Accidentally Wolf (3 page)

“
That
’
s ridiculous
.
I
’
ve always healed fast,
”
I responded
distantly
, my tone losing its edge
.
E
ven
I didn
’
t
believe
that
defense
,
but people called me stubborn all the time for a reason.
“
It
’
s really only the next day?
”

“
Yeah, Sera, it is
.
”
Brian reach
ed
out to hug me. As per usual
when someone tried to comfort me
, I moved out of the way
,
and groaned at the pain.
“
You healed so fast
.
B
y the time they got you here
,
the doctors didn
’
t even need to stitch you up. Your temperature is higher, like a
shifter
.
”

“
No, don
’
t say it, Brian,
”
I started begging. I realized why my boss
had been waiting outside
for when I woke up. They wouldn
’
t let a
shifter
on a regular FBI team.
“
Don
’
t do this to me
.
P
lease.
”

“
I
’
m sorry, Sera,
”
he
replied
sympathetically
, shaking his head
.
“
I fought for you, I swear I did. There
’
s nothing I can do, you know the rules.
”

“
Did we at least get Bernard?
”
Right, time to focus on something solid, like the case I
’
d been working on for months instead of my impending nervous breakdown.

“
In a
manner
.
H
e
’
s dead. Turns out he
and his whole crew were shifters.
”

“
How did I not know that?
”
I asked, ashamed with myself for the danger I put my team and SWAT in.
I rubbed my forehead, feeling the dull throb of a headache.
“
Was anyone else hurt?
”

“
No. When you yelled out the warning, everyone else was able to react in time. It
’
s over now,
”
Brian
assured me
, returning to his normal
,
official voice.
“
You
’
ve been given two weeks leave
.
A
t the rate you
’
re healing
,
that should be more than enough time. If your transition takes longer, I
’
ll sign off on as much time as you need. When you
’
re ready to come back, you
’
ll report to the Mystical and Non-
H
uman Specially Trained Regional Squad of the FBI.
”

“
You
’
re se
rious
ly transferring me to the monster
s
quad?
”
I asked desperately.
“
I get hurt in the line of duty and you
’
re punishing me?
”

“
It
’
s not a punishment, Sera
.
”
Brian exhaled,
starting to stand.
“
I am sorry, but that
’
s Bureau rules.
”

“
Fine, call it whatever you want,
”
I snapped
as I
threw
my hands into the air
.
This couldn
’
t be happening! And
,
when panic sets in
,
I go with my gut reaction…
anger.
“
It still feels like a
damn
punishment!
”

“
I know it does, but yelling at me won
’
t change anything
,
”
h
e threw back
,
moving toward the door to leave.
“
It is what it is now.
”

“
What if I don
’
t change? What if I
’
m really not a shifter and you
’
re all wrong?
”
I asked as a last ditch effort.

“
I don
’
t know, but if that
’
s the case, I
’
ll do everything in my power to get you back on our team, Sera.
”
He shook his head
,
and I wondered if he even knew he was doing it. It seemed like a subconscious answer to my Hail Mary play. Great. Just fucking great.

“
I
’
m not going to a safe house
.
Y
ou better not
even try to
put me in one of those.
”

“
No, you
’
re not going there,
”
Brian
agreed
, quickly turning the handle and
opening the door. I couldn
’
t blame him for wanting to leave as
soon
as he could.
“
It looks like you
’
ll be discharged today. But promise me, Sera. If you
’
re having a hard time, or it looks like you
’
re going to change
,
c
all the number they are going to give you. You don
’
t have to go through this alone.
”

“
Yeah, right
,
”
I snickered, completely pissed off
and
,
I felt
,
rightfully so.
“
After the level of support I
’
ve gotten from my own team, I
’
m going to rely on strangers.
”

“
I
’
m sorry you feel that way, but we did fight for you,
”
he
whispered
as he walked out the door
and closed it quietly behind him
.

I let him go, what else was there really to say? I knew it wasn
’
t his fault, and I respected him for having the balls to face me himself. That didn
’
t change my situation or get me my team back.

Or squash the hurt I was feeling from none of them being here when I woke up. If Brian was right and it had only been a day
,
it
’
s not like it would have been crazy to expect some support or concern.

Well
,
if rest was all that I had to do to recover, I could do that from home. I got up and grabbed the
light green
scrubs that
lay in a neatly-folded pile
on the
foot
of the bed
. Thinking about all the changes to my life
in
the past twenty-four hours, I got dressed. What kind of shifter was I going to be? That would be something I
’
d need to find out before I left.
I had just finished pulling the clothes
gingerly
over my injured body when the door opened again.

“
Ms. Thomas, you
r
test results are back,
”
the doctor said as he walked
calm
l
y
into my room, as if
he had
heard what I was thinking.
“
I
’
m sorry, but you did test positive for
l
ycanthropy. Wolf, to be exact.
”
His voice was quiet and soothing as he delivered the life-shattering news. He could have been telling me I had a mild cold.

“
Wolf.
”
I
uttered it so quietly
that my ears barely even registered I had spoken
as I felt my body
sinking down
onto the bed
.
Hearing the proof was so much worse than the maybes or speculations. There was no mistake or going back to my old life now.
“
I
’
m going to be a werewolf.
”

“
Yes, Ms. Thomas, you are,
”
the doc answered
,
looking very sorry for me.
He had a good bedside manner at least. The empathetic gaze in my direction was better than I
’
d ever seen
on
a doctor when giving bad news. And I
’
d seen my share when either team members or victims were told their injuries.
“
Is there anyone we can call for you? Family, or friends to come and get you?
”

“
No, there
’
s no one,
”
I answered
dully
,
standing back up.
“
If you could just call me a cab and get me any personal effects I have here, I
’
d appreciate it.
”

“
Of course
.
”
H
e realiz
ed
I was nicely dismissing him.
Smart man. There
’
s nothing worse than people hovering after they drop the bomb. I wanted out of here.
“
One of the other officers dropped off some personal effects from the scene. I
’
ll have one of the nurses bring them in along with your discharge papers and different
l
ycanthrope programs you can get information from.
”

“
Thanks
,
D
oc,
”
I replied, turning to face the window
, focusing on
the smooth metal of the bars
.
“
Anything else I need to know?
”

“
You
’
re healing quite quickly
.
I should think you
’
ll be almost completely healed by tomorrow. If you have any issues, I
’
ll leave a contact number with your paperwork.
”

“
Okay, thanks again.
”

“
I am sorry, M
s
. Thomas.
”
I heard the door open and close and knew I had gotten what I wanted
.
T
o be alone.

“
Yeah, me
,
too,
”
I whispered to
the
empty room.

A few minutes later, the nurse came in with everything I needed. I nodded along with what she said, not hearing a single word. After everything was signed and I was free to go, I went outside and climbed in the waiting cab. It was a short trip home to my apartment. Once finally inside, I turned off my phone, crawled
under
the
crisp,
cold sheets of my
bed and
did something I very rarely did…
Cried.

Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning feeling like I had a wicked hangover
,
e
xcept I hadn
’
t been drinking the night before. Another reason I almost never cry
.
I
t was
about
as useful as getting piss ass drunk.
My head felt as if there was an internal pressure that wanted to explode out of my eyes. Maybe later though because I wasn
’
t ready to roll over and die.