by Kyrii Rayne
"It wouldn't work, Amber. They would just--."
"But Garrett, just tie me to a tree and hide somewhere. Then when they come for me, you can shoot them. I trust yo--."
"Allyson did too. She trusted me to keep her safe. And look where it got her."
Garrett pulled over and glared at the rearview mirror. Tears stung at the back of his eyes, forbidden from falling. His breath was sharp and crisp as he clenched his fist around the steering wheel. Amber held her breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Would he scream? Cry? The last time she’d seen a man react this way, it had been her father, minutes after they buried her mother. That was the day she’d realized that she did believe in true love. What else could cause an otherwise soft-spoken man to get so emotional?
"So, no, Amber," Garrett finally continued through his teeth. "I'm not risking you. Besides, even if your plan worked and I got Allyson out safe, she would kill me for putting you in danger."
Amber bit her tongue and stared out the window.
*****
Allyson awoke with a start. Her back and legs ached from being cramped. She tried to stretch, but her hands hit the edges of a cage.
What the fuck? She glanced around her.
Some loose hay made up the bottom of the cage. She was forced to crouch down, even while sitting, in the small cage. Outside the mesh of her metal prison was a large room with concrete walls. No windows. Just a small, simple desk in the corner. Several more cages lined the wall, all empty.
"Don't worry, they'll be full eventually." Tim's voice echoed against the harsh silence. She glared at him. His dress shoes clacked against the concrete floor as he walked over and crouched next to her. "Get used to this," he grinned as he poked his finger between the bars.
Allyson snapped her arm out and caught the finger. She bent it backwards against the metal until she heard it crack. He yelled out in pain and jerked his hand away from her. He jumped back to his feet and kicked at the cage.
"Stupid dog," he said. Tim paced in a circle and shook his hand. "You were supposed to die. But you already know that part. Eddie and Garrett were supposed to go in and kill you months ago. Easy case. Shouldn't have been any problem. So imagine my surprise when I found out that instead of them delivering to me one dead wolf, I have to go in and clean up after one dead hunter and one soon-to-be dead traitor."
Brief waves of relief allowed Allyson to relax at the realization that Garrett was still alive.
"Now, I don't know what kind of spell you cast over Garrett to make him abandon his place with us. Or to make him turn on Eddie. Garrett was one of our best hunters. Did you know that before you, he was our top hunter? He's killed the most werewolves out of... oh hell even more than I have."
Allyson studied Tim as he spoke. Her heart raced in her chest. The sweat on her palms made them slick against the metal. She had no idea how much time she’d lost, but if the clock on the wall was right, she only had about an hour before sunset.
"Exsanguination." Tim grinned. "Do you know what that is?" Allyson's eyes darted back over to his. "Blood loss. Rather, the process of losing blood. As in bleeding." He glanced over at the clock and then crouched next to the cage again. "This is going to hurt," he whispered.
His eyes darted behind her just as steel bit into the back of her right knee. Allyson screamed as Allan pulled his knife back out of the cage. Allyson grabbed her knee and looked back up at Tim.
"Yeah, you're going to want to keep applying pressure to that. You see, the Popliteal Artery, while smaller and less well known than some of its larger cousins, is no slouch when it comes to exsanguination. You are giving us a unique opportunity. And I don't plan on wasting it. We've never been able to study a werewolf's transformation before. Not up close. The theory is that once your cells rearrange themselves and you transform into your wolf, your cut will be healed completely. So if you can keep pressure on that for the next, say 57 minutes, that would be very helpful in testing out this theory. If not, well, then you'll bleed out before you get the chance to change."
He smirked and walked away. As he turned the lights off, her mind raced. She wondered if Garrett had escaped with Amber. If they were safe. Where they were. She wondered what games Tim had planned. But she refused to grant him any satisfaction by asking. Instead she continued to glare at him as he turned the lights out and left the room. Allyson clenched her eyes shut as she tucked her knees up under her chin. She squeezed her hands over the cut in the back of her knee and took in a deep breath.
