Echo Falls

by McDougall, Jaime

  “Shame, shame, Phoebe,” he said, taking off his jacket. “I thought you would at least use the bravery you had acquired to face me as a human.”

  She peed on his backpack.

  Scrunching his nose with disgust, he took off his shirt and then his pants buckle. Then, keeping his eyes on her, he took off his shoes and the rest of his clothes. He stood in front of her naked, studying her.

  She wanted to move. Needed to move. But she couldn’t get herself to do so much as crouch and raise her ears.

  “I have to thank you for telling me the truth,” he said, lowering himself to his knees. “Knowing that I am stuck with this condition for the rest of my life has opened my eyes. I see now that tonight is my last night to live.”

  She howled.

  His eyes narrowed. “I also see that I have no reason to wait to kill you.”

  Without hesitation, she lunged at him. Even as a new wolf, he would be much more of a problem against her in wolf form than he would be as a human. But she heard Charlotte cry, distracting her human side enough for him to dodge her. She turned back on him, only to find herself looking at a spray canister aimed at her. She managed to duck away before he could spray her full in her face, but he sprayed silver all along her side.

  She howled with pain and tried to rub her side in the dirt. She caught glimpses of him turning into a wolf, but she couldn’t get past the pain enough to take advantage of his vulnerability. Suddenly, she remembered the pond and managed to roll, crawl and drag herself over and into it.

  The water worked instantly like a cool salve against her fur and skin. She pressed herself against every surface she could find in the surprisingly deep water until the burning faded into pinprick stinging.

  When she emerged from the water, she shook and then froze. Liam had finished turning, and he now stood staring at her. His scent wafted over to her and she sniffed. That scent… His scent! Indescribably Liam and something different – something she recognized.

  She hit the ground, what little breath she had knocked from her lungs. Her head hit the concrete last, sending small sparks of light floating in front of her… Her attacker growled and began slashing at her. Instinct kicked in and she curled into fetal position.

  A wild dog attacked her now. A big dog with vicious claws and teeth it used to tear into her exposed back and bite into her thigh and shoulder. She slowly regained her breath, but she could only use it to scream her throat raw.

  Her every hair stood on edge as she faced him. So he had begun the nightmare in Echo Falls even sooner than she had realized. He had attacked her in his newly acquired wolf form and nearly killed her. Again.

  This would be the last time he ever threatened her life.

  They faced each other, teeth bared. His eyes were wide and tail held high, and she struggled against the urge to whine and lower her tail. Though the wolf didn’t quite understand the words her human side repeated – you are the dominant wolf, you are the dominant wolf – she understood the feeling behind them. She held her tail as high as possible and waited for him to make his move.

  He leapt at her, nearly knocking her over as he snarled and tried to bite her muzzle. She moved too quickly for him, rolling onto her belly and kicking her hind legs as hard as she could into his belly. He yelped and leapt back, confused for a moment at the un-wolf like move.

  As a new wolf with no one to guide him, he would still be easily overwhelmed by the mind and the instincts of the wolf. He would act and fight like a wolf, albeit a young one, until his human side could manage enough will for logical human thought. With her human logic and wolf strength working toward a single goal together with ease, she could use his confusion to her advantage. All of her human distress melted away as she became more complete than she ever had been before as wolf or as human.

  He lunged and snapped at her again, sending them into a furious dance of biting and growling. Every time he tried to snap his powerful jaws around her neck, she managed to elude him, but every time he managed to get a little closer. What he lacked in control of attack, he made up for in blind fury. Whatever had been left intact with his human mind simply wanted to kill.

  One of his claws to her muzzle after she’d bitten his belly sent them both back a few steps for breath and bearing. He frothed at the mouth, looking fierce and completely in the throes of madness. Without thought, she whimpered again and lowered her tail.

