Firestorm

by William Stacey

  "May I enter?"

  "Of course."

  The woman came in and set the bundle, a thick robe, at the end of the bed. "If you give me your clothing, I'll see it is cleaned for you. In the meantime, you may wear this. We know your kind does not enjoy being without clothing. There is hot water as well. We also enjoy the sensation of hot water on our skin." She said the last with a knowing smile, as if they shared a secret.

  "Thank you."

  "Just leave your garments outside the door." The elf closed the door behind her.

  "A shower and a change of clothing," Angie said to herself. "Is she trying to tell me I smell bad?" She lifted her arm and sniffed her armpit, realizing that was exactly what the other woman had been trying to tell her.

  Angie slipped into the bathroom, taking the lit candle with her and leaving the door ajar. She turned on the shower and played with the knobs until hot water steamed. Angie stripped, letting her filthy clothing pile up around her feet. Then she eased into the shower, and the feeling of hot water beating upon her filthy skin was glorious. There was even homemade soap, and she soon worked up a lather.

  Her shower was long and hot, her skin red when she reluctantly stepped out. The mirror was fogged, and she wiped it, seeing her distorted reflection. She dried her hair as well as she could, using a comb that she found in a drawer to yank out the worst of the tangles. There was even a toothbrush and an old packet of pre-Awakening toothpaste. The hospitality of elves, she mused with a heartfelt smile, and then brushed her teeth for the first time in what felt like weeks.

  She used one of the wet towels to clear the mirror and examined her torso. She was way too thin, that was obvious, but she wasn't just skin and bones: her muscles had become like ropy sinew, her abs better defined than Tec’s. She cupped her small breasts; her nipples were sensitive, already erect. She closed her eyes, bit her lower lip, and thought of Tec as she moved her fingers down her stomach and between her legs. She shivered with excitement as her fingertips touched the sensitive folds of skin. "Oh, God," she whispered, indescribably turned on by touching herself while Tec slept just outside the door.

  It had been so long since she had masturbated—and many, many months since she had had actual sex with another person. She could do it right now, she knew. It would only take a minute to climax. He’d never hear. Hell, he was sound asleep.

  No. She forced herself to stop. I'm not that desperate.

  Am I?

  She opened her eyes and gripped the counter with both hands to stop them from trembling. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked her reflection. Water dripped down the mirror.

  Her pulse racing, she wrapped herself in one of the towels and took the candle back into the other room. Tec still slept soundly, but he had pulled the sheet down in his sleep, exposing his semierect penis. He was larger than Nathan, much larger. She gave herself a shake, pulling her eyes away from his groin, and then yanked the sheet up to his chin, covering him once again.

  She watched him for a few moments. His erection pushed against the sheet like a tent pole, and she giggled at the thought. She went back into the bathroom, picked up her dirty clothing, and dumped it just outside the door in what clearly had once been a hotel hallway.

  Angie found herself beside the sleeping man again, wearing the towel and staring at his face. Her gaze darted to his erection.

  "I’m going to go to sleep."

  She plopped onto the chair, once more staring at the man on the bed—the large bed that had more than enough room for both. "You can share."

  Angie blew out the candle. The full moon shone in through the open window, providing more than enough light for her to make her way to the other side of the bed. She let the wet towel fall to the floor and then pulled the sheet back and climbed into the bed with him, keeping a half foot of space between them—as was proper. Putting her back to him, she lay on her side and pulled the sheet up to her chin. The bed was warm with his body heat, and she closed her eyes, listening to his deep breathing, almost like a purr. It was the most relaxing sound she had ever heard, like sleeping next to a cat … no, a jaguar.

  She drifted to sleep.

  Sometime later, she woke with the realization that she had rolled over in her sleep and was lying against him, her arm on his chest, her thigh on his leg. He’s awake, she realized in alarm. She could tell by the stiffness in his body. In the moonlight, she saw the shine of his eyes watching her. His breathing quickened.

