Page 2 of Ensnared By the Werewolf

I’m being watched.

I force myself to start walking deeper into the woods, trying to plan.Spells come to mind only to be dismissed.

My craft is more useful in deliberate slow projects, not combat.I can, theoretically, throw a stun spell, but it would require absolute focus.What could possibly be watching me?Or is it a who?

My steps start to quicken without me meaning to.Think, think, think.If it’s a cougar or a bear, I can probably throw a stun spell.

A twig snaps, the sound reaching me over the rushing of blood in my ears.I stop and look back, scanning the foliage.The glossy leaves and craggy bark around me reflect the light from my spell.I don’t see anything.And worse, the woods fall silent again.

The information comes rapid fire to my mind.Something is hunting me.

Something smart.

“H-hello?”I force out.

There isn’t a response, but my raging senses know there’s something there.

As my mind races, the light of my spell blinks a few times before sputtering out and the darkness envelops me.

I run.

A howl cuts through the night.

2

Jack

One Month Ago

I stuffmy phone in my pocket and huff.This is the place.The shop fits in with the bohemian café, multiple bookstores, and retailers with window signs proclaiming local goods on this street.There isn’t even a glamour to disguise the true nature of this place.The words Stitching Magic are painted pristinely on the store window, overlaying a display of book stacks and crystals.

I wipe my hands on my pants and try to calm my nerves.No matter how many magic practitioners I visit, the nerves are always there.They even seem to get worse.As if every failed attempt to solve my issue chips away at the person I thought I was until I’m no more than a hollow statue of who I used to be before this affliction.

As if my hope dies a little each time.

The zing of otherness that runs over my skin is one more chip.

I can’t keep doing this.I can’t.Each time I meet with a new person, they do their best to help me, but ultimately fail and give me the information of another person to send me to.It’s exhausting.I’m exhausted.

But there’s still enough of the old self in me that rebels at the idea of giving up.A spark on the edge of being smothered.

Or maybe all this is useless and I should adapt to this new life.Give up all hope of solving this.I’m tired enough that the option offers relief, however hollow.

Something surges in my chest, and I grit my teeth.

Hunt!

The part of me that refuses to be silenced or tempered intrudes in my thoughts, breaking all attempts at introspection.

Find!Need!I want to snarl but push down the response.My inner beast is so much harder to suppress than before everything went to shit.I’m imbalanced, and the idea of staying like this has me moving to the entrance of the shop.

This is the last time.I’ll give up after this time.I don’t have the funds to keep doing this, but I can handle one last hurrah to try and end the struggle once and for all.

The bells are loud above my head as I walk in and freeze.

A goddess stands behind the front desk.

3

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