Stalked by the Gods, Blessed by the Moon

Ch. 6 - First Almost Shift

AYLA’S POV

I didn’t know what to expect. Pain? Nausea? Dizziness? What kind of side effects were there to your entire body shifting into an animal? If this even happened, I chided myself.

My dad had wanted me to stay with him so that he could help me with my first shift and the onset of the curse. But my pig-headed self declared him just as mental as my mentally ill mother. Because there was no way this was going to happen.

The chains and fire extinguisher assured me that even if something outlandish like that did happen, I was prepared. Think smart.

I closed my eyes, willing the time to pass by quickly so I could unchain myself and go to bed comfortably. I had my phone within reach, right next to the fire extinguisher. As I reached over to grab my phone, thinking maybe I’d scroll through some social media instead, I saw that my arm hair was darker.

It seemed darker. I pulled it up close to my face. It was definitely darker. And thicker. It was getting longer and thicker the longer I stared at it. Then I felt the pain which caused me to convulse on the bed, knocking over the fire extinguisher and phone to the ground, too far now for me to reach.

I felt like every bone in my body was snapping, and I felt hot. It was burning up suddenly. I shakily brought my hand to my face because it felt the hottest, and then I saw the ripple—the ripple of blue fire breaking out across my skin from my hands.

I sat up, tugging at the chain as I leaned down to reach for the fire extinguisher but couldn’t grasp it. I looked around, looking for something to wiggle it towards me. Still, the excruciating pain jolted through my body again, causing me to collapse inward on myself, curling in the fetal position.

Before I blacked out, I heard two words. “Damn it.”

*****

AARON’S POV

It was a good thing, and I wanted to double-check on her. I should have known that the curse and shift wouldn’t happen at midnight but at sundown on her birthday. How many centuries have I been around and missed that? Not only was she still very cursed, but she was also stupid. Strapping herself to the bed with a chain and fire extinguisher as if she could put out her fire with a man-made creation.

With a flick of my hand, I made her unconscious. I closed my eyes, calling on Selene's ears with a plea to stop her shift. I watched as the hair on her body slowly returned to normal, and her body stopped convulsing. Now, she lay there, peaceful as one can be, with fire expanding on her body.

She didn’t know this, but her bed was treated for this. I’d ensured her sheets were imbued with some of my power to make them flame-retardant against her particular type of fire. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry and cause a burning building. Then I’d have Zeus to answer to.

I sat down on the bed, resting my hand on her chest. Slowly, the flames fanned out, leaving nothing behind but her pale, sweaty skin. Apparently, I hadn’t held onto my part of the bargain, and this would be my price.

Because now, I felt like I had no choice but to stay with her. To ensure she wasn’t driven as mad as her mother. And her mother before her, and before her, and so on.

*****

AYLA’S POV

I needed water. My throat was on fire, and my head was throbbing, so throw in a couple of Tylenol. I let out a deep breath before slowly opening my eyes, the sun immediately glaring down on me, causing me to squeeze them shut again. “Good morning.”

My eyes flew open again at the sound of someone’s voice. A man’s voice. From the end of my bed. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they did, I saw a strange man I didn’t recognize standing there, looking at me. He wore a black button-up shirt and dark jeans, which he had his hands shoved into. He was devilishly handsome with a jaw that would make any woman weak at the knees. Dark eyes, dark, medium-length hair. Tall, dark, and handsome. But why the f**k was he in my house?

As if he could read my mind, he smirked. “I came to check on you.”

“Who are you?”

“You don’t remember…oh, that’s right. You were toasted that night. Something those guys gave you. I thought after you texted me that…”

I looked around for my phone but didn’t see it within immediate reach of my hand. He smiled as he produced my phone from his pocket. “Here you go.”

I snatched it from him, sitting up on the bed, suddenly very aware that I was still chained to the bed with a strange man in my house. I quickly unlocked my phone and went to my messages. And right there, to a number saved under the name Aaron, were two words. Come over. What the…

Aaron laughed. “I know. I was just as surprised as you were. I thought you forgot all about me.”

“I did.”

He arched an eyebrow at me. “Interesting. Did you want breakfast? You didn’t have much in the fridge, but you did have a couple of eggs and bread, so I made you an egg toast sandwich.”

“You went through my things?”

“I wouldn’t say I went through your things as much as it was just your fridge. I left your panty drawer alone.”

I reached to my side table, snatching the key I had left within reach to begin unchaining myself. “Aren’t you curious why I’m chained to a bed, Aaron?”

He shrugged. “I thought that was for me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. Look. I don’t know why you’re here. I guess I texted you, but I don’t remember doing that. So you can leave. Now.”

He held a hand to his chest, pretending to look offended. “After I made you breakfast?”

“Get out of here!” I snapped.

He shrugged, turning on his heel, heading out of the room. I heard my front door open and close, leaving me alone in silence as Aaron left my apartment.

Once I got rid of the chains around my body and neck, I pushed them off the bed with a loud clatter that made me wince. I looked down at my hands, examining them. No thick hair or fur. Just normal hands. I must have fallen asleep and dreamed the whole thing. A nightmare about what my dad had told me about. That’s all it was—a nightmare.

The second Aaron left, I felt like the heat had turned up in my apartment, making me quickly sweaty and feeling gross and unclean. I needed to take a shower and wash away the night. I wonder if Aaron…I shook my head. No, I would feel something was off if he had taken advantage of me. I guess he showed up, saw the state I was in, then just stayed the night to mock me in the morning. And make me breakfast, which I wouldn’t be touching with a ten-foot pole.

I stood, my legs feeling weak beneath me and almost causing me to fall. It was so hot in here, and I felt so weak, but nothing a cold shower wasn’t going to fix. I took a step forward and immediately fell to my knees, catching myself with my hands before faceplanting. As I looked down at my hands, I saw a ripple of blue.

Holding my hand closer to my face, the blue was gone. I must have imagined it. Before I lowered my hand, though, the blue returned, and a thin layer of fire escaped my palms, stretching over the entirety of my hand. I screamed. In an instant, arms picked me up, and I looked up to see Aaron carrying me, heading towards my bathroom.