The animal was vicious, but these intruders were professional killers with honed reflexes. The second man whirled, aimed and fired, hitting the animal. It yelped in pain, racing into the darkness. But before the man could draw a bead on the fleeing animal something else leapt into the room, howling like a banshee. It was huge, at least seven feet tall, covered in fur, moving on its hind legs like a man. It crouched, then pounced as if shot from a catapult. In an instant it was on the second man slashing at him with sharp claws. The intruder’s anguished screams became gurgling sounds as he choked on his own blood.
The other intruder recovered from the dog attack and opened fire. I swear to god every shot hit the massive creature, but the bullets had no effect. Another leap and it was on the man, sinking its teeth into his neck. His body tensed, and went limp, sinking lifelessly to the floor.
The creature turned to me, but I couldn’t move, paralyzed by blood loss and sheer terror. It stared at me with piercing gray eyes… canine, yet intelligent, almost human. But the creature turned away, searching the room for any other threats.
The dog finally crept out of the shadows, limping but still alive. It slowly moved to me, nuzzling its face into mine. I’m no expert, but I knew this wasn’t a dog. This was a wolf. It tilted its head looking at me curiously… and licked my face.
There was far too much pain and madness for my mind to handle, and thankfully I blacked out.
I slowly clawed my way out of a mental fog, regaining consciousness. A low rumbling sound filled my head. I was lying on a reclining seat, a needle in my arm connected to a blood transfusion bag. I tried to move but I was tied down by restraining straps. At first I panicked, thinking I’d been kidnapped, but as the remaining haze lifted from my mind I realized they were the standard safety straps used by airlines.
Okay, I said to myself… stay calm, look, listen and process the information. I finally identified the low rumbling sound as airplane propellers. I was on a small private plane. I counted eight other passenger seats, all of them empty. The needle in my arm and the transfusion apparatus appeared clean and professional, so whoever had me didn’t want me to die. I touched my shoulder expecting a sharp wave of pain. Instead it only felt tender, like sore muscles after a workout. I gently pulled at the bandage, finally tearing it away. Where a bullet hole should have been there was only a slight indentation, surrounded by bruises.
But I knew what happened hadn’t been a dream. I’d been shot and then watched the gunmen torn apart by some giant Hell spawn. Well at least I’m alive… for the moment.
The doorway into the cockpit slid open, and my assistant Denise stepped into the passenger area. What was she doing here?
“You’re awake,” She said kneeling down beside me. “How are you feeling?”
“Like ‘Alice in Wonderland’… if she’d been shot, and the rabbit turned out to be a monster grizzly bear. How long was I unconscious?”
“About six hours. I don’t think you’ll need this any more” Denise said, gently pulling the transfusion needle from my arm, “We’ll be landing in a few minutes.”
“Wait a minute, six hours? Denise as far I know gunshot wounds don’t heal in six hours.”
“They do if you have the right blood donor. I know this all feels crazy but trust me, you’re safe.”
“But our work… they destroyed everything… they even killed poor Bob.”
“The work is also safe and it will go on.”
I was still trying to wrap my head around all this. Why is Denise here? How can I be magically healed? I decided to take all in baby steps; collecting whatever facts I could “So where are we landing?”
“In Canada, off the coast of Vancouver. A place called Lyall Island,” She pointed to the window, “It’s the big one.”
I looked out at the breathtaking aerial view. Small islands dotted the ocean, surrounding a large one that must be Lyall. It was covered in unspoiled woodlands, shining like an emerald. “It’s beautiful, Mr. and Mrs. Lyall must be very happy there.”
“Lyall is Norse for wolf,” Denise replied, letting that factoid hang there for a moment, “Now I have to go help the pilot.”
“Wait a second Denise, I see a lot of trees on that island, but no airport!”
She smiled, “Relax, we’re in a sea plane,” On that note she headed to the cockpit area.
I sat, quietly humming “come fly with me” and pondering the weirdness life had dealt me.
