Wolves & Monsters

by Dyan Chick

  "What, no chicken for me today?" the creature hissed. "Perhaps I should just eat you three."

  "So this isn't the demon that's after us?" I asked. "Look, lady, we don't want any trouble."

  "You brought trouble, siren," she said. "Things were good here until you showed up with that tainted body. I couldn't even finish eating it. The thing was cursed."

  "I have no idea what you're talking about," I said.

  "We didn't know," Gage said.

  "You could have killed me." Her words came out with a gentle hissing sound under each word.

  It sent a shudder through me, but I stood rooted in place. As she drew nearer, I realized her hair was not snakes or tentacles, but vines. In the dim light, her skin had a greenish tint, but she didn't look dead or undead. Instead, the green color gave her a vibrancy that made her look more alive than most humans.

  Every step she took closer sent more magic vibrating through the air, hanging there like a static charge. I didn't know who she was or what she wanted, but she was power. Pure, untamed power. She was someone you didn't want to cross.

  "Whatever we did to upset you, I'm sorry," I said.

  "We didn't try to kill you, I swear," Gage said.

  She stopped walking a few feet away from us and turned her gaze on Jane. "You knew there was a curse, didn't you, little mage?"

  "I did," she said.

  "And you let them feed me the body anyway," the creature hissed.

  "I didn't know," Jane said.

  "Seems to be a lot of that going around." Suddenly, the vines on her head expanded, reaching for us.

  "Jane, I could use that water right now." I wasn't sure if spraying the oncoming creature with water would have any impact on her, but it was the only trick up my sleeve.

  Headlights came into view and the vines froze in midair, halting their progress. We all turned to see who was joining us.

  The vines turned, away from me, toward the now parked car and the woman turned her attention to the vehicle as well.

  Jason got out, followed by Cody. Both of them stopped as soon as they saw that we had a guest.

  "Demon?" Cody asked.

  "Not exactly," I said.

  "The pack master," she hissed.

  Even in the dim light, I could see Jason's body tense.

  "You brought me cursed flesh," she said.

  "The mage?" Jason asked.

  "Yesssss."

  My skin crawled with each word she spoke. It was as if I could feel her words slithering across my body. Whatever this woman was under the skin, I knew it was something horrible. I had a feeling, I'd rather face down a hundred demons than whatever she was.

  To my surprise, Jason inclined his head, as if he were bowing. "Our deepest apologies, we would never mean to disrespect you."

  The creature halted her progress, cocking her head to the side. The vines retracted a little, shrinking back into her skull. "You are sincere in your words, pack master."

  "Of course," Jason said. "You've helped us many times over the years and we are grateful to you."

  She was quiet for a moment, as if considering what he said. "What do you have in your car? I smell something."

  "A dead woman. Drained of blood. A few days old," Jason said.

  The vines extended again, lengthening until they reached the ground. They slid across the asphalt and Jason stepped back to move out of their way.

  One of the vines climbed up the side of the car until it reached the door handle on the back seat of the car. It pulled open the door.

  I held my breath as several of the vines disappeared inside the car. Then, I saw a black bag emerge as the vines, fully wrapped around it, dragged it from the car. It landed with a thump on the ground.

  "It smells better than the mage," the woman said.

  "It's yours if you want it," Jason said. "Consider it a peace offering. An apology."

  "Don't we need that body?" Gage asked.

  The woman's head snapped to Gage and he held his hands up in mock surrender. "My bad, my bad. It's all yours."

  The vines tightened around the bag and I heard something crack. Bones. My stomach lurched.

  "Don't come into my part of the forest again. Or I'll add you to my collection," she hissed.

  "You got it," Jason said.

  I was holding my breath as the snake woman walked away from us, dragging the body behind her.

  None of us spoke as she faded from view. Finally, I lost sight of her and I let out a long breath of relief. "So that was your ace?"

  "Yeah," Jason said, still staring in the direction the snake lady had walked. "She was where we dumped the bodies."

