"Well that's a new one," Clarence spoke with awe, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. "Ain't never seen something like that before."
Andrew dropped to his knees in the sparse grasses beside the gravel lines quarry, his dress pants stained by vomit and dust. I was surprised the rest of us were keeping it all down so well - I for one fought the rising bile in my throat.
Before us stood a grotesque amalgamation of bloody body parts, bound to several long wooden poles with rope or duct tape. Those few that could stand to look at it could barely tear their eyes from the lump of forms. The ground was stained with sticky blood, flies buzzing from carcass to carcass. It was a sickening display, one that had many gagging or turning away from the sight. I couldn't blame them.
The police chief, Darwin, stood by my side with one of his arms covering his mouth and nose. The scent of rot clung to everything in the area and he was doing what little he could to block it. "The M.E.s said some of those... bits... match up to the bodies we found. Some don't."
"How many of them don't?" I asked quietly, every muscle in my body tensed in horror and shock. The chief shook his head. The exhaustion that had plagued me was certainly gone now.
"We're not sure yet, but there's quite a few. Some of them might, uh, fit together..." he sighed and turned away from the gory scene. "And, um... some of them aren't human-"
"Obviously," Marcus scoffed and the chief fell silent with a wince. "Like the fucking dog head isn't right there," he spat and gestured at the bloody canine head impaled on a stake in the center of the piece.
I snuck a glance at the mess of corpses before turning away again. The chief rambled something about the examiners taking the pieces back to the station to examine. I only half-listened as I bent down beside Andrew and placed a reassuring hand on his back.
He coughed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes scrunched tightly together. "I guess this isn't normal either?" he questioned.
I laughed morbidly and helped to pull him to his feet, his hands shaking in mine. "No, it just seems like you're getting all the fun cases," I answered with a teasing grin.
"Yeah. Fun."
"Y/N? What do you think?" Marcus called from his spot beside the chief of police. I lifted my head and turned to him with curious eyes. "Who do you want to stay here with the crime scene unit?" he asked and gestured sourly over his shoulder at the mess.
I faced Clarence, silently asking for his opinion. The older man shrugged and ran his hand over his slicked-back hair. With pursed lips, I turned back to Marcus. "You and Caed can head this one up. The three of us will head back to see the autopsies," I replied. Marcus frowned - he clearly didn't want to be left on tracking duty. "Just see what you can find out, alright? Call if you find anything."
The pair nodded and Caeden pulled his partner by the arm back towards the crime scene, grumbling as he went. I watched them make their way to the investigators, then spun on my heel and marched towards Clarence's battered pickup, parked on the side of the highway alongside numerous police cars and ambulances.
---
"I think that arm goes with Bauer," the doctor said with a grimace and pointed towards a mangled corpse on an autopsy table. His assistant's gloved fingers reached for the arm but quickly retracted with surprise.
"Bauer's already got two arms, doc," the young assistant chirped nervously. The medical examiner swore quietly under his breath and stumbled over to his assistant to inspect the arm.
I shook my head and turned back to the pile of case files on the second autopsy table. Andrew, Clarence, and I surrounded the table, going over each autopsy and police report. We had to have missed something, anything.
I flipped to the next page in my file, skimming over the victim's name and going straight to the police report. Of course, we had copies of our own, but perhaps there would be something in here that we hadn't seen yet.
"Anything yet, agents?" the doctor called. I glanced over my shoulder at him but quickly turned away with a gag upon seeing him holding the unmatched arm up to the light, likely looking for any distinguishable markings.
"No sir," Clarence replied, all too chipper for a case like this. "Still looking."
I grumbled under my breath and brushed my stack of papers aside until my fingers latched onto the large regional map beneath. The map already had several small x's dotting its surface in an indication of where bodies had previously been found. It seemed to be a dead-end, as none of the x's matched up to give any sort of hint as to where this pack might be hiding.
May I make a suggestion? a familiar voice crowed from behind me. I spun, startled, to face the white wolf who sat beside the doctor at his autopsy table. Even sitting, he was taller than the older man.
"Y/N?" Andrew chirped and placed a hand on my arm. I turned to him with wide eyes, taking in his look of concern. "Everything alright?"
I glanced back towards where the wolf had been sitting only to find that he was now making his way over to our table. I pursed my lips and returned to my pile of papers. "Everything's fine. Just thought I heard something."
I shot a sideways glare at the wolf as he approached my shoulder and peaked his massive head around my body. His red eyes scanned the pages of notes with a stern glare. What's your suggestion? I asked none too gently.
The wolf scowled but held back a stinging remark. It seemed for once he didn't care enough to start a fight. Do any of the reports say where the humans were last seen? he questioned. I flipped hurriedly through my papers and skimmed over each case file. A few of them did in fact say the victim's last known location. I nodded ever so slightly.
If the location of the bodies does not tell you anything, then try the last known location, he offered with a nod of his wide head, his sharply pointed ears swiveling forward with interest.
Since when did you know so much about hunting? I teased, glaring playfully. The wolf drew back his lips in a mock smile.
I've been around the block a few times. I know more than you think. He stepped back from the table and shuffled away, doing his best not to knock into anything in the surprisingly small autopsy room. I returned to my papers with a scowl and withdrew a blue marker from beneath the stack.
