Crave: Ladies of Death

by Tiki Kos

  The duo turned to walk towards the cash desk. The man was skinny, his jeans bungled at the bottom of his butt, and he had a certain bounce to his step.

  I recognized that voice and that snide confidence.

  I gulped. “Ryan?”

  Sho wrapped his hand around my arm and gently shook his head, telling me not to interfere.

  “You can go to jail for this. You know that, right?”

  The guy froze, but didn’t turn around to look at me. He merely continued to hold his gun at the woman. She had opened the cash drawer and was pulling bills out, placing them in a plastic grocery bag.

  It was him. I’d bet money on it.

  “Did anyone say you can speak?” The woman stepped closer to me, motioning to the other masked intruder. “Take their wallets.”

  They nodded and ran towards the wooden table. The minute they crossed my path, I could see their shoulders tense.

  “Hurry up,” the woman growled.

  “I’m gonna get them. Don’t worry about it,” the boy whispered.

  “If I knew you were gonna be this slow, I would’ve just left you in the car.” As she tilted her head back, her mask rose up, revealing a thick black and grey barbed wire tattoo.

  I shook my head in disgust. “You were in my house.”

  “Bitch, do you have death wish?” She flipped the safety and pointed the gun directly at my chest.

  “You don’t have the lady balls to kill me.” I took a step forward. Sho tried to wrap his hand around my wrist to pull me back towards him, but I jerked away instead.

  I took a sharp breath in to steady my rapid pulse.

  “Ryan…just leave. There probably isn’t enough money in the till, and you don’t want to go to jail, do you?”

  “What did I just say to you? Shut the fuck up,” the blue haired girl screamed at me. I wouldn’t. This little stunt was enough to ruin Ryan’s life. Even though I hated him more than Brussels sprouts and wished he would disappear off the Earth, I didn’t want him wrecking his life over this trailer trash girl.

  “No, I won’t shut up.”

  They needed to learn their place.

  “Fine. Have it your way.”

  She pulled the trigger.

  As if time froze, I could hear the bullet whizzing towards me. I jumped to the right and out of the way, but not far enough. The bullet entered my arm and I let out a howl as warm blood leaked down.

  It hit me so fast, it nearly knocked me to the ground. For a second, all I could see was red. It felt as though someone had shoved a hot metal poker into my skin and twisted.

  I heard the muffled noises of Ryan or Sho yelling at the girl, and the server sobbing even harder.

  I was stunned. She’d actually done it. The pain burrowed deep into my arm. The blood wouldn’t stop pouring from the wound.

  I tried to take a deep breath, but they were only coming rapidly.

  Sho called out. “It’s going to be okay, Sunny, just breathe.”

  Anger rose up and both of my arms shuddered. The change was coming. I didn’t know if I could control it.

  “Sunny,” Sho whispered. His voice would’ve helped me any other day.

  My face whipped towards him, and I let out a hiss. I couldn’t control it. It was as if the wolf had taken over my body.

  “You need to relax.”

  The agony rushed through me again. I could feel the bones in my body snap back. My thoughts were out of control; all I wanted to do was rush towards her and take a bite out of her arm.

  “Don’t do it,” Sho begged me, as if he’d read my thoughts.

  I let out a whining moan.

  The girl yelled again. “We need to get out of here.”

  I tried to stop it and convince my body that this wasn’t the time. My hands stretched over my head, then snapped back. This time, coarse brown hair spurted all over my fingers, and my fingernails grew at an alarming rate into razor-sharp claws.

  Without even thinking about it, I jumped up and ran towards the girl. She tried to shoot me again, but I swiped the weapon out of her hand and onto the ground. My claw dug into the end of her fist, and she started to panic and scream. Blood trickled from her hand and onto the ground.

  “She scratched me!” Her breaths became hurried and laboured. “We need to get out of here. Now!”

  “Forget about the money,” Ryan yelled, and ran to the girl’s side. He stopped and eyed my claws. I didn’t like how he was glaring at them, like I was some sort of freak.

