The Prophesied Claim

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

He's gone when my alarm goes off for work the next morning. I'm not sure how I feel about it so I pretend it's a normal day. Get showered. Get dressed. Prep for classes. I can handle anything that happens, I tell myself. Crank up the radio in the car and sing as loudly as possible to "Prizefighter" because nothing gets me in the mood for teaching like a good reminder that I'm a badass. When "Wrecking Ball" comes on the irony doesn't escape my notice and I decide silence is better than music for the remainder of the car ride to work.

I find myself looking for Alec in the hallway during passing period, but he's either not pulling security duty today or he's specifically avoiding me. Probably changed his mind again freaking jerk, I think to myself. Maybe my weirdo smell is wearing off. I remind myself I am perfectly fine by myself. I am great at being alone. Awesome. Amazing. Vibrator for life club sounds great.

And then I see him.

Through a swarming throng of students rushing to catch the bus, I see him leaning nonchalantly against the wall talking to the self-proclaimed "sexy teacher". She's a busty brunette that's gone through two husbands and a stream of affairs, wears a tight fitting pencil skirt and barely buttoned blouse on most days, and one of her red-tipped fingernails is toying with a button on Alec's uniform shirt. The feeling of rage hits like a fireball to the stomach and I actually fold forward slightly trying to contain the sudden nausea that rises into my throat.

"Ms. Madsen?" a sweet seventh grader asks, reaching toward me with concern in her eyes, "Are you okay? You look like you're gonna be sick."

"Fine, thanks Claire. Have a good night." I intone weakly. And lift my head to see Miss Busty Brunette throw her head back in laughter at something Alec has said. The buttons on her shirt nearly pop open and I swear I can see the outline of her n*****s. I start gagging, feeling my lunch settle into my throat, and an itch begin to race under my skin. Unfortunately, the closest bathroom means I have to run past Miss Busty with one hand over my mouth, and barely make it to a stall before vomiting repeatedly. Vaguely, I hear Alec's voice call my name, and Miss Busty volunteers to check on me. Great, just great.

"Sirena?" her sickly sweet voice echoes through the bathroom, before she comes to stand behind me, "Oh dear," her voice rises in volume and I can only assume Alec must be close to the bathroom entrance, "rough weekend huh? You know, I've told you alcohol is no way to deal with your problems. You should really see a counselor sweetie. I'm sure Mr. Smith would be upset to think you were hungover at work again. And as a responsible faculty member, it's my job to make sure he knows you're struggling." I don't need to see her face to know she's about to go for a kill shot, "And you should really stop telling everyone about your affairs, I mean, my goodness that last boy was barely legal!"

If Alec believes anything she has to say, he's f*****g stupid. I don't bother denying her accusations, as something again starts sliding under my skin, and my jaw pops. I see my fingers start to clench and contort along the toilet bowl I'm gripping, and my voice is nearly incoherent as I scream, "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

There's a buzzing in my ears, and everything seems to sharpen. I shouldn't be able to hear her any longer, but I know she's tugging Alec away from the bathroom, reassuring him that I'm actually fine, and have a history of these types of episodes. According to her, I was an emergency hire when another teacher couldn't be found to fill my position. Even as I struggle to stand, a cold sweat drenching my skin, I hear her whisper to him. The need to scream fairly overwhelms me as she propositions him. I cover my ears with my hands, flushing the toilet with my foot to drown out the sound. I don't want to hear his response. I don't want to know anymore. Clearly, whatever this mate-smell-thing is it doesn't mean relationship. It doesn't equal fidelity. I'm just making another stupid mistake. Like the f*****g fiance and the blind date.

Full panic makes my heart race, trapping the air in my lungs. Retreat is echoing in my mind even as I fight the urge to beat the s**t out of Miss Busty. Warring with myself isn't an option so I decide a quick exit is the best scenario. I have zero desire to catch them in flagrante, and even less desire to talk about it. I never want to be on the receiving end of an attempted gentle letdown because my own idiotic ideas have gotten the better of my common sense.

Already holding my phone and keys, I opt for the strategic retreat option and dart for the nearest staircase. Luckily, Miss Busty's room is in the opposite direction and I neither see them in the hallway or hear them any longer. Thank God. The itching along my skin hasn't stopped though and by the time I've unlocked my car I feel a driving need to run. Which is ridiculous, because while I'm an avid runner, I don't get the driving impulse to run as though I'm an addict after my next hit. But this, this feeling that starts unfurling inside me is just that. I need to run like I need to take my next breath. I slam the car into gear and floor it out of the faculty lot aiming for the nearest park.

While the school might be considered mid-urban, the surrounding area is mostly farm ground and forest. I hit the highway in a fishtail, which is extremely impressive for my little car, and hear the engine whine in protest as I recklessly speed for the nearest open space. I can see trees in the distance, the edge of a conservation park popular for its hiking trails, when I'm lit up with full lights and sirens.

Shit. s**t. s**t. I think. I'm twitching like crazy. My entire body shivering and shaking. A cold sweat covering me from head to toe, and I have to pull-over. I try deep breathing but it doesn't help. I navigate the car to the side of the road and dig for my license.

At the tap on my glass, I lower the window and immediately recognize the officer from the other night. As the window cranks lower, he rears back and away from the car as though I've assaulted him.

"f*****g shit." he exclaims looking around frantically, "Where's Alec?"

I shake my head. Probably getting his d**k sucked by now I think, but no words escape, just labored breathing and weird little growls. He keeps repeating himself, simultaneously fanning his hand in front of his face, and grabbing for his phone as he reaches for the car door.

"Sirena, right? s**t, this is bad. He's gonna f*****g kill me. Sirena, I need you to get in the car. Come on. Come on. We don't have time. You've gotta get in the car." He's pulling me along behind him. Dragging me as he tries to talk into his phone. "Dammit, Alec. Answer the f*****g phone."

Shoving me into the backseat, he jumps behind the wheel and floors it. We're spraying gravel as we pull into the parking area of the conservation park when his phone rings.

"Alec, you f*****g bastard, where are you? It's now. Right now." I don't hear the rest of what he says because suddenly my entire body feels like it's being broken in half and a scream erupts from my throat. The cop throws the car into park and leaps out, yanking the back door open and dragging me onto the gravel. Then, he's tearing at my clothes. I don't understand, until I see the hair moving along my arms and my body begins contorting. Well, s**t. Maybe I am a wolf, I think. Then, I'll tear Alec apart.

I run. That urge that overwhelmed me rejoices as I break away from the patrol car and launch myself into the wildness of the forest. I hear the cop yelling at me to come back, but the wolf part of me ignores him, urging me deeper into the trees. It's a strange feeling to be in the body of the wolf. I'm still me, but somehow more. The animal instincts are sharpened, even as my intellect and thought process remain. What if I stayed this way forever?

Just as I'm contemplating the possibility of living in this form permanently, an achingly familiar black shape barrels into me from the side. Alec. I bare my teeth and growl at his unwanted intrusion. Mates. More like easy lay, easy go. I turn my tail to him and try to sniff my wolf nose at him in disdain. But, he obviously has more experience in this form and jumps at me, nipping at my flanks so I turn back toward the parking area. I snap back, but his larger body bullies me into walking in his chosen direction. Then, he's shifting back to his naked man form.

"Shift, Sirena." he demands. When I don't immediately comply he stomps forward reaching for my wolf, finding pressure points that force me to change back. Naked, I'm sitting on the ground as he towers over me. He offers his hand, glaring at me, but as I take it the wind changes and I suck in the smell of Miss Busty. Immediately enraged, I rip my hand from his, "f*****g bastard." I spit and push past him toward the lot.