Chapter 22

As Braxton was getting his blood drawn, Jarrod stayed by Renaes side as Dr Jones and a nurse restrained her limbs.

"I hate this." Jarrod sobbed.

"She'll be okay. We have more control this time around." Dr Jones said to Jarrod.

"Jones, talk again." Jarrod looked at Renae.

"What do you want me to say?" Dr Jones stopped moving and looked at Jarrod.

"That! She squeezed my hand while you were talking." Jarrod looked up to Dr Jones, his eyes filled with tears and hope.

"That... doesn't make sense." Dr Jones looked at her. He watched her squeeze her eyelids tighter.

"Jones, we may have our issues, but if your voice is the one to wake her. Please." Jarrod pleaded with him.

Looking back and forth between Renae and Jarrod, he closed his eyes and took a breathe before leaning over and whispering in her ear "Rae, it's me. Adam. I'd really like to see your bright beautiful eyes again. I think you've taken one to many cat naps."

"Mmh." She mumbled just as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Renae?" Jarrod held her hand close seeing her eyes slowly flutter open and closed.

"She's awake." Dr Jones stood up and stepped back.

"She's awake?" Braxton walked in and ran to her side. "Rae? Can you hear me?" He grabbed her free hand and smiled looking at her.

"A-Ad-" She tried to speak but stopped as she took a deep breath. "It hurts." She whispered.

-Renaes POV-

I laid as still as I could. Everytime I moved, I could feel and hear each muscle creak and pull. I could feel my bones rubbing together. Even moving my eyes felt like they were being pulled out of my sockets. I never knew breathing could be so hard. Even with all the pain I had, I needed to know the truth.

"Dad? What happened with Kelly?" My voice was small, frail and mostly painful.

He looked at me then at Braxton "Can you give us a few minutes please?" Braxton nodded his head and let go of my hand. He looked at me reluctant as he walked out the door.

"Dad?" I looked back to him seeing him wipe his face.

"After she left your moms, I found her living in an alley. She said she was only there for a month but it wasn't hard to see that she was lying. I asked her where you were but she said you were getting along just fine without us. About a year and a half ago, she came face to face with her first full moon and she reacted not like you, her heart beat sped up. I swore she was having a heart attack with how fast her heart rate was. Before the full moon, James helped her with an incident, please don't ask me about that that's her story to tell if she wants to tell you or not. Anyways, she's been staying with James ever since. I wanted to tell you sooner but with everything happening one after the other, I just couldn't find the right time. If there's anything else you want to know, I promise to be completely honest." He raised his hand taking his own oath.

"I get it. I understand. Just, please, no more surprises. I'm in so much pain, I can't talk the way I want. I forgive you dad, for everything." I smiled trying to hide my pained breathing "I also want to know whatever the doctor has to say when we finally get the test results back."

"Deal." He kissed the back of my hand and gently placed it back on the bed.

"The doctor? Not calling me Adam anymore?" Adam stepped forward into my vision.

"Adam?" I smiled looking up at him.

"Hi Renae." He smiled looking down at me. I could feel heat fill my chest. "So, would now be a good time to inform the two of you of your results?"

"Y-yes. We can do it now." Dad spoke up.

"So we took a tissue sample and the results of those were a little... confusing to figure out. You're half vampire, a quarter wolf and a quarter human. The tissue says human but when looking at tissue, you can't quite tell the difference between witch and human since they're so biologically close. We're not really sure how you're basically three in one. On a more positive note, you are mostly vampire so one day your heart will stop but it'll be just like transitioning. I figured now would have been a good time to transition because your heart already stopped but you're awake and well now. The full moon tried to trigger your body to transform but your vampire side shut your body down instead. Did you two have any questions?" He looked back and forth between us.

"Will I still be part wolf and human after I go through this transition."

"Actually yes, but the wolf part in you will not be accessible. You won't have any issues from wolf venom or anything like that but you won't be able to access any wolf abilities like turning into one, using claws or strict wolf venom. Your venom will actually be a mix between wolf and vampire."

"That thing you said about my brain, if I die will my brain continue to grow in capacity?"

"Yes, a vampire's brain doesn't stop growing until they reach an age of one hundred and fifty at least. A vampire's infant brain can be comparable to that of an adult human, your brain will stop growing once you've passed that age, maybe later because of the C.T. scans, your brain is actually smaller than that of your vampire peers, yet more intellectual than that of your peers."

"So what age would I have stopping aging if I wasn't part wolf and human?"

