Among Wolves

by GA Hauser

  Charlie circled the dead deer and then also stood alert.

  Phil, panting, gun in hand, rounded the bend. "Oh fuck no."

  Roman kept his nose to the ground and tried to follow Butch's scent.

  "Roman! Where's Butch?" Phil asked, taking out his phone.

  Roman began following a scent and Charlie was right beside him.

  "Roman!" Phil called after him, "I'll get backup!"

  Roman knew where he was heading before he got there. The ring. The ring in the trees where nothing grew.

  Charlie brushed against Roman as they trotted together, tongues wagging from their exertion.

  Roman stopped short before he hit the barren ground. Not a flake of snow appeared on it, as if it was a heated surface.

  "I don't like it here, Roman." Charlie backed up from the brown earth.

  "I can't smell Butch. I can't. How can that be?" Roman sniffed his way around the circumference.

  Charlie doubled back and kept his nose to the ground.

  Roman made a complete circle around the dirt ring and looked up at the trees. Dead things were hanging from it, decaying chickens, animal parts. He shivered and backed up, snorting at the revolting scent. Then he recalled the dream where Charlie was caught in a leg trap here. But it was only a dream. Right? "Watch out for leg traps, Charlie!"

  "I will."

  Both he and Charlie spun around to see Phil.

  Phil halted in his tracks and looked at the ring of death. He had Butch's shotgun hanging over his shoulder. "I found the gun. That's it." Then Phil's expression changed. "Oh fuck. I remember this." Phil crouched down and touched the dirt. "Why is there no snow on it?"

  Roman trotted over to him and stood beside him. Although Phil was uneasy, he didn't react in fear.

  Phil pointed his handgun around the trees, the circle, but Roman knew he'd have picked up something with his sense of smell long before Phil would see it.

  "Where the hell is Butch?" Phil asked, looking back over his shoulder. "Wasn't he right in front of us? And I have his shotgun." He held it out, as if confused over the riddle.

  Charlie sat on his haunches and started shaking out his fur.

  Roman knew he was trying to change back into a man. He wasn't sure he was ready to do that yet. He took off running, beyond the dead doe, and leapt over the barbed wire fence. It had been cut, just like previous times when a carcass was found.

  "Roman!" Phil shouted out behind him. "Don't get lost on me!"

  Roman kept moving, over the snow, seeing blood spatters on the surface. His nose attuned to the scent of blood, he remembered a tiny shack, one where Charlie had been trapped, and made his way towards it.

  The closer he came, the worse the stench of decay and death became. With his sharp senses it revolted Roman so much, he stopped and tried to bear it, his ears moving around like antennas, tracking sounds. Behind him he could hear Charlie's human voice as well as Phil's.

  Roman took a step closer to the shack. No sound came from it. He forced himself to withstand the stench and stuck his nose under the weather-worn door. It was a dilapidated shed. No windows, one door.

  He snorted at the nasty reek and wiped his nose with his front leg. He did not smell Butch, dead or alive. He used his paw to push at the door but it didn't do more than move a quarter of an inch.

  Behind him, the sounds of out of breath humans drew closer. Roman looked over his shoulder.

  Phil pointed his handgun and said to Roman, "Back the hell up, Burk."

  Charlie was dressed, his arms full of Roman's clothing, holding Butch's shotgun. "Change back to a man, will ya?" he said to Roman.

  Roman backed up, his attention on the hut. Phil reached with his left hand, pointing the gun with his right and swung the door open. The shed was vacant but it was loaded with bones, jars with animal hearts floating in cloudy liquid, inverted pentagram and feathers.

  "Augh." Phil covered his mouth and backed up. "Fuck! Where the hell is Butch? Don't tell me we have another corpse under the floorboards."

  Charlie cupped his mouth and yelled Butch's name. Birds took wing at the fright but not a sound returned.

  Roman felt so much sorrow and confusion, he began whining, biting the air and snarling at nothing.

  "Come 'ere." Charlie crouched down, reaching out.

  Phil holstered his handgun and said, "You're no good to us like that, Roman." He began yanking the floor planks up.

  Roman, head down, stood beside Charlie and closed his eyes.

  Charlie held him, rubbing his sides and neck. "Come back to me, baby. Come back to me and we'll figure this out."

