Dark of Night

by T. F. Walsh

  I prayed Enre was still alive. After all, wulfkin could take a lot of damage and still heal. Regardless, the biggest problem was the dracwulf, and I’d have to stop her before she killed again, with or without Sandulf’s support.

  Gasping and exhausted, I emerged from the woods at the pack house. I burst inside to find Radu in the living room wiping his brow with a tea towel.

  “Shouldn’t you use a bath towel?” I bounced into his arms. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  Radu panted. “I’ve never run so fast in my life.”

  “Maybe you should take up jogging?” I bumped him with my shoulder. “Where’s everyone?”

  He shrugged. “Probably at work.”

  I contemplated waiting for Sandulf to have a so-called civilized chat with him, but in the end decided showing my face at work, even if for a short while, ensured I could somehow stop the police from getting permission for hunting. “Got to head off, but I’ll be back.”

  “Do what you need. I’ll be here for you.”

  His reassurance boosted my confidence. I gave him a quick hug and bolted outside, starting back toward the institute. I sensed no dracwulf on the way and speculated the animal hid during the day to avoid detection.

  While I only intended a quick visit to the office, I ended up spending a large chunk of day there, pouring over more aerial maps of the Carpathian Mountains, marking each dracwulf sighting, crime scene, and the direction Enre was taken. All the activity, except for the one attack in the farming district, took place on the side of the woods nearest the pack house, closest to the city. And I staked my life on her den being nearby those woods.

  After making a brief, anonymous phone call to the police with sightings of a large wolf in the farming district, I headed into the woods, searching for any clues to her whereabouts. By late afternoon, my hopes dwindled as I found nothing new. I returned to the office, miserable, and placed a note on Vasile’s desk excusing myself for the rest of the week, then jumped into a company pick-up truck. I’d grab a bag of clothes from home and dump them at the pack house to make it look to Sandulf I was serious about returning.

  After an hour of incessant crawling and breaking, I abandoned the traffic-stricken main roads for side lanes and parallel-parked on my street. My gut croaked for food as I padded across the street. My priorities were: stuff my face, grab some clothes, and head straight to the pack house.

  Rounding the hedgerow in front of my apartment, I collided into someone: Connell.

  My initial reaction was to fling myself into his arms. Resisting the urge killed me.

  His teeth chattered, and he blew hot air into his cupped hands. “I can’t stop thinking about what you said, and I’m ready to go out and track the wolf with you tonight. I’ll help you stop it.” He refused to smile, but I saw the slightest hint of one curling the sides of his mouth.

  I just wish I hadn’t told Connell about hunting wolves. In hindsight, disappearing from the city for a week might have done the trick. I retrieved the house keys from my pocket and stepped into the warmth of the building.

  “You’re a hunter, eh?” Connell’s voice sounded nervous.

  “It seems that way.” My new policy: avoid saying too much.

  In the foyer, brown-banded wallpaper curled at the edges of the cornices, and a heap of crumbled advertising leaflets collected beneath the mailboxes. I walked quickly toward the staircase with Connell on my heels.

  “I researched wolf-hunting families today.”

  I stopped dead in the middle of the staircase and turned. I climbed a step to meet his height. “And?”

  “There’s no record of a family or businesses who hunt wolves with their bare hands, anywhere.” Sarcasm marbled his voice.

  “Like I said, it’s something we keep private and in the family.” I slouched on one leg, folding my arms.

  “If in the process you hurt someone, then it borders on vigilantism. You’re taking the law into your own hands.” His eyes drilled into me. “I need to know everything about your family and what they do. I can help.”

  I climbed another step backward. “I want to stop the killings as much as you, so why are you interrogating me?”

  He clasped my hand and raised it to his lips. “The last thing I want is to find your dead body in the woods. You mean everything to me. Please, Daci.”

  “Let’s talk more at my place.”

  I climbed up the last few steps to an empty corridor and made my way to apartment 302 to find the door ajar. Convinced I had locked it, I searched for scents and picked up faint metallic blood. The fresh and delectable aroma teased my senses and awoke my wolf, which surprised me, since she’d been missing the past few days. Perhaps hunger was the trigger.

  Connell placed a gentle hand on my arm and whispered, “Let’s go back downstairs. I’ll call for backup.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe I forgot to close it.” Before he could draw me away, I pushed into the dimly lit apartment.

  “Daci.”

  I surveyed the main room, finding nothing out of place. In my hallway, the aroma of blood intensified, and severe cramps rippled through my torso like hundreds of scorpions pinching my insides. Nausea hit and my eyelids scrunched shut. I bent over, clutching my belly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  My throat emitted a growl, and I knew what that meant. My wolf wanted out right then.

  “Was that you?”

  I bobbed my head and forced myself upright.

  Connell already held his gun and stepped in front of me. “Don’t be stubborn. Get out of here, and I’ll check the apartment.”

  Ripe apples and meat flavored the air. I slipped past Connell, deeper into the hallway and felt my way into the darkened bedroom.