*****
"Okay, come on, we only have about an hour to go," Garrett said as he pulled his truck up to the cabin.
Amber nodded and jumped out of the truck. Allyson's words and advice swam through her head as she ran around the cabin helping Garrett to prepare. Get the food ready first thing. Make sure you've eaten enough. But leave a roast out.
What's the roast for?
That's what you'll use to feed the wolf.
On the coffee table, Garrett arranged the retrieval pack. Blankets, sweat pants, bandages, water, flare gun -- everything he would need to find and retrieve Amber once she transformed back to her human form.
"What are you doing?" Amber asked as she wrapped the twine around the roast.
"Huh?" Garrett glanced up at her.
"You're making two packs."
He stared back down at the coffee table. Two packs.
Garrett shook his head. "I guess I nut be running a bit on autopilot. Just trying to let everything sink in, you know?"
Amber nodded. "Yeah. I pulled out a plate for her to eat, too."
Garrett forced a smile and ran into the bathroom to grab the first aid supplies. Before he could swing the cabinet doors open, Amber shrieked. Garrett's heart jumped into his throat and his stomach lurched. He recognized that scream. That shrill, torturous cry blending terror with pain.
"Fuck, that hour went by fast," he said as he ran out of the bathroom.
Amber's eyes opened wide as her knees buckled from under her. Her balance faltered and betrayed her.
"Calm down, Amber," he said.
"Garrett!" Amber cried. The bones in her arms cracked and broke. Thin mucus oozed out over her skin. Her eyes welled up with tears and sank into their sockets. She clenched her fists, trying to stop the claws from replacing her nail beds. But it was no use. Garrett glanced over at the counter. The roast, ready to hang from a tree outside, still sat on the counter. He ran across the room and grabbed it. Then he leaned back and threw it outside as far as he could muster before running back into the bedroom to lock the door. Amber continued to scream as her body jerked and toiled to change.
He stopped at the bedroom door and nodded toward Amber. "You'll be okay, Amber. I'm going to lock this door. I'll find you in the morning."
He closed his eyes and closed the door to the bedroom. Plugging his ears to block her cries, he leaned back against the locked door and waited. Finally, the screaming faded into the sounds of claws scraping against the wood. Loud crashes echoed through the cabin. Garrett could only imagine what Amber was knocking around and digging into out there. He pressed his ear against the door and waited.
*****
Amber faltered in her new form. She sniffed around the room and took cautious steps until she was sure she could balance herself with her new legs. Panting from behind the door drew her attention. She crawled over and sniffed.
Fear.
Sorrow.
And something else. She couldn't place it, but the scent was familiar. And she wasn't sure if familiar meant good or bad. She turned back to the room and rummaged through any items in reach. Jumping at the crashing noises as she knocked things to the floor.
The smell of meat called to her from outside. But part of her didn't want to leave the familiar scent of the cabin. Hunger soon over powered the familiar. Amber yelped and ran outside to find something to eat.
Chapter Six
After the scraping of claws against the hardwood floor faded outside, Garrett sig
hed and slid down the door to the floor. He cupped his head in his hands and fought to regain his composure. A few minutes later, howling took over the quiet night outside. But something was different this time. The howling didn't carry the same casual stalking for food he'd grown used to with Allyson. This was desperate. Lonely.
Damn I got to get that door closed, Garrett told himself. Before she comes back in and gets hurt. Or hurts me. He took a deep breath and climbed to his feet.
The main room had been left a mess, much as he’d expected given the sudden change of plans. He stepped over the piles of books to reach the fallen lamp. His laptop lay cracked on the floor with remnants of Amber's food dripping onto the keyboard. Garrett took a deep breath and placed the laptop onto the counter to try to turn it on.
