“With its back to me, I got my first up and close look at it. I had planned on delivering a fast and furious blow to its heart, but its back was to me, I doubted my blade would penetrate far enough. That really only left the head and neck. I don’t know if you saw it last night, but their skulls, our skulls, are huge, and the bone enormously thick. I could tell by looking at it that that was out of the question. I would surely wound it attacking there, but it was unlikely I would immediately kill it.
“In such a precarious position as the one I was in, the kill needed to be swift. So the neck was what it had to be. It was a bit too far away for me to just lean forward and strike. It had to be closer. So I then pulled it by its long furry ears.
“I was able to pull it hard enough to thrust my blade into its jugular, but it was only a partial success. I didn’t hit the exact sweet spot. It yelped and jerked away from my grasp and quickly lashed out at me, clipping me in the temple— somehow I was able to fall down on the next sturdy branch immediately below. It jumped after me, and it became a footrace to the bottom— me narrowly avoiding its sweeping claws with each descent. The last branch was about fifteen feet from the ground. I dropped from it and rolled, and the creature landed in front of me, but by this time it had lost a lot of blood hurrying after me. It was losing consciousness, but trying to get in one last kill. I stood up to face it, and we locked hands like wrestlers. For a moment I thought I might best it in strength, but it pushed my hands down easily and kicked me to the ground. That kick alone broke several of my ribs, I’m sure. It leapt in with one final burst of energy and took a huge bite into my gut. Miraculously, this is when it toppled over. It died with its jaws locked into me.”
Dunstan stopped and traced his side. “You can still see the bite marks it left on me. This line of stars here. It’s that wound, I’m told by Old Abbie, is the one that did it. That’s the wound that turned me.”
“What happened after that?” Amber asked. “How did you survive?”
“I survived because I wanted to. I firmly believe I could have died then had I allowed myself to. It took me sometime to snake my way out from under the creature, and even more to drag myself up Cannock Hill to the gardens. It was a climb out of hell, but I clawed my way to the top. When I got there, do you know who found me?”
“Mrs. Sadler?” Amber asked.
“No. Old Abbie. She didn’t hear me coming. Didn’t see the fight. But she took one look at me and said, ‘Our new warrior has arrived. Just in time.’
She hailed down someone passing by in a carriage and demanded they take me to Sadler.”
“Was she able to do anything for you?” Amber asked.
“No, but Abbie knew what was happening within me. She knew that I was changing. That I was becoming one of them. She kept saying, ‘Just keep him with us. Do whatever you have to do, just keep him with us. We need him.’ Mrs. Sadler wanted to give me tinctures for the pain, but Abbie said, ‘No, don’t let him get comfortable! He’s here by pure will alone! Don’t take that away!’”
“I don’t understand. What happened?” Amber asked.
“The wounds— the demon got inside me through them. It bound itself to me and became a part of me that day. It was the most painful experience of my life. Not just physically, either. Emotionally too. Every emotion I had bottled up, everything I tried to hide— my parents’ deaths, my anger at the town, the confusion and sadness I felt over being further rejected by my aunt, never having anyone to go to. I felt them all at once, as if the demon was forcing me to take a hard look at them, to accept them and move on. And it was while I was in the throws of all those emotions that my injuries healed. It took them away while I took it within me. It was if it would have me believe my physical injuries were just merely metaphors.”
“But you call it a demon. You’re not bad. I know you aren’t. You haven’t hurt or said anything disparaging about anyone. Do you know it’s a demon? Call you feel it?”
“Old Abbie is adamant it is. She hasn’t explained why, but she’s dead set that there is an entity within me that the elders would call a demon.” Dunstan turned and looked at her. “I can feel it, Amber, I can always feel it, but it’s never urged me to do anything evil - never even thought of hurting another person while turned. Abbie used a name for what I’ve become. She called me El-Kahn.”
“Do you have to turn? You fought turning last night, I mean you must have. Can you fight it all the time?”