  "Quick question," Jane said. "Not to be a total downer, but if she didn't destroy the dead mage, what did she do with him?"

  My heart raced in my chest. "Do you think he's out in the open now?"

  "Fuck," Jason said. "I don't know."

  "We aren't going up there to check," Gage said. "You heard her. I don't want to join the dead."

  "Nobody does," Jane said. "Even a demon would avoid going near that creature."

  "What the hell was she?" Cody asked.

  "No idea," Jason said. "I doubt that was even her true form."

  "Well, we're still screwed," Gage said. "The body is out there somewhere and there's a flesh hunting demon on the loose."

  "I told you she brought a dark cloud with her," Jane said, glancing at me before turning back to Jason. "I told you we're all better off without her."

  A weight settled into the pit of my stomach. As much as I despised Jane, I agreed with her on this one. She was right. I was nothing but trouble and the longer I stayed here, the more danger I put everyone in. I made a mistake coming here. Everything inside me was screaming to flee. I wanted to run, get as far away from here as possible. But I couldn't leave until the body was destroyed and the flesh hunter was taken care of.

  "No more, Jane," Jason said. "That's not helping the situation."

  "The whole dead mage with a demon after it situation?" Jane asked. "I say, let the demon have the body. That's all it wants. Let it do its job, find the mage and get the fuck out of here. Then we can go back to normal."

  "You know they'd just come back for Angie," Gage said.

  "Good," Jane said. "Let them have her. Then the rest of the town will be safe. In fact, Angie could just go now. Get a head start."

  I stared down at my feet, hating myself for considering it. I could feel Jason's gaze on me, but I was too ashamed to meet his eyes.

  "That's not what you want, is it, Angie?" Jason asked.

  I looked up at him, trying to come up with the right words to say. My expression must have been enough because his jaw tightened, making his temples bulge. His eyes seemed to harden, as if he was shutting himself off from me. He could tell everything I was thinking and it broke my heart. But what was I supposed to do? Stay here and be with someone I couldn't actually be with? Not only was I putting him in danger just by being near him, I was putting everyone else in danger because I dragged them all into this mess.

  I looked back down at my shoes, unable to say anything at all.

  "I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter whose fault it is," Miles said. "We have to fix this either way."

  "Well, I'm out," Jane said. "I'm going home."

  "To where the water demons broke in and knocked you out?" Gage asked. "Hell no, you're not."

  "You don't have a say," Jane said. "Besides, they caught me off guard. They won't do that a second time."

  "Enough," I said. "Miles is right. This monster is coming, like it or not." I turned to look at Jane. "But you're right, too. This is my fault. And I'm going to find a way to fix it."

  "How?" she asked. "We don't have any bait."

  "We do, though," I said. "We just don't know where it is."

  "We already decided that we can't go back to the woods," Gage said.

  "They're right, Angie," Jason said.

  "Well, then where else might a flesh hunting demon
go?" I asked. "What do we know about these things?"

  "They're attracted to rotting flesh, that's all I know," Jane said.

  "It's going to the funeral home," Jason said. "We didn't need to bring the body here. It's going to end up there."

  "What makes you so sure?" I asked. "Do they have other bodies waiting for burial?"

  "They've got pieces of bodies," Jason said. "Don't ask. It's not important right now."

  "They also have a vampire," Cody said.

  Twenty-Six

  Jason

  It took all of my willpower not to stare at Angie while we made the short drive to the funeral home. I could tell what she was thinking. She was going to leave again. I wanted to shake some sense into her. Tell her how dumb she was for throwing a chance at happiness away. But I was too pissed off. Even the mating bond wasn't enough to keep her here and make her fight for us. What did that say about her? About me? I was right to stay mad at her. That kiss at Draven's was a mistake. Every time I let my guard down around her, she did something to screw it all up.

  The funeral home wasn't far and we were parked and out of the truck before either of us could speak.

