"Get out of here! Hurry!" he ordered me.
The figures cuffed his hands and yanked. He cried out and fell to his knees. One of the figures moved around Red and rushed me. I ducked beneath a hard swing. The punch flew over my head and slammed into the wall. The person's fist disappeared into the plaster.
I sprinted into the hallway and ducked into the bathroom. The knob locked from the inside. The intruder slammed into the door, but the wood held. The jamb, however, buckled under the pressure. Another blow like that and it'd be done for.
I rushed to the open window and climbed out. The drop to the hard, bare dirt was only a few feet. I looked around the backyard. The area was surrounded by a fence that leaned far enough to defy gravity. A rusted old gate stood open opposite me. I sprinted across the lawn and looked over my shoulder.
My pursuer leapt out of the window and landed neatly on his knees and a hand. They looked up and their yellowish eyes glowed in the darkness. I barreled through the gate and paused. Left and right led down a shadowed, crowded alley. Garbage cans, old cars, and overgrown bushes gave the alley a tunneled look.
A shadow flew across the ground beside me. I spun around. My eyes widened. My pursuer flew ten feet above the ground in an arch that would have landed them on me. I threw up my arms and braced for impact.
CHAPTER 5
The impact never came. A second shadow leapt from the shadows behind a large bush and collided with my pursuer. They crashed to the ground in a frenzy of fists and kicks. I stumbled away from the fight until my back hit the dense vegetation of a blooming lilac bush.
The pair moved in a blur, but I caught sight of the newcomer's dark red coat and dark fur. The gloom of night deepened the red to black so that it appeared that two shadows fought one another. My pursuer got the worst of the battle. They swung a punch that the red coat sidestepped. The red combatant grabbed the outstretched arm and swung my pursuer over his shoulder. The person flew forty feet before they hit the ground. They bounced another couple of yards until they came to a stop just short of the paved road.
A growl caught my attention. I swung my head towards the house. The creature in the red coat stood over me. Their shadow fell across me as their bright white eyes studied my face. I froze. My heart thumped in my chest. The creature set its hands on either side of my head and leaned down so our faces nearly touched. Its nostrils took in my scent. It tilted its head to one side. I couldn't move as one of its hands brushed the back of its fingers against my quivering cheek. The creature let out a soft, purring growl.
"Leila!" a voice yelled. Red's voice.
The creature over me spun around. Its lips curled back in a snarl. The spell over me was broken with its eye contact. I shifted to one side. The branches crunched and bent around me. The creature returned its attention to me. I bolted.
I sprinted down the alley, but only made it ten feet before a shadow flew over me. The creature landed neatly in front of me. My momentum slammed me into its chest. I was buried in that thick overcoat. The creature's chest was bare but for its fur. A familiar scent invaded my nostrils. The scent of woods and meadows.
I tilted my head back to look into its face. Those soft eyes stared back at me with a mix of sadness and hope. I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
"Leila!"
I spun around. Red ran out of the gate. He looked down the left side and stiffened when his eyes caught sight of the prone figure near the mouth. The creature above me growled. Red spun around and faced us. My eyes widened and my pulse quickened.
Red's eyes were a brilliant white. The depths of his pupils were colored with yellow. He pulled his lips back in a snarl that revealed sharp, growing fangs. His clothes stretched to make room for the fur that sprouted over his body. He flexed his stiff, long fingers as they lengthened into claws. His handsome features were marred by a snout that protruded from his face, and his ears grew into long, sharp points that ended behind his head.
He was the second werewolf from the alley. The one that attacked the thing behind me.
I froze. The silver bullets. The dust on the metal box. His knowing what Mortale was. He'd played me all along to get to the creature who's shadow fell over me.
The red-coated creature growled at Red. I spun around and placed my hands on its chest.
"Don't! Please don't attack him!" I pleaded.
The werewolf hesitated. Its lips covered its long fangs and its claws relaxed. Those brilliant white eyes softened.
