” Van sat down at the table, invested in the conversation while Tai still chose to stand regretting approaching them at all. 

“Okay, Mulder….what's your opinion then…” Tai liked to call Van Mulder, Agent Mulder from The X Files, whenever Van had a suspicion about something. 

“If it was a wolf then you are definitely a werewolf….did you get bit? Was it under the full moon?” 

“It scratched me I think.” 

“The moon has nothing to do with it. It's a curse. It's because of the trees.” Lottie stressed bearing no proof, only the knowledge of her mind. 

“So you think Shauna’s possessed by a tree?” Tai narrowed her eyes at Lottie. 

“I am not possessed by a fucking tree!” 

“No she's definitely a werewolf, it's just the trees that did it.” 

Taissa turned back to Shauna and looked at her directly,”Shauna it's the moss. Go to the doctor, get some antibiotics and some rest, okay?” 

Shauna nodded. She wanted to believe it was just that simple, but was it? What everyone surrounding her didn't know is that there was a person who was dead because of her. 

“This is just like The Wolfman,” Van shook her head and smiled. 

“Van! Stop encouraging them!” Tai called back already half way out the door of the library. Van gave a little nod and then followed Tai out the door, leaving Shauna and Lottie to the library table. 

“I have to go, I left Jackie alone yesterday I need to make sure she's okay.” Shauna got up and looked up at Lottie because it looked like she was gonna say something important. 

“It's nothing. I'll see you later.” It was weird Lottie usually couldn't keep her mouth shut about this stuff, but she didn't have the time to worry about that. She had to find Jackie. 

Shauna knew of the three places Jackie would be before school officially started. Her first guess was correct. She was hanging by her locker, picking at the inside, but not actually taking out books or messing with anything. The girl had looked utterly broken like her spirit was gone. 

“Jax?” Shauna had approached her and gently called her name. Tilting her head to the side and softening her face, trying to make herself appear kinder than what she thought she actually looked like right now. 

“Hey, there you are…” Jackie offered a weak smile, leaning up against the locker like she was using it as support. 

“What's wrong?” Shauna couldn't stand the sight of her like this. She needed to think of some way to make it right. 

“It's…..Jeff picked me up last night. I asked him since everyone else was gone and he has a car and…..I wanted to just go to home, but he suggested we go and we make out by that old abandoned parking lot by the sears.” 

Shauna's stomach dropped but she let her continue.”I honestly didn't feel up to it, but he kept insisting and I just figured since he helped me out I'll let him. It seemed fair. So we got there and we started making out and after a while I thought after 10 minutes that was good enough, but he didn't stop. Then a few minutes later, he was undoing his pants and getting rough and I started getting scared….” 

“Did he….” 

“No, I kneed him in the balls before his dick even got out of his pants. He got really pissed off about that and I demanded he take me home. I broke up with him on the way back and then my mother was waiting for me….she basically was telling me that I can never see him again which I'm totally okay about. And then yeah I'm fucking grounded so I can't watch TV and she's not letting me see or call you for a week.” 

“Do you know where he is?” Shauna had asked calmly. 

“Noooo, and I'm not looking for him either. I'm so fucking done with him.” 

“I'm gonna kill him.” 

“Shauna, it's really okay. He got what he deserved.” 

“No, he didn't. I'm gonna fucking kill him.” 

Shauna stormed the school in a rampage. Ignoring her name being called by Jackie. All she could focus on was the rage oozing through her veins. He was gonna get it, when she found him he wasn't gonna live to tell the tale. 

She went into the next building. Catching a glimpse of Natalie Scatorccio out of her eye. And there! There he was with his stupid baseball friends. Acting like nothing happened, laughing like he didn't almost assault her best friend less than 24 hours ago. 

Shauna took massive strides. It was only seconds between Jeff realizing and Shauna pinning him to the lockers. His back crushed and Shauna's hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. 

“You think you can get away with it, you bastard?” She snarled, pushing him further into the metal. She took his body and threw him out towards the tiled hallway floor. 

“Think again! But you don't have a single thought behind that handsome face, do you? You enjoy treating women like objects?! Huh?!” 

And she mounted his pain stricken body, she tried to think of something else to say, but she only processed the seething. Her fists shaking with exhilaration. Punch after punch after punch the floor was growing crimson. 

The student body observed in disbelief. Nat attempted to stop it after the crowd had let her through. “Shauna, Shauna! Come on, stop it!” 

But Shauna couldn't hear Nat through the sound of her own fists and the sight of Jeff swollen and bloody. She thought about how it's what she wanted since day one, to have him gone, have him on the floor suffering. He didn't deserve Jackie, he didn't deserve anything, but torment. The torment that Shauna was giving to him now. 

She shuttered in delight, Shauna felt unstoppable the violence feeding her strength. She could do this forever, she could do this until she killed him. 

“Shauna, stop, you're gonna get expelled!” Jackie's voice caused her to turn her head. Suddenly she was being pulled away from Jeff's limpless body. The crowd hooting and hollering and some cheering too while two leather jacketed arms pulled her away. 

“Come on, Shauna let's go,” Nat dragged her along to the next building and into the girls bathroom. Shauna was still in a daze, it almost felt like being the wolf again, but she wasn't changed. 

“It's okay, Jackie I got her,” Nat said and Shauna turned her head but didn't see Jackie anywhere. 

“Come on, we gotta clean that….” everything spun but she knew she was in the bathroom and had her hands in the sink. Nat took a flask out from her backpack and poured it into the open cuts of Shauna's knuckles. She let out a cry of pain somewhere between beast and human. Nat paused for a moment, but quickly went back to work. Ripping some paper towels and blotting them to the gore staining shauna’s fingers.

“What did Jeff do to even prompt that?” 

“He didn't stop when Jackie told him to stop.” 

Nat caught on immediately and scowled,“Damn, I should have left you to it. I thought you were just jealous.” 