The seaplane touched down smoothly, and then gently bounced in the waves as it taxied to the dock. I climbed out, letting my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. The plane was quite a majestic bird with top mounted turbo props and a silver metallic fuselage. One of those planes you’d see in an old Hollywood movie.
The island was quiet and peaceful. I took a deep breath of the clean, refreshing ocean air.
A massive estate sat atop a hill about a hundred yards away. It was built into the hillside using a design that made it blend in with the unspoiled surroundings, as if it grew there naturally.
“Quite a shack,” I said to Denise.
“It’s completely self sufficient, with solar energy and no carbon footprint. Even the vehicles on the island are battery powered. I have to unload some more things, but you go ahead and I’ll meet you at the house. He’s expecting you.”
That was pretty cryptic, “Is ‘he’ someone I know?”
“Not exactly, but you’ll recognize him. Oh and if you see any animals don’t be frightened, the island’s also a wildlife sanctuary.” Denise ducked back into the airplane.
I walked towards the massive house. Birds were chirping away, and squirrels bounced around playfully in the trees overhead. The peaceful surroundings did much to ease my anxiety; I guess it’s tough to be nervous in Eden.
Then I glanced into the woods and stopped abruptly. A pair of wolves observed me from the forest. Magnificent creatures with piercing, intelligent eyes. They seemed more curious than threatening and eventually the loped off into the trees. Denise had said “Lyall” was Norse for wolf, so now that made sense. At least something made sense… a rarity today.
The house was an architectural masterpiece, all heavy cedar and tinted glass. As I got closer I realized the term ‘house’ was an understatement, it was really a vast network of buildings tucked into the hillside. I stepped onto the wraparound cedar deck taking in the spectacular view of the island and coastline. I wondered who could afford to live in this Shangri-La?
“Do you like it Shelly?”
The voice snapped me out of my Zen state. I turned, stunned to find myself face to face with Jonas Nilsson. I was speechless; the day had just taken the final step from high strangeness to surreal. “It’s incredible,” I stammered, “I can’t imagine a more serene place.”
“Thank you,” Jonas replied, “I built it for my family.”
“I thought your family lived in Sweden?”
“I mean my real family. Come there is much I need to show you,” Jonas paused for a moment, “Oh, and let me congratulate you on your incredible breakthrough.”
“You’re familiar with my work?” then I realized what a fool I’d been. “Of course… you’re the one who financed the lab!”
The billionaire smiled, “Correct, so now things are making sense…yes?”
“No, nothing about the past twenty four hours makes any sense, but at least I feel safer.”
“You are safer than you have ever been, now let me give you a tour of the facility.” He gently took my hand, leading me towards the main building.
It was an incredible example of open concept architecture, with a central area cascading into a high tech kitchen, a massive dining room, a library and a workout area that would be the envy of any health club. Skylights in the beamed ceilings bathed the interior in soft light.
Jonas stopped in front of the only sealed off room. “I think this will capture your interest,” Jonas said, entering a key code into the security panel. The door buzzed and he ushered me in.
The massive room was an exact replica of my lab right down to the salt-water aquariums. I rushed inside like a kid on Christmas morning, peering into the aquariums, delighted to find an identical collection of seahorses swimming about.
“I thought it wise to recreate each step in your research here in case of events like last night.”
The mere mention of the night’s events shook me. “Why did those men try to kill me?”
“My enemies hired them to prevent your research from being completed. My own people searched the lab after the incident and found listening devices planted. When my enemies heard about your breakthrough they took action.”
“But you’re in the electronics business, why would your competitors care about genetic research?”
“They are not business competitors,” Jonas walked back into the main foyer, “I can try to explain but maybe I should just show you.”
