by Terri Reid
When she hesitated, she felt the cold barrel of his gun against her back. “I would hate to kill you right here, Hazel,” he said with a little regret. “And, you know, if I kill you, then I’ve got to go back to your house and get one of your sisters. So, you come with me and they’ll be safe.”
She had no choice. It was her life for the lives of her family. “I’ll step up, Harley,” she said. “Leave my family out of it.”
“I thought you’d say that,” he replied. “You were always such a good person, Hazel. It’s a shame. It’s really a shame.”
He hooked the chain of her handcuffs to a larger cable that was attached to the wall of the truck. There were about a dozen feed sacks stacked around the floor of the truck. “I tried to make it so it was comfortable for you,” he said. “But it won’t be a long ride either way.”
He closed the door, and Hazel was plunged into darkness. Hazel slid her phone out of her back pocket and pressed it on.
The roar of the truck hid her phone assistant’s voice as it asked Hazel what she wanted.
“Call Mom,” Hazel replied.
“Calling Mom,” the phone replied.
“Hazel?” Agnes asked. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re taking me to the ceremony,” she called. “I’m in iron handcuffs. Harley has me in his delivery truck. He’s armed. He has a gun.”
“We’re on our way,” Agnes said. “Where’s Joseph?”
Tears spilled out of Hazel’s eyes. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know.”
Chapter Sixty-three
Joseph raced down the narrow paths between the trees, his footpads falling silently on the dirt and grass. His eyes were alert, looking for prey or predator, because survival was his only goal. He could hear the rustle of rodents under the leaves, the crash of raccoons through the brush, and the soft thump of owl wings as they gained height in the night’s sky. In the distance he could hear the rumble of a truck on the road, and even farther away, the sounds of a freight train moving across the plains.
Freedom! He inhaled deeply and opened his mouth to taste it, panting with excitement. Freedom. A lone alpha, the world was his territory, and he had no boundaries, no worries, no family. He stumbled forward in his run.
Family.
The wolfman paused and cocked his head, bewildered by the inner confusion he was feeling. He lifted his head and howled again, a song of his freedom. Yet, the song sounded different to him. Not freedom, but loneliness.
He looked back at the path he’d been running and shook his head.
There was nothing back there. There was only the path ahead, only the journey beyond, only the next kill or the next fight. Only…
He scratched at the ground, impatient with himself. Move on. But something, some internal leash was holding him back. And then he heard it. As his heart beat rapidly in his chest from the exertion of the run, he heard an answering heartbeat. He breathed slowly, intent on hearing the inner workings of his body. It was there, echoing softly, beating with his own, yet unique—another heart, a companion heart.
He looked up, and brown eyes turned amber.
“Hazel,” he whispered softly.
“Hazel!” he yelled.
He turned and ran back down the path, the graceful lope of the wolf slowly becoming the athletic run of a man. “Hazel,” he called to the night sky. “I remembered.”
Chapter Sixty-four
The truck stopped with a jolt, and Hazel was nearly thrown off the feed sacks she’d been sitting on. Her stomach reeled, both from the overwhelming smell of the feed and the roughness of the ride. Harley opened the back door, and Hazel lurched to her feet.
“Hey, wait a second,” he said, alarmed. “I got to…”
But she had already leaned out of the back of the truck and spilled the contents of her stomach on the ground.
“Are you sick?” Harley asked. “I don’t know if the Master wants a sick sacrifice.”
“Water,” Hazel croaked.
Harley nodded. “Oh, yeah, I got some upfront,” he said. “Just a sec.”
Hazel, still attached to her iron tether, looked out the truck door and gasped. There were at least a hundred people milling around the bluff, all dressed in dark clothing. This was not the coven she remembered. This was huge.
“Impressed by our little community?”
Hazel looked down in surprise. “Mayor Bates?” she asked. “You are part of this?”
“I lead this,” he said. “Under the direction of the Master, I am in command.”
“He’s lying to you,” she said, her throat raw. “He’s using you.”