My companions watched me curiously as I marked spot after spot on the map. They passed me notes when I asked, and watched with curiosity as a shape began to bloom. It was almost circular, although a bit off-center.
I stepped back from the map and capped the marker, staring curiously at the circle. "Eleven victims, nine last known locations. We should start looking in here. My guess is, this is their temporary hunting grounds," I gestured, making a loose circle on the map with my finger. "And I'd bet money they know we're here. We're being taunted."
"What's around there?" Clarence scowled and leaned over the map. His eyes scanned the page looking for any markings or indicators of what might be around there. "Caves? Abandoned buildings?"
I scoffed, doing my best to hide the disdain in my voice. "Skinwalkers aren't likely to hide in caves. They'd want to be out in the open, see everything that's happening. You can't do that in a cave."
Clarence glared pointedly and lifted his head slightly from the map. "Since when did you know so much about the bastards?" I pursed my lips and held his glare. After several long seconds, he dropped his gaze back to the map. "Well, guess we better start looking, yeah?"
"Looking?" called the doctor as he stepped back into the room with a fresh pair of gloves and a box tucked under his arm. "I take it you found something?"
"Maybe," I replied with a forced warm grin. He seemed surprisingly reassured by the action - or maybe he was just relieved that we finally had a lead. He was obviously exhausted, maybe more exhausted than me. The bags under his eyes were certainly more prominent.
With a wave of my hand, the doctor made his way across the room towards us. His blue-gray eyes settled on the map with interest and he pushed his round glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose.
"Well, uh, I don't know who would want to live out there," he stuttered through his words and wrung his hands nervously. "No one's been out there for ages. Used to be an old fire tower, but it's old now. Probably not much left standing." His finger trailed over a thin river near one edge of the lopsided circle. "This river here, it's shallow but it's wild. Someone usually turns up dead there every couple of years. Tourists and the like."
"Do you think they could be out there somewhere?" Andrew mumbled softly. The doctor glanced up with startled eyes.
"They? You mean there's more than one?" The doctor shivered nervously and held his gloved hands close to his chest. "Oh, I sure hope there's not more than one. But yes, if they are out there, then that'd be the place to be."
He ran a shaking hand through his silvering hair, his bottom lip sticking out in a slight pout. "Be careful out there agents. It's a dangerous place."
---
Marcus hated tracking. It was so mundane, and he simply wasn't built for boring. Maybe that's why he liked this new pack life so much - there was never a dull moment. That was certainly why he loved Caeden.
He glanced down at his partner's shaggy form, taking long strides through the forest. He wasn't much smaller than Marcus in his furred form, but his steps covered a long distance. Sure, he was quiet, but he was far from boring. Everything about him screamed interesting and spontaneous.
Marcus turned his head away and shook out his blonde fur before lowering his nose back to the ground. Caeden was obviously the superior tracker - he could remember fleeting scents for years it seemed. Marcus was just along for the ride.
He snapped his jaws and huffed indignantly as if to say 'can we turn around yet?'. Caeden glared from the corner of his now vibrant blue eyes. Marcus scowled, knowing what the look meant. In retaliation, he nipped at his partner's heels and willed his fur to recede.
He stretched his arms high above his head, feeling his back pop all the way down. It was nice to finally be out of that form - sure, he loved it, but it wasn't always the most comfortable. Caeden snarled and spun to face him with a nasty grimace.
"Yeah, whatever Caed," Marcus said with a dismissive wave. "Look, we've been here for hours. There's obviously nothing out here." He marched past the canine and further into the woods, hoping that they might find a path soon enough and make their way back to town. He smirked at the sound of bones cracking and the rustling of clothes.
"They're here somewhere," Caeden grumbled and strode to catch up with the blonde, his blue eyes fading to their usual warm brown. "Bodies don't just turn up shredded like that for no reason, especially not without hearts."
"Maybe it's Satanists?" Marcus offered with a shrug and shot a teasing grin Caeden's way. "We haven't ruled out them yet, have we?" Caeden shook his head, struggling to hide a soft smile.
"No, it's not Satanists. Couldn't you smell them all over that mess?"
Marcus scoffed and scowled, burying his hands in his baggy jeans. "I couldn't smell much of anything other than rot. I'm surprised you could smell anything at all." Caeden chuckled in response.
"Let's just stick around for a bit longer," he offered. "There's obviously something here, I felt it, Y/N felt it-"
Marcus huffed and pouted, his blonde hair falling into his eyes. "Y/N doesn't know what she's feeling half the time."
"And you do?" Caeden teased. The blonde shot a playful glare his way. Marcus opened his mouth to retort but halted on a stretch of flattened grass and dirt. A path.
"Fucking finally," he grumbled and held his hand out for Caeden to take. "If we don't find something in the next thirty minutes, we're turning around, alright?" he bartered.
Caeden grinned, flashing white teeth and a pair of suspiciously white canines. "Deal." With that, he took his partner's hand and they turned down the beaten path.
There wasn't much to see out in the woods. Truthfully, Marcus had always loved the city more than the forest. There was so much life - a different kind of life and excitement that the wilderness couldn't possibly hope to match.