“You think I would've killed someone just because I was jealous?” 

“Pretty much yeah. I mean the past week you've been pissed the fuck off. More than usual.” 

“Yeah…” 

“They're coming ….” Jackie entered the bathroom, color still gone from her face. She looked at Shauna in sympathy and pulled her into a tight hug,”Thank you….but never do that again …” 

Shauna briefly peered at Nat who shook her head knowingly and drank whatever was left in the flask. Shauna hugged tighter and closed her eyes, hoping it would translate everything she wanted to say. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. 

The bathroom door opened up and all three of them turned their heads, “Shauna Shipman you are needed in the principal's office immediately.” 

Chapter Text

So she was suspended. For just a few days. She thought of how bad this was going to look on her record. Despite it, Shauna had absolutely no regrets, maybe only for the people who had to witness the outburst. 

Her mother was not mad, only concerned. She asked and Shauna had honestly told her. Jeff Sadeki was an asshole who attempted to assault her best friend. She seemed to understand, but ,like Jackie, was worried about the violent nature that was dwelling within her daughter. Shauna could be mean, rude, frustrated and short tempered, but until lately never violent. 

By the time she was home her knuckles were nearly healed. No moss could've done that, even if it was magical….It was the work of something else. A witches curse. Lottie had to be right. It was making complete sense to her now. But was there no way to break it, no way to be freed? Was she stuck like this forever? 

She called Lottie that night out of desperation;”How much do you know about this curse?” 

“Only as much as the book says….” 

“There's a book? You never said you had a book about it?” 

“You never asked?” 

“Is there some way to break the curse?” 

“Yes, but it's complicated…you have to be in the same place, within the five trees you have to be with the one who truly loves you. ‘She who sheds tears for her dear will bring her lover back and reverse the curse.” 

“That's so fucking cheesy. But what if I can't find someone who loves me by then?” 

“.....” Silence echoed into the line. 

“What?” 

“I'm sure you can find someone,” Lottie replied slowly and knowingly. 

“Like who…” Shauna could hear Lottie sigh through the phone. She didn't understand what that meant. 

“Can I come over tomorrow? I'll bring you the book and some stuff that may be able to help you through this. I would tonight, but my dad doesn't want me going out because of the wild animal.” 

“Sure, Lot. And listen thank you…..I've been a jerk and you've been really helpful…” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

She got ready for bed. She had a slight headache, but Shauna figured it was the day and how crazy it was catching up to her. The shift into sleep was nice and easy, but there lingered nightmares. 

The sounds of glass shattering. A blackness. A furry spindling creature hunched over a corpse, tearing out its guts, the half eaten stomach, the significant emptiness of the body. The creature turned, now it was her, dropping her snout in the ruin. The iron taste of a bloody intestine filling her mouth. 

A door from the darkness opening. She crawls over to observe. Jackie standing there in a beautiful summer dress, a smile on her face. The room inside is lit brighter. There's a bed that she sits on, there's a seductive glance she makes. Shauna rests her head on Jackie's lap and Jackie pets her wolfish head. Her legs are so soft, she rubs her head on them. 

Jackie pulls her up by her head and Shauna’s face reverts back to something closer to human, back to her normal form again. She pulls Shauna into a searing kiss. Shauna takes hold of Jackie's body and guides her onto the bed properly. Continuing to kiss deeply, Shauna feels boneless like nothing has any weight to it and her remarkable strength had diminished and weakened at the sweetness of the gesture. 

It's the perfect feeling. So perfect it has her breathless and trembling from excitement. She lifts her head to see Jackie in such pleasure. But it doesn't last long as Shauna's head morphs back into the monster of before who groans and growls and finally opens its maw and slices into the small of Jackie's neck. 

Shauna shakes awake and she feels that same sensation like she did before. The brutal screaming pain and the stretching of her body. She couldn't go outside again, she might kill someone again. She thought of the next best thing; The bathroom. 

She locked herself in, hoping that the werewolf part wouldn't understand locks. Quicky took off her shirt and her boxers. Watching in the mirror as her skin began to ripple, her ears became long, her hair grew darker and longer. The extension of her legs and waist toppled her body a few extra sizes tall. Her eyes changed to a brighter and sickly yellow hue. In no time, Shauna was staring at the reflection of her new self, her raging, wild, untamable animal self. 

The night was a devastating boredom, but it worked. The wolf part of herself couldn't figure out the door, so trapped she stayed. It did result in the bathroom becoming a mess, but she had expected much worse. A couple broken tiles and some soap bottles burst teeth marks piercing them. The wooden door had been smashed into a few times, some of it was starting to splitter, but that was about it. 

She put back on her clothes and went into her room. The start of day lighting her window. She made it. Another transformation and she made it. Instead of the surge of exhilarance, last night as a werewolf had made her sleepy. Maybe it was because she was cooped up in a bathroom. Shauna curled back into her bed and sank into the warmth. 

Next thing she knew she was being woken up by her mother,”I have to go again honey, but Lottie's on her way over.” 

She didn't hear a phone ring, nor did she hear her mother get home. Was she here the whole time? Did she hear me in the bathroom trying to get out? The disheveled Shauna attempted to rub the sleep out of her eyes,”When did she call?” 

“Only 20 minutes ago….you look so exhausted….,” she reached out and flatted Shauna's hair. 

“I think I'm coming down with something…” 

“I'm sure you are, you look as bad as my patients! You girls are gonna work on some homework right?” 

“Yeah that's why she's coming, she didn't tell you that?” 

“She did talk about a book…. It's fine just as long as you girls don't watch TV all night!” Her mother kissed her on the forehead and then left for work. 

Shauna slept a majority of the day away. School was already over, the mail had came, the sun was already starting to lower. 

Shauna unlocked the door for her expected guest. Thinking about how really the only person from school who had ever come to her house was Jackie. 

Lottie brought a whole bag. It was like she was Mary Poppins she kept talking stuff out of it. 

