The Wolfs Maine

CHAPTER Nine



John

I knew I should have waited. I knew I should have told her all of this later or in smaller doses than just hitting her with all of it at once but she was not going to have that. She was definitely one stubborn woman. She had to have figured out that she could also be a shape shifter if her parents were but I didn't even get that far to explain anything. Before I knew it she took off. What was she doing? Was she running away from me? I couldn't let her get away before I could explain.

Something on her face did not look right either so I took off after her. She didn't tell me no or not to follow her so I did. I could not believe how fast she was. Michael and I couldn't even keep up with her, she was gone. All of a sudden we saw her and then we didn't. It was like she vanished.

By the time Michael and I made it up to where she was I realized she didn't vanish, she fell. She was just lying in the middle of the woods, out cold, sweating from head to toe. She was unconscious but breathing heavily and her body felt hot as fire. Michael looked her over for a second then back at me.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I looked at her, my life, my love, lying there in pain and suddenly I knew what was happening.

"She's changing." I picked her up off the sticks and dirt and carried her back to the house. I hadn't realized how far we were until we walked back. She must have run four miles or better.

"John, if she's changing we have got to watch her every minute until it's over. You know how tricky this can be. I've never witnessed one before but I've heard people talk." I looked down at my precious Ava in my arms.

The change was never easy and it was very painful. Your body starts to overheat to the point you feel like you are on fire, you begin to shake uncontrollably, and your body may even begin to change into anything on the fly and then back again. It is a very draining process and not everyone can survive it.

"I know. I should have waited and explained things to her in smaller amounts. Not just hit her with everything at once. I bet she started to have a panic attack which kick started the change. I knew at her age she would be getting close if she indeed was going to and surely that is what happened. What am I going to do if she doesn't survive it?" I could feel Michael's hand on my shoulder and I just thanked God he was there with me.

"She will make it John. Keep telling yourself that. She will make it. She is a strong woman, a strong stubborn woman. She will not let something like this keep her down."

Hopefully Michael was right. We made it back to the house and I took her straight upstairs to my bedroom. I laid her on the bed, turned the air conditioner on, turned all the fans in the house on and shut all the windows. We were in the middle of nowhere but that didn't mean hunters couldn't hear her if she were to scream. "Michael, I have some chains downstairs in the basement, would you go get them for me? She is going to have to be chained to the bed in case she starts changing uncontrollably."

"Are you sure you want to do that to her?" I looked at my sweet Ava and back at Michael.

"I have no choice." Michael ran downstairs and was back before I knew he was gone, he handed me the chains but all I could do was look at them. How was I supposed to chain up the woman that I love?

"John, would you like me to do that for you? If it were me I would never be able to do this." I just handed the chains over to Michael. He's right, there's no way I will be able to handle this. I knew this day might possibly come but not like this. I watch as Michael put the chains around her wrists and ankles then attached them to the bed posts. The chains probably won't even help that much but if she is too weak, the animal she changes into will be weak as well so hopefully nothing she turns into will break them. Once Michael was finished he came and sat next to me.

"So, you've seen a change before?" Oh yes, I've seen changes before.

"Yes, I have. I've seen many people change including myself. Since you've gone through it you might remember bits and pieces. It starts with that sweat, fever, body aches, uncontrollable urges then goes into thrashing, pain, changing and changing back over and over until it wears your body out to the point you can't move. Then finally you sleep until you can wake up. I have only known three people to wake up after a change." Michael looked over at me with worry in his eyes.

"Out of how many?" I could not help my expression. The numbers were not good. It obviously only took that one look for Michael to get it. Ava might not wake up from this, not after everything she just went through.

Dealing with Nicholas yesterday from the moment she got home to the minute I jumped in to save her life later on that night to her running for her life then finding me behind her hurt, to her and Michael bringing me here and trying to take care of me, to then finding out how I have known her for her entire life and that I also knew her parents and then to top it off that her parents were shape shifters as well as Michael and I, her body is over stressed and to add changing on top of it. I just don't know if she will make it through this or not. It's been a long two days for her.

Her screaming kicked me out of my worries. Obviously the pain was kicking in. I went over to be with her but what could I do? There was nothing I could do to help her, I felt useless and that is not a feeling I can handle very well. Her body felt like it was on fire. All I could do was talk to her; tell her that she was not alone and that I loved her, hoping she could hear me. Michael and I took shifts sleeping although I didn't sleep at all. I would go downstairs for an hour or so but came right back. There was no way I could sleep with her screaming and crying out in pain, it hurt me just to hear her. Michael called me back upstairs, he didn't sound good. All I can think was ‘Have I lost her?’

