“I know,” she said firmly, meeting his gaze. “Trust me…I know that better than anyone else. But just listen to me for a second.”
He complied, closing his mouth as he blinked.
“I’ve heard that more ursithropes are returning to Kadenburg,” she quirked a brow. “If that’s true, then the battle that took place only a few days ago will be child’s play compared to what will happen after they get here. Breslin has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.”
“No shit,” Lorcan scoffed.
The woman gave him a pointed look as she lifted the bottle of water to his lips again. “I have to give you another shot soon, but I promise it won’t be as strong as the last. At most, you’ll be drowsy and weak for three hours tops. That gives the sun long enough to go down,” she rested her palm against the side of his face. “The honey I’ve given you should return most of your strength. Do you feel it yet?”
Lorcan’s brows lowered on his forehead as he nodded. “Yeah, I feel it,” he hesitated. “Why are you doing this?”
She exhaled loudly as she bowed her head for a moment. “Because,” she finally said, meeting his gaze again. “I need you to get that girl out of here. You and Presley need to get as far away from here as you can. Do you understand me?”
“I understand,” Lorcan replied with a frown. “But I still don’t get why you’re helping us. You’re one of them. Breslin will kill you for your betrayal.”
He watched the sad smile sliding over the female’s lips as she shook her head. “I’ve been on his hit list for a long damn time,” she replied honestly. “But make no mistake in thinking that I’m one of them, Lorcan. I just want you to get that girl to safety and keep her safe.”
“I don’t have any issue with doing that, but what about Greg? What about Dimitri?”
“It’s too late for Greg,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
He could feel the anger brewing inside. He felt sick. Greg was dead?
“Dimitri has been sentenced to death. There isn’t anything I can do about that. My concern is for you and the girl. Can you get her out of here?”
Lorcan blinked, his gaze staying on the floor as he nodded. “Yes.”
“Good,” she patted his shoulder gently. “Now I have to inject you again, but remember….it’s a diluted dose and you’ll regain your strength shortly after waking up. When you’re ready, go to the last door on the left; that’s where he’s keeping her.”
He watched in silence as she pulled out a small syringe. The clear liquid inside was what had kept him at bay for days now. Who knew that something so small and simple could put a bear down? He made a mental note to look up Etorphine once he was out of here; once Presley was safe.
What about Dimitri? He wondered as he watched her push on the syringe, watching the small droplets of liquid drip from the tip of the needle. I have to save him, too…..
“Okay, here we go,” she said softly.
Lorcan barely even flinched as he felt the small stick in his arm. He kept his gaze on the female, watching the look of concentration on her face. Who was she? Why did she care so much about Presley’s safety?
“There,” she rubbed her fingers over the injection site, her eyes meeting his once more. “Just remember, Lorcan. Get her out of here as quickly as possible, and get as far away as you can. Keep her safe.”
“Yeah…..” He whispered, feeling his head begin to swim. “I can do that.”
“I know you can,” she smiled gently. “You’re a lot like your dad.”
Loran wanted to ask her so many more questions. He wanted to know how she knew his father. He wanted to know what was so damn important to her that she was willing to risk her life for his and Presley’s, but his mind was already shutting down on him.
“Take care of my niece, Lorcan.”
Those were the last words he remembered before the world went dark.
Five
It felt a little weird to be back at this. Rutley promised himself nearly ten years ago he would never set foot in Kadenburg again, yet here he was, venturing into the woods of B.F.E. with nothing more than the trusty rifle his father had given him on his twelfth birthday. Yep, so much for promises.
He wasn’t doing this for his father anymore. It wasn’t about the ‘family business’; it was freaking personal. Those stupid monster mutts were responsible for Liam’s death and he would kill them.
Up until just a short twenty four hours ago, Rutley had been satisfied with his decision to follow his own path in life. Sure, things had become increasingly stressed with his father over the fact Sheriff Holter didn’t approve of his lifestyle, but the bad blood ran so much deeper than that.
