bound to the moonlight

5.Amy

I sighed pushing my long sweaty hair back from my face as I looked into the grimy mirror of the girls changing room, I looked pale and had big dark bags under my eyes. I always looked ill after Marcus fed from me but a day or so and I would heal and then he would come over and feed from me again. I pulled my long dark hair up into a high ponytail and twisting the hair band off my wrist wrapping it tightly around my hair securing it up tight. Wincing as I saw the messy mark Marcus had produced on my neck. It was nearly gone now my wolf senses making sure of that but the little bruises remaining were still a ghastly reminder of the last night. He didn't need to do that but Marcus Seemed to like leaving a visible mark even though it was also his idea to feed primarily from my thigh. I had just finished today and was now killing time just waiting for everyone to be gone. Double games for the last two lessons of the day yuck! I hated sports not because I wasn't any good but really for the opposite, I hated pretending to be out of breath when in reality I could run all night and day without truly breaking a sweat. As well as the fact that they segregated boys and girls and I seemed to be a little too rough for most girls games, and the fact that we were forced to play team games why couldn't we just go running or something I could run easily but netball that I couldn't get! I sighed again as I walked through the empty room to grab my bag. I headed out into the empty corridors and wandered unenthusiastically down the hallway. I had lingered on purpose like always hoping that the corridors would be empty, I didn't like being around the rest of the school if I didn't have to. I didn't like invasions in my personal space. Plus I had very little enthusiasm about being anywhere else so I didn't feel the need to battle through the scrum to get out. I wrinkled my nose in distaste as I walked past the guys changing rooms and the scent of sweaty socks assaulted my nose I suddenly stumbled to a halt my nose twitching almost as if instinctively sensing something there. I turned to the closed door inhaling slowly and deeply frowning as my nose continued to twitch as though bothered by a persistent fly or something, I didn't understand but there was something there that wasn't right. I turned wanting to walk away but I couldn't move something about the scent sparked my curiosity and forced me to ignore my logic. I walked slowly across the corridor towards the door my nose still twitching from the foreign scent. I extended my hand and slowly pushed on the door which swung open. I suddenly let out a violent sneeze as the cheesy scent of feet and sweat hit me, how did all teenage boys manage to smell like sweaty socks. I could feel the subtle warmth and hear the movement further back among the rows of benches telling me someone was here. I took a deep breath and slowly took a step forward and another inching towards the sounds. I inched around the benches and saw Matthew hunched over vomiting hard onto the floor noisily his bare sweaty shoulders heaving, the air left my lungs. He was on all fours his fingers curling into the tile wearing only a pair of jogging bottoms that showed clearly how his limbs were twisting painfully beneath the thin fabric. I suddenly realised what that scent tingling my nostrils was it was a wolf scent, my brain seemed to jam unhelpfully as I tried to input everything I was seeing here, I gave my head a tiny shake a pathetic denial to myself. I took a deep breath I knew I should run out of the room and not stop until I was a hundred miles away, but I could remember this half shifts the agony as you very bones tried to snap and rearrange themselves while you had no clue how to deal with it. No idea what you could do to stop the pain. Trying not to breathe as that hurt too. But I was also pretty sure that he didn't know what was happening to him, as he clearly hadn't understood what I was, his instinct had clocked onto me but not his functioning brain. I was certain though of one thing that about now he was wishing to die just to make the pain stop. I bit my lip as I saw tears sliding from his eyes mingling with the sweat coating his skin.