  “What did you do?” he snarled at me. “Why did you have to infect her?”

  “She shot me and could’ve killed me.”

  “You can’t die from being shot. You’re not human anymore.” Ryan shoved the gun between his waist and belt.

  “How the hell do you know that?”

  Why did I feel the need to justify my actions? She meant to kill me, and I didn’t mean to scratch her. I just misinterpreted the distance between my claw and her hand. Plus, blood rage…that was a thing, right? Well, it was now.

  “It doesn’t matter how I know, Sunny. If she dies, her blood is on your hands.”

  “I-I-I have to get home. This is just way too much.” The other boy threw the wallets down onto the ground.

  “Then let’s go, Tyler.” Without saying another word, the trio scurried out of the restaurant and I could hear the echoes of the girl’s cries, followed by tires squealing out of the parking lot.

  The server, still sobbing, picked up the phone and began to dial what was probably the police. Sho wrapped his hand between my claws and pulled me towards the door.

  “We need to get out of here.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “I should feel bad for what I did…shouldn’t I?” I mumbled, taking a giant bite out of the hamburger. We picked up some McDonald’s after the restaurant and headed to the only spot I could think of, Kissing Cliff. It was originally Wolfmere’s version of a lover’s lane, but was now abandoned by teens and only frequented by hikers. I loved it here. You had the perfect view of the mountains, and there were these cute painted benches along the path.

  “No.” Sho shook his head, drowning a fry in ketchup. “Don’t feel bad, she shot you. She should’ve known you would retaliate.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. “I should’ve controlled myself.”

  “It’ll be okay. Everyone loses control sometimes.”

  “Even you?”

  Sho nodded. “Of course; I’m not perfect.”

  I looked into his handsome face and wanted to ask if he was joking. How could he not be perfect? He healed people, could shift into animals, and seemed to like me. Plus, I’d seen him naked, and his body was as close to perfection in every single way. That thought made me excited and a little giggly. I tried to muffle it down, so I didn’t look like a complete psychopath.

  “I texted one of my friends from the reservation. He’ll make sure the Disciples get the tea on time.”

  “So she’ll live?”

  “If she drinks all the tea, she will.” He finished his fries and scrunched the garbage back into the brown bag. Sho grabbed my empty containers, and tossed them into metal garbage can. “I should probably check out that bullet shot.”

  Right. I’d almost forgotten I’d been shot. My arm didn’t hurt anymore. It felt a little tighter than usual, but I could handle that.

  Sho pushed up my sleeve but the fabric bundled together tightly, making it impossible for him to reach the wound.

  “I need you to take off your shirt.” His voice was low and steady.

  “Okay,” I gulped.

  “Don’t be so nervous,” Sho said confidently. That was easy for him to say; he wasn’t the one stripping off his clothing.

  My fingers wrapped around the bottom of the shirt and I pulled it over my head, exposing my red lace bra. I had the instinct to cover myself with my arms, but Sho grabbed them and pushed them down to rest. While he bent closer to me, his hair fell down, brushing against my chest. Goosebump
s rose on my arms. Sho turned for a second and looked up at me with a mischievous smile.

  His black eyes held brilliant colors like twinkling stars. He wiped the dried blood off the wound to reveal fresh pink skin.

  “It healed nicely.” His voice sounded like silk.

  “T-t-that’s good.” I smiled at him nervously. It was becoming harder to breathe. Of course, we had to be in the most romantic deserted spot. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the mountains and trees shimmered before darkness fell upon them.

  Waves of feelings rushed through my body. Did he like me? I thought so.

  Sho raised his head and our lips met. A rush of warmth swirled in my mouth.

  I touched his cheek. “You’re a beautiful man.”

  Sho stared at me for moment, the shadow of a smile caressing his lips. “And you are a goddess.” I stopped his words with a kiss. I ran my hands up and down his chest. He made me feel a little warm glow inside my body.

  He picked me up with his strong arms and pressed me against his body. His kisses quickened; they weren’t gentle and soft like the first. Now, they had a certain urgency. He bit down on my lower lip and held it until I let out a whimper of delight.

