"Something happened last night," Reyna whispered as she looked at her older sister. Hylla was leaning against the counter and staring down at the notes in front of her. They had a test in their classes, but Reyna hadn't been able to focus for the last few days. She had been feeling odd. Off.
"Nightmare?" Hylla questioned. She didn't look away from her notes. Hylla excelled in their classes. She soaked up information like a sponge. Reyna had been doing her best, but what ten year old wanted to spend five hours a day learning about the different beasts in the world?
"No," Reyna answered. She swallowed painfully. "It wasn't just a nightmare. It was real. Too real. I... changed."
"Changed?" Hylla repeated. She turned her head and looked at Reyna in surprise. A frown came to her face. "What do you mean changed?"
"I don't know," Reyna whispered. She felt her heart racing in her ears. "I started feeling weird the last couple days. I can't sleep. I'm restless. And last night... I don't know. I just changed. Into something else."
"Something else," Hylla repeated incredulously. "Did you tell father?"
"No," Reyna said quickly, looking up at her sister. "You can't tell him. He'll think that I'm a... werewolf."
"What the fuck else does transforming mean, Reyna?" Hylla demanded. There was a pained look on her face.
"It was probably just a dream," Reyna tried to defuse as she shook her head. "It's n-nothing. Just please don't tell father."
"I won't," Hylla promised. She looked back at her notes. "If you have the nightmare again, let me know."
"I will," Reyna promised. She sighed and let her shoulders droop. Reyna turned and left the dining room. She made her way towards her room but stopped as a tremor ran through her body. A small groan escaped her, and she hung her head. Her body felt restless and achy all over.
Reyna was sure that she had transformed, and it hadn't been a dream. But if she transformed, that could only mean one thing. It couldn't mean that, though. Reyna couldn't be a werewolf. She couldn't be one of those monsters.
As Reyna went to push open the door of her room, she heard a creak at the door. Reyna turned her head and almost felt her ear twitch. Hylla spoke, and while it sounded like she was down the hall, Reyna knew that she was at least two rooms away, "Father, something is wrong with Reyna."
"Is she worried about the test today?" their father questioned. His voice was deep and commanding. It would draw the attention of anyone in a room.
"She told me that she has been restless for the last few days and that she changed. Does that mean what I think it means?" Hylla questioned. Reyna felt her heart skip a beat, and she gripped her door. "That she is... one of them?"
"Did she say what kind of change she went through?" their father asked. Hylla didn't answer. Reyna swallowed painfully and felt herself resting all her weight on the door. Her knees started shaking, and she wasn't sure how long she could stay standing. "Hylla, I am not going to hurt her. Just tell me the truth."
"Reyna didn't say exactly. She just said that she changed into something else," Hylla explained. "What does that mean?"
"We won't know until we find out. Let me just finish what I was doing, and I will talk to her," their father reassured. Reyna couldn't hear Hylla's response, and the house fell deadly silent. Reyna took the chance to slowly creep forward. She entered the living room and saw their father step into his study.
Reyna looked around for Hylla and then inched forward. She stopped outside the door of the study and listened closely. All she heard was her father's soft breathing, followed by the scratching of a pen. Reyna heard ten clicks from their ancient phone. Then, an exhale.
"I have a case to report," her father said. Reyna's heart dropped to her stomach. "This one hits close to the heart. My youngest daughter reported that she has changed. I believe she is a werewolf. I will bring in a report, including recommendations on what to do when I bring her in. Though, I believe it will be best for Exterminata to decide her fate."
"Fuck," Reyna groaned as she tried to pry her eyes open. She could still see images of her dream, and her head pounded like someone was hitting her brain with drumsticks. Reyna slowly ran a hand down her face. "Oh, fuck."
Reyna's mouth was so dry. She could probably drink an entire ocean. Not to mention the foul taste on her tongue. Another groan left her, and she blinked a few times. Where was she? This was not her apartment. Nor was it her bed.
Reyna rested her face back into the carpet. She was still wearing her clothes from the night before, and other than the fact that her head was trying to kill her, she felt the same. Footsteps caused Reyna to stir. She slowly tried to lift the concrete brick where her head used to be.
