I jolted awake gasping for air. I was lying on a cot made out of a few blankets piled together. My hands were still bound behind me; I struggled with them only to realize that instead of cloth a pair of handcuffs enclosed my wrists. I laid back down, exhausted. I smelled three people walking to the tent...wait...smelled them? I looked around at the tent seeing every stitch in the cloth and every line in the sticks holding it up. I could smell the dirt, the forest, sweat, something burning, everything. I my ears picked up the smallest of sounds, even a small mouse nibbling on a seed over a hundred feet away. I heard multiple pairs of lungs inhaling and exhaling. A sloshing thumping noise came closer and closer. Danny, Jason, and Gage strode, in perfect formation, into the tent.

"Well it's good to see you awake." Danny smirked at me. He knelt down beside me and the sloshing thumping sound got louder. Thump slosh thump slosh thump slosh. Then I recognized the sound. I was hearing their heart beats.

"What the hell did you do to me you bastard?!" I spat

"Oh now that's not very nice. You're going to have to learn a little respect." He grabbed my arm bringing me to my feet. "Now listen here, whelp, you are to refer to me from now on as sir. You will do anything and everything I, Jason, or Gage tell you to. Do you understand that?"

"I'm not doing anything you say! Not until you give me some answers!"

"You are in no position to be making demands"

"Like I said give me some answers." I said completely ignoring him "what the hell did you do to me? Why is everything so....so....clear?"

He frowned at my defiance. "We changed you, that's what happened. Welcome to the world of werewolves kid."

Werewolves? So that's what they are. But what about the whole full moon thing? Last night wasn't a full moon.

Well, tinsel-town isn't known for its accuracy.

Wait. Changed me? D-does he mean....

I-I'm a....

"Y-you did w-what to me?" I stammered.

"You're one of us now, congrats kid." Gage said in a cold tone. Danny dragged me out of the tent with Jason and Gage on his heels. I was too shocked to protest. The moon was high in the sky once more. It may have been night time but I could see everything perfectly clearly. Like day-time just with odd hues off blues and grays instead of the usual vibrant greens and browns if the forest. My eyes took in every detail of the small camp. Different sized teepees were spread throughout the clearing. A few people were walking about, all extremely similar in looks to Danny, their faces just as cruel. They took me into the trees, the camp disappearing behind moss and brown bark. On the other side of the tree line was a small flat meadow.

"This is our training field. Jason and Gage will teach you here."

"Teach me what?" I said in a dead voice

"Fighting, hunting, shifting, the basics." I nodded my head. I was surprisingly...unsurprised at all this. Or maybe it just hadn't hit me yet. "Jason?" Danny handed me off to Jason and left the clearing.

"Ok, kid, here's the deal. We're going to take the cuffs off of you but no running. Got it? 'Cuz we will catch you and Danny has quite a temper." I nodded my head yes. The shock had washed from my mind and now the gears were turning again. Brue force wasn't going to work with these guys; I needed to be stealthy and cunning if I was going to escape this place. I would do what they said....for now. They unlocked the cuffs and I rubbed my chaffed wrists. "Alrighty then. We're just going to work on getting you comfortable with your new senses for now; after all you did just wake up. Come with me." he walked back into the tree line and sat with legs crossed about three feet in. "sit" he said gesturing in front of him. I sat cross legged facing him and Gage sat beside me, obviously making sure I didn't run. "Now I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath." I obeyed "Now, what do you smell?" "

"The camp."

"Elaborate"

I sighed and continued "I smell: smoke, sweat, the musk of leather, like I said the camp."

"Ok, now expand beyond the camp. Reach out to the rest of the forest. Now what do you smell?"

I inhaled deeply, drowning out the smells of the camp. "Something...salty? And....mouthwatering." I inhaled again, relishing the smell. My stomach growled in hunger.

Jason chuckled, "What you smell is a group of deer about a half mile north. But we will not be hunting today. Now tell me what else you smell...."

