by GA Hauser
Roman clamped down on his arm tighter, trying to quiet Charlie.
The circle of dark-hooded sentries began to chant. The hairs rose on Charlie's arms and the back of his neck. He swallowed down his fear, sensing if he allowed it, he'd shift into something else.
All at once, the entire coven turned to face the opposite side of where Charlie and Roman were standing.
Roman perked up and Charlie caught a scent in the wind. "He's here."
"Did she summon him?" Roman shifted nervously.
Charlie tried to see over the line of candles and dark cloaks. "No. He's growling at her."
"Shit!" Roman tugged Charlie's arm to urge him to move, and they began creeping to the opposite side of the human circle.
"…Her body is the earth…" the red witch began chanting or casting a spell, Charlie didn't know which.
"Her breath is the air…" She reached out her walking stick and the wind began to blow stronger. "…fire…" a ball of flames flew from her fingertips, making the Alpha step back.
"Fire is her spirit…and water…" she called out as the trees shook the heavy snow down to the ground. "…is her womb!"
The big white wolf snarled and arched its back.
Then, suddenly, the witch reached towards Roman and Charlie, calling them with a silent cry.
Charlie's senses went crazy and he fought the change and the dizziness.
Her actions alerted the Alpha and as if it had not known before Charlie and Roman were there. He did now.
Roman snarled.
"Oh no." Charlie gripped Roman's arm. "Don't!"
"…Child of the wolves…" she reached out to Roman, beckoning him, "Offer protection and I shall protect you."
"No. No way!" Charlie heard Roman gasp in pain and saw him hold his stomach. Charlie yelled at the witch, "It ain't fair! Y'all did this to him and now you want him to help you?"
The white wolf began to stalk Charlie and Roman. A low murmur from the black-cloaked group began to make Charlie feel sick. They were repeating something, over and over, like a mantra, but it was not meant to relax, it was meant to invoke power.
Roman fell to the ground right beside Charlie.
"Fuck!" Charlie panicked and with that terror came his own pain and metamorphosis. "Help us find Butch!" he shouted to Ophelia. "In return! Please!" Charlie held his stomach as the ache increased.
"Water, air, fire, and earth…" the coven chanted, their candles flickering in the dark, "Womb, breath, spirit, body…"
"Roman!" Charlie hit the hard ground with his knees.
On top of a pile of clothing, stood a huge black crow. It stretched out its wings and opened its beak.
Charlie watched the large black bird lift off and begin diving at the wolf. The white wolf shrank back and snapped its formidable jaws at the bird.
"No! Oh hell no!" Charlie clawed the snowy ground, trying to keep human, keep his senses, but the chanting was overwhelming and clouding his thoughts. He screamed in pain and fell on his back to the cold ground.
When he opened his eyes, he witnessed a battle between a large black crow and a huge white wolf.
~
Roman used his talons to grab at the wolf's snout. It leapt on its hind legs and bit at him, getting close to snatching him out of the air. Another bird descended on the wolf, coming from the opposite direction.
Like two bomber jets, Roman and Charlie attacked the Alpha using both their sharp claws and beaks to cut it up and chase it away.
It retreated out of the ring of candlelight into the darkness.
Roman pursued, Charlie beside him, flapping his wings to keep up. When they were out of the protective circle and into the darkness of the forest, Roman stopped his decent and flapped his wings frantically to get away. A big man, holding a broadsword was waiting for him.
"Charlie! Watch out!" Roman veered for the trees and avoided the blade as it sliced the air.
The sword caught Charlie's wingtip and he spun and dropped.
Roman flew towards him, but Charlie regained his balance and with a whoosh of his wings flew to the trees. He perched on a branch and shook out his feathers.
The Alpha met Roman's gaze, sword poised. "Time to finish this," the Alpha said.
Roman flew over Charlie and then circled the man with the sword. The blade sliced the air, close to Roman. I can't fight him like this.
Roman flew back to the red witch and made loud squawking noises. She threw a red ball of mist at him.