“Of course, you’d say that,” Bates replied. “Your family will lose power if he is allowed to go free.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not true,” she said. “He’s afraid of our power.”
“He’s not afraid of anything,” Bates exclaimed. “Least of all you.”
He stepped away from the truck and turned towards the cab. “Harley, what the hell is taking you so long?” he yelled.
Harley came around the other side with a bottle of water in his hands. “Here,” he said, handing the bottle in Hazel’s direction.
“My hands are cuffed,” Hazel said. “You’re going to have to help me, unless you’d like to uncuff me.”
He held the water to her lips and let her drink. She sipped, swished the water in her mouth, turned her head and spit the water in the direction of the mayor. A stream of water hit his back, and he yelled, “What the hell?”
Hazel met his eyes boldly.
“She’s sick,” Harley inserted, stepping between Hazel and Bates. “Are you sure you want her if she’s sick?”
Bates narrowed his eyes and stared back at Hazel. “Oh, yes,” he said. “I’m sure.”
Then he turned to Harley. “Bring her up to the top of the bluff.”
Harley unhooked the cable in the truck and guided Hazel down onto the ground. “You could let me go,” she whispered to Harley. “You could tell them I got loose. It wouldn’t be your fault.”
Harley glanced over at her, his eyes filled with doubt. “I don’t know,” he began. “I thought this would be a good thing.”
“You’ve known me since I was a little girl,” Hazel pleaded. “You helped me in 4-H. Harley, just drop your hand, and I’ll run.”
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he glanced around. “I don’t know,” he whispered.
“You don’t know what?” Helga exclaimed as she came up beside them. She was dressed in a dress of all black, her black hair up in a bun. “Was this witch trying to convince you to betray the Master?”
Harley shook his head. “No. No,” he said. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ll escort her,” Helga snapped, pulling the chain from Harley’s hand and yanking Hazel’s arms backwards. “There’s no way this bitch is going to talk me out of watching her die.”
Chapter Sixty-five
Cat opened her eyes and turned to Henry, who was driving the Jeep. “They’re up on the bluff above the lake,” she said. “Take this road to the left.”
Henry shifted gears and took the turn at full speed, the tires spitting up gravel as he rounded the curve. “How far up?” he asked.
“Another two miles,” Cat said. “But I don’t think we should take the Jeep all the way up. People will recognize us.”
“Is there a dirt road we can take?” he asked.
“No,” Rowan said. “Everything else is too rocky, even with four-wheel drive.”
“Okay, I’ll keep going up until you tell me to stop,” he said, accelerating up the winding road.
“There’s an outcropping in about a mile,” Agnes said. “We can park the Jeep there and go up through the woods without anyone seeing us.”
Henry pulled the Jeep into a narrow parking place, put it in gear and then turned it off. They all quickly climbed out of the Jeep, and Fuzzy led the way to the path. The full moon lit the path for the most part, but shadows
from the large trees above darkened several long stretches of ground.
“Be careful,” Agnes warned, keeping her voice low. “The drop off is treacherous.”
“Isn’t there anything we can do now?” Henry asked as they hurried up the slope.
Agnes shook her head. “We just have to pray we get there in time.”
Cat stepped away from the path for a moment and closed her eyes. With Hazel’s life in danger, she decided it was worth the risk. She reached out into the ether and searched for Donovan. Finally, she felt a connection. “The coven has Hazel,” she sent to his mind. “They kidnapped her for the ceremony. We need your help.”
She waited, but nothing was sent back. “He’s not going to help,” she whispered, the pain piercing her heart. He really was on the other side.
Wiping any tears from her eyes, she stepped back onto the path and caught up with the others. They were now near the clearing at the top of the bluff. Standing just inside the tree line, they stared at the scene before them. Hundreds of people dressed in dark clothing were assembled on the bluff. In the center of the bluff, a giant, black rock jutted out into the night sky like a huge, granite altar and Helga was pulling Hazel up onto it.
“There she is,” Agnes cried. “We need to get her.”
“Henry and I will go toward the top of the group,” Rowan suggested. “You and Cat go toward the bottom. The first group that has an opportunity needs to go.”