  Without even realizing what she was doing, she reached between his legs and gripped his penis. It was already hard.

  "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice thick with desire.

  For answer, she squeezed his penis and began stroking it. He groaned and then pulled her atop him, gripping her buttocks and crushing her lips with a kiss, his hot breath in her mouth, his erection like a spear.

  "I need you inside me," she said huskily. "Now!"

  He pulled her thighs apart, and because she was already so wet, the head of his penis slid inside her. She gasped, and then he pushed all the way in, and she moaned, digging her fingernails into the skin of his shoulders. He was perfect, like he was made just for her or she for him. They were perfect together.

  They began to rock together. As he thrust upward, pushing into her, she matched his movements, building in intensity and need. She began to moan, making entirely too much noise, but she didn’t care. When her orgasm shook through her, she cried out her joy. Moments later, he came as well, filling her with his hot semen, his body shivering. She collapsed atop him, his hard penis still inside her, their bodies drenched in sweat, her breathing out of control.

  "God damn," she panted. "Why did we wait so long to do that?"

  "Don’t … know…" he wheezed, more out of breath than she was. "Didn’t … didn’t want to take advantage of you."

  She laughed, lying on her arms atop his chest. "Who took advantage of whom, old man?"

  He silenced her with a long kiss.

  They remained in bed, lying next to one another for some time. Then they made love again, and it was even better the second time.

  Chapter 12

  Under the light of a full moon, Erin surged through the forest on powerful legs, barreling through the foliage. Her muscles, like steel cables, rippled under her shining coat of thick red fur. Her senses, always sharper than those of her siblings, were increased tenfold in her beast form. She processed hundreds of different scents, discarding all but her prey. Her heart, three times its human size, throbbed with excitement, sending blood coursing through her veins.

  There was nothing like the hunt.

  The underbrush crunched beneath her clawed paws. A fallen tree blocked her path, four feet high with pungent mushrooms growing from its rotted bark. Without slowing, she leaped over it, landing ten feet away and resuming her run without missing a step. Her brothers were with her, Casey to her left, Jay to her right. Rowan was behind her, following, watching.

  He should have been leading.

  Birds took wing, fleeing the monsters. Erin’s lungs worked like bellows, but her breathing was easy, and she wasn’t even remotely tired. The wind shifted, bringing with it the smell of pine, the rot of decomposing leaves, fresh animal scat—and the heady musk of their prey. They were almost on it.

  Their prey knew the pack was coming for it, and it fled, trying in vain to escape them. But it wasn’t used to fleeing and did so poorly. For so long, it had ruled the woods, at the top of the cycle of life, but that had been before Erin and her brothers had arrived. Now, new predators ruled the wilderness.

  She splashed across a mountain stream, the water cold on her paws, and paused to sniff the air. Casey howled, a drawn-out cry of joy. Jay took up the howl, and then so did Rowan. Erin threw her head back and howled as well. It was good to be alive, good to run through the woods, good to hunt. And soon, it would be good to eat.

  She bolted forward once more, her anticipation growing. They were so close now she could smell their prey’s fear.<
br />
  Death was coming.

  When she broke through a screen of pine trees, she saw their prey for the first time, still running from them—a gigantic California grizzly bear, easily eight feet tall and probably weighing two thousand pounds. The grizzly ran on all fours, impossibly fast. Its fur was a dark brown, a large distinctive hump on its powerful shoulders. Its curved front claws were at least four inches long and could rip bark from trees. It would run until it accepted there was no longer a point, and then the fight would begin. With those claws, those teeth, it was a match for her, maybe a match for any one of the others. But never for the pack. All its long life, it had ruled this mountain, secure in the knowledge that nothing could challenge its dominance. That was why Erin had chosen it tonight.

  Because all things change.