"Matthew." I said gently he twisted to regard me through his curtains of dark greasy hair. He opened his mouth and looked at me his eyes pleading with me though he couldn't form any coherent words. I didn't know what to say there wasn't anything I could say to make this better and I knew it no matter what I said this would still hurt him the same. He suddenly closed his mouth without saying and doubled over again retching loudly as he twisted in pain. I bit my lip and made a decision I don't know if it was a sensible one or not but skirting carefully around the puddle of sick I dropped down onto the cold tiles next to him and reached over and began to gently rub his back which was drenched in sweat, Goosebumps popped up on my skin knowing this was dangerous to be this close to a rogue unprotected but as he coughed and dry heaved nothing left in his stomach to come up pity was more prevalent than fear. "It's okay." I muttered pointless words I know but not having had many comforting experiences in my life I wasn't really sure how to have one but that and making shushing noises seemed to be the common way to do it, or adopting baby talk and I'd refrain from that for as long as physically possible. I just sat there rubbing his back not knowing if it was helping or not but I really didn't know what else to do. Matthew heaved and coughed and suddenly scarlet blood spattered across the floor. I gasped as the scent of his blood hit me causing my fangs to suddenly elongate my wolf senses threatening to take charge, my bloodlust threatening to overwhelm me. I bit it down breathing through my mouth trying to suppress the urges that scent awoke within me, I needed to help him and I couldn't do that if I was snarling and licking his blood off the floor tiles. I sighed out loudly as my fangs receded slightly my blood lust under control as much as it ever was anyway I breathed slowly and deeply as my hands shook. I just rubbed my hand across his back firmly.

"Oh f**k what's happening to me?" he whispered breathlessly.

"It's okay." I said firmly "I won't leave you."

"What's happening to me?" he panted desperately coughing again gagging as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You'll be alright." I said leaning down to kiss his sweaty shoulder I have no idea why it just seemed like a good idea, his skin burned up like a furnace under the gentle pressure of my lips as his muscles twitched and spasm uncontrollably. He growled in pain and collapsed down onto the tiles. I reached down and placed a hand gently on his shoulder, as his twitches eased and he pressed his sweaty head to the cool tiles panting deeply.

"I can't do this." he growled rubbing his head into the tiles; I could his voice growling from the effort of talking.

"Shhh." I whispered pointlessly "it's alright it's all over."

"No its not it not." He groaned rubbing his face gently against the tiles as I saw tears leak from his eyes. "I can feel it." He snarled "it's inside me and it's not gone I know it's not gone and I can't take this anymore I can't." He gasped into the tiles his tears now coming thick and fast.

"You don't exactly have a choice in this Matthew." I said rubbing his shoulders firmly adopting the tone I vaguely remember my parents using and me not liking. "so you have to just have man up." "You don't have a f*****g clue how much this hurts." He muttered into the tiles.

"You are not the only one who can feel pain ."

"Just go." He snarled.

"Matthew." I said gently. His head snapped up to me and he snarled baring his sharp teeth that were clearly beginning to transform into the fangs he would soon possess.

"GO." He snarled his eyes flashing gold.

"You don't have a f*****g clue what you are do you?" I said quietly he just growled in response but I didn't know how much he was even aware of me speaking, "I'll be here if you need an explanation." I whispered, "I don't know how much I can help you but I'll try." instinctively I again leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder before I swiftly stood and hefted my bag back onto my shoulder again and I left the room looking back only once to see Matthew still huddled on the tiles still crying hard into the floor. I bit back the tears I wanted to shed at seeing him in this state, feeling an instant kinship forming just through knowing the pain he was experiencing I turned striding from the room.

I Winced as I watched the water swirling down the plughole turn pink tinged with my blood, as I continued to scrub ruthlessly at my skin the light wolf scent that Matthew was secreting seemed to be lingering on my skin and though I didn't know if Marcus would recognise it or not I wasn't ready to test the theory as Matthew wasn't a threat to me not yet anyway. I didn't want Marcus to go off some rampage after him not until he had reason to anyway, and I didn't think it would ever come to that. Or maybe I didn't want to think on that as what I had told Marcus was true I didn't think wolves were made to be alone, I had always been curious wanting a pack, I needed to belong I needed a pack. I moved around so much that I knew I could never have a conventional pack. Anyway I don't think I really think had any reason to be scared was it that or was it that I was just mesmerized by this guy, stupidly he was alone and I was alone and maybe that was why I felt a kinship with him, the two of us wouldn't have to be alone. Plus poor Matthew had no clue what was going on so why should he be punished for it before he had even done anything wrong. I climbed out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around my tender red skin.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" I nodded politely to Mrs Collins (my current foster parent) as I collided with her in the hallway. She smiled politely at me in return. I didn't mind her, by now I had been labelled as a girl with issues although of course I'm sure the social workers found a more polite way of phrasing it. So Mrs Collins was very accepting of my little eccentricities perfectly prepared to accept my polite indifference as long as I believed reasonably appropriately she didn't bother me, which I liked. I'm sure she'd send me away the next time I took it in my head to go wandering. I don't know why they termed it running away I always intended to come back and I always did, so there was no need for the police that my foster families always seemed to feel the need to contact every time I went on a wonder but I Couldn't help it my wolf nature just overcame me sometimes. "Your skin looks sore." She said gently,