A roar from behind me caught my attention. I spun around in time to watch Red leap twenty feet into the air. The creature behind me shoved me to the side a second before Red fell into him. The pair rolled backwards down the alley.
My back was cushioned by the mess of lilac bushes. I looked to the fight. The creatures circled each other and struck again and again. Their punches were blurs. I righted myself and pulled out my gun. My finger hovered over the trigger. The barrel swayed from creature to creature. Both of them moved so fast. If I fired I couldn't be sure which one I'd hit.
The red-coated creature faced me. Its eyes fell on the gun. It hesitated.
Red stepped into the opportunity and swung hard. The punch connected with the side of the other werewolf's face. It was sent flying into a rusted car that sat to my left and in a neighboring backyard. Dust and car parts flew in all directions.
Red stepped up to the car. He stooped and tilted his head to get a look at the damage.
That's when I was blindsided by a shadow. It flew through the gate to Matilda's backyard and wrapped its arms around me. My own arms were pinned to my sides, but I didn't lose my hold on my gun. The black covering over their arms and the dark gloves told me this was the second attacker, the one who had been left alone with Red. The evidence of that success lay in their torn mask.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw that most of the fabric was torn away. The person was revealed to be the female of the pair who had visited the apartment earlier that evening, Officer Leno. Blood from the two long gashes poured down her face. Her eyes glowed that unnatural yellow color, though without the white that illuminated the area around the eyeball as in the other werewolves. Her sharp teeth ground together as she glared at Red.
"Surrender, or she dies," she hissed.
The woman tightened her hold to show her deadly seriousness. I gasped as her arms pressed mine into my rib cage. My bones groaned under the pressure. I leaned my head back and cried out in agony as I felt my insides crushed by her strength.
A shadow flew from the cloud around the damaged car and straight at us. An outstretched claw grabbed the upper front of the woman's face and tore her from me. I dropped to the ground. My shaken, pained body went into shock. The noises of the world around me were muffled. My vision was clouded. I managed to roll onto my side and watch the red-coated werewolf toss the woman through the lilac bush.
The creature stepped back and turned its attention to me. Those brilliant white eyes captured mine as it stepped forward. Its arms stretched towards me.
A roar came from behind me. Red flew over me. His claws were outstretched. He aimed for the neck. The other creature leaned forward and grabbed the middle of his arms. He swung Red over his head and into Matilda's fence. The rotten boards collapsed under the impact and fell down upon Red. Only his feet stuck out. He didn't stir.
The creature returned its attention to me. Those long white claws reached out for me. I tried to call for help, but my voice choked. My frantic mind had mercy on me and I fainted.
CHAPTER 6
I dreamed. Cold shadows surrounded me. The dark walls of an alley rose up on either side of me. I took a step forward. My foot splashed in a puddle. I looked down, and my eyes widened. The puddle was blood-red, and the water was as thick as blood. I cried out and stumbled backwards. My back hit a hard surface, but it wasn't the rough texture of brick. The firmness was soft, and the edges of a coat flapped around me.
I stumbled forward and spun around. A large shadow stood over me. White eyes g
lowed in the dark and looked down at me with a feral interest. Their long lips curled back in a crooked grin that revealed long, sharp teeth.
I stopped my retreat and glared at the creature. My voice echoed in the darkness. "What are you?"
It spoke in a deep, husky voice. "Do you truly want to know?"
I straightened. My voice rang loud and clear. "Yes."
The creature stretched out its clawed hand to me. "Then come. See what dwells in the dark shadows of the world."
My eyes flickered between the hand and its face. I took a step forward and stretched out my arm. My fingers brushed against the claws.
"Ouch!" I drew back my hand. A prick of blood slid down my finger.
The creature stepped back. The shadows slowly swallowed its form. Its final words echoed off the walls.
"It has begun."