I followed Jonas back onto the outside deck. We stood for a moment, and then he whistled softly. A wolf loped out of the nearby woods and onto the deck sitting down in front of us like a faithful dog. Jonas nodded and the wolf obediently lay down on the cedar deck, stretching its limbs luxuriously. It rolled around slowly, muscles stretching, reforming. The fur receded into its body, revealing smooth pink skin. I gaped in amazement as the transforming creature slowly made its way onto its hind legs, shaky at first, but quickly finding its balance.
Jonas studied my reaction with amusement, “Don’t worry, the transformation process is awkward, but not painful.”
Seconds later the wolf was gone and Denise stood before us, naked and unashamed.
“You know my sister Daciana, though she goes by Denise to the outside world.”
“Are you alright Shelly?” Denise asked concerned.
I must have looked as overwhelmed as I felt. “I’m fine, a little shaken up but okay. Last night, the wolf that came in…”
“That was me, I only wish I’d been there sooner.”
I looked at Denise and finally noticed the change in her appearance, aside from her being stark naked. “Weren’t your eyes blue before?”
“I wore colored contact lenses. Gray eyes are a sign of being a werewolf and might tip off anyone who was watching us.”
I looked at the two of them. “But the other creature… ” I looked into Jonas’ gray eyes and instantly knew the answer. “It was you Jonas!”
Jonas nodded, “I had been in Seattle for weeks, waiting for your results. When you sent the data I decided to tell you the truth and allow you access to this lab. Unfortunately those men arrived first. Mercenaries hired by those who hate my family and will stop at nothing to eradicate our kind. It was a miracle that we arrived in time to stop them.”
“Your kind? You mean there’s more of you?”
“Sadly there are only thirty pure werewolves left. We are a dying race. As the Supreme Alpha Male it’s my duty to protect them, so I created this island as a sanctuary where we can live in safety. Everything I’ve done, all the business triumphs and breakthroughs are really to fund research that could save us.
Denise took my hand, “Changes in the environment and interbreeding has made our Shape-Shifting genes more recessive with each generation. But your discoveries will reverse that. The next generation will once again have the abilities god gave us.
Jonas gently put his hands on my shoulder. I felt a warm rush and a shiver at the same time.
He put his mouth to my ear and whispered, “Shelly, you are our savior.”
I had nothing to say… how do you even respond to something like that?
Jonas sensed my confusion, “This has been quite an ordeal, my sister will show you to your room so you can rest until dinner.”
Denise took my hand and led me into the house. I just wished she’d put some clothes on.
Jonas called out to us, “Shelly if you are still feeling weak I will be happy to give you another blood transfusion.”
“Thanks, but I think I’m okay.”
Shelly and I walked through the labyrinth of a house. “So that was Jonas’ blood you were pumping me full of?”
“Yes, the blood of an Alpha Male is incredibly powerful, healing almost any wound.”
“He just gets more and more intriguing every minute.”
Denise stopped for a moment, turning to me, “So you do find him attractive?”
“Well, yeah… wait, Denise are you trying to set me up with your brother?”
She smiled, “Is that such a terrible thing?”
“No,” I said, blushing inside, “I don’t have a problem with that.” Holy crap I thought, Jonas’ sister is on my team… maybe I had a chance.
Denise’s tone became more serious, “It’s not easy for a human to be with one of us. There are…. Complications. But we will talk about that later.”
We arrived at my room, which in keeping with the theme was… amazing. A variety of new clothes were laid out on the canopy bed, all in my size. I felt a flush of embarrassment. Big girls don’t really want men knowing their sizes before the first date. Then I realized that being a billionaire, industrialist, Alpha Male, werewolf, Jonas probably didn’t have time to do his own shopping.
“I wasn’t at the lab to spy on you,” Denise said, sounding confessional, “Well… I suppose at first I was.”
“You had to make sure Jonas’ money wasn’t being wasted, right?”
“No, my brother could tell that from looking at the data, he’s quite brilliant you know. It was more important to ensure the money and resources weren’t used for something that could cause harm to werewolves, or humans. People have always been afraid of werewolves, but in truth killing is forbidden to us unless it’s to protect our family. Last night marked the first time in many years a werewolf killed a human.
