Startled, he replied, “Yes, Master. Ten hail from wealthy families. Three have fathers who hold prominent positions on the Magdeburg Council.”
“Whose child was taken first?”
“The first was from the home of a wealthy merchant by the name of Edmund Speer.”
“Speer? He resides on the same street as the Lord Mayor, yes?”
“As does several high-end barristers and councilmen. The wealthiest merchants hold residence one street over, alongside the Magistrate. Since Breber has no children, he was never in danger.”
“Herrick, I grasp a political motive to the disappearances, rather than a wolf’s or demon’s appetite. Dammit, how did I miss such a glaring clue? Ride to the Lord Mayor’s house and search the alleys and streets along thereof. Mayhap, the culprit behind the kidnappings will show himself as he seeks another rich man’s child.”
“What will you do, Master?”
“I must locate Breber and share with him our suspicions.”
They turned to gaze upon the River Elbe, concerned as a thick, strangely glowing fog rolled in, just as the fluffy snowflakes increased in its downfall. Soon, they would be blind on every front.
Nervous, Alex said, “Herrick, watch your back.”
Visibly shaken, he nodded as he drew his sword. “Same to you, Master.”
He watched Herrick ride down the street, the snowstorm and fog swallowing him and his horse from view. Urging Saber forward, he rode straight into the fog. The horse’s ears pricked forward as the stallion carefully picked his way through the fetlock-deep snow. A flicker of a lit match had Alex reining his horse toward it when a shadowy figure dashed out in front them, causing his steed to rear. Alex steadied his horse, losing sight the person in the blinding fog.
Cautiously proceeding, a short scream jerked him to the left and he urged Saber into what turned out to be an alleyway. Hearing a scuffle issue, he called to the wind and forced the fog back to see who fought. A woman, dressed in rags, her hair twisted and unkept, struggled to rise to her feet. Breber, holding a torch in one hand, his sword rose, and Alex realized he meant to slay her!
“No, Breber! Hold your sword. She’s harmless.”
Breber held his attack but did not lower his weapon. Holding his torch out, he demanded, “Which brother are you?”
“I am Alexander Wulf.”
Breber stumbled back, relaxing his stance. “She ran right into me. I thought she was the wolf attacking me.” Wiping a shaking hand across his face, Breber stared at the moaning woman as she paced back and forth in an agitated state.
“What happened to her?” he asked, reining his horse beside Breber as they watched the woman mumbling to herself.
“Tragedy knows poor Sonja only too well. Parents dead, she was widowed in last fall, and then her only child was taken. She has no one left. Her mind fractured. Nothing to live for, and still she is forced to keep living.” They watched her anxiously tear the ragged edges of her unkept dress.
“I—” Breber stopped as the woman ran up to him, grabbing his front labels.
Her eyes bulged, fear and madness made her wraithlike in the torch’s nimbus. “The night has teeth! The night has claws, and I have found them!”
“Found who?” Breber asked her, bewildered.
“I will show you where they are.” She released him and ran to the makeshift fence. Sonja pulled at the boards, yanking several off. Turning back to them, she waved urgently for them to follow her. Slipping past the opening she’d made, the woman vanished out of sight.
Uneasy at the prospect of entering the woods without Herrick and the others, Alex dismounted and tied his horse to the railing. “Do we follow her?”
“We must investigate. Another child was taken less than a quarter hour ago. If Sonja knows where the lair of the beast is, we might have a chance to save the Mayor’s daughter and the infant stolen.” Breber followed after the woman.
Alex peered into the opening and saw Breber carefully tread down the embankment leading to the river. Gazing past Breber, he saw the woman and was amazed at how fast she was moving, faster than she should have been able to travel on foot with the deep snow. Slipping through the gap, he saw how she was able to move so quickly. A beaten path extended across the river and into the woods at the base of the mountain.
Could it have been made by the men searching the woods for the missing children or was it the beast’s tracks?
It dawned on him he hadn’t seen Aldric since arriving in town. Alex stopped and searched the sky for his brother, finding only snow. Where the hell had his brother gone to when he needed him most?
