When he didn’t move, she continued, “Now I have a question for you. You said that Lucifer actually promised Michael he wouldn’t harm you, Julian and the others?”
“Yes, but I guess it’s safe to assume that was a lie.”
“It would seem so but let’s not forget that Lucifer is very cunning. He’ll make it appear that someone else is doing what Michael ordered him not to do. But make no mistake, his evil mind is behind any plan his minions may have put into motion. The hellhound knows where you are now. I’m certain he’s taking this news back to his lord and master as we speak. They will return, in full force. Roy and I will do what needs to be done to protect our community if they show up here again but—if it’s you they really want they’ll follow you wherever you go until they’ve captured you—or worse. Can you reach your friends? You need to call and tell them what’s happened? They may even want to be…”
“No.” Rick said firmly before she could finish her sentence.
“Don’t be a fool, vampire. As long as you’re here we can protect you but if you choose to leave us you’re on your own—and you can’t face these creatures alone. They’ll rip you to shreds. I know. I’ve seen them in action. The only chance any of us have against an all out attack is numbers—and the more the better.”
“You’re assuming I care if they kill me. Let them—then all of my problems will be over.”
“You are such a fool, Rick Ferrante, and a hypocrite as well.” Jaclyn said, angry that a man like him would give up on life, such as it was, so easily. Rick was surprised at how much her words hurt him. He’d known her only a short while but in that time he’d come to respect her and he wanted her respect in return.
“You prided yourself on being a man of faith in your former life. Well, where’s that faith now? Are you so stupid that you can’t see that there’s good and evil in all beings whether they‘re human, vampire, werewolf, etc. Yes, I said werewolf…” she told him when she saw the surprised look on his face as she spoke that word. “…for that, my friend, is what I am.”
“What!” Rick shouted glancing quickly at the silver dagger still lying on the end table.
“Go ahead, grab the weapon. It will kill me if that’s what you’re thinking but, have I threatened you in any way since your arrival?”
“No.”
“Has anyone else bothered you because there are plenty of us around? My pack is large and we watch out for each other as well as the locals of this community?”
“No, no-one’s bothered me although I think Roy would like too.
“There’s a reason for that. Roy is my second in command and in charge of security.”
“So you’ve said.” Rick sat back taking it all in. “Werewolves, huh—I knew something was off with you but I couldn’t put my finger on just what it was. Well, I have to tell you, Jaclyn—you’re not like any werewolf I’ve had the unfortunate luck to come across.”
“No, I’m proud to say we’re not. We are Loupe-Garou. We’ve lived in peace among the humans of this area for generations. We only assume our true natures when we have to, when something, or someone, threatens us or the humans that live among us—much like your Julian and his friends. And you—should you decide to use your gift—or whatever you choose to call it. You have power, Rick—do something good with it. Use it to fight the evil you know is out there and, as long as you are in the area, my pack and I will help you.”
Rick tried to absorb all that Jaclyn was telling him. Werewolves—and he was right in the middle of them. “How many are in your pack?”
“About a hundred or so. The houses you saw surrounding Moon Lake belong to us as well as several human families that live among us. The man, Mark, who was attacked, was a servant of mine.”
“I’m sorry. Will he survive?”
“If he hasn’t died yet then he’ll survive—in one form or another,” she said, staring at him pointedly.
“You mean he might become…?”
“What he’ll become we’re not sure. He was bitten by a hellhound not a wolf. I’ve seen victims of these demon dogs become various things, werewolves, zombies, etc. It seems the hounds have the ability to choose the form their creations assume. The werewolf is the most common because it’s a killing machine. I guess, in Mark’s case, we’ll just have to wait and see. And werewolves aren’t as lucky as vampires. What we are in life doesn’t transfer over with the change so no amount of instruction from my pack will save Mark from the evil that is in his soul because of the creature that attacked him. If he is still alive we should do him the favor of killing him but—he was a loyal friend. So we’ll watch him. If the evil was passed on to him then we will destroy him,” and Rick could see the sorrow in her eyes as she explained all of this to him.
“You said you’ve encountered these hellhounds before—when and where?”
“It’s a long story but I’ll try to make it brief. I know you need your rest and I need to gather the pack and make some plans. First of all, I need to give you a little history lesson on some of our ancestors starting with the Wolf Mother.”
“The Wolf Mother, who’s that?”
“The Wolf Mother, otherwise known as Mandukhai Khatun, was the Empress of Mongolian Khaganate or The Northern Yuan Dynasty. She, along with her second husband, Dayan Khan, was famous for uniting all the Mongols. How she acquired the gift of the wolf we don’t know but it’s said she was the first of our kind. Her first husband was Manduul Khan who reigned—oh—somewhere around 1473. Manduul preferred her to his other wife because Mandukhai bore him two daughters. When Manduul died prematurely the throne was left without an heir so Mandukhai decided that she would rule the kingdom. She adopted an orphan named Batmonkh who was the last living descendant of Kublai Khan and had this boy proclaimed Dayan Khan. When he turned nineteen, she married him and retained her control over the Mongols.”
