There are times in life when you would do anything to have a moment last forever, to slow it down and savor every second. This was one of those moments. I was lost in a lust filled haze, waiting for something I couldn't comprehend to happen and just as I felt the piercing touch of teeth against my skin it all stopped. Before I could manage enough control of my body to protest a vicious snarl ripped through the air, the heat escaping me as my eyes flashed opened and reality set in. William as gone and beside the bed his black wolf stood defensively as another growl which was more like a roar came from him. His hackles were raised making him appear even larger, taking up the majority of space in the room as his head dipped low to glare at the figure of my mother who stood in the door way. I had never wanted to disappear into thin air before; nothing in my life had ever reached this level of humiliation. I pulled the sheet that was covering me a little tighter against my body, as Williams wolf vibrated with growls.

"Elizabeth" Mums tone was flat and void of any emotion as her eyes met mine. Her hair was un-kept and a few stray clumps stuck out slightly, evidence of having woken her up. I felt nauseous. Hesitantly I began to get out bed, seeing my sweatpants I quickly grabbed them and shuffled them on, but the pair had become locked in their own staring contest and didn't notice my movements. Spying William's shirt I quickly put that on to. Mums face was set in a scowl, her eyes matching William's own fury. As I walked around the bed she looked over to me, breaking what ever was going on between them. His tail whipped from side to side in agitation, his eyes never leaving Mum.

"I can explain," I whispered, not sure if she heard me over the series of rumbles coming from the giant black wolf in the room.

"Oh trust me, I don't need an explanation of that" she waved her hand signaling to the bed, her voice was tight and I knew this was her calm before she would erupt like a volcano. James suddenly appeared beside her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes he looked up and screamed at the sight of William's wolf. Mum scooped him up and shooting us a final glare left the room and William followed to the doorway, making sure she had left. My heart broke at how scared James had become, would I ever tell him about me when I could shift? What were we going to tell him now? I ran across the room to go to him and instead William blocked the exit.

"Move" I snapped, going to push past. He relaxed slightly, his ears twitching as he listened to the voices in the other room but he didn't move. Every time I tried to move he blocked me.

"Let me go to my brother" I finally snapped, amazed how in the period of ten minutes we went from one extreme to the next. He nudged me gently but with enough force I had to step back, again and again until giving in I sat on the bed. I sighed as I folded my legs underneath me, sitting crossed legged as his large head was placed in my lap and I couldn't help but return the contact he obviously needed. His muzzle rested on my knee as I draped one arm around his neck while my free hand gently stroked the soft fur between his ears. He let out a low whine and pushed against my stomach, nuzzling me gently. I looked at his almost grey eyes, which still held so much love in them and couldn't keep the anger I had just felt towards him. To caught up in our moment we didn't notice Mum had returned.

"James will think it was just a bad dream," she snapped, my head shooting up to look at her regretfully. But the sadness I saw coming from her hurt. Was she disappointed in me? William leaped back towards her, snarling, as a moment between us was broken again. Just when I went to get up to try and calm him down, Mum raised her hand, her mouth moving in silent words as William froze. Pinning his ears back he snapped at her warningly, what ever she was doing, he really didn't like it. He went to charge her and the thought of him hurting her was too much. She was the only parent I had; he had no right to threaten her.

"Stop it! Both of you!" I yelled; praying James wouldn't wake up again. William stopped and looked back to me unsure what to do and I felt my wolf itching to go to him. It was then I saw him inside the wolf's eyes, the control I wondered if I would have over the creature inside of me had been lost with him. But he was back now. The wolf needed to protect what was his and until this point, William had only along for the ride.

"Mum!" I called getting up and walking to her, her eyes were blank as they focused only on William. I needed her to stop but my words fell on deaf ears. The threat was over. Dad was a wolf, surely she would understand this!