“Van wanted me to give you this,” it was a copy of that wolfman movie that she kept raving about. Shauna stared at it, Van must've really been passionate about helping her, she didn't let everyone loan her tapes. She was quite specific about who had them in their possession after Allie ruined her copy of While You Were Sleeping. Shauna understood that because she felt that same way about her Liz Phair cassette tapes. 

“This is the book,” Lottie pulled out the book, it was a medium sized chapter book with a painted picture of Thomas on the cover. ‘The mysterious disappearance of Thomas Flynn, the myth behind it all,’ she read silently. 

“You'll start to understand everything better after you read that,” Lottie assured.  

“Thanks, Lottie…you know…” 

“I'm not done…” then she pulled out what appeared to be leftovers. Shauna inspected them, it almost looked like raw meat,”For your cravings…It's prepared meats that can be eaten rare. I’d start slow, but in your case it may be okay.” 

“How's Jackie?” She asked, impatiently waiting for the answer. 

“She's okay. Nat has been trying to keep an eye on her. I think she's more sad about you being suspended than the Jeff thing. But I'll say she looks a lot better than she did yesterday.” 

Shauna nodded, nervously playing with her hands. She hated being away from Jackie so much, but maybe it was good because now Shauna was officially dangerous. She couldn't keep Jackie safe anymore, she was safer at school than she was here. 

Lottie interrupted her internal shame session, “The guy who died……that was you, right?”

“Yes,” Shauna looked down bashfully. 

“It's okay Shauna you didn't know any better….” 

“I enjoyed it …I liked it….” Shauna shook her head like she was trying to shake the thought away. 

“It was the wolf.” Lottie put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

“What if this is me now, Lottie ….what if….what if I never come back …” 

“We will break the curse,” Lottie declared. 

But how? Who would love me…. I'm a monster…

“You should write a poem,” Lottie broke the silence again, staring at Shauna genuinely. 

“What?” Shauna looked at her incrediously. 

“To process it. I heard that if you write it down it helps you understand things better.” 

“I guess. I really haven't even had time to write.” Shauna loved to write. She had dozens of journals in her room, all from middle to high school. It was always a good way to vent, especially when she felt like she couldn't talk to Jackie about it. She never bothered to write about any of this, it would sound like the ramblings of a madman on page. 

“Maybe by writing a poem….. it'll break the curse…” Lottie joked, but Shauna could tell there was a tiny bit of seriousness in her tone. 

“And how do you think that would work….”

“It's like the lore. To counteract it.” 

“Is that in the book?” 

“No, that's just what I think.” 

Shauna thought about it for a minute. Lottie was crazy, but sometimes Lottie’s strange ways did work and were helpful. She hated to admit it, but maybe this was the answer she needed. 

“What's the criteria for the poem….should it be long…..short???” 

“Just be about you. About what's happened…” 

Lottie didn't stay long. This new policy that was enforced seemed like kind of a pain in the ass. Everyone was inside by 8pm. She left by 7, leaving Shauna behind to mess around with all the bizarre things Lottie gifted her. 

The meat sat on her desk. It was cold from being left in a refrigerator most likely, but it still tempted her. To anyone else it seemed like just the disgusting type of millionaire food that rich people were stereotyped eating, but to Shauna….she savored the thick fullness of it. It was exactly what she needed, something fulfilling and raw. The full plate was empty in a record time of 2 minutes. 

She thought about the poem thing a little after Lottie left her. She glanced around her room thinking of what would trigger inspiration. Ovid’s Metamorphoses caught the corner of her eye. Lycaön she recalled suddenly. 

At the beginning of book one there was a story of a man who had been transformed into a wolf. Punished by the gods. There were a few stories about characters reverting into wolves, but this one appealed the most to her. 

She took one of her various notebooks and scribbled some disconnected lines. Words that fit the situation, fit the curse, the problem, the suffering. Shauna tried to meld it all together and make something of all of it. 

Chapter Text

After she read through the book it made a lot more sense; what triggered the transformation was anger. The spell was placed because of anger and it strengthened it. Apparently Shauna’s anger that night was all it needed to be released. And now she was stuck in the affliction. Unless someone cried real tears for her. Someone who loved her. 

If she didn't try and reverse it a month within being cursed the book said ‘he would be confined within the circle forever.’ Bound to be stuck like Thomas until some other unfortunate person came and was mad enough to give the trees the power that they needed to transfer it. At least for now it'd only been two weeks. 

Lottie had indicated that there was hope, Shauna didn't know who she was talking about, but she really hoped she wasn't trying to imply that it was Randy. She shivered thinking about Randy on his knees crying for her. 

Maybe Lottie was talking about that girl on JV Melissa….Shauna had suspected that she may have a crush on her. It seemed sweet and all, but Shauna didn't exactly feel the same way. 

By some miracle it was Jackie, but it wasn't. Jackie was straight and even though they kissed a few times it didn't mean anything to her. Jackie never wanted to talk about it. She had long ago accepted that they'd never be together, but it didn't stop Shauna from loving her. Good thing the book didn't say anything about Shauna having to love the other person back because Shauna was pretty sure the only person she'd ever love is Jackie. 

The next day was better, she tried to wake up earlier and get some shit done. Along with the various werewolf artifacts, Lottie had also brought homework. It was stupid how much homework seniors were still getting, but Shauna did it anyway. 

Van's tape of The Wolfman was playing in the background. She laid in her bed and watched it, half paying attention half thinking. Shauna could see parallels between her and Larry. The guy was depressed and paranoid and scared. That basically covers it. 

She sighed, it was so exhausting trying to keep her anger in check. It was working, but it was annoying. Shauna hadn't realized just how angry she was until recently. She didn't understand where it had all come from, she pondered that maybe it all started when her dad left. 

“Shippppmannnnn!” The shrill exclamation of her best friend travelled through the house. She didn't hear a car or anything pull into the driveway. 