  Erin sprinted forward, closing the distance. The bear, casting a quick glance over its shoulder, saw her, its large eyes filled with fear for perhaps the very first time. She felt no pity, no regret, only hunger, only the need to kill and feed, a response as natural as breathing. The bear, propelled by terror, barreled through the underbrush, snapping small trees in its wake. She increased her pace, leaving her siblings behind. The boys were always too slow, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered but the kill. She leaped the final distance, her claws extended, and caught the bear. Both bear and werewolf roared in rage as they rolled along the ground, biting and ripping at one another. The grizzly wasn't going to die without a fight.

  But it was going to die.

  Blood flowed from their wounds as they broke apart, reassessed one another, and then came on again. The bear was far larger and stronger, but she was faster. She slipped beneath its claws and ripped at its belly, but it moved faster than she would have thought possible and hammered at her head with enough force to shatter trees. Had she been in her human form, it would have broken her neck. The impact staggered her and sent her reeling back, and the bear came rushing in, its jaws open wide in its massive dish-faced head.

  And then Casey slammed into it, knocking it away from her. Jay, both arms now healed, came from behind, landing atop the bear's back and burying his teeth in its powerful shoulders. The bear roared in pain and fury and threw Jay off, but in the distraction, Casey ripped long furrows in its chest, chunks of fur and blood splattering through the air.

  Yet Rowan stood back, watching in his werewolf form—watching her.

  She ignored her anger, rushing in to help Casey and Jay. Her strike was true, and she buried her teeth in the bear’s throat, ripping it out with a savage bite and tasting hot blood. The bear fell, its movements growing weaker as Casey and Jay ripped at it.

  And it died.

  Now Rowan approached. Casey and Jay snarled at him, as did Erin, but Rowan growled in anger, and her brothers drew back, giving over the prey to him, the leader of the pack. Erin growled, still unwilling to share her kill. And it had been her kill. They faced one another, growling and snarling, their eyes shining green. Then she demurred, lowering her head and backing away.

  Rowan approached the dead bear, sniffed it, and then moved back, giving her the honor of feeding first.

  Rowan was so weird.

  Ravenous, she ate, as did the others.

  Later, their stomachs full, they fell asleep together, lying next to one another to share heat. Casey, as always, farted in his sleep.

  The sun woke Erin, and she bolted upright beneath a tree, staring about herself in momentary confusion. She was naked and covered in blood and filth. Erin groaned, remembering snatches of the previous night. Casey and Jay were there with her, also naked and covered in gore, both soundly sleeping. Casey grunted, scratched his balls, rolled over onto his back, and began to snore. Erin ignored his early-morning hard-on.

  Sometimes it was hard being the only sister in a family of brothers.

  She smelled the remains of the grizzly before she saw the mess, the grass soaked in blood, the bones of the bear's ribs sticking out from the bloody fur. The air hummed with flies, the stench making her want to gag. It was always like this. As wonderful as the kill was, the morning after was horrific. And they had two more days of this. She rose on shaky legs, stepping away from her brothers. She missed Angie and realized at some point she had grown accustomed to female company. What is she doing now?

  It was warm already but would become much hotter in a few hours. When she had grown up in Montana, they had snow in the winter. Some of the older people said they remembered snow in the mountains here as well, but these days, it never got that cold in Southern California, no matter the elevation. Would there be snow when they went east? She'd like to see snow again, having loved it as a child, and Jay, a natural athlete, had been into snowboarding. He had been superb at it and had just started teaching her before ... She ran her fingers through her hair but found it matted with gore. Life had been so much easier back then, when it had just been her and Jay and their parents.

  But after A-Day and the first full moon, it had been just her and Jay.

  Erin smelled the stream from a hundred meters away and made her way toward it, ignoring the stones and branches she stepped on with her bare feet. The soles of her feet were surprisingly tough. If she wanted to, she could have walked for days barefoot. Besides, even if she did hurt herself, when she changed tonight, she'd heal. The change healed any injury, could even regrow lost limbs.

  But not death. She thought of her mother, and her throat tightened.