  His fingers ran down my shoulders, making their way to the lace overlay of my bra.

  “Do you want this?” Sho’s hot breath brushed against my neck. “Is this okay?” He pulled away from me, giving me a chance to take a deep breath.

  I leaned towards him and pressed my mouth to his. “Yes.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Principle Novak, the teachers and my mom were all surprised when I went back to school. They hadn’t expected me to come back just yet, but I felt good—on top the of the world, to be precise. The day went by in a blur. No one bugged me. No one talked to me. I got the distinct feeling everyone was avoiding me. I wasn’t sure if it was because of my dad dying or what had happened with the Disciples. It didn’t matter. I liked the peace. It was actually the first time in a long time no one had muttered or yelled anything mean to me.

  I tried to find Ryan, but he wasn’t in any of his classes, and when I approached some known members, they barely made eye contact. One told me he was sick; another said he was in the bathroom. Another claimed they didn’t know who I was talking about. It didn’t matter. I knew exactly where he was going to be tonight—actually, where all of the disciples would be. The Blue Moon Party. It was a big night. I was hoping Miakoda was right, that the wolves who’d killed Dad would come after me. They had unfinished business with me, and I with them.

  Was I ready to confront them? I didn’t know. What I did know was that Sho was going to meet me at the party, and I wanted to look cute before things got bloody. In the morning, I managed to scrounge up enough money to potentially by myself a new dress. It was times like these that I wished I had a group of girlfriends to help me go shopping, or maybe a normal, healthy relationship with my mom. I knew the chances of that happening were slim. I think I had a better chance of getting hit by lightning or eaten by a shark than ever being close to her.

  I walked across the football field of melting snow towards the little shops in the center of Wolfmere. Today was the warmest day of the entire year so far. The sun was shining bright, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Rays beat down against the ground, making pools of murky water all across the roads and sidewalks. I had to slip off my little jean jacket and tie around my waist. This was the one thing I didn’t like about being a wolf—I was so hot all the time. I had to pat down my arms every bloody time I went to the washroom, or else I would get an attractive ring of dampness soaking through my shirt. It felt like my veins were flowing with lava.

  As I made it to the strip mall where my favorite thrift was, I heard something coming from the back alley, a muffled cry or an agonized moan. I couldn’t really tell what exactly it was, but I did know it was human. There were too many cars around and people hustling down the street to know if the sound was from pain or pleasure. I took a sharp right into the shady street. The alley was cramped, and there was garbage scattered across the ground. The dumpster hadn’t been emptied in who knew how long, and was overflowing at an alarming rate. Rats scuttled through the garbage and into tiny holes at the bottom of the brick building. I wanted to turn back and keep making my way to the store, but I heard a gruff voice shout from behind the dumpster. My body urged me to hustle through the junk and ignore the disgusting landscape.

  What if the Disciples were hurting someone? I couldn’t leave in good conscience.

  I stepped over a rat, and tried to avoid every single piece of the garbage in my way. Once I made it past the dumpster, I was stopped by two men who were most definitely not Disciple crew. The first turned to look at me. He was at least six feet tall with a protruding stomach that buckled over his tight black pants. He had prominent bushy black eyebrows and a slicked back comb over. The second man had a medium build with a thick winter jacket and pale denim jeans. He had no distinguishing features; it was the type of face you could see, and five minutes later see it again and not recognize it.

  I wondered for a moment if these guys worked for the Paganos. They had that TV show mobster feel to them, especially with those leather jackets and the heavy cologne that filled the air.

  “What are you doin’?” he asked me with a thick Italian accent. “Can’t you see we’re walking here? Nothing for you to see.”

  “It didn’t sound like nothing.” I swayed to the right to look past the men and managed to capture a glimpse of a third set of feet. Another little moan came from the person on the ground.

  “Don’t you have an iPod or a TV show to get back to?” the skinny man snarled. “Just get outta here, kid.”

