by Laura Del
Herb nodded and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mike sniff the air. “He’s here,” he said, and my heart sank.
“Ready?” Samuel asked me.
“As I will ever be.”
He walked up to me, placed his hands on my shoulders, leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “I love you, Patricia, and I will stand by you until the very end.”
I touched his face gently, pulled my hand back, and slapped him. “I don’t forgive you for what you have done to me, but I’m glad you’re here to help. Thank you, Samuel Satané, for being the bastard who helped me feel something again.”
He chuckled, smiling with his fangs out. “You’re welcome, Pat. And I do apologize for the way I have treated you.”
“I know,” I said, moving away from him. “Well,” I sighed, taking off my coat and placing it on the counter, “let’s get this over with.”
The four of us walked out back, even though I told Samuel that he could stay inside, and when the metal door close behind us, everything became still.
As my new eyesight adjusted to the dark, empty space, I noticed that Stag was nowhere to be found, but I could smell him. Herb quietly handed me the sword, while Mike shifted his weight behind me.
“I do not like this,” Samuel said as we walked in the middle of the field.
“Neither do I,” Herb whispered. When I looked at him, he seemed calm, but his eyes were franticly scanning the dark.
“He’s here,” I breathed. “I can smell him.” I lifted the sword, moving closer to the tree line. However, before I could go too far, the branches rustled.
Stag lunged out of a tree, descending on us with grace and ease, as if he didn’t just jump down fifty feet to meet us. We scrambled backward, making a sort of semi-circle around him, and when he looked up at me, that cocky smile spread wide across his face. “Boo,” he said with a laugh, and as he straightened up, I noticed that the only thing he had on was a pair of cut-off sweats. His impressive muscles rippled as the shadows of the moonlight danced off them. I would have loved to ogle him more, but I thought better of it, considering he was going to kill me.
I rolled my eyes. “Scary.”
“I thought so.”
I pointed the tip of the sword at him. “I’d love to stand here and chat, but we’re kind of on a deadline, pun most definitely intended.”
He looked around at everyone before his eyes settled on me again. “Kinda unfair, isn’t it? Four against one.”
“They’re only here to clean up the mess.”
“I can’t believe you would do this to me,” he growled, sneering. “After all we’ve been through!”
“You brought this on yourself, Stag,” Mike said from behind me, his voice coming out low and breathy. Just from that one sentence, I could tell that he was fighting the change, but I didn’t look because I didn’t want to get distracted by what was going on in front of me.
“Are you sure you wanna do this, girly?” Elliot almost whispered, and I began to wonder what he was playing at, until I looked into his eyes. He had his usual cocky air about him, but there was something in him: fear. He was truly terrified.
Just that one look gave me a strange sense of empowerment, and I smiled to myself. “You bet your sweet ass I do.” The air began to shift behind me, and Mike howled in pain. He was changing sooner than the vision had shown, and I wondered whether this was going to go as planned. But I had to push that thought aside as Stag moved toward me.
I backed away, keeping the tip of the sword pointed at him as he crumpled onto himself. The sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone filled the still, night air, as both wolf behind me and monster before me changed. There were choking sounds, and then finally screams as I watched Elliot’s back arch with the agony of the change.
His shorts ripped away as hair erupted from every pore on his body. It was excruciating to watch as his mouth and nose became a short snout, his skin tone turning pitch black in the process. Stag’s arms elongated, while his legs grew and cracked under the strain. I looked on in sheer horror while his fingers lengthened, his nails sharpened, and his upper and lower canines became fangs. His ears were pointed, not looking like those of a wolf, but of a bat. Stag’s feet became twice their normal size, becoming a mixture of wolf and man. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t have a tail. And as the change settled over him, I noticed that even though he was hairy, it was sparse, especially around a certain area which was now engorged with excitement.