  A second car pulled up behind us and Cody, Miles, Gage, and Jane got out.

  "So, how long do you think we're going to have to wait?" Gage asked. "You think it'll come quickly or do you think it's already on the trail of the real body?"

  "No idea," I said.

  "How come I'm the one who has to do everything?" Jane asked with an exaggerated sigh.

  "What are you talking about?" Angie asked.

  "Unless someone else can track magic, I'm going to have to run the spell," she said.

  "Yeah, that's not really a werewolf thing," Gage said.

  "I can sense magic, but I can't track it," Angie said.

  "Good thing you keep me around," Jane said, elbowing me in the side.

  I was pretty sure Angie flashed Jane a dirty look, but it was hard to tell in the dark. "So, parking lot or indoors?"

  "Let's start here," Cody said. "We wouldn't want to interrupt anyone inside."

  "Good idea," I said, imagining walking into a vampire-aswang feast.

  "You can't possibly think Draven is in there with someone," Angie said.

  "Oh, we know he is, it's just not what you think," Cody said.

  "Y'all are going to need to shut the fuck up if you want me to do this," Jane said. "And at least one of you," she turned to Angie, "but not you, needs to keep an eye out for me. I won't be aware of what's going on around me while I'm running the spell."

  "We got your back," Gage said.

  "I wish that made me feel better," she said as she closed her eyes.

  Cody, Miles, and Gage closed in around the mage, facing away from her into the dark night. I watched silently as she mumbled words I couldn't make out under her breath. We'd been friends a long time, but it didn't make it any more normal to see Jane acting like a mage. She wasn't involved with the mage community. In fact, she was the only mage in town.

  I had a feeling she liked to pretend she didn't have magic, but the visions she started seeing a year ago wouldn't allow that anymore. Since then, she'd seemed to have a renewed focus on her heritage, taking time to study. She told me it was to learn how to control the visions, but I think it was across the board mage study. I wasn't sure why she kept it from me, but I didn't push her. She'd tell me when she was ready.

  "Hey guys," Jane said, eyes still closed. "I think I just did something bad."

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  She opened her eyes. "I'm pretty sure I found the demon."

  "And?" I asked, my pulse rising.

  "And I'm pretty sure I just called it here."

  I blew out a long breath. That was what we wanted, wasn't it? To bring the demon to us so we could take it down. "How much time?"

  A shrieking sound split through the air, making me wince against the sharp tone that seemed to tear through my head.

  "I'd say it's already here," Jane said.

  "Shit," someone said.

  "We need water, now," Angie screamed.

  "Somebody find some water!" I yelled just as another ear-splitting shriek broke through the silence of the night.

  We couldn't see it yet, but the monster was definitely headed right for us. And it sounded pissed.

  "We just need to get it wet?" I asked.

  "I think so," Jane said, sounding uneasy.

  "There has to be a hose or something around here," Gage said.

  "Cody, go look for a sprinkler system," Angie called.

  "But don't turn it on yet," I said. "Wait till it's here."

  "I think it's here, Jason," Jane said.

  Another screech - this time even closer. Jane was right. It sounded like it was right on top of us. "Where the fuck is it?"

  "Um, guys," Miles said. "Didn't you say the body is inside the building?"

  "Fuck." I ran toward the back door that we hadn't bothered to lock again on our way out. It was open, hanging on by one hinge.

  "Jason, wait," Angie called.

  I turned back to her, sure I was going to find the monster grabbing at her. Instead, Angie pushed past me, entering the building before me at a run.

  Before I could go after her, Miles and Jane were in front of me, blocking my path.

  "Move." I advanced on them but they closed in tighter.

  "No," Jane said. "You can't do anything. Let Angie take this one."

  "I'm not letting her get herself killed," I said.

  Jane pressed her palms against my chest as if she could stop me from moving.

  "This was her decision," Miles said. "Give her five minutes. That's all she asked for."

