I clapped my hands and rubbed them together. "Well, now that we know what he wants and what he might be willing to do to get it, what do we do?"
"We do nothing. I need to confront him," Adam told me.
I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "If somebody wants to make me into munchies then I'm going to want to do something to stop it."
Adam shook his head. "It's too dangerous. You might get scratched, and then Ashton would have won. However, I will take you as far as the opening to the Rodney driveway. You can sit in the car with your staff and wait for me there while I find Ashton and deal with him."
I raised an eyebrow. "'Deal with him?'" I repeated.
"Yes. However that has to be," Adam replied.
"You know, I'm not liking the way this conversation is going. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were going to do to him what he wants to do to me," I mused.
Adam stood. "You may be right, but I hope he can listen to reason."
"So how are we going to get a hold of him? The Rodney's aren't exactly our friends right now," I reminded him.
"I'll travel through the woods and see if I can find him outside their home. I can wait in the woods for as long as it takes for him to come out."
"Sounds exciting. And I do what?"
"You stay in the car."
My shoulders drooped and I sighed. "Just make a note that I think this is a stupid idea, but if I'm going to be sitting in the car for a few hours then let me go the bathroom first."
It was late afternoon when we piled back into the car and drove down to the opening to the Rodney driveway. There wasn't any sign of another soul around, and Adam parked the car just to the side of the mouth of the road. He turned to me and pushed the staff in my hands closer to my chest. "Stay here and keep hold of that staff," he ordered me.
"But what if-"
"Stay."
"Maybe I-"
"Stay."
I slumped down in my seat, looked forward and frowned. "Fine, I'll stay in the car."
Adam sighed. He reached over and grasped one of my hands in his. I looked over to him and noticed there was a touch of sadness in corners of his down-turned lips. His voice was low, and sounded terribly old and tired. "I'm sorry you have to be here. I should never have involved myself in your life."
I managed a smile and squeezed his hand. "Don't go talking like a hero because that means you're going to go and do something stupidly dangerous."
His eyes looked into mine and I felt my cheeks redden. "The risk would be worth keeping you safe."
"Well, maybe it is, but don't go getting yourself hurt or killed. You still have to court me into loving you instead of just liking you. A lot." There was more emphasis on the last two words than I intended. That, or I was projecting.
He chuckled. "That's the first solid hope you've given me."
I shrugged and tried to wipe the red from my cheeks. "Well, I have to say something to get you from getting yourself killed."
"I will come back," he promised.
Adam opened his door and slid out. Our hands clutched each other for a moment, and then our fingers slipped apart. I watched him sprint into the woods with a foreboding feeling in my gut, and a heavy feeling in my heart.
I leaned back against the chair and sighed. "When did my life get this weird?"
My life was further complicated by the appearance of Dan's car down the driveway. I gasped and ducked beneath the dashboard, but it was too late. I'd been spotted. Dan pulled his car up beside the passenger side and I heard the window roll down. I sat up and sheepishly smiled at him.
Dan leaned over the seat and there wasn't a smile on his face. "What are you doing here?" he questioned me.
I slapped a broad smile on my face and shrugged. "Just-um, enjoying the scenery?"
His eyes fell on the empty driver's seat. "Did Adam drive you here?"
I cringed. "Yes?" I squeaked.
"Where is he?"
"Adam is-uh, truffle hunting. That guy's got a hell of a nose," I explained. At least I could slip in a partial truth.
Dan's eyes narrowed. "If he's here to cause more trouble with Scott then he won't find any. Scott left for the doctor's place ten minutes ago."
My eyes widened as one of Adam's comments rang in my ears, how a werewolf would go after any competition. Doc was competition for Adam's affection. In a platonic way, of course. "Oh my god. . ." I whispered.
Dan raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" I slid into the driver's seat and slammed my fist on the horn. It blared across the woods and Dan clapped his hands against his ears. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled at me.
I ignored him and focused my attention on the woods. Adam didn't come. I turned to Dan. "How far is it to Doc's cabin if you walked?"