I felt relieved, “So werewolves never hunt people, just animals?”
“We are the one’s who have been hunted by humanity because of ignorance and fear. We only hunt animals on special occasions. Believe it or not I have to go to the grocery store just like you.”
“So you really do live on Twizzlers and Diet Coke?”
“Sometimes,” Denise laughed, “Shelly, after we started working together I realized what a rare person you were, and how much I valued your friendship.”
“It’s a shame we never got to spend any time together outside of work.”
“Would you have joined me running naked through the woods and howling at the moon?”
“I do love a good cardio workout.” It felt nice to open up to Denise. I just wished to hell she’d put some clothes on, or at least stop having such a tiny ass… it was annoying.
Since we were being honest I asked the magic question, “When you change, are you still… you, or does a wolf mind take over?
Denise thought for a moment, “It’s hard to explain, it’s like being two souls united, your own conscious mind meshed with the primordial instincts that humans spend their lives silencing. Every sense is heightened, and all feelings of human guilt or fear vanish. I wish you could experience it.”
“Sounds better than sex,” I said trying to lighten things up.
“Hard to say, I’ve only had sex with other werewolves… and there’s nothing better than that.” She said, practically winking. “I should let you rest, we’ll have dinner in three hours.” Denise left, quietly closing the door behind her skinny bare ass.
I set my brand new wardrobe aside and lay back on the bed. Within about forty-nine seconds I fell asleep.
I slept peacefully, exhausted from the whirlwind of trauma, blood loss, terror and high strangeness. But at some point my subconscious mind kicked in and I experienced a dream, or was it a vision?
I’m racing through a moonlit forest; the imagery is so vivid I can hear my feet pounding against the soft earth and my heart beating. My pace quickens, faster than I’ve ever imagined possible, sweeping aside low hanging branches and leaping over downed logs without breaking stride.
I come to a s
tream and suddenly feeling overwhelmed by thirst I stop. I splash the cool water across my face, and then pause to gaze at my reflection. I’m completely naked but there’s no embarrassment or shame… only a sense of liberation. Studying my reflection I realize my eyes have changed to a piercing gray… the color of the werewolf. My senses are enhanced; I can pinpoint every sound in the forest, from the insects flying around me to the owl silently observing me from above.
Sniffing the air I can tell something is approaching. The smell becomes stronger; it’s a musky odor I can’t identify. But I don’t experience fear, only anticipation. I hear deep breathing coming from the tree line… he has arrived.
The creature strides into the moonlight, standing tall on its hind legs, it’s body all fur and rippling muscle. I know this is Jonas. He pauses sniffing the air, then pounces, covering the distance between us in one leap. His face is inches from mine, hot breath blowing across me. Raising a clawed hand he touches my body. His talons are razor sharp but they slide across my skin as softly as silk. My heightened senses take in every breath, every change in smell… a banquet of erotic sensations no human can imagine.
Our bodies intertwine and I run my fingers through his soft luxurious fur. His tongue slides across my neck, moving lower until it encircles my nipple. The intensity grows, marred only by the incessant hammering of a woodpecker in the tree above us. The bird taps the tree louder and louder… a real buzz kill.
I snap awake and my body is covered in a sheen of sweat. Someone is banging on the door. My conscious brain finally kicks in and I recognize Denise’s voice.
“Shelly, are you okay? Dinner’s ready if you’re hungry.” She says. I wonder how long she’s been pounding at the door?
There’s no point in trying to sleep again, “I’ll be out in a minute Denise.”
I lie back for a moment reflecting on my dream. It was so vivid, real and wonderful.
Then a ravenous hunger comes over me as if I hadn’t eaten in days. Is it my imagination or can I already smell the food being cooked in the other end of the house?
Paranormal Curves (BBW Collection) Page 10