  “No way,” I said. “Not until I see whoever is behind you is okay.”

  “We got a tough guy, Lenny.” The chubby one elbowed the skinny one before pulling his jacket to the side, revealing the handle of a gun sticking out of a holster. “Scat, girlie, before things get messy. You know what I mean?”

  “I do know what you mean.” If he thought he could out sass a seventeen-year-old girl, he had another think coming.

  The man jiggled his side to make sure I caught another glimpse of the gun.

  Before I turned into a wolf, I would have been terrified by the sight, but now I knew a bullet shot would barely hurt me, I wasn’t afraid. I’d bet money that if these two were shot, they would turn into blubbering babies and drop the tough guy act.

  I laughed. “But you know what? I’m so sick of people like you telling me what to do. It’s my own damn life, and you have no fucking right to tell me where I can and cannot go.”

  As I took a step forward, the men pulled out their handguns and pointed them towards me.

  “Last warning, kid. This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed. Mosey along and go back home.” He flicked his gun towards the entrance of the alleyway. “There doesn’t need to be another lost girl on the back of a milk carton.”

  I ran.

  I ran faster than I ever had, slamming my entire body against the skinny man. He flew into the air as if a bull had come running at him at full speed. I was actually impressed by how far his body went. It was flayed out on the ground about eight feet from where I stood.

  I managed to sneak a peek at the person lying on the ground. He was obviously homeless, with muddy patched up pants and a ripped sweater that was about three sizes too big. But the most important thing was that he was moving. I took note of the empty needles scattered near his body and one sticking straight out of his arm, half full with a mute yellow liquid.

  I must’ve been staring at the man for a couple of heartbeats too long. By the time I heard the big man running after me, it was too late. He rammed into me, his full weight pinning my body to the wall.

  “How the hell did you throw him like that?” His voice was strained. He huffed a giant gasp of hair.

  “None of your business,” I hissed.

  Every time I struggled, the man pushed harde
r against my side, crushing my right arm a little bit more.

  “Did you take some H?” Sweat was dribbling down his forehead. I could tell he was getting tired and that holding me took great effort.

  “Nope. I just eat my fucking vegetables.”

  Adrenaline pulsed through my body as I whipped my head all the way to left, digging my teeth into his shoulder. The coppery metallic taste filled my mouth as the man released his grip and let out a deafening scream. He scrambled backwards, placing a hand on top of his bleeding shoulder.

  “Y-y-y-you crazy bitch,” he howled.

  My heart was beating so hard against my chest, I thought at any second it could have leapt out of my body. The man staggered towards the dumpster. A primal instinct took over me and I ran at him, jumping onto his back. My legs wrapped around his thick waist like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. I bit down again. He tasted so damn good. The freshness of his meat and sweetness of his blood tickled my taste buds.

  He sobbed and begged for his life. It didn’t matter; I pulled a chunk of the leather jacket off and spat it on the ground. I could finally reach the tender meat, and just as my teeth sank in again, a voice in my head spoke.

  STOP! What are you doing? You’re not a wolf. You can’t eat him. You don’t eat people! You’re not a beast.

  It was right. I couldn’t do this. I jumped off his back and wiped the blood from my mouth. What was I thinking? How could I lose control like that? In my heart, I knew if I ate someone, there would be no going back.

  I needed to take control of the situation, and do what I came to do.

  “Tell me who you work for.” I steadied my breath, trying to push down the thought that just a few seconds ago, I was close to eating him. “Are you working for the Disciples or the Paganos?”

  The man didn’t answer, but I got the distinct whiff of something that smelled like piss. His body lost all control and crumpled to the ground.

  I pulled my leg back and kicked him in the thigh.

  “Wake up! I need to know who you’re working for!” I huffed, then bent down, placing two fingers underneath his chin. I could feel a sporadic heart beat thumping against his skin. At least I didn’t kill him. That was something. How would I be able to wake him up to question him? I dug my fingers into both shoulders and heaved the heavy man onto his back. An exasperated sigh slipped out from the man’s lips.