Page 51 of Howling Night

“What I want,” she said, looking at her fingernails, “is to finish my dinner in peace.” She grinned as she looked me up and down. “I’m actually stuffed full, but maybe I have room for dessert. It’s not often I treat myself to something as delicious as you.”

She lunged at me. I ducked and rolled, but she caught my ankle and dragged me across the floor. I kicked and screamed, my nails breaking as I clawed at the hardwood. She flipped me onto my back and straddled me, pinning my arms with her knees.

“You’re not a wolf, but you smell like a wolf,” she whispered, leaning close to my face. “Have you been playing with the puppies? They don’t like it when their toys get broken. I’m going to be in even more trouble than I already am!”

She threw her head back and laughed.

“Get off me!” I thrashed beneath her, but she was impossibly strong. I glanced over at the man on the floor, but there was no doubt in my mind here wasn’t going to be saving me. “Why? What on earth did he do to you?”

“My father?” she asked, her face wrinkling. “I wouldn’t be like this if it hadn’t been for him.”

“Was he?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. That old fart was afraid of his shadow. He sold me, and I’m just getting my revenge.”

A crash of breaking glass cut through the room. A massive black shape hurtled through the window with an explosion of glass and splintered wood. Another followed immediately after — two enormous wolves landing with efficient precision.

Francis’s head whipped toward them, her grip on me loosening as her teeth grew into wild fangs. I twisted hard, freeing one arm and swinging wildly, connecting with her jaw. She snarled, but didn’t budge.

As she lowered her mouth toward my throat, the wolves charged in a chorus of growls. Francis sprang off me, flying up toward the ceiling… almost hovering there before slowly landing on her feet in a crouched position.

I sat up and crawled away, gasping for breath as I hid behind a recliner. Two of the wolves lunged toward Francis at the same time, but both missed as she quickly darted away.

The wolves launched a coordinated assault, with one soaring through the air while the other charged at ground level. The one with black fur crept behind her, sinking its sharp claw into Francis’ spine.

Francis howled as teeth sank into her flesh — first the black wolf, then the gray wolf. As she dropped to her knees, she grabbed the smallest wolf with both hands, hurling it against a wall with a sickening thud.

The black one moved to her throat and tore at the flesh, ripping her apart piece by piece. I crawled backward toward the door, unable to tear my eyes away from the horrific scene. Blood sprayed across the walls as the wolves tore into Francis. Her inhuman screams gradually weakened until they stopped altogether.

I burst through the front door, stumbling down the porch steps in my desperation to escape the carnage behind me. The cool night air hit my face as I ran, my lungs burning and my legs threatening to buckle beneath me. Blood — or whatever the hell it was that came out of her — was spattered across my shirt, cold and sticky like syrup on my skin.

“Oh God, oh God,” I gasped, sprinting across the street toward my house. I just needed to get there, lock the door, and figure out what the hell had just happened.

I hadn’t made it halfway across the street when a massive black shape darted in front of me, cutting off my path. The black wolf from inside the house stood before me, its amber eyes glowing in the darkness, muscles rippling beneath its midnight fur. It was even bigger up close, the size of a small bear, with paws that could crush my skull in one swipe.

I skidded to a halt, nearly falling backward as I tried to change direction. My heart hammered against my ribcage as the wolf circled around me, blocking my escape route.

“Please,” I begged, backing away slowly with my hands held up. “Please, just leave me alone. I’m not like her. I don’t know who she was. I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”

The wolf continued to stare at me, its amber eyes never blinking. A cracking noise popped from the creature’s spine, as a wave of convulsions moved through the wolf. Its massive body twisted and contorted in ways that didn’t seem possible.

Bones cracked and shifted beneath the skin… the sound making my stomach churn. The fur began to recede, muscle and sinew reshaping themselves within seconds.

I couldn’t look away, couldn’t run, couldn’t scream — just stood there paralyzed as the wolf’s muzzle shortened, its limbs elongated, and its body transformed before my eyes. The sickening sounds of reconstruction were all I could hear until it stopped.

Silence.

A naked Kellan cocked his head. “Looks like I saved your life.”

ChapterTwenty-Four

“Where is Ryder?” I asked, taking a brave step forward.

“What?” Kellan asked, his eyes narrowed. “How about a thank you?”

I shoved Kellan with all my strength, my hands connecting with his bare chest. “What did you do to Ryder?”

Kellan didn’t budge an inch from my push. He might as well have been a brick wall. His lips curled into an amused smile that made my blood boil.

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