MATED TO A VAMPIRE

When You Shift

Each time I and my parents chill out, we don’t usually take this Bowery street. Where we are headed to looks like Allegany State Park. It’s fun to be in New York until your parents become crazy and drive you into some sort of dark places.

I gasp as Dad guides the steering wheel and shifts the gear to the left in the dimly lit expanse of Bowery.

Dad clears his throat, “the very first time a young wolf transforms, it’s hell.” I give him a fierce glare, and gulp. Maybe this is the first time Dad would be interested in this topic while I’m not. He non-chalantly shrugs, exhaling audibly. It is becoming clearer that Dad deceived me and we’re not chilling out.

“It is better to transform while with a friend, than to shift in the open. It makes you a bad wolf.” He mentions. “If you transform when a friend is around you, you can be controlled. Such can decide to inject wolfs bane into you, or maybe, silver. And in some other cases like witches and you know, a spell can be cast to stop you from your aggressive actions. If no one goes with you and you hurt people, then you’re a bad wolf.”

He chuckles softly at his last statement.

“I don’t get you. A bad wolf?” I inquire.

“Yeah. My apologies, Sophia.” He voices. Then, he shifts the gear and drive towards the left again. Tall trees and monsters' voices get closer to us now. He points at a final junction, “We’re going over there.” And then he drives to the place.

He rubs my chin with a hand while he places the other on the steering, “you’ll be fine.”

“Go where?” I quip as he takes his hand back to the steering to drive with both hands.

“Did you deceive me? Into some hide-out? I thought we wanted to chill.” I utter.

“Not a deception. It is even better than some bottles of Hennessey at the bar, don’t you think?” He retorts.

I decide to stay silent. He breaks the silence after a few more minutes. “After we register you in Evergreen High School and you spend six weeks, you would be eighteen years. Just come home then so we can celebrate you. What grade are you in, anyways?”

“I know about that. I was in Grade 11, the penultimate grade, when you withdrew me from the school. I don’t like being a hosteller but I’ll definitely come home for the weekend. Why are you being particular about the sixth week? Because I’ll be eighteen, does it change a thing?”

“We’ll write to your school before you’re released for the weekend of the sixth week. And then, you’ll understand better about werewolves. I’ll show you a thing soon – it looks like your wolf is mature. You’re seventeen. Rare cases.” He chuckles softly after mentioning this.

He slams the brake and stops the car which leaves the key jingling. He alights after the door budges. Coming to the other side to help me with mine, he discovers that I have alighted as well. He opens the booth and grabs the box he placed there. I mumble a few words about how I feel until Dad nudges me and I return to my reverie. After walking a few meters, we pause our journey and sit beside a tall and beautiful tree. Dad hits his palm on the ground, like though he is trying to cast a spell or solidify it. I try to notice each step he takes maybe it would be useful for me. He exhales sharply, and focus on me now.

“We await the full moon. It will help you transform into a wolf tonight.” Dad finally clarifies. I am excited to hear about this but at the same time, anxious to accommodate my wolf. I don’t want to be in a situation where I won’t be able to control myself and I’ll hurt others – then I’ll be called a bad wolf, quoting Dad. But it’s really exciting to see it happen – what I read in books and see in movies.

“I trust you can do this.” I tell him with a smile.

“I better tell you that.” He conveys a right impression.

“After you transform, ensure you can control your wolf. Anyways, Duke will give me more instructions when it’s time.” He utters. Duke is Dad’s Wolf definitely. What’s the name of my wolf? I’ll be glad to know it.

“Want to ask something?” He whispers loudly after he notices my lips shaking in a questionable way. I look at him and gulp, wonder written all over my face.

“Yeah. You’re right.” I state.

Gulping, “What is the name of my wolf?” I expect him to respond to my question immediately I asked, to know the kind of emotion I will display.

“Beau.” He clips after letting out a low growl. I shut my eyes and widen my lips but my smile turns into straight lips when I see that the full moon is already here. I heave a deep sigh of anxiety, taking a glance at Dad with furrowed forehead. Dad notices what I noticed and gets to his feet. He gazes at the moon and smirks after confirming it is really here. He remains on that spot for a few more seconds – maybe he’s conversing with his wolf or his Luna or Alpha, I do not know. Before I can nudge him, I feel my body freezing up.

