My Girlfriend Bites (Young Adult Paranormal Werewolf Romance)

Chapter 44

Aiden

My pace slows as I hear the low, agonizing whimpers of dying werewolves. I glance at the lighter and realize I can still smell the gas fumes. Wait a second. Can fumes ignite too? I thought I heard that somewhere. What if I light it and the bottle blows up in my hands? Imagine burning gasoline frying my skin like a crispy chicken nugget. Oh, that would suck. Getting shot doesn't seem so bad.

Why worry about that when Bree is dying?

Have to risk it.

I'll rush in there quick. Surprise it. That will be my only chance to nail it with the bottle. Otherwise, bang, bang, I'm dead.

Time to step off the cliff. I light the wick, and it glows a fiery orange.

Then I run and break out into the clearing. There's Bree, her father in human form, and the white wolf still on the ground. All dying. Where's the Demon Skin!?

Damn it.

"My warnings were clear."

The voice comes from behind me. It sensed me coming.

"Now you will share your lover's fate."

I cock my arm back and spin around, like I've done countless times in dodge ball.

The creature raises its arm with the silver pistol.

I hear myself yell as the wine bottle leaves my hand. The flaming wick lights up the face of my target, who hesitates at the fiery spectacle.

The bottle smashes against the creature's chest. A wall of flame roars to life as the rose garden shines in this brilliant orange. The Demon Skin becomes a walking bonfire, but it doesn't scream or yell.

It talks.

"Human fool. I do not feel pain. Your gesture is only a token one that will not prevent me from killing you." The creature of fire lunges for me.

And I run as fast as I've ever run in my life.

The path I choose leads me out of the rose garden and plunges downhill. It's dark, but I see perfectly thanks to the huge fireball that lights up the world. Running along the grass, my puny shadow looks like it's being chased by Hell itself.

The acid in my muscles begs my legs to stop, but I grit my teeth and force them to keep going. The path I follow curves uphill at a steep angle as it leads to the small forest that surrounds the museum grounds. I do my best to reach the top as fast as I can.

My legs are killing me. My lungs scream for air. I'm forced to stop at the top of the small hill. I look down.

The flaming creature slows as it struggles going up the hill.

But the Demon Skin stops and raises its arm. Its hand grips the silver pistol. The muzzle points to my face.

I'm going to die. There's no way I can dodge a bullet.

I brace for it.

The gun doesn't fire. The Demon Skin pulls back its arm to examine why. I look closer. The silver in the gun melts to the creature's hand. No wait, the creature's whole arm melts. Seriously, it's dripping off like candle wax. Wait a second. The Demon Skin has silver all over it, right? And silver melts at high temperatures, right? And all that dead skin must be feeding the flames, making the fire so hot it can melt the silver in its blood. The creature's muscles, tendons...they all must have silver inside them.

I free the tire iron from my belt. Time to go on the attack.

Moving downhill, I gather speed and race towards the ball of fire. The Demon Skin raises the melting arm to fend me off. I take a swing and knock that arm right off its body. Amazing!

The creature stumbles back, and tries to use the other arm, but it falls right off its melting body.

The Demon Skin crumples to the ground as its legs melt away.

I feel the intense heat of the mini inferno. I back away as the flames rise higher and higher. The creature's human form changes into a mass of goo as the silver and dead skin liquefy. The sight is so weird I can't take my eyes off it.

Bree!

I rush back to the rose garden. Bree's wolf eyes are closed, her furry body still. Am I too late? I open up the round tin can, scoop a generous helping of the salve, and rub the substance over her wounded stomach. Her eyes flutter open. She's alive!

"Bree, stay with me. Fight. Please fight it." I touch her back and spread the substance over her wounds there. I use the salve on every cut I can find and see relief in her eyes. I caress the fur on top of her head. I hear a faint whimper from her mouth. I whisper in her ear, "Don't you dare leave me. I need you. I need you to stay in my life because you are the only girl in the world I love. The only girl in the world I understand. And the only girl in the world I can never replace." I lightly kiss her fur.

A new spark dances in her eyes. One that wants to live.

I rub my hand down her side and notice Bree's stomach wounds are healing rapidly, as if the salve not only dissolves the silver but also reverses the effects.

Bree moans when I stroke her body.

"Aiden! Stop fondling my daughter, and bring me that salve."

The gruff voice of Mr. Mayflower pulls me over to him.

"Put that salve on my shoulder wound," he commands. "No hope for my arm. Have to chop it off to keep the silver from spreading." The skin on his affected arm looks like petrified wood.

I apply more of the substance to his shoulder, and soon Mr. Mayflower can move it around. He scoops out a glop of salve. "Go to my wife, and tend to her wounds."

I rush over to the white wolf and slather what remains of the salve on top of all her wounds.

Sirens wail in the distance.

"Someone must have seen the fire," I say.

"Best fire I've seen all year." Mr. Mayflower smiles. "We'll have to get out of here." The huge naked man grimaces as he rises to his feet. "Piss on the sun, that hurts."

"Can you walk?" I ask.

He nods. "I'll carry my wife. You carry Bree."

I bend down and lightly place Bree's head against my chest as I lift her up into my arms. Damn, she's heavy, but I'll manage. Her eyes blink at me while a wet tongue licks my cheek. I catch myself laughing. This only encourages Bree to keep licking every part of my face.

We put Bree and her mom in back of the Range Rover. Mr. Mayflower shows me where the keys are and then slumps across the back seat. I drive the Rover out of the parking lot just as the first fire truck rolls in and passes by us.