Jackie was coming up the stairs. She found some way of being here. School had probably ended and she found some way to sneak around her strict parents. Jackie had her own key to the house, it was made a few years back for emergencies. 

Shauna was laying in bed in her boxers, extremely unprepared for visitors. She was also watching an incriminating movie about a guy who turns into a werewolf. The book about witchcraft splayed out on her desk, on the chapter about the wolf attacks of 1805. 

Shauna stopped the tape and flipped on MTV the sounds of Lady Picture Show by Stone Temple Pilots filling the room. She managed to find some sweatpants and pulled them up her legs. Took a flannel hanging from her desk chair and slid it on. Hid the book Lottie loaned her from sight, into a random drawer. 

“Hey you.” Jackie entered without asking, smiling and shining like she was back to her former self. 

“Hi.” Shauna tried to mirror that smile despite everything wrong. She stood awkwardly like she was hiding something and she'd bolt any minute to go and conceal it. 

“I come bearing trigonometry homework and sour gummy worms.” She placed both down on the desk where the book just was seconds ago. 

“How did you get away from your mother?” 

“I told her I was hanging out with Laura Lee….and Laura Lee like actually sold it. Like she was lying in front of God and everybody and my mom totally believed her.” 

“Wow.” Shauna sat back down on the bed trying to look less inconspicuous. 

“I know right,” Jackie took her hands abruptly, inspecting them for cuts,”you heal super fast, why are you already okay?” 

“I guess I didn't hit that hard.” 

“Jeff's inflamed face says otherwise. I don't think he's gonna look the same once it heals.” Jackie sat next to her on the bed. 

Shauna shrugged, but rolled her eyes. She hoped that he wouldn't heal, that it'd be a permanent reminder of what he did and he'd never do anything like that ever again. 

“Are you okay?” Jackie definitely looked better. A few days had passed since the fight. They didn't have much of a chance to talk, but based on reports from Lottie she was fine or at least looked fine now. 

“Are you okay? You’ve been super ballistic lately. Did something happen? I feel like you're still keeping something from me…” 

“It's…..really ... .complicated Jackie….” Shauna put her face in her hands. She knew she'd never look at Shauna the same way again. 

“Try me,” and Jackie looked a little hopeful, like she was silently pleading.

“It's really, really weird and you have to promise not to judge me….” Jackie nodded. Shauna wanted to tell her so bad, it was suffocating not being able to talk to Jackie about it. 

“I’ve…become something and I've been having all these feelings lately…”

“I already know,” Jackie interrupted. 

“You do?” how did she know? 

“You've been acting really strange for the past two weeks and keeping so many secrets. I put it together pretty easily.” 

“I didn't think it was that obvious….” 

“It's okay. Is that why you left with Lottie that time? To talk about it?” 

“Yeah. She thought she could help me.” 

“Did she ….help you?” 

“No, I'm stuck this way.” Jackie smiled and Shauna thought it seemed kind of sick, why was she smiling about Shauna's possibly irreversible curse? 

“You know, Shipman, I've been thinking about a lot. About what I want, like really want and I realized something….” Shauna looked at her confused, but nodded for her to continue,”I've spent so much time trying to make other people happy and I haven't been making myself happy.” 

“What does this have to do with…” 

“You made me understand what I want finally…” Jackie moved much closer and Shauna could smell her again….why did she have to smell so fucking sweet….it was torture having to be this close and not have the ability to do anything about it. 

“What do you want?” Shauna knew what she was about to say…..some perfume, some dress, some new haircut….. Typical Jackie. 

Jackie softly leaned in and kissed her,”You.” 

What? 

“The whole time I was Jeff that didn't feel right, but this? This feels right to me,” Jackie placed her hands on Shauna's shoulders. Shauna stared in confusion trying to process what she was saying. Jackie likes me?? 

“You care about me more than anyone else and stand up for me when no one else does and make me laugh the hardest and make sure I'm safe and…..” the bewilderment left Shauna’s body and was replaced with elation. She still struggled to find words, but she smiled. 

“When we used to kiss, that was the only time I ever liked kissing…I've been thinking about it all week….” 

Shauna surged forward and connected their mouths. Kissing Jackie with every bit of passion that she could muster in her being. Jackie just held on tighter, wrapping her arms around Shauna's neck.

“I want you so bad Shauna,” Jackie whispered against her lips and that spurred her on like crazy. Shauna couldn't stop touching her. Kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck. Tasting the skin, that skin that was so soft her lips glided across. And the sweetness of it? Unbearable, it was an agony that Shauna couldn't get enough of. 

She dragged her voracious mouth back up to Jackie's eager one. Shakesphere’s ‘which as they kiss consume’ taking a whole new meaning. It was like she wanted to swallow her. She needed all of Jackie. Now. On her bed. On the floor. She stood up from the bed, grabbing Jackie in the process and backed her into the vanity and pressed her against it. Some pictures falling, letting them drop to the floor as they continued. 

Shauna slotted herself between both of her legs, slid her hand grazing and grasping at Jackie's thigh. She had no memory of anything else, just the pressure of Jackie's body against hers. She couldn't stop touching her. Jackie was a vision like this; she was the only person Shauna ever wanted for the rest of her life. 

Shauna kissed her ear and then her neck, the side of it, the front of it, the warm wet of it,”Ah!” 

Shauna remembered that taste; it was blood. She backed away holding her breath and saw it. The indentation of teeth and a smear of blood. Just like the dream when she bit her neck and it all poured out. 

She shook her head. For one glorious minute she forgot what she was. What she really craved. And now it was blotted and stained on Jackie's neck tempting her. This was so, so wrong. 

“It's okay…” Jackie grazed her fingers on the open wound,”I'm okay.” 

“I hurt you….” What made her different from them? Guys like Jeff? Guys like Thomas Flynn? Finally she was kissing the girl she loved and all she had to show of it was a dripping wet scarlett mouth. “That’s what I was trying to make you understand, I'm different….” 