“No, it’s like breathing. Right now I’m Dunstan because I’m choosing to be, but I can only hold my breath for so long. The urge will get too great.”
“This is why you always ran away immediately after work?”
“Yes, but I was also patrolling. Keeping them at bay. I killed one the other day eyeing some people on the northern limit. More and more are creeping closer to Bruton. It’s getting dangerous. They’re coming. They want what we have.”
“What do we do?” Amber asked.
“I don’t know. They’re people, but I haven’t met one willing to talk to me yet. Things are about to get bad. Whether things get better before they get worse, only time will tell.”
“When will I see you again?” Amber asked.
“Jessica helped me last night, right? Let’s plan on meeting at her farm. I’ll communicate when through her. Her family’s farm is closer to the woods and easier for me to get to without being seen.”
“Where will you be?” Amber asked.
“Same place I’ve been for years, beautiful. The woods.” He made to turn, but stopped. “You still look stunning by the way,” he added and shifted, jumping quickly away.
CHAPTER 10
Amber went back home to change. She needed to get word to Jessica that Dunstan would be communicating through them, but she was still dressed in her gown for the Spring Festival. If anyone saw her, they would think she was rattled in the brain, or at the very least know she had been with Dunstan the entire time. Either scenario did not support her cause of keeping him safe and bringing the town around.
Thankfully she was able to hurry back home without being seeing by anyone.
Inside, she found her father sitting by himself before the fire, thinking and smoking a pipe.
“Where’s Mom?” Amber asked as she closed the door.
“Getting ready for the night,” he said, staring at the flames. “Is ‘e alive?” he asked.
“Dunstan? Yes, he’s alive.”
“A lot of people are looking for ‘im. My storage shed probably wasn’t the place to hide ‘im.”
Amber took a step back. The blankets. He had seen the blankets.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do,” she said.
He stood up and asked “Is ‘e to blame? Is ‘e to blame for the people that died last night?”
Amber took a deep breath and said, “Yes, they were looking for him.” Her father’s eyes widened, so she quickly added, “But many more would be dead if it wasn’t for him! He’s been protecting us!”
Her father burst out laughing. When he saw the seriousness in her eyes, he said, “What nonsense ‘as that boy been putting into yer’ brain. He’s strong, I’ll give ‘im that. But last night ‘e almost died. You can’t tell me he’s been walking around killing those things.”
“He has, he…” Amber trailed off. She couldn’t tell her father what he was. Not yet. If she did, he’d be the one leading the pack looking for him. He was a good man, but he would never allow Dunstan to live in Bruton if he was like those creatures that attacked, but he just needed to understand the situation.
But it wasn’t time, and he wasn’t ready.
He saw her holding back, but he didn’t push her to finish. “I forbid you to be with ‘im,” he said. “Everything’s too dangerous right now, an’ he’s in the thick of ‘et.”
Amber didn’t say anything. Instead, she went into her room to change.
“Did’ya hear me, Amber?”
“I heard you,” Amber said and closed her door
.
She threw off her ball gown and put on a thick, brown working dress and wrapped herself in a black shawl.
She walked out of her room and saw that her father was still smoking his pipe, waiting for her.
“Where ye’ goin’?” he asked.
“Out,” Amber said sharply. She walked to the door, but turned around sharply.“You saw that they were men, did you not? They were monsters before they were men. It was a choice they made to become whatever it was that they were.”
“Aye. I saw that,” he said with smoke fuming out of his mouth. “Replayed it all night and all mornin’. What of et?”
“If they were men, men that killed other men— whose names they did not even know— don’t you think those men should be held responsible for their actions? And not the man who killed one of them and protected us?”
“Men often have reasons for killing other men,” he said with his pipe between his lips. “Rational reasons,” he added.
“Just men do. Honorable men do. If they were after Dunstan for a just cause, they would not have hurt Ed Gass and Jasper Harrington! They killed them because they were there— because they were in the way. Does that sound rational to you? Does that sound just? They were monsters! Don’t you forget that!”