  Roman licked his nose and could taste the decay of the shack and its contents. He dropped to the snowy ground and howled as he changed back into a man.

  ~

  Helping Roman get dressed, seeing him shiver and appear sick, Charlie waited patiently as Phil had returned to the SUV. There was nothing, this time, under the boards in the shack.

  By the time Roman was properly dressed and they walked back to the deer carcass, they met with not only JP, Goat, and Vernon, but Sheriff Kenmore and another two agents from the ATF office. Three four-wheel drive vehicles and three horses were on the snowy trail.

  JP had one look at the deer and said, "Damn it!"

  "All right," Phil held up his hands as he spoke. "We need to fan out and search for Butch." He pointed to a spot and said, "I found his shotgun here."

  "I have help coming from the air," one of the agents said, his radio microphone in his hand.

  Charlie felt the cold wind and tried to keep a lid on his emotions. He handed the shotgun to JP, knowing if he turned he'd lose it somewhere in the snow.

  "He was last seen here." Phil pointed to the spot where Butch had been.

  "No direction of travel?" Sheriff Kenmore asked.

  "Other than not going to the barn," Phil pointed to the SUVs and the ranch, "No."

  "You want K9?" Sheriff Kenmore asked.

  "Dogs won't help." Roman glanced at the men.

  Phil nodded. "Believe me, they won't."

  Charlie felt his cheeks blush knowing he and Roman had already tried the 'sniffing' route.

  JP and Goat mounted their horses. "We'll head west," JP said, urging his horse to move.

  "You got your phones?" Vernon called after them.

  Goat said, "Yeah, but reception up here sucks." He and JP rode the horses towards the hills.

  "We need more men." Sheriff Kenmore got on his police radio and walked off to speak on it.

  A loud motor made Charlie look skyward. A chopper appeared from over the tree line; black and ominous. Phil waved at it and it dropped as low to the tree tops as it dared and began the search.

  The two agents pointed to the direction of the hut. "We'll bag the evidence in that thing."

  "I want to take the deer as well." Phil pointed to it.

  Vernon said, "I got it. Last few we took to Doc McMurray and she autopsied them and wrote up a report."

  "Right." Phil nodded and approached Charlie and Roman. "Well, since your noses failed, are you walking with me?"

  "Yup." Charlie looked up at the helicopter. "If Butch is up here, that will find him."

  Roman muttered, 'He's not up here."

  Both Phil and Charlie stopped their progress to look back at him.

  "Where is he?" Charlie felt a pang of pain hit him and tried to calm down.

  "The Alpha has him, not the cult." Roman glanced around the entire area, as if he could see for miles.

  "And you know that for a fact?" Phil asked.

  Charlie tried to tune into whatever Roman was sensing.

  "You know I'm right," Roman said to Charlie.

  "Come on." Phil tapped Roman's arm and they began searching the snowy landscape for a sign.

  Charlie walked behind Phil, alongside Roman, and met his gaze. Roman showed his teeth and mouthed silently, 'I need to kill that Alpha.'

  "How?" Charlie narrowed his eyes.

  Roman didn't
answer, but Charlie knew it took everything both he and Roman possessed to not shift into a wolf and kill something.

  ~

  Butch hung his head and felt sick.

  It was as if he were hung-over or feverish. He tried to clear his vision and wake up from whatever had a hold of him. He went to touch his face and jerked at his arm. His wrists were tied behind his back. Butch sat up in alarm, wide awake now. He was bound to a heavy oak chair, his wrists behind his back and his ankles to the legs. His chest began heaving with fear and he looked around the dark room. It was so dim he was struggling to see and had no clue where he was or how he had gotten there.

  "Roman?" he called.

  A mist materialized in front of him making Butch shift back in the chair, getting a sense of how heavy the weight of the wood under him was. He tried to scoot back and couldn't.

  "You are now mine."

  "Oh no. Ohhh, no." Butch shook his head side to side adamantly. "No way!"

  The muscular man leaned forward, smiling at him, the sword strapped to his back.

  "Git away from me!" Butch tugged at the bindings and tried to get loose.

  The big Alpha male eyed him hungrily.

  "I ain't yer dinner or yer mate!" Butch panted for air and clenched his fists. "Lemme go!"