A growl came from behind me, and I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder at Mike in his werewolf form. They were completely different animals. Mike’s entire body was covered in hair, his ears came to sharp points, and his snout was that of a wolf’s. His body had grown, both in girth and in stature, and he now had to be over seven and a half feet at least. But he was more of an animal than Stag was. Just like in the visions.
I turned my head quickly back around to see Elliot open his now red eyes and smile with his lipless mouth. “Be with me, Pat,” his voice came out in a low growl. “We don’t have to die tonight. We can be together forever. All you have to do is say yes.”
“Not on your fucking life,” I hissed.
He laughed. “All right. Suit yourself, girly.” With that, he threw back his head and roared. The sound was almost deafening, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see both Herb and Samuel cover their ears and crumple in pain.
Before I could think about moving, Mike’s wolf lunged forward, tackling Elliot to the ground. They were a blur as teeth sunk into flesh, and fur and blood started flying. This was going very bad, very fast.
Stag flung Mike off him, and he flew by my right shoulder, hitting the metal siding of the restaurant. I winced at the cracking sound his spine made, and when he whimpered. I had an urge to run over and help him, but considering he would most likely not know who I was at that point, it was a very bad idea.
The situation was not turning out like either one of Kathryn’s visions. That’s when it hit me. Samuel had not been in either one of them, but there he was, standing only a few feet away, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. “Samuel, no,” I shouted, but it was too late, he had already leapt forward. He sunk his teeth into Elliot’s neck, ripping his throat wide open, and when I looked at Herb for help, he seemed glued to his spot.
As I looked at the disaster before me, Elliot threw Samuel into the tree line, and I heard him land with a loud crash. Then Stag turned to face me once again, and his neck was completely healed.
“Shit,” I whispered to myself, still holding the blade high.
“Looks like it’s just you and me now, girly,” he hissed, finally pouncing on me.
I tried to avoid him, but he was too fast, much faster than I thought he was going to be. I didn’t have enough time to avoid being hit. He used his feet to kick me back, and I hit the metal door with such force that it knocked the wind right out of me. I slid down to the ground, the sword abandoned at my side as I tried to get air back into my lungs. That’s when I felt the first trickle of blood run down my leg.
Everything began to slow down. I could see what Stag’s next move was even before he made it. So I lifted the sword as best I could, anchored myself against the door, and as he lunged, I plunged the silver blade deep into his abdomen. The force of the blow sent me flying into the door again, cracking my skull in the process.
Stag staggered back, the sword sliding from his flesh as easily as Kathryn had envisioned it. And as I stood there leaning against the metal back door of the diner, Elliot’s wolf-like legs buckled under him.
I moved forward, the yard swaying before me, and with one swift move, I cleaved his head right off his shoulders. It rolled onto the grass, and as the lifeless body fell backward, I took the sword and hacked his chest open.
“Take…the…heart,” I managed to tell Herb, before I saw the blood land on the back of my hand. Sudde
nly, the sword became too heavy, and when it fell away from me, it made a soft clang on the grass. My knees gave out, and I felt no pain as I watched Herb lick his lips. Then I turned my head slightly to see Mike start to stalk me.
The last thing I remember before I went under was the grass below me soaked with my blood, and the ground coming up fast. After which, there was nothing.
A soft light came into my view, and I wondered for a moment if I was truly dead. I mean, Kathryn hadn’t shown me a light, and with how dim it was, there was no possible way that it was “the light.” But as it came into focus, it began to blaze a bright white, and I could feel myself being pulled toward it. It was as if it was calling to me.
“Where am I?” I asked, my voice echoing around me as it filled the air.
“Hello, sweetheart,” my mother’s soft, English-accented voice floated to me on a warm breeze, caressing my face.
I looked around for her, and she faded into view before me. “Moms?”
She threw he arms wide. “Yes, my darling.”
“Moms,” I shouted, running to her, flinging myself into her arms like a little girl. We embraced, and as I pulled away, I could see that she looked exactly as I had remembered her. Hazel eyes, blonde hair, and full pouty lips were all set on a face that reminded me so much of my own. We were the same height, but I always felt small beside her. After all, she was my mother.
