Prey - Prey

My girlfriend always talked about the monster hidden inside her. I figured she meant her monthly cycle. All women go a little nuts that time of month, don’t they?

I definitely had my own temper I was working on. She understood that. Anger issues run in my family. Because she could relate, I thought I’d found the perfect partner to enjoy life with while working through my problems. She understood that when my voice erupted in a scream and berating insults escaped my lips, it wasn’t the real me. I was nice most of the time. And even when I really lost it and raised my hand to her by mistake, she’d accept my apologies and assure me that we were okay.

In a way, I sorta looked forward to seeing this hidden side of her. She was the sweetest woman I’d ever met. She’d tell me about her bad nights where she’d slip up, do something she regretted, and wake up in the morning filled with remorse. I don’t know what sorts of things she was talking about. Not cheating – we cleared that up fast. Outside of cheating, there was nothing she could do that would be too much for me.

Until that night.

We stood in my apartment, arguing. I opted to sit and have a rational discussion, but she jumped to her feet halfway through in a rage. I rose to match her.

“I’m telling you, it’s not normal,” I insisted. “You’re the only person I know who would just end a relationship without even indicating that something was wrong in the first place.”

“Fine, so I’m the only one. I don’t care. For the last time, I am done. Now please let me leave.”

“I thought we were doing great. You said you were okay with everything.”

She massaged her temples. “We’re going in circles here. I already told you, it’s been eight months, and you are crueler every single day. I don’t even care if you’re still working on yourself, but if you are, I can’t see it. I’ve had enough. I’m done.”

“I told you it would take time.”

She sighed and covered her face. “I shouldn’t have come over to do this. I’ve said what I wanted to, and I’m sorry you’re upset. But if you don’t let me leave, I’m going to call the police.”

I scoffed. “You want to make me the villain now?”

“Actually, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you if I stay here one more minute.”

“Ha! If you want to hit me back, have at it! Make me feel better. I deserve it.”

She squinted at me. “You never asked about that dark side of me. It’s a lot like yours, but I’ve done some real damage with it. More than you’d ever guess. I’m right on the verge of losing it, and if I do, believe it or not, I will hurt you. It won’t be worth it.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. She was too innocent for such a statement to carry any weight.

She started to tremble. She was scared, just like I thought. “Last chance.” She kept her voice low and steady, trying so hard to suppress her fear. “Or we’ll both regret this.”

I chuckled again and motioned to the kitchen chairs behind her. “We don’t have to fight. Let’s just sit and talk calmly again.” When she didn’t move, I took her arm and started to steer her back.

She twisted out of my grip and tried to push past me to the door. I blocked her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her in place. The thing is, she hadn’t done that before and shouldn’t have been able to do that at all.

“Let go!” she snapped.

I held tighter and tried to reassure her.

That’s when she changed in my arms. I felt her skin move – not normal, human movement but like how water flows over a rock. I felt her soft skin go hot and coarse; felt her reshape from the petite woman to something else entirely.

I let her go, and before me stood an animal. A wolf. A black wolf with her stunning brown eyes.

But they couldn’t be her eyes. She never looked so … predatory. So strong.

I stood frozen. She lowered her head and snarled at me. Outside my window, the full moon shone bright. I had total privacy. I lived high enough and at such an angle that no one could see us.

Teeth bared, she stalked forward. Only a couple steps and she’d have me. I groped behind me for the doorknob, stumbled backward a step, found it, and opened it.

But at the same time, she was on me. There was no one to see or hear as her sharp teeth tore into me.

“We’ll both regret this,” she’d said. But let’s face it, I didn’t live long enough to have regrets.