Enter the Shadows (1st Edition) [SAMPLE]

Those Red Eyes - 2 | v

Lochlan heard Penny screaming. When she had been taken from the porch he made an attempt to go after her, but he was pulled back into the fight with the werewolf he now faced. Older, stronger, bigger, Lochlan couldn't shake him to get to her aide. He had made it out of the clearing into the woods, but he was right back where they had started. Due to the lack of urgency of the werewolf he fought, he knew the other man was working with him. One kept him busy while the other snatched his girl, and got away. Black was injured so he knew he couldn't send his wolf after them. In this storm, there wouldn't be a trail to follow.

Distracted by his concern for her, he was too slow to block a blow that landed solidly in the center of his chest. It knocked the wind right out of him and sent him flying backward. He landed hard. Rain beating down on his face, he listened but heard nothing but the storm and his own breathing. Panic tried to rise in his chest, but he stamped it down. She was fine. She had to be. The other werewolf would not make it off the mountain. Not alive, and certainly not with Penny.

Gathering his resolve, he pushed his concern for her to the back of his mind. He dragged his claws along the bark of the tree growling at the other werewolf. Tonight, no one was going to be taking her from him.

***

Penny felt a nudge and looked up. Golden eyes, wrapped in dark fur were all she saw.

"Black?" Penny groaned holding the side of her head. Remembering the angry werewolf with the mad green eyes, she rolled over looking around her. She could barely make out anything but she was sure he wasn't there. Her side throbbed. The man had knocked her out, but now he was gone.

"Bastard," she said under her breath. She wished she could have given him the thrashing he deserved.

Eyes on her, the wolf moved away. Penny scrambled to her feet going towards him. He had been badly injured, bleeding profusely. What was he doing out here in the rain? Before she could get to him he started to walk away. She went after him calling his name. He never stopped, always some distance away, moving as if he wanted her to follow him. She did. He was leading her home. Soon, ahead, she saw the light coming through the front door of the house. When she looked back for the wolf she thought was Black, she saw nothing. She spun around in circles calling for him until the sound of Lochlan's fight caught her attention.

Hesitating to leave Black we went towards the sound. She was right at the first line of trees when she saw Lochlan go down. He didn't get up. Screaming, she ran out into the open towards him. She stumbled, crawling the rest of the way to get to him. She shook his body trying to get him to wake, but he didn't move.

Penny looked to her right to see the rival werewolf walking towards them. Though he seemed to be favoring his left side, Penny knew he had more strength in one pinky finger than she did in her entire body. Lochlan was the only reason she was alive for this long. Every time she fell apart, mentally or physically, he took care to put her back together again. How many times had he saved her, and now when he needed her she could do nothing. She was only human. An unremarkable one at that. She cradled his head in her lap, fingers digging into his fur, holding on for courage.

"Do what you want with me, but don't hurt him." She knew the other werewolf would not be able to respond, but she made the bargain none the less. She was about to get to her feet to go to him when his attention was caught by something in the trees. He faced that direction taking a fighting stance. Penny hadn't heard what he had. Looking in the same direction, they waited.

Who was going to come from between the trees? The man who had snatched her from the porch, or the one who had called her a stupid girl and told her to run. For no reason she could explain, she wished for the latter. The devil over the mad man.

She saw him come and stand between the trees just before the clearing. He turned to look at her and all she saw were red glowing eyes. They held hers in a steady gaze, and Penny could have sworn she heard stupid girl. Was he friend or foe?

As the two came together Penny scrambled to her feet. Holding Lochlan under his armpits, she started to drag him. The man was a ton of dead weight and wet fur. She barely pulled him two feet from their original position when she had to stop to catch her breath. She needed to get him into the house while the two werewolves were locked in a fight just inside the trees. Penny struggled to get his body to the foot of the porch steps. As the storm died down she could hear more of the ugly sounds of the fight.

At the last stair, the night fell into a heavy silence. Penny froze. She held her breath as she looked up slowly towards the woods. She saw one pair of red eyes first then others started to appear. Lined off in front of her, they were all hidden in the darkness of the trees. A fifth appeared, and she knew it was the man. Lightning flashed and for a split second, she saw the man. Alone. When the night went dark again there were no glowing eyes looking back at her.

Gasping she looked around her. It was just her, Lochlan's unconscious body, and whatever was waiting there in the darkness to have at them. With her last burst of energy, she dragged Lochlan the rest of the way, across the porch and into the house. After getting Lochlan inside, she ran to the door, closing and locking it. Slowly, she started to step back. How long would the door realistically hold back what was on the other side? If it wanted to get in, it could with ease.

Her slow retreat stopped when she heard the creak of the floor boards on the other side of the door. It was a low keening creak that sent her heart racing. A second creak had her breath lodged in her throat. A third, slow creak and she swallowed, continuing her retreating steps back.

Only a mahogany door stood between her and the man with the glowing red eyes.

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Author's Note:

Would you have chosen the devil over the mad man?

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