A Justified Kill (Heart of a Wolf - Amber's Tale)

by MaryLynn Bast

  ****

  Over the next couple of days Amber’s changes were uncontrollable and she started changing at will. She never knew when it was going to happen, but she did know the signs of it starting and several times had to leave work. She was surprised that Ryan hadn’t fired her. Of course Catherine still insisted that they were sleeping together and she was pregnant, Amber just waved her off.

  While out chasing a rabbit, the wolf smelled smoke and knew she was near the campsite. Suddenly the small furry creature she had been chasing was completely forgotten. Nose to the ground, several thousand yards from the area which was still corded off by yellow police tape, the scent of death hit her. Sniffing, and blowing dirt from her nose, Amber sniffed once more and drew back, knowledge lit her yellow eyes, she growled deep in her throat and started digging.

  ****

  Amber walked into the bar with a smirk and was met by a scowling look on Ryan’s face. “The town is all in an uproar and business sucks right now, so I’m going to have to let you go.”

  Her smirk turned into a smile. “Well, that works out for us both then, I was coming to tell you I quit. I’m heading out of town.” Amber handed him the black apron he had given her the day she had walked in off the street and asked for a job. She didn’t normally give notice when leaving a job. She usually just walked out the night before and never came back. For some reason she wanted closure with Ryan.

  Ryan took the scrap of material and stared at her, his frown deepened. “You are the first person I have ever seen smile about being fired.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t call it being fired if I quit. Technically, you are not firing me any way. You are laying me off for lack of work due to slow business.”

  Ryan threw his hands up and leaned against the bar and glowered at her.

  Amber was in a good mood and nothing was going to faze her. She had truly done some good. No matter how hard it had been to hear at first, she had brought closure to many families in the area.

  Catherine came through the door and saw Amber’s apron in Ryan’s hand. “What’s going on here?” She scowled and stomped towards the two of them standing at the bar. “You are not allowed to let her go, and you,” she turned towards Amber, “are not allowed to leave me here by myself.”

  “I have to go Catherine.” Amber shook her head. She knew Catherine liked her, but she was very self-centered, everything was always about her and this was very evident when Catherine continued speaking without acknowledging her comment.

  “Everything is all messed up around here. Have you heard what’s going on?” She looked from Amber to Ryan but didn’t give them time to answer and kept going. “My sister is dating Hunter’s brother, Trigger Michaels. You know the one you saw in here the other night with Sue Ann.” She glanced at Amber. “He told her there was an anonymous call that came in reporting the fire.” She took a quick breath, her eyes wide in excitement. “You know, the girls who have been reported missing over the past five years?”

  Ryan nodded and Amber shrugged. This time Catherine paused, blinking at her, waiting for an answer this time. “I wouldn’t know I’ve only been here three weeks.”

  “Yeah, but everyone knows everyone here and people talk, you have probably heard of all the girls who had been reported as runaways. Well, seven of those girls were found.”

  For someone who was so self-centered, Catherine noticed things about other people, and if they were acting any different, she would call them on it. Amber wanted to make sure she didn’t act out of character because she felt as if ‘KILLER’ and “LIAR’ was stamped on her forehead. So she feigned surprise. Catherine could not suspect anything or she would be in deep trouble. The woman was like a bloodhound tracking a wolf, literally. She wondered if maybe she had made a mistake by coming here and not just leaving like she normally did.

  No one was in the bar and there was no sign of anyone coming in any time soon. Amber noticed Ryan cross his arms over his chest and watch Catherine with a frown. Obviously he wanted to know what was going on. She leaned her back against the bar and rested on her elbows, she was curious to find out what she knew too. Glancing at one another they both gave a shrug and smiled. Listening to her rambling, she would eventually get to the point.

  “You know, all those other girls who did escape from this God forsaken town probably went down to Hollywood and are trying to make it big.” Catherine was popping her gum, one hand on her hip, the other waving in the air.

