Matthias’ head jerks up from where it rested in his hands.He’s sitting at the kitchen table while his brothers stand over him.
He lurches from the chair toward me.His clothes rip and shred as he changes from man to bear midair.
Darius and Teddy both grab his arms to keep him from reaching me.
“Whoa!No, Matthias!You’ll hurt her.Shift back,” Darius yells.
“Shift,Matthias,” Teddy commands.
Their agitation and obvious fear only increase mine.
“Let him go!”I cry out, running to him.
They don’t release him, but I put my hand on his chest, over his heart.“Hey,” I say softly.“What’s wrong?”
He lets out a long bear-warble.It makes the hair on the back of my neck raise.
“Can you shift back?”I ask gently.
He roars and shakes his head, jerking away from his brothers and knocking me back in the process.
“No, Matthias!”The twins tackle him to the ground.
I scream.
What can I do?
“The bear wants to mark her,” Teddy mutters.
“Fuck.He’s too wild.He’s gonna hurt her.”Darius straddles Matthias’ chest to hold him down on the ground.
I spy his black doctor’s bag on the hearth.The Moon Cure!I run for it and dump the contents onto the sofa with shaking hands.
Syringe.Vial.Rubber strap.“Is this what you need?”I hold them up to show Matthias.
He roars.
“What is that?”Darius asks.
I yank off my coat, so I’m less restricted.“A medicine he developed to keep from going moon mad.He calls it Moon Cure.”
“Hell, I didn’t know anything about this.Did you?”Teddy looks at his twin, who shakes his head.
I’ve never filled a syringe before.Never used a needle, but I figure it out.I’m a capable person, and Matthias needs me.
I walk over to him, my heart in my throat.Then I realize he’s covered in fur.I have no idea where his veins would be.Well, I’ll just have to use a big muscle, then.I drop to my knees, jab the needle into his quad, and depress the plunger.
He lets out a deep, low grumble that goes on for several seconds.
Darius gets off his brother, who has stopped fighting.He takes the syringe from me and sniffs it, then hands it to Teddy.
I try to catch Matthias’ eye, but his giant bear head turns away from me, like he’s ashamed.He rumbles some more.
My heart thuds.Should he have transformed by now?How long does it take to work?Was I too late?
A tear drips down my nose.
Matthias’ head jerks around, his nose twitching like he smelled my tear.He opens his giant jaws, and then his body contorts.
