Jade Taylor.....

 He sighed deeply, his fangs receding as he turned his aggression into passion, moulding her cold mouth to his as she wound her arms around his neck pulling him closer into her. “I want her Alistair,” she whispered while he trailed kisses down her neck. “This may be the only way I’ll get to be a mother.”

He stopped his assaults and without a word walked over and grabbed his jacket. “Do not leave this hospital or do anything stupid until I come back,” he warned.

“Where are you going?”

“Well if we’re gonna do this, then we’re gonna do it right. I just hope Ariakan has had his fill of blood today.”

Tabitha giggled as she saw the baby squirm, before she settled back into her sleep. It was so amazing to think that one day, these tiny hands and feet would be running around and causing havoc all over the place and that that place would in their home. Tabitha could not imagine how Alistair had managed to convince Ariakan to allow them to keep the baby but she had known if anyone could, it would be him. She had always secretly believed he would be a more suitable Primogen than Ariakan as he was just as old and powerful as him. “Now what shall we call you,” she said, thinking aloud. “I think Raven would be good name. Yes that’s right; Raven Savage.”

***

Jade Taylor, 1996

Amanda drove off with a honk of her horn after dropping her friends off. She’d had a jolly good night and was feeling ready to take on the world tomorrow. She drove sedately along the highway, the dark forest trees on either side of the road reminding her of the camping trips she used to go on with her father. Her headlights picked up something on the road as she came over a hill and upon getting closer; she saw a figure of a man lying down in the thick grass. Amanda frowned when she noticed that he was completely naked. He also looked soiled like he’d been rolling around in dirt or something. He did not look dangerous so Amanda decided to stop and see if she could help him.

She got of the car but left the engine running. “Sir?” she called out, nearing the man cautiously. “Sir are you alright?” She heard a low moaning sound from him and she threw caution to the wind, approaching him as he tried to pick himself up. She caught him and put his arm over her shoulder, trying to avert her eyes from his nudity. “Hey are you alright?” She asked again. “What happened?”

“Where am I?” he replied, weakly.

“You’re the exact opposite of somewhere,” she said, struggling under his heavy weight. Her car suddenly seemed miles away. “Seriously what happened to you, did you get car jacked or something?”

“I don’t know,” he said, flashes of what he’d just done burning themselves into his memory. “I can’t remember.”

“Well we better get you to a hospital then, you might have a concussion or something.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You have to leave me here; you have to get away from me.”

“Sir I don’t think you understand the situation here,” she said.

“No you don’t understand the situation here.” He roughly pushed her away, and she fell to the ground.

“What the hell man I’m just trying to help you!” She cried.

“Don’t!” the man said. He fell to his knees clutching his stomach, seemingly in a great deal of pain. “Just get away from me.”

“Listen Mr. you need to get to a hospital right now. You don’t seem to be in a good condition.”

 

“I said go!” he yelled and looked up at her. His whole face had changed now. His eyes glowed a bright yellow and his canine teeth had grown longer. He snarled and sucked his breath in; his back arcing and his spine cracking as his body started to accommodate the shift.

 

Amanda let out an ear piercing scream and ran for her car, stumbling and falling in her fear. She quickly got up and headed for the car again. She threw herself in the front seat and locked the doors, her terrified mind oblivious to the fact that she could actually drive off from there. She looked to the road but the man, or thing, had disappeared. She checked in all directions, her body shaking violently as to what she’d just witnessed. Only then did her mind register her surroundings and she stepped on the gas pedal but too late. Her passenger window smashed into pieces and the door was effortlessly yanked right off its hinges.

 

Amanda, shrieking for the heavens to hear, almost fainted at the horrific sight in front of her. The creature was huge, its demonic yellow eyes devouring her, saliva dripping from its mouth as it gnashed its teeth at her. It looked like a wolf but not quite the same. Amanda’s trembling hands somehow managed to open her door and she scrambled out. The creature followed her menacingly, almost stalking her. It suddenly lunged, clawing at her shoulder and Amanda screamed at the excruciating pain that soared through her entire body. Her head rolled to one side, her life’s blood flowing freely from the deep gash in her shoulder. The last thing she saw were those demonic yellow eyes, before everything went black.

 

She awoke, days later, with a mother of all headaches. She took in her surroundings. She was in a hospital room, an IV in her arm relaying some sort of fluid to her body. She was hooked up to some kind of heart monitor, its rhythmic beeping assuring her that she was still alive. But try as she might, she could not figure out what she was doing here. The only thing she remembered was the wild party she had been attending and driving home but after that, things were a little fuzzy. She tried to sit up and a terrible pain shot through her shoulder. She reached out to touch it and suddenly, her memories came rushing back. The naked man on the road, him yelling for her to get way, his eyes changing colour, his teeth, his whole body going wild and that horrific wolf – like creature!

 

Amanda’s heart rate accelerated and she found she couldn’t breathe. The heart monitor beeped faster and incessantly and a couple of seconds later, two nurses rushed into the room.

 

“She’s hyperventilating,” one of them said. She quickly took hold of Amanda’s arm and shot her with a tranquilizer, whispering some soothing words as Amanda once again saw her world drift off into darkness.

 

She awoke a couple of hours later, judging by the light in her room and the drawn drapes that it was night time. She noticed her throat felt very dry and her eyes searched for anything she could drink. Her shoulder still ached but not as much as before. She tried to go through the events of that night, unbelievable as they were. What was it that had attacked her that night, and why did it not kill her? A ridiculous answer popped into her mind and she dismissed it as just that; ridiculous. She was not completely ignorant. She’d read books, watched movies and even heard stories about it but surely it was all a myth, werewolves did not exist; or did they? She started searching for something to drink again, wondering whether she should call out, and was glad when a nurse came in to check on her.

 

“Oh good,” the nurse said. “I see you’re up. How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m much better,” Amanda answered.

 

“Are you sure? You’re not in any pain or anything?”

 

“Well I do have a killer headache,” she replied. “My shoulder is still throbbing a little and I’m really thirsty.”

 

The nurse smiled at her. “The doctor will give you something for the pain but I must say, you’re a very lucky girl. Most people wouldn’t have survived that much blood loss. It was a miracle you did.”