Neville's fingers trembled as he swiped his access card against the sensor. He practically stumbled through the door as he came inside. The blackout curtains whispered across the floor-to-ceiling windows as he yanked them closed, blocking out the twin moons that hung in Xylos's purple-tinged sky.
He could see the two moons beginning to align. When they finally overlapped—when the Full Moon came—his body would no longer be his own.
His legs gave out, and Neville caught himself on the edge of the sofa. The cool fabric felt good against his flushed skin, but he knew it wouldn't last. Already, heat was building beneath his skin like a reactor core about to go critical.
With shaking hands, Neville peeled off his suit jacket and tore the several layers of pheromone patches against his secondary gland. His fingers fumbled with the adhesive before he managed to take it off completely.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, trickling down his temples.
The first sign came.
