Chapter || 5

Chapter 005

Allie's POV

"I am in what?" I repeated as I slowly pulled away from Lucas. What the fuck did transition mean? I hoped he'd explain more of it to me and not stare weirdly at me.

"Transition," he said again.

Alright, this was weird. Jess was now leaning against the wall and watching in silence. Would Lucas go ahead and say what he meant by transition? His eyes were locked on mine and if I weren't freaking out... I'd be flattered that I was beside Lucas.

"Transition. It means you're becoming a werewolf."

A laugh escaped my lips, more out of disbelief than humour. I sat up and drew my knees close to my body. "You know... this is beyond insane. You've lost your mind, Lucas. Werewolves... they don't exist."

Lucas's jaw tightened, but he was still holding my gaze. "Yes, they do. Allie... look at me." His hands framed my face, eerily warm against the cold sweat beading on my skin. "What do you remember about that night?"

"First of all..." I pulled Lucas's hand away from me. "And then... We... we had sex." I whispered. The other thing? The one I'd tried to convince myself that it did not happen? I tried to make sense of it. Lucas did bite me. "And you..." My throat closed up, but the words forced themselves out. "You bit me."

Lucas nodded slowly, confirming that what I'd thought was a hallucination throughout last week was in fact real. "That's it. That's why you're hearing voices, why you're not tired, why you can eat and eat and not get full. The bite... It triggered your transition. I'm so sorry, Allie. I should've controlled myself. I never meant to..."

I pushed myself up from the floor, stumbling backwards and clutching my stomach. Either Lucas was psychic and didn't have any idea what he was saying, or... Or I could take his explanation, which I didn't want to. But if I was in denial, how could I explain why I suddenly began hearing so many voices... the blood on my dress... how I got home that night was a blur. No, it wasn't. It was as if a part of my memory had been carved out.

"What did you do to me?"

Lucas got up and tried to hold me but I flinched. "Your emotions will be heightened. Your senses will be sharper now... your hearing, your strength. Everything. It's scary, I know."

"Do you?" I wanted to yell but I gasped as the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside of the locker room got louder than ever before. I heard every whispered word, every shuffle of shoes, felt like it was inside my skull. I pressed my palms hard against my ears, trying to block it out. "It's too much! Lucas, make it stop!"

"Allie, breathe. Just ignore the other sounds and focus on my voice." He urged, then placed his hand on my shoulders. "You need help. I can take you to the pack healer. They'll know what to do."

I fought hard to fight the tears. "I am not going anywhere with you. And this messed-up theory of yours... It's insane. I... I have to get out of here." I sniffed and rubbed my face.

"Allie, you'll die if I..."

At this point, Jess walked over and took my hand in hers. "That's it. She's done listening to your nonsense. I am taking Allie home. You are driving her crazy."

I didn't object when Jess helped me out of the room. When we got in the car, I broke down. I realised I didn't cry in front of Lucas because I didn't want him to see me that way. Jess let me cry without stopping me. She'd glance at me from time to time.

"Do you believe a word he's saying?" She asked when she saw I was now wiping my face.

I shrugged. I knew my emotions were heightened because I just cried for straight... five minutes. And I still heard everything. Conversations I wasn't supposed to hear. Like a couple in the middle of a breakup argument as Jess drove past.

I was in denial.

I believed Lucas. But then it didn't make sense. How could werewolves exist? And how did I not know until now? And I was becoming one?

"Earth to Allison."

I looked at Jess who'd parked her car in front of my home. "Look, I don't want to take what Lucas said to heart but..."

Jess nodded. "But it's the only way you can make sense of what happened, I know. Allie, you're probably sick or something. We should tell your mum and call a doctor in and you can tell him what's happening, okay."

"Tell a human doctor that I'm hearing things I'm not supposed to be hearing? Tell him that I'm suddenly eating like a freak?"

"Allison, come on. Lucas is a jerk, alright. But you and I are the rational ones here."

I squinted my eyes at Jess. "Rational? I'm hearing things, and my emotions are all over the place, and you say I'm rational? Look at me... I'm turning into some freak! A wolf bit me!"

"Wolves do not exist!"

"How can you say that? Look, as much as I want to agree with you... You're being insensitive, and thank you for bringing me home... I'm not having this conversation." I left Jess inside the car and entered my house.

On the couch, Caden was making out with a girl I didn't recognise. I hissed and bolted upstairs to my room. I lay face down on the bed. An hour later, I had my legs tucked in beneath me as I typed the word 'Werewolf' on my browser.

I pinched my brows together and waited for the results. It showed me pictures of wolves, and a stupid AI pops a question that makes me sick. It says... 'Do you mean movies related to the...'

"Crap. You've got to be kidding me." I hissed.

All the information I gathered from this browser doesn't make what Lucas said any easier to believe. It stated that they were supernatural creatures that turned every full moon and existed in packs except for the lone wolves. Now, a lone wolf was a wolf that...

"Allison, are you home?" Mum called from the living room.

I shut my laptop off and left my room. As soon as I saw my mum, I smiled, glad that she was okay. She worked as a preschool teacher, and her job didn't entail anything dangerous, but I was just being paranoid.

"Caden informed me that you came home early, are you okay?"

That little bastard.

"Yeah, sure. I'm okay. What you got there?" I nodded at the books she retrieved from her bag.

"Uh... It says here... Intro to Lycanthropy. So, a woman came to the preschool today and she said she'd donate books. I didn't think any of my kids would like to read this one."