  "Since when did you two start working for Angie? And when the hell did you have this conversation?" I asked.

  "Don't worry about it," Jane said.

  "Five minutes," Miles said. "That's the best thing you can do."

  I balled my hands into fists, ready to throw them both off of me. It wouldn't be difficult and they knew they couldn't physically restrain me. So they were counting on me cooperating. That made my shoulders sag. They must believe this was the best thing possible if they were willing to stand up to me like this. "Why?"

  "Cause the only thing that can take down this demon is water and you're just a wolf in human clothing," Jane said.

  "Not good enough." I knew Jane too well to think she'd just go with something Angie said for no reason. "Explain."

  Jane rolled her eyes. "For once, can you just let someone else be in charge?"

  "Four minutes," Miles said.

  "You had a vision, didn't you?" I asked.

  "Maybe," Jane said.

  "Jane, how long have we known each other?" I asked.

  "Don't make me do this," she said.

  "Jane. Talk," I said.

  "Three minutes," Miles said.

  Jane blew out a long breath and dropped her hands. "She's going to get you killed."

  "If I go in there?" I asked. "Jane. Tell me the truth."

  "Two minutes," Miles said.

  "It's either her or you," Jane said. "She made the choice."

  I didn't need to hear any more. I roared like the beast I was, feeling rage exploding through me as if it was going to spill out. It was a feeling so intense that I was almost sure I was going to shift here and now, moon be damned.

  Miles and Jane were smart enough to move out of my way as I charged through the door. There was no way I was going to let Angie sacrifice herself. Especially not for me. Having her away from me was painful, but at least I knew she was safe. If I lost her, really lost her forever, I didn't know what I'd do. It was something I couldn't bear to feel.

  I darted into the house and ran to the kitchen, moving on instinct toward the basement door. I wasn't even sure where the monster was or what I was getting myself into. Blind rage mixed with fear, blurring the edges of my vision and making it difficult to plan ahead. I was brute force right now. Anything that might eve
n remotely be a threat was going down. Angie was coming out of this alive and that was the only thing that mattered.

  Twenty-Seven

  Angie

  "Hello?" I called into the dim light of the basement. Since walking into the funeral home, the shrieking sounds had stopped. Every hair on my body was probably standing right now as currents of fear shot through me. I knew I was walking into my own death after Jane's rapid-fire whispered warning.

  I never thought this was the way I'd go. Taking down a demon so that Jason and his town could survive. But if Jane's vision was correct, and the choice was between him or me, I knew the answer without hesitation. Jason had to survive. It was too painful to imagine what life would be like without him.

  It was hard to believe that just ten minutes ago, I thought I was willing to leave him forever. But the brutal reality of him being gone, me unable to change my mind and come back to him, made even the idea of driving away seem impossible. I couldn't do it. I knew I wasn't strong enough to leave. Which meant, either way, I'd be sentencing him to death. He'd either die by flesh hunting demon, or die by siren. Neither was a possible option.

  "Draven? Are you here?" I called again, taking a few cautious steps into the freezing cold room. Maybe he left. Maybe he got out safely. Maybe the monster wasn't even here.

  A rustling sound came from behind a closed door and I froze, heart beating so hard I thought it might break free of my chest. This was what I came for. I was here to face down the demon. "Hello? I come with an offering. Is anyone here?"

  The door opened and I held my breath.

  Draven poked his head out, then smiled as he stepped away from the door. A teenage girl followed him, her eyes darting around the room before settling on me. Her shoulders visibly relaxed when she saw me. A very strong smell came from the direction of the two people standing in front of me. I couldn't place it, but it wasn't magic. It wasn't death. It was something chemical. Like they'd doused themselves in bleach.

  "I thought you were a trick," Draven said.

  I shook my head. "I thought you were a demon."

  "We were hiding," Draven said. "The creature came and must have left."

  "How?" I asked, looking around. Then I saw it, an open window leading to a window well.