"Stop it! What are you doing?" I was about to reach out and touch her when I saw a tiny blue spark in the palm of her hand that caused me to step back. What ever it was, I knew it was bad and as she pulled her hand back it was obvious it was intended for William. Half an hour earlier I had wanted time to cease and be lost in a moment forever and now as I stood helpless my wish seemed to have been granted. It was as if all around me time was frozen in place as the blue orb was sent through the air towards him. He saw it too but he had spent to long looking at me to make sure I was out of harms way making it to late for him to dodge it now. In a last attempt of stopping it, I pushed Mum into the doorframe, the movement snapping her out of her trance.

The blue ball was still there and I didn't look back as everything around me went blurry. It took me a second to realize it was from the tears that now clouded my vision as I threw all my energy into fighting the heaviness of the air that weighed down around us. I don't remember actually l leaving the ground but I must of as I soared towards the blue thing.

I felt it as it collided with my body. It was like a paper cut really with it's initial sting before the pain was magnified by a million. I imagined this was what being shot felt like as the heat burst from my shoulder down my side, my body curling into a ball as the agony only intensified. A was hardly aware of the soft body of fur that broke my fall onto the wooden floor, that seconds later was changed into the warm body I had spent time exploring and enjoying earlier. I couldn't focus on the rush of adrenaline that our contact caused. The scream of panic and fear that assaulted my ears soon after was not my own though all sounds soon disappeared. The fuzzy haze that took over hummed in my head.

The memory of collecting shells with my Dad returning and I had never been happier to see him. He held out a shell as big as his hand to me, it was a pearly white and the most perfect thing I had ever seen from the beach. I took it carefully as if it would break and did as he said, holding the seashell to my ear I was amazed as the sounds of the ocean that had been trapped inside escaped into my head. I couldn't help but smile up at my Dad, in complete awe of the gift he had just given me.

My eyes blinked open and instead of the bright sun that beat down on the white sand and caused the aqua coloured ocean to sparkle like diamonds, there was just darkness. Over on the shelf near the cupboard the pearly white shell sat proudly, still keeper of the oceans music, a beacon of light in the dark. It was just so beautiful. I wonder if William knew what the seashells could do. Did he like the beach? At the thought of William I became aware of him cradling my against him, he was tense yet so careful but I couldn't look away from the shell to see his handsome face.

"Beth..... Beth..... Elizabeth look at me!" he begged and finally his eyes found mine. William. He was just so perfect. Everything was light now, I felt like I was floating. Was this as amazing for him as it was for me? It was like a dream; no it was like I was a cloud. Just there floating in the sky. I felt so free. Why did he look so worried? I smiled up at him sleepily. He didn't need to worry. He had had such a hard life so far, now wasn't a time to worry. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him but my lips felt numb. Or maybe they didn't exist. It seemed a shame really as without lips how could I kiss him?

My perfect state of being and calm thoughts suddenly shattered as the pain re-emerged. It punched me hard in the stomach and I knew I was dying. I felt my head being grabbed, and wanting nothing more that to fold into myself the movement went against the instinct of my body causing more pain to erupt inside. William's eyes found mine and my heart fluttered slightly. I loved him.

"Stay with me Beth" his lips crashed onto mine but I was unable to feel it, enjoy it. As the next wave of pain exploded I couldn't help but kick out, a gasp escaping from me before I groaned in pure agony.

"Please make it stop" I mumbled, my head rolling back I was met with my mothers tear streaked face, her hand over her mouth as pain and regret poured into me from her. It wasn't how you would want to see your Mum, especially as I now began to silently beg for death to free me from this torture. I thought of James, how good he was at UNO and how I wished he could hold my hand to keep me from being taken by the monsters of the night. I prayed he would grow up safe and happy, what would he look like as an old man? William shifted me back against him as my body convulsed with the continued torture. Would it ever end? Opening my eyes again Margaret stood standing over William shaking her head, the old witch looked as torn over this as my Mum. Making eye contact she was quick to look away as her ghostly form disappeared from the room. I looked back to William who clung on to me as if his hold alone would stop it all.

"I promise I won't loose you again Penelope" he whispered and at the mention of her name I wanted to pull away. But I couldn't.

Instead everything went black.