The Shepard's Agony

by Mandy Rosko

  “I said I’d give John a chance, now you have to do the same thing,” she said.

  Larry’s shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Okay, but I don’t understand how your watching out for me came about.”

  It should have been obvious. “I want to see you happy, too.”

  Larry’s aging face broke out in a wide smile that transformed him. He looked younger. He cupped her cheeks with his palms like when she was a little girl and kissed her forehead before slinging an arm around her shoulder.

  “So, I guess this means Jonathan spoke with you?” He had a knowing grin on his face and he leaned in to sniff. “I can smell him on you.”

  “Daddy…” Gwen shoved him away, folding her arms again. He changed the subject back again.

  “It wasn’t so bad.” Larry was grinning from ear to ear at his victory.

  Gwen shook her head. “You know, most fathers hate the idea of their daughters dating anyone at all.”

  “I’m not like most fathers, and better Johnathan then some heartless, human—”

  “Dad!”

  “Right, sorry. Where is he anyway?”

  Gwen shrugged. “Waiting for me in the woods, I guess. We’re gonna go hunting.”

  “Well, don’t you let me keep you,” Larry said, shoving her towards the door. “Just don’t fill up too much before dinner. And don’t spend all your time chasing each other’s tails, you two should talk first.”

  “Daddy!”

  “Bye!”

  Larry was running down the hall and out of sight. Gwen blinked at his retreating form until he was turning a corner and out of sight. Being a werewolf family was one thing, but there was nothing normal about her dad.

  Chapter Two

  It was a good run. Gwen’s body felt nice and stretched, her heart was racing. Her nose hurt from slamming it into a rabbit hole that was too small for her face as the fast, little creature got lucky and escaped.

  It wouldn’t have been that bad if John hadn’t been snickering at her, his own catch still in his mouth.

  A wolf song howled in the air and Gwen shook herself off, her entire body a flurry of fur, snorting as she got back to four paws.

  She was about to lunge at John with their new game when another piercing howl tore through the woods. Both pairs of ears perked, turning toward the sound. It was not a howl of fun or laughter, but of anger and suffering.

  Several whines followed, then there was a gunshot.

  John dropped the rabbit he’d caught, making a dash toward the problem when a red wolf jumped into his path, forcing him to awkwardly skid to a halt.

  Dianna was panting hard. She’d been running as fast as her long legs would carry her to find them. Maybe it was the fact that she’d nearly run right into them that scared her into shifting back into a very naked human with messy, strawberry blond hair.

  Gwen trotted over and looked up at her. She didn’t look okay. Sensing something was off, Gwen shifted into her human shape, deciding that a pair of hands on Di’s shoulders would help to calm her. “What’s happening?” she asked.

  The werewolves in Bill’s pack had a special trick. With enough focus and practice, they could communicate with each other in wolf form using a sort of mind-speak that was much more common in mates. However, the way Di was acting at the moment suggested that she wouldn’t be able to tell them what was happening even in her human form.

  She was in such a panic, Gwen could barely understand her until John bit down on her hand, making her scream. He hadn’t drawn any blood, he just wanted her to focus.

  Di! Calm down! What happened? John demanded in both of their heads. Outwardly, he just growled.

  John was always good at keeping his thoughts clear. Gwen could hardly do it at all.

  Di’s head was whipping from them to the direction of the painful sounds and back again, still panicked, but this time they understood her when she spoke. “H-humans! Vampires! We’re under attack!”

  That was all John and Gwen needed before they dashed around Di and ran toward the scene. Gwen shifted quickly, thinking Dianna would be better off where she was, safer, but she followed them. Di changed back into her wolf form and ran with them. She purposely lagged some feet behind them since she was so much faster with her longer legs. She’d never been in a pack scuffle before, let alone a full-fledged fight against hunters.

