Revelation

CH1

Branches tore at my skin as I ran. I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs and my bare feet, wet with bloody scrapes, kept skidding across the leafy ground at every neck breaking turn we made. To stop and look back would be a death sentence. So, we didn’t. My older brother squeezed my numb fingers even tighter as he led the way. I felt a moment of assurity that we would make it, we’d made it so far already and we were so close to safety. I could almost see the lights from the wall in the distance above the trees. His hand was suddenly ripped from mine so violently I felt my body wrench in the opposite direction. I stared at my bloodless hand, still damp from his sweat, empty. I heard his screams and trembled as the air heated up around me. I knew I was about to die. My brain screamed as my throat was abruptly filled with fire.

I can feel my body convulsing, I can’t breathe, and I can’t see anything. My throat burns and my chest feels like it’s going to explode.

“Breathe, breathe, breathe!” I can barely recognize my own voice chanting in my head. “Come on I got you just breathe!” My heart is beating so hard I can feel it pumping against my chest I don’t know if I’m going to make it, but I can’t give up, I have to make sure he’s ok. “You can’t die on me I said breathe!”

My throat burns as I drag down air and my eyes shoot open to see the reflection of my warm brown eyes staring back at me. I feel my forehead scrunch in confusion. Then pale eyelids framed with white lashes blink the mirrors closed. My senses slowly come back to me, but my thoughts are all jumbled and confused. I realize warm hands grip the back of my neck and the side of my face and I’m lying on a hard ground. The stranger with the glass eyes slowly helps me up while my eyes devour his face. His beautiful African features stand out against the paleness of his skin, the white of his hair and the pink of his lips. He quietly lets me take all of him in before looking behind him where there are others sitting around us on the... “Are we on a train?” I croak as the stranger helps me up. I don’t really expect an answer, we are obviously on a train. Even though the trains stopped running years ago I still remember them clearly with the dark speckled rubber floors and the tin-like interior. What I couldn’t understand is what the A train to Far Rockaway was doing out here in the woods of upstate New York. I step closer to the seats recognizing the same dingy orange and yellow chairs we would all squeeze into and the faded advertisements above the windows. My ghost of a smile fades as I look outside said windows and see nothing but pitch blackness. Wait, where am I? How did I get here on this train and where is “Zander!? Where is my brother, where is Zander?!” I spin in a frantic circle as I search for him, my left hand spasming stops me short.

“It was just you Alex.” I look at the group and recognize Hanako from my class. We had gotten separated during the panic when the compound was breached. I stare at her incredulously as I finally take everything in. She’s covered in dry blood and the arm of her grey track suit, our mandatory school uniform, is ripped off and her arm is bandaged. She’s sitting closely with two other girls, identical twins, with wild ginger hair and blood-stained shirts and haunted green eyes. Two more boys stand near the window seats one has long black disheveled hair and unsettlingly bright blue eyes while the other has a head of dark curls with even darker eyes. Every one of them are bloodstained and bandaged. They all look like they’ve been to war or, more likely, survived an attack. My eyes are drawn past them to the darkness unable to look at them while Hanako’s words reverberate in my head. Just you. I try to think back to before I got here, and my mind struggles to decipher the flashing images and emotions. All I remember is our labored breath as we ran, Zander’s hand being wrenched from mine and swallowing fire. I grab at my throat and feel a bandage. My mind keeps rejecting what Zander’s absence means and I start to see dark spots in my vision. Large warm hands grip my shoulders, and my eyes refocus staring into the stranger’s eyes. “Alex. I need you to breathe.” He says calmly. I try my best to do just that and feel tears run down my face as I finally release a shaky exhale. He gives me a pained look and squeezes my shoulders before letting me go and nodding to the others who watch me with wary eyes. “My name is Jaquez, you know Hanako, the twins are Gabriella and Isabella, blue eyes name is Blue and that’s Santiago.” I know what he’s doing, and I thank him with a small nod of my own as I try to collect myself. I look around the train as they all silently watch me and really see it for the first time. There are smears of blood everywhere and claw marks gouged deep into the surface of the wall and floor, whether the owners of said claw marks were still on this train or not, I was ready to get off. I look up at Jaquez taking in how big he is. “How did we get on this train and how do we get off?