“Aldric? Where are you?”
Silence.
The light from Breber’s torch became a beacon in the unearthly, snowy realm claiming Magdeburg. The human waved at him to hurry. Quickly skidding down the slippery slope, he joined Breber at the edge of the river.
“Follow me,” he told Breber briskly. “Do as I say. Understand?”
“No, I do not. How—”
“Because, I know how to hunt the creature we are after. It is not a wolf and it is far more dangerous than a man.”
Breber stared at him and slowly nodded his head. “I trust you. Lead on. I will protect your back.”
Facing the mountain, the ice-cold wind rising, he found the path Sonja had used, and it proved well-packed and easy to travel. He took off at a jog across the frozen river, Breber close on his heels. On either side the path, the snow’s height reached past his waist. Once across, he cautiously entered the forest. Disregarding all he had been taught not to do, he embraced the predator in him and set it loose, becoming the hunter. Extending his senses, he found the woman farther up the path, her body barely radiating heat as the snow and cold sapped her strength. Still, she kept on.
In the awful quiet, he heard movement a quarter mile to his right. Wolves! He drew his pistol. “Breber, stay behind me.” He positioned himself between Breber and the fast approaching wolves. “We have company coming.”
“Company?”
“Wolves.”
“Wolves? You think they are hunting us?”
Focusing his sight, he recognized the white wolf and her pack. “No, not us.” Before Breber could question him further, Alex asked him, “Lothe said you are convinced the kidnappings are aimed at you. Why think you this? Is it because only prominent families whose infants and toddlers were taken?”
“Because Sonja’s child was the only one taken who hails from a working class home. I think I am being taunted by the kidnapper.” He explained, “Those of wealthy means were well-protected and yet, the monster claimed them, making a mockery my efforts to stop him. I cannot explain it, I only have this feeling Sonja’s child was taken to test me and I failed, giving the beast the rein it sought to hunt the innocent without capture.”
“Who has permission to enter the houses of the children taken?” he said more to himself than to Breber as he dug into his pocket for the silver bullets. “Here, load your pistol with these.”
Taking the bullets, Breber stared at them, his brow creasing in bemusement. “Are these actual silver bullets?”
“Aye, they are. Hurry, man, we have not time to waste explaining the details and whys.”
“Answer to your question, servants and delivery people have permission to enter the houses. Officials and their family have had invites.” Breber quickly switched out his bullets. “I am ready.”
“List of suspects has just risen unfortunately. Come on.” Taking off, Alex scanned the path leading into the mountain and found it was well packed and had seen much traffic of late, just like the river. Not a good sign.
Minding his pace for Breber to keep up with him, he heard Sonja’s babbling drift back to them. The insane conversation she kept did little to calm his and Breber’s apprehension.
“Where does she lead us?” He asked Breber, “Are you familiar with the trail we are on?”
“Yes. It leads to a lodge my fellow councilmen and I use during ou
r hunts. Last fall, I took Lisle there for her first deer hunt.”
Nerves stretched taunt, the unsettling quiet tore at his nerves, hearing none of the wolves or the woman. He called out to Aldric, “Brother, where are you? I need your help!”
A blood-curdling scream startled him and Breber, who nearly dropped his pistol in the snow. The woman’s tormented shrieks shattered the night, the sounds of flesh and cloth tearing had them running as best they could along the slippery path. The hot, coppery scent of blood caused his fangs to drop in hunger. Slapping an iron grip over his reaction to blood, he searched ahead for Sonja’s body heat, unable to locate her. Abruptly, she stopped screaming. Alex shot a questioning look at Breber, who lowered his torch, searching the woods along the trail for the woman. Heart pounding hard, he feared it would explode out of his chest.
The wolves were now closing in on them.
“Dammit, where are you, Aldric?”
His brother answered, anguish and horror colored his voice, “Dear God, what have I done?”
Alarmed at his brother’s words, Alex broke into a hard run. Breber struggled to follow him. The steep trail plateaued to a small clearing. He skidded to a halt, searching for his brother. Breber plowed into his back, nearly pitching him forward.