When I finally got a good look at her, I noticed that she was wearing the white dress we had buried her in, and I began to wonder something. “Where am I?”
She smiled. “You’re in limbo, sweetheart,” she said as gently as possible.
I could feel my brow furrow, which meant I still had a brow. Weird. “You mean, I’m not dead? But Kathryn—”
“She was wrong, my darling.” She pushed a strand of hair out of my face, her smile never wavering. “But your child…he didn’t make it.”
My lower lip quivered. “Oh, Moms.”
“Shh,” she soothed me. “It’s all right, darling. It just wasn’t meant to be. But don’t you worry, you will get your chance to be a mother.”
I nodded, as tears rolled down my cheeks, and she wiped them away with her soft hand. I closed my eyes, letting her warmth roll over and through me. I felt better almost instantly. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, sweetheart.”
I opened my eyes to see her still smiling. “Why am I here?”
“Your body needs to reboot, Patricia. It won’t be long before you have to go back.”
“How do you know all this?”
She laughed. Her laugh could always make me feel better, even when I was dead, apparently. “I’m dead, sweetheart, I know everything.”
I shook my head and smiled. “So nothing has changed.”
“Very true,” she said with a chuckle, and then she became serious. “I have a bone to pick with you, young lady.”
I was “almost dead” for not even two minutes and I was already in trouble. “What did I do now?”
“Michael is head over heels in love with you, and what do you do? You shut down.” She shook her head. “Patricia, nothing is ever that bad that you have to stop feeling.”
I sighed. “I know, but I can’t help it. Moms, you know me. It happens with or without my permission.”
She pursed her lips. “I understand that, sweetheart. But you must try to stop it in its path or it will destroy you and your relationships.”
“Okay,” I said with a grimace. “I’ll…try.”
She smiled again. “That’s all a mother can ask for.”
Suddenly, I felt something pull on my chest and I clutched at my shirt, trying to make it go away. “What was that?”
“You have to go now.”
“I don’t want to go,” I protested. “I want to stay here with you.”
My mother placed her hand on my cheek, kissing me on the forehead. “Patricia, I am always with you, whether you see me or not.”
I began to cry as the tether pulled at me again. “I love you, Moms. And I miss you every day.”
“I love you too, my darling,” she said, as I backed away from her. “Now go. And remember, I’ll be seeing you.”
I could barely see her through my tears, but I managed to say, “Good-bye, Moms.”
She blew a kiss like she had done a million times before when she was alive, and I caught it, placing my hand against my heart. Finally, the thing that was tugging pulled me violently, and I fell back into the darkness, back into nothing.
The pain started to creep back slowly, and I could hear muffled voices. They were soft at first, and I couldn’t understand what they were saying. But soon they grew louder, and the conversation became clear.
“I can hear a heartbeat,” A deep male voice provided. “It is faint, but it’s there.”
“I can’t hear anythin’,” another male voice said. However, this one was southern and filled with sorrow.
I had a strange feeling that I knew these voices, and whom they belonged to, but I just could not put my finger on it. Maybe they were something out of my past or maybe they were actually there. I couldn’t tell. All I could really focus on was the pain in my chest and stomach that was becoming sharper by the minute.
“Her chest is moving,” a female voice chimed in. “I think the bloodsucker’s right. She’s alive!”
Who’s alive? I thought to myself, because if this pain was part of living, I didn’t want anything to do with it. That’s when I remembered I’d died. Well, temporarily.
I tried to move a little, but it seemed as though my body was made of stone. The sound that came from my throat sounded like a wounded animal.
“Pat?” I recognized Mike’s voice this time, as he wiped the hair from my face.
“I said she was breathin’,” Angel exclaimed.
“Patricia,” Samuel said softly, “open your eyes.”
“Don’t demand anythin’ of her, Sam,” Mike hissed. “She just died.”