  The gurgling stream was wide and flanked by broken rocks as it wound its way down the mountainside. Ignoring the cold, she walked into it, shivering with delight. The deepest part of the stream came only to her shins, but she knelt and cupped her hands, pouring ice-cold handfuls of water over her head, letting the blood rinse away, turning the waters pink until the current swept them clean. Her long red hair was knotted and tangled, with bits of leaves, dirt, and parts of grizzly in it. She untangled the worst of the knots with her fingers and rinsed away the rest as well as she could. Tomorrow morning there’d be a new kill, and she’d be just as filthy again, but she’d do what she could now.

  A small part of her regretted killing the grizzly, but better an animal than a person. In their werewolf forms, they had no impulse control and could just as easily have hunted people. There were still people living in the wilderness, tribes of humans called Ferals, cannibals, but still people. Everything eats something else, she told herself.

  "You just wake up?" Rowan asked from behind.

  Still kneeling, she glanced over her shoulder to see him step naked from the trees. His body was already clean, still dripping from the stream, his skin puckered from the cold. His chest hairs were gray now, much more so than she remembered. Once she might have been embarrassed by seeing him nude, mortified by the prospect of him seeing her nude, but those days were long past.

  "Any idea where we are?"

  "You tell me," he said, crouching and watching her.

  She forced down her irritation. He was doing this shit again, testing her. She wouldn't let him push her buttons. Instead, she rose and turned in place, her gaze sweeping the trees and surrounding terrain. The land was steep and hilly, covered in pine forests and scrub, not the bushes of the desert.

  "We're still on the mountain."

  "That'd be my guess. Which way to the bunker?"

  They had left their clothing at the bunker atop Mount Laguna.

  She sniffed the air. There was a mild southern current pushing down from the mountain, carrying with it a strong pine smell. She placed her hands on the small of her back and arched it, her muscles stiff from sleeping on the ground. The terrain rose to the northeast. "That way. Probably a few hours’ hike. If we hurry, we can shower and relax before..."

  "Yes," he agreed. "Maybe we can even start preparing the vehicles. I'd like to get underway after the last full moon."

  "We're going to need to wait for Angie. And I'm not entirely sure Jay is down with leaving Tavi."

  "He'll forget about her. It's just a t
hing."

  She snorted. "No, it’s not ‘a thing.’ They’re kids in love."

  He laughed. "Kids, huh?" His eyes shone as he gave her a mocking smile.

  Her face heated, but she ignored him. Jay was four years older than she was, but in every way that mattered, she was more mature, far more dominant. Besides, she was right, not Rowan. Erin had hoped Jay would fall for Angie, but the heart wanted who the heart wanted. Jay wanted Tavi. They barely knew one another, but they were in love. I should be so lucky. She was certain about one thing: Jay was going to make trouble if they tried to go northeast without Tavi.

  "We still need to wait for Angie. She's family now."

  "She isn't. Not really."

  She glared at him, and he raised his hands. "Calm down. That's not what I mean. I love Angie like a sister, but that's not going to change the fact that she's not my sister and she's not your sister, however much you want her to be. She's brave and smart and honest and probably a much better person than I'll ever be, but she isn't a werewolf."

  "Dad didn't carry the gene, either."

  "And look how that turned out." His voice was kind, but it cut into her heart.

  "Mom didn't mean to..." She turned away, her face heating. She remembered that bloody morning as if it were yesterday. Her mother had killed herself later, after she had seen what she had done, leaving Jay and Erin alone to make their way south and find their older brothers.

  He rose and splashed through the water, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know, sis. I know. We don't ever mean to, but we do it all the same, don't we? Mom couldn't stop herself any more than we could have let that bear go last night. It is what it is and what it always will be—a curse."

  "We ... we said she could come with us, that she'd be part of the family."

  "I know, and I meant it, too, but … things change. Now, in the cold light of day, I'm not sure it would have worked. Think about it: every month, we'd have to make sure we got far enough away from her to not kill and eat her. Could we always do that? Not if we're on the move, not if we're trekking across the wilderness. What if we're caught in a snowstorm in the mountains?"