by Sophia Wilde
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. They stood still, listening for any signs that it was just the wind acting up again. The knocking continued.
"Open up! I know you're in there!" – a rough, manly voice shouted, freezing the blood in their veins.
"Cindy, please... Let me in." – it added, warming her up just enough for her to walk over to the window and take a peek outside.
Helen's eyes were following her slowly across the room, all the way to the window. She must have been too frightened to utter a single word. She must have been even more frightened when she saw Cindy rush towards the door to open it.
The open door let in the bright light of the rising sun, shining behind a very tired-looking man who was leaning on the entrance. It was Robert. He was completely and utterly naked and still covered in hair a bit more than usually. But it was definitely him. The moonlight had gone out, and so did the wolf. They let him in and he just crashed down on the bed. Shameless. And what would he be ashamed of? It's not as if any of the two of them had never seen him naked. He seemed to need some time to catch his breath.
They sat there in silence for a while. Cindy and Helen looking at him curiously. His skin looked as if it was retracting the extra hair. Sucking it in as the sun came up. Leaving behind nothing but an ordinary man. Handsome. But ordinary nonetheless.
After a while, he started asking about how their night had been. Seeing how both of them were still naked underneath the sheets they had wrapped themselves in, he didn't have to guess really hard as to what had been happening here, he said with an evil smile.
"I hope this doesn't mean that you girls have completely forgotten about me." – he said, looking at them with those adorable puppy eyes of his. Even though they were all worn out from a passionate night that was behind them, Cindy and Helen just couldn't say no to him.
Who knew what he had been doing all night... There had been scars all over his skin when he first got to the cabin. Much like the hair, they too disappeared right in front of their eyes, leaving him there, all rested, full of energy, and ready to go.
The two women were all over him. Not interested in their own pleasure, just out to make his day better. Covering every inch of his skin with their soft kisses. The sight of his erect penis being seductively licked by two attractive women at the same time would make any man lose his mind, no matter how used to this kind of things he is.
Cindy and Helen seemed to really be enjoying themselves too. After an entire night of getting more intimate with one another, they were functioning like on clockwork. Robert's breathing was heavy. He was sweating all over. He was begging them to keep going. His member swelling even further under the soft touches of female lips. The sight alone was enough to make a man come. And after a while, Robert was coming. His hot load exploding inside of Cindy's mouth, which was open just enough so that he could watch his own hot semen fill it up. Her tongue licking the tip of his penis clean just before she swallowed everything.
You slut, Cindy smiled to herself. Were there no more limits to what she would do? She was surprising herself. This man had turned her into something she never thought she could be, and she still wasn't sure if she liked it yet. Here she was, a sad little romantic in love with a werewolf, trying to hold on to him as tight as she could, slutting it out every chance she got. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course she liked it! Life was too short for her to wait for the wolf to turn into an obedient little puppy, she realized. And she was way too young to stop discovering the world now. No, she was only just getting started. And Robert seemed to approve of it.
Since it had been such an eventful night for all three of them, they all fell asleep right there, completely naked on the bed, with the cool wind raging on outside. All warm and cozy on a big, sinful pile.
Not wanting to waste the rest of the day, they got up after a few hours. Cindy found this ridiculous. Waste the freaking day? None of them had any idea as to what to do for the rest of the freaking day. Or for the rest of their lives, for that matter. They were wanted criminals. What do wanted criminals do with their day?
As they sat on the meadow in front of the cabin, Robert started talking about his night. Well, the part of it he remembered clearly.
After running away from the cop, he took to the hills. He remembered the strong urge to get as far away as possible. But a part of him, the human part, was still worried about the two of them. It was strange, because the wolf always managed to block the human out. Always, but not now. So he stayed behind, to make sure they would be okay. Nothing was going as it should. The man was going back for them. He could smell him. He could tell that they would all be in big trouble if they were caught. He could tell that they were, in fact, going to get caught.
He saw them enter the woods. They were never going to make it far without his help. They left traces everywhere. Traces even a mere human could follow with no effort at all. So he had to do something about it. He had to take the man off their track. So he showed himself in the distance. The man didn't appear to notice him, being too busy looking for Cindy in that bush she had hidden into. So he came closer. Maybe the man didn't see all that well in the dark. Maybe he needed to make himself heard.
Some rustling in the leaves had done the trick. That was how he got the man to follow him instead. He got the man far, far away from where the two of them were hiding. And he killed the man before he could shoot him with the silver bullet he had prepared just for him a long, long time ago.
A long time ago, when he found him. Out on the meadow. After the beast has killed all those people. The sun was almost up, and Robert had turned back into his regular human self, when the cop found him. He was lying naked on the ground. There was blood on him. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. But he didn't arrest him. He just beat him up. Kicking him hard while he was down. And Robert just lay there and let it happen. All because of the guilt.
The policeman told Robert that he needed to stay away from the little town. That he was going to shoot him if he ever saw him again. That was the day a lot of the town's police officers started carrying silver bullets with them wherever they went. At first, Robert thought that the policeman had let him off with a warning because of the kindness of his heart. Later on, he realized that it was just because of the fear. People fear what they cannot understand. And this cop couldn't wait to set his eyes on Robert again, now that he had a way to get rid of him once and for all.