He watches me silently for a second and I narrow my eyes at him slightly, I don’t need him to doctor me. He narrows his eyes slightly back before he starts talking. “We don’t know how we got on the train. We all woke up here with no memory of boarding or who bandaged our… wounds. Some of us wake up with others,” he says looking at the twins and Hanako, “and some of us wake up alone.” I follow everyone eyes as they quietly look at Blue. He’s looking at the door to the next train car as if he’s waiting for someone.

“Are there others on the train?” I ask. Everyone avoids my eyes, even Jaquez.

“Yes.” Blue replies quietly with his head still turned. “He forgot to mention that we all have one memory in common.” His voice is hoarse and devoid of any emotion. “We all remember being attacked, sure that we would be shred to pieces by the Lycans. Isn’t it obvious?” He asks while slightly turning his head to spear me with those unnerving eyes. “We never made it out of those woods. I watched my family get torn apart and waited my turn. My stomach was ripped out and because of whatever sins I committed I didn’t get to go to heaven with the rest of them. Instead, we are in hell, on this never-ending train with those demons.” He finishes nonchalantly and turns his head back towards the door. All I can do is stare at him.

I look to Jaquez, and He sighs. “There are Lycans on the train.” I start to feel cold. “We don’t know how many, but Blue is the last of the first group that was here before us. I came with Santiago and Hanako arrived before you with the twins. Blue says… the others didn’t make it some were killed, and others changed.”

I stare at Jaquez unable to make sense of what he’s saying. “So, you’re telling me that we are stuck on a train with Lycans and we’re dead.”

“We’re not dead!” Hanako interjects. “We’re not dead, only Blue believes that.”

“I agree with him.” Santiago speaks up. I look at him and he shrugs his shoulders. “Makes sense to me. Either that or it’s a nightma---”

Hanako shoots up from her seat “We are not dead.” She says firmly. “We are being punished or tested but we are still very much alive, right Jaquez?”

“Yes.” He says calmy. “Yes, we are.” I turn and catch him watching me closely. “We are very much alive, and I believe we are being tested. I’ve been here for three days; or I’ve slept 3 times since I’ve been on the train. We fall into a dead sleep and wake up with rations and toiletries. I don’t think the devil usually cares if you have water or toilet paper.” Santiago snorts and Jaquez continues. “I’m not sure what we are being tested for, but I do believe we are being monitored because we have all survived a Lycan attack.” He opens his mouth to say more, then stops suddenly cocking his head to the side. I watch his animalistic movements warily suddenly remembering that Blue had said others had changed. His eyes connect with mine and I flinch at the intensity. He takes a step towards me but stops short and swivels around eyes wide. “BLUE!” I turn in time to see Blue standing right in front of the door to the next car and Santiago moving towards him. Blue looks up at the ceiling and sighs, “I’m tired.” The door in front of him is ripped off its hinges and a dark clawed hand rips Blue into the darkness. Something wet sprays on to my face. I’m flying backwards away from the doorway, but my eyes never leave the darkness; my ears pick up on the sound of flesh ripping until my brain replaces it with ringing. I watch Santiago run after me his mouth and eyes wide in his own silent film. I pass through the dark space between the trains and realize it’s completely enclosed. There’s no way out of this hell. I’m brought through 3 more cars before we stop, and my feet finally touch the ground. I watch Santiago slam the corridor door shut as Jaquez collapses against the center train doors with me. It takes a moment for me to remove my grip from his forearm and his trembling arm from around my waist. I grab onto the metal pole attached to the seat to pull myself away from his heaving chest and keep me upright. I haven’t taken my eyes off the door to the corridor. Every time I blink, I can still see the gaping dark hole the Lycan made. The hole it dragged Blue into. I take slow even breaths and the ringing finally stop. I stand straighter and look around to see Hanako sitting, staring at nothing while holding Izzy and Gabby with each arm. They grip her tightly as they sob onto her shoulders. Santiago is sitting closer to the connecting door in the middle of the floor; his hands gripping either side of his head pulling at his hair. I can hear him chanting something. I walk towards him and hear him repeating “I’m sorry.” With each breath. I move in front of him and crouch down so I can see his face. He’s in shock, staring unseeingly at the door. There’s blood on him. I flinch but try to remove his hands from his hair, and he turns his eyes to me. “How could we not be in Hell Alex?”

I don’t know how to respond so I don’t. He shrugs me off and looks back at the door.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry Blue I’m sorry. I’m Sorry.”