When Rutley was only a small boy, his parents had gone on one of their many ‘hunting trips’. Leaving him in the care of his aged grandmother, they set out to save the world, yet again, from the lycanthropes threatening to infect the small town of Foxley, Kentucky. Sometimes he wished they’d never gone at all, but seeing as they were the closest, location-wise, living in Rodney, Ohio; they went without a second thought.
He could still remember his mother holding him in her arms, kissing his forehead, and asking him to ‘be a good boy for Nana’. He promised he would be. He was always a rather well behaved child, but who wouldn’t be well behaved when their father had racks upon racks filled with firearms?
That was the last time he saw his mother. She never came back.
Rutley didn’t understand why until he turned twelve. That morning, he wasn’t greeted with a birthday cake or the usual birthday pancakes his Nana made especially for him; instead he awoke to his father’s deep voice.
“Today is the day everything changes,” his father had said in a celebratory manner. “Today, you learn the truth.”
And damn, what a truth it was. How was any pre-pubescent boy supposed to digest the information his father threw at him that day?
Wasn’t it insane to find out he came from a long line of skilled hunters that lived for killing only one thing? And worse, that one thing was werewolves.
A normal person would’ve laughed it off. A normal person would’ve called in child protective services and whisked Rutley away to a new family; but no one in the Holter family was normal. Even his grandmother had been in on it, and Rutley had no choice but to embrace the future they’d planned for him since before he was even born.
“Fucking werewolves,” he muttered softly as his eyes scanned the area. It was cold and damp, and he wasn’t a big fan of this weather anymore. He could’ve been on the beach right now, enjoying a cold one while he watched tourists soak in the sights of Miami; but no, he was back in the miserable, one horse town known as Kadenburg-and he hated it.
Werewolves were a pain in his ass. Not only had they killed his best friend and abducted kids he knew back in the day, but one of them was also responsible for his mother’s death.
Damn it, don’t think about that, he chided as he carefully stepped over a fallen tree and continued on his way. He lifted his eyes to glance at the treetops, watching as the sun slowly sank behind them. It would be getting dark soon, he needed to hurry.
He wasn’t even sure what he was looking for, exactly. He knew which direction he was going in, but he didn’t have the slightest clue as to what he’d find once he reached his destination. Answers? Closure? Absolution?
Never, his mind hissed. This wasn’t something that could be forgiven. The werewolves were seriously messing with the wrong town right now. Kadenburg was meant to be the clean slate the Holter family needed desperately after his mother’s death; not territory for freaking wussy wolves to frolic about on.
He really did hate werewolves, and knowing they had taken Liam’s little brother and Presley Goult was enough to piss him off just a little more. He would shoot first and ask questions later, just like his father taught him.
As he trekked further into the woods, he listened to the sound of dead leaves crunching beneath the weight of his boots. Various songs ran through h
is mind, but he stayed surprisingly alert to any and all noises around. There wouldn’t be too much activity during the winter months anyway, right?
Darkness was upon him before he knew it, and that’s when he found the exact spot his father had described. He stood there, dead center, in the very place Liam died. A chill ran down his spine as his eyes scanned the earth’s surface. There was no trace of blood here. A stranger would walk by without a second thought about what had happened here a short time ago, but Rutley wasn’t as fortunate.
He crouched down, tracing his fingers over the cool, damp dirt as he closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Liam,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you from them.”
Maybe he never should’ve left. Perhaps he should’ve just ignored his father’s bigotry and judgment-but how was he supposed to live any sort of life with that kind of hate surrounding him?
“You should go,” Liam said with a sad smile. “If that’s what’s going to make you happy, Rut, just go.”
He sighed as he leaned against the side of his car, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know, Liam. It’s an awful big world out there. What if I just move away only for it to happen all over again?”