"Come on, come on, come on," he whispered. The laptop flickered on. The picture along the top inch of the screen was distorted and filled with static. The "Q" and "E" keys stuck on the keyboard and the mousepad didn't work at all. But Garrett still managed to hop online. "All right. So... let's see. If you're going to kidnap a werewolf on the day of the full moon... where do you take her?"
His fingertips pounded against the keyboard.
More howling outside.
"What the hell?" Garrett glanced over at the door. Still open.
Footsteps grew louder. Galloping closer.
Oh shit!
The door was still open. How had he forgotten to close it? Garrett jumped over and grabbed the doorknob. Several feet away from the door, Amber lay mauling the roast. Garrett's eyes met Amber's and she stopped eating to stare back. A low growl emanated from deep within her gut. He jerked the door closed and stared out the window.
Hours later, Amber stayed just at the porch to the cabin, staring out into the trees. Howling floated from out in the distance. He held his breath and counted the different harmonizing tones. Four? Five? They had to be close. Within a few miles. The only howls last month had belonged to Allyson. Now there were five more wolves? How had a pack formed so fast?
This is going to be a long night.
*****
Allyson's fingers tingled. Her jeans, along with the hay lining the bottom of the cage, were soaked with blood. Still she sat in the cage, staring out into the dark and concentrating on anything she could.
Shivers had taken over her muscle control several minutes ago. She knew she was close to losing consciousness. Her head felt light, almost as if it were no longer connected to her shoulders. But she could barely keep her eyelids open.
Lights flashed on, blinding her.
"Still here, Allyson?" Tim's voice echoed against the concrete.
"Fuck... you..." Allyson whispered between shallow breaths.
"Oh," Tim feigned concern. His lips twisted into a sarcastic frown. "Calm down, Allyson. I didn't mean anything by it. So. Are you ready to make history? Grant us a deeper understanding of what makes you tick?"
The hot garlic on his breath made her stomach lurch.
Allyson closed her eyes and shook her head. The strength was draining from her arms. And every time her grip loosened behind her knee, more blood poured out. The blush had drained from her cheeks and lips, leaving her skin a sickly pale yellow.
She closed her dry eyes for longer than she intended. Her head bobbed over to the side and her hand slipped.
"Ah-ah," Tim said and poked her through the bars.
Allyson nearly fell over from the soft force of his fingers.
"You've got about two minutes left. Don't tell me you're going to give up now?"
She turned her head and stared at one of the empty cages across the room. Her stomach twisted in on itself. The goose bumps along her arms rippled and erupted as her hair thickened. Soon after, Allyson's body jerked. Her claws tore through her nail beds as her fangs ripped through her gums. Cracks echoed against the stark room as her bones snapped and rearranged themselves.
Finally, her breathing steadied. And just as Tim had predicted, the bleeding stopped.
He smirked at Allyson. Her yellow eyes drooped.
"So, it worked. You're still sick and weak from the blood loss. But the cut healed. All you'll need is time and you'll be back up to full strength."
Allyson snapped at him, trying to squeeze her claws through the cage. Her fangs bared to release a growl.
*****
Tim jumped back to his feet.
"You aren't scared of her, are you boss?"
Allan walked into the room with coffees.
"No. Not of the dog. Boy you see her though? Bloodthirsty animal just itching to take a bite out of me."
"So what's the plan? Why are we keeping her? I say we should just put her out of her misery."
Allan pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it straight toward Allyson's chest.
"Don't be stupid," Tim said as he grabbed the gun from Allan. "Kill her now and we won't be able to--." He stopped short and whipped back toward the door. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Shh," he barked.
Tim held his breath and took a couple of steps closer to the door. Allyson shifted in her cage. The hay matted down into her fur and scratched against the metal bars.
"Damn it, I said shh," Tim yelled and turned to Allyson.
He grabbed his gun and shot her in the shoulder. She yelped and fell over, still.
"I thought you said not to kill her?"
