by Jessica Ryan
Her mother was convinced there was an evil cult hidden behind every locked door in middle America, just waiting to corrupt her children against God.
It had been quite the day when Ciara told her mom she was going to Oklahoma State University, not Oklahoma Christian University like her mom had insisted. Her mom had promised godlessness and debauchery—Ciara couldn't wait.
That first weekend was magical. Classes hadn't started yet and her dorm roommate was from Oklahoma City and she was well-versed in partying. A lot of her friends were throwing a big bash at an off-campus apartment and she insisted Ciara come with her.
Her mother had also insisted Ciara check in once she was settled. Ciara was actually going to stay in that night and unpack, but when she got on the phone with her mother it was cinched. Her mother had insisted she pray before bed and call her to do her prayers. She had also insisted Ciara not attend any parties or basically have any fun.
When Ciara hung up the phone, she immediately put on the most revealing outfit she could find and left with her roommate. Together they went to that party and got drunker than anyone drinking for the first time could get.
She could barely remember the rest of the night, but she did know she ended up back at the dorm with her roommate and a guy she had never met before having sex for the first time.
Ciara put her hand over her face, embarrassed thinking back on it. She didn't regret it, but it wasn't the best way to make a first impression. It hadn't been a bad night, though. She didn't particularly enjoy having sex with another woman, but she did enjoy the way it turned the boy on. She had never even seen someone's manhood at that point, but this boy was stacked.
He played soccer and had a lean, tight body. Ciara had always been attracted to that type: muscular, small waist, nothing bulky. She wasn't into bodybuilders or giant guys, but a lean and cut-up man was a fast way to her heart and into her pants.
His cock had been so big and long, and she'd never met a man with one that big since. She had lost her virginity that night and sex had never been the same since.
No regrets, she thought. That was something Quack Job had taught her repeatedly. It was one of the few lessons he had taught that actually seemed to make sense. If you kept regretting the past and blaming yourself for it, then you ended up punishing yourself and never escaping your problems.
She smiled at the thought of applying that lesson, but then smiled again at the thought of the soccer boy.
He'd been so sexy, just perfect in every way. She could feel the moistness between her legs as she thought about it. All she was wearing was a thin red thong. She found her hand traveling down between her legs, exploring the outside of her pants. She could feel her moist folds beneath them, with jolts of electricity sweeping through her body each time her fingers rubbed over the swollen nub of her clit.
"I need to get laid," she said out loud.
She hadn't had sex with anyone since before the incident. She'd tried to be good in every way possible. Unfortunately it'd forced her to go through a metric fuck-ton of batteries in that time. She was a very sensual person and she needed to feel the touch of another person often. Now that she wasn't going out and getting drunk every night and going home with a new guy, she might be able to find someone more stable. Someone who wouldn't say they were going to call and then disappear.
"You need to what?" a voice said behind her.
Ciara jumped up, startled by the noise. Someone was out here with her? Before she even turned she could feel her heart nearly pounding out of her chest as the sweat began to form on her forehead.
She spun around to see a man walking out of the forest, a very naked man. She yelped at the sight of this shameless stranger who was so boldly strolling towards her. He had dark features, like he had spent a lifetime outside, with almost black eyes that studied her like she was a prize he had just won at the carnival. He was tall and lean, very lean. It looked like he had missed quite a few meals in his time, just adding to the hungry look on his face. He smiled, revealing a few missing teeth that made her shudder. His body was covered in dirty and mud, like a pig that had rolled in its pen all day.
She instantly began to back towards her backpack, wanting to have the gun in hand for when he inevitably lurched forward at her. She knew she was the prey and he was the predator; it was all too obvious by the look on his face.
"Don't be afraid, pretty girl," he said. "I won't hurtcha too much. I just want to help."
"Help with what?" she asked nervously.
"You said you need to get laid," he said, reaching down and fisting his long penis in one hand. "I got just whatcha need for that!"
"No, thank you," she said, still backing away. "I was just thinking out loud."
"Them's dangerous thoughts, pretty gal," he said, laughing. "Very dangerous."
She spun around quickly, reaching down into her pack and tightly gripping the nine millimeter she had inside. She spun around, ready to fire as soon as she did, but he was already on her. He moved with impossible speed, leaping across the clearing in one bound. One large hand came down, slapping the gun from her hand.
"We don't need to do anything like that!" he snarled, grabbing her around the waist. "We're just gonna have some fun!"
Ciara was ready to fight. She wasn't going to die being raped and killed by some hillbilly. Maybe that Park Ranger wasn't such an asshole; maybe he knew exactly what he was talking about. She'd have to buy him dinner if she ever got out of here alive.
She ducked under the hillbilly's grasp and ran across the clearing, trying to escape. But he spun around, coming for her again.
"I like it when dinner moves!" he yelled. "I enjoy a good hunt."
Ciara ran into the forest, trying to get away from him, but he was loping after her with ease. If he put on a burst of speed he would catch her easily and then it would be curtains for her and her pathetic life.