  The mark of submission inspired him and he leapt forward again, sending her tumbling back. He scratched, tore and bit until the sting of the remaining silver powder became a welcome irritant to keep her conscious. Her human side wondered if he had managed to break a couple of her ribs and if he’d completely taken off her left ear. The wolf squirmed, not nearly as ready as her human side to be distracted by injuries.

  Again, he opened his mouth to bite her exposed neck but she rolled to her side enough to show the less weak back of her neck. Before he could get any sort of grip with his jaws, she stood up as fast as she could. One of her paws almost buckled beneath her and she faltered, throwing him off but not completely.

  She panted, trying to throw him off the rest of the way but lacking the energy to do it. As much as a single-mindedness between human and wolf had done her well, it couldn’t change him being the larger wolf. But he didn’t know her doubts and looked at her with his own uncertainties.

  The human child cried and screamed and his ears perked up. His human at least had enough presence of mind to see an advantage and he stalked toward the child.

  Seeing the child not as a human but as a pup to be protected, she scrambled forward.

  A howl from somewhere else in the caves echoed around them and they stopped. His jaw relaxed slightly, and that was all she needed. Using all the force in her back legs to propel her forward, she raised her mouth up and clamped her jaws around his exposed throat.

  He tried to fight her off, turning and pawing at her body, but she held fast and he quickly weakened. His blood began to fill her mouth. The wolf saw nothing wrong in this, simply waiting for her kill to die. But the human couldn’t bear it and released him, limping over to the pond. She drank the cool water as fast as she could to get the taste out of her mouth.

  She then collapsed in front of the pond, watching as he whimpered, teetering back and forth as he walked to the cave entrance. Without warning, he stopped and turned, nudging something with his nose. Something didn’t feel right and she got to her paws, trying to see what he had. Then he began pawing at it, and she realized too late.

  Even in his ego-driven mind, he had thought of the possibility of her attacking him. He had set up a final part of his plan that he could accomplish as man or wolf.

  She howled and jumped in front of Charlotte just as he trigged the crossbow to fire.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Aidan sniffed at yet another trap. At least they’d found this one. Progress had been slow with two other wolves falling prey to the Hunter’s traps. The first had been another snare that had caught the back leg of an older wolf. The second had been a more complicated rig with powdered silver spraying from above. Four wolves had to turn back into humans to help the others, using up a good amount of medical supplies and all of their spare water. He looked back over his shoulder at the wolves following, only the light of their eyes and their scents betraying their presence. Their numbers were fading dangerously.

  The Hunter’s scent polluted the caves around them, making advanced warning of the traps nearly impossible in the dark. Where and when he found them, he cocked a leg and marked it to make sure the others wouldn’t get caught.

  If only capturing rather than killing had been on the Hunter’s mind when he’d set them.

  They had heard a howl earlier and he’d answered, but now he heard nothing. He couldn’t bear to stop even for a moment to howl again and listen for a reply. The howl he’d heard before had been one of pain, and he didn’t want to think of what no reply meant; he just needed to find her.

  Her scent
grew stronger, spurring him on to rush further ahead of the pack.

  He smelled the blood first and stopped, looking at the lantern light coming from a cave ahead. The distinct scent could not be mistaken and he stood frozen, one paw half off the ground to take the next step forward as he listened. He heard a faint whine and rushed ahead.

  Though weak with blood loss, the transformation back into human from wolf had healed Liam enough to give him the strength to stand unsteadily on his feet. He wove back and forth, trying to direct the aim of the loaded crossbow in his hands. Aidan stopped only for a moment to see he was aiming at a mass of grey fur on the other side of the cave.

  He launched himself into the air and knocked Liam down. Liam tried to fight Aidan off with the crossbow, landing a blow that left Aidan with a bloody gash on his nose. Aidan easily bit into his wrist, making Liam scream until he passed out.

