Where lines cross and souls collide

CHAPTER 3 : panic sets in

I woke up to a numbing itch within the left side of my body. I winced while opening my eyes, the lights were dimmed, but the entire room was white and seemed almost blinding. Glancing around through heavy lids my eyes faltered as they grazed over the shadowed figure. I flinched and instantly became alert. This was the man from before! Where did he bring me? Why was I here? Who was he? The amount of questions zipping through my head caused me to miss his eyes fluttering open. I heard someone clear their throat and snapped out of my trance. Meeting his gaze I realized I was staring and immediately flustered.

“W-who are you…” I mewed, my panther cowered in my head, her ears pinning and neck shifting outward in surrender. Before I even realized what happened I noticed my head turn in submission as well.

“Alpha Philadelphus Marcellus Mithodeous…and you are?” the man spoke gruffly, chuckling as I flinched with every word, a look of confusion crossed his face. I guess he expected me to recognize him, being he was well known for using our…services…

“I’m Lolanthe Ashera Cranshaw…why am I here…?” I croaked, his icy glare causing me to avert my gaze to my hands…that’s when I realized, I was bound to the hospital bed at the feet and wrists. I reflexively panicked and started tugging, my mind clouded and I seemed to forget the strange man’s presence as I thrashed around, my vision blackening as my panther tried to take over. He watched silently as tears poured from my face. Eventually he grabbed my shoulder and pinned me to the back of the bed. I screamed as his gold rings seared into my skin. He immediately drew back and flung them to the corner, his face growing sorrowful and then glazing over with an unreadable expression.

I cried aloud as he roughly gripped my jaw and shushed me.

“Shh, that’s it little kitten…I’ve got you, just calm down…”

I whipped my head to the side, hissing and biting his hand. He jerked away and yelped before raising his hand as if to strike. I panicked and closed my eyes as my panther surged forward, ripping the chains from the bedposts and leaping onto the man. He yelled out and his eyes went black, a clear sign his wolf was forcing out. I scrambled off him and out the door, my large paws thundering through the clinic's hallways. No sooner than I reached the main door an ear-piercing howl radiated through the building. Taking it as my sign to leave I sprung forward shattering the front glass due to the doors being locked. I let my panther take full control and she sprinted through the field west of the building, the tree line a quarter mile away. Out of nowhere she stopped dead and crouched down, growing still and lowering her breathing. Suddenly the wolf zipped past us, bounding into the Forest. My panther jumped up and ran back towards the clinic, hoping to backtrack and lose the wolf. She silently crept up to the clinic not seeing any movement and noticing the only safe way past was to go through the parking lot. A single street lamp caused a yellow light to cast perfectly from one end to the other. Taking a deep breath she crept across quickly. As soon as her paw touched the grass on the other side we heard a muffled thump followed by a sharp pinch in our shoulder. I was forced forward and collapsed into the grass, scratching the tranquilizer off. I glanced around, stumbling as I got up, and tried to see where it came from when lo and behold a doctor stepped out from the building. I groaned and stumbled backwards as the wolf stepped into view, anger lacing his barred fangs. I shook my head to try and clear it before slipping into the background, my panther taking control again. The wolf walked up as my panthers eyes grew heavy, his gaze was sinister and filled with rage and an emotion I couldn’t decipher. She couldn’t hold out any longer and gave up, buckling to the ground and letting the medication take over.