Me Before you {Peter Hale}

XXI

The morning of the full moon.

Early morning I had to add, since it was probably around five or six AM. I had woken up, utterly confused and full of sweat. My breathing was shallowly short, helplessly my glance found its way to the person lying next to me: Peter Hale. A werewolf, my alpha and maybe a murderer.
I wondered how many lives did he solely end? What amount did I have to eradicate out of this existing, could I refuse to kill or would this lead to me being killed?

Unlike me, Peter was still peacefully resting, covered in white blankets. I am such a fool.
Suddenly a sharp pain passed directly through my body, it felt like as if someone elongated my nails and outer ear. Simultaneously, my skull was being squashed by enormous forces.
I winced in pain, though pain was a serious understatement. Rather those aches resembled pure, terrifying agony made in hell.

The worst part about it was the moment when I looked at my ashen hands and saw gigantic, brown claws. Am I now going to share the same fate as Gregor Samsa in Kafka's metamorphosis?
Panic started to enter my mind, I quickly left the bed and attempted to quietly seek the bathroom. I did not want Peter to see me like this, even though "this" should not be something new to him. Nonetheless, it was too embarrassing and egregious to me. Those nails were scary.
I locked the door, in order to ensure he would not come under any circumstances into the room.

My whole body trembled horribly as my feet slowly made their way to the mirror. Am I becoming a monster?
Abruptly, I stopped in paralysis. Tears started to stream down my cheeks.
" What a wretched and distorted creature", my voice croaked my thoughts aloud. My face was covered in dark hair which had grown to messy sideburns on each side.

The worst were my teeth no longer looking like those, I now had enormous animal-like fangs. They could potentially do so much harm... Am I now no longer a human?

My appearance disturbed me deeply, petrified my body and made me doubt everything I had felt and said earlier.

Can I forgive Peter for turning me into a monster?

My golden eyes held deep sadness and terrible pain within them. What about my ears? I suddenly recalled how they had hurt as well.
With trembling distress, I gently removed my bitter-flavoured-chocolate hair through tucking them behind my now visible ears.

They were no different to wolf ones.

Maybe this was some kind of twisted joke and Peter had glued me some horrible silicone nails on top of my normal ones and plastered me with fur all over my face.
Those were surly only contacts. Werewolves and other supernatural creatures existed only inside the pages of literature.
Or this was the more likely thing to happen, I absolutely went bonkers. My mind had completely given up and I had horrible illusions.
Yeah right, this was not real.
" You are not real, it's only just a dream", I whispered in awe while my feet stumbled a few steps backwards.

" Ava, are you okay?" A voice asked far way from me.

" Just another nightmare. " I repeated those three words endless times until it became somewhat a mantra to calm me down. My knees eventually became to tired of this madness.
My back leaned against the shower door out of glass.

" Ava, If you don't open this door now-."

" Nightmare, just another nightmare", I kept on mumbling. There was no chance I let this horrible hell ride take over. My body was at its limits, so much horror happened over the course of several months. And as time passes, it would only worsen.

With a loud thud, the door was broken down. Just like me.
I officially reached my lowest point. Pity parties, no pity parades to console myself, since I needed it now the most.

" Ava ", he whispered in shook. Monster, monster, monster.
" — nightmare" Between Peter and I, there was still a considerable amount of distance. He never once appeared in my dreams.

Nightmare was a decoded message which meant two words: "Save me".
"Just a nightmare" would be with this logic translated into "Save me, I am about to break".
Luckily or Unluckily for me, no one had ever achieved to understand these words.

Then, something miraculous happened. Someone was able to look behind the curtain of my words. Peter slowly embraced me. My eyes widened in disbelief.
" You don't have to afraid of the wolf inside you. He is not your enemy", Peter stated in a subtle tone. He laid in front of me between my ankled legs. His hands still wrapped around my shoulders.

" It does not change who you are."

This was the moment where I started to swing my arms around him as well. I buried my head in his shirt while my eyes did not even need an invitation to ball themselves out.
Peters warm hand patted my back whereas his head rested on top of mine. In this position he reminded me of a shield which would be able to protect you from everything.

I did not know how long we stayed in this position, though it was not something I would complain about. This position provided me with comfort and warmth.
I felt safe in his embrace.

" Today will be the full moon, we need some time to prepare, especially since you are now fully transformed. Are you now feeling a little better?"

" Yes, thank you. " I simply responded with a small — hopefully — reassuring smile.
He offered me his hands after he had stood up himself. I gladly accepted it and let him help me.
We are now a pack. A family.
Family cared for one another, their bond was formed through trust and love. But most importantly, they forgave even the worst mistakes.
Maybe, it was about time to move on. The past was in the past, whereas we were now in the present. Not to forget, that I was old enough to not be sulky and dwell on old stories like a child.

Peter needed a second, unbiased chance despite his mistakes. And it was my job to give him one, he deserved it.
I did not know how much he had to suffer throughout his life causing him to bottle everything inside him so much. Now I needed to help him as well.