(Hermes)

“Jaycee!” I called out into the woods to find Jaycee. “Jaycee, where are you?”

I had gone to her parents’ house after getting some sleep and to eat, but her parents said she had gone out to the forest to run. That was an hour ago and I thought I would just come out to look since it was starting to get a little awkward with just being with her parents. It would be different if Jaycee was with, she knew how to lighten the tension.

I wasn’t even sure if Jaycee was still in the area though, but just in case she was I was calling out for her. I walked around a little, thinking when does come back she’ll just find me out here somehow. I was a little surprised to find out she had gone for a run, but I thought it was better than her using magic.

Errr.

I heard a growling sound from a good distance but I still heard it. My body jerked and my head snapped to the right. A good fifty feet away I saw Jaycee ripping at something. I squinted so I could can good a look as I walked over towards her and I saw it was a dead rabbit she was eating.

I grimace in disgusted even though I knew in her family it was normal. Witches and Warlocks always found wolves barbaric even though now that I got to know some, I realized they weren’t but coming from vegetarians parents finding my girlfriend as a wolf and eating raw rabbit meat kind of creeped me out.

“Hey, Jaycee.” I said as I got closer and she stopped, looking up at me. “Hey, I was looking for you for a while—whoa, relax.” I said when she snipped at me when I was only a few feet away. My eyebrows furrowed together, “Jaycee, stop that.”

She growled at me and barked, making my jump.

“Okay, is this some game?” I asked. “What did I do now?”

I reached my hand out but she bit my hand. I cried out in pain as I took a few stumbled back. I held my injured bleeding hand as I looked at it. It wasn’t so bad, I was beginning to pull away when she snipped at me and it was more like a bad scratch but blood still was coming out.

“What the hell?” I questioned as I looked at her. “What’s wrong with—Jaycee?” I questioned as I looked at her ebony eyes. Her eyes were a golden brown color usually like her father, but they were pure black now. She took a step towards me and I stepped back, “Jaycee? Is that you?”

She growled at me and I swallowed the heavy lump in my throat. I know this is an ordinary wolf, this wolf was too big but why’d it look like she wanted to rip my head off? Jaycee licked her mouth as she looked at my bloody hand and growled in the back of her throat.

She lunged at me and I stumbled back, “Jaycee, stop!”

She lunged again, this time one of her claw hands came out. I stumbled back again and I didn’t see the branch sticking out of the ground, making me falling back of my back. I quickly propped myself on my elbows and I started to stand up but she growled at me and I froze.

I held one of my hands up, “Okay, Jaycee, just calm down. It’s me, Hermes! What are you doing?”

She hovered over me and I could hear my heart racing as her bare teeth came close to my face. I held my chin high to act as if I wasn’t scared but truth was—I was scared. I was scared any moment she could kill me so easily. I heard stories of wolves attacking some witches and warlocks.

“Jaycee!”

She lunged for my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn’t willing to hurt Jaycee since I knew this wasn’t really her. Something was wrong. My heart raced like a race car and I waited for something! Anything! The anxiety was killing me!

“Oh God.” I heard Jaycee and I a pair of arms wrapped around my neck. “Oh God, I’m so sorry Hermes!”

I opened my eyes and the giant wolf was gone. Jaycee was hugging me tightly and I could feel her heart racing against my chest.

“What were you doing?” I asked.

“I-I don’t know.” She said. “I was just running and then it just blacken out. I woke up to find me only an inch away from your throat. What is that smell?” she asked as she stood back and I awkwardly looked away since she was naked. She took in a sharp breath, “You’re bleeding!” she said as she took my hand.

I felt something wet against my bloody hand that wasn’t my blood, making my head snapped back to her and I saw her licking the blood from my hand. My face scrunched in disgust and I pulled my head back, “Jaycee!” I cried out. Now I wasn’t sure which blood was on her mouth. The rabbits or mine.

Her eyes widen, “I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did that! Oh I’m such a freak!”

I looked at her and saw the gray strip of hair had spread a little, “You used magic again, didn’t you?”

She looked at me for a moment, “I can explain.”

“Then do it.” I said coldly and she looked hurt. “That’s probably why you blacked out. You’re turning into a wolf, Jaycee, a real one.” I said. I scoffed, “And I was worried you were losing that side.”

“No, no, no.” she said as she cupped my face in her hands. “I’m fine, seriously. It’s all in my head, all the spells I’m doing is good magic, not dark. Carmina is right, I’m not doing anything bad so darkness isn’t building up.”

“Carmina?” I questioned. “She came over, huh? Don’t lie to me, I can see it in your eyes. She filled your head with a bunch of bullshit Jaycee.”

“She told me the truth.” she coldly said. “You’re just trying to control me, you should be supporting me but you’ve been doing nothing but making me feel bad.”

I stared at her for a moment, “You’re joking, right? You think I’ll support this?”

