Chapter 16


It didn't take long for him to figure everything out. It had only taken him a couple of days to recover from Kyoko's attack. He'd overheard the nurses talking about how Shoko-san was still in a coma and it had been at least two weeks since everything happened. He watched as they took tissue samples from him, and how the areas would quickly heal within minutes. Forget drawing blood from him, it had coagulated in his veins long ago.

The steady sounds of beating hearts around him and the sweet smell of blood made his mouth hurt with need. The first time he'd noticed, he'd actually pierced his tongue and lower lip with his long, sharp canine teeth. The hunger was unbearable, like an excruciating pain that took hold of him, twisting his insides. It was truly driving him insane. The food they had initially offered had no appeal at all. It smelled and tasted like garbage, literally. Then, they finally gave him something worthy a few days after being locked in that stupid cell.

He felt like he could die at that very moment and be completely fine with it that day. He didn't even realize what they gave him to drink that day, until two days later. Blood… Human blood. He wasn't sure how he knew of its origins, but he could tell by taste the different types, what had been consumed by the donor, and whether or not they were healthy. He'd pondered quietly for many days the implications, and found that it neither surprised him, nor upset him.

There are many advantages to his situation as he soon discovered. Mainly, physical pain was just not in his repertoire when it came to their little examinations and experimentations. He healed quickly, and no scarring was left on his now very pale body. He discovered that it would only take a little feeding for him to rid him of his pallor, and give him a boost of strength and energy that would put any normal human to shame. His charisma in attracting the opposite sex was off the charts, and there were quite a few males that he found were pretty malleable too. Not that he was into swinging the opposite direction, but if it aided him in gaining his freedom he was willing to at least pretend.

Being such a creature had been a bit of a shock to him initially, but he accepted it due to all of the legends and dogma surrounding his condition. Really, who would reject a condition that could potentially grant immortality if one is cautious? So, he would use the time he had with these mad scientists, and discover more about himself. Sunlight was not fatal. Religious symbols weren't repellent. Garlic smelled just as pungent as it always had and tasted like garbage, just as all of the other human food did to him. Finally, silver was shiny and harmless to him, and holy water was still just wet. However, he suspected that a stake through the heart would kill him just like it would anyone else. No need to test that particular theory.

All he had left to do, was figure out a way to use everything he'd learned about himself and those around him, to leave this sterile hell and find Kyoko. If he found her, he could sleep without the nightmares that caused him to forego sleep. Blinded, muted, feathers torn from angelic wings, and restrained like a dangerous mental patient. He felt a strange connection to the young woman that he formerly believed to be just another groupie. Something deep within him was calling out to be near her, to serve her, to do anything that she asked of him, but first he needed to find her. It was imperative to his survival. This, he instinctively knew.

~xoxo~

Pain…like being coated in a strong acid all over her body. Fire in her veins. It felt like her skin was being torn off and her bones broken. Then came the itching. Every little square millimeter of her body itched. That was the first time it had ever happened to her. It lessened with each subsequent change, which was every 29 days. Every full moon. Of course there were various phases of the change that she went through, but that first was a real bastard to her, and they refused to give her anything for the pain. Not that it would have done any good or not that she wouldn't have ripped the hand off from the person that administered it to her.

Honestly, she would have not known from that first time what she was if they hadn't informed her. Although, she did find it strange to go from being a rigid Vegan to a ravenous Carnivore, and it didn't bother her one bit. In fact, the more rare the meat, the better.

Over the weeks that she was held, and the changes that she had gone through, she began to become aware of everything in both states of being. Although she felt wild and feral as a wolf, she started to gain a semblance of control during that time. Whereas in the beginning she just wanted to bite and tear at everything and everyone around her.

Her senses had become more acute and more attuned to the predator that she was. She could hear the lab rats in their enclosures scurrying about, she could smell the scent of the woman the orderly had screwed the night before on him, and she could taste the difference in the way that her meal had been slaughtered.

She needed to escape. There was something important she needed to do. Someone she needed to guard. The only word that came to her basic, animalistic instinctive mind had been "Master". There was one that her soul seemed to be linked to and being called to. It made her restless and anxious. She had never had this feeling before, the feeling of total and complete loss of control over her own actions and destiny. Aki Shoko was a werewolf and her master/mistress was in need of her.


"Maria-sama, your grandfather would not be pleased if he discovered you were here." The dark, young man, garbed in Middle Eastern clothing reminded the seven year-old in his arms as they stood outside of the research facility, cloaked and observing the events taking place.

She glanced up at him with a solemn smile, and lightly shook her head. "Don't worry Sebastian. We're safe with the spells. I want to make sure that Oba-sama is safe before we leave." She told him. She wanted to make sure that Kyoko was completely safe before she, Sebastian, Ten, and Grandfather went into hiding. They would have minimal contact with Ren-sama later, but for now they needed to go into hiding to protect themselves from the humans that would cause them harm and the events that had come to her in a vision.

Honestly, Lory didn't put much into what Maria had warned him of, but he did wish to keep her safe from the experiences that Kyoko had been through. So, he'd made arrangements for the family to disappear until they knew for certain that Kyoko was okay and no longer pursued by the scientific and military communities. Maria hadn't told him of Reino's side plan. The fewer humans that knew she was alive, the better. At least until she was able to control herself and her power.

She nodded and smiled once people started running out of the building screaming and tearing at themselves as if they had something chasing after them. "It's finished. Time to go, Sebastian." She ordered once the smoke started pouring out and the building began to crumble.

No one ever noticed as the little witch and her familiar left. It was time to meet with her new friends and learn enough to help in the future.