He missed the city. He hadn't lived there for long, but god was it one of the best choices he had ever made. Sure, most wolves would've been driven mad by the sounds and the smells, but Marcus loved it. It breathed life into him.
Maybe one day he would go back, and maybe take Caeden with him. They could go somewhere colder, like New York City or Boston. Get an apartment, and maybe a bird. And, if they were lucky, maybe they could start a family of their own...
He jumped at the feeling of Caeden squeezing his hand and pulling him to a stop. He glanced at the taller man with wide, confused eyes. Caeden's eyes sat transfixed on the horizon, his shoulders tensed and jaw slack. Marcus followed his gaze to the crest of a cliff.
Built into the rocky ledge was a massive fire tower, built, ironically, from wood that was now rotted and worn after years of being forgotten. But, it wasn't the flimsy building that had trapped Caeden's gaze - no, it was the dark shapes milling beneath and slowly halting to stare at the two human figures beneath them. Even in the shadows cast by the massive tower, they could tell the shapes weren't human.
Wolves.
"Run," Caeden uttered softly, bringing his hand up slowly to Marcus's arm, pushing him backward slightly. A shrill howl pierced the air, and suddenly the shapes disappeared from the cliffside, their paws thundering down the hill. "Run!"
Marcus turned and raced down the path at a dead sprint with Caeden hot on his heels. The howls continued, frantic and braying with excitement and anger. He couldn't tell how many of them there were, and he was too terrified to find out.
It wasn't long before they could practically feel hot breaths on their heels. It was too late now to shift, not that they expected to be able to outrun the horde. Marcus panted and swung his arms wildly, sprinting until his thighs were screaming and he thought his legs might give out, and yet still he ran.
And then all too suddenly the land dropped out from underneath them and his weight was thrown forward until he could see over the side of a steep cliff. The rock face cut off abruptly, displaying a jagged wall and a roaring, tumultuous river thirty feet below.
Marcus was wrenched backward by a firm hand that gripped his collar. He was thrown limply into Caeden's arms, who dragged him to his feet and shoved him on his way back in the direction of town. The incessant howls followed as they raced along the cliffside.
Eventually, Caeden slowed to a jog as the ground changed to gravel beneath his feet. He could no longer hear the vicious and rampant snarls of the beasts that had pursued them; instead, the only noise he heard was the thundering sound of blood in his ears and Marcus's heavy pants.
Caeden bent forward with his hands on his knees and wheezed - he hadn't run that hard in a long time. With a glazed-over stare, his eyes met Marcus's and a pained laugh left his lips.
"Still think there's nothing here?"
---
I paced up and down Clarence's motel room, my small phone gripped tightly in hand. "They should've been back by now," I murmured worriedly for the umpteenth time that evening. The sun was low in the sky and soon it would dip behind the trees, the full moon rising in its place.
They shouldn't have been gone for so long.
"They probably found something," Clarence mused, hushing my worries yet again. I shot him a nasty glare that he chose to ignore, instead of occupying himself with loading his revolver with silver bullets. "They'll be back soon. Sit down and relax," he ordered, gesturing with his polished weapon to the unoccupied bed.
I scoffed and stormed to the motel room door, throwing it open hard enough that it hit the wall with a cacophonous crash. Clarence pursed his lips in irritation while Andrew watched with startled eyes. The boy's leg bounced nervously, his hands balled tightly in his lap.
My boots crunched loudly across the empty gravel parking lot as I stomped towards our two pickups, parked side by side. I'd wait until sunset - if they weren't back by then, I'd go looking for them myself.
I shivered at the bitter chill of the encroaching autumn, knowing that the foul season was on its way. I missed summer and the warm nightly breezes that made it so easy to sleep on the lawn outside. It was fading now, fading into the colder months that I so dreaded.
My phone rang, cutting through the silence with a deadly sharpness. I fumbled with it and snapped it open, not even bothering to check the caller ID. "Hello?" I questioned, voice shaking and nearly out of breath.
"Y/N, it's Dean." My shoulders relaxed some of their tension. It wasn't who I was hoping for, but I wasn't complaining. "We, uh, we wanted to check-in. See how your case is going."
I chuckled morbidly and glared around the parking lot. "We have a lead, and we'll be on our way soon. Hopefully, we'll get this shit show wrapped up."
"Yeah? Glad to hear it," he replied, breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Mind telling me what kind of case you're working on anyway? Maybe where you're at?"
I shook my head, quelling the soft smile rising on my cheeks. "You and I both know if I tell you that, you'll rush over here."
"And if I give you my word that I won't?"
"I won't believe you."
He hummed and chuckled softly. Obviously, I had made the right call. "Well, if you can manage to get things wrapped up soon, you might be able to join us on our next hunt. We're shipping out soon," he joked. "Not that you're a 'one hunt after the other kind of girl'," he quoted. I frowned at the subtle jab.
"I'll catch up with you eventually, Dean. I might-" I froze, seeing two figures stumbling wearily down the road, struggling to put one foot in front of the other. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as the figures came into focus.
"Fuck. Dean, I'm gonna have to call you back," I said hurriedly as I pushed away from the truck. Dean stuttered something out before I ended the call abruptly and ran to meet the pair.
