I woke up around sunset the next day, drenched in my own sweat. I felt like I wanted to rip out of my own skin. I threw off my covers and practically threw myself down the bed's ladder. I collapsed into a pile on the floor and felt incredibly pissed off now. So much for it being new day, I thought to myself.

As I got to my feet it made me feel that much hotter and sweatier. I felt like I needed to puke now. I crawled across the floor, struggling to get to my feet. I made it over to my dresser, pulling my shaky legs up. I slowly let go of the dresser and turned towards the bedroom door. I slowly made my way across the room, making it to the door. As I gripped the door knob there was a stabbing feeling in the core of my body. Was I dying? I slammed open the bedroom door, hugging the wall as I wobbled into the bathroom.

"Hey, don't slam doors!" I heard my father scold me from the kitchen. He was still pissed at me. I felt the vile acid from my stomach begin to crawl up my chest, giving me heart burn. I rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door even harder, throwing myself down on my knees. As my knees hit the floor the tiles shattered below me. I screamed at the top of my lungs, what was going on?

Just for a moment the broken tile felt cool on my legs and I thought I would start to relax a little. The door came flying open and my father sat, staring at me. I looked at him, droplets of sweat rolling down my forehead as I uncontrollably shook. My hair was soaked, my clothes were soaked, I felt like I was dying. His entrance made me feel angry and hot again.

"I think I'm sick." My voice angrily trembled. "God!" I screamed, getting up to turn on the shower and immediately stepping into the freezing water. I was still in my clothes, but it didn't matter at this point. I sat in the shower for a moment before looking over to see my father gone. I began hyperventilating as I shut off the shower and scrambled out to the kitchen. I stood there, sopping wet and dripping onto the wood floor. My brother and father stood staring at me. My father had his hand wrapped around the phone. I knew he was calling Sam. I knew what was happening but I was in denial.

"What's happening to me?" I trembled, beginning to cry. I looked at them like a trapped animal as my father nervously looked to Jacob. Just then the stabbing feeling was back in more core. Slowly it crept up to my heart and it felt like I was turning to ice. I dropped to the floor again, grasping at my heart. The pain was unbearable.

"Jacob, get her outside. Now!" My father ordered as Jacob rushed to me, swooping me up and carrying me out of the house. Our bodies slammed against the screen door as he leapt with me, off the porch and away from the house. I heard the sound of someone running towards us and I saw it was Sam and Leah. A million thoughts rushed through my mind and I knew I wasn't going back to Seattle.

"Get off of me!" I screamed, shoving my brother away from me as he sat me down. Sam came up and set his hand on my shoulder. I immediately knocked it off, glaring at him. I jumped up onto all fours, grasping my chest. "I don't want this." I growled at them. "I don't want this!" I screamed, ripping at my shirt. The threads popped and tore as I stretched my tee shirt out.

"You don't have a choice." Sam calmly spoke, watching me. My skin started steaming in the middle of August. I threw my head back, screaming. My veins felt like they had been lit on fire. I crumpled up and convulsed on the ground for a moment as the pain seared through my body.

"Help me!" I screamed, looking at Sam. He stood over me just staring at me. I saw him holding Leah and my father back. I was making the transformation. There was no going back from this point. A million thoughts shot through my mind. Who would love me? What kind of life could I possibly lead now?

"Just, breathe!" Jacob ordered and I tried to focus. I closed my eyes and suddenly became overwhelmed in the pattern of my beathing. After a moment I slowly felt my heart begin to slow down and the pain was less severe. When I opened my eyes, everything looked… different. I looked around and saw my family standing below me. I looked at Jacob, letting out a small whine as I did. I jumped at the sound of my dog-like cry. Jake's jaw was practically dropped to the floor.

"Joanna, you're magnificent." I heard Leah whisper. I tucked my tail between my legs and backed up. I had a tail. I bumped the back of my legs and turned around to see my father's truck. I caught a glimpse of my reflection and I was paralyzed. I had snow white fur, ice blue eyes and a jet-black nose. I was magical-looking, as shit. I let out another confused whine. I looked back at my family and then searched for the closest exit to me. There was a line of trees right beside the driveway that I knew led away from town.

