in the rearview mirror. His hair was more silvered, longer, thicker. His eyes glowed orange, his shirt strained across his chest, and silver fur stuck out between the buttons. He was running out of time, already changing. He climbed out of the truck and heard a gut-wrenching scream.
"Charlene! I'm coming—” His voice turned into a howl as heat filled him and frissons of pleasure and pain undulated from his toes to his head. The sounds of his clothing ripping came to him as if from a distance. He fell to all fours, heard her scream again. He raced into the forest, searching for her, hoping it wasn't too late.
He found the man-sized lizard in a swirling mist of green standing over her, laughing and taunting her with what he was going to do to her. Black dogs, too many to count, held her wrists and ankles in their teeth, growling and snarling. She was white-faced and bleeding profusely. He had no time to waste.
Jaws snapping, Zack jumped on the creature's back and sank his teeth into his neck. The evil one arched his back, threw Zack off and turned to face him. The black dogs whined, but didn't release their prey.
"Zack, oh thank God, it's really you,” Charlene cried out.
Claws extended, the shape-shifting deviator jinni came at Zack, hissing and screaming in a strange language. Then in clear English, the creature shouted, “Not even Solomon's daughter and her soldiers could capture me. You think a dog can hurt me?"
The snake man swiped at Zack and grabbed a handful of his fur. Zack yelped in pain, then lowered his chest to the ground, a deep growl morphing into a snarl as he hunkered down and prepared to leap.
The reptile snickered and danced before him, a whirling dervish of death and destruction as Charlene lay pinned to the ground by the jinni's companions. The night sounds of the forest ceased. Zack's nostrils twitched at the dank smell of the genie and the clean copper scent of Charlene's blood. He thought of his friend, Jessie, and how she must have been tortured in the same manner by this evil being. His paws gripped at the moist ground, and a rush of energy coursed through his legs into all of his muscles—as if the earth mother reached up to give him additional strength against this creature from another world.
Snarling, Zack jumped on the capering tormentor's chest and hit him squarely on the face with the Ring of Solomon. There was a deafening bang, a blinding flash of light, a puff of green smoke and the world went black.
He didn't know how long he was out. Zack blinked his eyes and when he could see again, the jinni was gone, along with the dogs.
Running to Charlene's side, he found her barely conscious and pale—as pale as the moon.
She smiled. “You're here."
He couldn't speak, could only try to communicate with his eyes, his paws and tongue. He licked her terrible wounds and whined.
"It's bad, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"I'm dying.” Not a question.
He whimpered.
"If you bite me, will I live?"
Zack nuzzled and licked her neck.
The light was going out of her eyes. Please choose, please choose, he urged mentally.
Charlene whispered, “I. Choose. Life. You. The Pack. Bite me."
Worried that it might be too late, he placed his teeth on her neck and drew blood. Nothing. He pushed at her with his nose. Her head flopped to the other side, lifeless.
The love of his life, his one and only soul mate was still and cold. He staggered away from her body, threw his head back and gave a long mournful howl. All was lost. Jessie, Jethro, and now Charlene were dead. The pack was going to die out. He had failed. Zack thought his heart was going to break. He howled again. And again. And again, until his throat was hoarse. He paused to take a deep shuddering breath.
A female howled back.
He turned.
Resplendent in thick golden fur, her smoky blue eyes flecked with emerald green, Charlene trotted over to him and nuzzled his ear. "I can hear your thoughts."
"Charlene," he breathed. "You're so
"Charlene! I'm coming—” His voice turned into a howl as heat filled him and frissons of pleasure and pain undulated from his toes to his head. The sounds of his clothing ripping came to him as if from a distance. He fell to all fours, heard her scream again. He raced into the forest, searching for her, hoping it wasn't too late.
He found the man-sized lizard in a swirling mist of green standing over her, laughing and taunting her with what he was going to do to her. Black dogs, too many to count, held her wrists and ankles in their teeth, growling and snarling. She was white-faced and bleeding profusely. He had no time to waste.
Jaws snapping, Zack jumped on the creature's back and sank his teeth into his neck. The evil one arched his back, threw Zack off and turned to face him. The black dogs whined, but didn't release their prey.
"Zack, oh thank God, it's really you,” Charlene cried out.
Claws extended, the shape-shifting deviator jinni came at Zack, hissing and screaming in a strange language. Then in clear English, the creature shouted, “Not even Solomon's daughter and her soldiers could capture me. You think a dog can hurt me?"
The snake man swiped at Zack and grabbed a handful of his fur. Zack yelped in pain, then lowered his chest to the ground, a deep growl morphing into a snarl as he hunkered down and prepared to leap.
The reptile snickered and danced before him, a whirling dervish of death and destruction as Charlene lay pinned to the ground by the jinni's companions. The night sounds of the forest ceased. Zack's nostrils twitched at the dank smell of the genie and the clean copper scent of Charlene's blood. He thought of his friend, Jessie, and how she must have been tortured in the same manner by this evil being. His paws gripped at the moist ground, and a rush of energy coursed through his legs into all of his muscles—as if the earth mother reached up to give him additional strength against this creature from another world.
Snarling, Zack jumped on the capering tormentor's chest and hit him squarely on the face with the Ring of Solomon. There was a deafening bang, a blinding flash of light, a puff of green smoke and the world went black.
He didn't know how long he was out. Zack blinked his eyes and when he could see again, the jinni was gone, along with the dogs.
Running to Charlene's side, he found her barely conscious and pale—as pale as the moon.
She smiled. “You're here."
He couldn't speak, could only try to communicate with his eyes, his paws and tongue. He licked her terrible wounds and whined.
"It's bad, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"I'm dying.” Not a question.
He whimpered.
"If you bite me, will I live?"
Zack nuzzled and licked her neck.
The light was going out of her eyes. Please choose, please choose, he urged mentally.
Charlene whispered, “I. Choose. Life. You. The Pack. Bite me."
Worried that it might be too late, he placed his teeth on her neck and drew blood. Nothing. He pushed at her with his nose. Her head flopped to the other side, lifeless.
The love of his life, his one and only soul mate was still and cold. He staggered away from her body, threw his head back and gave a long mournful howl. All was lost. Jessie, Jethro, and now Charlene were dead. The pack was going to die out. He had failed. Zack thought his heart was going to break. He howled again. And again. And again, until his throat was hoarse. He paused to take a deep shuddering breath.
A female howled back.
He turned.
Resplendent in thick golden fur, her smoky blue eyes flecked with emerald green, Charlene trotted over to him and nuzzled his ear. "I can hear your thoughts."
"Charlene," he breathed. "You're so
Similar Books