Marcus and Caeden were a mess, mud and leaves adorning their legs and their faces flushed with exhaustion. It was clear they had been running, running hard. I ushered them into the motel room, forcing them to pick up the pace. Eventually, they collapsed and I shut the door behind them.
"Where the hell were you!?" I shouted as soon as the door shut all the way. Marcus sagged onto the floor, feeling boneless and exhausted. He had never run so hard in his life. Caeden pulled himself back to a standing position, gripping the edge of the bed for support.
"We need to go," he wheezed, his voice hoarse and in need of water. He stumbled across the room and drew several bags towards him, including a weapons bag that he swung over his shoulder.
"Caeden what's going on?" I demanded as he shoved a backpack into Andrew's arms, shoving the younger boy towards the door. He struggled to speak, his chest heaving with breathlessness and anxiety.
"Hey!" Clarence shouted, standing so abruptly from his seat that the chair nearly tipped backward. All eyes turned to him but Caeden's, who was doing his best to hide the rising blue in his irises. "No one's leaving here until we know what the fuck is going on," he growled out, low and dangerous.
Marcus groaned from his place on the floor and pulled himself into a sitting position, his eyes shut tightly. "Wolves. A shit ton of them," he wheezed, reaching an arm out for Caeden to pull him to his feet. "They're probably on their way here by now."
"We need to move," Caeden ordered as he pulled his partner off the ground and readjusted his bag of weapons. "Now. They've got our scent-"
"Where?" I interjected, earning a wide-eyed glance from both men. "Where did you see them?"
"Does it matter!?" Marcus shouted and slung a backpack onto his shoulders. "We need to leave-"
"Where!?" I shouted, skin prickling with anger as I tried to keep the molten gold in my eyes at bay. Marcus fell silent with a gulp.
"Fire tower, out by the river," Caeden finally answered, his hand on the doorknob. "Look, we can come up with a game plan later, but for now we-"
A shrill howl cut through his words, followed by barks that seemed to shake the air. Caeden swore quietly under his breath. In a matter of seconds, everyone in the room was moving towards the door, grabbing what they could.
"Get to the truck!" Clarence ushered, practically shoving Marcus and Andrew out the door. He followed them, checking over his shoulder for Caeden and me as I hurriedly grabbed what I could. Weapons, backpacks, anything I could carry. We wouldn't survive without the silver. "Y/N, let's go!" he shouted again.
"Just go, I'll follow in the other truck!" I nearly screamed, throwing a backpack at Caeden, who passed it to the older hunter. He hesitated and glanced over his shoulder. The howls were getting closer. With a hard swallow, he nodded and dashed to his truck as fast as his older legs could carry him.
"Take this and get to the truck," I demanded, throwing a pack at Caeden who grabbed it by the straps. "I'll be right behind you, just go." He hesitated, but inevitably nodded and ran for the truck.
I reached under the edge of the bed for the last of our packed luggage. There was the occasional loose article of clothing or bullet, but overall we had everything. I was thankful that we had moved everything in here for easier packing once Marcus and Caeden returned.
With one last movement, I swiped a pistol off the table, a few stray bullets rolling onto the floor. The magazine was filled with silver bullets - I hoped I wouldn't have to use it, but it was better to have it.
I ran for the door with two bags thrown across my door and the gun in hand. Clarence reversed his truck as I exited the room, not bothering to shut the door behind me. Beside the roaring truck was Caeden, throwing his load into the bed of the pickup and sliding into the seat.
I froze as a chill ran up my spine, a feeling of crackling ferocity that brought my eyes to the hill across the way, adorned with loose rocks and trees. My eyes scanned the tree line as it shifted in the wind, the sun setting perilously low behind the towering branches.
From the darkness, a shape emerged, one that I recognized almost immediately. A hulking wolfish form, with the shape and coloring of a Tervuren. Two hazel eyes peered back at me from the darkness.
I swore and sprinted towards the truck as Clarence sped out of the parking lot and down the road, no doubt towards the quarry in the hopes of reaching the fire tower. The howls raised in pitch and paws thundered down the hillside towards the parking lot, dashing across the highway separating them.
I threw my bags as I approached and they landed heavily against the bed of the truck. Caeden shouted something that I couldn't hear over the frantic brays and barks of the pursuing canines.
"Drive!" I screamed. He didn't wait another second and set the truck into reverse. I gripped the edge as it came towards me, minding the spinning tires, and catapulted myself into the pickup bed, landing heavily on the uncomfortable bags.
He didn't wait to see if I was secured before he put the truck into drive and tore out of the parking lot and down the highway behind Clarence. I held the handgun close to my chest and breathed out a sigh of relief.
My back protested as I sat up, relieved that my weight was finally off our uncomfortable luggage. As soon as my eyes met my surroundings, I regretted it; the beasts rampaged down the hill and turned onto the highway, chasing after the truck at high speeds.
I stumbled to my knees and shuffled to the back of the truck, pressing my back firmly against the glass that separated me from the back seat. "Drive faster, Caeden!" I screamed, my voice carried away by the wind, but he somehow still heard me. The truck whined in protest as he floored the accelerator, the old frame quaking under the force and speed.
The beasts were gaining, only a few yards from the back of the truck. I held my gun high, aiming for the nearest mutt that looked to be some form of Vizsla. I didn't hesitate as I reached for the trigger.