"About four miles, why?"
I still had a chance to save Doc. I revved my car to life, backed up like the hounds of hell were in front of me, and reversed direction as though they'd changed to my rear. My aching foot told me to stop this madness and pull the car over, but I ignored its complaints. The car flew forward, nearly colliding with Dan's car, and I flew down the road. The trees sped by as horrible possibilities sped through my mind. Ashton might be attempting to get his revenge for Adam's love-tap through any means possible, and Doc was just the unguarded figure to use.
Doc's driveway came up on me and I slammed down on the brakes. The rear of my car drifted a little and when I stopped I face straight down his driveway. Mud and pine needles flew out from beneath my tires as I hurried down the road. I imagined myself racing the transformed Ashton through the woods, and my foot pressed harder on the pedal.
A journey of fifteen minutes was cut down by half, and Doc's home came in sight. There was his station wagon and I was relieved to see his woodland creatures scattered around the muddy yard and porch. I wasn't too late, but now I needed to figure out a plan to get Doc away from the house before it did become too late.
Chapter 12
I parked the car beside his station wagon and got out with my staff firmly clutched in one hand. The woodland creatures scattered as I walked up the path, but they stopped a few yards from me and continued to chew on the food provided them by Doc. I walked up the porch and knocked on the door. Footsteps alerted me to a presence, and in a moment Doc opened the door.
He smiled at me. "Good-"
I grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the porch. "No time to talk, must flee," I told him.
"What? What's going on?" He pulled back and I caught myself on my weak leg. It collapsed beneath the sudden weight and I fell into Doc. We toppled into his cabin in a mess of limbs and a clatter of my staff. Doc grasped my shoulders and pulled me so I sat beside him on the floor. He grasped his chest and gasped for air. "I think we're both a little too old to be wrestling, and as lovely a young woman as you were I just don't have those kinds of feelings for you."
"This isn't what you think. We have to-" A shadow fell over us, and we both turned to the door.
Ashton stood in the doorway and his face was covered in shadow. "Leaving so soon?" he asked me.
My heart rate changed from a slow waltz to a saucy tango. I checked out the area around us for some kind of weapon and my eyes fell on my staff just inches from my hand. I turned my attention back to Ashton and smiled. "Um, yeah, Adam was wanting to talk to Doc and he told me to pick him up."
Ashton leaned down so we were eye level and he grinned at me. "You're a terrible liar."
I shrugged. "So I've been told."
Beside me Doc stood to his feet and brushed himself off. "I don't know what code conversation is going on between you two, but I've got some work to do on that fur and some house calls to make."
Ashton joined him in standing. "Ah yes, I had heard there was something left behind at the scene. Have you confirmed it's wolf hair?"
"Undoubtedly, but if you'd like to give a second opinion then by all means." Doc gestured to his table of medical equipment at the back of his house.
&
nbsp; Ashton held up his hand and shook his head. "No need, I already know it's wolf hair."
Doc raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?"
Ashton chuckled, and I noticed his eyes were more yellow than when he last looked at me. "Oh, I have my ways."
I snatched the staff and rose to stand beside Doc. "Doc, I really think it's time to go."
A scowl covered his face as Doc looked first to me and then to Ashton. "What is wrong with you two? You both act like you're hiding something."
I looped my arm around his and tried to pull him around Ashton. "Yeah, that's it, and I can't share it until we're safely in-"
Ashton stepped in front of us, effectively blocking our path. "I'm afraid I can't let you go. You both know far more than I want told to the people around here." His yellow eyes turned to me and his lips curled back in a long-toothed grin. "And you've been a menace to me for a little too long. I don't let humans get in the way of what I want, and when they do they need to disappear."
I stepped back, and now Doc was tense from Ashton's threatening tone. "If you kill me then Adam's going to kill you," I warned him.
"Kill?" Doc repeated.
Ashton sneered. "That useless werewolf doesn't know what's good for him. Besides, he's going to have his hands full with the police investigation."
