Desired by Shadows

7: The hidden beast

Violet Stone

Violet's day at college had been undeniably eventful.

As a quintessential introvert, the incessant chatter of friends and the echoing laughter in the hallways left her mentally drained. It might not be a big deal to some, but for Violet, it was a daily struggle.

She'd sought solace in the campus library, the comforting scent of old books and the hushed atmosphere providing a brief respite from the social whirlwind.

Her worn-out pen had struggled across pages of notes during lectures, her mind in a constant battle to stay focused. Amidst the academic chaos, a stream of notifications from her phone had vied for her attention, reminding her of assignment due dates, group projects and impending tests.

Even during lunch, the cafeteria's bustling energy had left her feeling overwhelmed. Trying to find a quiet corner, she had unintentionally bumped into a fellow student, sending her stack of papers cascading to the floor.

The apologetic exchange that followed, filled with awkward smiles and hurried attempts to gather the scattered papers, had only added to the whirlwind of the day.

Yet, it was the unexpected incident during her psychology class that truly drained her energy. Engrossed in a lively debate about the complexities of human behaviour, she had accidentally volunteered to present her perspective to the entire class.

The sudden spotlight, the gazes of her peers fixated on her, and the struggle to articulate her thoughts coherently had sent her heart racing and her palms clammy. It was an unforeseen trial by fire that left her mentally fatigued and yearning for the quiet sanctuary of her room.

Amidst it all, however, she found a glimmer of triumph as she successfully submitted one of her art projects. The culmination of hours spent sketching, painting, and perfecting her creation had finally paid off, earning her a sense of accomplishment that momentarily eclipsed the chaos of the day.

But then, the tumultuous day was far from over. It was time for Violet to make eye contact with Dr. Lupin Darkwood, the man whose touch had made her tremble, even though it was for the purpose of treating her wound.

Her face flushed with embarrassment as she recalled the moment when Dr Darkwood had lifted her dress to disinfect the open cut on her upper thigh, causing her heart to skip a beat.

She had always been wary of people, whether they were her classmates or even her female friends.

Permitting an overbearing man to draw near, cradling her in his embrace, where she could sense his warm breath against her skin, had been a wholly novel and disconcerting encounter for her.

As she passed through the sturdy iron gate and walked along the path leading to the building, she suddenly realized that she had already arrived at his clinic.

The moment she entered the clinic, an inexplicable tension hung in the air. The room had an unusual aura, charged with an energy she couldn't quite pinpoint. Perhaps it was because she herself felt that way at the moment.

But perhaps not.

The secretary greeted Violet with a forced smile, a stark contrast to the warm one she had given her last time.

"Miss Violet, please proceed inside. Dr. Darkwood is expecting you."

Violet took a deep breath as she pushed open the imposing wooden door.

Inside, she found him pacing, looking visibly strained, with a hint of darkness in his eyes that she hadn't noticed before. Without any exchange of greetings, he simply gestured for her to take the familiar patient's chair.

As their therapy session continued, Violet found herself sharing the day's events, the stress, and the overwhelming feeling of being lost in a sea of thoughts. She even began to doubt whether seeking therapy had been a wise choice amidst her financial struggle.

However, something felt amiss—Dr. Darkwood appeared distracted.

Just as Violet was about to question him, a deafening crash echoed from outside the window. Startled, she turned her gaze toward the source of the noise. What she saw made her blood run cold.

A massive creature, its eyes glowing with an eerie light, stood in the alley adjacent to the clinic. It was a wolf. Perhaps a werewolf - a real, living werewolf. Panic surged through her veins as she tried to comprehend the sight before her. This couldn't be real. Werewolves were just myths, legends to scare children around campfires.

But the creature's snarls and growls shattered any doubts she had. It was terrifyingly real, and it was coming closer.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and in that moment of fear, a flash of memory surged through Violet's mind. The recurring dreams she had been having since childhood - a man fighting a creature in the moonlight.

The faces were never clear in her dreams, and the details were always hazy. She had dismissed those dreams as mere nightmares, but now, facing the beast, she realized it was the very creature she had seen in her dreams. A chilling realization struck her.

The wolf she had encountered in the woods on that ominous night might have been one of those creatures. Those eyes, she could never forget them. Now, everything seemed to fall into place—the profound effect that the wolf had on her was connected to her recurring dreams.

Violet's wide eyes turned back to Dr. Darkwood, only to find him standing mere inches away from her, his amber eyes now reflecting the same eerie light she had seen in the creature outside.

Violet's horror deepened as she witnessed the mind-bending transformation. His body convulsed, contorting in unnatural ways as bones cracked and reshaped. His clothes tore apart, unable to contain the beast emerging from within him.

Fur sprouted from every pore, covering his skin in a dark, sleek coat. His hands elongated into deadly claws, and his teeth grew into razor-sharp fangs.

The once composed therapist was now a fearsome creature, standing tall and imposing, with eyes that gleamed with primal hunger. The air around him crackled with raw power, and Violet's heart pounded in her chest as she beheld the true form of the werewolf before her.

The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning- her therapist, the man she had trusted, was not who he appeared to be. He was a werewolf, a creature of myth and nightmares.

The very entity she had attempted to escape from after that fateful night in the woods.

Her mind struggled to process the shocking revelation, fear and confusion intertwining like a deadly dance. She wanted to run, to escape this nightmarish truth, but she found herself immobilized, as if paralyzed.

To her dismay, she became captivated by Dr Darkwood's gaze, a gaze that seemed to command her to remain in place, and she inexplicably wanted to heed it. It was a curious blend of vulnerability and authority that defied all logic.

She realized with terror that she was alone with this creature, and her life was at its mercy. Just when she managed to take a step back despite all that was happening to her, away from him, he pounced over her, and she took a fall, landing on the sofa.

Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned back frozen. But the next moment, without a word of explanation or concern for her safety, Dr Darkwood leapt out of the window behind her, disappearing into the moonlit night.

She was glued to the sofa, unable to comprehend the reality of what had just happened. The memories of her dreams intertwined with the nightmarish scene before her, leaving her paralyzed with fear.

Minutes passed, feeling like an eternity, and he returned to the clinic even before she could muster the courage to peek out of the window and witness what was happening.

His transformation back into a human was as unsettling as his shift into a werewolf. As he dressed in his torn clothes, his bare muscles intimidated her like a powerful force of nature, leaving her both in awe and fear.

Dr. Lupin Darkwood's face remained stoic, indifferent to her fear. He advanced with a cautious step, a sinister smile curling on his lips.

"Yes, Violet," he confessed coldly, unfazed by her terror, "I am a werewolf. Quit giving me that look."

"You... you're a werewolf," she gasped, her voice still trembling.

"Right! That’s what I just said. And that’s what you just saw."

Violet's mind swirled with conflicting emotions at his calm confession. Fear and shock warred with the trust she had begun to place in him as her therapist. She couldn't deny the truth unfolding before her eyes, but it was overwhelming, like a storm surging through her senses.

"I didn't want anyone to see me like this," Lupin confessed, his voice laced with regret. "But there's a dangerous rouge wolf outside, and I need to confront it. I'm doing this to protect my kind from that rouge and everyone in this town."

Violet was witnessing a different facet of Dr Darkwood. There was a hint of amusement in his demeanour, unlike his usual serious and overbearing self, almost as though he was jesting with her instead of offering reassurance.

As the moon bathed them in its silvery glow, Violet's world had transformed once again, and she knew there was no going back. She was now part of a world filled with secrets, where the line between humanity and the supernatural was blurred.