  Amber couldn’t help but think to herself, show’s how much you know. “Not everyone runs to California to make it big.” She wanted to continue, but didn’t want to say too much and make Catherine start questioning her, so she kept her thoughts to herself. Hanna was running from her Hollywood life. Sadly she found a different kind of nightmare waiting for her here. For supposedly knowing everyone’s business, the people in this town are totally clueless.

  Catherine ignored her spoken comment and didn’t notice that Amber wasn’t really paying close attention. “They are saying the seven girls were found near the burnt campsite. You know, there’s this girl in the hospital claiming that Gerald held her hostage and raped her. She claimed that some girl came in and rescued her and took her to the hospital. The hospital said the girl was just passing through and they can’t find her now. The sheriff found her clothes, ripped to shreds out in the woods. She’s lucky to be alive from what Sue Ann told me. The others, you know his three friends, are being investigated for knowing what Gerald was doing, possibly even participating. And Ryan, they are going to talk to you too.” Catherine was full of information on the story. Since it had made the front page headline, she knew all the right people to call and ask about it.

  Ryan ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Yeah, it’s the reason why everyone’s avoiding the bar. I already heard the police think because people come here to drink, I should know everything they are doing. Once they leave my bar, I could care less.”

  Catherine continued like he had not even spoken. “Trigger said they found large wolf prints throughout the campsite and in the woods where the other girls were buried. He told me if the wolf hadn’t dug up the remains, they would have never been able to find the other bodies. They are broadening the search to see if there are more even checking out where Gerald used to live. From what they could tell, they said the bodies were buried a couple years and as recent as a couple months. Forensics is being called in to do the dating. But the strange thing is how the wolf didn’t eat the bodies. I thought wolves were scavengers and would eat anything and everything. ” Catherine continued talking while Amber started for the door.

  Amber’s back was to Catherine and Ryan. The remark about wolves being scavengers irritated her and she wanted to tell her just how ignorant she was, because she knew for a fact that her wolf liked fresh meat she killed herself. Not someone else’s left overs. She let it go, because as she thought on it, most people considered wolves scavengers, but they weren’t, they were actually beneficial to the ecological system by killing old, young or sick animals, not scavenging. In fact, they often left food for the vultures and scroungers. She wanted to share her version of the nature channels lesson of the day, but that would get her talking that much more. The way Catherine had sneered the word wolf rankled. She had to remind herself she was a werewolf, not the typical wolf. Really not even a typical werewolf. She had to let it go.

  Through her thoughts Catherine continued talking. “Amber, you know you served Gerald his last drink that night.”

  Her back to them, they didn’t see the smile slip across her lips and her eyes flash yellow. “Yeah, I hear the alcohol really had a bite to it...” She waved without looking back. With her parting remark, she walked out the door. Digging the jeep key out of her pocket while walking across the parking lot, she thought of the attack. It had been less than graceful, but it in the end it still served its purpose. Amber had left her mark on the small town without them even knowing it. She had made a justified kill.

  Her
long strides took her to the jeep. Jumping in, firing up the engine, she drove out of the parking lot and pulled onto the highway with a grin on her face. It was time to head down South for a while.

  PREVIEW OF NO REMORSE

  CHAPTER ONE

  The wind howled as she ran through the heavily wooded forest. Or was the howling the beast that haunted her? Amber knew she should keep running, but stopped in her tracks. She was tired of always running from the darkness that followed her everywhere. She gave in to the hot searing pain, falling to the ground, quickly shedding the clothes that bound her to the human world. Throwing her head back, screaming when her flesh crawled and her bones began the painful cracking and popping. Rain poured through the trees while Amber clawed at the wet soggy ground, her head feeling like it would explode. The flashes of lightning, followed by the loud rolling thunder, swallowed her howls of pain. On all fours, Amber panted, the transformation was complete. She was alone in her own world of nightmares.