I get up and walk back to Jaquez. He stands with his back to everyone looking out the door windows into the impenetrable darkness. I step around him and see his fists clenching and unclenching. The imprints of my hands are red against his skin. I look up at him and see the anger in his face.

“You carried me out of there… thank you… twice.” I say quietly.

He looks down at me and I see everything. “You couldn’t have saved him. Even I saw his choice. He didn’t want to be saved.”

“I know.”

We turn and look out into nothing. I stare at my reflection against the darkness and reach up to wipe the blood off my face refusing to think too deeply about it. My tired brown eyes stare back at me, and my braids are all over the place. I touch my bandage and remove it while peering closer at my reflection, seeing nothing not even a scar. I look behind me and see that the twins have cried themselves out, Izzy already asleep her head in Hanako’s lap while Gabby plays in her hair while leaning against Hanako’s shoulder. Santiago is laid out on his side either sleeping or watching the door. I look at Jacques who is already watching me, staring at my throat. For the first time since I’ve met him, I see fear in his eyes as they meet mine.

“Is yours healed?” I ask quiet enough so the others can’t hear. He nods and rubs his thigh. “And the others?”

He hesitates before shaking his head no. “Only Blue. He said… He said that the others who were completely healed they… they changed.” I look at him as my brain puts two and two together. “How long was he fighting the change?”

“Since the day I got here.” He replies warily

“And you? You sensed it coming before it took Blue.” I look him up and down not even knowing what I should look for. Blue had looked… normal.

“I haven’t felt the change exactly but there has been changes. I hear, see and smell more. And I can sense the others when they’re not hunting us. I can’t tell what they do between attacks, but I feel them, then something changes when they start hunting and I can’t sense them anymore. That’s how I knew it was coming”

I can’t believe this is happening to us. “Can you sense… me?” I ask in a whisper.

“Yes but…” He looks at me more intensely. “You feel different.”

I look at him confused. “Different how? I don’t understand is it because I haven’t started changing yet?”

He looks at me for a long time without replying. I start feeling warm and realize heat is coming off his body. I take a step back and watch him watch me his gaze turning predatory.

“Jaquez?” I glance at Hanako who is watching Jaquez warily. She glances at me quickly before standing up, disrupting the twins, and moving toward us.

“Jaquez.” She repeats. I look back up at him and he finally blinks looking confused for a moment before realizing he had momentarily lost control.

“I have to get out of here.” He says tensely while looking around.

“Yeah… we all do. We just need to put our heads together and figure it out.” I say while watching him pace back and forth in agitation.

“You do that, but I need to find a way out Alex. He rushes past me to go to the other side of the train, Santiago rushing out our way as I follow behind him with Hanako close on my heels.

“And I’m agreeing with you Jaquez, just calm down for a minute so we can all figure it out together.”

“YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!” He bellows as he spins and faces us. He flinches when the twins cry out in surprise but continues. “I, me Alex, I specifically need to get out of here. I can’t hurt you.” His voice cracks with emotion and my heart speeds up. “And I will if I stay here. None of you are safe. I either get off this train, join the other Lycans and kill you all or let them kill me like Blue did.”

I hear the others gasp behind me and I close my eyes for a moment pushing away that dark doorway.

“How do you know that you’re changing?” One of the twins asks. I realize that its’s the first I’ve heard them talk as they move closer, away from Hanako’s shadow.

“I just know Izzy.” He replies in a softer voice glancing at me. “It’s not safe if I stay here.”

I catch the pained look on his face and get the crazy urge to lift my hand and smooth it away. I clench my hand into a fist and look away to catch Gabby watching me. She looks at my neck before quietly meeting my gaze and looking away. I get the feeling nothing escapes those green eyes.

“So, what are you going to do, jump out the window?” Santiago asks quietly coming to join our circle. “Because I don’t see any other way out of here and that’s the only thing that opens on this Hell train.”

“What the windows open?” I ask shocked. “Why has no one mentioned this?”

“Because you can tell how fast the train is moving when you open the window.” Hanako answers warily. “Too fast.”

I nod my head in understanding and look back at Jaquez, catching him. “You must be joking. You’re not actually thinking about doing it?”

He tears his eyes away from the window to meet the incredulous look I’m sure I’m giving him.

“I can’t stay here Alex.” He reaches out to grab my hands and squeezes them. “If there was another way I would stay here. With you.”