“I was just suggesting,” Samuel bit back.
“It didn’t sound like it.”
I couldn’t handle this right now, so I opened my mouth and rasped, “Both of you…shut up.”
“She’s back,” Angel said with a clap of her hands. “Patty,” I felt her hands on my bare knees, “can you open your eyes?”
My head felt like it was about to explode, but I slowly lifted my eyelids. Everything was blurry at first, but as things began to come into focus, I could see Angel kneeling by my feet. She had a blanket wrapped around her like a toga, and her hair was filled with twigs and dirt, but her smile was a white as ever.
I looked up at the ceiling for a minute then turned my eyes—since they seemed to be the only thing that could move—toward Mike on my right. He was stark naked, but I didn’t care; I was just glad to see him. “Hey,” I managed to say, “guess what?”
“What, bébé?” he asked, his eyes filling with tears.
“Kathryn…was wrong.”
He laughed, tears now pouring down his cheeks. “I can see that.”
Then I remembered. “Mike…” I paused, trying to get air in my lungs, but that was easier said than done. “The baby…” I frowned with pain and sadness.
“It’s okay,” he soothed, petting my hair. “I know.”
I looked up at the ceiling again, and then realized that I was inside Big Bears. “How did…I get in here?”
“I carried you,” Samuel said, and I looked to my left. He was kneeling like the other two, only he was holding my hand by the wrist.
“Thank…you.” I was having a terrible time breathing, and I wondered why. It felt like my chest had been ripped open. Then I shivered as the cold air hit my naked legs. I tried to move my head, but it was too heavy to lift, so I had to settle for looking down my nose at Angel. “What…happened to m
y…pants?” I panted; grimacing as the air desperately tried to fill my lungs.
“You were bleeding and…” Samuel paused, his lips becoming a tight line.
I closed my eyes, realizing what he was trying to tell me. “I don’t want to know. Besides…my mother…said it wasn’t…” I had to pause to take another breath, “meant to be.”
Samuel’s eyes widened, and when I glanced over at Mike, I saw them exchange a look. “You’re mother, bébé?” Mike asked, and his eyebrows pulled together.
“She was with me,” I said softly.
“Holy shit,” Angel whispered, placing her hand over her mouth.
“Did she say anything else, Patricia?” Samuel asked, and I realized he was still holding my hand.
“That’s…between me and her,” I tried to make my voice sound strong, but the gasping kind of ruined it. “Why the hell…does my chest hurt?” I finally asked, closing my eyes against the sharp, stabbing pain.
There was nothing but silence then, and when I opened my eyes, I could see that both Samuel and Angel were staring at Mike. “I…” Mike’s voice faded away as he swallowed, beginning again. “When I turned wolf, I could only smell the blood, and I kinda…”
When he stopped talking, fear rose in my throat. “Please,” I begged in a ragged breath. “Please tell me that you didn’t…” I couldn’t ask that awful question. If he did what I thought, I did not want to know about it!
“No,” Angel said quickly, easing my mind, “he didn’t bite you, fleshy girl. He just ripped the hell outta your chest is all.”
“What?” I managed to ask as the room started to spin. “How bad is it?”
“Extremely,” Samuel answered, glaring at Mike.
“I want…to see.”
“No,” all three of them said together.
“I want to see,” I insisted, looking at Angel, who nodded in agreement. She got up off the floor, and walked around to kneel by my head.
“What are you doing?” Samuel growled at her.
“She wants to see,” Angel snapped. “So I’m lettin’ her see.” She lifted my head slowly, and I could feel my bones shift. Then she leaned my back against her knees, so I could look down properly. Not only did a towel replace my pants, but when I looked at my shirt, I noticed it was in tatters. That wouldn’t have been so bad, if it weren’t for the fact that my entire stomach, from the top right side of my ribs to my left hip, was a raw, bloodied mess. I couldn’t tell whether I was seeing flesh, muscle or both.