  The Alpha walked leisurely around him and smiled.

  "You…" Butch caught his breath as he felt his skin prickle. "You know how much trouble yer goin' to be in? Kidnappin's a federal offense. And Roman, well, he's an ATF agent."

  The big man touched Butch's chin affectionately. Butch turned his face away and arched his back to avoid it.

  "There are no rules."

  "I'm afraid there are. An' you broke a ton of 'em." Butch tried to see a door, a window, something. He had no idea where he was.

  "Mm." The man crouched down and leaned on Butch's lap.

  Butch shrunk back and felt his heart beating madly in his chest. "Why're you doin' this to me? Huh? What did I ever do to you?" He cringed as the man leaned forward and licked his cheek.

  Butch fought the terror of not knowing if he was dinner or a sexual conquest. "You…you gotta name?"

  "Montague." The man caressed Butch's cheek, wiping the spot he had dampened.

  "All right." Butch nodded, trying to remain calm which was growing impossible. "I'm Butch. Butch Crowell."

  "I know."

  Butch stared at Montague's mouth. "Why when you talk is yer voice outta sequence with yer lips? I have to tell ya, partner, that's just plain weird."

  Montague sat on Butch's legs, straddling him. "Mmm…"

  Butch tensed up and tugged at the rope on his wrists.

  The big Alpha male began nuzzling Butch's neck, sniffing and licking his skin. "You smell so human."

  "'cuz I am human! An' I intend to stay that way!" Butch shifted under the weight but could not move. "Don't bite me. Ya got it? Last thing I want to be is one of you!"

  Montague began nibbling his throat and Butch closed his eyes in terror. "Don't bite me. Don't." His flannel shirt was torn open, the buttons scattering. "Oh, God." Butch glanced down as his coat and shirt were pushed wide, exposing his chest. "I'm only twenty-one, okay? I need more time."

  Long wet tongue laps ran over Butch's chest, his neck, his jaw.

  "What do you want? Huh?" Butch asked, leaning away from the aggressive advance.

  "I have you…then I will have the mate of the black wolf, and then…I will kill him."

  "Kill him?" Butch tried to catch his breath. "Kill Roman? No way. You will not kill him."

  Montague licked his way to Butch's mouth.

  Butch clenched his teeth and leaned back. A tongue ran across his lips lightly.

  Butch turned his face aside and tried to use his shoulder to wipe it. "Look, Monta-fuck or whatever you want to be called- Ya can't kill Roman. Okay? Not only is it illegal and wrong, I love him."

  Montague leaned back and snarled at Butch.

  "Uh…" Butch could see the fury in Montague's amber eyes. "Love you too, buddy!" Butch added, gulping. "Don't bite me."

  The big Alpha got off Butch's lap and growled.

  Butch panicked and tried to get free. "No. I'm sorry. Okay? I was kiddin'. I'm yers. See?" Butch tried to wriggle free. "If I agree to be yer whatever, will ya just let the other two alone?"

  Butch looked around and couldn't see Montague any longer. "Where'd you go?" He tugged at the bindings. "Montague! Git back here! I was only jokin'! Okay?" Butch listened but couldn't hear anything but his own heavy breathing.

  "Charlie! Roman!" he screamed, shaking the chair side to side, trying to tip it. "Anyone! Can anyone hear me?"

  Chapter 15

  Dusk began to loom. Not only did it drop the temperatures, it made searching harder.

  The copter used a spotlight but even after four hours, nothing was seen. Not a trace.

  Roman was exhausted, hungry, and cold. He stood at the SUV and leaned his butt on the fender, trying to think, trying to sense where Butch could be.

  Vernon had dragged the deer carcass down the trail, JP and Goat had given up, also returning to the ranch to help with the horses and chores, and Phil told the chopper pilot to quit the search.

  The two agents stood with Phil, telling Phil, "We're done. We'll bring the evidence to the lab."

  Charlie was close by, but still eyeing the hills as if not giving up hope he would be able to detect Butch's presence.

  Roman looked up as the agents approached. "We'll renew the search tomorrow, Agent Burk."

  "Okay. Thanks." He shook their hands and they got into their SUV and left.

  Phil walked over to him. "I'm at a loss."

  "I know." Roman reached out his hand.