“Why not?” she asked. “You’re my mate, you’re supposed to accept anything about me no matter what it is. When I found out you were a warlock I wasn’t happy but I moved on quickly because I want to be with you. Why can’t you do the same?”

“I’ve accept you, Jaycee. But I don’t accept you habit.” I said.

She started laughing, “You make it sound like I’m taking drugs. It’s magic, silly billy!”

I raised my hand, “This is what magic is making you do, Jaycee.”

She frowned as she looked at my hand, “An accident, you know I would never really try and hurt you.”

I saw her looked at the blood on my hand and she looked like she was about to start drooling any moment by the way her brown eyes lighten up like she was looking at steak on a plate. “Jaycee!”

She jumped and looked at me, scoffing, “Fine, I’ll stop.”

“That is the worse acting I ever heard.” I said and she pouted. I sighed heavily and ran my hand threw my hair, “Jaycee, I’m going to say this once. Once! I broke up with Lucinda because she was acting the same way and I’m willing to work this out with you because I know I just can’t run away again so stop this, or I might just have to leave. I can’t put my health in jeopardy because you can’t control yourself.”

She mouth dropped, “You’re—you’re joking, right?” When I just gave her a hard look, she scoffed and she hit my chest, “Oh I don’t think so! You’re not leaving me, Hermes Robinson.” She pushed me hard enough until my back hit the ground, “I’m the wolf in this relationship, and you can’t leave me because I’ll find you. My family will find you.” she said. “And they won’t like that you left me, the boys in this family are very protective of the females. Hurt me, they hurt you.” she threaten.

*

I pounded on Carmina door until she opened it. She witch smiled at me innocently, “Hermes, nice surprise.”

“Oh please, you saw me coming.” I said.

She shrugged, “True, but still nice to see you’re here. You came to talk about Jaycee.”

She turned and went back inside her house so I went in and closed the door behind me, “Leave her alone.” I said. “You know what you’re doing is bad.”

“Bad?” she questioned as she turned to me. “I don’t see what she’s doing is bad? She has amazing powers, Hermes. Why aren’t you proud?”

“You’re using her as you’re little lab rat.” I said.

She chuckled, “Lab rat? No, she’s my protégé.”

“You’re both in denial than.” I said and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Carmina, she needs to stop. She just attack me earlier because she wasn’t in control. Magic is doing that.”

She shrugged, “So?”

“So?”

“So?” she repeated. “Jaycee and her family are unique and the rest of us but me can’t see that. Jaycee is more than willing to practice. Why stop her?”

“Because it’s dangerous!” I yelled at her.

Her amused look dropped and she gave me a hard look, “Don’t yell at me young man, I may look keep my appearance like this but I’m not one of those girls you men can yell at. I suggest lowering your voice.”

I glared at for her for a moment but the more I did, the more I noticed something. Before she looked like she was in her mid-twenties but now—she looked at least twenty. “Why do you look younger?” I asked.

She smiled and put her hand on her small waist, twirling, “Do you think so? Aw, that such a nice complement.”

“How are you doing it?” I asked, walking up to her. “What is that spell? Not only do you look so young, but you’re health is like a teenager to. You’re seventy-four, you would have the all the strengths that you have.”

“Comes with being a ninth generationer, dear.” she said, grinning. I gave her a hard look and she groaned, “You use to be so fun, Hermes. Now you’re all serious.”

“The girl I care for allot is slowly wasting her life away, sorry if that’s a problem.” I said. “What’s the spell?”

She grinned, “Really wanna know?” she asked and I nodded. She reached up and wrapped her hand around my neck, lifting herself up to my ear, “A young pure soul of a girl—a young girl like Jaycee.” My eyes widen as I took in a sharp breath. She pulled away and kissed me forcedly on the mouth.

I put my hands on her waist and pushed her away, “Don’t!”

She chuckled, “A girl like Jaycee is making me—perfect.” she said as she twirled around, her blonde curls bouncing. “Great thing is, I don’t need to kill her, I’m filling up on her energy. I’m not doing anything wrong, everything comes with a price. For me teaching her, she gives me some of that energy.”

“You mean her sanity.” I said.

She brought her hand up and put her thumb and index out, holding them half an inch apart, “A small sacrifice to pay, but I’m not killing her.”

“Doesn’t make it any better.” I said.

She put her hand back around my neck and I froze where I stood, not being able to move and I was having a hard to breath. My back went stiff as a board as she smirked, “Like I care, I will stay young as I’m alive. And you know us older generationers can live for a while.” She brought her hand away from my neck to my mouth and rubbed my bottom lip, “You have nice lips.”

“I’m taken already.” I coldly said.

She chuckled, “Don’t worry, dear. You’re cute, but you’re not that cute.” she said as she patted my cheek. I felt the hold on my back ungrasp on me and I took in a hard breath, my chest going up and down heavily. “You tell her this, do you think she’ll believe you?” she asked. “She’s been listening to me lately.”