“Yeah I know, you're….butch,” Jackie said completely seriously, not understanding what Shauna was implying. “….but so are like half the girls on our team….” 

“Jackie that's not what I mean…..it's on a whole other level ….” the word butch had left a pang in Shauna's mind. She always knew she was different in that regard too, but she quickly shoved those thoughts away and focused on that other different. 

“Different how? In what way?” Jackie crossed her arms. She chose to stand now and not rest on the vanity anymore in effort to get closer to where Shauna had pushed herself back. 

“I turned into something and it's still in me….controlling me…..I'm a…” its going to sound so stupid. “...a wolf. A werewolf,” she confessed, painfully so. 

“That's funny, extremely funny Shauna. Now please tell me what's actually going on.” 

“That was it! I've been transforming since the night where you slept over, you remember….I was sick and I've been distant and violent lately….” 

“Okay, I know that, but ….it doesn't mean you're an animal? Why do you even think this?” 

“Because I've seen it and you know that guy who they found, the guy who's dead, that was me! And I just bit you,” Shauna motioned to Jackie in fervor. 

“You…..what?!” Jackie widened her eyes, trying to process that Shauna just confessed to killing a man. 

“My teeth,my nails….” She unbuttoned her flannel and pulled it and her shirt down around her shoulder to show Jackie the scars,”I got scratched the night when I ran off and….and I keep fighting these instincts to just… taste you….” 

Jackie said nothing, but observed quietly. The proof persevering through her doubting mind. 

“I'm rabid….and I can't control myself. You have to get away from me …” 

“This is fucking insane. I don't understand why you're convinced you're some mythical beast, but if there's one thing I know, Shauna ….you're not gonna hurt me….” 

“How do you know that!? You haven't seen what it's really like.” 

“I know who you are, even if you are some…..,” she struggled to utter it, "you'd never hurt me.” 

“You don't even know me! The thing I turn into, I have no way of managing it. Even when I'm a little mad I become enraged and the night of I transform. Then when you're around…. I feel…hungry like I want to devour you.”

“I trust you.” 

“Jackie, you're bleeding because of me! And I've been freakish about your skin and your hair and your body these past few weeks nonstop. I can't stop and I'm gonna hurt you ….I know I'm gonna hurt you,” Shauna couldn't bear to look at her any longer. 

“You're not gonna hurt me, Shauna look at me. You won't hurt me,” Jackie had seemed so confident in what she was saying. Shauna had no choice, but to look at her, believe her. She looked at her like a sad dog. 

“That bite?” She brought Shauna’s fingers up to her neck, she ran Shauna's pointer finger along the tears in her skin,”It's not so deep. It's not even bleeding anymore.” 

She was right. It wasn't as bad as she initially thought, just a pin prick really….the blood had been drawn, but nothing so serious. Jackie didn't look pale or scared or worried, she was flushed with color, admiration in her eyes. Also this dark desire that held a gravitating weight pulling her back in.  

“I want you to leave more….” Shauna could feel herself grow hot and flustered. This must have been a cruel dream. All she wanted was sitting right here, in this space and all for her. Jackie wanted her back somehow and in the exact sick way Shauna wanted her back too. Not hounding her full of criticism like Jackie typically did, not judging her for it. 

So she drew herself back in to the cut and Shauna timidly licked off all the remnants of the blood. Savoring it unashamed. Kissing the bite lightly to apologize. Sinking further down her chest and gnawing there. Blood flowed easier this time, it dripped between her breasts into two thin little trickles. Freely she sucked it down, the flavor filling her mouth. Jackie had moaned, a euphoric sound that made Shauna’s brain short circuit and crave for more.  

Shauna made sure that the bite would be tame enough not to rip anything other than skin and take nothing except blood. She would give Jackie what she wanted; a real mark, a claim. Her head was in a haze, she couldn't stop staring at her work. Shauna freely let herself touch Jackie again, exploring the canvas of her body with her hands. Firm hands grasping Jackie's waist and her forearm. Lifting her head back up towards Jackie's mouth, Shauna's lips sticky in blood and doused Jackie’s tongue and face with it. 

Shauna didn't know what she was anymore, but she knew this; She knew that Jackie would take her this way. All worries had ceased, all brooding paused. For once the present moment was the only thought in her mind. The pure enlightenment of it. The kindness of a ravaging kiss. 

Chapter Text

All night they had rolled around in Shauna's bed in passionate exchange. Jackie's blood had sated her. Cooled down the wolf inside. No bone clenching transformation. Just the light of her room, the warmth of the bed and them. 

Jackie didn't truly believe her at first. The fangs helped with that a bit, she observed in wonder. Softly caressed the raised scar of the infliction that rested upon Shauna's collar bone and shoulder. Even her movements and sounds varied into the quite wolfish territory. 

“Does it smell good? My hair??” She asked after Shauna nestled into her neck for what seemed to be the tenth time that night. Jackie was curious as to why that had been a new favorite spot for her. 

“I don't know. It does, but the way it feels that too,” Shauna muttered, speaking about it was weird. She herself didn't know. She just liked hair. 

“I didn't know if like it's a wolf thing….or is it just a Shauna thing …” 

“Do you think it's weird?” She lifted her head up, concerned about it. Acting like she'd immediately stop if Jackie asked her to. 

“I think it's you.” Jackie shoved her back to her previous spot, rubbing Shauna’s back to reassure her. 

There had been calms and then exquisite bouts of need. Moments where they'd lay and sleep and then others where they couldn't keep their hands off each other. 

“I can't get enough of you.” Shauna whispered before another kiss. To contrast what she thought. It seemed like being with Jackie had kept the wolf at bay. Sure all the abilities didn't disappear, but she was more peaceful, more contained. 