  Aidan quickly moved around the cave, sniffing and searching for any traps. He didn’t want any more of his pack put in danger. Fear for Phoebe soon overwhelmed him and he turned to go to her. He took a step forward then caught a glimpse of silver in the corner of his vision. He turned to look at Liam who now sat laughing like a man with a broken mind as he aimed the crossbow once more.

  All thought drained from Aidan’s mind as he saw Liam aim not at him but at Phoebe. He snarled as he leapt forward, slamming Liam back to the ground. At the last possible moment, Liam’s human instincts kicked in and he swung the crossbow around to aim at Aidan. He could only get a shot off that cut Aidan’s shoulder before Aidan was on him, his jaws clamping around the murderer’s neck.

  After a few moments, Liam stopped squirming and Aidan released his throat. He took a few steps away and then began to turn back into a human. The instincts of the wolf melted into the grim knowledge of the human, knowing that he’d done what he had to do to protect…

  “Phoebe?”

  The other wolves arrived and, seeing Aidan in human form, followed suit. Most paid Liam no mind other than the few who snarled at his body for good measure. Will and Elle were the first to change, eager but aware of Aidan’s apprehension.

  Aidan picked up one of the lanterns and looked over at the large mass of fur partially hidden by a rock. Cautiously, he walked over, not letting himself think about the worst.

  Bringing the lantern around the rock, he couldn’t help but smile at what he saw.

  Charlotte yawned and looked around in a curious daze as she ran her tiny hands through the fur of her protector. The wolf had curled around her, serving as bedding, blanket and protection. Aidan lifted her up and kissed her forehead.

  Will and Elle’s eyes shone with tears as he handed Charlotte to them. She fully woke up and babbled a string of ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ as her parents cuddled her.

  Aidan let the true horror into his system as he quickly turned and knelt by the injured wolf. Though her eyes were still closed, her body slowly transformed back into its human shape.

  “Phoebe,” he whispered.

  Fully human, she looked too pale. He looked at the blood and bruises all over her body and cursed. He wished Liam had lived if only for the pleasure of beating him to a pulp. The transformation from wolf to human or vice versa always had some restorative effects, but it didn’t provide miracles – and Phoebe looked like she needed a miracle.

  He took off his pack and wrapped her as best he could in what was left of the flimsy emergency clothes while the others looked on. No one said a word, the silver bolt in her shoulder saying more than enough. Elle kissed the top of her daughter’s head and then gathered the lanterns, bringing them closer to Phoebe and Aidan.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled faintly. “Hey.”

  He smiled. “Hey.”

  “You found…”

  “Ssh,” he said, caressing her face. “I found the video. I found you.”

  “Charlotte -”

  “Charlotte’s safe. Let’s worry about you right now.” He looked at the silver bolt and clenched his jaw. He would have to take it now or else the silver would kill her. “I have to take the bolt out before the silver…”

  She nodded.

  Gritting his teeth, he gripped the bolt with his bare hand and pulled it out. She screamed and he tried not to do the same as he quickly tossed it away. Someone handed him some gauze and he pressed it against her shoulder, making her wince.

  “We have to get her out of here! Rig up something. Anything!” The others began sifting through their packs and he focused on her face. “Phoebe, stay awake for me, okay? Can you do that? Stay awake for me.”

  She looked at him, her face filled with sad acceptance. “I protected her. You. The pack.”

  “Yes. You protected us all.”

  “Liam.”

  He looked over at Liam. “He won’t bother you anymore.”

  “Good,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyelids drooped. “You’re okay.”

  “Yes, I’m okay. You will be, too. Come on,” he said, tapping her cheek. “Stay awake for me. I love you. You hear me, Phoebe? I love you.”

  She smiled. “I love you, too.”

  Then she closed her eyes.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  A steady beep and the murmur of distant voices roused Phoebe enough to try to open her eyes. She licked her dry lips and tried to swallow as the light streaming through the windows stung her eyes. Slowly she adjusted to the light and looked around.

  The hospital.