Liam grinned as he glanced up at the evening sky, listening to the sound of crickets chirping all around before he shook his head. “Maybe it won’t,” he replied. “Not every town in the world is as narrow-minded as Kadenburg, Rut.”
Rutley met his friend’s gaze again as he licked his lips. He swallowed the small lump in his throat as he chewed his lower lip for a second. “Do you want to come with me?”
Liam cocked his head to the side, his grin growing bigger as he lifted a brow. It was a look he often gave Rutley that said he thought he was being ridiculous, and maybe Rutley was-but he was also being very serious.
“You know I’d give anything to go out there, but I can’t leave my family like that. I can’t leave Lorcan here to fend for his self,” he chuckled.
Rutley echoed his laughter as he hung his head again, blinking.
“Hey,” Liam said softly, reaching out to rest his hands upon Rutley’s shoulders. He gave a small squeeze, slouching a bit in an attempt to catch his gaze. “You know I’d go with you if I could, right?”
Rutley nodded slowly, swallowing his nerves back into place. “I do know that,” he confessed. “I guess I’m a little scared. It’s a really damn big world out there.”
“But it’s a beautiful place,” Liam insisted as his eyes darted back and forth between Rutley’s. “And you’re going to go out there and make some new buddies. You’ll find a job you love….and somebody to love. You’ll be happier than you’ve ever been in your life. You deserve that more than anybody I know.”
“You deserve it, too,” Rutley argued. “Do you really want to live out the rest of your life hiding what you really are?”
Liam fell silent, his eyes staying on Rutley’s face as he frowned. “Of course I don’t,” he finally said. “But I don’t think Kadenburg’s quite ready for a sexy homosexual like me. All the girls will be locking up their boyfriends, afraid I’ll steal them or something.”
Rutley managed to laugh despite the tears blurring his vision. He shook his head gently as he pulled Liam in for a hug. “You’re my best friend, Liam. What will I do without you?”
Liam’s strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close as the night sky became darker. The cricket’s chorus grew louder and everything else ceased to exist.
“You’ll find that guy, or that girl, that makes you happy,” he whispered. “And then one day you’ll finally come back here so they can meet your crazy ass best friend.”
Rutley sucked in a sharp breath as the memory played out in his mind. Sometimes it felt like that had only happened yesterday, but ten years had flown by a lot faster than he’d realized until just now. He would never get to introduce anyone to Liam…..
The sound of a twig snapping nearby had Rutley on the move, and he sank behind a large boulder that rested in between a few trees with only seconds to spare. He gripped his rifle, his finger on the trigger as he listened intently.
Footsteps.
He forced his breathing to slow down as he pressed his back against the hard surface of the rock, slowly peering around it as he watched three figures come into view.
“So how are we going to do this, Luke?” The first one asked.
“Hell if I know,” the other male, presumably Luke, replied. “We have to come up with a creative way for this traitor. I want to do something fun.”
Rutley listened as they laughed, watching them emerge on the path. They were both rather large men, built like professional wrestlers, and they were dragging a third man between the two of them. He caught a flash of auburn hair in the light of the moon and he leaned further around the rock to get a better look. The middle one was injured. What were they going to do to him?
“Come on, you little faggot,” Luke said as he shoved the injured male to the ground….right where Liam’s body had been discovered. “Give me a second to think about how I want to do this.”
Do what, exactly? Rutley’s brows knitted together as he clutched his rifle, waiting. Watching.
He wasn’t very fond of the fact they were slinging names at the third male, and he didn’t like the memories it triggered in his mind, either.
“Come on, you little faggot! Get back up!”
He could hear the boys in the locker room cheering on Bobby Lichliter, and it wasn’t doing a damn thing to help the situation. For the third time this week, he’d been jumped after gym class, and ten year old Rutley was getting fed up.
Pushing himself up from the floor, Rutley turned around to see the pimply face of his attacker. He wiped the blood away from his bottom lip before glaring.