"I have allergies." I said softly "I think it might be the washing powder." She nodded but I knew she wasn't deceived in the least. I wasn't an i***t I knew I'd been sent here because Mrs Collins had a history of succeeding with 'troubled teens', and she like all the others thought I was into self harming. I'd have to be careful around her for a while as no doubt she would keep records on such things. I sighed and entered my dark room closing the door softly behind me. I yanked the towel loose and flung it down on the floor and dressed myself in a vest top and a pair of panties and climbed into sleep and was consumed by sleep before I could even lay myself down.

I growled as the loud alarm next to me beeped shrilly. I leaned over and snapped it off pushing myself up of bed with a groan. I winced as pain shot through my left leg I looked down and in horror blood was cascading down my pale white skin. I yanked off my vest top and wadded up the fabric tying it around my leg hastily in a sort of makeshift bandage. Marcus had arrived just before dawn when he had finally been free of his work (apparently even vampires had to earn a living). So generally he came to feed on me before he went there but for some reason last night he was delayed and when he did come there was no conversation and his fangs near tore a chunk from my thigh and he fed savagely from me until I passed out. Of course when I came round he was already gone and the sheets beneath my body were saturated with my crimson blood. I hobbled across the room and pulled a bundle of bandages from where they had been hidden away in the back of one of my drawers, the small amount of money I was given by Mrs Collins as an allowance served to buy me multiple snacks (to partially conceal how much I ate) and keep me stocked up on bandages adequately, I'm sure most of the store assistants in town thought I was a self harmer too. I peeled the makeshift bandage from my leg and winced at the sight of the deep bite on my thigh, it had been a long time since he had left a mark that had made me queasy blood usually didn't bother me at all but this wound did. I pushed that thought away and applied a gauze patch to the bite before winding a thick bandage around my thigh securely. I winced as I saw the blood starting to already seep through the fabric, I cursed Marcus under my breath before I pulled my dressing gown on and scampered into the bathroom to wash the blood from my leg before it managed to get onto the carpet. I already had to deal with the fact that I had sheets sodden with blood; in fact I probably had a mattress stained with blood too. I didn't feel like going to school today, in fact it was the last thing I felt like feeling weak and woozy as I did but I had to check on Matt. 'But do you?' that annoying voice in my head whispered, 'why what is he to you and exactly what can you tell him?'. I growled in irritation at my inner monologue and decided to just stop talking to myself. Annoyingly though I had to admit that the little annoying voice in my head actually had a point I mean he was going through an unbelievably rough time and the moment and I wanted to help for some reason, although I was barely an expert on transitions. I know Marcus said I should be scared of rogues but Matthew seemed to be scared on his own shadow, fearing him dam I don't think it was even possible maybe I would be when he transitioned but to be honest I didn't think so transitioning didn't change who you were, it meant you were just aware of the wolf inside you but you were still the same person inside. For him though right now I knew how he was suffering and I just wanted to help him, and as long as I kept tabs on him I hopefully should be able to protect him from Marcus. As he always told me he was very protective and I believed that he had in fact killed rogues and vampires who got too close to me, but didn't want him to kill this guy he didn't need to but Marcus wasn't someone who appreciated shades of grey. I scuttled as quickly as I could back into my room. I pulled the sheets off and shoved them unceremoniously in my backpack, mentally making a note to buy more sheets on the way back. I arranged the duvet neatly on top and hoped that Mrs Collins didn't check as that could lead to some very uncomfortable questioning as like I had thought the mattress had a large blood stain on it. I grabbed my schoolbag and ran from the house before anyone else was up I didn't like the hectic mornings in the house along with Mr and Mrs Collins there were two other girls in the house Lucy who was eight and Shannon who was three and it wasn't their fault but it was too busy for my liking and the girls seemed to want to talk and I definitely was not a morning person. I settled myself down on the furthest desk from the teacher in my tutor room as I groggily awaited his arrival I was far too early but I was hoping the two of us could cut class to talk, I couldn't believe he'd want to sit through double physics. I pulled a small battered paperback out of my bag and laid it down on the desktop in front of me, pulling it open at a random page. I had found out long ago that if you pretended to read a book people generally left you alone. I pretended to read as the class filed in around me they ignored me and I seemingly ignored them however my eyes kept darting up for a split second every time an individual entered the room I frowned as our tutor entered the room and called us to order. The seat Matthew had previously sat which was very obviously empty. I swung my eyes across the room seeking him out and after a minute or two I simply gave up realising that he wasn't there and searching the room again wouldn't make him suddenly teleport in. I growled under my breath and jammed the book back into my bag. Great now I was stuck with a mind numbingly boring day at school. "Amy this makes five days at school without a sick day." My tutor said striding into the room and placing her briefcase down on her desk she slid in behind it. The room was still empty as I had arrived very early in an effort to avoid having to talk to anyone in the morning again. Mrs Collins seemed to have mutely accepted the pattern that I had fallen into in the past few days, possibly letting it go as she was just thrilled that I was consistently going to school finally so she gave up with trying to force me to eat breakfast. I looked up from my book but couldn't think of any smart retort so continued pretending to read and actively engage in my true quest of eating my way through an entire huge bag of bacon flavoured crisps. Then a sudden realisation hit me. "Um.... Miss." I said lamely as I realised that I didn't have any clue what her name was. But I didn't want to know so calling her miss seemed like a good compromise and she seemed satisfied with this anyway. She lifted her eyes from her register to look at me her eyebrows raised quizzically. "Is Matthew okay?"

