Service”
message.
“Shit.”
Gwen took a few more paces toward the mouth of the cave and
tried again with the same result.
“Fuckity fuck!” she muttered, then moved closer to the
hidden entrance.
Stopping to turn her ear in the direction of the cell, Gwen
could hear Charlie still raging in the darkness. Ahead, she saw the pale
moonlight shining through the brambles obscuring the opening.
Okay, just think. She glanced at the time on the
screen. The sun would be up in about— shit —ten hours. She knew she really
should just hunker down in the cave and wait it out, then find Alex in the
morning.
On most moon nights Alex would have shifted by now—along
with the other pack members—but when she had a new wolf in the cave, he tried to
stay available by phone.
Gwen weighed her options, her gaze darting from the dark
corridor to the exit. Though it would be safer to stay put until dawn, the urge
to call Alex was overwhelming.
The journal left behind by her predecessors hadn’t covered
this particular contingency, but it had mentioned one thing again and again, you’ll
just know.
* * * * *
Gwen stood at the mouth of the cave, toying with the amulet
that hung from her neck. The sign of the werewolf—a spiral in an inverted
triangle—had been worn as protection by human consorts since the beginning. The
simple silver pendant gave her a sense of security, but she knew that was only
part of the equation.
She swiveled her head, letting her gaze trace the arc of the
entrance. The phone still displayed the “No Signal” message. Alex’s warning
rang out in her mind— If you’re in the confines of the cave—and you’re
wearing the necklace—nothing can harm you . But he’d been clear—one didn’t
work without the other.
Gwen held the cell out at arm’s length. The shortest of the
five signal bars flickered. Come on! Cool night air blew across Gwen’s
hand as she extended the phone into the bush blocking the entrance. When she had
a solid bar, she hit redial. The screen indicated “dialing” and she held her
breath.
“Connection Lost.”
Dammit!
Dropping her arm to her side, Gwen craned her neck, scanning
the clearing beyond the cave. Sensing she was alone in this corner of the
forest, she took a deep breath, pushed the branches to one side then stepped
from the shadows. She was three paces from the rocky shelter before she could
get a solid connection.
Her eyes darted across the perimeter of the clearing and she
squeezed the amulet so tightly it stung her right palm. With the other hand,
she pressed the phone to her ear listening to the digital ring. Come on!
Pick up Alex!
“Gwen?”
The sound of his voice fell over her like a life preserver
and she closed her eyes for an instant before speaking. “Alex, the yellow
dog—it’s Jen—”
The impact sent Gwen sprawling and the phone flew across the
clearing. She had landed flat on her back and the air was jolted from her
lungs. Panic gripped her as she tried to pull oxygen back into her body with a
sickening wheeze.
The lithe golden werewolf was straddling her waist and had
Gwen’s wrists pressed to the cold, hard earth with her hot claws. Pinpoints of
light danced through Gwen’s field of vision and she felt the sticky warmth of
blood oozing from the side of her head.
Gwen forced herself to look up at her attacker. Jenny’s
emerald eyes flashed in the moonlight.
“I’m going to kill you real slow and it is going to hurt
like a motherfucker!” The beast snarled and spittle rained down from her
snapping jaws. “I will fuck you up so entirely that even your precious Alex
won’t recognize you, bitch!”
With a mighty effort, Gwen expanded her chest and drew in
the blessedly cool air. Her neck felt raw and she realized she had snapped the
heavy silver chain that held her amulet. The medal was still clenched in her
bloodied right fist. Jenny released her grasp and brought back a paw as if she
intended to swipe off Gwen’s head.
In an
message.
“Shit.”
Gwen took a few more paces toward the mouth of the cave and
tried again with the same result.
“Fuckity fuck!” she muttered, then moved closer to the
hidden entrance.
Stopping to turn her ear in the direction of the cell, Gwen
could hear Charlie still raging in the darkness. Ahead, she saw the pale
moonlight shining through the brambles obscuring the opening.
Okay, just think. She glanced at the time on the
screen. The sun would be up in about— shit —ten hours. She knew she really
should just hunker down in the cave and wait it out, then find Alex in the
morning.
On most moon nights Alex would have shifted by now—along
with the other pack members—but when she had a new wolf in the cave, he tried to
stay available by phone.
Gwen weighed her options, her gaze darting from the dark
corridor to the exit. Though it would be safer to stay put until dawn, the urge
to call Alex was overwhelming.
The journal left behind by her predecessors hadn’t covered
this particular contingency, but it had mentioned one thing again and again, you’ll
just know.
* * * * *
Gwen stood at the mouth of the cave, toying with the amulet
that hung from her neck. The sign of the werewolf—a spiral in an inverted
triangle—had been worn as protection by human consorts since the beginning. The
simple silver pendant gave her a sense of security, but she knew that was only
part of the equation.
She swiveled her head, letting her gaze trace the arc of the
entrance. The phone still displayed the “No Signal” message. Alex’s warning
rang out in her mind— If you’re in the confines of the cave—and you’re
wearing the necklace—nothing can harm you . But he’d been clear—one didn’t
work without the other.
Gwen held the cell out at arm’s length. The shortest of the
five signal bars flickered. Come on! Cool night air blew across Gwen’s
hand as she extended the phone into the bush blocking the entrance. When she had
a solid bar, she hit redial. The screen indicated “dialing” and she held her
breath.
“Connection Lost.”
Dammit!
Dropping her arm to her side, Gwen craned her neck, scanning
the clearing beyond the cave. Sensing she was alone in this corner of the
forest, she took a deep breath, pushed the branches to one side then stepped
from the shadows. She was three paces from the rocky shelter before she could
get a solid connection.
Her eyes darted across the perimeter of the clearing and she
squeezed the amulet so tightly it stung her right palm. With the other hand,
she pressed the phone to her ear listening to the digital ring. Come on!
Pick up Alex!
“Gwen?”
The sound of his voice fell over her like a life preserver
and she closed her eyes for an instant before speaking. “Alex, the yellow
dog—it’s Jen—”
The impact sent Gwen sprawling and the phone flew across the
clearing. She had landed flat on her back and the air was jolted from her
lungs. Panic gripped her as she tried to pull oxygen back into her body with a
sickening wheeze.
The lithe golden werewolf was straddling her waist and had
Gwen’s wrists pressed to the cold, hard earth with her hot claws. Pinpoints of
light danced through Gwen’s field of vision and she felt the sticky warmth of
blood oozing from the side of her head.
Gwen forced herself to look up at her attacker. Jenny’s
emerald eyes flashed in the moonlight.
“I’m going to kill you real slow and it is going to hurt
like a motherfucker!” The beast snarled and spittle rained down from her
snapping jaws. “I will fuck you up so entirely that even your precious Alex
won’t recognize you, bitch!”
With a mighty effort, Gwen expanded her chest and drew in
the blessedly cool air. Her neck felt raw and she realized she had snapped the
heavy silver chain that held her amulet. The medal was still clenched in her
bloodied right fist. Jenny released her grasp and brought back a paw as if she
intended to swipe off Gwen’s head.
In an
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