"Come on, pretty girl!" he screamed. "Don't leave me behind like that!"
She pumped her short legs as fast as they would go, leaping over fallen tree branches and rocks with surprising agility. She had heard when people are in moments of extreme stress and danger they can take on superhuman qualities, and she felt like she was taking those on right now as she sped through the forest, trying desperately for any escape.
Eventually her Wonder Woman powers left her and she found her chest burning like hellfire and a sharp pain like a wooden stake stabbing her in the side.
She had to have run a good half mile into the forest, leaving the pursuing man behind. He hadn't been in any hurry to catch her and she could no longer hear his voice.
Was he on meth? she wondered as she collapsed against a tree, trying to catch her breath.
After several minutes of heavy panting and wheezing she stood up straight and looked around the forest. There was no path where she was at and the undergrowth was thick. Which direction had she come from? Which direction had she run?
Ciara glanced up at the sun, hoping it would give her some indication of where she was. Unfortunately it provided her no details; the trees were thick, blocking the sun out for the most part. Rays of light flooded in spots, but even if she could see the sun Ciara wouldn't know what it told her. She was hopeless in the wilderness, another reason this had been a bad idea.
She put her hands over her face and muffled a scream. What should she do now? She didn't want to head back to her camp; he might be waiting for her there. On top of that, she didn't even know which direction her camp was in.
I should just start walking, she thought. Maybe eventually I'll run back into the road or someone's house.
Her face immediately turned sour as another voice in her head spoke. That's a stupid idea. What the hell is wrong with you? This is the largest forest in the state. If you start wandering you may just get lost and die alone.
Ciara took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. What should she do?
Behind her she heard something crash through the forest, making a lot of
noise as it broke the tree branches that lay on the ground. Was it him? Had he found her? Or was it something worse, like a wild animal?
Her mind was made up: she ran deeper into the forest.
Chapter 4
Hawk stopped and sniffed the air. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he immediately crouched low to the ground.
He had made it past the sacred clearing and he was pretty deep into the forest on his way to Beorn's house. But a curious smell had caught his attention and set alarms off in his head.
Another wolf, he thought. He wasn't alone; there was another wolf close by. He didn't recognize the scent at all. Were there wild wolves in this forest still? The five packs had moved out of the forest a long time ago, but that didn't mean all wolves had left. His grandmother had told him about another pack that chose to remain behind, but they lived even deeper in the forest, far from any civilization.
The evil still hung thick in the air, dulling his senses, but he was sure he smelled another wolf. Unless his senses were playing a trick on him. Could the evil do that? Could it create smells where there were none?
Just as he stopped to contemplate that he got a big whiff. There was another wolf, and it was very close to him.
Hawk quickly ran up the base of a large tree, disappearing into the leaves just as another wolf walked underneath him. He looked down at him, studying the stranger.
The other wolf had shifted, revealing a large gray male who walked with his nose to the ground.
A sentry, Hawk thought. He's patrolling the area.
Hawk studied the other wolf carefully, trying to find out if he recognized his scent or markings from somewhere.
He didn't look like a wild wolf; his coat was too thick and shiny. No, this wolf was definitely domesticated. He was one of the traitors.
You son of a bitch, Hawk thought, feeling anger well up inside of him.
He loved Bucklin, more than life itself. It was why he saw himself as Bucklin's greatest protector. Sure, Rowan and the Dawnguard were the muscle and brawn that would face down a physical threat, but Hawk was the watcher. Nothing got by him or his pack, except this. Without the Skyvale pack, the Dawnguard would be blind to most threats.
The other wolf let out a low growl, sniffing the air. He smelled Hawk; he knew there was someone there. But he would never find Hawk. The alpha was silent, deadly. The wolf could sniff all he wanted, but Hawk blended into the shadows. Nobody would see him unless he wanted to be seen. He hadn't even left a scent as he climbed the tree. They couldn't track him.
His attention snapped away from the angry sentry as another wolf appeared in the picture: another large gray male.
The new wolf quickly shifted into human form, forcing the original to do the same.
"Is there someone here?" the newcomer asked. He was short and squat, looking like someone had begun to carve a man out of a boulder and stopped halfway through. He had all the muscle a wolf usually did, but he was thicker than most. His round face wore a sour expression that accented his beady eyes and perfectly round nose.
"I smell another wolf," the other said. He was a bit taller than the first, but still not as tall as Hawk or Rowan. He was leaner and more muscular, with wild blonde hair and a long face.
Neither of them was dirty and muddy like a wild wolf would be. They were definitely city wolves—traitors.
"I smell him, too," the squat one said. "The scent disappears, though."
"What the hell?" the lean one said. "How the hell could he just vanish like that?"
The squat one thought about it for a second before realization dawned on his face. "It's a fucking Skyvale!"
Hawk swallowed. They were already onto his pack. That was part of the problem with being the prominent pack that watched over Bucklin; the other alphas knew a bit about his tricks.
"How do you know?" the lean one asked.
"The boss told me they have all kinds of tricks," the squat one said. "They disappear into the shadows and can hide their scent."