Agnes looked at her family and nodded her head. “Blessed be,” she whispered a quiet blessing and then stepped forward into the crowd.
Henry and Rowan stepped back into the woods and continued farther up the path. Rowan reached for Henry’s hand and clasped it tightly. “She’s going to be fine,” she whispered to him. “Tell me that she’s going to be fine.”
Henry opened his mouth, then swallowed and tried again. “Yes,” he finally said, his voice hoarse with fear. “Yes. She’ll be fine.”
Chapter Sixty-six
Joseph raced through the woods toward the Willoughby house and then ran to the barn where he’d left Hazel. The door was wide open, and his stomach tightened. She knew there was danger tonight. She wouldn’t have left her goats unprotected.
He ran to the loft and then out to the balcony she’d created. It was empty. He looked out around the grounds. The Jeep was gone too. Had something happened to Hazel? Had there been an emergency? Did they have to rush her to the hospital?
He shook his head. No, no hospitals. Rowan and Henry would have helped her. What else would cause them to leave their house tonight?
A familiar buzzing sound pulled him away from the view and to the floor of the balcony. There in the corner was his cell phone buzzing as a call came through. He picked it up.
“They’ve got Hazel,” Donovan said immediately.
“What?” Joseph exclaimed.
“Cat sent me a message,” Donovan explained. “They brought Hazel to the ceremony.”
“Where’s the ceremony?” Joseph asked.
“The bluff near the lake,” Donovan replied. “Hurry! It’s almost midnight.”
Joseph allowed the adrenaline from the anger and the fear move through his system, and he felt his body respond. His limbs trembled, and his muscles rippled as he transformed. But this time he was in control. This time he knew exactly what he wanted. “Hazel,” he whispered as his body made its final transformation. “Ha—” And then her name was swallowed up by a howl.
He leapt from the balcony and dove back into the woods. He lifted his nose in the air, found her scent, and followed it. The trees along the path disappeared into a dark blur as he pushed his body with superhuman strength toward his destination.
Suddenly, he picked up the sounds of more beasts running through the woods. He lifted his nose and inhaled, and his lips parted, showing his glistening fangs. He lifted his head to the air and howled again. An answering howl echoed back.
He ran forward, through the trees towards a clearing, and the two paths merged. Now, instead of a lone alpha he was part of a pack. He glanced quickly over his shoulder as he ran, and his heart leapt with joy. The Wulffolk, in all their sizes and shapes, ran as wolf people behind him, allowing him to be their alpha, allowing him to take the lead. He nodded with satisfaction. The Wulffolk were on the hunt!
Chapter Sixty-seven
Hazel stood on the huge, black ledge and looked around the crowd, her stomach reeling and her knees weak. Helga yanked on her arms again, pulling her forward. Hazel turned and glared at her. If she got out of this, the first thing she was going to do was slap that bitch.
Mayor Bates climbed up next to them and put his hands up to silence the crowd.
This can’t be good, Hazel thought.
“Tonight, during this blood moon, we come together to celebrate the Master,” he yelled out. “We offer vows of fidelity to him, and we seal our vows with the blood of a virgin.”
Hazel took a deep breath, forcing herself not to react and not to faint.
“Come,” Mayor Bates continued. “Let us call to our leader. Master. Master. Master.”
The crowd chanted with him, the chorus of “Master” echoing across the lake. Suddenly, a rift appeared and grew from the base of the rock, like a door had been opened to the world below. Glowing red embers shot from the rift, and Hazel could detect the distinct smell of sulfur.
Helga yanked Hazel, spinning her around and pulling her backwards, closer to the rift. Leaning forward, Hazel fought Helga, using everything she had to go in the other direction.
“This is where you belong, witch,” Helga spat. “Burning in hell.”
Hazel shook her head. “No!” she yelled. “No! Someone help me!”
Helga yanked again, and Hazel could feel the heat from the rift on her back.
“We make this offering to you, Master,” Mayor Bates chanted. “A virgin to satisfy your appetite.”
