Page 61 of Wild Wolves

ICLUTCHONTOAdam’shand, staring at the beach full of writhing humans, half-changed and experiencing utter agony. Not a single one of them looks to have accepted the bite of the lykoswulf. The fact that whoever did this to them has just left them here to suffer...it’s cruel.

“Fuck,” Adam mutters, turning off the engine. “We need to do something.”

I hold on tight to the side of the raft as he hops out into the waves, guiding the boat into the sand. “They’re dangerous.”

“They’re in pain.” Adam tugs the raft the rest of the way into the sand, ensuring that the waves can’t take it away. We team up and drag it toward the nearest cluster of trees, picking up the palm fronds. Apart from the cries of agony from those left here, silence fills the air. I don’t think the wolves stay where they discard those unworthy of the moon. It’s disgusting. Inhumane.

“I don’t know if I can handle killing so many.” My voice shakes with the words.

“I’ll do it. I just need you to show me exactly where to stab. I didn’t watch doc.” Adam pulls out the small knife from his pocket. “I know he did something with the neck.”

I shudder at the memory. “He was severing their spinal cord to damage the nervous system. Right at the base of the skull.”

Adam groans and releases a growl. And holy shit. I didn’t think a man could make a noise like that. He sounds almost like one of the wolves. It shouldn’t excite me so much, especially in this situation but damn.

“I’ll try so you don’t have to.” I heave a deep breath, the briny air filling my lungs. A hint of something more rancid taints the sea breeze. Something more human and dirty. “I just...I’m scared. This sucks. But we can’t leave them. You’re right. It would be even more cruel than the fate they face now.”

“Then we can take turns. We’ll carry the burden of this shit show together.” Adam pulls me close and kisses me. “Let’s promise each other that no matter what, we’ll be our own pack. We’re in this together. Every decision we make will be together.”

His words touch me deeply, and I nod my head and kiss him harder. “Together.”

The promise itself helps give me the strength to turn back to the madness. To the humans trapped in a half state between wolf and monster. I couldn’t imagine what it feels like, and I feel terrible. Even if these people came after us or some shit, they don’t deserve that kind of fate. No one does. What the wolfpacks of Shadow Moon Island do is horrendous and unthinkable. It makes me sick. I don’t want to turn into them. I want to be nothing like them.

“You can restrain the first one. I’ll sever the spinal cord. We have to work fast. There’s so many of them.” I try to suppress my thoughts about them being human. The longer I look at them in their grotesque deformity, the easier it is for me to consider them more animal. More alien even. Is it fucked up? Yes. But everything about this whole situation is messed up.

Adam straightens his shoulders and guides me along the pebbly beach. A man with fur sprouting from his hand snarls and reaches out, trying to snatch my leg. But he can’t move. His legs look to be broken, twisted monstrosities. The best he can do is drag himself closer inch by inch.

“Pick someone more...placid to start. We’ll save the fighters for last.” I crinkle my nose, sweeping my gaze over the beach.

“Do you want me to pick?” Adam tightens his jaw and looks around. “Fuck. What about that one? Looks like a chupacabra or something. Can’t even tell it was ever a human. It’s like a fucking demon here to drag us to hell.”

He’s right about that. If I shut off the idea that these people are still human, it’ll make it easier. Though I can’t think of them as animals either. It’s a bit harder for me. I’ve always liked animals except for if they’re trying to maul me to death or, you know, if they change into asshole men who want to basically make me their breeding bitch.

“Hell’s probably more pleasant than this. It’s where all the fun people go. At least, some of the fun people. There are the psychos too. I like to think that the fun people get to be the ones who torture the horrible ones.” I raise and drop my shoulders. I don’t know why I say it. I’ve never really been religious, but I need to refocus my thoughts.

Adam chuckles. “Let’s leave this discussion for twenty questions. I’d like to know more about your ideas. But right now...that thing has to go. Banish it to the bowels of hell, little badass.”

Adam releases my hand, and my palm feels cold without his touch. He hands me the knife and rubs his palms together, standing over the beast. It doesn’t move much, but a strange whimper escapes its elongated jowls with a mixture of human and canine teeth. It’s freaky as fuck, and I try not to look at it too much.

Adam says every swear word I’ve ever heard and some I haven’t as he grabs the shoulders of the beast and steps on its back, using his hand to press its head down. It’s easier with it on its belly, and it doesn’t have fingers anymore. I try not to look at the human feet, half deformed with claws instead of toenails.

I hold my breath and position the knife at the base of the creature’s skull. “I’m so sorry. Fate should’ve never brought you to an end like this. I hope you find peace.” I jam the blade into the spine, killing the creature quickly and hopefully with as little pain as possible.

“Amen,” Adam says, dropping the beast. “Rest in peace, Chupa.”

We move on to the next one and quickly work our way through the writhing bodies. There are still five more after we’ve hit a dozen, and I can’t believe that we manage to do this in only a minute or two. Once we got through the first one, each one after was easier and easier. I was able to shut myself down and not think about it.

“Here. I’ll do the last five. You’ve done plenty.” Adam holds his hand out, silently asking for the knife.

I smirk at him. “I’ve done them all.”

He scrunches his face, peering around. “Sorry about that. You just worked so fast.”

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Terrible, right?” I rub my hand up and down my forearm, silently trying to comfort myself.

“No. We’re showing them mercy. Don’t forget that. We didn’t kill them. Not really. The assholes who bit them were the executioners.” Adam tightens his fingers into a fist.

I suppress my emotions the best I can. If I think any more about this, I might lose my shit. “Let’s just finish up. It’s been too quiet.”

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