I took the book from Mum. On the cover page was a wolf, and not just a wolf, but a wolf that could stand on just two feet instead of one. Could this book give me information that the internet couldn't?

"Mum, can I borrow this?"

"Sure. I'll just make dinner."

I nodded and went back to my room with the book in my hand. Two pages into the book, my eyelids fluttered closed and I drifted off to sleep. But this time... I woke up in a different place. And it felt so real, like I was there.

I saw a bonfire and people surrounding it. I saw each of them chanting words in an ancient language and then bones snapping and growls. I hid behind a leaf until a pair of amber eyes spotted me.

"Human! There's an intruder among us. Kill her!"

♦♦♦

Lucas' POV

"Lucas get your head in the game! What the heck is going on with you?" Coach hit my back after the drilling practice session ended. I huffed, unable to give a reason.

Beside me, Drew snorted. "Have you figured out a way to clean your mess?" He whispered but I'm sure everybody in here heard his words.

I shook my head and glared at the number of eyes that were now on me. Couldn't I get some privacy as the Alpha-in-training? Must they all butt in my business? My shoulders tensed just as Drew stepped in front of me.

"I am your Alpha, step away," I said to him.

"Cut the Alpha crap. I am your best friend and I deserve to know if there's a lead. You need to tell me these things, Lucas."

My eyebrow went up. "What? You're practising being a best friend by outing my secret in front of the entire team?"

"Secrets? Lucas, what is Drew talking about?" Coach frowned.

"I don't know. Ask him..." I sighed.

They were making me all crazy. I had a freaking mate who'd turn into a werewolf soon and yet I was here. I couldn't imagine Allie going through the transition phase without help. Stubborn as she was... I couldn't show up at her home unannounced.

"Lucas?"

"Fine. I marked my human mate last week and she's going to go through transition all by herself."

There was silence from the entire team. No one said a word, not to each other, not to me. Although I couldn't miss the way their posture stilled. Heck, I knew the word that was running through their minds.

Alpha Mireille.

My mother. How she'd been bent on keeping the Alpha bloodline pure and wouldn't take this mistake of mine lightly.

"I thought you were promised to Megan. Why'd you mark her?" Dean spoke up first.

"I don't know, man. I don't know. I would never do something like that to hurt anyone. I know that she'll be in danger, so I... I wouldn't mark her like that. It's like..."

"Your wolf," Dean completed.

I raised my eyes to his and I could sense his fear. Amidst so many emotions, fear was the last I expected from Dean. I've known him since I was a kid. He isn't scared of anything. Except... Dean averted his gaze from me.

"What will you do? Does the Alpha know?" Coach inquired.

"No!"

"Are you telling her?" He probed.

"No! I mean... not until I figure this thing out. I'm gonna help Allie complete her transition."

"And then what?"

"And then nothing. You must make me a promise to keep this a secret. Not until I find a way to make sure my mate stays unhurt. Secrets ours?" I looked at each one of my friends and teammates. I knew I could count on them. Dean shifted uneasily.

"Dean?" I called.

"Yeah, I'm in." He said along with the others.

Great. Now we had Coach to convince.

"Does she go here? Your human mate?" Coach asked me.

I nodded.

"As much as keeping secrets from the Alpha is a death sentence... I'm a human as well. And I would do anything to protect my students here."

I grabbed my phone and left the room after his words. I knew Drew would come with me. He always did. We got into the car together and I drove.

Allie's home wasn't as big as mine, nor was it near anything like the houses on the street. But it was a decent place that smelled like home. I parked my car opposite the building and watched it from here. I could feel her restlessness. Her uneven breaths and... her fear.

"So what? What exactly are we waiting for?" Drew asked, obviously bored to death.

"Wait and see," I murmured.

"Lucas! We have to get out of here, now." Drew suddenly said. "Look, among the plants. Wolfsbane."

True to his words, among the little garden in front of Allie's home was the plant. In mythical stories, Wolfsbane was just poison to werewolves when ingested.

In the real world, it was more. Wolfsbane could slow down the transition phase of a human which was dangerous as they could die. Plus, it weakened our species, making us prone to mind manipulation and control, prolonged shifting and delay in healing.

"Why do you think they grow it among other flowers? Do you think her family knows about..."

I cut Drew off. "There's no way. All we have to do, is be careful. And Allie cannot be around that poison for too long."

If only she wouldn't be so stubborn and would let me take her away. For me, it was the only way to keep her alive. And I couldn't have her dead. I couldn't bear to think about what would happen if I lost Allie.

"I think I have an idea," Drew said.

"Spill," I told him.

"I say we take Allie and lock her up. Help her go through with the transition. If you want to keep her safe, Lucas. You know that's the only way to do it."

Or? Or I find another way to get through to her. Be a nice guy and act normal. I figured out I'd get a chance that way. After all, Allie has been human her whole life. The only way she'd learn how to trust me, was if I dropped the werewolf saga and...

"Look, I know what you're thinking. But it's not gonna work. Not after you straight-up admitted to biting her. Bet is, she'd be scared of you." Drew killed the thought.

"Yeah, she would. But she wouldn't be scared of you, right? I mean, she thinks you're human."

"Are you saying that I should get close to your mate? Try to know her? What if she falls for me?"

Bastard.

You'd be falling as well. And not just falling anywhere, but falling into your own grave. I smiled lightly.

"I trust you, Drew. You're the best person for the job."

Drew nodded curtly. "And I won't let you down, Alpha."