  Gwen wasn’t about to waste time telling Di to go back. She was too busy thinking of her father and Bill, fighting off the threat, and keeping the pack in order to protect the pups, if they were still alive.

  The trees blurred passed them as Gwen’s mind reeled with questions she couldn’t answer. How on earth did a pack of humans find their haven? Did the vampire lead the way? Why would a vampire be with hunters?

  That’s probably it, John said, startling Gwen since she was sure she’d been thinking to herself. Dianna said nothing.

  Vampires are great trackers, almost as good as werewolves, he said. Gwen had to agree. It was strange that any vampire could find them with how far away and careful everyone had been, but not unheard of. Someone must have been careless.

  She turned her head west and snarled at the setting sun. Every minute that passed made it easier for the vampires to attack. Hopefully there weren’t many of them.

  The three of them burst through the trees and into the clearing, angrily snarling and ready to fight. Everyone aside from Dianna, who was more or less putting on a show of bravery behind them.

  Gwen’s snarl faded and her muzzle relaxed. All she could do was gape at the surrounding madness in front of her; men with guns and people she knew and loved lying motionless on the ground, dark blood coloring the grass and dirt.

  She grunted when John threw his entire body against hers, pushing her out of the way when a he spotted a gun. They broke apart just as the bullets shot into the space of grass they’d occupied. Di ran for cover.

  John grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and dragged her, yelping, back into the trees.

  What’s wrong with you?

  Gwen could sense more blind terror than anger. She knew he wasn’t afraid for himself and felt guilty for letting her guard down.

  She whined a bit, trying to convey it was an accident. John shook his head, but let it go.

  Gwen stayed low to the ground while padding to another area. She felt John’s eyes on her and tried to ignore her embarrassment. He quickly moved in the other direction. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She could have gotten the three of them killed, freezing up like that. But, it was one thing for Dianna to tell them there were hunters in their Moon Night spot, and another to actually see it. The idea of anyone attacking their sacred space was ludicrous. She froze in a stupor.

  It wouldn’t happen again. Gwen found a space no one was watching and inched her nose through the brush and leaves to have a look.

  She could see four men still in their human forms, lying still on the ground. Their wives were either crying beside them or trying to move their bodies to safety in case they were alive, just as they’d been drilled to do in case of emergency. Gwen shivered and suppressed a whine. How could this have happened?

  She perked her ears and sniffed the air, scanning the area. She was searching for her father or Bill, wanting to be by their side for the fight; partially to protect them and partially for the comfort of knowing they were alright.

  She found Elaine first. The werefox had knocked down a human who was advancing on a crying pup and tearing at his leg, giving the boy a chance to escape to his mother.

  Gwen had to force herself to forget her father and Bill. The pups were the main concern. All of them were under the age of eleven and none had the ability to transform into wolves yet. They couldn’t protect themselves, leaving them in the most danger.

  Elaine yelped and cried as she was thrown from the back of the bloody human by a man dressed in muddy clothes holding a club. He wore a ski mask, gloves, and dark sunglasses.

  The vampire.

  Gwen was torn between
helping Elaine and going after the boy. The vampire couldn’t bring out his fangs as long as the sun was still up, but he still made for a strong opponent. She then saw Larry leap in to join the fight with a snarling, protective fury. Bill was behind the vampire, slinking up in a sneak attack while he was being distracted. The missing left leg no hindrance to his stealth.

  Finally decided, Gwen dashed out of her hiding place to join boy and his mother. The woman stopped dead at the sight of her but then breathed deeply, relieved for the bodyguard before taking her son’s hand and running. Gwen stayed close until they made it to their car, her gaze steadily seeking for anyone who might be watching them. Anyone with a gun.

  Her entire body was tense and alert, her hair standing on end. Another faceless man appeared and pulled a handgun on them. The mother shrieked and threw her body over her son. Gwen finally realized why she hadn’t changed to better protect him. She was human.