There was no reason for this man to be at the mansion last night. He couldn't have had a warrant, or anything like that. He was there because he knew that Helen was there too. His last hope of getting the word out was fraternizing with the enemy. He couldn't allow that. Still, all this didn't give him the right to kill him. But he needed to save them. And this was the only way he had to do that.
His face suddenly looked so worn out. So old. Apparently, guilt could do that to a man. And he felt the guilt. Big time. There was blood on his hands. His, this time. Not the animal's. The man's. It was the man who had done it this time. It was the man, using the animal to do his dirty work for him, knowing full well how wrong it was. And yet he did it anyway. There were no words to describe how sorry he was. There was nothing he wouldn't do to make things better. But there was nothing to be done now. There was no way to right this wrong.
And it did feel wrong. Even as he was doing it, he knew it was wrong. He could have stopped himself. But he didn't. He ripped the man to pieces and left him deep in the forest for the wolves to feast on. He could have done it in a more merciful way. But he didn't. The smell of the man's blood haunted him still. It would probably haunt him forever, even though he had been to the stream to clean himself up. He had scrubbed his skin until it bled, but there was nothing that wash the guilt away. There was nothing left. There would be no traces of the man in the morning. Nobody would be able to put the pieces back together. Nobody would be able to identify him. He was gone forever. Swallowed by the night. Just like many others before him, who had c
ome to these woods just looking for trouble. Just like many others yet to come.
There was no way of knowing if he had told anyone else where he was going and who he was after. The entire town could be looking for them by now. Or they could be going about their business, oblivious to everything. It would be too much of a risk, to go down there and check. Everybody knew who they were. It was a small town after all.
Cindy's eyes filled with tears once again as she was listening to the story. She didn't know what to think. She thought she knew him. Now she wasn't sure anymore. Only yesterday, she would have been able to swear that Robert was the sweetest man alive. That he would never hurt a fly. And here he was, admitting to a gruesome murder he had only just committed. With his bare hands. Of his own free will. Right before he came up to the cabin and made love to the two of them. Who was this man she thought she was falling in love with?
Wasn't she just a regular child, prancing in his big bad mansion, all set on turning his life around? Who did she think she was? Her entire world was crashing and burning before her eyes and she was trying to put it out with a stream of tears. The rustle in the leaves. The one that took the hunter away. The one that made her feel so good. It had been him. Leading the policeman away so that he could murder him. This game was getting too bloody for her taste.
Robert held her. He explained again how it had been the only solution he could think of in that moment. He was trying to save her. There was something about her that kept him awake enough so that he could help them. It must have been because he cared about her. She must look past this. He was sorry. He never wanted to hurt anyone. He wouldn't have hurt anyone. If only he didn't have to.
Helen just sat there. Not saying a word. Not blinking. How did she get herself dragged into this mess? All this, just because she didn't believe her auntie Mary about the werewolf? Why couldn't she just leave it alone? Why couldn't she just humor the old lady, like she would a child? None of this would be happening, if she had only done that.
But she couldn't do that. Auntie Mary was an idol of hers ever since she was a little girl. She could never accept the idea of that wonderful woman losing her mind. This way, she knew that auntie Mary was telling the truth all along. She may never get to see her again, but at least she knew that much.
Wait. Auntie Mary! She wouldn't turn them in! She would understand! Helen would go to her, and find out how much did the cop tell the others. All of a sudden. Helen was on fire. There might be a way out of this. There might be a small chance that they could just pretend none of this never happened. And she would be more than able to live with that.
Robert wouldn't even hear of it. If they would be going anywhere, they would be going together. He wasn't going to let any one of them loose on her own. He did that once, and look where that had gotten them. Anyway, Helen didn't know these woods. What if she got lost out there, all on her own? There were dangerous creatures everywhere.
A couple of hours later, they were all sitting in the old lady's living room, looking at old photos, sipping tea and eating cookies. The old lady was so glad to see Helen there. And so sad to see her all tangled up in all this mess the entire town was buzzing about. They would have to get as far away from there as possible. As soon as possible. All three of them. The police were looking for them. They wanted to ask them some questions about the missing cop. He didn't come home last night. His family feared that something really bad might have happened to him. Dear me, it didn't look good at all.
And young Robert. He looked so much like his late grandfather. The old lady's eyes were twinkling every time she looked at him. None of this crap used to happen back when he was alive. People knew how to mind their own business back then.
There was a knock at the door, and the three fugitives froze on spot.
"Who is it?" – shouted the old lady.
"It's the police, ma'am. Please, open the door." – the voice from the other side answered.
"Coming, dear!" – the old lady said, in the most cheerful of voices she could muster.
Damn it! How could this be happening? They knew she was related to Helen. Everybody knew everything, the old lady said. Auntie Mary ushered them out through the back door, wished them good luck, and went back to let the policeman in.
The night was already falling as they made their way back to the woods. Three lost souls with not a hope left in the world.