The gun went off with a resounding bang, rattling against the mountains. Several dogs stumbled and some collapsed, but the swarm quickly closed again around the fallen mutt. I wasn't even sure if I had hit it.
Caeden swerved around a bend, the truck rocking from side to side and throwing me to the floor. The gun slipped from my hand, sliding across the metal bed and into the opposite corner. I pulled myself to my hands and knees as the truck steadied and looked out over the tailgate.
They were closer now, splitting off to surround either side of the truck. The faster ones were nearly close enough for me to reach out over the gate and touch. I lunged for the pistol, my fingertips fumbling for it as I slid across the truck with nothing solid to hold on to. Finally, my fingers grasped the hilt and I drew it towards me, aiming it towards the encroaching mob.
I let out three shots and two figures went down. Not nearly enough to slow the tide. I gritted my teeth, scanning the mob - how many were there? Twenty-five? Thirty? I didn't know for sure, and I didn't want to get close enough to find out.
A great dane lunged forward, its jowls snapping and slobber spraying everywhere. Its long strides propelled it forward until it was nearly on top of us. I screamed as it jumped, aiming to land in the pickup bed with me. As it pounced, I let out a shot.
The great dane yelped in pain and collapsed onto the pickup bed beside me, dead in nearly an instant, a stinging, bleeding bullet hole going through its chest. I gripped it around the middle and lifted it, pushing the limp corpse over the edge of the truck and into the crowd. A few unfortunate mutts went tumbling as the corpse rolled into the pack.
Before I could even get all the way back into the bed of the truck Caeden swerved, throwing me against the opposite side. Taking advantage of my situation, another mutt lunged and gripped my forearm tightly in its jaws. I screamed as its fangs sank in, yanking me towards the edge of the truck in an attempt to drag me out.
Blood dripped down my arm as the beast shredded my skin and clothes, its teeth piercing me nearly to the bone. I braced myself against the truck and tried to pull myself from its grip, only to be met by the sound of tearing flesh.
I slipped onto my side and braced my back against the tailgate, my other arm flailing to grab something, anything. The world seemed to freeze as the tailgate dropped, the latch seemingly breaking under my weight. I screamed as the beast wrenched me backward, struggling to pull me out of the truck.
The truck swerved wildly, nearly tipping onto its side and flinging the animal off the ground, taking my arm with it. I slid across the truck bed as Caeden righted the vehicle, giving me some distance from the open end of the truck. Rolling to my side, I wrenched my arm from the startled wolf. It loosened its grip enough for me to turn my body and aim the pistol at it.
Its eyes went wide with fright as the weapon went off with a harsh bang, and suddenly it was thrown back into the crowd. I reached for the tailgate and pulled it back up, feeling it click into place.
I shuffled to the back of the truck, back against the window, and held my gun high with one hand. My now mangled arm rested against my stomach, blood bleeding through my shirt and onto my skin. I fired shot after shot until the magazine emptied, watching each beast go down.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the pack slowed and dropped back slowly, veering off the edge of the road and up the hillside, disappearing into the trees. Minutes later, the truck rolled to a stop next to the quarry.
I sobbed as Caeden stepped out of the truck and raced to my side, his jacket in hand. Salty tears rolled down my cheeks, my arm throbbing and stinging with pain. Hurriedly, he ripped a sleeve from his coat and beckoned for my arm. I lifted it as he wrapped the makeshift bandage tightly.
"Where are they?" I murmured through my tears and hissed at the sudden pressure on my mangled flesh. Caeden shook his head.
"The other truck is here, but I don't know where they went. Maybe to the fire tower maybe?" I nodded along with his words and shuffled to the end of the truck. With one fluid motion, I slipped off the edge and hit the ground softly, doing my best not to jar my arm.
I hissed in pain and glanced down at the makeshift bandage, already soaked through in several spots. "How bad is it?" I asked quietly, not that I needed to know the answer. I knew it wasn't anywhere near good.
Caeden shook his head and didn't answer, instead of grabbing a bag of weapons and slinging it over his shoulder. It was one of two that we had. "We should get moving. Leave the luggage here, take what you can carry."
I nodded and popped the magazine out of my pistol, hoping that I had at least a few more rounds. There were not. With a scowl, I rummaged through the second weapons bag and withdrew several new clips, which I quickly dropped into the pockets of my jeans. I really needed to get a weapons belt.
With the state of my arm and the fact that we needed to move quickly, I only grabbed a handful of weapons. A shotgun that I slung over my shoulder, along with a box of rounds; a few knives adorned my hip, tucked between my waist and my belt. There wasn't much help for me to carry anything else. I hoped to God I wouldn't have to use the shotgun with my arm in the state it was in.
"Ready?" Caeden asked as I dropped the now much lighter weapons bag into the backseat of the truck. I nodded and headed towards the trail, hearing the vehicle lock behind me. If they wanted the weapons, a lock wouldn't stop them, but it would slow them down.
It was dark, so dark that if I were human, I doubted I'd be able to see where I was putting my feet. The full moon should have given some light, but with the trees so thick and this part of the forest, there was nothing but the occasional stray beam to light our way. My skin crawled the further we walked into the woods, each step so soft that you could hardly hear the strewn twigs beneath our feet.