  Bright yellow eyes rimmed with black peered out from the dense trees, the silhouette of the large wolf illuminated in the storm as the lightning lit up the night sky. Amber’s sensitive ears heard the drops of rain falling through the trees and bushes, landing on the bed of leaves and wet earth around her. At the sound of rustling leaves, the wolf whipped her head in its direction. Something scampered from tree to tree, before stopping dead in its tracks, feeling the presence of danger. The rat’s beady eyes stared into the menacing yellow glow, its body stood motionless. The only thing moving was the twitching of its whiskers as the rodent quickly sniffed the air.

  She was hungry, but not for the rat. Amber rose from her hunched position on the sodden leaves. Turning away, she could have sworn the rat gave a sigh of relief as it scampered away. Moving deeper into the woods, Amber knew exactly where she needed to go.

  ****

  She had spotted the lone camper a couple days ago when scouting the area. It had been almost too easy. Even in her human form, Amber could smell the camper through the dense woods. He did nothing to hide his scent. On purpose, she had made enough noise to alert the man to her presence. When he heard the commotion, he came to investigate.

  Being a young pretty woman, Amber knew most men would not feel threatened by a lone female. Her five foot six frame was slender, but toned and well defined. With werewolf genetics, she stayed in excellent shape. Long black haired flowed gently down the middle of her back in soft waves. Almond shaped chocolate brown eyes, fringed with long lashes, were alluring, and she had soft, full naturally pouting lips.

  The man had been mesmerized by her beauty and was quick to offer her a bottle of cold water, which she took with a sweet smile. Being talkative, Amber quickly learned that his name was Andrew Small. He was a small firm accountant working a couple of towns over. Snickering at an inside joke while winking at her, he boasted that money was no object. Andrew went on and on, bragging about how he would sneak away a couple times a year for extended vacations, like he was now because he was burned out and needed some alone time. He told Amber of how he had discovered the extremely secluded, wooded area on previous camping trips, and he planned on being there for a couple weeks.

  During the course of their mostly one sided conversation, Andrew informed her that this campsite was his own secret hide away. His family knew he was camping, but he never told them where so no one would show up out of the blue. It was the perfect secluded area with no cell phone or Internet coverage so he could get away from the family and a hectic job. Which was all the better for her--no one to hear his screams.

  ****

  Amber allowed her wolf’s senses to guide her through the darkness. The storm was slowly passing. Lightning was seen less and less, and the rain had nearly come to a stop. She glided through the forest, seen only by the other creatures of the night. The woods were silent when the wolf padded quietly to the edge of the tree line. Amber could see Andrew’s shadow through the thin material of the tent every time he passed by the lantern hanging inside. From where she sat, her sensitive nose smelled the small fire that burned beyond the tent, but most of all it was his scent that held her attention. Ears perked at his high pitched whistling, she watched him move around inside the tent.

  Heart pounding in her ears, Amber could almost taste his hot blood now. She had to be patient. Her wolf’s teeth and claws were sharp enough to tear through the tent, but she had learned that lesson when she had first turned.

  Attacking through the wall of the tent had given her first victim a chance to fight back. She remembered the searing pain of the knife stabbing into her side, slipping along her ribs. Luckily, that first camper hadn’t gotten a good hold on the knife when she had attacked. Amber knew she would have been dead if the blade had pierced her heart.

  Her mother had explained that the change would be uncontrollable in the beginning, but she never expected anything like what actually happened. She still had a lot to learn about being a werewolf. Once the realization of her first kill and the shock of being stabbed set in, Amber was not able to hold her were form long enough and changed back. As a werewolf, Amber would have healed quickly, but as a human, she did not. Luckily, the knife didn’t go very deep, so there was no real damage, but being stabbed had been very painful and the thin scar served as a reminder for her to plan ahead and she had learned that lesson well. At the time she had bound herself the best she could and, to her horror, disposed of the half mutilated body. She was stronger than a human was, but in her weakened, shocked state, she had considered burying the body. But there were too many variables that led to the possibility that his body would be found and they would know he had been attacked by a wolf, a werewolf. Thinking quickly, she set the tent ablaze with the body inside, burning the evidence of an attack.

