#ghoap cod

You hear footsteps approaching you, people swearing and panting voices. Your hand shakes as it moves down to feel the blood pooling out your side. You need to move, you should move many the hunters are coming to finish you off.

You muster what energy you can, involuntarily crying out as you drag your half transformed body away from the incoming hunters.

"this way, I swear it."

"Swear a lot of things with that mouth, Johnny."

You pull your body again, one hand on your stomach as blood pools between you fingers. The other digs into the ground, dirt getting stuck under your nails.

Lightning lights up the forest and you see figures illuminated between the trees. You forget all your survival skills and scream.

The sound is barely human, a mix of shreaking and braying in terror. Hairs rise on your skin, your ears - still deer ears - flick towards the noise of the people approaching you. Your tail and spine tense and with one more surge of adrenaline you pull yourself up against a tree stump.

The rain is falling harder now, more lighting flashes across the sky.

This is it, this is the end. You close your eyes tipping your head back and looking up at the tree tops swaying in the wind. Cool drops of water splash onto your face.

"Over here!" A male voice shouts over the torrential rain.

"No, please." You whisper as the last of your energy fades and your vision swims. Whoever is coming towards you has lights. You bring a hand up to shield your vision but it falls immediately. You slump against the fallen tree.

"Shite." Someone bends down in front of you. A warm hand lands on your shoulder still half covered in fur.

"Its going to be okay. You're safe." You can't even fight your captors as the man in front of you presses his hand on yours. You let yours fall, feeling empty as a rush of blood exits the wound on your stomach.

"Si, bring the first aid kit!" The man shouts dropping his torch to press another hand over your wound.

"Stay with us, lass." Your head lulls to the side and your look out into the forest as its lit up by more lightning. Hands grip your face.

Its fitting really, you were out here to punish yourself, you deserve tis fate. The stranger brings his face to yours, you see his crystal blue eyes shine against the orange torch light.

You smile up at him letting your body relax.

"Thank you." You murmur. You dont listen to his protests as dark spots flash across your vision and everything slowly fades to black.

...

There is no white light only pain.

Unbelievable, unbearable pain. The type that had you screaming so loud you run out of breath and your throat goes hoarce.

You feel like you're floating, drifting through an endless plane. There is no light and no noise apart from one voice. One kind strangely familiar voice telling you - no - begging you to keep going.

'keep breathing'

'we got you'

'I'm so sorry.'

You believe it, the voice pulling you closer towards something, you're not quite sure what. You want to be there though, you want to reach this place, a place of comfort and warmth.

"I'm coming." You promise the voice. "I'm coming."

...

There is still a rumble of distant thunder when you wake.

Rain falls against a window and as you open your eyes. The sun is not up yet and the only light in the room is a single bedside light. Your body throbs with pain as you turn to look up at the glass of water sat next to the lamp.

You're suddenly aware of hour dry your throat is. You reach out with a shaking hand to pick up the water, as soon as your fingers brush the glass it tips faling off the bedside table and onto the floor.

You barely have time to react before the door to the room opens. Panic grips you, you need to get away from this person, the people who hurt you.

Your body throbs in pain as you bring your legs up to your chest with a wince.

"Easy. Easy, lass." His hands are outstretched, his body language is open and calm. "We're not going to hurt you."

You should be dead. You remember the blood, thunder rumbles again and your doe ears flick to the window. A hand slips down your body to your stomach where there is a fresh bandage.

Your breathing picks up.

You shouldn't be here. You should be dead.

You look up at the man again, there is someone behind him, a taller bigger man with scars littered across his face.

"I'm sorry we shot you. We didn't think there would be anyone out there, especially not a shifter.

"I-" you pause not wanting to admit why you were really out there.

Maybe it would be better for everyone of you just died.

"its okay." The shorter man says moving closer to the bed. "I'm Johnny, this is Simon." He gestures at the man behind him.

"You're safe here. We patched you up, the bullet went straight through you." He smiles and takes another step towards you, you pull your knees closer to your chest.

"The shock seems to have haulted your transformation processes, we gave you some painkillers hopefully that should help." He has an accent you can't quite place.

"Come out when you're ready." The man behind him - Simon says.

All you can do is nod as Johnny smiles at you one more time before reluctantly follows Simon out the room.

...

Coffee is the first thing you smell as you wander out the bedroom and towards the kitchen.

Your senses are still hightened as if you were fully transformed. Each step hurts and sweat drips down your neck whatever pain relief they have given you its not enough.

As soon as Johnny sees you he pulls out the chair at the head of the table and you tentatively sit down. On the other end of the table is Simon looking at you over a mug of coffee.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Johnny asks.

"Water." You reply. You tried transforming back but you can't, the last few little changes such as your ears and tail won't go away no matter how hard you try.

Johnny places a glass of water down in front of you and you flinch, he backs up slowly with a soft smile on his lips.

"Whats your name?" He asks as he sits down. You dont want him to know your name, or what you were doing so deep in the forest so late. You look past them and see the first few rays of sunrise break through the dark storm clouds.

Thunder rumbles and your wound throbs. You bite down on the inside of your cheek and blood fills your mouth. You deserve this.

You grip your glass as your body starts to shake. You look over to see Simon lower his gaze, his scars sending shivers down your spine.

"Doe." You reply eventually. Thats what he would call you, thats what he branded you with. The three letter word you have been attached to. You shift uncomfortably the brand in your lover back is dwarfed by the pain in your side.

Thats what you were doing out so late, running from the person you thought loved you.

"Your real name." Johnny asks gently taking one of your hands. You look up into the same crystal blue eyes that kept you going, the shining blue beacons that kept you going.

You lower your head and it makes you dizzy.

"He called me Doe." You repeat, the brand on your lower back burns. You're wearing different clothes, a long top that is clearly too big for you and a pair of shorts. They would have seen the fresh burn as they patched you up.

"Who's he?" Simon asks in a low voice. You feel panic rise in you, your chest hurts as your force yourself to take a deep breath.

"No one." You say gripping your glass so tight you're scared it will shatter in your hands. Your heart is pounding, its making you lightheded and as you bring your hand to your forehead a chair scrapes.

Next thing you know you're falling out the chair and into someones arms.

"We've got you." Its Simon, his accent is different but his voice is equally as calm and soft. "Rest now, sweet thing. We've got you."

You focus on the deep caramel of his eyes as consciousness slips away from you.

___

Simon lifts your unconscious body up against his chest as Johnny comes over placing a cool damp cloth on your forhead.

"Who do you think he is?" Johnny asks, his mind turning back to the brand on your lower back. Doe, the name of the species you shift to, its no better then branding you as a woman.

"I don't know." Simon says as he moves back to the bedroom. "But we'll find him."

"We have to apologise, we shot her."

"We had no idea who she was." Simon says placing you in the bed then pulling the covers over your pale form. Johnny walks around him and bends down by your head stroking your ears.

"I promise we'll fix this lass." Johnny says taking over from Simon. For a few moments neither of them says anything.

"I'll stay with her." Johnny says as you mumble something. A hand lands on his shoulder.

"We'll stay with her. She needs us, its the least we can do." Johnny smiles stroking your face and resting his head next to yours.

"It's the lest we can do."