“Mandukhai then took command of their armies going into battle herself. She was a fierce warrior, a trait mostly attributed to her second nature—her wolf nature. She fought against the Oirats, managing to defeat them. Years later, the Oirats raided the Eastern Mongols. Mandukhai, once again, mobilized an army against them. She even fought while pregnant and was injured while carrying twins. She, along with the twins, survived and her army won the battle. It’s rumored that the Ming Chinese built the Great Wall to keep her out after they killed a Mongol envoy and closed the border trade. In the end she left seven sons and three daughters—and now this pack is all that’s left to carry on her legacy. We’ve lived quietly for years, moving from town to town—country to country— guarding the secret of what we are. But now that secret is in danger of being discovered because, only in our true form, do we stand any chance of fighting the evil that’s threatening us.”
“You said you had a run in with these hellhounds before—when?” Rick asked.
Jaclyn stared at the vampire for a long time before continuing her story. “It was back during the original Wolf Mother’s reign. She lived for hundreds of years but was most active during the 15th century. The legend goes that sometime around 1917 she had an encounter with a creature of unimaginable evil. The beast was brutal, killing thousands of people, literally tearing a human body limb from limb. It was nearly indestructible but the Wolf Mother, along with a handful of others of which I was one, drove the creature from our land. I haven’t seen or heard of one since—until now,” she said as she watched Rick carefully.
“You—were alive back then? I know it’s not proper etiquette to ask but—exactly how old are you?” Jaclyn just smiled but made no response.
“Alright then, so—you think the beast I saw in the woods was the same type of creature you fought against back then?” he asked.
“That’s exactly what I think.”
“But—where did it come from and why surface now?”
“Well, given the reason they
were created, to return lost souls, the reason it’s here is obvious. It’s come to take you back to Lucifer, or whoever he has doing his dirty work for him. And as for where it came from—straight from Hell, that’s for damn sure. From the stories I’ve heard, these beasts were created from the damned souls of the worst sort of human—insane, twisted—demented. They say Roman Ungern von Sternberg, a Russian who later became dictator of Mongolia, is one. Jack the Ripper is another, beings so evil one wonders if they were really ever human. But who they were in life isn’t what’s important. It’s the creatures they’ve become that we’re going to have to deal with now and that won’t be an easy task. And, on that note, I’m going to leave you. It’s late and you need your rest,” she said. She stood up and headed for the back door.
Rick walked with her, holding open the door as she stepped outside. Turning, she looked at him with hooded eyes. “I’m going to gather the pack. We’re having a meeting tonight at the Inn. Get some rest now, vampire, and then join us at dusk. Oh—and one more thing. Contact your friends. They deserve to be forewarned of the horror that may be coming their way. If Lucifer is looking for you it’s a good bet he has those dogs searching for the ones that were with you during your little adventure with the angel. I may not have known you long, Rick Ferrante, but one thing I do know—you couldn’t live with the guilt if something were to happen to one of your friends,” she said. “I’ll see you later—goodnight.” And she was gone.
Rick sighed deeply, running his fingers through his unruly dark hair. She’s right, he thought, I need to warn Julian and the others. Addie—if anything happens to her… Coming to a decision, Rick pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. A few seconds later he heard a deep voice on the other end of the line.
“Hello.”
“Simon—it’s Rick.”
“Rick, this is a surprise. What’s up—or have you finally come to your senses and decided to come home to us?”
“No, I’m not coming home but there is a problem. It seems I’ve attracted some unwanted attention which may have an adverse affect on all of you.” Rick told the vampire.
“What?” Simon asked. “I told you to keep a low profile, priest. We have rules—see, this is why I didn’t want you running off by yourself?” and there was no mistaking the concern in the other vampire’s voice.
“It’s nothing I did, Simon, so back off.”Rick said fighting to control his anger. “I’ve followed all of your rules and was actually hoping to establish some sort of life in this town but it seems our old buddy, Lucifer, had other ideas.”
“Lucifer— what are you talking about, man? I thought Michael took care of him.”
“We were all under that impression but it seems we were wrong, at least that’s what the locals here think. It’s Lucifer or someone under his command…” but Simon cut him off before he could explain further.
“The locals—have you been talking about us, priest? You know that’s forbidden. Julian will have your head…”
“Julian’s not going to come anywhere near me, Simon, and I didn’t have to tell anyone anything. They knew exactly what I was as soon as they met me because, it seems, I’m not the only supernatural in this town.” Rick said.
“What the hell are you talking about? Explain yourself, man.”
“I’m trying to if you’ll just stop interrupting me and let me get on with my story.” Rick could hear Simon’s deep sigh as the vampire said. “Alright, I’m sorry. Just tell me where you are and what’s going on there.”
Thirty minutes later Simon stood staring at the phone in his hand not believing the tale he’d just heard but, considering who was telling the story, he had to believe it was true. “Werewolves—you’re telling me you’ve befriended a pack of dogs!” he roared into his cell phone.