  Gwen launched herself at the attacker and clamped down hard on the wrist connected to his gun hand, puncturing flesh, bone, and even an artery, spilling blood everywhere. The smell almost made her lose her self-control.

  She dangled in the air while their attacker screamed and flailed about. The boy took that as his cue and pulled his sobbing mother to her feet. She unlocked the car with shaking fingers and got in while Gwen was being thrown around. The big human was too busy screaming and thrashing to notice.

  Gwen didn’t loosen her jaw until she could see that the car had driven down the dirt road, away from the cabin and toward the highway. The mother and boy would be safe.

  When she let go of the man’s wrist, she crouched, preparing for an attack. She was surprised when he dropped to his knees, pulled a machete from his belt, and began hacking just above where she’d bitten him.

  She couldn’t believe her eyes; so shocked that she stopped to stare despite the chaos around her. He raised the blade once and brought it down. She couldn’t help but cringe away when blood droplets hit her muzzle. He roared and continued, ignoring the pain and damage like a man insane with terror and determination.

  The only cure to lycanthrope was to immediately cut away the limb that had been bitten. Most preferred the change to performing a self-amputation and very rarely did anyone who tried it survive. The man would die if he continued to cut himself.

  When Gwen moved a paw forward to stop him, he looked up and slashed at her, slicing above her nose. She yelped and jerked back.

  He held the machete up to protect himself from her, his eyes mad and glazed. “Stay away from me, you freak!” As the word left his lips, the last of the color drained from his face and he fell lifelessly into the dirt.

  For a minute, Gwen didn’t move. She was torn between feeling glad that he was dead and sorrow that he died so blind of the terrible things he’d been doing.

  The world returned to her when Gwen found herself beneath a net. She barked and struggled to get out, but it only tangled further until she fell over and was unable to move.

  A shadow loomed over her and she struggled with fresh enthusiasm to escape the threat. A hand came down to caress her fur beneath the netting and she forced herself to remain calm. So much as barking loudly could prompt the man to slit her throat before any of her pack mates noticed she was in trouble.

  She turned her eyes toward him, but was unable to see a face with the light of a lamppost directly behind his head. The petting continued. Unable to stop herself, she growled at him. The hand jerked away.

  That was good, she didn’t appreciate being stroked like a dog.

  “I didn't expect … you’re so beautiful like this,” the stranger muttered. His voice sounded familiar to her, but there was no way it could be him. No way.

  For a moment, Gwen thought he was going to let her go, but then a large piece of cloth with a sharp smell was held over her entire muzzle. Hands kept her jaws shut to prevent her from biting. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t claw her way out.

  Gwen quickly became weak and lax, her limbs felt like two ton weights had been put on them. Soon, she could no longer move at all. She fought against the dark haze that began to consume her, but it was no use. She looked up one last time as the light began to dim. Her attacker suddenly had a face.

  She'd been right after all.

  David.

  Chapter Three

  When Gwen opened her eyes, she found herself in her human form, laying in a scratchy bed, and her arms ached. The artificial light told her that it was way past sunset.

  She panicked and let her fear take her, struggling but unable to move.

  Gwen looked up, her hands were tied to the bed post with rope and handcuffed on top of that. She wasn’t going anywhere unless she could break them. This was overkill, for sure.

  Looking down, she saw that she was above the covers and wearing a bathrobe. Her captor had the decency to dress her, but had also seen her with nothing on.

  The thought made her stomach turn and twist, but Gwen forced herself to remain calm and take in the rest of her surroundings. Being aware of what was around her could save her life.

  A small room with cheap flower wallpaper, a table, two chairs, and one other door. The place reeked of cigarette smoke and dust. She was in a motel.

  The only problem was that it could be any motel, in any town.

  She tried to remember what had happened, but her mind was still in a fog from the drug. Gwen concentrated regardless. In order to survive, she’d need to remember.