  She looked down at herself, warmly tucked in with a white hospital gown, robe and white blankets. Her heavily bandaged shoulder ached and she began to wiggle her fingers – the only bare part of her arm she could see. On a table to her left, beautiful flowers of nearly every color filled three large vases, their fragrance softening the sharp smell of industrial strength cleaners. Nurses in brightly colored scrubs walked past the partially open door, the sounds of conversations and other beeping machines filling her room.

  To her right, Aidan dozed in an uncomfortable looking chair in the sunshine, his feet propped up on the very edge of her bed. He looked exhausted; his t-shirt and jeans were wrinkled as if he’d slept in them and dark stubble covered his face. Even in sleep he looked worried, his arms crossed over his chest and his head resting on his shoulder as if he’d resisted falling asleep with all his strength.

  Tears began to well up in her eyes and she smiled, seeing the stack of Sophie’s take-away coffee cups on the floor by his chair.

  Her smiled disappeared and tears began to flow onto her cheeks as her unclear memories began to clarify in her mind. Mia had betrayed them. Liam had kidnapped Charlotte. She’d fought Liam. If only she’d had the strength to fight him sooner. Four lives would have been saved.

  Hearing her sniff, Aidan instantly came awake. He nearly fell out of his chair as he rushed to stand by her side, wiping away her tears.

  “Ssh, Phoebe. Ssh. It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe. Ssh.” He reached over her and grabbed a box of tissues, plucking two out and handing them to her. “You’re okay.”

  She tried not to sob, the heaving of her body sending pain shooting through her. Aidan murmured to her, caressing her good arm and then bringing her hand to his lips. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and each cheek. When he moved to kiss her lips, she turned her head away.

  “Phoebe?”

  She took a few moments to steady her breathing and turned to face him, but she couldn’t meet his eyes. When she spoke, she could only manage to choke out a whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

  He looked at her, shaking his head, and ran his hand through her hair. “You have nothing to be sorry about.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he placed his fingertips on her mouth. “Nothing.”

  She reached up and took his hand. “I brought Liam here. I didn’t tell you about him. I did everything I could to avoid talking to you about things you needed to know. Things that could have helped Thomas.” Her voice hitched and she squeezed her eyes shut as she took a few steadying breat
hs. “If I had been honest from the beginning, Thomas would still be alive.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Mia hated me so much that she betrayed the pack.”

  “Mia is in jail now, where she should have been a long time ago.”

  She kept her eyes shut, knowing she wouldn’t be able to say what she needed to say if she looked at him. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done -”

  “That sounds familiar.”

  “- and I’ll never forget you, but I have to go.” Her wolf howled inside her, not understanding her human half or the decision she’d made. Her wolf could only see herself being separated from her mate, her alpha.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” The tone of his voice forced her to open her eyes. He kissed her lightly and then put his forehead against hers, looking in her eyes. “And neither am I.”

  In a brief moment of utter clarity, she saw the future she’d always wanted and more. His grey-blue eyes held love and possibilities, and she stood on the edge, terrified to let herself in.

  “I love you,” he said. “I won’t let you go.”

  “Promise?” she whispered.

  “I promise,” he said and then kissed her.

  “I bought you some more… Phoebe!” Elle walked into the room, holding two cups of coffee, followed by Will who held Charlotte in his arms. She quickly handed off the coffees to Aidan and pushed past him to give Phoebe a not-quite-gentle enough hug. When Phoebe groaned, Elle quickly released her. “How are you feeling? You’ve been crying. What has Aidan been doing to you?”

  Aidan and Will nodded to each other, both smiling. Will pointed to the coffee with the stir stick in it and Aidan drank the energizing black liquid with a sigh of pleasure.

  When Phoebe had reassured Elle that she felt as well as she could for a woman in hospital and Aidan hadn’t done anything wrong, Elle turned to look at Aidan. “Have you gone home for a shower yet?”