“All I know is, all the town knows, is that they have never attacked Bruton head on before. Last night was the first time they have ever attacked us. And they had a reason. They came looking for Dunstan, so, yes, I have a right to be angry with him, as does everyone else in this town. Don’t you even preten’ like we don’t!”
“Be upset,” Amber said, “but be upset at the right people. His whole life people have spat on him! He didn’t ask for the life he has, but he’s fighting for it. He’s fighting for us, Pa, and we don’t deserve what he’s done for us!”
Amber walked out at slammed the door. She waited for him to yell after her, but he didn’t.
She looked up and saw that it was almost noon. To the right, coming from Town Square, a crowd seemed to be yelling. She had no interest persuading the whole town of Dunstan’s innocence just yet. If her father wasn’t ready, they wouldn’t be either.
She would have to worry about that later. Right now the most pressing matter was getting to Jessica and telling her about Dunstan. If she was going to turn the tide, she needed Jessica on her side, and, more importantly, William, the mayor’s son.
She turned left and walked towards Avondale Road.
Old Abbie was waiting for her on the town bridge crossing Erith Stream dressed much the same as her though hunched over with age.
“Where is he?” Abbie asked as soon as Amber stepped foot on the stone bridge.
“I don’t know,” Amber said. “Somewhere up in the trees, I imagine, encircling the town.”
“Good,” Abbie said. “Tell him to stay away and out of sight. The nimrods in this town need to see some reason before he returns. I just pray I’m able to talk it into ‘em.”
“Are you going to try?” Amber said.
“Aye. I imagine it will be my last big hurrah, but it needs to be done. The men here have grown weak and fearful, and the women too accepting. Neither has had enough hardship in their lives to help ‘em know what’s important. This is actually good for ‘em, what’s happened. Dunstan and William, Gods bless ‘em, are the only real men in this town right now. And if that couldn’t be more absurd, the town’s dead set on killing one’ev ‘em. Find your friend. I’ll do what I can. And if you see Dunstan, tell ‘im I’m proud of who he’s become. It won’t mean much to him, I’m sure, but I want ‘im to know all the same.”
“No, on the contrary, I think it will mean a lot to him.”
Old Abbie patted her on the shoulder and began the walk back into town.
Amber blurted out, “Why is he the only good one? What’s so special about him that he’s the only one of them doing what’s right?”
Old Abbie stopped and turned back to her, smiling a big, toothless smile. “He’s not, dear! Dear Gods no, he’s not.”
“Where are they then?” Amber asked. “The ones who would still do good?”
Old Abbie turned back to the road in front of her, and said, “They are few and far between, but, like myself, getting old— ready for the earth to take ‘em back.”
“But where are they? Who are they?”
Abbie chuckled.
“Look up. It may not be Dunstan you see protecting this town.”
Amber looked up into the trees as Abbie neared the first house in Bruton, but the trees housed only buds and scurrying squirrels.
*
She continued towards Jessica’s parents’ farm, and wasn’t halfway down the road when Jessica came running out the front door. She collided into Amber and gave her a big, tight hug.
She released Amber and asked, “How is he? How is Dunstan? Has he woken up yet? Is he safe?”
“He’s fine,” Amber said. “Completely healed. Back in the woods.”
“What? How is that possible?”
Amber made sure no one was around and whispered the reason into Jessica’s ear.
“He’s one of them?” Jessica whispered back to her. Her eyes were wide and frightened.
“No, he’s like them, but he’s not one of them. I don’t know why.”
“Wait, how long have you known? Has he always been? Since we were little?”
“Can we go inside?” Amber asked. “I’m cold, and I promise to tell you everything I know if you feed me a bowl of soup. That is some of your soup I smell wafting out, isn’t it? Please tell me it is. I’m so hungry I’m starting to feel weak.”
“It is. Tell me everything, and I’ll give you two bowls,” Jessica said. “We girls need our strength if we’re going to keep this town runnin’.”
Jessica fed her onion and potato soup with two big chunks of hard bread lathered in extra creamy butter. The milk from her family’s cows always made the best winter-time butter.