My eyes shot open. I sat up and stared into the darkness ahead of me. A few loose tears slid down my cheeks. I reached up and brushed them away.
"Good. You're awake."
I started and whipped my head to my right. The world before me was much changed from what I last remembered. Gone was the rough neighborhood, and in its place was the filthy river. I sat atop an old, worn mattress. A dingy blanket separated me from the rusted springs that poked through the cloth cover. The mattress sat in a giant, dry culvert. Long ago water would have ran through the culvert and into the river, but the world had changed. The river's edge lapped against the ground some twenty yards from the mouth of the pipe. A road lay above me. The sound of a car passing overhead reached my ears.
A drop of two feet led from the mouth of the culvert to the trash-filled, weed-choked ground. Ten feet from the mouth was a round ring of rocks and thick metal. Mortale sat on a barrel beside a small fire that burned in the ring. He smiled at me.
"I thought you'd sleep until morning," he commented.
I looked out across the barren landscape that stretched to the river. "Where are we?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think we're in the northern part of the city."
The northern part of the city. That was a world away from where I last remembered, and what I last remembered was—
My eyes widened. I patted the holster at my back. Empty.
"Are you looking for this?" My eyes fell on Mortale as he pulled my gun from a pocket of his overcoat. The gun lay flat-side in his palm, and he held it out to me. "I thought you might want it, so I kept it."
I glared at him. "So you could mock me with it?"
He blinked at me. "Mock you with it? Why would I do that?"
My eyes flickered between his wide, emerald eyes and the weapon. "Then why?"
Mortale turned away from me. His voice lowered to a soft stutter. "I just-well, I just thought you'd want to keep your gun, that's all."
"And how'd you know it was mine?" I questioned him.
He raised his head and furrowed his brow. "It is your gun, isn't it?"
I slid off the mattress. My eyes never swerved from his confused expression. "And where did you pick it up?"
He looked down at the gun in his hand and frowned. "I. . .I don't remember."
I hopped out of the culvert and slowly approached him. "You don't remember, or you won't tell me?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I really don't-" I snatched the weapon from him. He winced as though I'd slapped him.
I pointed the barrel at his head. His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. He held his palms out towards me.
"Whoa, wait a minute. What did I do?" he asked me.
"Everything," I told him.
"I didn't do anything. Really," he insisted.
I sneered at him. "Tch. Still trying to give me the innocent act? I've seen what you can become."
He placed a hand on his chest. "Become? I'm just me. Plain old Vincent Morale. There's nothing special about me."
"Don't lie to me. I've seen your other form. Your werewolf form," I revealed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he persisted. He took a step towards me. "Come on. You have to believe-" I stepped around the fire so we stood on opposite sides. He froze. A pained expression overrode his confused one.
"I don't have to believe anything you say. Now tell me about the werewolves, and don't lie to me," I ordered him.
"But I don't know anything about werewolves! I'm not a werewolf!" he persisted.
His eyes met mine. Those bright emerald eyes were steady and pleading. Even if I didn't believe him, he believed his own words. Doubt crept into my mind.
"Tell me what you remember about tonight," I commanded him.
He shook his head. "I don't know. I. . .I remember Matilda and Jeff coming home, and you came. Then I. . .I felt bad, so I went into the bathroom."
"And after that?" I persisted.
He shut his eyes and clutched his head in both hands. "I don't remember."
"Then how do you explain how we got here?" I wondered.
He cringed and turned away. His eyes reflected the glow from the fire. "I. . .I don't know. I really don't know how we got here, or why we're here." He stiffened and his hands balled into fists at his side. "But I want to know. I. . .I have to know something."
I lowered my gun a little. Just a little. "You have to know what?"
Morales sat down on his log and stared at the ground. He shook his head. "I don't know. I just know I have to get out of the city, and from there-" He hung his head. "I don't know. But I have to go. Something's waiting for me."
I tucked my gun in its holster and glared at him. "Then I'm coming with you."