Roman plummeted to the ground and hit hard, getting the wind knocked from him. Human once more, he lay naked and helpless on the snowy ground, his head spinning. As he recovered, he thought of his gun. Roman got to his elbows and tried to look for it.
A man stood over him, smiling, holding the sword.
~
Charlie shook out his right wing, seeing the tip of his feathers had been knocked off. He didn't feel pain but knew it had damaged his maneuvering capabilities. "Roman?" He hopped on the branch and looked around. When he didn't see anything under him he grew upset and tried to fly. With his balance compromised, Charlie flapped hard to keep airborne and looked for his man.
Not only had Roman vanished, he couldn't see the circle of dark-cloaked figures, or the red witch. She-it! Fuck! Fuck!
Charlie struggled to fly straight, avoiding the trees in the darkness and getting exhausted. He hit a low hanging evergreen branch, one loaded with snow and toppled to the ground. The snow dumped on him and he poked his head up through the pile and attempted to shake himself out of it.
Flapping and hopping, Charlie was completely spent from the effort. He opened his beak and spread his wings to touch the icy ground to rest. When he looked up, he was near a cabin or shed of some kind. But it wasn't the shack he and Roman were familiar with, this was larger. Charlie hopped closer to it, trying to find a window or a door. He scampered around the length of the wall and tried to fly, but the exhaustion in him was taking its toll. Finally getting to the door, which was nothing more than wooden beams and a handle, Charlie stuck his beak under it and tried to sniff. But his crow sense of smell didn't compare to his wolf senses.
He squawked out of frustration.
"Hello?" was called from inside.
"Butch"' Charlie hopped up and down in excitement. "Butch"' He cawed and pecked at the wooden door.
"Is someone out there? Help me!"
Charlie tried to fly higher and use his talons on the handle but kept missing and tumbling to the ground. "Butch!" He cawed and pecked at the wood. Calm down, Mosby, he told himself. Ya gotta be a man to do this. Calm the fuck down.
"Is someone out there? Help!"
Charlie stopped flapping. He kept his back to the door and folded his wings over his head. Calm. Calm…
~
Roman gasped for breath, fatigued from the change. He shivered in the snow and looked up into the gleaming amber eyes of the Alpha male. The sword was brought down to cut him in half.
Roman rolled out of the way and tried to get to his feet. The blade made another strike, hitting the ground on the opposite side. Roman lunged at the legs of the man and was amazed when he rolled through thick mist and didn't contact a body. With a supreme effort, Roman got to his feet and confronted his foe.
"Kneel." The man pointed to the ground in front of him with the tip of the sword.
"Fuck you." Roman felt his teeth ache and fought it. He could not win a battle against this man as a wolf. He'd seen how badly that went.
Facing off, Roman and the Alpha began to circle each other, looking for the right opportunity to take down their opponent.
The Alpha swung the blade and the very tip grazed Roman's stomach. He backed up and clenched his fists.
Behind the warrior, out of the gloom, a band of soldiers began to emerge.
Roman tried to control his breathing, having no idea if these phantom shadows were real or imagined.
Four warriors, carrying broadswords, stood at the Alpha's back. The Alpha smiled.
> "You have to be kidding me!" Roman retreated further, wondering if he was dreaming or awake.
"Welcome my pack." The Alpha gestured behind him.
"No way!" Roman rubbed his face and hair. "This is crazy!" He shouted into the air, "Ophelia! Did you drug me again?" Roman looked for her, for her black-cloaked coven. Then he glanced down at himself. He was naked and the slice on his skin was red, but not bleeding. "Am I awake?"
The Alpha took a menacing step closer, the group of men behind him, poised like a Roman infantry.
"Charlie!" Roman yelled, "Charlie! Where the fuck are you?"
~
Butch heard bizarre scratching and noises. It was so dark he couldn't tell where they were coming from. His own huffing breath and heartbeat was loud in his ears. He tugged at the bindings, wrenching the leather cords until his skin was raw. The noise of something hitting the door made him shiver.
Then the door handle actually shook and creaked.
Butch gulped and never recalled feeling so helpless.
The door opened and it was so dark outside, he couldn't see anything. "Oh, Lord, help me."