When I make my way up the stairs I walk in the bedroom and all I see is the most gorgeous white wolf I have ever seen in my life chained to the bed. She was magnificent. She was very long and lean with gorgeous white as snow fur, her ears twitched as if she was listening to every sound around her, and I could not mistake those beautiful eyes. Only Ava has those beautiful eyes that I can lose myself in. It was amazing that she changed into a wolf. Her very first change and it's into a beautiful wolf. Coincidence maybe but I chose to believe otherwise.

Before I knew it she had changed back to Ava. My beautiful angel. She was breathing hard and sweating but the heat radiating from her body seemed to calm down a bit. Michael decided to take his shift and go downstairs and try to get some rest while I stayed by her bedside. If I wanted rest I could sit right here.

Before I knew it I have dozed off. I wake to hear Michael screaming.

"Where is Avalon?! John!" I jump up and realize Ava was not in bed. All I could see in the bed were the chains.

"Shit! She must have changed into something small. Find her!" We ran all throughout the house, looking everywhere we could think of and we still couldn't find her. I was scared to open the door to go outside worried that she might slip past me but I hadn't a clue where else to look until I felt something against my foot. It was a snake! It was a snake and it was wrapping itself around my leg. It was Ava.

"You just about scared the shit out of me woman!" I could hear Michael laughing from the kitchen. I took Ava back upstairs and held her until she changed back and then tied her back to the bed. The following twenty four hours she changed into a snake, a deer, a hawk, and a wolf many times until finally it seems she had stopped.



"John." It was barely a whisper but enough of a sound to shake me out of my half sleep to see what was going on. I finally get my eyes to focus and I realize it was Ava! Ava is awake! By the grace of God my angel was awake and talking!

She looked exhausted. "Yes love. I am right here."

"What happened? Am I okay? Are you okay?" Am I okay? She was still worried about me.

"Yes, Ava we are all fine. You went through the change and are now a shape shifter just like Michael and I and just like your parents. I didn't get the chance to explain the change to you but you worked through it very well. How are you feeling?" Ava looked around the room and back at me.

"I feel tired and wore out and not to mention very confused but better than I was feeling."

"It's going to take some time to wrap your mind around it, I know. But I'll be here to help you. I will never leave you." I got up and took the chains off of her, laid down right next to her then felt relieved as I finally got my arms around her again.

Everything was right in the world even if only for this moment. "Go back to sleep my love. I will be here when you wake." Within seconds Ava was asleep again and I felt myself drifting as well. We had a lot of things to talk about but as of right now we were just going to lie here together and worry about everything else tomorrow.





We must have slept all night long because now I could see the sun rising through the window. Slowly but surely the day began to break through and light up the room. Ava was still curled up in my arms sleeping away. It felt amazing waking up next to her. She looked like a whole new person, except she looked the same. There was a new glow about her now. Her beautiful long black hair was shiner, her skin was smoother, her white skin now seemed a tad darker, there was a calm about her now that felt comforting. I never wanted to let her go and now hopefully I would never have to. I could feel her begin to stir and wake up. As I look down she is stretching every part of her body then looks up at me.

"Good morning Ava love." She smiles and it kills me.

"Good morning."

"How are you feeling?" Ava looked down her body and stretched a little more like she was trying to make sure before she said anything.

"I feel great actually. Like myself only better. How are you?"

“I'm great now that you are awake, okay, and in my arms again." She let out a giggle. Oh what a lovely sound.

"I could listen to that forever." She giggled again. Her hazel eyes now looked so clear and the way she was looking at me was not helping my urges to touch her, to kiss her, to make love to her. I wanted to make love to her and never stop. I was just so happy she was alive. She leaned up to kiss me like she could read my mind. It was soft at first but the minute our lips touched it was like an explosion went off. We had to have each other.

"Ava wait!" Yes, I'm an idiot.

"We need to talk right?" She looked so disappointed.

"Well, yes but that can wait. Are you okay enough for this?"

"John, I feel more alive and better than I have ever felt in my life. I need you now. Please." That is all it took for me. I mean what else are you going to do when the woman you love says ‘please'? There were definitely things we needed to talk about; things I still needed to tell her, to teach her but all of it could wait however we could not.

I wrapped my arms around my dear Ava and kissed her with all the passion I felt for her.

"Well, Ava my love. I do need to check and make sure you don't have any cuts or bruises from the changing." I winked at her as she laid back in my arms and let me do what I do best.