She thought that being around her, craving her had meant Shauna wanted to kill her. The transaction of blood may have calmed this. Carnal desires still flowed through her, but as soon as she swallowed the ounce or so of her she mellowed down. Became sleepy and nuzzled into Jackie's side. 

Technically she was feeding on her, but Jackie wasn't against it. She watched in fascination as Shauna lapped her arm, stroking her hair back as she feasted. It was as if pure ambrosia ran through Jackie's veins. No it was better, she decided; She tasted like God. 

Shauna took true medical concern, every bite was disinfected immediately and covered up. She refused to bite anywhere close to a previous one, never did more than one every hour, always asked if Jackie was ever feeling lightheaded. 

If she didn't know otherwise Shauna would think this is the cure. There was no transformation, she stayed human all night long. She was weary of it and remained nervous, but she was fine. When morning came Jackie had a total of 5 bites, all of them scattered over her body. She seemed to treasure them, touching them afterwards. 

“I have to go.” 

“No.” she gripped Jackie tighter. 

“Shauna, if I don't show up at school my parents will know.” It was a Friday after all. 

Shauna let out a noise of discontentment and let go of her. Jackie got up and started going through Shauna's drawers half naked looking for some new clothes to wear. Shauna watched as she went around the place again like she owned it. 

Shauna darted her eyes to the right side of the room trying to be respectful. She wasn't sure what they were now, but she didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or make her feel like she only wanted her for her body, or for her blood. 

They weren't unaccustomed to sharing clothes, but this time Jackie took every article of clothing she needed from Shauna's drawers and closet down to a pair of boxers and a sports bra. Something about it made her excited again. Another claim, another way to present that Jackie was Shauna's….no one else's. 

It hung off her frame, Shauna's clothing tended to be baggier and they had a noticeable difference in body types. Jackie solved the most pressing issue, her pants, by stealing one of Shauna's belts. 

“Do you want me to drive you to school….” 

“No, no I have a ride …Laura Lee…” 

“She drives?” 

“Yeah! She was carpooling last year for all the kid's at the church camp. They gave her a SUV. I know it seems…strange that she's driving, but I told her it was an emergency….”

She nodded, sitting up on the bed finally. Shauna didn't want Jackie to go. Even now more so because Jackie grounded her back to reality and made her stable. 

“Maybe I can call you from the school payphone…check up…..are you ….are you crying?” 

She sniffled. It was so stupid, she was gonna see her again, maybe even again today. It felt like her heart was being ripped open. She couldn't deal with the departure. It was like when in kindergarten her mother said goodbye and left the school. It was the first time she was really being left on her own. It was hard for her to understand that she was coming back. Shauna had the sinking feeling that she'd never come back. 

Until last night she hadn't let herself be vulnerable. Emotions clashing in her, putting the anger and the confusion in the front. Now the pain and the sorrow of what it was to be who she was now encompassed her person. It was so intense, so guttural. She couldn't take it on her own. 

“I’m sorry….I'm just worried about….what happens when you go…. what's going to happen to me…..” truly she wasn't sure, could the day revert her into wolf state and reverse all the progress she thought she made. 

“You'll be okay. We're going to figure this out,” Jackie used her team Captain voice. Reassuring her that she wouldn't let otherwise happen. 

She unlatched her golden heart necklace. Jackie placed it around Shauna’s neck,”I’m coming back for it and I'm coming back for you…” 

Shauna nodded, putting her tears on pause. Cupping Jackie's face and giving her one heck of a goodbye kiss. Jackie pulled the necklace by its chain and brought her even closer. Kissing Shauna was addictive, more than the cigarettes she smoked, more than shopping on a sale day, more than anything. 

Jackie left quickly before she changed her mind, but made sure to stop at the bedroom door and give Shauna a lasting loving look. She paced downstairs and locked the front door. Laura Lee was already waiting for her by the main road. 

Laura Lee smirked at her as she closed the door. Jackie looked at her incrediously. “Did you have a good time?” 

“Yeah? Why are you looking at me like that….” 

“No reason. I'm just happy you had a good time.” 

“Okayyy….Thank you again for helping. I really owe you one…” 

“Oh Jackie, you don't owe me anything. The only person you'll ever owe is the lord.” 

They arrived at the school. Jackie thanked Laura Lee for the ride. Jackie quickly went to her locker and got her French book. It was the first class of the day. Lottie Matthews happened to be in that class with her. She figured it was a good opportunity to talk about the current crisis. 

Lottie always got to class early, so she was already there. They didn't sit next to each other, so Jackie sat in the empty seat beside her. The room was slowly filling up with more students so she acted fast. 

“Hi, Lottie…” 

“Hey Jackie.” 

“I saw Shauna last night…” 

“I see,” Lottie looked directly at the bite on her neck that apparently was hard enough to cause a scab to form. Jackie covered it up, feeling unsettled that Lottie would know anything about that. 

“I know …..about it. What she is…she told me…” 

“...that she's a werewolf,” Lottie spoke a little too loudly, causing some heads to turn in the class. 

“Mhm,” Jackie silently agreed. 

“You'd like to know more, you want to help her.” 

“Yeah…I can obviously tell that she's struggling. How can I help?” 

“Just be there.” Lottie told her and then looked back down at the French worksheet she was doing. 

“Okay? What else?” Jackie prodded. Lottie really was an oddball, everything she said was like an extremely vague riddle. 

“You're the best chance that Shauna has of reversing things….all you need to do is to love her.” 

Love her? How does Lottie know? “Why do…how do you know that?” Jackie looked around to see if anyone was listening in to them, but it didn't seem so. 

Lottie gave her a dead on stare,”Jackie…stop trying to deny it. It's important you love her, it's your destiny that you love her.” 

“My destiny? What the fuck does that mean?” 

“You break that curse by loving her…loving her for everything she is, even that ugly violent side. And you already do, so you don't need to do anything.” Then Lottie looked back down at the homework again and Jackie decided to stop trying to talk to her all together. 