I hadn't missed this part of hunting on my brief hiatus. The part where the hunter became the hunted. With each shaky breath and erratic beat of my heart, I could almost feel them closing in on us. Watching us.
I longed to ask Caeden how far we were from the fire tower. I longed to turn around and go back the way we came. I was sure they were waiting for us there, waiting to ambush us just as they ambushed their latest victims. I didn't want to be another victim. We just needed to find our companions again, and then maybe we could get out of here.
Maybe.
Caeden froze and held his hand up in a gesture for me to halt and be silent. He twisted to face me, his eyes icy blue and a startled look on his features that brought a feeling of coursing electricity to the back of my neck.
"Did you hear that?" he whispered, and although it was barely audible it sounded like thunder in the darkness of the forest.
A howl split the air and I nearly jumped out of my skin with fright - somewhere in the distance, I could hear them running. Running towards us.
"Run," I ordered, placing a hand on his arm and pushing him down the pathway. "Run!" Caeden stumbled for a moment before turning and taking off at a dead sprint down the path. He swerved through the trees and veered off course, dashing through the brush. I followed close behind, clutching my pistol tightly in hand.
There seemed to be fewer of them this time. They had likely split into two groups - one after Caeden and I, and another after the others. We ran and ran on with each step I prayed I wouldn't trip or fall.
A flash of darkness from the corner of my eye caught my attention and I glanced in its direction. Beside us, only a handful of yards away, was a rather large canine. It kept stride with us, barely working to keep up. I turned to the other side and saw two just like it, running side by side.
They were herding us.
Fear sunk into my heart as we dashed through the woods, knowing that we were undeniably caught. If we could just get ahead, or lose them in the forest... but deep down, we both knew that would never happen.
Caeden veered again and suddenly the tree line broke. Just a few feet from us was a sheer drop-off, a jagged cliff with no end in sight. The beasts to our left fell in behind us, pinning us to the side of the cliff.
I ran to Caeden's side, running stride for stride with him. My eyes, now filled with molten gold, dashed from side to side as we ran. The edge of the cliff was drawing nearer. We had two options; run directly into the open and waiting jaws of the beasts, or take the plunge.
I chose the latter option.
Caeden hardly had a chance to register what was happening before he was thrown off the edge of the cliff, my own smaller body following close behind. I free fell for several long seconds, the sounds of his screams echoing in my ears.
And suddenly I was surrounded by cold.
The freezing river enveloped my body in such a sharp cold that every muscle in my body tensed. My arm seared in pain, river water dampening the wound and seeping into the fragile skin. It felt like icy daggers were clawing at my skin, pulling it apart just as violently as that dog had.
I resurfaced spluttering and sobbing, clutching one arm tightly to my chest while the other paddled to keep me afloat. The light of the moon cast an eerie glow on the river as the water whirled and crashed against itself. It raged, seemingly untouched by man, and yet more violent than nearly anything I had seen.
I was pulled downriver, my head dragged under every few seconds until water filled my lungs and stung my eyes, and even still I hadn't seen Caeden resurface. Each time my head broke the water I screamed out his name, hoping that he might answer.
Eventually, a cacophonous splash and gasp split my screams. I twisted in the water as best I could to see a shape flung through the torrent rapids beside me. Although the silhouette was nearly unrecognizable, the vibrant blue of his eyes was a dead giveaway.
I shouted his name and did my best to paddle towards him, despite the racing tide. With each new wave, his head would dip under and mine would follow close behind. Eventually, I reached out my hand, hoping he was close enough now to take it.
His fingers slipped through mine, brushing the slippery skin. With each pass he was thrown under again, only to resurface gagging and coughing. I struggled to stay afloat, reaching for him and fighting the tide. Finally, his hand caught my wrist, drawing me near.
Together we kept each other afloat as the river threw us around like leaves in the wind. His feet kicked out, propelling us through the water and mine followed close behind. After what felt like hours, my feet touched the bottom.
I sighed out in relief as I dragged my now exhausted body up the riverbank, the hill climbing into a shallow slope behind it. Up above us was the towering cliff face that we had jumped from. No figures were standing atop it now.
Caeden vomited beside me, emptying himself of river water and whatever else had been in his stomach. I grimaced and dragged myself further up the bank. My body shook with each rapid beat of my heart, cold and wet and exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep, but I knew we had to move.
The sound of a splintering twig drew my weary eyes to the edge of the forest. There, in the darkness, stood the tervuren with his head held eye and hazel eyes blazing. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the shooting pain and spasming in my wounded arm.
"Caeden," I uttered softly as the beast took a few slow steps forward. Behind it stood two more massive dogs, their fangs bared and ears pinned back. "Caeden get up." Caeden groaned and pulled himself to his feet. Upon realizing the severity of the situation, he dropped into a low stance, ready to fight.
The tervuren's eyes sparkled with a malignant light and he licked his lips, his eyes tracking between the two of us before finally meeting my golden ones.
Black Dog, his voice rang in my mind with such malice. I gripped the side of my head and glared with a ferocity that seemed to portray my answer without words.
Eat shit, I snapped with my mind, knowing full well that he likely couldn't hear me. Even without words, I seemed to have my point. He snapped his jaws and his two companions filed to his side, glowering darkly at Caeden and me.