"Why is one of them this far into the forest?"
"Don't you know? That human-loving freak Rowan talked to the old bear and he complained about wolves in his territory. It didn't take much for that one to put two and two together."
"Son of a bitch! I told the boss we should have killed the old bear!"
"I agree. We gotta tell the boss and then we gotta deal with that bear."
"Well, let's go," the lean one said, walking towards the squat one.
"Stop, you idiot!"
"What?" the lean one asked, looking confused.
"Whoever was here is probably still watching us. Do you want to lead him right to the boss?"
"No. The boss would kill me."
"Exactly," the squat one said. "You go one way and I'll go the other. We'll lead him on a wild goose chase through this forest."
"Gotcha," the lean one said, turning and shifting as he ran through the forest. The squat one did the same in the opposite direction.
Hawk leaned back against the tree as he thought about going after them.
No, he finally decided. I can't confront their pack alone. I need to keep going to Beorn's. I need to warn him that they're coming.
He could tell by their tone that they were after the old bear. It would be tough for them to kill him, but eventually they would overcome him with numbers. Beorn had gotten more and more cranky as he got older, but according to Rowan he was a good friend. Hawk knew he had to protect him; it would be expected by the alpha council.
He waited an appropriate amount of time, until he was sure the other two were gone, before slipping out of the tree. He half expected them to both crash out of the forest and attack him as soon as he hit the ground, but the two idiots had disappeared to find their alpha.
Who is their alpha? Hawk wondered. He had never seen those two before in his life. He thought he knew every wolf in Bucklin, save for a few who lived on the outskirts of town.
Outskirts of town, he thought, turning it over in his head. Suddenly it dawned on him, and his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly exploded out of his head.
"The Oakdale pack!" he said out loud. "Son of a bitch, they were from the Oakdale pack."
Surely Forrest hadn't betrayed them. They had to be serving some other master, didn't they? Hawk took a deep breath and sighed. This wasn't how he had expected this to go. He had hoped it was a rogue sect of another pack. They did keep referring to the boss, not the alpha. Maybe Forrest wasn't a part of this. He could only hope at this point.
Chapter 5
"I'm glad I drive a truck," Rowan said, shaking his head and laughing.
"What?" Eva asked, looking up from her meal. "I didn't bring that much stuff."
"Sure you didn't," Rowan said, rubbing his lower back. "I don't just throw my back out pulling boxes for nothing."
Eva rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Okay, yeah, sure. You're built like a skyscraper. I doubt you had any trouble moving those boxes."
Rowan just laughed again and looked out the window. After moving Eva they had stopped at a roadside diner to have some lunch before heading back to Bucklin. It was a diner just on the outskirts of Cedarville, not far from Cowboy's Landing, where he had originally met Eva. As he looked out the window he noticed the forest just across the highway. This was the tail end of the sprawling Cedarpoint Forest that stretched from Cedarville all the way to Bucklin and beyond.
"Do you think Hawk has found her yet?" Eva asked.
Rowan found it strangely comforting how easily she could read him and predict what he was thinking. He'd never be able to keep a secret from her the rest of his life; she was too in tune with his emotions.
"I'm not sure," he said. "He probably hasn't even made it to Beorn's yet."
"I thought you said he left yesterday before the funeral."
"He moved to the area to prepare himself," he answered as he took another sip of his coffee. "I don't think he actually entered the forest until today."
"What do you
mean, to prepare?" she asked, one eyebrow rising slowly.
"He brought most of his pack, including his beta, with him. They discussed the plan if he doesn't come back and he gave them specific instructions while he's gone."
"That takes a whole day?"
"It can take a while. They probably had some pack ritual to do too so he could pass control to the beta while he was gone. Fact is, he's probably still wandering through the forest."
"Do you think it'll get him?" she asked, pushing her plate of leftover French fries away. It looked like Eva had lost all her appetite.
"Will what get him?"
"You know," she said, crossing her arms and retreating back into the booth like she was trying to hide from something. "Whatever that was we felt."
"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. Rowan hadn't felt the evil as strongly as Eva had; it obviously still disturbed her to think about it. "Hawk is strong, very strong, and he has a good head on his shoulders. I think he can handle himself out there."
"That wasn't normal, Rowan," she said, her eyes growing wild, like she was afraid something would come crashing into the diner at any moment. "I could feel it tugging at my heart, trying to force me to do things I didn't want to. It just wasn't right."
"I know," he said, giving her a worried look. "Are you going to be okay?"
Eva shook her head like she was trying to shake off something and smiled. "I think I'll be fine. Just promise me something."
"Anything," he said, reaching across the table. He grabbed both of Eva's in his monstrous paws and looked at her sincerely.
"Don't ever make me go back," she said. "Please."
"You don't have to. We have no reason to go into the forest anymore."
"There's something else," she said, breaking eye contact with Rowan.
"What?" he asked, leaning forward so he was closer to Eva. "You can tell me anything, honey."
"Don't make me go around your sister," she said, still unable to look at him.