We continued on like that for hours upon hours. I learned what everything was like with my new heightened senses. Did you know water had a smell? Well, it does. Everything does. Jason had even told me that in time I would learn to know each individual by their smell. We spent the day identifying the sounds and smells of the forest and all of its inhabitants. Jason said that sight was deceiving and that my hearing and sense of smell were my two greatest allies. I learned how to identify almost everything by its individual smell and sound. I could tell you how far away a group of deer was, what they were doing, how many there were, and where they were in relation to each other. And surprisingly I remembered every word he said. And when I say every word I mean every word. It was like something in my brain was taking everything and carving it in an infinite stone slab in my mind.

It was around midnight when Jason stood. "That's enough for now. Get some rest kid; you're going to need your strength tomorrow."

They grabbed onto my arms and led me back to the tent I had woken up in. They chained one of my hands to a pole and left without a parting word. I laid on my back and closed my eyes, trying to take everything in ...how was it possible? I couldn't be what they said. Not that they had explained it much, but...these new senses, at least, were proof that they had done something to me. But what? Was I really a...werewolf?

No....impossible....

Or is it?

Soon unconsciousness claimed my flooded mind.

* * * * * * *

I awoke to frigid water splashing across my exposed flesh like tiny ice needles piercing my skin. I shot to my feet, looking around wide-eyed. I spotted Gage smirking at me, holding an empty bucket.

"What the hell Gage?!" I screamed, now flaming hot with anger. His eyes flashed red as he tackled me to the ground. His open palm collided with my cheek leaving a stinging trail after it.

"You better show me some damn respect, kid, or this could get very ugly."

"Get off me you bastard!"

His fist slammed into my cheek with a power that would have snapped a small tree in half; though it would probably only leave a bruise on my new titanium-like skin. "Listen you little ingrate! You will do what we say or there'll be serious consequences. And you are to refer to me as sir and only sir. Understand?"

"Yes..." I sighed giving up

"Yes, what?" he growled through gritted teeth

"Yes sir." I spat

"Good, now get up. We have training to do." he got to his feet and strode out of the tent.

Son of a bitch werewolf.

You got that right!

I shook off as much water as I could, leaving me only moderately damp.

This will have to do.

I cautiously stalked out of the tent. I looked around and saw Jason walking toward me.

"Gage is at the training field," he said. I could see him eyeing the red marks that now stained my face. He smirked, "I wouldn't keep him waiting if I were you." and with that he turned and walked away.

God, these people are going to drive me insane!

You already are.

Am not!

Are too!

Am not!

Are too!

Am not!

You're arguing with yourself!

....touché....

I broke through the tree line into the training field. Gage was nowhere to be found.

Where the hell is that idiot?

Suddenly I felt a huge weight barrel into me, slamming me to the ground.

"Well, hello there kid." Gage said smirking down at me. "'Bout time you got up."

"Get. Off. Of. Me." I growled

"Make me. Come on, kid, fight back!"

I struggled and shifted my body under him but he was just too heavy.

"I can't you big boulder! God what do you weigh? A ton?"

His eyes began to glow a blood red. I felt my cheekbone crack as his fist slammed into my face.

"What did I say about respect, pup? Now, fight back!" he spat

"I can't!" I yelled fear beginning to boil. I struggled desperately trying to move any of my limbs.

"Fine then." He scooted up on me so he was holding my arms down with his knees. He raised his fist above his head and slammed it into my face. Then again....and again.....and again....and again. His fist plowed into my face sending pain in ripples in its wake. I yelled for him to stop, but he ignored me and kept pounding. Soon anger began to boil. It was an uncontrollable and unmistakable blood lust. I wanted to kill Gage. No, I wanted to do much more than that. I wanted to sink my teeth into him, rip him apart piece by piece, tear him limb from limb. I wanted to gouge his eyes out, tear him into small unrecognizable pieces, claw out his entrails and feed them to the buzzards. I wanted to obliterate him. The loathing radiated throughout my body making me convulse and shiver with anger. The violent shaking sank to my bones causing my very being to shake. My skin felt as though it was gelatinous, sliding along my bones and sinew. I began to see red. A chartreuse film covering my vision. Everything began to blur, swirling and twisting like an abstract painting. My chest was vibrating, my heart practically beating out of my chest. Then, suddenly, I exploded.