"Caeden, I want you to run," I uttered softly. The man looked at me with wildly confused eyes. I refused to meet his gaze, my point final. "Go find the others, I'll be there soon," I spoke slowly and deliberately, holding a challenge in my gaze. The tervuren cocked his head slightly.
Before he had a chance to respond, I felt my bones breaking and fur sprouting from my body. The chill of the river made the transition nearly painless, although I still refused to put weight on my damaged leg. I bared my fangs and lowered my head, glaring daggers at the wolf-dog.
Caeden took a slow step back, the two mongrels eyeing him with curiosity. Would he really leave? I hoped so. The nape of his neck burned with such an intensity that it felt like he had lava in his veins.
The tervuren took a bold step forward and lowered his head. I had really hoped I wouldn't see you again. Would've made my life so much easier, he spat and snapped his jaws, fangs clashing together. I snarled and drew back my lips.
From the corner of my eye, I could see something white and ethereal moving along the river bank. He was watching, waiting to see what might happen. His red eyes met mine with a look of curiosity and interest.
In a flash, the tervuren lunged, his fangs aimed for my throat. I rose on my hind legs, his chest colliding with mine. With one heavy paw, I shoved him away from me and he hit the ground with a thud. I took several slow steps back and snarled, my tail swishing back and forth.
As the tervuren righted himself again I lunged, aiming to knock him off his feet and gain a clear shot at his throat. I bowled him over and the two of us tumbled down the beach. With two vicious snaps, I forced his head away from mine.
In a final effort, I screamed as loudly as I could. Run! I screamed, my thoughts mixing with a howl. The sound reverberated in Caeden's mind, jarring him into action. He took off at a dead sprint up the hill. The tervuren howled and his lackeys followed Caeden, nipping at his heels. I only hoped he could gain enough distance that he could shift.
I tumbled head over tail, snapping and clawing at the wolf-dog's fur. My teeth found his shoulder, tearing the fur and flesh. My paws found his chin, pushing his snapping jaws away from my throat. Finally, my jaws found his ankle and I ground the bone between my teeth, relishing each snap and every howl that ripped through his throat.
All too suddenly his weight was thrown from me, tackled to the side by a blur of brown and pink. I pulled myself to my feet, resting my weight gingerly on my injured paw. The tervuren yelped and gripped the attacking mongrel by the scruff, throwing her across the beach.
He roared and pounced on her petite form, slobbering against her fur. I thought I killed you! he shouted in anger. The small dog roared back, a mighty roar for such a small body.
I lived, cunt! she shouted back, her tone dripping with malice. Her voice rang through my head with a gritty, deep southern accent. I hardly had time to process the exchange before another figure toppled into the wolf, followed by another and another. I watched in awe as four beasts bowled over the massive wolf-dog, tearing into his fur and ripping his flesh.
A set of teeth sank into my scruff, pulling me back from the fray. I yelped and flailed, dragged backward and up the hill. Once my feet finally came back under me, I turned to my assailant with a snarl. My eyes met pale blue ones.
Caeden snapped his jaws, his eyes trained on the small mob. Behind him stood a nearly hairless dog with warm brown eyes, surveying the scene with anxiety. The rather large hairless dog barked and turned its head up the hill in a gesture of retreat. Without a second glance, Caeden turned and dashed up the hill. I followed, and not long after, so did the mob.
The little brindled dog caught us easily, her companions only a few paces behind. She howled and yipped with excitement despite the blood staining her brown and white coat and the ripple of pink that stood straight up on her scruff. Her barks almost seemed to replicate laughter. Behind us, I could hear the tervuren bellowing with rage.
I glanced nervously at Caeden, who sported a gash above his brow but otherwise looked unharmed. How I wished I could speak to him - perhaps then he could explain what the fuck was going on.
Two shots rang out in the distance, followed by howls of pain and fright. I bared my teeth and moved with the small pack towards the source of the noise. Moments later the tree line thinned to reveal absolute chaos.
Marcus, Andrew, and Clarence were barely holding their own in the center of a furious mob. They fired into the crowd and swung machetes wildly, keeping the beasts at bay. The two skinwalkers stood between the mob and their human companion, protecting him from their bites. The feeble pack of five leaped into the fray with Caeden by their sides, colliding with the mass as instantly as they had arrived. I snarled and followed.
At this point, I wasn't sure who was my friend and who was my enemy. I tore at anything my teeth and claws could reach, leaving nothing untouched. A bullet rocketed into a husky by my side, sending the animal down.
Andrew screamed and my head turned so sharply to the sound that I heard a crack in my neck. I howled and lunged, pouncing on the back of another mutt, sinking my fangs into its scruff. I could see Andrew fall, the pack descending on top of him and dragging him into the fray.
Clarence shouted as three shots rang out, the bullets ricocheting and penetrating the beasts around where he had disappeared. Andrew screamed again. I lunged forward, tearing at beast after beast, throwing them backward with such ferocity that they knocked over their companions like bowling pins.
A hand flailed upwards, pummeling a mutt that stood over Andrew's lanky form, its teeth buried in his shoulder. He snarled, his eyes vibrant and angry as he ripped and tore at the beast to no avail.