  I switched on the light. On the carpet, next to my blood-splattered bed, sprawled a body. A slender woman, in her late thirties, was a tangle of ripped clothes, blood, and contorted limbs. Her glossy green, flat eyes were fixed on the ceiling. Her dark hair was matted into the carpet, and a bloodstain framed her fragile body. Across the room, a black stiletto without a single blemish lay on its side.

  Connell broke into the room, shoving me aside. “Hell!”

  The victim had recently died. Heat radiated from her like fingers reaching out to touch me. Whatever killed the woman fed on her in my room. Her gut was slit open, and someone had eaten her organs directly out of her stomach, yet left the rest of the body clean of scratches or bites.

  No animal does that, unless it intended to leave the body as a warning. A faint trace of wulfkin teased my senses. I inhaled deep mouthfuls of the pungent air, without another hint of the muskiness. Instead, a strange scent wafted in the room, reminding me of chopped leaves.

  Lutia came to mind along with our last scene in the pack house, when I had humiliated her in front of the pack. Regardless, she wouldn’t kill a human. It went against a direct Varlac rule. But then again, she might be adopting Sandulf’s liberties when it came to pack law.

  Connell approached the victim. Kneeling next to the body, he placed his hand on her cheek. “She’s still warm.”

  Heat rushed up my back, over my ears and head. The muscles in my shoulders stiffened, and the atmosphere changed from intense bitter scents to a nauseating, unbearable confinement. Recoiling, my back hit the wall in the corridor. I slid to a squatting position and cradled my bent knees, confused. I focused on the woman’s legs and the blood stains speckling her thighs.

  “Do you know her?” Connell’s tone fell serious.

  “Yes.”

  “Who is she? What’s going on?”

  “Neighbor from across the hall. But we never spent time in the woods.” I dropped my head between my knees. It was hard to focus. Considering the front door of the building wasn’t smashed up, I couldn’t figure out how the dracwulf got inside,
unless someone else was responsible.

  “I can’t cover you anymore, Daci. There’s a dead person in your apartment now, and the police already suspect your involvement in the previous attacks.” Connell, who was gazing into my bedroom, snapped his head around to look at me. “I’m calling this in.”

  My head lifted and tears swelled. “I don’t know who did this or why, but it wasn’t me.”

  “Is there a rival hunting family you haven’t told me about?”

  I shook my head.

  Connell patted my arm and marched into the living room. He spoke on the phone, requesting backup.

  A surge of anger rose within me. The only place I called my own — my sanctuary, my privacy — had been taken from me. I wanted to break into hysterical crying. My whole life I’d lived and shared everything with the wulfkin pack, but the apartment was mine, something I owned.

  Several hours went by as officers tracked through my home, and Connell did nothing to stop the other inspector from questioning me for most of that time. The young man with an Afro took notes about everything I did the past week, down to what I ate. With my mind still foggy with confusion, I barely remembered the lies I told Connell, let alone the new ones I needed to cover my tracks. By the end, I couldn’t remember what excuses I gave.

  The click of cameras and hushed voices speculating about the incident hurt my head. Hunched into a ball on the sofa, I observed the commotion unfold. Police, photographers, and lab geeks inspected every inch of my apartment. Eventually they carried the body out in a black bag.

  I stared at the hole Enre had punched in my wall and pictured his body in such a bag. No, I would find him still alive. My tears rolled, and I brushed them away.

  Connell stood next to me. “Look, Daci, you’re going to need to leave your apartment, and since you’re considered a suspect until they can carry out tests on the victim, they need to know where to contact you. You can stay at my place if you have nowhere to go.” He guided hair off my face and sat down. “They will contact you about going down to the station for more interviews.” He paused. “Were you at work all day?”

  My heart froze. “I can’t believe you think I did this.”

  He shook his head. “We need proof of your whereabouts. An alibi.”

  “I was at work from when you dropped me off this morning to when we met downstairs.” I left out the small detour to the pack house.

  He swallowed the obvious lump in his throat. “We will need to contact Vasile to confirm this.”

  I nodded.

  Connell rose to his feet. I grabbed his arm, desperate for him to remain near me.

  His hand clasped mine for a second. He retrieved the keys from his pocket. “I have to go to the station, but will join you at my place afterwards.”

  I slid the keys out of his hand, intending to visit the pack house first to find out how Sandulf spent his day.

  The pain in Connell’s eyes worried me, and who could blame him? I wondered how he saw me right then: as a girlfriend who didn’t trust him enough to share her secrets, or as a murderer?

  His voice distracted my thoughts. “It’s probably a good idea you leave.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll take you to your car.”

  Not wanting to read too much into his suspicion, I gathered clothes and toiletries into a backpack, ignoring the bloodstains over everything in my bedroom, and exited the apartment with Connell. It was just before 11 P.M., and the air outside chilled my bones. The clouds were suspended midair, waiting for the perfect time to rain.

  Connell caressed my lower back. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ll survive.”

  His gaze never left mine. “I have some paper work to complete, and I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

  Connell squeezed my hand in his for a few silent seconds, and then jogged back into my apartment building.

  I crawled into the car, throwing the backpack into the passenger’s side and took off. The busted heater ensured the ride through the forest was as comfortable as being a potential suspect in a murder case.

