The Werecats: Creatures of the Night (Book One) (Revised)

- Twenty Five: Death Sentence -

Btw guys I'm adding the rest of the multimedia at the end... Thanks to everyone who has read/voted/commented :)

- Twenty Five: Death Sentence -

Riley

Sam and Nick sat as balls of black fur as they slept on the forest floor. We had decided to stop and rest under the idea of what we would be awaiting once we returned. I had agreed to take the first watch.

I sat atop a rock above where Nick and Sam slept as my keen panther eyes surveyed the forest. There was silence other than crickets chirping.

Finally their lullaby became too much and I too drifted to sleep.

I awoke in a field in the dead of winter. The world was made of crystals and white snow and it was warm. It felt like spring, and yet, strangely like winter at the same time as the snow began to fall smoothly.

Across the clearing I could see a figure coming into view. It wore a long, fur black coat and as it approached I recognized the wearer. Eran.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. The tempature was dropping.

Eran didn't answer, but instead continued to walk towards me. He was close enough now that I could see that he wasn't alone. Next to him stood Sam, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

"Aren't you cold?" I said, pointing at Sam's almost-bare body.

Again no reply. Eran finally came to a stop about two yards ahead of me. I looked to my sides to see if there were any easy routes to take to escape through the woods. Nothing.

"Riley, Riley, Riley..." Eran said, "You've really screwed yourself over, haven't you?"

"I-I what?" I stuttered.

"You conversed with humans. Not only that, but you bit a human to make him one of us. And that, sadly, we cannot tolerate. You've been a very bad girl." Eran said.

"What's that you're wearing?" I asked, gesturing to the black coat.

"Oh, you like it? That's not surprising." He replied, pulling something from behind his neck.

I know those grey eyes, I said to myself. I screamed in horror once I realized what I was staring at. Dom's panther skin rested on Eran's shoulders and the skin of his head made it into a hoodie. His deep, storm cloud grey eyes sat glassy and lifeless in their sockets and Dom's massive fangs rested on either side on Eran's face.

Eran laughed with delight at my horror and shock.

"Why?" I shrieked, falling to my knees, "Why would you do this?" I slammed my fists into the snow.

"To show you what a crime you've commited. I could have take your panther, but I thought this was a better lesson." he said, taking a few steps forward.

"Stay back!" I lept to my feet, fangs sharpened, "You've killed my own mate! For visiting my family. How dare you?"

Eran laughed again, "I haven't killed him! Look there." he pointed behind me to the opposite side of the clearing. Dom was walking towards us in the same attire as Sam.

I ran to meet him and I hugged him so hard that I thought I might kill him myself. Sadly, however, he didn't hug me back.

"Dom?" I asked, holding his shoulders at arms length.

"He's killed me, Riley." Dom said in a raspy voice without looking up.

"Huh?" I asked.

"He's killed me!" Dom yelled, throwing off my hands, "He's taken my panther away! He's killed me."

"Riley," Eran said as if he were talking to a kindergartener, "once a Werecat has lost his panther form, which is possible, half of them is torn away and burned. Terribly painful. Not a pretty sight either, but the clothing that's produced from it is stunning." Eran stroked the coat he was wearing.

"You monster!" I yelled. I flew my hand through the air and when it came down I was holding a long strip of flames in my hand. I lashed it at Eran, striking him several times across the chest. He remained unfazed.

The snow that was falling lightly had picked up to full speed and the wind howled. The tempature was still dropping despite the fire I held. I took Dom by the hand, trying to break him from his trance. In my head I felt a sensation of emptiness that told me we were no longer connected.

"Now for you," Eran said, turning towards Sam, "you've been changed to a Werecat, no?"

"No!" Sam said in a blind panic. Lying was useless.

"Let's just see..." Eran lay his hands on Sam's shoulders and muttered something.

Instantly Sam was a large black panther with ghostly white eyes staring up at Eran. He shook with fright.

"That's too bad, your talent would've proven useful." Eran said. He approached Sam and he turned into a human again.

"No! Please, wait!" Sam shrieked, trying to back away.

Eran placed his hands on either side of Sam's head and with one single jerk, his head was in Eran's hands and his body fell to the ground. Burgundy blood drenched the snow.

Eran threw the head to my feet and as it stained the freshly fallen snow it's mouth continued to move as if it were going to say something. Eventually, it's eyes rolled back and Sam was quiet and still.

"Return to the Compound by morning, Riley, or face these same consequences." Eran turned to leave and the snow that was now blizzard size covered him as he disappeared into the storm.