Her eyes made contact with a man that stood at the door. She stared and felt her entire body tensing. Reyna was like a tightened coil, but her muscles relaxed as a second person appeared at the door. Clarisse looked at her.
"Morning sleepyhead," Clarisse grinned.
"What happened?" Reyna questioned. She tried to sit up only to place a hand back to her head. A small groan left her. Clarisse walked towards her and held out medicine and a glass of water. Reyna slowly took the medicine and drank the water.
"Well, you got fucked up," Clarisse replied as she kept the grin on her face. "I think you drank half of your weight in alcohol until I cut you off. You passed out before I could get you some food, so I carried you home."
"Thanks," Reyna said as she felt a blush coming to her face. She cleared her throat painfully. "Did I do anything else?"
"Other than drooling all over my pillows?" Clarisse questioned as she held out a hand. Reyna took it and was pulled to her feet. "This is my boyfriend, Chris."
"Hey," Reyna greeted as she nodded towards Chris. "And, uh. Sorry about the pillows."
"It's no problem. It's nice to meet you. Clarisse only says nice things about you, and I don't think she has ever said nice things about anyone," Chris joked.
"Other than you," Clarisse added. She turned and pecked him on the lips. Reyna smiled slightly.
"I should get going home," Reyna began. She rubbed her forehead.
"Need a ride?" Clarisse offered.
"No. You did a lot already," Reyna declined.
"Text me when you get home," Clarisse ordered. "Whether it makes sense or not doesn't matter. You said a lot of weird shit last night. Like how you couldn't sleep with me because you couldn't read the English on the menu."
"Oh," Reyna gasped as a small blush came to her face. "Yeah. I think that was because the buffet was all we could eat, but it really wasn't because I couldn't... eat... you."
Clarisse barked loudly as she laughed. She clapped Reyna's shoulder, almost knocking her back to the ground. Chris chuckled as well. Reyna felt like her face was on fire from how embarrassed she was, but the other two paid her no attention.
"Seriously, just throw me a few random letters," Clarisse said.
"I will. Thanks again for all of this," Reyna said with a smile. "I haven't had anyone do something like that for me."
"You're a friend," Clarisse replied as she bumped Reyna's shoulder. "Now, get the hell out."
Reyna kept her smile as she was led out of the house. Clarisse gently squeezed her arm, "You sure you don't need a ride?"
"I know the city decently well. I've walked it a few times," Reyna replied.
"Alright. Don't forget the text. Now get the fuck out of here," Clarisse commanded. Reyna smirked and walked away from the house. She didn't hear the door close until she was almost all the way down the street. Her head still ached, but it was going away. All she really wanted was food.
And to forget her dream.
Reyna wished that she could go back in time and not tell her sister about transforming. She wished that Hylla never told their father. What hurt the most was that her father instantly turned towards trying to kill her. How the fuck could her own father try to torture and kill her on the suspicion that she was a werewolf?
Reyna swallowed painfully and pulled the wallet out of her pocket. She carefully grabbed the folded up paper in her wallet. Reyna had kept it for years. It was the report that her father wrote and was going to give to his stupid terrorist group: Exterminata.
They weren't a hunting group funded by the government, and their violent tendencies and methods caused the federal government to label them as terrorists. Their specialty was werewolf hunting. How ironic that Reyna's father would be a leader of a group that hated her very existence.
Reyna put the report back into her pocket. After she heard what her father said, she packed a bag, grabbed the things she thought she would need, and she checked out the report. After seeing that her father was going to have Exterminata torture her and dissect her as a lesson for their newest recruits, Reyna took the report and ran for her life. She just didn't get far enough.
"Fuck," Reyna said to herself. She pocketed her wallet and felt vomit in her throat. It probably wasn't from her hangover. Reyna shuddered and quickened her pace. Food. That was what she needed to calm herself down.
As she walked, her gaze moved to the street sign. She wasn't far from Chiron's place. Would he mind if she stopped by and checked on him? Reyna made up her mind and started walking towards Chiron's house.
