Claude awoke as Stella tears fell onto his cheek. His eyes were yellow and his bones were popping, but it wasn't a full shift. His muscles became tight and pushed the bullets from his body. He gasped in pain as he grabbed Stella and pulled her close. "I love you!!" he told her, clutching her for dear life as pain washed over him. He had the beginnings of claws and his teeth were just starting to elongate, but he didn't seem to be shifting any more than that. His body was wracked with crippling pain as his body rapidly began to recover, the curse beginning to lift. The pounding on the door shocked Claude, and he knew he was far too weak to handle whatever it was, but he needed to protect Stella. "My chambers, I can protect you there!" Claude spoke just before Stella called to the servants<br/><br/>Hector and Jerome came into view, disoriented, but doing as Stella instructed them. The four servants spent the night getting drunk and making food, they were beyond exhausted, but rushed to aid Claude and Stella. Massa and Nancy ran to help Stella get Claude back to his old chambers, patching him up as best they could along the way. The men from the village pounded on the door, ramming it with a log that Claude had smashed from a tree himself last night. A hail of bullets and arrows flew into the door, but Hector and Jerome were unharmed, being that they were immortal.