"Werewolf? Have you two been eating mushrooms from the woods?" Doc questioned us.
"Not now, Doc," I warned him.
He yanked his arm from mine and stepped away from both of us. "Yes, right now. You two are talking like you need professional help, and not the kind I'm qualified to give."
Ashton chuckled. My eyes widened as I watched his shirt split open and fur spill from his bare skin. His voice was deeper and more growl than human. "It's all right, Doc, you don't need to worry your little head anymore."
Doc gasped and stumbled back. "What the hell?"
"You'll know for sure in a moment, but first I'll take care of you." His yellow eyes turned to me while his face protruded in a long snout full of sharp teeth. Now I knew what the bear felt like, and me without a good set of claws and teeth
I clutched the staff tightly in my hands and backed up as he approached. His shoes broke open to reveal padded wolf feet and his outstretched hands lengthened into claws. He snarled and slashed those powerful hands at me. I waited for my opening and swung the staff like a bat.
I swung like a girl because he easily caught the staff in his hand. His razor-sharp fangs curled back and a deep, hoarse chuckle vibrated through his fur-covered throat. "You think-ah!" He released my staff and stumbled back. One paw clutched at the other which had formerly grasped my staff. That one was smoking and sizzling, and I could already smell burnt flesh.
I glanced between his burning hand and the staff. That's when I realized the sparkles weren't glitter. "Silver. . ." I murmured. Adam had coated the cracks and crevices of my staff with silver.
All those thoughts flashed through my brain in a moment before Ashton threw back his head and let out a terrible howl. I grabbed Doc's wrist and pulled him toward the bathroom. He stumbled along behind me too bewildered and terrified to argue. We sailed into the cramped white space and I slammed the door shut just as Ashton flew across the room. He threw his weight against the door and I leaned my weight against the entrance. The wood made an ominous groaning noise that warned me it couldn't take that much abuse for long.
I turned to Doc who now had his senses back to him. He hurried over to the small window and slid it open. "We can go through here to my car," he told me.
I cringed when Ashton made another slam against the door. "You go through there. I'll hold him off."
He frowned. "I'm not leaving a wounded soldier behind," he argued.
I held up my staff. "I'll be fine with this. I think."
Ashton shoved his shoulder against the door and there was a loud crack. The hinges on the door frame were giving way. Doc rushed over to me and leaned his shoulder against it. "You go, I'll take care of this beast," he insisted.
Our dispute over who was more willing to sacrifice their life for the other was cut short when a hand shot through the center of the door that lay between us. It swiped and clawed at us, and one of the nails caught Doc's shirt. He cried out as it pulled him toward the hole. I swung my staff and it pounded against the clawed fingers. The result was steam and sizzling skin, and Doc grabbed the blistered hand and pulled his shirt from its grasp. Ashton screamed and pressed against the door to enlarge his hole and reach us.
Doc and I scrambled backward as the door burst off its hinges and crashed into the wall. There was no time to use the window as Ashton lumbered into the tight bathroom. His furry arms brushed against the sink and the enclosed shower wall. He pulled back his lips in a hideous parody of a human grin. His eyes told us there would be no mercy. I held the staff in front of us, but Doc tried to pull me behind him in an heroic effort to save me.
Ashton was only a foot from the door when a clawed hand appeared from around the corner and grabbed his shoulder. The werewolf turned and blinked at the clawed hand before it dragged him backwards out of the bathroom. His broad shoulders slammed into the sides of the frame, but like any cartoon enthusiast knows that never stops someone from going through. Ashton was no exception as his shoulders broke through the sheet rock and wood, and left a distinct outline of the sides of his body.
Doc and I stood stupefied for a moment as the sounds of fighting came to our ears. We broke the spell at the same time and rushed forward. I being the shorter took the lower part of the frame and Doc peeked over my head around the same corner. In the living room was a battle to end all battles between two werewolves, one light-fur colored and the other darker. They threw, tossed, tussled, grappled, and wrestled with each other into the furniture, walls and floor of the home. Nothing was spared, not even the coasters on the coffee table. Those were crunched beneath the body of one werewolf when the other slammed them into the table top.