I feel my face and neck heat up, but I squeeze his hands back. “Please. At least sleep on it. F- for me?”

His gaze on my face intensifies as he quietly looks at me. I feel the intense urge to run but not out of fear. “I’ll do anything for you Alex.” And I know he means it.

“Ok great let’s go to bed now that everyone’s feelings have been made clear.” Santiago chimes in his face is still pale but his eyes are alert. Gabby chuckles and Izzy looks tired. Looking at them I realize they are not just short but young. I catch Hanako watching Santiago walk away with a weird look on her face, like she’s in pain.

“Are you ok?” I ask her quietly when she’s passing me.

“Yeh.” She replies quickly before following the twins to go stretch out on the floor.

I feel Jaquez squeeze my hand I didn’t realize he was still holding, and I look up at him in surprise. He gives me a beautiful smile, the first one so far, before letting my hand go.

“I’ll take first watch.” I watch him go sit by the door and realize I didn’t respond. I look down at my hand wondering who told it to get so comfortable before curling up on some seats. The lights in the train go off leaving the emergency lights to kick on with their eerie glow. We are definitely being watched and I decide not to resist the urge to give whoever is watching the finger.

Soon the car is filled with the sounds of the others sleeping and I consider getting up to go check on Jaquez, but he beats me to it. I don’t know why but I decide to pretend I’m asleep. I know he’s standing over me by the body heat coming off him in waves. I feel him gently brush one of my braids off my forehead where he leaves a feather soft kiss with his full lips. “I’m sorry Alex I wish we had more time.” He moves away and I fight the smile threatening my mouth, afraid he will see. I hear the creak of the seat near my head and my heart almost leaps out of my chest as cold air hits me along with the high keening of the wind. I jump up in time to see Jacques preparing to pull himself out of the train window. “JACQUES!” I screech over the wind. “Noooo!” I move to stop him but freeze as he turns to look at me. His eyes filled with so much pain and longing glow with the Lycans silver. He says something but the wind takes it before it reaches my ears. The muscles in his arms bunch together as he launches himself into the darkness leaving me standing there, braids whipping around my head, not moving to stop the tears that fall. A sharp pain erupts in my chest, and I fall to my knees pressing my hands against it. I’ve never felt anything like this before. My mind tries to protect me from the pain, and I feel my head fall back and my throat open as I let out a gut-wrenching scream before crumpling sideways to the floor. I pray that the agonizing pain stops and let out a sob as the edges of my vision finally start to blacken. A small part of my brain takes note that the lights come back on just before I fall gratefully unaware.

I wake up in the same position I originally went to sleep in on the chairs. I could almost convince myself it was just a nightmare if it weren’t for the dull ache in my chest that I now realize is somehow connected to his absence. I feel numb.

“Where is Jaquez?” Izzy is the first to ask. I don’t respond and continue to read the quirky mattress ads above their heads.

“Is he in the bathroom, because I gotta go.” Santiago says groggily

“Alex?” I look down in surprise at a new voice and realize its Gabby. Her voice is a lot huskier than Izzy’s.

“Where is he?” I can tell that she already knows so I just nod.

“What?” Hanako asks in confusion looking back and forth between us. “What does that mean?”

Gabby sighs, “He’s gone. He must have left while we were sleeping and I’m guessing she wasn’t and saw him go.”

“Alex is that true?” Santiago asks clearly shocked. “Did he actually jump out of the window?”

I look at him and feel rage fill my body. Fast and burning it fills me till it feels alive under my skin. He gave him the idea. I open my mouth to scream at him and shock us all into speechlessness with the lethal growl that leaves my throat. I clap my hands over my mouth as the anger falls away like water. They all look at me with eyes wide.

“Oh hell nah.” Santiago finally says and walks towards the girls taking up a protective position.

“I think you should go too.” Gabby says calmly.

I look at her about to protest. “I’ll go with you.” She says before I can say anything.

“What?!” we say collectively. Then everyone starts talking at once. Santiago thinks it’s out of the question and Izzy is genuinely concerned while Hanako is just confused. But Gabby never takes her eyes from mine. And I realize with a start what she’s saying.

“Maybe we should all go I say over them, and they all quiet and look at me. Maybe we should all just end this our way. We know that all options here lead to death or madness and then death. The uncertain option is jumping.”

“No.” Gabby responds before anyone else can. She gets up, “We are a danger to them, so we leave and come back to get them or find a way to stop the train.”

