by Stone, Piper
A hoarse chuckle pushed past my lips, although the sound was hollow. My life was nothing more than long days hunting down suspects as well as the dreaded paperwork every officer of the law was required to do. I hadn’t even had time to unpack from my recent move and living out of boxes was getting old. I obviously had no business thinking about a man I hardly knew.
Last night had been particularly brutal; four arrests that had kept me working long into the wee hours of the morning. I wanted nothing more than a hot bath and a tall glass of bourbon.
That was going to have to wait. I was following a tip that no one else had taken seriously.
Except for me.
As I turned down the gravel road, heading toward the supposed scene of the latest murder, I couldn’t help but shudder given my own stupidity. I hadn’t even bothered to learn Maximillian’s last name, although there was no law enforcement officer located within the surrounding towns and cities by his name. He’d played me, making certain I’d seen his badge in an effort to seduce me—to make certain I felt safe with him.
I was hot with anger at myself for falling for his bullshit. The man could have killed me.
Instead of giving you several sizzling orgasms.
The inner voice needed to die a bloody stinking death. The man who called himself Maximillian had taken advantage of me in every manner. And I’d allowed it to happen.
I pulled the car to a stop, hesitating before killing the engine. Even with my powerful headlights, I could see nothing out of the ordinary. I’d driven way out of my jurisdiction but the closest officer on duty was several miles away. My cop instinct had asked if the second call made held any merit. The dispatcher had forwarded the message, raising my hackles. If the female caller was correct, the victim’s body was just over the knoll through the bank of trees. There was no way to get there from here other than on foot. The entire area was wet, the powerful storm from the night before leaving soaked terrain and a light fog in its passing. This wasn’t going to be a picnic by any means.
I had no business being here alone, but at least reinforcements were on their way. While technically I was off duty, this was my case and I refused to allow another precinct to interfere at this point. Sadly, even my partner was AWOL tonight. I only hoped Mark’s case of food poisoning or whatever had caused his medical emergency hadn’t landed him in the hospital.
I checked my weapon before grabbing my flashlight and exiting the vehicle, scanning the area before heading up the grassy patch. The wind was whipping through the trees, making every crack of a twig or rush of leaves larger than life. The pattern of the two previous kills had been the same, the victims found in a lonely, dark, and secluded area of town. I took several deep breaths, calming my nerves as I hunkered down, swinging my arms from right to left as I advanced.
Within minutes, I noticed what appeared to be a body and took another deep breath, preparing myself for what I might find. As I crept closer, the shimmer of the trees became more ominous, keeping me on edge. I flashed my light in a circle, searching for either broken limbs or another type of disturbance. There was nothing overt, indicating the perpetrator had been calculating in every manner.
I rubbed my eyes before crouching down, moving the beam from the flashlight up and down the length of the latest victim. The kill was fresh, only occurring within the last two hours. At least the department had gotten a tip for the first time, the poor girl who’d called in the attack hysterical. I’d been minutes away, attempting to grab a cup of coffee when the call had come in.
“Jesus Christ.” I swallowed hard, my nerves rattled. This attack seemed more violent than the others. Just as I’d envisioned. The stench was ungodly, a mixture of blood and gore along with... I forced myself to take another deep whiff, the acrid stench filling my nostrils. Animal. Almost like a wet damn dog. It was entirely possible the murder scene had been compromised. There were homeless cats and dogs all over the city. I rubbed my nose, struggling to keep the bile down.
Fuck. Fuck!
The victim was well dressed, in a rather expensive suit, if I knew anything about men’s attire, although it was difficult to tell what brand given the amount of blood. I studied the slash marks covering the man’s unrecognizable face, my stomach churning from the stench. While the carnage had all the indications of a brutal animal attack given the level of violence inflicted on the body, I knew better. My gut told me that every single one of the murders had been calculated, not random.
I’d bet my badge on my instinct.
However, my views weren’t widely accepted. Everyone in my department believed we had a bear or perhaps a pack of wolves on the loose, animal control officers scouring the local parks and other areas of heavy foliage. That’s why the public hadn’t latched onto the term ‘serial killer,’ the limited reports barely denoting any occurrence at all. For that I should be grateful since reporters had yet to camp out at our precinct or the murder scenes. I lowered my hand, extending my fingers as I kept it hovered over the man’s face. Granted, the slash marks were crude and jagged, much larger than any human hand, but they were from no animal in existence.
For some crazy reason, my thoughts drifted to a legend, one my grandmother had told me about when I was a small girl. The Wolfen. Half man, half wolf, but not just an ordinary beast. They were primal wolves, said to be the oldest continually living mutated species in the entire world. Mutated. From what? I’d read enough werewolf stories to understand the disease of lycanthropy, but I’d grown out of believing in fairytales and ghost stories when I was ten. However, the Wolfen were also said to be extremely powerful, their predatory skills and ability to shift at will widely accounted for but a single specimen had never been captured.
My grandmother believed the Wolfen were true monsters, their hunger and mating instincts often turning them rogue. When I was eight, the stories had terrified me.