"Dad!" I slightly exclaim. “I’m freezing.”

I pull him in for a hug, trying to accept the fact that I’ll be a wolf soon but the way he looks at me tells me he can’t resist me from transforming. Hold on – is cold one of the symptoms of transforming into a wolf, maybe for a newbie?

“Do you feel the same way?” I gently ask as my lips shiver.

He pulls me in for a hug, “Yes. Sophia.”

I’m not so sure he told the truth but I choose to believe his word now. He pulls out of the hug as my attention runs to my feet. They start to grow wild and I like it, unusually. He quickly grabs hold of my hands, as he leads me into the depth of this forest. With speed, he clings a rope to a tree – that could have been employed in case my wolf doesn’t cooperate.

My bones c***k inside my hands as my nails grow into claws. I bitterly stare at myself, lingering and staggering, scared of how fast I am changing into a being I wasn’t let in on, until the recent days. I start to lose control as I bend unevenly and fall to the ground. I collide with my head on a dense mound of soil as low growls erupt from my lips. I see Dad walking towards me as I bark as a primal display of communication. He doesn’t stop to approach and I grab him vehemently, scratching him with my claws with my evil eyes and, long and ugly feet.

My T-shirt rips asunder and take flight. The black shiny trousers follows suit. My eyes glow, causing flickers of light in the woods. Then, suddenly, I collide with my chest on the ground as my claws grow wilder, shooting out bizarrely. Hair sprouts all over my face then to the rest of my body till I’m fully hairy. I maintain my stand as I howl before I start to whine, bowing to the moon to show some respect. I think. My desire to feed and live switch, now that I’m a wolf. A kind of scent is released upon me as I growl, imagining myself pouncing on younger wolves or humans, to tear their flesh apart.

He takes a few steps backwards but I swiftly dart at him. He pushes me and I fall to the ground again. I growl more aggressively as I maintain my stand more fiercely, displaying my wild teeth to make Dad approach.

Dad, having the knowledge of wolves, stands at an arm’s length to me. As I deduce, he wishes I will shift back into my human body, hoping the full moon will wrap off but it has only glowed better. I grit my teeth, howl and growl, the desire to fight Dad and tear his flesh apart burning seriously within me. This has only taken a few minutes and I’m this aggressive. But one thing I notice about my wolf – it isn’t running out of hands to harm the citizens of New York. Maybe Dad sprayed wolfs bane along the way to get out of here. He keeps gulping, watching each step my wolf takes.

I growl one more time as I shake my body vigorously, aiming to attack Dad. He takes to his heels but dodges my attack and hides behind one of the tall trees here. I smell his scent and instinctively know that it is him.

“Duke is behind you. Duke is not far from you.” Beau gives me update on each step dad takes. Suddenly, my wolf hears a very loud noise from the northern direction of this forest. I employ my wolf speed to hurry down there. When I get there in a few seconds, I see Dad exhaling sharply, pointing at me. But he remains on that spot. Looks like he wants me to shift back to my human body but my wolf pursues him till it looks like a dangerous play.

It’s definitely the dead of the night – I have been in my wolf for almost an hour now. After lots of shriek, howl and growls for the past hour and desire to relate with people of my kind, I revert my steps and head back to the exit way out of this forest.

Dad starts to get me tucked into clothes, it is now that I notice that I am n***d. I let him though but maintain a straight face.

“Only my mate will be permitted to do this when I turn eighteen.” I state as we walk to the little park.

“I’m glad you know. And I’ll be gladder if you know the right thing to do.” Dad retorts.

I chuckle softly, “do or say?”

He shrugs his shoulders, forcing a smile across his lips.

“Thank you.”

I get into the car as well as him. I break the silence after a few seconds.

“Now that I’m a wolf, don’t play with me.” I assert, feigning a masculine voice.

He scoffs, “says a teenage wolf still under her parents’ roof.”

A creature appears at the front of our car now as my attention and dad’s are directed to it. I gulp, motioning to dad to approve what I want to do.

“Don’t try it!” He holds me down and drives crazily away from here. Gosh, I’d have killed that s**t.