Jackie had hoped there'd be more to it than that, she kind of felt like a damsel in distress. She wanted to contribute, but it seemed like Lottie knew it all and didn't need any help of her own. She plopped back into her seat and put her face in her hand. 

School was really boring without Shauna. Quiet too. She wanted to skip, but she didn't want to anger her parents anymore. Today was Friday and after the weekend she could see Shauna again and Shauna would be back in school too. Jackie tried to look forward to that, but still the day dragged on. 

Nat and Van sat next to her at lunch. She had a feeling that Lottie rallied them up to do that. Usually Van didn't go anywhere without Taissa and Nat wouldn't even bother being in the lunchroom and chose to be outside instead. 

“You guys don't have to be here…” 

“Jackie you're about to cry into your salad….I think we need to be…” Nat pointed to the salad that had hardly been touched. 

“Is the team Captain too good to sit with her loser players?” Van teased. 

“Noooo, you know it's not that. I'm just ….thinking…” 

“Internally? I didn't know you were capable of that.” Nat joked. 

“Ha ha. I'm just worried about Shauna…” 

Jackie looked up and saw Van had an unreadable expression on her face. Like she knew something too, more than she was letting on. Nat didn't seem as concerned, but did seem curious about what was happening. 

Taissa sat down next to Van, interrupting Jackie's observations. Tai looked around confused as to why they all looked serious,“Oh don't tell me you all think it now….” 

“What?” Jackie asked honestly. 

“I'm wondering about what's happened to Shauna too, but there's no way she's that animal….You guys have to stop listening to Lottie….” 

“Oh that's what it is? Why am I always the last person to know?” Nat raised her eyebrows. 

“Come on, Tai! It makes even more sense now! Why do you still deny, with proof too!” Van turned to her girlfriend 

Jackie opened her mouth and then closed it. She didn't want to say anything because she herself still wasn't exactly sure. It was so weird. She understood why Tai had such hesitation to believe….it was scientifically impossible.  

“Shauna is acting weird, like Lottie weird, but that's really what we think? She's turning into some bear or some shit and killing people in the woods?” Nat questioned. 

“Come on, man! Don't you think it's weird!” Van pushed, looking at Nat directly trying to advocate for someone to believe her. 

Nat got up shaking her head and taking her lunch tray,”I don't know what shrooms you guys are on, but I don't have time for this.” 

After Nat left, Van turned to Jackie. Tai remained quiet hoping not to engage anything further. Jackie felt bad because it would be nice to talk to someone about it, but with Tai being right there it felt harder to talk about. 

“You believe me, right Jackie?” Van looked at her hopeful. Jackie wasn't exactly sure to say. 

“Shauna…..is exhibiting some bizarre fixations lately…” 

Tai made a face,”Like what?” 

“...biting…” she said silently. 

“Ha!” Van pointed excitedly. 

“Oh that's….I did not need to hear that….” Tai closed her eyes like she wanted to forget. 

“...wait…..like you??” Van asked, even more enthralled by the confession. 

Tai grabbed her things and then grabbed Van also by the arm,”Okay, I think we've overstayed our welcome. I do not need to hear about any more of that.” 

“No! Let me hear more! This is great!” Van called as she was being dragged away from the table Jackie sat at. 

And once again Jackie was alone. Picking at the rest of her food, wondering what to do next about the whole situation. It didn't seem like any of the yellowjackets were very helpful in giving her a sense of peace. 

The day dragged mostly, but after lunch it went faster. Jackie was so ready to go home. She went to her locker, collected her things and headed out. Hoping that she could ask Laura Lee for a ride again, they never discussed that, too many things to think about, never came up. 

She spotted Lottie and Laura Lee talking outside. They hugged and Jackie felt like maybe she should look away because even from far it looked intimate. Laura Lee let go and headed towards Jackie catching a glimpse of her from the distance. 

“Lottie says you need a ride…” 

“Yeahhh, Lottie says a lot of things.” Jackie commented under her breath, heading towards the car. 

“What do you mean?” 

“She just seems to know everything, doesn't she?” she turned, asking Laura Lee. 

“She has been gifted with sight. It's a blessing.” Laura Lee nodded. 

“How do you know she's right? I mean…when I don't even know myself…I do know what I want, but I don't know if it's…that yet.” Jackie slammed the door without meaning to, she buckled her seat belt in the same fashion. 

“We tend to be blinded by our own agendas. Fear makes us weaken our instincts. We're told to be who we aren't…we lie to ourselves in the shadow of fear,” Laura Lee keyed the ignition and backed the car up. 

“But Lottie somehow knows?” 

“Lottie sees the unexplainable and the shadow between reality and thought. She wasn't trying to hurt you Jackie….Love is the greatest strength of all.” 

“Lottie told you?!” 

“She didn't have to tell me anything. I already suspected it.” 

“And you don't think….it's a sin?” Jackie squinted and winced at the word sin. It was a touchy subject she didn't know if Laura Lee felt that way too. 

“No,” Laura Lee spared one of her hands from the wheel and placed it on Jackie's shoulder,”Sin is evil and God's love that he placed in all of us is not and could never be evil.” 

Jackie visibly relaxed in her seat. Somehow it was a huge relief hearing it from her. She did feel a lot of trust in Laura Lee and she would never lie. 

“If my parents ever found out …they'd never speak to me again….”

Laura Lee gave her a look of sympathy,”I’m so sorry, Jackie.”

“Theyre shit parents anyway…it just…hurts…”

The SUV pulled into the driveway. An elegant house from the outside, but on the inside it was a hell of rules and regulations. Jackie instead turned to look again at Laura Lee. She took Jackie's hand in solidation. Jackie smiled at her, realizing how glad she was that she knew her. 

“Thanks, Laura Lee. For everything.”

“Of course, Jackie,” then she gave her another one of her genuine smiles. 

Then she stepped back into chaos. 