"Excuse me?" she said her eyebrows rising a little more.

"Matthew you know he sits over there." I said flicking a hand at his empty desk,

"Why do you want to know?" She asked her eyebrows rising again they were in danger of disappearing into her hair.

"He's a friend." I said weakly. She frowned at me clearly not believing what I had said in any way. I really should have worked on a better cover story, as I was very clearly not friends with any one in fact I had been assigned a 'guide' to help me on my first few days . I can't remember her name but she was small blond and talked a lot and I got in trouble for making her cry before lunchtime. I still don't realise what it actually was that actually upset her so much but I didn't really care anyway. Also the fact that Matthew was clearly the schools current prime looser must have also made her suspicious; as clearly wasn't someone with a full social calendar or probably any kind of social calendar, "I...I just ...wondered if he's okay. ...he hasn't been in for a while."

"you are quite right Amy I assume he is sick, probably with the same reoccurring conditions that you seem to suffer from but I confess I am not able to contact him."

"Right." I said vaguely. I stumbled to my feet shoving my paperback roughly into my backpack. My tutor raised her eyes lazily at me a question clear on her features. "Toilet." I said brightly striding quickly towards the door. Swinging my bag up onto my back It hit the books piled upon her desk spilling them across the floor. "Sorry." I said dropping down to the ground and picking up the books which had slithered away across the cold tiled floor, "clumsy." I plonked the haphazard stack of books onto the edge of her desk and hurried out of the room. I smiled to myself as I turned the corner pulling the register out from inside my jacket, not terribly covert but discrete enough. I opened the register pulling out the page with all our addresses neatly scribbled into columns I folded it up and put it in my pocket before shoving the rest of the folder into a bin I was passing. I pushed open the door and strode quickly out into the hazy rain lingering in the grey dawn. I pulled the paper out of my pocket again and scanned down the list of names and addresses until I found Matthew thankfully there was only one Matthew in our tutor group Matthew Cordell there was a landline number next to it and an address scribbled neatly into the next column.