"Well, that depends on you. Most males stop aging once they reach theor physical peaks so that could be anywhere from an early age of fourteen to the oldest I've seen is their thirties. As for females, it can be anytime between thirteen to their late twenties. I've yet to see any older."

"How long will this pain last?"

"That I can't say. Your heart was stopped for a good twenty minutes, it could last until next week even."

"If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

"Well... personally, I'd want to go through the transition and get it over with. It's up to you though." Adam looked to my dad.

"I don't think you should do this just yet kiddo." Dad said holding my hand.

"Dad, I don't want to hurt like this." I couldn't fight the tears.

"We could keep her here, administer pain management until it subsides." Adam spoke up.

"Can you try that at least? Before you decide for sure. I just want you to be confident in your decision." Dad took my attention.

"If you can at least make it so I can breathe and speak without the feeling like I'm dying. Then fine." I sighed.

"I think we can do that. I'll go put in an order for some morphine."

"Thank you." I whispered

-

After three days, the pain was still miserable. I've talked to adam more and more about transitioning, he's for it if I can convince my dad. Adam told my dad how I'd be killing half of myself and there would be a small chance that I wouldn't wake up, so convincing him hasn't been the easiest thing, especially while I'm laid up in bed.

"Renae?" I looked to see Adam standing at the door.

"Hi Adam." I smiled at him trying to welcome him into the room.

"How's the pain today?" He sat on the chair next to me.

"I should've just transitioned three days ago. I can talk and look around with more ease but that's the only difference since two days ago." I slowly turned my head to meet his curious gaze.

"I hate seeing you in so much pain... We did have a bargain."

"How long is that bargain going to last since I'll be eighteen and legally responsible for myself in two days?" I smiled hoping to guilt him into it.

"Well, the deal was I'll start you in a forceful transition if your dad agreed, you're keeping up with your deal. If you don't wake up, he'll take me down and I won't wake up." He smiled.

"W-wait, what?" I lost my smile.

"I talked your dad into helping you through the transition, his stipulation was that Braxton was here to help you too. I guess he's been up your dads a-" He stopped for a second "He's just been really clingy I guess." He chuckled.

"Yeah. He can do that. So when can we start the transition?" I asked trying not to get too excited so I wouldn't move.

"If you're up for it, we'll start tonight."

"How is it going to happen?"

"Well, since the most natural way out has passed. What we'll end up doing is we'll administer liquid silver in your veins, not enough to hurt a vampire but enough to seriously harm a wolf. We'll have you in restraints and in a high security room so when your wolf tries to come out, you won't be able to hurt anyone. Once your wolf is out, it'll only be a few seconds before it gets to your heart and when it does, it'll hurt your wolf enough to let your body jump into the vampire transition. I'm not going to lie to you tho, it's going to hurt. A lot."

"Is it going to be any worse then debilitating pain for a solid week? I haven't been able to move from this bed once in the last three days. I can't even sit up." I fought my tears.

"I can't say if it's better or worse. After you've gone through transition, you might not even remember hurting once you wake up for good." He stood up.

"But the pain will at least stop?" I refused to break eye contact.

"The pain will stop. You'll at least be able to walk around and enjoy your birthday. Your dad should be here soon." He looked at the clock.

"Why do you always clam up around my dad?" I reached up and grabbed his hand before he could walk away, he looked down at me and gently laid my hand back down at my side, easing the pain it caused to lift it up.

"What do you mean?" He sat back down.

"Whenever my dad comes around, you stop talking to me like we're probable friends and like I'm nothing more than an old colleague's kid."

"Well, your father and I have a rocky path. While I very much enjoy your company, I can't get in the way between you and your dad. Okay?" He patted my hand standing up again.

"Would you at least say we're friends tho? You've come in here for your lunch break every day for the last three days and every visit I have with you, you take longer with me then most of your other patients. I just want to know that I can count on you as my friend."

"Okay, we're friends. Are you happy?" He smiled as he shook his head. "For what it's worth, you've been one of my greatest friends in a while." He said before walking out the door.

I laid there ignoring the pain my body was causing, knowing he sees me as his friend, I feel I can trust him more with what's to come.

"Rae?" I looked over to see Braxton standing in the doorway with flowers.

"Hey. I'm surprised you didn't show up earlier." He walked in and sat the flowers in the vase on the table.

"I was trying to be here earlier but I had to make up a few classes. Especially since I dropped social adjustments after meeting you so I could be around you more often."

"Braxton, I have to tell you something..." I dropped the small talk, I don't know if my dad told him or not.