  Phil shook it. "First thing in the morning, we'll be back at it. I'll make sure we have a larger team."

  "Don't bring a cadaver dog." Roman squeezed his hand.

  "I got you and Charlie. I don't need a dog. And stop thinking dismal thoughts." Phil gave Roman a slow motion 'punch' on his jaw and called out, "Charlie, let's go ...Come on, Roman, I'll drive you back."

  "No." Roman stood off the SUV. "You go. I'm going to hang out a little longer."

  "Hell no." Phil shook his head as Charlie approached. "Get in the car. I'm not leaving you two out here alone in the dark."

  "And I'm not going back to the cabin without Butch."

  Charlie, hands deep in his jacket pockets said to Phil, "Me neither."

  "Guys!" Phil threw up his hands. "We had nearly a dozen people searching with a helicopter as well…go eat, sleep, and we'll start again at the dawn."

  "No." Roman walked away from Phil.

  "Charlie, talk some sense into him. You two change? Get stuck naked and frozen to death. Or worse, that Alpha, or cult gets to you…then what? Huh?"

  Roman glanced back at Charlie.

  "I can't." Charlie shook his head. "I can't go back without Butch."

  "Fuck!" Phil crossed his arms in frustration.

  "Go." Roman tilted his head to Phil.

  Phil put his hands on his hips, completely conflicted.

  "It's okay." Charlie touched Phil's shoulder.

  "Damn you, Burk!" Phil threw open the door of the SUV. "If you two vanish or I find your frozen corpses up here, I will get even!"

  "Love you too, Agent Dean." Roman threw him a kiss.

  "Fucking idiot." Phil slammed the SUV door and backed up, turning around and heading down the trail.

  As the truck lights and noise faded, Charlie stood beside Roman to watch.

  Quiet surrounded them.

  "Where is he, Roman?" Charlie asked looking up at the last glow of lavender daylight behind the western landscape.

  "We find the Alpha. We find him." Roman sniffed the air.

  Charlie put his arm around Roman's waist, and they headed into the dark woods.

  ~

  There was no new place to look.

  Charlie stood at the edge of the brown circle, which was nearly thirty feet in diamet
er. The wind shook the snow from the tree limbs and as it hit the dirt ground, it immediately melted even though the temperatures had dropped so much, that the surface of the snow was now a hardened crust.

  His inhaled the air for scents, his eyes able to see in the darkness. Roman touched the trunks of the big evergreens, walking slowly as if trying to get the trees themselves to tell him their tale.

  A noise made Charlie look over his shoulder. Roman had heard it too and stopped to listen.

  Something red…something glowing…was in the gloom.

  "Ophelia…" Roman breathed out as he spoke, like a warning.

  Charlie's skin prickled and he braced himself, getting into a fighting stance instinctively.

  The red witch was coming.

  Immediately Charlie could see black shrouded figures in a line behind her.

  He backed up, trying to stand near Roman as if they were indeed going to fight. "You change on me now, an' I will never forgive you," Charlie whispered out of the side of his mouth to Roman.

  "No promises, Charlie. Sorry." They stood leaning shoulder to shoulder while the strange linear formation approached.

  As if the two men were not even present, the parade of darkly clad individuals, all carrying candle luminaries, moved to the perimeter of the sphere.

  Charlie backed up to the trees with Roman, not hiding, but certainly trying to keep out of their way. "Can't they see us?"

  "Yes. They can." Roman held onto Charlie's arm, as if keeping them secure.

  The red glow moved to the center of the brown circle.

  Charlie could see the painted face of the witch; red and white and blue lines under her eyes wearing a wolf headdress with a train of black feathers.

  "Um." Charlie shifted in his boots. "Shouldn't we call Phil or Vernon? Aren't these the ones responsible for the ritual killin's?"

  "I have no idea. Hang on." Roman squeezed Charlie's arm tighter.

  Once the ring was complete around the red witch, she used a walking stick to draw into the dry dirt.

  Charlie watched, seeing a five pointed star appear. "Uh oh."

  Roman moved closer to him, pressing against his body.

  A circle was drawn around the star and the red witch reached up to the trees.

  Charlie stared in awe as the tree tops began shaking and leaning in towards her. "Holy shit."