  In no time, I arrived at the pack house. The engine ticked over, and I scolded myself for just staring at the unlit house from the car. Be strong, I repeated in my head, alighting from the vehicle.

  At the front door, I paused for a few seconds, and then palmed it open into a dark room. Light wriggled out from the crack beneath the kitchen door.

  I walked in. “Hello?”

  My senses succumbed to the brewed coffee aroma, and I entered the kitchen. Sandulf lingered near the counter with a cup in his hand. He wore black track pants and a loose sweatshirt, resembling a broad-shouldered mountain man.

  I waited for him to speak, anything to verify his mood. Radu would have informed him of the dracwulf attacking his underground cell, so surely he understood the priority in hunting the animal.

  He cleared his throat. “Do you want coffee?” He retrieved another cup from the cabinet.

  “Did you kill someone in my apartment?” My voice sounded more desperate than I intended.

  Sandulf poured the coffee and offered me the mug.

  I retrieved it with a quick motion.

  He coughed. “You know you broke Lutia’s finger and nose.”

  “Who cares? My neighbor was killed today.”

  Sandulf sipped from his cup, all the while his glare scrutinizing me.

  “Did you have something to do with it? Was it the dracwulf?”

  He said nothing.

  I pushed on. “The dracwulf has to be stopped. You and me, we’ll stop her tonight before the humans find her, and we can also track down Enre.” I started to pace.

  He inched forward, and asked, “Why can’t you follow the rules? Everyone else in the pack listens to me.”

  Resolved to make him see logic, I continued. “You must know the location of the dracwulf’s den.” Heat engulfed my muscles, and I placed my mug onto the counter.

  His head cocked to the side. “Pfft. She’s found a new home, and I have no idea where she now hides.”

  “You created this thing. You have to stop her before we’re found out.”

  His deep throaty laughter sent a shudder through me. “Are you challenging me?” He set his cup down.

  The last thing I needed was to confront the alpha, but I didn’t back away. Not this time. “No more pushing me aside. Tomorrow night is the Lunar Eutine, and until then I’ll hunt down the dracwulf, with or without your help. I’ve done my best to delay the police hunting in the forest, but it’s inevitable, especially now that they found a dead person in my place. I’ll be investigated.”

  In a split second, he crossed the kitchen and wrapped his thick fingers around my arm and squeezed. With his free hand, he captured my chin, forcing me to face him.

  Bile rose in my throat.

  “The reek of human blood is all over you.” His words raked my skin. “I sensed it the moment you entered my home.”

  “Was that your little surprise to get more cops on my tail? To force me to run back home to you? Is that why you’re sending the dracwulf after me?”

  Sandulf’s nose creased.

  I held his gaze. “Did you?”

  “I’m trying to keep us together, not draw attention from humans. We can’t be separated at a time like this. Our pack is in danger, and you’re doing everything to make sure we get killed. Leave the dracwulf to me. Return home. That’s all I want of you.”

  The disgust in his voice when he said “humans” irritated me more than the notion that he’d lost his mind.

  “I’m taking care of the animal my way.” His thumb caressed the length of my jaw. “You need to remember your place.” He gazed up for a moment. “You’re feisty and strong, so I’ve decided to make you my mating partner for one purpose — growing and defending our pack.”<
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  I jerked from his grasp. “No.” I recoiled. “That’s never going to happen.” The thought churned my stomach.

  “Yes, it will. Tomorrow you will start a new phase of your life, and the dracwulf will be the last thing you will worry about.” His breath, scented with coffee, danced in the air. “No need to worry about humans. Death happens all the time. It’s normal.”

  My lungs filled with heated rage, and my hands trembled. “You’re mad.”

  A wide, open-mouthed smile stretched his lips, and a horrible, dirty feeling washed through me. I wrapped my arms over my chest.

  “I give you until tomorrow to return home and be by my side, or everyone you hold dear in the human world will pay.” He strode out of the kitchen.

  “Don’t you dare threaten me.”

  As he pushed out the door, I spotted Lutia standing in the main room shrouded by darkness.

  She sauntered into the kitchen, dressed in white cotton shorts and matching cropped tank top, her dead-straight blonde hair spilled to her waist. Her mouth broke into a smirk. “How does it feel to get what you’ve always wanted? Soon you’ll be a full wulfkin.”

  “Don’t you care that Sandulf’s become a lunatic?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  My muscles tightened. “Did you kill the woman in my apartment?”

  She combed her fingers through her hair, and the slight shake of her hand gave her away.

  Rooted in the kitchen, my legs refused to budge. “You’re more stupid than I thought if you’re carrying out Sandulf’s idiotic errands. The Varlac won’t care why you broke the rules when they come for you.”

  She stared at me with her deer-in-the-headlights gaze. A headache pulverized across the bridge of my nose and behind my eyes. “Just leave me alone, Lutia. Don’t come into my life again, or I’ll break more than your finger and nose next time.”

  “Don’t be too quick to dish out threats. They might just backfire on you.”

  Ignoring her, I whizzed out the back door and hopped into the Jeep. I lost my apartment, and Connell no longer trusted me. Would he believe me if I told him the truth? I’d told so many lies I wasn’t sure I knew the truth anymore.