Prologue:
Tommy was bone tired. He sat slumped in his desk, as the teacher put in a movie and left the room. Normally this would be an excuse to fool around, goof off, and forget about the stupid French revolution. Bad people did bad things, and people died and that was the whole story. It wasn't Tommy's idea of a story. Two different classes of people who couldn't get along with each other. And sorrow, and pain, and no happy ending.
And truth be told, Tommy didn't want to think about it. People were people but in the end, there had to be something better right? So far his report on the Scarlet Pimpernel was the only thing that was saving his grade. His head hit his textbook with a resounding thump, but Tommy didn't even feel it.
This was the first time he had even really understood the expression bone-tired. It was the third night of the full moon, so he hadn't slept in days, football camp was still running, and his on again, off again girlfriend, had announced that they were off again. For good this time.
Tommy didn't really mourn the loss of that relationship, the whole relationship had existed because she was the only available female werewolf in Hawthorne, which was a stupid reason to have a relationship and really disappointment was only to be expected.
Of course, he hadn't really expected Lori to go running into the arms of his number one competition, Chuck. He had kinda hoped that Lori wouldn't fall for that wannabe alpha poser. Chuck was a step above Gil, but the summer meet was in less than a month. Surely Lori could have waited?
But that was really just silly. Because he could understand.
He knew what the Heat felt like. He felt it too; even Lori's presence had done little more than take the edge off of it. His blood burned, and he wanted. He wanted more and more every day.
His parents looked at him, and he could see the worry in their eyes. The nights he couldn't sleep before succumbing to the wolf, the fact he was always ravenous, out ate everybody, even his brother Dean, at every meal. He wouldn't eat normal things like ketchup, or salad, or cereal anymore, chocolate made him very sick. He knew he was growing too fast, he was too strong, and the Heat was too powerful.
The summer meet was in less than a month, and there was a hole within him that was slowly swallowing him alive.
"I said, Class dismissed, Mr Dawkins." Ms. Carroll's tone was harsh, but her eyes held something like worry. It was getting to be a very familiar expression. "Are you getting enough sleep at night?"
Tommy waved it off. "Sure, but I'm afraid the morning and after school football practices are killing me. Don't worry, Ms. Carroll, you're my favourite teacher, and I won't fall asleep in your class again. The movie just put me out, you know?"
"Perhaps, you shouldn't schedule yourself too thin, Tommy; you look like you could use a good night's sleep."
"And I'll get one, after football practice tonight, I promise."