"I am so, so sorry." – Robert kept saying, as if he were in some kind of trance. Maybe Cindy was wrong to judge him so harshly before. If he hadn't done what he had, she would have been in prison by now. At best. That cop was a strange man. Who knew if he would have let them off so lightly.
Both Cindy and Helen knew that he didn't mean to put them through this. Yet, somehow, they were both glad that he had. He was a good man. And he had shown Cindy things she didn't even dream of. She was glad that he wasn't going to be alone in this. She hurried up so that she could stand right in front of him. Her arms stretched out. Waiting for him to walk straight into her hug. He was there when she needed him to protect her, and she was here for him. She always will be.
Once they were out of sight and out of way of anyone who might happen to be passing by, Robert stated that they were not out of options just yet. They should not lose hope. Everything might just turn out for the best. There was something he wasn't telling them. There was something he was keeping as a last resort, and he wasn't sure how they were going to take it.
"What would you girls say if I told you that there is a place where we could all be together like this? Nobody to judge. Nobody to hide away from. Never again."
They looked at him in wonder, waiting for him to keep talking. Frightened by the serious expression on his face. When he opened his mouth again, the words came out of them in a whisper:
"The only catch is, you would have to join my little world. Take on my curse on your own free will. You would have to let me bite you."
Volume Five – The Choice
Cindy and Helen were trying to listen as Robert was speaking, but the words didn't seem to get through to them at all. They were freaking the hell out. He said that he wanted them to do WHAT?! Why the hell would he want this horrible misfortune on them? Didn't he like them? Wasn't he himself miserable enough about being a werewolf? Did he really need company for it?
They didn't understand him and Robert started stuttering. He didn't mean it like such a bad thing. He never would have asked for it if he didn't think it was the only option they had left. Unless they wanted it to be just the three of them, hiding in the woods, fearing for their lives during the nights when the moon was full. Fore the freaking REST of their lives.
This made it even more confusing for the two of them. What was he going on about? How would turning them into freaks of nature make them less alone in this? They were so upset that they didn't even give him a chance to finish a damn sentence. After a while, they had finally settled down, promising to be quiet and let him speak. Robert was smiling now. It was a very unsettling smile. It was freaking them out. But they decided to remain calm and hear him out anyway. It's not as if they had any better things to do with their time.
So Robert started talking. Slowly. Deliberately. There was a twinkle in his eye as he was telling them all about an old legend that had been passed on in his family along with the curse. It was as old as the curse itself. He had spent all his life hoping that it was true. Hoping that he really wasn't all alone in his damnation. Well, of course he wasn't ALL alone. He had his father. His grandfather too, for a while there. But there was nobody his own age. Nobody he could just sit and talk to about it. Nobody he could really be himself with. Not until he met Cindy. She was okay. She understood to a certain degree. But even then, it wasn't the same. So, yes, he was alone. And he was so damn sick of it.
According to the legend, there was supposed to be a large werewolf settlement somewhere deep in the forest. It was supposed to be a place where the werewolves were free to be themselves. Nobody looking at them a
s if they were monsters. Nobody fearing them. He never went out looking for it because he was too scared that he was not going to find it. It was a dream he needed to hold on to. It had to be there. But now, it was all they had left. The possibility that it was all true was the only chance he could think of right now for them to lead a satisfying existence of any kind without being hunted down like some kind of wild animals.
The legend said that there was a place where a mighty werewolf pack was living over generations. A long, long time ago, the necessity showed itself for a place that would protect the werewolves from all the people who were hunting them. So a couple of brothers went out into the forest to hide from the hunters. There, they found a big cave, which after a long walk through a dark tunnel led out to a secret valley. This is the place they made their home, while sometimes going back into the town for supplies. On the way, they found many more like them, who were in need of a shelter. The valley was big enough for all of them, so they would bring along anyone who was in need. Not long after that, a village had sprouted out.
They had formed a society all their own. A fully functional society at that, not relying on the outside world for anything. Supposedly, it was really difficult to get to the cave, but it was worth the trouble. Robert was more than willing to spend days, even weeks if necessary, walking through the dark woods in search for it. If only the two of them would go with him, his life would be complete. The only problem was, he couldn't be sure as to how the pack would respond to having purely human women in their midst. That was why he thought it would be best if they allowed him to turn them.
The two women sat there in silence for a while. Processing all that they had just heard. This was madness. How could he not see that it was probably all just a made up fairy tale his father told him to comfort him in the most fragile time of his life? It all sounded way too good to be true. If it all turned out to be true, they wouldn't be monsters, would they? No, they would be just like anybody else there. Without any contact with the outside world whatsoever? Right now, it would be a perfect solution. Still, this perfect place might not even exist. The fact that dear Robert believed in it so blindly didn't prove a damn thing. They were not going to commit to something like this for the rest of their lives without proper solid evidence. It was just a ridiculous little dream of a sweet young werewolf who wanted nothing more than to find a place in the world where he would fit in. But Robert wasn't about to let himself be brought down like this. This place did exist. It had to exist. And he was going to bloody prove it to them. He was going to find it. H was going to show them. Even if it did make him somewhat sad that the two of them appeared to have so little faith in him.