Page 16 of Camp Dire

Annie looks over at me when I speak and picks up her lamp again, signaling she has my back.

We look over at Kyra and she gives a small nod. “But I’m not going anywhere without a real fucking weapon. Let’s stop in the kitchen first.”

“Good idea.”

We head down the hallway together and I take a moment to touch above the…bite mark. In my head, I’m screaming for Merrik but on the outside, I try to remain as calm as I can for Annie and Kyra.

“Oh shit, wait!” Kyra disappears back into the room as another impact shakes the house. She comes out with the handcuffs.

“Just in case.”

We nod and I take a moment to really respect how this girl thinks ahead. I don’t know how I’m going to feel about Merrik’s brother, but his choice of a mate is chef’s kiss. When we hit the kitchen, I hear it…the splitting of wood. One more good hit and that door is gone. When I look over at Kyra and Annie both of them have big, fearful round eyes.

“Let’s go girls.”

Merrik, he’s here! Please come!

Just in case, by some miracle, manifesting it into the universe might make it come true I reach out and shout the words.

“Stay together. When the door fails, we all make a run for the back door.” I look at the two women with me and don’t finish therest. If we go down, we’ll go down together, as sisters, which is kind of weird since I’ve never had that kind of relationship with anyone in my life before. I guess the fear of dying will bond a group quickly.

Just as we are backing towards the kitchen door, the glass shatters, and something not entirely human reaches inside.

“Shit!” I think it but Kyra says it.

We all run for the front door. I’m almost certain there aren’t two of them. We make it out on the lawn before I see the creature out of the corner of my eye. Bastard is fast.

“Annie!” I shove her out of the way as Kyra screams and the monster rises in front of us.

“No!” Kyra tries to stab the thing, but he swats her away like she’s nothing more than a fly. Still, it gives me and Annie time to gain our footing. His inhuman eyes land on each one of us in turn.

“I only want you.”

That’s something I never ever want to hear from anyone but Merrik, especially not in the creepy as fuck voice he uses.

“You’ll have to go through us, buddy. That’s how this works. I don’t know how I know that, but I do, and it does.” Kyra sounds about as confused as I was about the office location.

“As you wish.”

The girls fall behind me with their knives at the ready. I know what they plan to do. Just like Kyra, I'm not sure how I know, but I do. They’re planning to push me behind them when this guy attacks giving me time to run.

And I can’t let them do that.

I step up in line with them stare the…thing in the eyes. If he plans to do this, he isn’t going to leave without some serious wounds.

Piper!

When did my inner voice suddenly start sounding like Merrik?

Move the girls to the side.

I look over at Kyra and then at Annie. “Ladies…”

I cross one foot over the other and shift, Kyra shifting with me and Annie following. None of us take our eyes off the monster. As soon as my foot hits the spot I need to be in my mind, a large body flies through the air and hits the monster from the side. Both go rolling but the big, black wolf - my big, black wolf - gets to his feet first.

Another wolf comes through the air and lands on the creature biting and growling.

“That one’s mine.”

---