"That's not going to kill her. It isn't even silver. She'll heal too fast for that to kill her. But it will shut her up. Now shh before I do the same to you."
Allan held his breath and stared at the door. His eyes darted from the open door back to his boss. Tim held a finger into the air. A few minutes later, howling floated in from outside.
"Another wolf?" Allan asked.
Tim shook his head.
"That's what it sounds like," he whispered.
The howling grew louder.
"Is it getting closer to us?"
Tim's eyebrows twitched in confusion and he glanced back at Allyson.
"Boss!" Rick stumbled down the stairs and through the door. "You're going to want to see this. They're surrounding the bunker."
"Who is?"
"Wolves. Half a dozen of them. Eddie and Garrett must have fucked up. It's got to be her pack."
"Her pack? No, if Allyson were part of a pack we would have known."
"Well, something brought them here."
"What are they doing?"
"Just circling around the bunker. Whining and howling."
Tim followed Rick and Allan up the stairs and outside. The moon and stars lit up the forest. And what they missed became visible with the help of a spotlight from the bunker.
"Get the others," Tim growled. "Looks like we're going hunting tonight."
*****
Garrett's alarm rang an hour before sunrise the next morning. But there was no need. Garrett had worked through the night on peanut butter sandwiches and more than a few pots of coffee. Amber's howling served as a constant reminder that she was right outside the doors all night. Every time he walked by a window or glanced out the door, she jumped to her feet and growled.
So when the alarm clock rang out from the bedroom, Garrett ran in to shut it off and glanced out the window again.
There she was. She was smaller than Allyson, even in wolf form. But still, if he hadn't already known he was staring at Amber, he wouldn't have guessed that the petite, shy cashier from the gas station would be growling at him here. Her gray fur shone silver against the moonlight.
What the hell is she still doing here? He was almost relieved that he wouldn't have to head out into the woods to track her. If she stayed put right up until the transformation, he could just grab her right away.
He grabbed his tranquilizer gun and some other equipment and started brewing up some more coffee. Ready to go outside once the transformation was done. Let Amber sleep off the night while I start hunting for Tim and Allyson he thought.
Amber's moans
and whines during the transformation back into her own, sweet self proved just as heart wrenching and painful to listen to as the screams the night before. Garrett took in several deep breaths to calm his nerves as moans from outside morphed into Amber's cries.
The next time he glimpsed out the window, Amber lay a few dozen feet away from the porch. He grabbed a blanket and walked out to her.
"Hey Amber, I'm here."
"That was--."
"I know," he whispered.
Once they were inside, Amber breathed in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and smiled.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I am." Amber answered. "I didn't expect to be, but I really am. Would it be all right if I took a bath?"
"Of course. Go right ahead."
Garrett pointed toward the bathroom and stepped down the hall to grab some towels for her. Then he sat back down at his cracked laptop and stared at the keyboard as the water ran in the bathroom. He started new internet searches. Half an hour later, Amber came out of the bathroom dressed and refreshed, tossing her hair in a towel to dry.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Just trying to find a spot where I can start looking."
"I think I know."
"What?"
"Last night, I heard a group of wolves fighting and there was gun fire."
"I didn't hear any--wait a minute. Are you saying you can remember things that happened last night?"
Amber nodded.
"Is that why you camped out by the front porch last night? Because you could remember? Were you able to remember everything or just some things? What about--."
"Slow down. Last night, after I transformed, I didn't know anything. Not really. Like I couldn't remember who I was or where I was. But at the same time, it all felt familiar and safe. I just couldn't quite place how I knew it."
"That's great," said Garrett.
Amber dug around in the cabinets, unrolling maps until she found one of the areas around the lake.
"Anyway, like I said, I heard gunshots last night. There was a fight and werewolves were involved right around here."
She pointed to a spot on the map.
"How can you be sure they were werewolves and not everyday timber wolves?"