My hands explored every inch of her. It was like I haven't felt her body in so long and I wanted to remember every little part. My hands weren't enough, my lips had to as well. I kissed her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder; I made a trail down her long lean body. Her moans were all the confirmation I needed that she was okay. My hands found her beautiful round breasts and shortly after my lips did as well.

I suckled on one hard nipple and she let out a soft scream. I could tell I was driving her just as wild as she was always driving me. I loved feeling her hands on me and even feeling her nails in my shoulders. I kissed my way down her inner thigh and she screamed again.

"John, please." Yes, it was hard not to give in when she said please but not quite yet, ninety-nine percent of me was doing this for pleasure the little one percent really was checking to make sure she hadn't gotten hurt doing the change.

So I kissed and caressed every part of her making sure she was okay and of course she was fine, just like she kept telling me. She pulled me back up to her lips and opened her legs up silently begging me to enter her.

"Now John. I need you now." I couldn't help but smile. My dreams were all coming true.

"Yes dear." I slide inside her easy at first but she wasn't having that. She pulled me so I would move harder, faster and I loved pleasing her. Our bodies were completely in sync, with every touch and every movement. The more she moaned the more I lost control until I felt release. She must have gotten there with me because we both let out screams surely every creature outside could hear.

We both collapsed on the bed, exhausted, sweating, and completely satisfied. I had never had a woman that could satisfy me like Ava. She was like the missing puzzle piece to my life and now that I had her I never planned to let go.





It was about the time that I was having these wonderful thoughts when Michael came busting through the door.

"What's wrong?! Oh my god John seriously?! She just changed!"

"Yes I know and we would appreciate it if you closed the door." Michael must not have understood because he closed the door after he walked in the room and started pacing.

"I just heard screams and came running. You about gave me a heart attack."

"Michael, we thank you for that but I meant go back downstairs and close the door behind you. We'll be down shortly."

"Oh shit! My bad brother. You two finish up and come down whenever." Michael went back downstairs thankfully and I was able to get back to my beautiful woman.

"John? Where do we go from here?"

"Where ever you want my love. Where ever you want."





Avalon

Wow. I couldn't get over how much had changed in the last few weeks. I met this amazing man, my now ex-boyfriend lost his damn mind, I found out that John is a shape shifter as well as my parents, and he also knew them, and now suddenly I am a shape shifter as well. It was definitely taking a while to wrap my mind around it all and having John next to me was making it even harder.

It was extremely difficult to think clearly about things with him next to me. I just wanted him, I couldn't help myself. He was so gorgeous and those beautiful eyes of his kept pulling me in. He did manage to get in a few minutes here and there to explain that I may not be able to control when I turn into something or not at first. I may just think of or see an animal and then change. He will have to teach me how to control it. Apparently I changed into quite a few animals while I was out of it. He did say I changed into a beautiful white wolf, what were the odds of that? The love of my life preferred wolves and that's the first thing I change into, kind of awesome if you ask me.

We lay there for hours it seemed until Michael finally pulled us out of our bliss and reminded us that we had things to do. I forgot the world doesn't stop when I do but it sure was easy to get lost in time when I'm with him. John and I joined Michael downstairs after one more round of love making or just down right hot and sweaty sex. We all sat down and started going over details. John handed me a much needed cup of coffee and sat down next to me Michael started talking.

"Alright, so until Avalon can control her turnings, she is going to be a high risk as far as going out in public. I think the sooner you two can begin learning the basics the better. I'm sure people will begin to talk once they realize Avalon is missing. I'm sure her friends already know."

Oh my God, I hadn't even thought about Jaci and Lena!

"John where is my phone?" John hands over my cell and sure enough there were ten missed calls, five voice mails, and maybe fifty plus text messages all from Jaci and Lena wondering where on Earth I had disappeared to. I scroll through my texts as Michael and John discuss learning strategies until I come across one that rips me in two.

"Ava, are you okay? Ava? Look at me!" I look at John but tears just start pouring from my eyes. John grabs my phone and says one word;

"Nicholas."

Through all of those texts one was from Nicholas that just read, ‘Your aunt has gone to join your parents. I hope you’re happy with yourself after all; this is entirely your fault. Your friends will be next unless you come home.’

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't move. My Aunt Melanie. He killed my aunt! I knew Nicholas had a temper and I knew he was capable of pretty much anything; but to kill my aunt. She did nothing! Now he's threatening my friends! This cannot happen. I cannot lose the only family I have left.

"Alright boys. What are we going to do?"

I spoke with determination. This ends now!