Now that I was an adult, I laughed at her utter belief in them.
And her need for protection.
I glanced at the wounds again, studying the angle, forced to admit that the horrific slash marks appeared to be made by sharp claws. I closed my eyes, praying exhaustion was the single reason I’d even consider the option. I was a woman of science and information, requiring solid answers in order to solve a case.
Not some Halloween tale meant to terrify children.
Whoosh.
What the fuck?
Sucking in my breath, I shifted the flashlight toward the trees, scanning the area once again, listening for any other sounds. I’d never felt this raw fear in any of my other cases over the years.
Until now.
An eerie feeling slithered down my spine, my stomach rolling.
This particular location in the park was isolated, a solid one hundred yards from any of the walking trails, but it was obvious the body had been dragged at least a hundred feet if not more. The slither of blood leading up to the body indicated the attack had occurred elsewhere. As I reached for the gloves in my back pocket, a second cracking sound occurred less than twenty feet away in the dense patch of trees.
I swung both the beam of light as well as my service weapon in the direction of the noise, calming my nerves. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was being watched. Every instinct kicked in, telling me in no uncertain terms that I was in danger. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, my throat constricting. I moved to a standing position, taking cautious steps in the direction of the trees. My flashlight was powerful, but the eerie darkness kept goosebumps popping along every inch of skin—clothed or otherwise.
Another sharp crack drew my attention to the right and for a split second, I was able to shine my light on a pair of eyes.
Only they weren’t human.
They couldn’t be, the sharp yellow irises almost iridescent in nature. I took a step back, my foot catching on something slick. Within seconds, I went down hard, immediately sliding down the rain-soaked hill. I tumbled several times, losing my grip on the flashlight. When I
slammed against one of the few light posts, the pain was almost blinding, stealing my breath.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I shook my head, trying to remove the cobwebs before scrambling up the hill. Shaking, I hunkered down, reaching for the light. Then I heard a keening cry followed by a primal growl unlike anything I’d ever heard before.
“What the...” The words died in my throat as some creature lunged for me, the uncanny snarl erupting as if the beast was coming from several directions. I managed to get off a single shot before my survival instinct kicked in.
I didn’t want to die out here in these fucking woods and the fucker had cornered me. There was no way I could make it to the car.
After cutting off the beam, I took off running, my heart racing and every nerve standing on end. The darkness was overbearing but I couldn’t afford to take the chance on using the light. I was a sitting duck where I was. You can do this. Go, girl. Go. I heard snapping and crunching behind me as I raced through the darkness, the husky growl turning into an actual howl. This wasn’t any kind of bear. After jumping over several fallen limbs, I dropped onto all fours, taking aim.
Pop! Pop!
The creature issued another howl, only this time out of pain. Then the sound stopped, as if cut short. At least I’d managed a direct hit. After a few seconds of nothing but quiet, I rose to a standing position, taking careful steps in the direction of the beast. When the hairs stood up on the back of my neck once again, I felt its presence only closer this time and from an entirely different direction. This time the creature’s growl was more... personal.
The moment I took off running, I realized the fucker was trying to corner me again. I was being herded toward the river. Oh, fuck me. The bastard wasn’t going to get the better of me. I zigged and zagged as I raced through the woods, swearing I could feel hot breath on my heels. This was insane. I had to find somewhere to hide in order to regroup.
Think. Think!
I knew this damn park. I’d enjoyed jogging through almost every section over the years when I lived close a few years ago. There had to be somewhere safe. I was near the river. I remembered seeing an old abandoned caretaker house, but that was years ago. What were the chances the place hadn’t been torn down? I had to take the chance. The fucker was getting closer.
I weaved through a series of fallen trees, the terrain becoming almost impassable. When I stumbled, I heard the creature’s snorts and snarls, as if frustrated he couldn’t find me. I hunkered down, catching my breath, swallowing bile as the fear threatened to close off my air supply. Suddenly, everything was eerily quiet once again, only the sounds of crickets and other night creatures.
Another whoosh. I shifted, falling on my ass after swinging my arms toward the sound, getting off another two rounds. This time, there was no cry of success, only a fevered and very close snarl. God help me. I prayed my memory served me. The river was on my left, which meant the abandoned building should be just through this patch of trees. I’d never been one to pray, but at this point, there was nothing left to do. I knew in my gut I’d been able to get two shots into the beast, but it wasn’t slowing him down in the least.
Fuck. Me.
I took off running, my head nearly splitting in two. I could do this. I would do this. With no light of any kind, the trek was treacherous. I could lose my footing and fall over the steep ravines. There’d be no way I could survive the fall. As I reached for my flashlight, daring to take the chance, suddenly a flash of the moon appeared like magic, shining just enough through the trees to give me some perspective.
I could swear there was a building just up ahead. I had to be right. I had to be. There was no holding back, no second guessing. If it was an animal, the building might keep me protected until the other authorities showed up. In the next few seconds, I darted back and forth, concentrating on my breathing instead of the wretched noise. There it was, exactly as I remembered.