I hear Izzy gasp as she realizes what her twin is implying. “Gabriella why di---”

“Let’s go now before we can change our minds.” Gabby interrupts her sister without turning away from me.

I look into her eyes and see a flash of silver; I don’t even know if she is aware of it. The twins came the day after him so Gabby must have noticed other changes. She’s right. I look at the others and contemplate saying goodbye, but the idea doesn’t sit well with me. So, I smile at them instead looking them each in the eye. Hanako ‘s tear-streaked face brings a lump to my throat, but I swallow it and turn towards the window. I feel the ache in my chest lessen as my decision solidifies. Gabby doesn’t look back once as she follows me. We climb onto the seat and unlock the window before she suddenly turns around, her small face serious and her green eyes fierce. She looks at her sister, “I’ll come back for you.” she says with certainty, and I feel a jolt as I recognize the same words that I couldn’t hear him say. She opens the window and the keening wind and cold hits me once again. Gabby’s red hair whips around her head as she grips the windowsill and launches herself out without hesitation. I look back one more time and see Santiago holding each crying girl under an arm his expression scared but determined. Our eyes lock and I give him a nod before closing my eyes and throwing myself through the window. I feel the screaming wind grab hold of me and rush me through the air as my body does a full spin before I crash into a hard ground. Any breathe that hadn’t already been ripped away from me by the wind leaves my body. I lay there in shock for a moment unable to work my lungs, every inch of me in pain. I hear someone gasping for breath nearby and feel tears run down my face into my hair when I realize its’s Gabby. We made it. I gasp as I finally fill my own starving lungs with air and cry more at the pain that wracks my whole body. I’m afraid to move. I lay there and close my eyes breathing in and out focusing on the beating of my heart. I’m alive. Hurt but alive. My eyes shoot open as I realize that the ache in my chest is gone right before I hear a deafening roar followed by a painful howl. Lights turn on above us and I blink up at them in confusion. I look around and see through the spots from the lights that we’re in some sort of huge warehouse or hanger and the ground I landed on is cement. No wonder. I’m suddenly surrounded by soldiers who not so gently transfer me to a gurney. They wear all black tactical gear instead of the camouflage grey uniforms that I’m used to seeing around the compound. Before I can say anything, my mouth is covered by an oxygen mask, but I still see it. Now that I’m up off the floor I can see almost everything. There are fighter jets and tanks lined up on either side of the hanger wall along with other military equipment. And in the center of it all, taking up most of the floor space, is the train. The outside is completely different from the original A train. It’s shiny and new and obviously high tech with its unnerving silence moving at a nauseating speed in a circle on metal tracks. On the other side of it, the doors that take up the whole front of the hanger is open to the pitch black of outside. I see Gabby, who’s half on her stomach half on her side, taking in the train in my peripheral before more soldiers surround her and mine roll me away. I go to move but realize too late that I’m strapped down. I look up at the soldiers unable to see their faces behind the dark visors of their helmets and struggle to break out while pleading with my eyes. My panicked struggle ends abruptly as we come closer to a pair of double doors. They are taking us into what looks like an attached building but it’s what’s next to the doors that have me gripping the sides of the gurney. A Lycan. It stands big and hulking to the side, a soldier on each side of it. One holds what looks like a catch pole attached to a metal collar around its throat and the other holds what looks like two long metal bars at the ready on the other side. I feel myself pressing my body into the corner of the gurney as we get closer. The humanoid beast stands maybe eight or nine feet tall, covered in fur and muscle with an elongated mouth filled with fangs and claws making up most of its hands and feet. But this one is surprisingly, all white. Something I’ve never seen or heard of. Then I see his eyes and my heart seems to stop and speed up at the same time. It’s him, my Jaquez. His glass eyes, I would recognize anywhere, hold the same intensity and emotion as it did on the train. They watch me without blinking. We stare at each other as I am rolled past him, and I feel the heat rolling off his body. Time seems to slow down as he raises his arm, reaching out to me. I blink slowly as I look into his blurry face. This isn’t oxygen.