"Butch…"
"Charlie?" Butch began jerking his limbs to be free. "Charlie! Thank fuck!" Butch tried to see him in the darkness. "Where are you? Get me the hell out of here." Out of the shadows he spotted Charlie crawling towards him. "Charlie?"
As if it took everything the man had, Charlie made his way to him and began working on the knots at Butch's ankles. "Oh no. You changed. Charlie, that Alpha fucker…he tied me up in here."
After untying one ankle, Charlie worked on the other.
"Goddamn. Where's Roman? Charlie, I am so messed up in my head, I don't even know what day it is." His legs free, Butch tried to be quiet as Charlie made his way behind him, releasing his wrists.
Butch lowered his head and began to cry, biting his lip. "Charlie. Tell me. Is Roman dead?"
Charlie tugged the leather off Butch's hands and said, "I don't know."
Butch covered his face in grief then contained his anguish. "What did the bastard do to y'all?"
"Let's get the hell out of here." Charlie used the chair to stand.
Butch took off his coat and wrapped it around Charlie's shoulders. "Where are we?"
"I have no idea." Charlie put the coat on and gripped Butch's arm, leaning on him for support.
"Jesus H. Christ," Butch said, holding onto Charlie as they left the building. "I can't see my way out of this mess."
"Yer not the only one, Butch."
Butch exited the strange cabin and looked up at the stars in the night sky. "Which way?"
"I don't know. But I want to get away from this place."
They held onto each other's hands and raced into the darkness.
~
Roman backed up warily.
The pack was advancing, swords held ready for battle.
Roman hit a tree as he retreated and ducked down, trying to get behind its thick branches. The cold snow melted on his back and the twigs scratched his skin. Something help me.
Roman was trained for many things. But fighting against unknown beings, holding swords, while he was naked? Not this.
His tongue kept being drawn to his canines but he knew the minute he turned wolf, he'd have a pack of angry canines on him.
Looking behind him as he withdrew, Roman noticed a red glow in the snow. He made for it, slowly, reaching as he walked backwards. As he grew closer he could see what it was. It was his pile of clothing, and his duty weapon.
Roman grabbed it, crouching and pulled the gun out of the holster. He aimed and opened fire.
The muzzle lit with white flames and the noise shattered the darkness. The Alpha and his pack hesitated, but Roman didn't know if the ammo was useless, or he had become a lousy shot. He crouched behind a tree trunk and aimed at one of the subordinate males. He shot it in the chest.
It touched the bullet wound and appeared to have been at least damaged.
The Alpha snarled and showed his teeth. One by one, Roman picked off the little army. The shots would have been lethal in a human, but at least these pack members were stunned and gripping the wounds.
~
"Gun shots!" Butch yelled.
"Roman!" Charlie launched over the snow and brush, gaining a second wind. He and Butch sprinted towards the noise, which was echoing in the clear mountain air. As he ran, Charlie envisioned an army. Not an army of men, an army of wolves.
Maybe it was ridiculous, but it helped him remain calm, not change, and gave him hope.
As another shot rang out, giving them a direction to aim for, Butch began yelling, "Roman!" at the top of his lungs.
Advancing on some kind of confrontation, whether it was against the red witch and her coven or the Alpha, Charlie envisioned timber wolves. Wild, free, and members of his and Roman's pack.
Chapter 16
JP and Goat were in their cabin when they heard Harley barking like crazy.
"What's that dog up to now?" Goat asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he can't sleep either." JP looked at the door. "You realize leaving Roman and Charlie alone on that mountain to find Butch was a dumb idea."
"Well?" Goat stood up. "You want to go back up there?"
JP headed to the door for his coat. "I do. I can't stand sitting here doin' nuthin'."
The dog was going berserk.
JP put on his coat and hat, stepping into his cowboy boots. He picked up the shotgun and said, "Get the flashlight, Goat."
"I got it." He held up a large plastic spotlight they used for night hunting. Goat met JP at the door and when they opened it, the sound of Suzie yelling at the dog to be quiet was clear. JP and Goat hurried to the ranch house. They stood on the porch and knocked on the door. Harley was right behind it, barking like crazy, crazier than they had ever heard him before.
