Vicious ☢ Theo Raeken

o n e

I only realized that I'm gaining back my consciousness when the cold seeped deep enough into my bones.

I shivered, locking my eyebrows together in displeasure. I stretched my body, like I do every morning and was about to yawn, but it got stuck in my throat when I felt something else: leaves rustling under my body.

Oh, and another thing – my naked body.

It was a split second of mad confusion that made me sit up and look around in a frenzy, to see that I'm, thankfully, all alone somewhere in the woods.

I could hear my own frantic heartbeat so clear, and the sight of bloody hands didn't help. I yelped seeing more blotches of dried blood all over my body and soon after, felt tears run down my already heated cheeks.

I stood up on my wobbly legs; my whole body ached.

It must be dawn – sun was breaking through the tall trees, blinding me as I still tried to make out the spot I'm at, but to no avail.

How come the others still didn't find me?

Apparently, I escaped from the tunnels. Am I... that strong?

I whimpered in distress once again – everyone must be so worried. I just hope that dad was sensible enough to keep this quiet from other deputies and didn't gather a search team for me or something.

Maybe... maybe I should try to howl? Maybe then Scott will hear me and find me?

Honestly, I haven't a slightest idea how to properly do that. Should I just howl, like I did with Stiles when we were kids?

If I wasn't already terrified I would feel really embarrassed and stupid about the thing I did next.

I calmed myself down for a second before I inhaled deep and let my lungs and voice go loose. Pleasant shivers ran down my spine as I could literally feel my vocal chords vibrating and emanating this... deep and clear howl, yet it had something... something ominous in it – a certain undertone that just gave me the creeps.

I swear, every bird and insect that were residing and crawling in the trees, grass, and leaves, they flew away, causing such a ruckus in the sky that I could barely see the welcoming sunrays for a moment.

I scared them. I didn't just shoo them, I scared them.

I sighed in exasperation, my feelings and personality divided.

I started to walk somewhere, I really didn't know where, but I figured it would be better than to stay in one place and shiver. Maybe I'll get lucky and go towards the right direction.

After about 20 minutes of wandering naked through the woods, I heard something. Someone was running, far away, but I could already hear it thanks to my supernatural hearing.

I made out two sets of steps.

"Scott??!" I screamed, hoping that it's him.

"Silvie!!!" he screamed back, relief evident in his voice. "Stay where you are!"

I gulped and stood behind a tree, placing my bloody palms on the rough bark – I'm still naked.

The rustling under the runners' shoes was becoming louder and louder, until I finally saw Scott and Malia emerging into my horizon. "I'm here!"

They sped up even more till they could clearly see me, and when they did, they cautiously slowed down. Scott didn't let his troubled eyes from me as he took of his jacket.

"God, Silvie... H-How are you feeling?" he muttered, obviously troubled by my... bloody disposition.

"I... I don't know." I blabbered as I shelled myself in his warm jacket. "I'm all bloody."

"Where are your clothes?" Malia asked, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"I don't know. I guess I ruined them."

Yeah, I know, werewolves that turn partially don't just lose their clothes – unless they're having a really wild and diabolic night run, which I guess was exactly what I had.

"We can talk later. Let's just get you home first." Scott said as he gently put his arm around my waist.

~

I stared at my bloody mouth and cheeks in the mirror and desperately tried not to cry. Not out of sadness that I'm no longer human, but out of the fact that I remember nothing after shifting in the tunnels – I terrify myself.

Still holding the tears in, I got into a hot, steaming shower and scrubbed all the dried blood away until my skin hurt a little.

I already met with my dad and told him not to worry about me and go to the station – we'll talk in the evening. As for the rest of my friends, they're waiting for me downstairs. Everyone's eager to see me.

I dried my hair a little and put on my favorite warm and fluffy bathrobe before descending downstairs. I tried not to look so somber, but frankly, by now it was hard to feel anything at all.

When they saw me, everyone shuffled uncomfortably, worry written all over their faces. Especially Stiles, who I guess didn't want his little sister to go through something so... brutal.

"Relax, guys. I'm okay." I smirked somehow and brightened the atmosphere a little.

"Silvie, I know it's hard, but you have to tell us everything. Everything you remember." Scott said, standing up, his voice containing apprehension.

I scowled a little, feeling like I'm missing something. "Yeah, no, I get it. But... did something happen?"

For a moment, there was silence.

"The thing is, you don't look like an ordinary werewolf when you shift. I mean, yeah, everything's basically the same, it's just the appearance –"

"Well, let me see. You recorded everything right? I mean, until I broke the camera..."

"Is that all you remember?"

"Yes."

More silence.

"Well, alright, you can talk to Deaton later." Scott said before he passed me his laptop, with some video already on – I just have to click the play button.

I gulped and looked at my friends, and judging by their expressions, they'd already seen the recording.

Okay, so there was me, chained and uneasy. Everything seemed normal for a first-time werewolf, until I started to transform – it happened quite fast and it seemed like I tore off the tight chains with absolutely no effort.

Then I just stood in place for a moment, my face already contorted into something sinister – I remember that rejuvenating feeling of evil seeping into my veins, bones and every cell of my body.

I gasped when I jumped up to the camera before I tore it apart, and the transmission was cut off.

The sight of my face was etched deep into my mind now. The once pale milky skin had turned into a corpse-like bluish, fangs were huge and demonic, and my eyes... They were like two deep sockets of black abyss, with only a glimmer of that same neon frosty blue that Sebastien had.

I'm hideous.