“Simon, listen to me.” Rick pleaded. “I know you have no love for any were-creatures but these wolves are different. If anyone should understand that it’s all of you. As it was pointed out to me, if there are good vampires roaming this earth then why not werewolves as well? They’re different, Simon, trust me.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.”
“Alright, priest, I’ll talk to Julian. I’ll have him call you as soon as he’s decided what he wants to do.”
“No, Simon.”
“No—no, what?” Simon asked in confusion.
“I don’t need to talk to Julian. I just wanted to let you know what’s going on in case I’m not their only target.”
“Look Rick…” Simon started to say but Rick interrupted.
“I mean it, Simon; I’m just not ready to talk to him. Please try to understand. I’m working on it but I need a little more time. How—how is—everyone?”
“If you mean Addie, she’s fine. She’s—a little under the weather but, other than that, she’s fine.” Simon told him.
“Under the weather, what do you mean?” Rick asked as panic filled him.
“Relax, friend, she’s just—caught a little bug.”
“You’re sure? You’d tell me if something was wrong, right Simon?”
“You know I would. Look Rick— she’s fine and so are the others. Thomas and Kate have just left for New York on a buying trip for Addie’s shop and Julian—is well. It’s been quiet here which is why your news is so disturbing. I’m going to talk to Julian now. I’ll let you know what he says. Keep us posted on your end.” Simon told him as he said goodbye.
“I will. Good-bye Simon.” Rick said as he flipped off the cell phone. I’d better get some rest. If I’ve learned anything during the past year it’s to stay well rested and well fed, he thought as he walked to the tiny kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Pulling one of the packets of blood from inside Rick poured the contents into a glass. He stared at the ruby liquid with a mixture of longing and disgust before he drank deeply. Rinsing the glass in the sink, he walked into the bedroom and sat down upon the bed. “Rest—how am I supposed to rest when it looks like the nightmare is about to begin all over again?” he said out loud as he threw his forearm across his forehead and fell back against the blankets. Will it ever end? he wondered. Will I ever find peace—happiness—love again in this miserable existence that’s become my life? “Oh hell, stop feeling sorry for yourself,” he mumbled under his breath as he turned on his side. He closed his eyes and soon fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 4
“I tell you it was aliens!” the old woman screamed hysterically, her insane eyes darting back and forth uncontrollably, her arthritic fingers clutching at her tattered sweater. Slokavich stopped scribbling and closed his little black notebook with a ‘snap’. “Jezus Christ!” The words poured out of his mouth as he turned from the woman in disgust. “Is it too much to ask for just one reliable witness in all of this chaos?”
“What—don’t you believe? Just wait ‘til they come, you’ll believe then—you’ll all believe!” the woman screamed in a desperate attempt to hold his attention.
“Yeah, yeah—whatever,” Al said as he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Shaniqua finished with a young couple she’d been questioning and walked toward her partner. Pulling a pack of Marlboros from her coat pocket, she lit one up, the white smoke streaming from her nostrils. “You getting’ anything?” she asked.
“Yeah, a bunch of shit. We got aliens—the boogie man—ghosts and goblins. Hell, whatever happened to plain old humans going on a murderous rampage? Has everyone gone insane or something?” Al ranted on.
“Or something,” Shaniqua replied as she took another drag from the cigarette. “I didn’t do any better than you.” As they compared notes someone called out to them, the irritating voice causing Slokavich to cringe.
“Hey Slokavich, what the hell’r you doin’ at my crime scene?” A small weasel of a man with a long, pointed no
se and pencil thin mustache stepped from behind two uniformed police officers.
“Shit, it’s Miller.” Al swore, making no effort to hide his hatred for the man now walking towards him. Frank Miller had been a pain in his ass for more years than he cared to remember. Head of homicide, Miller had an ongoing feud with the members of The Drug Task Force and always seemed to be around when things weren’t going their way.
“Don’t let him get to you, Al.” Shaniqua said as she blew smoke into the face of the detective now standing directly in front of her.
“Cough, cough.” Miller waved his hand in front of his face in an effort to clear the smoke from his nostrils. “Bitch,” Miller said under his breath. Regaining his composure, he cast a sidelong glance towards the Chess and Checker building. “Did you lose another one of your druggie friends, Slokavich? What’ya gonna tell your captain when she finds out you screwed up again? All yer perps are dying. Your sexy little boss ain’t gonna be too happy about that.”
“Screw you, Miller!” hissed Shaniqua. Miller turned on her but, before he could respond, the squeal of tires was heard off in the distance. A shiny black Camaro screeched to halt on the other side of the yellow crime tape fluttering softly in the gentle morning breeze. All three officers watched, tension building as the car door was flung open and a figure emerged.
Evangeline jumped from the vehicle, stopping for a brief moment to take in the scene before her. Her hazel eyes burned with anger as she slammed the car door shut. “Click—click—click,” the three inch heels of her calf high boots dug into the pavement as she walked towards the two people directly in her line of sight, her ensemble of skinny jeans, white blouse and brown leather jacket betraying the fact that this was supposed to be her day off.
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