man fallowing me. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks, but nope. The guy’s bones were shifting.
My cell phone still clutched in my fingers, but it wasn’t any use. I couldn’t bring myself to dial a number, and even if I could I’d be dead by the time they came to get me. I swallowed dryly. My free hand reached into my purse as the big dog- no wolf- approached me.
My fingers curled around the small can I kept on my keys. I’d never thought I would actually use the dog mace on a dog- no wolf- but I was glad my mother had convinced me to buy it. Mom. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. I wasn’t going to see her again. I wasn’t going to be able to tell her I loved her, or hear her loud laugh that annoyed the hell out of me.
A dry laugh passed through my lips before I even realized it. My hand slipped from my purse. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
The wolf snarled, his lips rising to reveal teeth that could chew through me easily. My hand shaking as I readied myself.
He advanced towards me, the chain necklace still around his neck glinting; it had been the only thing to remain after he’d changed.
I raised the can of dog mace to his head and sprayed. Run.
The wolf let out a yelp, but it turned into a growl as I rushed past him. I felt fur touch my thigh. Oh god.
With my body in over drive I could hear his teeth snap behind me.
I managed to make my way to the end of the alley before another wolf appeared from the left.
I screamed as I stepped back, for a second forgetting the other wolf was behind me. I stumbled, my left foot stepping on my right. I fell.
Oh god. This was it.
The new wolf approached me, a snarl escaping him.
He lunged.
I screamed again, covering my face with my arm in some lame attempt to save myself. I had no more mace left. I was utterly defenceless.
It felt like forever that I held my arms over my face before I heard a wolf yelp. I forced myself to look towards the noise. The second wolf stood between me and the other.
“Quick.” Fingers curled around my wrist.
My heart jumped into my throat as I turned to see the man who had spoken to me.
He wore a leather jacket and jeans with a hat. He gave me a soft smile as he pulled me to my feet easily. I opened my mouth and tried to say something. But my voice refused to work so I just let the man pull me from the alley way and onto a main street. His arm hooked around my waist to keep me up, but I didn’t mind.
His body wasn’t warm like I would expect for a man his size, but I felt safe with him.
“Are you okay? Did he bite you?”
“I’m… I’m fine. I just… I think… I’m…” I wanted to tell him that’d I’d seen a man turn into a wolf but I didn’t want him to think I was nuts. I wasn’t nuts, was I?
“Good.” He spoke quietly as he turned down another alley and face me. His eyes were gentle as they ran over my body. He slipped out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. It felt like it hadn’t even been worn.
I pulled it close to me none the less.
“He’s dead.” Another male voice came from the other end of the alley.
Before even realizing it I’d moved behind the man who saved me. I eyed the new man coming down the alley.
“You had to kill him?”
“Well he wasn’t really fighting fair.” He was shirtless; he shrugged casually making his muscles move. My mind tried to process what was going on. “I did try not to kill him.”
I looked from this man to the one I stood behind. The shirtless man had some scrapes and a couple bite marks, as if he’d been fighting a… wolf. I gasped, raising my hands to my mouth.
I’d seen it once already tonight; it wouldn’t be crazy to say I’d seen it again.
The two men stared at me. The one who saved me raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“He… he’s… a…” I stammered but I couldn’t bring myself to say the word.
“Yes.”
He said it so casually.
“Are you… like his master or something?” What was the deal
Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta