The harsh smell of cleaning supplies and probably bleach came to me first. When I opened my eyes, I tried to move but I found myself tied by a bed unable to even move my feet. I kicked and tried to scream but my mouth was way too dry and cottony. The noise that did come out sounded more like a low volumed pig squeal than anything human. There was something stuck in my nose that felt way too deep for my liking. To top it all off, I was pretty sure that there was something in a place that I didn’t want that something to be.

I heard footsteps and a bald-headed doctor came into view. I had a lot of frustration with being tied up against a hospital bed and the daggers I glared at him were the product of that frustration border lining anger. “I’m sorry, Ms. Sandusky for tying your up like this, but considering what we were expecting, we didn’t want any surprises.” He told me as his nurses and him untied me.

“Who are you and where am I?” I huffed in a dry whisper.

“I am Dr. Wallace Orsnworth. This is Nurse Max.” He gestured to the grunt-looking man who gave me a smile, “You’re at St. Cross Hospital near Chicago.”

The nurse gave me a bottle of water. I nodded in thanks as I took a swig, then I asked, “Why was I tied down? Where is Arthur?” Is what I asked next. I wanted to ask more, but I needed to down this water.

“The agent is currently sleeping in one of the other rooms. You were tied down because we were all certain you were infected with the Lycanthropy.”

I nearly spat out my drink, “Lycanwhat?”

“The were virus. A paranormal virus that when it infects the host gives the host the ability to shapeshift into certain predators such as panthers, bears, or wolves. The disease is terminal.”

My jaw was a little hanging at this point, “So you’re saying I’m a werewolf now?”

The doctor and the nurse cracked up a bit at my question as the good doctor composed himself into a grim tone, “You should be. But whatever in the world your body was doing, it cured the Lycanthropy. Which should be absolutely impossible, but apparently isn’t anymore.”

Lots of things were swishing around in my head as I tried to figure out what in the world the doctor was saying. A serious craving came instead as I asked, “Do you have any blood to spare?” The doctor’s face went pale, so did the nurse’s. Why are they looking at me like that? I felt a flood of heat flush onto my face as I face palmed from realization. I’m such an idiot, “No no, not like that!” I pleaded, “My abilities! They make me crave blood. Ask Agent Arthur, he knows.”

The doctor nodded at me then at the nurse, “Yes, sure. I’ll be right back to check on that. Max, can you take out the feeding tube and catheter?” Without even looking at the nurse, the Dr. Williams ran out of my room. My whole-body blush from embarrassment. I’m such an idiot.

The nurse took a step out and came back with a female nurse as he cooed in a gravelly voice, “Lie back and relax, it’ll only take a second.”

Needless to say, that I had the most uncomfortable time of my life. For one, getting something pulled out from a deep place was a VERY new sensation. The pain was also a new sensation. It wasn’t that bad, just weird, really weird.

It wasn’t long after that when my mother came in. Mom ran to me and squeezed me so tight that I thought I was going to be crush while Arthur was snickering at my ‘help me face’. The traitor.

“Thank goodness you’re awake!!” Mom yelled right in my ear, “I was scared when I got the call that you were in the hospital.”

“I love you too, mom.” Giving her a light squeeze back.

She pulled back, “Are you feeling okay?”

I smiled, “Mostly, my whole body is aching and sore, but I think that’s the lack of exercise.”

She squeezed me into a bear hug, “I love you so much!” I heard some sniffles. I don’t know why, but I started crying too. It was a few moments until she sat next to me, “What happened?”

I chuckled, “You won’t believe it. Hell, I don’t believe it.”

“Come on, tell me.”

“I fought a werewolf.”

Mom had this look of disbelief, “A werewolf?”

“Yup!” I gave a victorious smile, “My new powers are great!” She just smiled. I don’t think she believed me. “It’s true! Ask Arthur.”

Mom’s smile turned smug, “Oh you’re on a first name basis now, huh?”

I blushed, “Well, I sent you messages about everything, right?” Remembering the vagueness of yesterday.

“So, I saw.” She smiled while her low voice caused the heat in my face to travel down my back and chest, “Enough teasing for now. Werewolves huh? Not something I expected.”

“What were you expecting?”

Mom shrugged, “I don’t know. When I asked what happened, no one gave me any answers. I was worried the Humanity First attacked you or the MSB went on a rampage again. But nope when I got here, you were in something called a cryochamber.”

“Cryochamber?”

Mom nodded, “It was some kind of box that was filled with water I think.”

A voice chimed in, it was the doctor’s, “A cryochamber uses a special liquid that has a much lower freezing temperature. It’s used to treat burnout.”

“Burnout?”

The doctor gave an irritated look, “A complicated condition where a meta’s power becomes too powerful and causes an event that can quite literally cook the victim alive.” I think we all cringed at that, “But, what you went through wasn’t a burn out. Even though you should definitely be a werewolf right now and ripping everyone’s throats out.”

I spoke, “I still don’t really understand what you mean by what you said earlier.”

The poor doctor sighed, “I’ll give you the cliff notes. You were infected by a werewolf, which should’ve turned you into a raging beast. Your body, by some holy miracle, cured it by cooking your body to a degree that should’ve killed you but somehow cured the damn virus instead.” He rubbed his face, “I think I’m going to need more coffee and probably some Tylenol too.” He takes a step then stops, “Right.” He tosses me a pack of blood, “Here, sorry for the reaction. It’s been a long three days.”

“Three days?” He exited before he could answer my question.

Arthur instead, “It’s been three days since you went into a coma, yes.” He had come in behind the doctor with very exhausted yet still so handsome look on his face.

“I’ve been in a coma for three days?” Upon hearing that a huge weight of exhaustion, hunger, and the craving for blood. I held it back for the moment as I asked in a desperate tone, “How’s Julie? I left her with only a note but I’m sure she’s worried about me. I’ve only known her for a little bit but she such a wonderful person if not a little cheeky. I hope she’s doing okay.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Arthur made a face that was somewhere between irritation and exhaustion, “We’ll…” He began breathily and rubbed his face, “get to that in a second.”

Mom was very perturbed look on her fact when I started drinking the blood pack. I really couldn’t hold in my craving for blood. I was going to drink it when everyone or at least mom was out of the room. I had explained to her before about how my powers worked just about, but I don’t think she was ready for me to start drinking the cotton candy tasting blood right in front of her. Arthur was a little bit less perturbed but I think that’s because of his super-agent lifestyle. The silence was really awkward so I spoke, “So uh anything else happened in these five days?” Shockingly, I’m less surprised by the fact that I was in a coma for five days than I am surprised about everything else.

Arthur gave me a frown, “Too much.” He had been working on something while we sat there in awkward silence, “Mrs. Sandusky, will you please exit the room for me?”

Mom made a look between us and gave a very cheeky smile, “Of course!” As she bounced out of the room. Oh boy, the teasing mom will do later.

Arthur almost ran to me as he picked me up to embrace me. I heard some sniffles. Being the idiot I, of course, ask, “Are you crying?”

Arthur replied with what is best described as a sniffle-snort, “I was so scared when I thought I was going to lose you.”

Wow uh, I’ve never, wow. Besides family, I’ve never had someone cry for me let alone the one doing it being a dude. A warm lit fire of love fulfilled me. I had a little bit of anxiety about this whole relationship. I mean, I am biologically thirteen now and that’s rough on me, but I can’t even imagine how Arthur feels. We look more like father and daughter than boyfriend and girlfriend. Now seeing him teary eyed and full of worry, I couldn’t help but feel loved in a way I had never felt before. I also feel a lot of guilt and shame of making him worry like that. “I’m sorry.” I spoke softly, my own tears were turning my vision blurry. Damn emotions.

He nodded, He put me down, wiped his eyes, and leaned back against a counter. “That out of the way. I need to know EVERYTHING that happened when you were attacked by the werewolf.” The lovely, sensitive man turned into a battle-hardened agent. I felt a pang of anxiety at the fact he switched so quickly.

“Sure, give me a moment.” I took a few moments to try to conjure up that attack. Looking back at it, I was incredibly stupid for challenging a werewolf to a brawl, and I silently and not so silently wanted to bang my head against a wall to remind myself that I’m a mostly normal human that I could’ve been killed. But I wasn’t somehow.

I didn’t really know where to start so, “It all started with this really odd, very vivid dream…” Recounting the tail sounded like some kind of Beowulf epic with the lone girl absolutely wrecking the werewolf. Sweet Arthur asked me several times why I didn’t keep running away. I had to explain to him what Carmilla told me, also that Lone Wolf the werewolf was a very bad fighter. Which is why I’m even alive. “…So, when I fell from Lone Wolf’s bite, I used my last option, using the new spell I learned. It went well as I burned the werewolf alive. Of course, I had no control over it and I definitely didn’t want to kill him so I aimed the spell upwards.”

Arthur nodded, “Why didn’t you use your spell at the very beginning?”

I faced palmed at the realization that I could’ve just used the spell at the very beginning rather than going into a brawl with a fucking werewolf, “You know, sometimes when you’re terrified and stupidly brave, you don’t really make the most correct decision.” Is what I answered with. Seriously, sometimes I wonder if my brain is even working most days. Which reminded me of when I had a tantrum with Carmilla about not wanting to go through high school again. Why the fuck did I think I was going to be put in high school again? Legally, I’m twenty-one, there’s no reason for me to go to high school.

“Did you see anyone else?”

“I don’t think…” A memory popped up, a little clip of it, at that moment I thought it was something else but now that I think about it. It was a camera, of course at the time, I was battling a werewolf to the death. I didn’t even really notice it until the end when I though my flamethrower spell thing into the air when I found out I couldn’t control it. It was just a glint of something, but it was something, “I don’t know.” Is what I answered with. “Why are you asking?” Is what I asked next.

“It’s about Julia.” I felt a very intense coil of anxiety tie around my body like a python suffocating its kill. “You see…” What I understood was that a girl, named Stella, had slept over at the Alumni house. The next day, a MSB agent had come by while Stella was asleep and Julia had already found the damage. When Stella woke up, she saw the MSB agent and freaked out, only for the trigger happy MSB agent to freak out too. Julia knocked him out, consoled Stella, and were on the run. “…Now they’re staying in an abandoned ballroom. One of the Indigo Lives Matter houses.”

“We have to help!” I announced. The tingle of energy humming around me, healing my aches and sores as I jumped up only to fall flat on my face. Apparently being in the coma impedes motor function.

Arthur caught me just in time, “Woah there, love.” Setting me down on the bed, “There is no ‘We’. I’ve already made some calls to the home office and the Hero Association; they’re sending a group from MSOC and the Des Moines Opaline. You need to focus on getting rest.”

“Oh, come on, I fought a werewolf, Arthur! I’m sure some idiots in power armor will be easy peasy lemon squeezy.” I retorted.

The Constantine cosplayer chuckled at that, “Are you bullet proof?”

“I don’t think so.”

Resistant but not proof.

“Do you have experienced in a firefight?”

I twirled a lock of hair, foot tapping, “No.”

“Do you have training in powered combat?”

My foot tapped faster, “No”

“Do you have enough essence to cast spells.”

I took a moment to check, “No.” Realizing that I had so little mana compared to before.

That’s because you used all of it by casting burning hands. It was Carmilla coming at me with a Dungeons and Dragons reference, Yes, yes it is.

“Did you look in my mind?”

Looked at your memories when I was bored? Yes. The game looks like quite a treat.

I groaned internally.

“Do you know how to use a gun?”

I smiled triumphantly, “Yes, actually.” Dad taught me.

“What about a power suit?”

That feeling of triumph was kicked right in the nuts with a fit of anger and a grit of teeth, “FINE!!! I get it, god damn it! I get it for fuck sakes, you don’t need to keep prattling on with your stupid questions!! I’m a stupid idiot college vampire babe with no experience in combat at all besides some stupid ass kickboxing I was forced into by my dad to ‘man me up’ and kicking the ass of a werewolf.” I looked away as the tears of frustration blurred my vision with a few escaping. “Julia is so nice to me. She even gave me a place to stay.”

Of course, I did save her from a rapist but still. She didn’t have to help me at all. Since my only friend Fiona was killed. I really want a friend that I can trust again. I really really want a friend. No one to talk to about all of this. Besides maybe Carmilla but she’s Carmilla and a few centuries older than me. Julia gets me, sure we haven’t chatted a lot and we only really know each other from a painful experience but she gets me. I think.

Large, warm arms embraced me, Arthur spoke with such a soft voice, “I apologize, Ophy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Well,” I pouted, “You didn’t have to be such a butt face.” Turning away from his face next to me. The smell of this man was so delicious, after shave and apples melted my brain. I tried to stay pouty at the butt face but I couldn’t. That goofy smile returned to me as I swiveled myself to Arthur. His face was so close, if I just lean a little- There was a very loud throat clearing came from the door, it was the Nurse Max with food. I clicked my tongue and muttered, “Damn it.”

Arthur chuckled as he removed his embrace, “I have some paper work to do. I’ll tell your mom to come back in.”

I pouted, “Fine.” The nurse shoved the plate of food onto my lap, “Ew, vegetables! Do you have anything with more blood?”

Blink

Blink was in a very tumultuous state currently. She was stuck having to port around the U.S. shipping one document folder or one package or even a box of dildo (at least she thinks) to one place or another. It was really boring and the worse part was she was now she was being used by the DPA for their rescue op. So now she’s flying around from San Francisco to New York to Miami to Denver among other places she blinked to. The blonde woman had a lot of energy, but there can only be so many teleports before she found herself in vertigo, unloading her lunch into the nearest trashcan. The poor woman needed to take a break and she needed it very soon or else.

That’s when her savior came with a little beep and vibration of her phone. A text message from Arthur came and it read ‘Ophelia at St. Cross.’

She replied back, ‘Y?’

‘Had some kind of burnout after picking a fight with a werewolf.’

‘She picked a fight with a werewolf?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll be there soon.’

‘Wait, Blink!’

It was too late. Blink already blinked her eyes and found herself at the entrance of St. Cross Hospital near Chicago. She’s been here before. It’s one of the many supernatural hospitals that is DPA owned. Blink was in that meeting when they decided they must have control over every hospital that deals with the supernatural just to keep it away from the MSB’s metaphobic hands. She looked back at the text. If that little vampire-looking girl really fought a werewolf and survived without being infected. Today was going to be an interesting day.