Her walk was uneventful. A lot of people were on the streets, and Reyna realized she had slept almost until dinner time. By the time she made it to Chiron's house, her stomach was growling. Hopefully, Chiron had made dinner and made extras.
Reyna turned onto Chiron's street and walked towards his house. As she was halfway there, her nose twitched from a putrid smell. Her eyes moved towards the source of the stench. Reyna stopped walking as she saw Lycaon. The bastard stood across the street and was leaning on a car. His gaze was focused on the house.
Reyna felt anger boiling inside her, but she forced herself to stop. She walked towards Chiron's house and knocked on the door. Chiron opened the door, and a smile blossomed on his lips, "Reyna, this is a surprise. How are you?"
"You need to call the cops," Reyna began. She motioned to the intruder. Chiron followed her gaze, and his face hardened.
"Come inside," Chiron ordered. Reyna nodded and stepped inside. "How did you know?"
"I just wanted to check on you, and I saw him along the way," Reyna explained. Chiron closed the door behind her. "Do you have water? I think I'm still really hungover."
"In the kitchen. Help yourself. I made dinner," Chiron informed, grabbing his phone. Reyna nodded and made her way towards the kitchen. Nico was in there and stirring something in a large pot. It made Reyna's nose twitch. Nico turned towards her and tensed.
Reyna nodded towards him and opened the fridge. She grabbed a bottle of water and nursed it. Silently, Nico offered her a piece of cheese bread, and Reyna accepted. Nico spoke, "Would you like a plate?"
"Yeah," Reyna answered. She leaned on the counter. "You enjoying your time at the bar?"
"So far," Nico mumbled after a moment. He made her a plate and gave it to her. Reyna sat down at the table. Nico made himself a plate and sat by her. "What is Chiron doing?"
"Calling the cops. Lycaon is outside," Reyna explained. She watched Nico tense. "He won't touch you or Chiron. If he does, I'll tear him apart."
Nico studied her and then finally nodded. Some of the tensions left his shoulders. Reyna spoke, "He's not going to touch you again, Nico. I promise you that."
"You don't hate me? I thought you did," Nico whispered.
"Hey, I get it. At the end of the day, you were keeping your ass safe. I've done worse to do the same," Reyna said. She stabbed her fork into her spaghetti. "Lycaon, did he force you to have sex with him? And his group?"
Nico's face paled, and he quickly looked away. His breathing instantly became ragged. Reyna reached out and grabbed his arm. She looked him in the eyes and spoke, "I get it. I know how it feels. Just… if you need someone to talk to that won't baby you like the others."
"You know how it feels?" Nico asked softly. "Is that why you're marked?"
Reyna swallowed painfully and nodded. Nico continued, "Lycaon kept talking about marking me. He never did, but he promised to if I disobeyed him."
"He's not going to lay a hand on you," Reyna promised. She could feel that Nico was staring at her, and she felt a knot in her chest. It was the first time that she had opened up that part of her past to anyone. But, Nico understood. Their situations were not completely the same but were similar. He needed to know that there was someone who would understand what he was going through.
"Now. Eat," Reyna ordered as she focused back on her spaghetti. She was two and a half plates in when she heard a rapid knocking on the front door. Nico was still making his way through his first plate. Chiron had made his way closer to them and was nibbling on a piece of cheese bread. The front door opened.
"Chiron!" Thalia called. She practically slid into the kitchen. "I heard about Lycaon. Is everyone okay?"
"We're fine," Chiron promised. Reyna gave her a small wave before looking back at her plate. "Would you like a plate?"
"I'm cool. I was just worried that shit-ass tried something," Thalia said
"Reyna told me about him before he could," Chiron explained. Thalia nodded and seemed relieved. She bumped Reyna's shoulder.
"Thanks for helping him," Thalia began. Reyna just nodded. Her mind was in a different place. Lycaon needed to be handled, and soon. Followed by Ma Gasket, and following her the other day gave Reyna a plan of action. She just needed the help of the full moon, and if everything went according to her plan, the bar wouldn't have to worry about the two anymore.