Breber grabbed his arm, breathing hard. “What see you?”
Taking hold the torch, Alex proceeded cautiously and found Sonja’s head lying on the frozen ground before him. Her eyes wide and her mouth set in a silent scream of the unimaginable terror and pain she’d suffered before death claimed her. Not far her head was her mutilated corpse. Disemboweled, steam rose from the strewn entrails. Her arms and legs were ripped from her torso, thrown away in complete disregard. Crimson stained the pristine snow, widening as blood flowed out of her.
“Aldric, did you do this?” he demanded, searching the clearing for his brother.
“Forgive me, brother.”
Wiping his gloved hand across his mouth, Breber whispered shakily, “What could have committed such a horrific act?”
“God in Heaven, there it is!” Alex exclaimed as he watched it rise out of the snow.
Silver in fur, the wolf was four times the size of the biggest he had witnessed in his life. Lifting its blood-soaked muzzle to sniff the air, its head snapped to where he and Breber stood. Its eyes glowed blood-red. The beast’s lips drew back in a snarl, exposing its long teeth. Then it did the most amazing thing. It reached down and scooped up a bloodied bundled of blankets and rose to stand on its back legs and walked like a man!
Around him and the fervently praying mortal, the wolves appeared, positioning themselves protectively around them. Breber clutched his arm. Their eyes blazed in fierce, unnatural brilliance, giving evidence they were of the supernatural breed. How had he missed they were Wolfen when they’d escorted him home?
The silver wolf roared its fury at him. Alex snarled back, exposing his fangs, challenging it.
Shaking from head to toe, Breber stumbled away him. “What are you? What is that? Them?” He pointed at the wolf pack as they snarled at the strange beast.
Giving him an arched look, Alex replied, “You know already the answer, Magistrate, to what I am. I will not harm you, nor will they.” He indicated to the Wolfen. “Our common enemy stands over yonder. Will you fight with us?”
Swallowing hard, Breber glanced around him, at the wolves who were intent on the one standing not far them. “Do I have your word as a gentleman you will not bring harm unto me?”
Amused Breber would invoke a promise considering the scene unfolded before them, he nodded. “My word as a gentleman, I will protect you.”
Without hesitation, Breber said, “Accepted. Why do the wolves side with us?”
“They consider the abomination before us an invasion of their hunting grounds, a declaration of war.”
The white wolf halted beside him and Breber, who looked as if he were about to have heart failure. She sniffed the air. Glowing eyes of burnished gold, the magnificent animal glanced at Breber, then to the wolf standing on two legs. The white wolf howled, signaling the attack. Snarling, the wolf-creature ran away, a strange loping gait, as it held the bundle of blankets awkwardly in its front legs.
The wolves gave chase.
“Sir, I have witnessed several odd events of late, none, however, rank highly as this! What in bloody hell is that?” He jabbed a finger in the direction the creature ran. “Was it a lycanthrope? What are those wolves who have gone after it? Why do they possess eyes such brilliant color? Ordinary wolves are not as larger as they either!”
“Come on, Breber, we must save the children!”
“What? Are you suggesting the beast carries the infant stolen?”
“Yes, and we must hurry.” Running, Alex followed the wolves’ tracks, scanning for his brother, whose mind was now closed to him.
Growls, mingled with howls of pain, were deafening. By the time they reached the edge of the clearing, the sounds of battle diminished and the unsettling silence settled in once again. Breber grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to stop. He pointed at what must be the lodge he had spoken earlier. The front door was open, allowing the light inside to pour out across the slain bodies of ten wolves. The white wolf was not amongst them.
Breber whispered, “Someone is inside. Do you see their shadow?”
Alex grabbed the torch and stabbed it deep into the snow, pitching them into darkness as they hid in the trees. He whispered back, “Ready your gun. I will enter first. You keep eye behind us, in case there is another who seeks to do us harm.”
“Another? You think there are two of those creatures?”