"Just relax, Joanna." Sam ordered as he walked towards me. I slowly began backing away. "Jo, stop." Sam warned me before I turned around and took off like a lightning bolt. I had never run so fast in my life. It was sort of amazing. I dipped into the tree line and looked around at the forest for a moment. I could hear everything and see everything. I could hear every bird, every leaf that crunched. I could smell a heard of deer not far. There was also a small group of rabbits about ten feet to the left of me. Suddenly, my stomach growled and I shook my head. I wouldn't eat an animal. I focused my hearing again and heard crashing waves in the distance. The ocean wasn't far from where I was. I picked up pace going deeper into the trees as I headed towards the sounds of the crashing waves. Maybe I just needed to take a refreshing dip in the freezing Pacific.

I saw a clearing in the trees and a large pile of rocks beside it. I slowed down, easily climbing to the top of the pile. I looked out and saw the ocean maybe 50 feet below. I closed my eyes and focused on how the wind blowing through my fur felt. It felt weird being a wolf, but maybe I could get used to it? I didn't really have a choice anymore. I knew my old life was over. Strangely, I felt somewhat okay with it now. Maybe this would be a good thing, just as long as Sam didn't make me join his pack. I opened my eyes and began hopping down the rocks and onto the shore. I placed one paw in the water and it felt nice. I jumped in all the way, dipping under the water. I climbed out, shaking water from my fur. I laughed at myself for how ridiculous that seemed. I shook again before making my way back up into the trees. I didn't need my family finding me for a while.

I stepped back into the thick tree line, looking around and trying to focus my hearing. I heard an owl hoot from above and thunder rumbling in the distance. I heard a deer crunching some leaves and then, everything in the forest seemed to go silent. Even the thunder seemed to stop for a moment. I stood still as thunder grumbled in the distance again, and I jumped at the sound. The owl flew away, but the deer stayed frozen in his tracks and even the late ravens stopped cawing. It was then that I heard the footsteps of a mountain lion and a hunter. I sunk to the forest floor and snuck up to the highest point I could find. I peeked over the edge of the small hill, expecting to see Sam below. Instead, I saw a burly man with a gun, stalking a mountain lion six-feet ahead. He was a beautiful man, with a chiseled jaw and a big burly brown beard. The sort of man that I would have sought out. The only problem being that as soon as he got to know me, I'd push him away.

I sat intensely watching, waiting to see what they would do. I watched the man as he moved forward, snapping a twig as he stepped. The mountain lion whipped around and was staring directly back at him. I could feel him start to panic as he pointed his gun. He pulled the trigger but nothing happened. He pulled the trigger again and I could hear the empty click. He threw the gun down and started backing away as the lion stalked towards him. My heart was racing as I forced my paws forward, flying over the edge of the hill.

I soared over the hunter's head as he fell to the ground. As my front paws hit the floor, my teeth sank into the mountain lion's side. I lied it on the ground, injured, placing my paw on its tiny head. I stepped down on its face until it went limp. I looked at the hunter and made a couple steps towards him. Instantly he slipped out a small hand gun and fired it at me. I yelped, falling to the ground, as the bullet grazed past my front leg. I squeezed my eyes shut and when I opened them, I knew I was human again.

I lied there, naked, and curled up in the dirt. I looked at the side of my bicep and saw a decent scrape across it. I lifted myself up and turned to look back at the hunter. He stood there, his mouth hanging open. I tried to get up, but my entire body felt limp. It had to be an effect of the transformation process. I tried to push myself up again and I felt his arms slide under my armpits. He sat me up beside a tree, looking at me like he couldn't believe I was real. He took off his tee shirt and handed it to me. I looked into his beautiful green eyes and felt myself getting lost in them. I suddenly saw us both living our lives together, growing old, ice tea on the front porch. I blinked a couple times and broke from my trance. I still felt warm and safe. He smiled at me, puzzled. Did he also have the same thought? Had I just imprinted?"

"Help me?" I whispered looking at my arm. He nodded, helping me put on the tee shirt. The shirt fell down over me, swallowing me under it. He was bigger than I was, close to 6'5".

"Where did you come from?"

"The Quileute res." He nodded, scooping me into his arms. He picked me up, wrapped up in his coat and we started moving. I was always terrified someone would find one of us and take us back to a lab. Maybe that only happened in movies, but I didn't want to risk it. "You don't work for the government, do you?" He threw his head back laughing hard.

"No, far from. I'm taking you to my cabin, you're in pretty rough shape. We're also two hours from the reservation." I lied my head against his bare chest and felt exhaustion crash over my entire body. I closed my eyes, drifting to sleep to the rhythm of his footsteps. I was pretty confident I was in safe hands.