“Awwww, poor little baby!” Bobby mocked with a cackle. “Are you going to cry? Go ahead and cry, you little fairy. I want to see you cry.”
Rutley let out a frustrated cry, rushing forward as he wrapped his arms around Bobby’s body, tackling him to the floor. Enough was enough. He was tired of being bullied every day just because Bobby thought it was funny. He was tired of being called names and being tormented by the other boys in his grade. This was going to end now.
Or at least, that’s what he was originally thinking before Bobby rolled his fat ass over on top of him and started pummeling his face.
“Smear the queer! Smear the queer!” The other boys roared, hooting and hollering as they encouraged Bobby’s antics.
“Hit him again!”
Hit after hit, Rutley had no choice but to take it. He shut his eyes tightly, hoping that Bobby would get bored sooner or later, and let him go. Another punch, and another, and another…..
“Get off him!”
Rutley wasn’t sure what was happening until it was already over. Bobby went sailing through the air, slamming into the lockers as the other boys scattered. The overweight 5th grader scrambled to his feet, sobbing as he exited the room.
Rutley managed to open the eye that wasn’t swollen shut, gazing up to meet the kind –but angry-face of Liam Bamey, his best friend.
“What’d I tell you about picking fights, huh?” Liam teased gently as he offered a hand to the fallen boy. “One of these days they’re gonna mess with you and you’ll kick their asses.”
“I keep waiting for that day,” Rutley admitted as he took Liam’s hand and pulled himself up. “Guess it just wasn’t today.”
“You’ll get ‘em next time,” Liam promised with a lazy grin, patting his friend on the back.
“Yeah, next time,” Rutley agreed.
The flashback came and went very quickly, and Rutley had to pull his finger away from the trigger. He really hated the term ‘faggot’, and he really didn’t like these dipshits, either.
“What do you think, Dimitri?” Luke asked as he crouched down in front of the injured male. “How do you want to die?”
Dimitri. The name bounced around in Rutley’s head as his lips
anchored into a frown. That was one of the missing boys he’d read about. Dimitri Fridolf.
He reminded himself he needed to stay hidden as the two morons debated the demise of the third man. What exactly had he done to deserve to die anyway?
“I’m thinking we should start with slicing his chest open. Isn’t that what Breslin did to his little boyfriend?” The second guy snickered. “Made him cry a bit, didn’t it? Do you think you’ll cry over it, Dimitri? Are you a wussy, too?”
Rutley’s jaw went slack. His eyes darkened as he realized they were talking about Liam’s death in detail. The blood in his veins began to boil with each passing second. With each detail leaving their lips, he took it as a confession of their sins; and oh, how they would find themselves meeting their maker before they’d even know what hit them.
“I think…” Luke lifted his hand into the air, watching as his claws extended. “I’m going to start with clawing your face to shreds,” he growled. “So that when a hunter comes along in search of some food, instead he’ll find you. Ain’t nobody gonna be able to recognize you when I’m done.”
Just stay put, Rutley thought to himself, listening to the first cry of pain as the two wolves started their assault on the helpless male. Wait for the right moment. Catch them off guard.
Laughter and cries of agony bounced off the trees as the night sky blanketed them, and that’s when Rutley attacked. A bullet zoomed through the air and easily penetrated the skull of the first laughing wolf. He fell over without a sound, causing his companion to stop what he was doing.
“What the….? Georgie?”
Georgie. What a God awful name to have, Rutley thought as he finally stepped out from behind the boulder. He lifted his rifle again, his aim lined up perfectly with the center of Luke’s forehead as the werewolf’s eyes began to glow. He released a guttural roar, but it was immediately silenced when Rutley pulled the trigger.
As the second wolf fell to the ground, he moved closer for a better view. Dimitri was lying against the leaves, panting for air as blood seeped freely from the claw marks on his face. The male’s mouth was hanging open as he sucked in each shallow breath, his hazel eyes lifting to gaze at his rescuer.
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