The Beast Within
Chapter 2
Still don't own any of this.
Xander jerked up right in the motel bed. He stayed sitting there, as he waited for his heart to stop trying to escape his chest. Once it had, he wiped a hand down his face to try and wake up more. That had been one weird dream and he was covered in sweat and more disturbingly, considering what he'd been dreaming about, something else. He felt himself flush with embarrassment, that was never a good thing to wake up too, even if he was thankfully alone. He needed to clean up.
After he dragged himself into the shower he found his mind wondering back to the dream that had woken him. he'd been running through a forest, it was dark but he could see fine and he felt exhilarated, free in a way he'd never felt before. He'd been chasing something, which was novel in its self as he's usually the one been chased, in his experience. There was something just up ahead that he wanted, that he needed. He just had to get it. Suddenly it was there and he was ripping into it with claws that he didn't know he had and he sunk his teeth into his prey's neck and ripped it out. He leant back and with his prey's blood running down his chin he threw his head back and howled his success in the hunt. When he looked back down he saw what his prey was, laying there, neck and chest ripped open was young woman. But all he felt was hunger, then he'd woken. Leaning his forehead against the tiles he closed his eyes and let the water running down his back as if it would wash all the memories away. It was just a nightmare, about the hyena, he'd had lots of those before. He let out a sigh, but none of them had been that realistic or erotic. At this thought he glanced down at little Xander, which had begun to take an interest in proceedings.
'There's something wrong with you,' he told it. At that moment, his stomach reminded him that it time for breakfast. Maybe he could get the diner to make him something on the rare side.
Exotic teas and spices, it was emblazoned on the glass of the door. Xander had too much excess energy that morning and just needed to walk it off. That was how he'd ended up on this road in front of a tea and spice shop that also advertised remedies, odd, he was also completely lost. So, maybe he could find something for Giles, after all he's British and the British like tea, plus then he could ask for directions. With a plan, he pushed open the door, and a little bell above the door rang to announce his presence.
'I'll be right with you,' a woman's voice called out from a room to his left. Moving further into the shop he looked at the nearest shelf. There were lots of bottles filled with, he peered at the nearest label, huh, German. What kind off shop labels things in German, well outside of Germany anyway. Looking round it kind of reminded him of the shop Willow had dragged him to, The Magic Box. Except, somehow this place looked more genuine. What were the chances that, out of all the shops in Portland, he seemed to have walked into a magic shop? Now, the thing about remedies made more sense.
'Hi, how can I help,' the voice from before said from somewhere behind him. Xander jumped and turned around so fast he knocked something off the shelf but before it could hit the ground his hand snapped out and caught it. Placing it back on the shelf he glanced at the women, who was staring at him with mixture of wariness as well as being impressed. 'good reflexes,' she commented.
'Er, yeah, sorry about that,' he said. He had no idea how he did that it just happened, seemed natural. 'Tea! That what I'm here for. There's a friend back home, well more like a mentor really, but he's British and he likes tea and I saw your shop and thought like that's what Giles would like so I'm here.' She just nodded along to all that.
'Wow, ok, you just said that in one breath, didn't you?'
'Yeah, sorry I tend to babble when I'm nervous,' Xander said with a grin.
'Well don't worry about it, let's just see about finding your friend some tea,' she said leading him over to where the teas were stacked. 'Do you know what he likes?' Xander followed her, but could help feeling that it was getting very warm all of a sudden.
'Not really, all I know is that he complains about the state of tea over here.' He shifted, suddenly his skin didn't feel right on him anymore, like it was trying to crawl right off him. 'Is it me or is it hot in here?'
'Hey, are you ok?' she asked and reached out for his shoulder. Abruptly, Xander felt his head jerk to the side and the feeling of wrongness disappeared. As it happened he'd been looking down at his hands, hands that were now covered in fur, brown spotted fur and sporting vicious looking claws. He blinked not quite able to take in what he was looking at. There was a sharp intake of breath and the sound of rapidly backing away footsteps. Xander looked up to see the women several feet away, looking at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. When their eyes met her features shifted to look more like a fox, with a short snout, red and white fur and elongated ears, and she was snarling at him.
At that sight, a growling snarl escaped him and the shock of it was enough to make him shake himself and he suddenly didn't feel so comfortable being there. A quick glance told him that the fur was gone, but the woman still looked like a fox when his looked back and she didn't seem so happy with him. He backed up.
'Erm, I think that I er…' not knowing what to say, Xander simply spun and sprinted out the door.
Rosalee shock off her woge and stared at the door where the kid ran. She frowned something wasn't right about the whole thing, the way the kid stared at his hands like he'd never seen them in woge and the fact he looked terrified when he'd saw her woge. Yes, it was very weird, it was almost like it had been his first woge. She didn't get any further into that line of thought as that was when Monroe burst through the connecting doors in full woge, scenting the air and looking round the room. When he didn't see anything his woge melted of him and he rapidly walk over to her.
'Are you alright?' he asked. Looking her over.
'I'm fine, just taken by surprise.'
'What was that? I've never smelt anything like it.'
'I…' Rosalee finally looked up into Monroe concerned eyes, it was so nice to have someone so protective of her. 'I have no idea.' Monroe looked back at the door then back to her.
'Do you think we should…'
'Call Nick?' she finished for him. 'Definitely' An unknown canid Weson running around Portland was definitely something Nike should know about.
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