Helga yanked again, and Hazel could feel herself slipping. “No!” she screamed, and she fell sideways onto the rock, pulling Helga down with her. She tried to roll onto her back, but Helga held on to her. “You’re not going anywhere, witch,” she cried.
Hazel turned to look over her shoulder just as a huge pillar of molten lava spewed forth from the rift. Hazel froze in horror as the pillar wavered back in forth in the air above her, like a python hypnotizing its prey. It swung back and forth, slowly getting lower and lower. Then, in a flash of heat, it shot down and enveloped Helga in its flames. Before Helga could even scream, her face and her body were a pile of ash.
Hazel rolled over onto her back, gasping in shock. She moved and felt a lump underneath her. She looked to her side and saw that Helga’s arm, up to her elbow, was still holding to the handcuffs. She screamed and rolled, the scorched arm flying through the air to land with a smack at the end of the rock.
Freed from the arm, Hazel scrambled backwards, using any purchase of her feet against the rock to get as far away from the rift as she could.
“Grab her!” Mayor Bates yelled, sliding towards her. “Somebody grab her!”
His demands were lost in the shouts of horror coming from the crowds below the rock. Hazel turned her head and looked out to see dozens of wolf people charging out of the woods towards the audience, their fangs bared, and their claws exposed. The rest of the coven stampeded towards the parking lot, knocking each other down in their mad rush to escape.
“Hazel, sweetheart, over here.”
Hazel looked over and saw her mother at the edge of the rock. “Mom,” she cried, sliding towards her.
“Not so fast,” Mayor Bates said, lifting a large knife up over his head. “I will get my sacrifice.”
Hazel screamed as the knife began its descent, but a blur of fur and teeth knocked Mayor Bates back onto the rock. Without looking back, Hazel slid the rest of the way down the rock face to her mother.
“Mom,” she sobbed when her mother embraced her.
Her mother held her tight and rocked her. “It’s okay, sweetheart,
” she soothed. “It’s okay.”
Chapter Sixty-eight
Joseph walked toward Mayor Bates, his claws clicking against the granite below, his lips drawn up in a vicious growl. He had watched the whole scene as he charged across the clearing, watched Helga yank Hazel towards the fiery pit, watched Hazel fight for her life and, finally, watched Bates in his last final attempt to kill the love of his life.
Hate, pure unadulterated hate, flowed through his veins. He could almost feel Bates’ bones crunch beneath his claws. He could nearly taste Bates’ blood on his fangs, and he could imagine the screams of terror as he ripped the little man’s throat open from side to side. His feral eyes glowed with anger, and his fangs dripped with saliva as he cornered his prey.
The fire glowed brighter as Joseph closed in on Bates. Almost like a child clapping with glee, the fire bubbled and rolled as Joseph’s hate grew. He reached out his hand to grasp Bates’ neck when the man was ripped away from him and tossed several feet away.
“You don’t want to do that, Norwalk,” Donovan said, coming up from behind him.
Joseph whirled around and growled at Donovan. “You!” he roared. “He’s my kill.”
“Do you hear what you’re saying?” Donavan asked. “Do you understand what’s happening to you?”
“Did you see what he did to Hazel?” Joseph yelled. “She was nearly killed!”
“Yes, I did!’ Donovan screamed back. “And now I see what the Master is trying to do to you!”
Joseph stared at Donovan, his mouth slack. “What?” he asked, confusion more than anger in his voice.
“He’s trying to use you,” Donovan said gently. “Don’t let him get hold of you too. Go over and hug Hazel. She needs you. He doesn’t.”
Slowly transforming from wolf to man, Joseph looked over to where Agnes was rocking Hazel in her arms. Then he looked back to Donovan and nodded. “Thank you,” he said earnestly.
Donovan nodded back. “No problem.”
Donovan watched Joseph walk across the rock face, then jump down next to Hazel and Agnes and put his hand on Hazel’s shoulder. He saw the joy in Hazel’s face as she leapt into Joseph’s arms, and he wondered if Cat would ever look at him that way again.