Unable to locate Aldric, unable to dispel the feeling his brother part of this nightmare, he could only prepare Breber. “We are not only hunting the creature who killed Sonja, we are after its master, too.” Switching his pistol to his left hand, he drew his sword and cautiously pressed forward.
Nearing the lodge, the smell of Death was overpowering, making him nauseous at the reeking smell of old and fresh blood, added to decomposing flesh. Peering inside the opened door, bile rose in his throat at the gruesome macabre he laid eyes on. Before he could stop him, Breber stepped around him. The barrel of the man’s gun shook as he gapped in horrified disbelief at what was inside the lodge.
“God be merciful!”
Chapter Seven
“Damn!”
Stunned at what she’d seen, Kai rubbed a hand across her face, unable to banish the faces of the dead, the blood and gore. Betrayed by his father, his brother possibly a child killer, and a wolf walking on two legs, Alex’s world was unraveling, and she found she was as confused and scared as he was back then.
“What the hell?” She hadn’t uncovered herself. Searching around her, she found she was alone. Alex couldn’t have been gone long, because the dream had only just ended.
Who was inside the cabin? Was the wolf a demon vamp? In her experience, demon vamps usually reverted back to their human form to kill. What of the wolf pack? She’d need never heard of Wolfen before, other than movies and books. Dammit, she needed to see more!
Should she outright ask Alex what happened?
No. She couldn’t do that to him. From what she’d seen, felt his emotions — his pain, anger, isolation, she couldn’t put him on the spot. Alex had endured so much and it just wouldn’t be fair to treat him like a perpetrator, especially when he was clearly a victim.
That brought about another row of questions.
Lisle, Ulrich, and Aldric had their agendas, but why single out Alex to take the fall for the Wolf of Magdeburg? How were they connected to the monster hunting the children?
Climbing out of the grave, she paused, feeling woozy. Head aching, feeling like she had a hangover, she pushed open the cellar door and walked up the steps to the kitchen. There, she found Mary waiting for her.
“Miss Kai, I was so worried about you. Are you feeling better?” the gypsy girl gushed, her youthful face pinched with concern.
“You can drink coffee?”
“Beverages I can digest. Its food I have a problem with.”
The girl offered quickly, “I’ll get you a cup straight away.”
“Thank you. Lots of sugar and cream, please.” As she waited for Mary to pour her a cup, she examined the spacious, well-lit kitchen.
The over-sized, cast iron stove-combination oven was a working remnant of a bygone era. To fire the oven, a neatly stacked pile of quartered kindling sat placed beside the split door that lead outside. In the center of the domed-shaped chamber, a huge, round, oak table stood, well able to sit at least twenty people. The surface, scarred and marked during years of use, was still beautiful in its strength and warmth of being the center for a large family. The hardwood floors were clean and had been waxed, leaving the scuffs and grooves darkened against the deep walnut. The walls were whitewashed and plain, no paintings decorated them.
Mary took a towel and wrapped it around the handle of a stove top coffee pot and poured the dark brew into a large, white coffee cup. Scooping several heaps of sugar into the cup, she looked at her and added another at Kai’s urging. She poured a good amount of cream into the cup and stirred it. The girl handed the cup over to her and watched in rapt fascination as she took a cautious sip of the steaming hot liquid. Strong with a rich, nutty flavor, tasting cinnamon infused into the brew.
“Mmm, delicious! My compliments. Excellent coffee.”
Smiling brightly, Mary responded, “I am in charge of keeping the coffee brewed. I get bored making the same old same, so I add spices. Cinnamon makes it taste the best.”
“I love it. Uh, could I be shown a bathroom? I sorta need to clean up.” Kai waved a hand at her torn and dirty clothes.
“Right this way.” Mary pushed the swinging door, and they left the kitchen, entering the elegant dining room.
A long and narrow, dark wood table with matching, green-cushioned chairs was set in the center of the spacious room. No paintings adorned the whitewashed walls in there either. The table, chairs, and carpet were in pristine shape. They showed no signs of being used, like a museum piece cornered off from another time period.
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