Jac had had enough of John's grovelling justifications. He made her sick, the way he was able to convince others of his brilliance. She held the test tube, enjoying the panic on his face.
"Jac, please. Put that down. It's very dangerous..."
SMASH!
The sound of breaking glass felt so good. She picked up another test tube. "You're going to give me this operation. You're going to take it all out of me and you're going to do it right now."
SMASH!
"Don't do that! Jac, you don't understand..."
The air felt thick and smelled unpleasant. Jac wanted out of there, but she was determined to get the assurance she came for.
"I understand perfectly. You may have tricked the others but I've always had your number." As she said it, her throat felt tight. She rubbed her chest, feeling strange. Something was happening to her. Something...
"Jac? Tell me how you're feeling. Doesssss it hurt?" He moved closer to her. She saw his tongue flicker between his lips, but that couldn't be. His tongue was forked, like that of a snake. She was hallucinating!
"What was in that test tube?" She backed away from him as he advanced. His skin was changing, becoming yellow, his eyes, the pupils like diamonds.
"You've exposed usssssss both. I warned you," he hissed. "Chaossssss, Msss Naylor. Enjoy what you have done."
He dropped out of sight.
Frantically she looked around. He had gone. Disappeared before her eyes. Her breathing was laboured but her eyesight was ... she blinked ... pin sharp. Her ears flattened, picking up sounds from far down the corridor.
How could that be?
Her nose twitched ... oh God the smells! Blood, delicious and dark. Disinfectant, acrid and unpleasant. Cut flesh, making her mouth water. Sweat, urine, smells that told her prey was near. A whole building full of prey just there for the taking! She licked her lips. They felt strange and furry.
Hungry...
She stepped forward and dropped to all fours. A sharp stab of pain made her whimper. A glass shard from the test tube was digging into her paw.
Wait. What?
She staggered over to the mirror and stared. It was impossible! She didn't recognise the thing staring back at her. Her face, yes, but her nose, long and pointed, the tip black and moist. Out of her head had sprouted two furry red ears. She was changing as she watched. Changing into a ...
Fox? No, not a fox. A wolf. A big, dark red she-wolf. She snarled, showing two glistening white incisors, then roared in frustration. Where was that snake? He was dead as soon as she could catch him.
But first, her paw throbbed, the glass splinter sending waves of pain up her leg. She sat on her haunches, unable to think properly. No, she was thinking, She needed meat. Meat and a mate. But first she had to get this wretched thing out of the pad of her paw. She lay down and gently nibbled at the glass fragment, licking at the sore spot when the glass was removed. Her saliva soothed the wound.
Feeling better, she looked around. Where was John-snake? He would make a tasty meal. She hated that snake. Didn't know why, or rather she did, but her animal form didn't. It just knew it needed to kill and eat, then find her mate.
Priorities.
As she stood on all fours again, something didn't feel right around her back end. Looking round, she saw a long feathered tail, dark red. Keeping it in sight, she wagged it gently.
Emma-pup would love to play with that.
A wave of sadness came over her. She had young but they weren't here. Where were they? She needed to find food and take it back for Emma-pup. Home, safety...
Priorities.
She had to get out. She had to feed and then to hunt down that snake. Mind set, Jac-Wolf lunged for the door.