"Adam!" I yelled. One werewolf paused, the darker-furred one. That gave his enemy time to punch him upside the head and Adam flew across the room into the kitchen table. I winced. "Sorry!"
They rolled toward Doc's fireplace against the same wall as the bathroom. Ashton, the blondish werewolf, snatched the poker beside the mantel and whacked Adam atop the head. Adam fell like a ton of furry bricks onto the ground and lay there lifeless. A stream of blood flowed from his head wound, and Ashton stood triumphant over his prey. He lifted one hand and sprayed his claws. They glistened in the late-afternoon light as he lifted his claw over his head for one final blow.
"No!" I yelled. I raced from the doorway with my staff held over my head.
Doc tried to grab me, but missed. "Christina! Don't!" he yelled.
"Get away from him!" I screamed as I swung the weapon at Ashton.
Ashton used the back of his hand to knock the staff from my grasp. It clattered behind me and Ashton grabbed me around the neck with his other hand. He lifted me off the floor and shoved me close to his snarling face. His hand tightened around my neck and I grasped his fingers to find air, but they wouldn't budge. He growled and saliva dripped from his sharp teeth. I turned my face away and prepared to become a doggy treat.
I felt a breeze brush against my side, and it wasn't from Ashton's terrible breath. Ashton screamed and dropped me. I fell to the ground and gasped for air as Ashton stumbled backward. He clutched at something in his side, and I realized it was my staff jabbed into his ribcage. Doc knelt beside me and tucked his arms beneath my armpits. He dragged me away as Ashton tripped and fell to the floor close where I had lain. His furry hands grasped the silver staff and tried to pull it free, but they couldn't loosen Doc's desperate jab.
The staff did its job as the flesh around the stab wound changed from blistered to black. The silver ate away his skin and his fur erupted into flames. He screamed and writhed on the floor, and Doc and I could only watch the horrifyingly pitiful sight. In a few moments his body was completely black and
then it changed to a silver color like that of the staff. Ashton opened his mouth in one final, mournful howl before his voice was silenced forever and his body crumbled to dust.
Chapter 13
I stared dumbly at the ash werewolf outline before I heard a groan. It came from Adam, and reminded me he wasn't in that great a shape. "Adam!" I yelled. I pulled myself from Doc's grasp and rushed over to kneel by his side. He pushed himself to a half-raised position and his head turned to face me. His lips turned up in a snarl and his dark eyes told me he didn't recognize me. I frowned at him. "Adam, sit!" I growled. He blinked and sat his rear down. I snorted, but jumped when Doc knelt down beside me.
"Are you hurt?" he asked Adam.
Adam's voice was deep and gravely, but understandable. "Not very," he told us. He rubbed his head and cringed when his hand came in contact with the poker wound.
Doc smiled. "In my profession that's code-word for 'very.' Let me get a look at you." He reached out his hands, but Adam brushed them away.
"Give me a moment." He closed his eyes and in a moment his body resumed its human shape with only the remains of his pants to cover himself.
Doc's eyes widened and he leaned backward to get a full look at Adam. "My god. . ." he whispered.
Adam smiled. "That is a matter of opinion." He shifted and winced as one of his hands went to his side. It was then I saw a large gash from the back of his shoulder curving forward down to the front of his waist. There was also the leaking blood aside his head, and his life fluid dripped to the floor.
Doc frowned. "Those are nasty wounds. Let me get my supplies, if I have any left." He stood and hurried over to his wrecked table to salvage.
Adam turned his eyes to me and looked me over. "He didn't bite or scratch you, did he?"
I shook my head. "No, but he might have made Doc and me into lawn-mower chicken if you hadn't stuffed silver into that staff. How'd you manage to do that without hurting yourself?"
He chuckled and winced when the movement jiggled his side. "Thick gloves and determination."
"So you suspected I would have future trouble with a werewolf?" I guessed.