  There’d been a fight, a group of humans had found their Moon Night spot. Word must've gotten around to the hunters that the packs were going to be celebrating Luna. Some men were dead. She didn’t know how many of the pups were still alive. And, David…

  Gwen snapped her eyes open. David had been there! He was one of the attackers! And he'd kidnapped her!

  Just as the thought registered, the door clicked open and David strolled in with a grocery bag in hand. He immediately stopped upon noticing that she was awake, his soft amber eyes widening a little and pink mouth parted. He needed to shave, but she couldn't help but think about how good he looked. In fact, he rocked the haven't-shaved-in-two-days thing.

  Gwen was reminded of how much she'd missed him, the last time he'd touched her, and how her body reacted. How her body as reacting now; the space between her legs became moist and swelled.

  Thank God he wasn't a shifter. At least he couldn't smell it. Despite her mortification to her body's reaction at the sight of him, it wasn’t enough to smother her rage, which immediately boiled over the rim of her self-control.

  “You! I’m going to kill you!”

  Shepard dropped the bag, slammed the door, and rushed to clamp his hand over her mouth.

  Gwen groaned in frustration when she saw her escape route close.

  She should've yelled for help while she had the chance, but there was always the possibility that anyone who heard her would think it was the TV. Her heart sank further and she forced her angry gaze up to her captor.

  David didn’t look angry and he wasn’t gripping her face too tightly for it to hurt her. He was staring down at her, studying her.

  “Will you be quiet now?” he asked after a moment.

  Even if he wasn’t pressed so closely to her, she would still be able to smell the dried blood and dirt on him. Proof to her senses that he was one of the attackers who crashed her pack's party. Her fury intensified. Just to be spiteful, she glared and shook her head.

  He wasn’t impressed. “That’s fine. I’ve got some duct tape in the drawer over there.” He nodded toward the nightstand. “Let me just grab it—”

  Gwen made a protesting sound beneath his hand and frantically shook her head.

  “Are you going to keep quiet?”

  Reluctantly, she nodded this time, but continued to glare.

  He hesitated for a moment before finally removing his hand. "Alright."

  She never took her eyes away from him and he didn’t move to grab the grocery bags he’
d dropped. He just continued to stare at her with sorrowful interest.

  “What do you want?” she asked, a thousand other questions on the tip of her tongue. She almost couldn’t believe her own eyes.

  Was this really David? Her gentle David who asked her to dance even though she was no good at it? Who listened when she spoke to him about her feelings and hopes? Whom she had loved? Because, right now, he had her tied to a smelly bed in a dingy motel. How could he do this to her? Why hadn’t she seen it coming?

  He ignored her. “I made you bleed,” he said, removing himself from her side and returning to the bags on the floor. He arranged them on the table before pulling out a tissue box, small patch bandages, and peroxide.

  Gwen watched him carefully. When he looked over his shoulder, their eyes met and he quickly turned away.

  Whoa. She'd felt the spark. The same one she always felt whenever he looked at her. But, he never turned away from it before. After what he did, she shouldn’t still be having it.

  He seemed reluctant, but eventually returned to her side. Wetting some tissues with the peroxide, he applied it to the spot just above her nose.

  Gwen only remembered being slashed with a machete when the sting exploded and pain spread over her face.

  “Sorry,” David said at her hiss, but he didn’t slow his careful tending. When he was finished, Gwen found herself with an awkward brown bandage over her nose that she could almost see if she crossed her eyes.

  Crossing her eyes made her dizzy, so she asked, “Does it look bad?”

  David’s mouth quirked and he ran a finger over the bandage, causing her to shiver. He jerked his hand away, disguising the motion by scratching his head, but it was too late. Her shiver passed from her body to his, but he ignored it. He needed to until any feelings he had left for her were out of his system. He came and got her as planned, now all that was left was to find someplace safe for her to be. Then, he could get out of her life forever.

  “I don’t think so. It might scar, but in a few years you won’t notice it.”