  Amber was brought back to the present as the shadow moved, reaching for the tents flap. Drawing back on her haunches, she prepared herself for the attack. Her mouth filled with saliva, pooling and dripping down the side. Her sensitive ears heard his slightest movement. Andrew’s heartbeat was strong and steady. The zipper was loud when he pulled it slowly down, allowing the tent flap to fall open. Andrew stood with a beer bottle in his hand, nothing more.

  In the dark of the night, the storm seemed to be renewing in strength, while Amber’s large black wolf readied itself. At the bright flash of lightning she pounced, knocking Andrew back into the tent with her strength. She heard his frightened gasp, his eyes wide as he stared in terror at the yellow eyes glowing down at him. She drew in a deep breath, savoring the smell of his fear.

  Amber growled deep in her throat, baring her sharp teeth. Suddenly, she smelled something and in the part of her brain that retained human thoughts, she knew Andrew was urinating himself. The animal in her wanted to laugh, but her vocal cords were tight and it came out as a low growl instead. She could hear his heart pounding erratically in his chest, his blood singing loudly to her as it swished through his veins. She had to have it.

  Andrew was not a small man by any means and he fought hard, pushing and shoving with hands and feet, but his human strength was no match for Amber’s powerful jaws. He screamed loudly when her sharp canines sank effortlessly into the soft skin of his throat, his blood trickled into her mouth. He thrashed around trying to push her off. She was too strong, her grip tight. With a quick shake of her head the thin skin of his throat shredded, allowing the coppery sweet blood to flow free, to stream warmly into her mouth. Andrew’s garbled screams and now feeble attempts to fight ceased after only a few moments.

  With the bloodlust upon her wolf, Amber lost all control and savagely ripped off chunks of skin, meat and muscle. Her strong teeth crunched through his bones like they were toothpicks. The wolf lapped at the blood that his still beating heart pumped, squirting through his exposed veins. Until his heart stopped, and there was no more blood. The wolf had made her kill.

  The wolf’s bloody teeth showed in a wicked grin as it savored Andrew’s fleshy meat, he tasted like pork. She liked pork! With
her belly full the wolf stretched, yawned, and lay down on the ground, head resting on her paws. With the bloodlust sated, the wolf relaxed, but her ears were ever alert for anyone or anything that might try to sneak up on her. The wolf released its control and allowed the change to consume her body once again.

  Turning back to her human form was painful, but not as much as the change into a werewolf. Once she was fully returned to her human body, Amber glanced around to ensure no one was around and hurried to the cold stream to wash the blood from her skin. Running through the woods to her stashed clothes, she dressed quickly and returned to the campsite.

  As a human, Amber was still mortified, but also amazed that she could savagely kill and eat another human being. She couldn’t change the fact that she had been born a werewolf, or that humans were werewolves natural prey. She had grown up with the horrible secret and the knowledge that if humans discovered what she was, they would track her down and kill her.

  Amber mentally gave herself a shake, wiping the thought from her mind that maybe they should. She was too willful to take the cowardly way out. Life might not be much fun, but it was still worth living. Hopefully things would eventually get better, but Amber knew she would always have to keep the wolf side of her hidden from the world.

  There could be no trace that Andrew had been in this area. Amber worked quickly, tearing down the tent, she started a fire and tossed things in that would burn. Items that would float were pitched into the river and swept quickly downstream. She carried the remaining items deep into the woods and found the rocks that she had come across during her runs. The cracks led to caverns that went deep underground. As they were dropped, Amber heard Andrew’s personal items bouncing off the rocks inside and then lay quietly where they would rest forever. Returning to the campsite, Amber stood with her hands on her hips and looked around, nodding her head in silent approval, she turned and walked away.