Hidden in Sheridan (Tainted Series: Book 1)

Moon: FIRST QUARTER

Sterling - Levi had only opened his mouth when his entire body language changed. He grabbed his head, both hands pressing into his temples like the pain had returned suddenly. His legs buckled beneath him and he dropped to his knees. Teeth grit and eyes shut, Levi fought against the pain, but it was obviously going to win.

I rush to my friends side, threading my arms through Levi’s armpits and around his chest. Latching his wrists I pull, hoisting the writhing boy from the floor, and drag him towards the cage. And just a he had before, Levi fights back.

His body twists, straightening his arms he slips from my grip and rolls to the ground, curling into a ball he continues crying out in pain.

Startled, I stumble again to Levi’s side but this time I wasn’t alone. Ity drops down as well grabbing Levi on one side and holds tight.

“On three,” she orders, getting best grip I can manage, I nod.

At the count of three we lift and shuffle. Levi isn’t heavy, especially with my own natural strength. Except, just as we lift Levi arches his back, his hands lashes out and his fingers dig into both mine and Ity’s arms. I yelp, grit my teeth and don’t stop until we are all inside the cage.

With a shove, both Ity and I drop Levi on the ground and then turn to escape. The metal clangs as we secure the gate latch.

“You sure that’s going to hold him?” Ity asks still at my side.

“Yeah. It’s painful to watch but that’s all it is … pain.” The same agony pulls at my own heart as before. I don’t like him being in pain, and I want to stop it for him.

“So … he had claws yesterday too?” Ity asks.

“Claws?” Her words catch me off guard. I look at her with question but she motions to her shoulder, and then to my own. Brand new bloodstains shown on her sleeve right where Levi’s hand had gripped. Five punter wounds with blood seeping through.

The sound of objects as hard as bone, scratching rock echos across the basement. Where Levi’s hands were, hair had sprouted and covered his knuckles, long thick yellowed claws had grown from his finger tips, and he was using them to scratch deep grooves into the concrete flooring.

“The claws are new.” I admit.

With a sudden jolt, Levi pushes from the ground, twisting in the air he pounces on the metal gate. The metal groans from his weight, but holds firm. He backs up and throws himself at the bars again and again, until he pauses to take a breath; fast, heavy and scratchy breaths.

Levi’s clawed hands hold tightly to the bars, as he breaths. This is the first good look I’ve gotten of my friend and his new condition. It’s like looking at the best special effects movie, mixed with the cliche version of a TeenWolf story.

Levi’s normal ears had pulled back into points, his hair straightened and turned shaggy, sprouting longer sideburns and eyebrows. The skin across his forehead and nose turned into bony ridges deepening his eyes, which also seemed to glow golden, outlined by his dark skin. Which also happened to accent his newly formed canine teeth.

“Whoa,” The sound whooshes out of my mouth without forethought. Ity as well, doesn’t bother hiding her astonishment. Only she uses it to do something more productive.

Grabbing the pile of chains from the floor, she loops them around the opening of the gate, pulling them tight. She then snaps her fingers at my face to wake me from my trance, “Do you have a padlock?”

“I’m not so sure we should lock that,” I say, seconds before Levi takes another run at the door. The gate shutters under the weight threatening to give out. “Locking can be good.”

I run to the desk and pull open the bottom drawer where I find several different locks from years past. Retrieving the strongest looking one I toss it to Ity as Levi backs away to have another go.

With a lot of clicking, the lock is securely placed and Ity backs away from the next attack.

“Thank you,” she says when I’m back at her side.

“You’re welcome,” I quickly grab hold of her wrist and pull her in tight. “Now what am I going to do with you?”

Ity nods, “Ooooh. You didn’t want to lock the gate incase you needed to throw me in there too. That makes more sense.”

“I’m glad.”

“Well,” She lifted up her own hand which I was holding, “This isn’t going to help. And since you’re too smart to take my word for it when I say I’m not going to turn … do you have anymore chains?”

My fingers tighten around her slender wrist. Seriously, she’s so thin that I begin to wonder if she did change could she really be a threat to me?

I shake the thought from my head. I had underestimated Levi, I shouldn’t risk underestimating Ity.

I usher her over to the center of the wall. It’s not well seen but on the ground there are four large wench hooks secured deep into the cement. Once she spotted them she seemed to get the idea.

Standing between two hooks Ity waited while I retrieve a second set of chains with cuffs attached and quietly set to work.

“So,” Ity breaks the silence between the clashing of metal, “Your mother. She was trying to keep your dad from killing us, wasn’t she.”

“Knowing our pack identities and abilities, makes you a liability. My dad doesn’t have much patience for things like that. Plus you’re a foster kid. Easy enough to get rid of.”

I flinch, knowing I was insensitive I look to apologize, instead I see Ity shrug. “Makes sense.” She says, and my heart murmurs again. It had never done that before now. I shake my head willing my pulse to resume its natural rhythm.

That’s when I notice the cage had gone quiet. Levi was pacing in the back of his cell, still maintaining his mix of human wolf appearance. His eyes studying us carefully from the shadows.

I still find it difficult to accept what I’m looking at. His appearance is everything the stories had made my people out to be. As if Hollywood had sneaked in and transformed my best friend right in front of my eyes.

“He’s not in there.” Ity states, “The animal is in complete control.”

She seems so sure and I didn’t like the sound of it. I return to securing the final bolts on Ity’s wrist, stepping back to inspect my work when suddenly a deep feeling of dread sinks into the pit of my stomach.

At the same time Ity’s eyes shift to the stairs seconds before my ears piqued at the approaching sounds. Three sets of boots descending the steps from the closet entrance.

CHAPTER END