Chapter 9
I made my way through the network of passages, not really sure where I was heading.
The smell had slowly been getting worse. The sour tang of rotting meat invaded my nose. A hacking cough forced its way out of my snout, sounding like the cat use to make. I mentally smiled at the memory of ‘Custard pie’ the little yellow and white cat Ana had begged for until I gave in. It was so scruffy when we found it in a cardboard box that had been dumped next to our back fence. Ana was only three when we heard the soft cries of that kitten. Her small chubby fingers squeezing the small animal tight to her chest at it wiggled in her hold.
“Peese daddy, I wanna keep custard pie. She is too small to be alone.” Her large brown eyes glistening as she stared up at me. Soft brown ringlets bobbing around her face when she would rub her face against the smelly fleabag.
Rubbing a hand down my face with a sigh, I knew I already lost as soon as she had named it. “Come on then, lets go tell mummy about Custard pie.” Scooping her into my arms to walk back in the house where my wife Milly was nursing a three month out Belle while two-year-old Mia played quietly with the blocks in front of the tv.
Not even an hour later, my family was dead, I was in transition to wolf, and Custard Pie had left as fast as he had come.
My feet had stopped as my wolf whimpered at my memories bring back to the reason why we were here.
“Let’s hunt wolf. I have a thirst for blood.”
Following the now putrid smell burning my nose, we came to a door slightly ajar. Nudging it open with my head, I couldn’t comprehend at first what I was looking at. Then the sickening sight registered.
The room was only about three metres squared but dead bodies had filled the room about a metre up the wall. The most disturbing fact was they bodies weren’t complete. Actually, most of the bodies looked to be in pieces. I couldn’t move. I knew they all were monsters. Nothing like how they seem to be portrayed in the movies. They killed for the fun of it. They thirsted for blood. Kidnapping, raping, and torturing whom ever they wanted. Living under the rule of one man who would slaughter anyone who went against him.
A loud rumbling sound began to grow louder, echoing in the stillness of the room. My eyes darted around trying to work out where the noise was coming from. Lifting my head to the ceiling, I noticed a round hole just as a figure fell with a wet thud, joining the pile.
She corpse looked like someone I remember. I stared, trying to remember where I had seen her before when another frame landed right on top of the first. Then it hit me, the young girl who was chained in the room. Her eyes forced on nothing now unlike when she held my stare back in the room.
A third body fell, pushing my legs to move. They all had been caught. Now they are dead. Oh god, Lizzy.
A howl tore out of my wolf. The confined space of the passage making the noise louder as it reverberated. ‘Mate, must get to mate now.’ He growled at me, pushing our legs faster.
The inclining path was the first sign we were getting closer. With out slowing down, I launched into the room, landing onto a wolf who had one of the women pinned down and ripping his throat out when my teeth attached to his neck.
The room turned to me as I stood, raising my face from the neck of the dead beast. Blood dripped from my black fur, the soft drip interrupting the quiet. A group of thirty women stood huddled in a corner, a beautiful light brown wolf in front, her teeth bared trying to keep the other wolfs at bay.
‘Lizzy’ I breathed out in relief.
Another wolf darted in trying to take a female but Lizzy was fast stopping the wolf before he could grab hold. A second used this chance darting in from the far side snatching an older lady. Her screams sending me into actions.
My wolf took more control then I normally let. A bestial roar tearing across the room as he lunged for the closest wolf too busy eating the inside of a female’s stomach. Teeth snapping around the back of its neck jerking it roughly sideways, snapping his neck.
Moving to the next wolf, I refuse to stop until they were all dead. Throats were ripped, necks snapped, flesh shredded open. One after the other they went down. My bloodthirst growing with each kill. After I took down the second wolf, they all left the women be, finally realising I was now the threat.
I continued to kill even when their claws racked my body and teeth sunk into my flesh. Only stopping when no other wolf was left breathing except me.
Lizzy had shifted back to human form, as naked as the other women still huddled in the corner. The sight of her bare skin brought on a new thirst. My coat shifted, reduced and changed back to the human hide. My eyes were locked only on Lizzy, my caveman desires telling me to take what is mine, Now. Here. In the blood of my enemy.
My sole focus being my mate, I only noticed the new figure when he had wrapped an arm around her creamy waist from behind, pulling her back tight against her front, knife-tip posed at her throat.
“Ah, I seem to have something you want again, Mitchel.” The pack leaders voice came out in a chuckle. “It would only seem fair that I get to have her since you killed my entire pack.”
With a snarl I spat. “Let. Her. Go.”
“Don’t think I will. At least, not until I have fucked her like the little whore, I know she is. Let’s see if you still want her after that.” He backed himself to a wall as he spoke, the knife pressed tight against Lizzy’s neck.
Stepping forward, I froze again when a small cry left her lips and a tear of blood trailed down across her collar bone.
“I think this is a fair trade. I will take this one and you can have that lot.” His head nodded towards the group of women. I knew he was stalling but there was only two ways out of this room. One was behind me and the other on the wall to my right. He was to right of that exit but would have to come closer to me to get there. There was no way out of the room.
With one last laugh, the hand on Lizzy’s waist move behind his back. I watched as the wall opened a whole big enough for him to slip into dragging Lizzy with him before the wall closed over again.
My fist hit the wall trying to reopen the doorway and not finding how.
Dropping to my knees, I rested my head against the wall. I had failed to keep someone else I loved safe.
Loved. Was it even possible to love someone I have barely spoken too? ‘She is our mate. We loved her from the start. Now get her back.’
The wolf was right. I just had to think. A soft hand touched my shoulder, and within seconds the women was pinned beneath me. “What is it.” I barked at her.
“I-I-I know h-how to o-open the w-wall.” Her frightened words whispered.
“Show me.”