Chapter 23

POV Eric

I awoke to the faint sound of buzzing, my head throbbing I reached back to find a large lump on the side of my head. A bandage wrapped from my wrist to my elbow. I tore off the bandage to find a long singular scar running the length of my arm.

The room lite by an industrial square fixture above my head. It hung from a concrete ceiling and was producing the buzzing noise.

The walls of the room are some kind of glass with no door to be found. “Where are we?” I asked feeling Braxton stirring.

“I don’t know about you, but this looks like every mad scientist prison from every movie I’ve watched.” He replied.

“How many mad scientist movies could you have possibly seen.” I asked sarcastically.

“Well like three but how many do you need to see to know being locked in a glass box isn’t a good thing.”

“Fair enough.” I told him. Standing up to stretch my whole-body aches. “How the hell did we get here?”

“Last thing I remember was Darien pushing us out the door. Shit Darien, I hope he’s ok.”

“Me too, must not have made it far before getting whacked in the back of the head.” I tell him.

With a loud click a round hanging light flickered on eliminating a man sitting in an office chair before me.

The man's high cheekbones and square jaw did not soften at all with the sinister grin on his face. He brushed his black hair out of his face to revile black soulless eyes. A cherry red silk shirt and black slacks fitted to show every muscle and movement.

He stood, walking over to the glass the sound of his bare feet echoing sounded like thunder in my head. Tapping on the glass like I was a fish in a bowl.

“I’m so pleased you are awake. I’ve been waiting.” He sneered.

“And you are?” I asked. Looking around to see if anything else could be seen in all this darkness.

Running his nails down the glass. Watching me squirm at the high-pitched noise. “That is what is wrong with your entire species. Running around living as humans losing all touch with what you really are. I am your King little Alpha.”

Now he had my full attention, how could he know I’m the next Alpha.

“We’ve tried this experiment many times. Sadly, to date no one has survived it. This is our first time attempting to change an Alpha. The results should be….” He paused. “…interesting.”

“Fucking told you! Creepy scientist lab.” Braxton mocked.

“I hope the bond between you and your wolf is strong. You’re going to need it.” He said.

A lanky brunette in a lab coat came into view. Her eyes shining the same yellowish green as the man from the Blue Lagoon manor. “Don’t try to fight it, you’ll only be prolonging the inevitable.” She said before pressing a button on a small remote on her hand.

Large vents hanging from the ceiling groaned open. Grey smoke fell from them, it was thick I could feel it on my skin and taste it in my mouth. I could feel it burning my lungs and my limbs growing heavy. I held my breath.

“See that’s exactly what I just said not to do. It’s only going to make it hurt more when you do breathe.” She said.

I could feel Braxton staggering before collapsing with a thud.

“Get up, come on.” I said to him, but he was already out.

Loud fans fired up and the room cleared. With a whoosh the entire front pain of glass started to rise.

“This is it come on. We have to make a break for it.” I shook Braxton but got no response. Trying to move towards the opening with all my will I could not get my body to move. The cold from the floor seeping into my cheek I realized the noise I heard was not from Braxton but my own body hitting the floor.

The brunette coming up the stairs and sitting on the floor next to me. She unrolled some kind of cloth pouch with six needles. Three containing clear liquid, one blue, one red and one yellow.

“We’ve isolated the part of the genome that separates Lycans from werewolves. Over the next week I’m going to give you a series of injections to help turn you back into what you were meant to be along with a virus. That way your body will be too preoccupied fighting the virus to even realize you’re changing.”

I wanted to scream, to cry but more than anything I just wanted my mom and dad. Wanted to be home, it was so stupid of me to think I was ready to be off pack territory and on my own.

“You’re going to feel a pinch.” She said with a smile.

I watch helplessly as she plunged the first clear liquid into my veins followed by the needle with the blue liquid.

“This is going to hurt; it may drive your wolf insane. He may try to kill you or himself. It’s imperative that you get through the first stage. Hopefully your Alpha genes help.” She said before standing up and walking back down the stairs.

With a hiss the wall came down again locking in place.

I could feel the injections moving through my veins, a burning sensation running up my arm and into my chest before spreading through my body.

With an agonizing howl Braxton was up. He started screaming and scratching. “It burns!” He yelled. His scratching becoming more aggressive until he was clawing at his own skin.

I could do nothing for him, I lay there silent.

He clawed at his face and chewed on his legs until blood came. Bits of his fur falling he wailed in agony.

“Braxton, hey get it together.”

“It burns, under my skin like my blood is on fire.”

Taring and clawing his bones began to snap and break forcing him to the ground. His body stretching, claws elongating into huge talons. All I could do was watch him suffer.