Rogue Spirit

The Shift

Selena could hear Ayla howling in her mind as she ran. The wolf was desperate to return to what she though was their mate. Selena pitied her, even though she knew Ayla didn't technically exist. The part of Selena that was Ayla was obviously convinced there had been a connection between her and Ryker. While Selena knew there had been a spark, now that she was away from him she decided that that was all it had been. A spark. A momentary instant attraction. After all, he was a very attractive man. She was sure he'd had the same effect on many women before her and most likely will have that effect on women after her as well.

Selena was more concerned about the loss of income for the night. She managed all of her own bookings and often relied on word of mouth to ensure she had jobs lined up. While she had several regular clients, most of her income came from new business and she was sure that tonight's failure would impact her in the months ahead.

Ayla had begun to quiet and Selena pushed her to the back of her mind. Feet aching, she realised that she didn't recognise the neighbourhood and was still quite a way from home. What had happened at the resort had kept her so distracted while she was running that she realised she didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there. The street was dark, quiet and deserted and she began to feel uneasy.

Selena always carried her phone with her while working so she took it out of her clutch and opened the ride-share app she normally used for transport. It pinged her location on the map as being in a less than desirable part of town, and too far from home to walk. The estimated wait time for a booking was more than 20 minutes. The map also showed a 24 hour fast food restaurant a couple of blocks down. She decided she would request to be picked up from there so she had somewhere she felt safe to wait. Selena made the booking and began the short walk to the restaurant. Her feet were stinging and she realised that there would be a lot of blisters to contend with in the morning, stilettos were definitely not made for running. Luckily she had always been a fast healer so the blisters would most likely be gone within a couple of days.

As she walked, Selena could feel Ayla becoming still.

Everything okay? Selena thought.

"No, but that's not what I'm worried about. Something isn't right" Ayla responded. Selena immediately felt on edge, her senses heightened. She could hear the thumping of music and chatter of a party a street or two over, the streetlights were too far apart to see clearly. This part of town remained empty and dark apart from the slight light of the crescent moon overhead. There were no houses, the street lined with offices, warehouses and an auto mechanic down the road. She could faintly smell body odour and alcohol, a scent that didn't belong in the area. Perhaps the party was closer than she initially guessed.

Before she had a chance to finish her thought she heard footsteps behind her. Suddenly the smell of bar mats and old gym clothes filled her nose. Someone grabbed her hair from behind and yanked it out of its updo. Tears filled her eyes as she lost her balance and fell to the ground while the person behind her continued to hold onto her hair. Ayla yelped and then growled deeply.

Selena looked up but was only able to see a dark hulking figure, she could tell he was male but his face was hidden in the shadows.

"Please let me go" she pleaded through her tears, but there was no response.

He began to drag her to a small alley beside the abandoned mechanic she had been passing on her way to the restaurant. Selena struggled in an attempt to free herself but he wouldn't release the grip he had on her hair, his strength entirely overpowered her. She could feel chunks of her hair being ripped out but not enough to be able to pull herself away. Her feet slipped and her ankles buckled as she tried to get to her feet and failed.

A few steps in to the alley from the sidewalk he stood over her and finally released his grip on her hair. Selena tried to scoot herself back but her head bumped into the wall of the mechanic now behind her.

"Keep still, you cunt" the man growled. He grabbed her hair again, then pushed down and struck her head against the sharp bricks. Selena felt the thud of her skull against the wall, and the piercing pain of something cutting through her scalp. A warm trickle of blood ran from her head down her neck and darkness crept in around the edges of her vision.

Don't pass out. Selena thought desperately to herself. Ayla didn't respond but Selena could feel her there, tensed, waiting.

The man grabbed Selena's thighs and pulled her along the ground and away from the wall, her dress was pulled up to her thighs by the motion. He grabbed the delicate fabric with rough hands and pulled it up to her waist. His knuckles were calloused and the nails were dirty. Selena turned her head to face the road. Maybe someone would walk past and see her. Save her.

Her vision was obstructed as he planted his hand beside her head to support him as he leaned over her small frame. On the finger of his hand, Selena saw a wedding ring glisten in the moonlight. His forearms were beefy and covered in thick, dark hair and his stench was overwhelming. Selena could feel his other hand between her legs. Ripping her panties as he pulled them off. She couldn't move, could barely breathe. She retreated into her own mind as her body was paralyzed with fear.

There was a tearing pain as he forced his way into her but Selena could barely feel it. She stared vacantly to the sidewalk and the road beyond.

Ayla was strengthening, preparing to take over. Selena had never felt Ayla's power before, she had always just been a voice in her mind. Selena could feel a strong pulling sensation starting inside of her toes. It spread up her legs towards her head and felt as though every part of her inside of her skin was condensing, tightening as it pulled up.

The man was still on top of her, one hand pinning her upper arm to the ground, the other next to her head. She felt his movements as he continued to thrust himself into her, but she could not feel the act itself.

Her body continued to pull up and tighten until it had contracted into what felt like an achingly tight ball in her brain. Selena stepped back and Ayla rushed forward at the same time the tight ball in Selena's mind exploded. The woman on the ground was no longer Selena, but she was not yet Ayla.

Ayla surged, bones began to crack as they shifted, Selena's teeth grew elongated and sharpened, and thick russet fur tore through the follicles that had previously only ever held soft down. The man scurried back, wide eyed.

Ayla stood with her eyes closed, head down and panting. The first shift was the hardest. It would get easier until it became second nature. Ayla could sense Selena in her mind. She was stunned and Ayla knew it might take a long time for her to accept her reality even though Ayla had been trying to prepare her for it her entire life. But that had to be dealt with later. For now, she had to deal with the human. That r****t. She opened her eyes, they shone a cool amber in the white moonlight.

The r****t had pushed himself against the opposite wall of the alleyway. Ayla felt the acrid smell of his fear burn her nostrils. She prowled towards him, the blood of three thousand years of her ancestors burning through her veins. She growled as her hackles raised and she lowered her hind legs ready to pounce.

"Please, no, please" the r****t pleaded. Ayla ignored him, she could feel Selena watching with a mixture of fear and anticipation. A first kill had never been more justified.

Ayla lunged.