With a full stomach, the jitteriness in her legs and arms went away, and the problems she had to face seemed less severe. Though now she felt sleepy and ready to curl up in front of the fire roaring in the hearth.
Jessica heated up some water, and was steeping a nice black blend of tea to wake them up.
“I can’t believe he killed one of ‘em when he was only fifteen,” Jessica said.
“I can,” Amber said. “I believe he could have done it when he was twelve.”
“Are there any weaknesses?” Jessica asked. “You know the ole’ wives’ tale that werewolves are weak against silver? Anything like that, you think, for these creatures? And are we sure they’re not demons?”
“We’re not sure of anything. Only that Dunstan wouldn’t hurt any of us.”
Jessica fidgeted in her chair, and looked uncomfortably at Amber. It was an awkward silence until she asked, “Are we sure? Are we sure of that? That he wouldn’t hurt us?”
“You saw how he fought for us last night,” Amber said. “And I’ve seen him turned four times today alone. Surely if he wasn’t able to fight whatever’s inside of him, he would have lost by now.”
Martin came in through the back door. He looked more tired than Jessica and Amber combined. “Oi, is that potato soup?” he asked. “Oh, I could use some of that,” he said.
“So get yourself some,” Jessica said, not getting up.
Martin sneered when she wasn’t looking and spooned himself out a heaping bowl of it. He sat down beside Amber and said, “William and I stayed up all night last night, patrollin’, makin’ sure those creatures didn’t come back. Feel like I could sleep for a week. That was some Spring Festival, won’t et? Don’ think I’ll forget ‘et anytime soon.”
“Do you two feel more nervous now, being so close to Bowland?” Amber asked both of them.
“Well, Ma’s out with some of her friends today,” Jessica said. “I think to just be away. And Pa’s out walking the perimeter herdin’ the sheep and armed to the teeth. But I don’t know, I can only spea
k for myself, but knowing that they’re men underneath, well, I don’t know. I’m somehow more frightened and less frightened at the same time. I don’t really know, I guess is what I’m sayin’.”
“Cou’ juff look like men,” Martin said with a mouthful of bread.
“Guh!” Jessica exclaimed and put her hand out, shielding her eyes from his mouth. “Swallow your food before you talk, ye pig!” Jessica yelled. “No one wants to see that!”
“Wha’? I’s juff Amba here,” Martin said and swallowed. “An’ she’s with Dunstan now. If she’s with him, I don’ stand a chance.”
“It’s human decency! It’s not about going to bed with anyone!” Jessica retorted, still keeping her hand out.
“But anyway,” Martin continued, “I don’t get why them appearing like men would calm you down, Jessica. Rick Backus has told lots of fairy tales where creatures appeared to be men but weren’t. Demons locked in the form of man to deceive man.”
Amber looked at Jessica. If she was going to get anywhere with this town, she needed people like Martin on her side, too.
She took a deep breath and caught him up.
Martin’s eyes widened and he pounded the table in excitement. “I wanna be one! Do ye think he’ll bite me? I’ll fight beside him!”
Jessica slapped him in the arm. “Grow up,” she said. “You don’t know what else comes with bein’ one of ‘em. And you’re good enough as you are.”
Martin opened his mouth to retort, but realized he had just been complemented by his sister— an unusual occurrence.
“So what’s next?” Jessica asked. “Where do we go from here?”
“I don’t know. Do we even begin thinking of fighting them?” Amber said. “We don’t know how many there are. And Dunstan can’t do it alone.”
“Can’t and he shouldn’t,” Jessica said. “This is everyone’s problem— it’s not just his. But what we need to consider is that these ‘wolves’ or shifters, are essentially another group of people. As such, maybe we should consider sitting down and talking with them.”
BOX SET: Shifter 4-Pack Vol 2 (Wolf Shifter, Dragon Shifter, Mafia, Billionaire, BBW, Alpha) (Werewolf Weredragon Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection) Page 130