"Hang on!" Suzie yelled through it. "Harley! Shut up!" The minute she opened the door, the dog broke from her grip and took off up the mountain. Both JP and Goat gaped at it in surprise, then they heard gun fire.
"Are you kiddin' me?" JP jumped out of his skin. Another shot rang out. "That's gotta be Roman!" He took off to the barn. "Suzie! Call Sheriff Kenmore!"
"An' Agent Dean!" Goat shouted, running behind JP.
Two more shot were heard in the distance.
"Goddamn!" JP grabbed his horse out of the stall and stuffed a bit in its mouth, hopping onto it bareback. It startled and stomped and then responded to his command, bolting out of the barn. JP's gun in one hand, the rein in the other, he galloped as fast as he could.
"Hang on!" Goat yelled as he climbed onto his horse.
"Come on, Goat!" JP gripped the horse tightly with his thighs and encouraged it to fly. "Ya! Come on, boy!" JP followed the crazy Jack Russell back up the mountain trail.
~
Roman heard Butch calling him, so he stopped shooting. "Over here!" he shouted, crouched low, his hand still gripped to his pistol. The gun was hot in his hand and the rounds had gone through the Alpha, doing nothing to stop him.
The Alpha stood his ground but his minions had vanished.
Noise of panting breaths and twigs snapping came up behind Roman. He knew who it was.
"Am I glad to see you." Butch crouched down with Charlie behind him.
"No time for happy reunions." Roman nodded ahead.
"Damn." Butch obviously saw the Alpha. "Montague! Ain't you tired of this shit!"
"You know his name?" Roman gasped in surprise.
"He told me."
Roman eyed the man, who was still holding the sword. "Charlie…" Roman waited for an answer. When he didn't get one, he tried to see his lover in the darkness. Charlie was wearing Butch's coat, crouched down, his eyes closed. "What the hell is wrong with him?" Roman asked Butch.
"He's been quiet since he saved me. Don't know."
"Enough!" Roman stood, aiming the gun at the image of the Alpha and approached him.
"No! Roman! That gun ain't no good!"
Butch grabbed for him.
Roman advanced, step by step, watching the amber eyes of this creature glow. "You lost. Get lost."
"Only room for one Alpha." He sneered.
"Yes. Me." Roman pointed the gun at the Alpha and opened fire. The muzzle blasts lit the night and the noise was deafening. When all his rounds were spent, and his slide locked back, Roman looked through the steamy smoke. The man was still standing, sword poised.
"Fuck!" Roman lowered the gun to his side. "Fight fair!"
The Alpha approached Roman, grinning. "Wolf to wolf?"
"No! Man to man!" Roman waited, watching every move this beast made. "Montague? Is that your name?"
"Roman." He sneered. "That is yours."
Roman dropped his gun. "You coward. Turn into something I can hit!" He got into a battle stance.
Montague slid his sword into the scabbard on his back.
Roman took a swing at him, but it passed through the image as if he wasn't there. "That's not fair!" Roman was hit so hard in the chest, he fell on his ass on the ground. He gasped in shock and the man was now standing over him. Roman held up his hands to fend off an attack he simply could not defend against.
Out of the gloom came a small white powerhouse.
Roman had no idea what it was at first, then the little package of dynamite on four legs leapt at Montague, snapping its jaws at him.
"Harley?" Roman blinked in shock.
Just as the Alpha was about to strike the little dog down, a pack of wolves advanced on him. Like a legion of armed military men, wave after wave of timber wolves dove at Montague.
Montague held up his arms in defense and pure white light flooded the area.
Roman shielded his eyes from the glare. The sound of canines tearing something apart made him wince. He crawled away and felt hands on him. Butch and Charlie grabbed him and they huddled in a tight ball as hellfire was released around them.
The noise of a war of mystical spirits echoed in the clear mountain air and Roman envisioned the carnage though he wanted to block it out.
A bomb blast-like current hit Roman and it knocked all three men to the ground, flattening them like dry weeds in a hurricane.
Roman felt faint and couldn't open his eyes.