After fighting my way through heavy underbrush, I could just make out the corner of the building. Everything seemed to shift into slow motion as I raced around the side. A door. A fucking door. Yes. Yes! Locked. Fuck.
Wham!
The hard shove I gave did nothing to jar the door and I felt the killer approach. I heard him. No. No! I had one last chance, or I would be the creature’s next victim. I reared back, using every last ounce of strength I had.
The intense growl was only feet away, creating a slither of vibrations dancing up and down my spine. The fucker was point blank. The next shot would be right between its eyes. The gun in both hands, I shifted. “Die, you fucker!”
While the shadows surrounding the abandoned building were significant, fear frazzling my mind, what I witnessed in the next few seconds was something that wasn’t a product of my imagination.
There was a second beast.
The roars and growls were intensely powerful, riddled with rage. One of the beasts was attacking the other. The monsters quickly disappeared from my line of sight, although the sounds echoed in the trees. It was now or never. I took several long strides away from the door, gulping several deep breaths before racing forward once again, launching myself into the air. My feet slammed against the door dead center.
And the last sound I heard was riddled with darkness.
And possession.
He was coming for me.
* * *
Run! Run!
“What the hell?” I yelped, struggling to crawl away. The visions were horrible, disturbing but the realization that someone stood over me was much worse.
“Whoa, hold on.”
I could swear I recognized the husky tone. Where was I? What... The bastard killer. Oh, no.
Coughing, I blinked several times, feeling for my gun. “I have a gun and I’m prepared to shoot.” Find the fucking gun. Find it. The figure standing over me was some hulking monster.
The second the beast turned on a light, shining the beam over his face, I was thrown into some kind of nightmare. Then I was shaken to the core. “Max.”
“Yeah, you’re lucky I found you. This building was padlocked and condemned for a reason. You could have killed yourself,” Max huffed, hunkering down. “Are you all right? What the hell are you doing all the way out here alone?”
Wincing, I struggled to move, thankful a hint of morning light was coming in through the open door.
“What?”
“You heard me. Jesus. Fucking. Christ,” he spat, glaring with those damn deep blue eyes of his.
“I think I need to ask you the same question.” The gun now firmly in my grasp, I pointed it directly at his chest. “Oh, yeah, there are some questions you need to answer since I know you lied to me.”
He narrowed his eyes, cocking his head. “What are you talking about? How did I lie?” When I didn’t answer right away, he shoved out his hand. “Let me help you up.”
I avoided taking hold, huffing until I was able to get to my feet. “Just back off. We’re going outside then you’re going to tell me exactly what you were doing in these woods in the middle of the night.” The moment I took a single step, the pain shooting up through the ball of my foot pitched me forward.
And straight into his arms.
His grip was firm, the same devilish grin as he’d had in the bar crossing his gorgeous face. I hadn’t imagined the situation after all. I’d slept with the man. “Let me go.”
“You’re hurt. I need to get you out of here,” Max insisted.
Why did he have to have such a sultry scent? Why did he have to look so damn delicious? I swallowed and pushed against him, making certain he was fully aware of the gun. There were no coincidences in life. This man could be the killer.
Jesus. I was stupid as shit. Had I turned into some prom date? He’d played me and I’d fallen smack into it. He thought that by telling me he was a cop I’d confide in him about the case, find out what evidence I had on the killer.
Or maybe killers.
What kind of sick game was he playing?
There’d been no discussion about the possibility of two calculating killers working together. That could account for the horrific nature of the murders, the ugly violence and rage.
What if there were two rabid wolves in the woods? What if the Wolfen had descended on Denver?
What if you need a CAT scan?
“Just let me go and back away, Max. Do you understand me? I will not hesitate to use this. Trust me.”
“Jesus, Kathleen. You’re covered in blood. You’re scaring me. What happened to you? Was someone chasing you? Why would you break into this building?”
“You’re grilling me? You happen to have scratches on your neck.” I looked down, grimacing at the sight. Even my boots were covered in a substance that disgusted me. That must have been what I slipped on in the first place. “I have my reasons.”
He released his grip, holding up his hands and taking long strides back and out of the building. When he touched the side of his neck, he winced. I made mental note of that fascinating fact.
“You have a good reason that you’re in a desolate park in the middle of the night? Interesting way to get your jollies. Are you a danger junkie and why do you have a gun in your hand, Kathleen? What are you doing here?”
I hobbled forward, straightening my arms as I shifted from right to left quickly. “I’m going to be the one asking questions. Were you following me, Max, whatever your name is?”
“No, I was actually working a case. A fugitive is on the loose and I had a tip he was in the area.” When I smirked, he pulled out his badge, holding it in front of my face. “Remember, I’m a cop.”
“Bullshit. I had you checked out. There’s no one by your name working in any law enforcement agency in the damn state. Whatever game you’re into, I’m not playing.” I heard several other voices and a flood of relief entered my system. “I think the cops are on their way.”
“You don’t believe me,” Max said wryly.
I shook my head. “I know a liar when I see one.”
“Kelly!” the deep voice boomed from the trees, creating a wave of relief.