CH2

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is nothing and I feel panic rise into my throat. I try to sit up, but I’m completely restrained to what feels like a bed. I strain my eyes all around me trying to see anything, but I am surrounded by darkness. All I can hear is the short, panicked gasps of my own breath and… is that beeping I’m hearing? I don’t know where I am and how I got here and to make matters worse this time I’m alone. I stop breathing all together remembering Jaquez. I think about how I last saw him and mentally slap myself. He needs my help. Gabby and the others need me too. They are still on that hell train! I try my best to exhale slowly. Closing my eyes, I inhale, and the scent of bleach hits me. Exhaling I listen to the steady beeping start to slow and realize it matches the beating of my heart. Ok Alex, you are obviously in some type of clinic or hospital. Most likely a medical ward since you were brought in by some sketchy GI Joes. You don’t know how long they knocked you out for and the room is dark, and you are alone but, your smart. Panicking won’t help you or anyone for that matter. Technically speaking you’re probably a Lycan now and Jaquez said all of his senses became heightened so, yours should be too. Just stay calm! I slowly open my eyes and stare into the darkness. Instead of looking all over the place I focus on one thing I know I should be able to see. After a couple of seconds my eyes sharpen, and I see it, my foot wiggling at the end of the bed. Suddenly I can see everything. I’m in some kind of medical room; across from my bed are double doors and there are metal tables with medical trays to the right of me and to the left, a couch up against a wall next to a huge bean bag. Looking down at myself I see I’m in what looks like scrubs and there are 4 straps crossing down the length of my body. One strap is pulled over my ankles and two smaller ones hold down my wrists, there is no way to escape. I hear a movement and my eyes dart to my left. Is that beanbag moving? What I thought was a beanbag uncurls itself, stretches and stands fluidly to it’s full bulking height. I start a “stay calm” mantra in my head and try my best to keep my breathing even, my heart calm. I watch the Lycan move closer to me, slowly, almost cautious until it’s standing two feet away from me. Even from that distance I feel the heat rolling off of it. We stand there and look at each other a familiar warmth starts to fill my chest. Wait, “Jaquez?” My voice comes out like a whisper. I’m immediately blinded by lights and commotion as the doors burst open. I hear Jaquez growl and I blink my vision clear enough to see him standing crouched at the foot of my bed blocking whoever came through the door. “Jaquez, we spoke about this.” I hear a woman say in exasperation. “We are only trying to help you all, ok? We understand that you feel protective, but we also must protect ourselves and you are acting like a threat. Please don’t make me have to use the collar.” I see the forementioned collar the woman is talking about and flinch at the memory of the pain I heard in his growl that time. Jaquez doesn’t seem to care though because he doesn’t move an inch. “Please change back and get out of the way so we can take care of Alex.” He doesn’t move. “Jaquez I’m warni—”

“Jaquez!” I say with quiet urgency. I see his ears cock. “Please, I don’t want to see you hurt.” He hesitates, let’s out a warning growl then begins to transform. I wince at every snap and crack of his bones but don’t take my eyes off of him as he shrinks, and his fur seemingly sinks into his skin. I wonder if that’s how it will be for me. He turns and looks at me fully naked, I keep my eyes on his face and focus on the anger and concern clear in his eyes. I watch him as he walks over to the couch and turn away as he starts to pull on a pair of black scrubs. I feel heat crawl up my neck and hit my ears as I take in the people watching my every move. There are two heavily armed soldiers, two male nurses in blue scrubs and the doctor. A tall woman with striking pale blue eyes and blonde hair approaches me with a doctor’s smile. “Hi, my name is Alison Carthway, you can call me Dr. Carthway. How are you feeling Alex?”

“Strapped down and unable to move.” I hear Jaquez snort and I turn to him. Our eyes lock for a moment before he gets up and walks toward me. I watch him looking for any indications of abuse or discomfort in his movements. His pale skin is unmarred but his eyes; he stops next to me and looks down at me and I can see the anger and unease in them. He reaches to touch my face, but Dr. Carthway reaches over to stop him. A deadly growl rips from my throat. We all look at each other. What the hell, this is the second time. Dr. Carthway slowly pulls her hand away from his and I watch it curbing the ridiculous urge to snap my teeth at it. Our eyes meet; I can practically see her brain going a mile a minute, but she doesn’t look scared. What’s wrong with me it’s not like she was going to hurt him. I look up at Jaquez and frown at the stupid smirk on his face, his still angry eyes filled with satisfaction.

“No touching for now please. Not until she goes through her change.” I feel my eyes widen at Dr. Carthway’s words. She gives me what I’m sure she thinks is a soothing smile. “Don’t worry Alex, when the time comes, we will be there with you every step of the way.”