He raised his head and stared at me with his mouth slightly agape. "You do? Why?"
"Let's just say I want to find out for myself what that thing is that keeps hanging around you," I answered as I seated myself on an overturned drum opposite him. I looked him over. "You have any cash on you?
He patted himself and shook his head. "Not a dime."
"You're hopeless. . ." I muttered. I leaned my head back and stared at the twinkling stars. We'd need to get money somewhere, but the time was all wrong. The banks wouldn't open for another few hours.
He furrowed his brow and looked into the fire. "Maybe. . .maybe you should just go home."
I lowered my eyes to glare at him. "What a stupid thing to say."
He frowned. "Why? All these people are after me, and I don't know why. They could hurt you."
My eyes flickered up to his face and I pursed my lips. "Since you seem to have forgotten, I'll remind you. My roommate turned into a werewolf tonight and nearly tried to rip your head off. He might do the same to me if I go back there."
"But you keep telling me I'm one of these werewolf things, so why don't you leave me?" he wondered.
I glared into the fire. "That's different."
"How is it different?" he challenged me.
"It just is," I insisted.
I reached into my coat pocket. My fingers brushed against only cloth. My eyes widened and my pulse quickened. I grabbed my pocket and turned it inside out. Only lint fluttered out. I looked over the ground.
"Where the hell is it?" I hissed.
"Where's what?" Mortale asked me.
I stood and my eyes swept the ground. The weak glow from the fire and the stars above us were my only sources of light. "My necklace. The one I showed you earlier," I reminded him.
"Oh. You mean this?" He reached into the high collar of his coat and pulled out the chain. The small, silver balls glistened in the firelight.
I straightened and frowned at the necklace. "You fixed it?"
He looked down at the necklace and shook his head. "I don't know. It was just there."
I pursed my lips and stood. He flinched. "I need some time alone," I told him.
I turned away from him and towards the lapping waters of the river. He held out his hand. "But-"
I glanced over my shoulder. "I'll be fine. Just don't go turning into that monster and running away." He averted his eyes to the ground and hu
ng his head. I sighed and half-turned to him. "I. . .I believe that you don't know what's happening." He lifted his head and his eyes widened. It gave me some pleasure to see those emerald eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'm letting you off. I'm going to get you to remember, Mortale, even if it kills me."
A small smile graced his lips. "If we're going to be together than you may as well know my first name. It's Vincent."
I raised an eyebrow. "So Vincent Mortale is your full name?"
He gave a nod. "Yeah. At least, I think so."
"Don't you know?"
He hung and shook his head. "No, not really. I. . .I just know that's my name."
"I'll call you Vincent, but don't go spreading that name everything. Those two people who broke into the house learned that name from Meyer. They're going to keep their eyes open for it," I warned him.
He furrowed his brow and looked up at me. "Who were those people?"
I sighed. "You don't even know why they're after you, do you?"
"No, I'm sorry."
"Then I guess we'll just have to be careful."
Very careful.
CHAPTER 7
I turned away from him and strode over to the river. The water brushed against the trash and smooth rocks that lined its shores. I gazed out across the wide expanse, but my eyes saw very little. My mind, however, went back to the confrontation at the old peoples' house.
Red. My friend and roommate. He was a monster. The savage glint in his eyes had told me as much. But why Vincent? Why did he hate him so much that he—
I froze. My eyes widened. Echoes of our conversations rang in my mind.
"We could make a couple of bucks by renting out the spare bedroom."
"I thought my new roommate might want her first dinner in our apartment to be memorable, so I fixed up something special."
"Oh Red. . ." I whispered. I looked up at the partial moon. Its faced stared back at me and judged me for my sin. "Why didn't I see it? All those stupid hints you gave me. . .they meant you-"
"Um, ma'am?" Vincent called to me.
I wiped away some water around my eyes and turned to him. "What?"
He held up a can with a spoon inside. "Would you like something to eat?"