My teeth latched onto the beast's skull, pressing its jaw and skull between my own jaws. It whimpered as I wrenched it from my friend's shoulder, blood and flayed skin flying along with it. I yanked its head so sharply that its neck snapped and it dropped limply to the ground.
I pulled Andrew roughly to his feet and lunged back into the fight. I found myself fighting beside a hairless dog that I recognized as one of our allies for the time being. He fought with such a vicious ferocity and vengeance that I couldn't help but wonder what these bastards had done to him.
A howl pierced the air, shaking the very earth beneath our feet. For a split second the fighting stopped, the air heavy and thick with tension. Snarls and howls cut the air, ringing out in unison with the first. The pack spun and ran from the glade, abandoning the once fervent battle.
I growled and gave chase, attacking what few I could. Beside me, our allies and companions did the same, ripping and tearing at what they could reach. There were fewer of them now. If we just held out for a little longer...
My blood boiled as I lunged and snapped, dragging them back to me and engaging them in a vicious battle. They tore at my fur, shredded my already damaged limb, scrabbled, and clawed at my flesh. And still, I fought, dropping as many as I could.
In mere moments, the glade emptied, our enemies disappearing up the hillside, back to where their alpha waited. I skidded to a half at the crest of the hill and howled out a challenge, a threat, and a demand that they come back and face me. There was no answer other than the resounding silence and the wind rustling through my fur.
"Y/N!" Marcus hollered over the now increasing winds, whipping through the trees and shaking their branches like a tidal wave. I spun quickly to face him, ignoring the sharp pains in my torn limb.
Marcus kneeled on the ground beside Clarence's fallen form. One of the hunter's legs had a strip of his jacket wrapped tightly around it, stemming blood flow. Marcus's hands were pressed against the man's side, soaked with blood.
I ran forward, shifting forms mid-stride. I stumbled but kept up the pace until I fell to my knees and skidded on the grass beside them. I pressed my hands heavily into his side, his shirt soaked. His hands shook and so did mine, a look of fury mixed with pain filling his usually warm brown eyes.
"What happened!?" I demanded in fright, blood seeping from between my fingers and staining my skin. Clarence reached weakly for my hand, gripping my wrist in an attempt to pull me away. I swatted his hands away and resumed pressure.
"They got through, I tried to stop them-" Marcus stammered through his words. At this point the crowd had gathered, some still furred and others not. Andrew limped to my side, a grazing bullet wound against his calf.
"Did they bite him!?" I snapped and held my hand out for Andrew's jacket, who gave it without question. I pressed the fabric against the open wound, ignoring Clarence's feeble attempts to stop me, wheezing at each movement. Marcus shook his head no at my question and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Go help them," I ordered my companions, nodding towards our 'rescuers,' if you could call them that. They stood scattered, watching from a distance as they tended to their own wounds. Sobs broke the air, coming from their feeble group. The pair stood and shuffled to the side and I returned my attention to Clarence's wheezing form.
"You bastards..." he wheezed out, jarring me from my thoughts. Blood and spittle coated his lips, a scowl on his features. "You're liars. You're all liars."
I frowned and stared down at his wound, blood seeping through Andrew's jacket. "We had our reasons for not telling you-"
"Bastards," he spat, coughing and sputtering. A thin trail of blood dripped down his chin. "It's your fault I'm dead." He dropped his head to the grass, his arms splaying out at his sides. "It's all your fault." He swam in and out of consciousness, staring at the canopy of tree limbs above, shaken by the now howling wind.
He fumbled, his fingers plucking at the grass as he reached further and further away. My chest heaved with anxiety as the blood-stained my fingertips again. My breath hitched as Caeden moved to my side, his blue eyes soft and fur matted with blood. His eyes held remorse, one that I understood immediately.
He didn't think Clarence was going to make it.
"I could bite him," I offered slightly, although I doubted Clarence would have heard. He was ripe with anger and pain and was in no way present. "I could do it."
"Don't," called an unfamiliar voice. A figure turned to face me, his complexion tanned with warmth and sunlight. "You'll only make him suffer more-" He halted his words, his deep brown eyes swelling to a honey brown in an instant. I froze at the sound of a harsh click.
I turned slowly only to meet the end of a revolver, so close to my forehead that I could practically feel the sting of cold metal. Clarence's hand shook as he mumbled under his breath, pulling the trigger over and over again as if he would obtain some other result.
"Dirty bastards, you fucked everything up!" He shouted and dropped the gun, laying back in the dirt. I breathed out a shaky sigh of relief, thanking any and all higher powers that he had run out of bullets. "Liars, monsters, the lot of you..." he droned, his voice fading in and out.
I gripped his hand tightly in my own, ignoring the bloodstains on my skin. "Clar, we were never with them. You know that." He shook his head and swallowed dryly, brown eyes locked on the sky. His chest heaved and shook and I squeezed his hand tightly. I lifted his head enough that he wouldn't choke, but he still coughed and sputtered on his own blood.
I hardly registered the cracking of bones or a comforting hand on my shoulder. I stared remorsefully at the hunter that I knew I couldn't save. Not even a bite would help him now.
His chest rose and fell sharply one last time before his hand went slack in mine.
8988 words.
Oh, look, a shitty character death.
05/18/22.