“What are those ….” Mrs Taylor flopped her hands in disgust,”...clothes ..” 

She forgot she was wearing Shauna’s clothes. It was a dead give away that it was hers too, right down to the Radiohead shirt and the red and purple flannel. 

“Laura Lee let me borrow some of her…. Dad's clothes…” it was a pathetic lie really, the silliest one she could've told. 

“Why are you wearing men's clothing, Jacqueline? I thought they were a Christian family.” It seemed like her mother was more bothered by the fact that her clothes were masculine than so obviously clothing from the girl she'd be banned from seeing. 

Jackie burst out like she was offended,”I needed something really quick to wear,okay? And I had gym today and they were making us do the fitness gram pacer test today, mom….do you know how hard it is to run in a dress during that…” 

“Okay, okay….but take off those filthy clothes right now, you look like Shauna….” 

“Mom, can I…use the phone again?” 

“I suppose so. No calling Jeff though.” Fine by her. 

Finally she could call Shauna again, she wasn't grounded anymore. But she never answered. It was a still line. She tried again and again, but nothing. Time passed, she spent two hours finishing up homework, ignoring calls for dinner. It was getting late, Jackie was aware that her parents would be going to bed soon. She wondered about sneaking out and maybe going to check on Shauna. 

The phone rang. She hoped it was Shauna, but instead it was Tai. 

“I don't understand it completely, but there's a thing here attacking a party right outside my house and it's wearing your necklace.” 

“...fuck …” it was Shauna. Somehow she'd gotten loose,“Why are people outside? What about the curfew!” 

“I don't know people are stupid Jackie!” 

“I'll be there as soon as possible.” 

Jackie put the flannel that she stole from Shauna back on and opened her window quietly. Her parents had to be asleep by now, hopefully the phone call didn't disturb them. If it did….the fact that Jackie still hadn't changed her clothes would probably cause havoc again. 

Jackie and Tai conveniently lived in the same neighborhood so Jackie had decided to run over there. Years of soccer practice in her favor. As she got closer and closer she could hear screams and grunts and all of the commotion guiding the way for her. 

As soon as she arrived to the house, everyone was running away and driving off in a blind terror. She didn't recognize anyone really, it must have been a party consistenting of lower class men. She thought she recognized a couple of the girls, maybe because they were on junior varsity. 

Jackie made her way inside the house, the door was wide open. The loud snarls and wet eating noises traveled from the backyard to the living room. Then finally after pacing closer Jackie set her eyes on the gigantic hairy creature. It had to be at least 8 feet tall, it stood above most everyone, grazed the tops of the trees. Some poor girls body in its mouth and arms. 

Everyone who was still left was running around in sheer panic making a beeline to the sliding glass door that Jackie had just entered through. Everyone was almost gone. It was just her and the werewolf. Her and Shauna. 

Her breath caught, she knew shouldn't have been afraid….she knew that Shauna would never hurt her. That the wolf had subsided for her once and it would again. It was intimidating though, as soon as the rest of the party goers left. Shauna looked up and spotted Jackie, dropping the body she was eating carelessly on the ground and tilting her head. 

Shauna approached closer, getting on hands and knees, crawling towards Jackie. Her face was matted in blood and tense with concentration. Jackie stayed calm, but felt a tremor in her body. Shauna was right, Jackie could barely recognize her, other than the golden necklace dangling around her neck she would've never been able to tell. Shauna was a complete beast, a brute being of an entirely new species. 

It growled and backed away slightly as if Jackie was a threat. She made inspecting movements to observe the small woman in front of her. Jackie tried to keep her shaking to a minimum and her breath even so the werewolf wouldn't pick up on the fear. 

Then the animal before her started to whimper like it was crying and got a tad bit closer and bent its head down towards her. It was almost like Shauna wanted Jackie to pet her, but Jackie felt like it was still too soon. Even though she knew it was Shauna, the werewolf still twitched like it was about to make an attack move. 

“Shauna…” the creature snapped its head up and widened its eyes like it was trying to recall some memory. The werewolf stepped closer and bent its head again, urging Jackie to touch her. 

Jackie finally gave in and lightly put her palm on Shauna's doggish head. A breath hitched out of her, something between pain and relief. Jackie stroked the fur and smiled tearfully knowing that she was right and Shauna would never hurt her. 

The sound of sirens went off in the distance. Someone had probably called the police in desperation. Shauna's response to it was a blood curdling howl. She left Jackie and her comfort and ran away hunched and on her hind legs. Climbed the fence and continued to sprint off erratically back into the forest. 

“No!” Jackie had hoped that she'd be able to lure Shauna back home and she'd be okay until morning, but the threat of the police had spooked her off. She attempted to follow the werewolves steps and track her, but Shauna was fast and all Jackie saw was darkness. 

She treked throughout the thicket. Thinking about how helpful it would be to have a cell phone like Cher from Clueless. She could call Lottie or Tai, have someone help her. She didn't want to go back to the house and risk running into the police. Having to answer questions she knew all the answers to. 

Shauna was nowhere….the sun was rising and she still found no trace of where she'd run off to in her wild and ferocious form. Maybe she'd be transforming back by now and it'd be alright. Hopefully she didn't get herself into more trouble and try to eat someone else. Jackie wasn't sure, but she hoped that wherever she was, she was okay. 

But then out of the corner of her she caught a glimmer of gold. Shauna was curled up in a fetal position in the dirt, scratches adorning the contrast of her pale skin. She was nude, unmoving and unconscious. 

“Shauna…..” she was still breathing and had a pulse, but she didn't respond. It must've been a terrible night for her. 

Jackie cradled her and looked around. There was a neighborhood pretty close, but she didn't know which one….she got so lost last night. One house was closer than the others. 

She saw from far there was someone standing out there. She tried to squint her eyes to see, but it still wasn't close enough. The figure got closer and closer. Finally she made out who it was; Javi Martinez.