was gone, tearing away amongst the trees. Rocketing upwards, I swooped over the treetops, but as I had feared, I’d lost sight of him. Dropping like a stone through the air, I landed on the soft woodland floor. I snapped my head left and right as I scanned the darkness between the trees. Then my heart stopped as I heard the sound of a woman scream, followed by the deep booming of a werewolf’s howl.
Sprinting in the direction of the sounds, I whisked between the trees in a black spray of shadows. Moonlight cut through the treetops in silver slices and it was almost as if I were running through a wood made of giant daggers. Then ahead of me, I saw someone or something stumble from behind a tree. I stopped hard, sending up a shower of fallen leaves and pine needles. It was Madison who was staggering towards me. Her eyes blazed yellow out of the darkness, but there was something else that glistened. I looked at her hands as she clutched her stomach and could see blood running between her fingers in black silky streams.
“Madison?” I yelled, running towards her.
She fell against me and I took her in my arms.
“What’s happened?” I asked as she looked up at me, her eyes locking onto mine.
“Drake,” she barely whispered.
“Where is he?” I asked her. “I lost him.”
She trembled in my arms and clung onto me. “Potter,” she whispered.
“Shhh,” I whispered. “Save your strength.”
“I don’t have much time,” she groaned in pain. “I just want to know your name – your first name.”
Looking down at her in my arms, her eyes still fixed on mine, I said, “Sean.”
“That’s a nice name,” she smiled weakly up at me.
“What’s yours?” I whispered.
“Sean, look behind you,” she said, her eyes closing as she fell limp in my arms.
Glancing around, I saw the wolf spring through the air towards me, then everything went black.
21
I woke to the sound of howling. It was so loud that the earth trembled beneath me. It took me a moment or two to get my bearings. My heart thumped and it felt as if I had the worse hangover in the world. I peered up and could see the moon shining through the trees that stretched high above me. Rolling over onto my side, I groaned in pain then fell silent as I saw Drake only feet away between the trees. His giant hair-covered body was bent over and he had his nose buried in something that lay scattered across the ground.
I crawled on all fours towards him, being careful not to make the smallest of sounds. Lying on my stomach, I peered around the edge of a tree trunk and nearly puked in revulsion. Drake had his snout buried in a pile of innards and flesh that lay scattered across the floor of the woods. Whoever it was had been torn to pieces by the wolf. I inched my way forward, using my claws to pull myself along. I could hear the sound of licking and slurping as Drake prodded at the bloody remains with his tongue. Then, just as I was about to move forward again, something glinted amongst the entrails strewn across the fallen branches and leaves. Peering at it, my heart stopped. No, it didn’t stop; it broke as I saw what it was shining back at me from the pile of red stuff – it was Madison’s cross necklace.
Then, everything came clear to me. Drake had come bounding out of the woods as Madison lay dying in my arms from an injury that he had caused because, like me, she had discovered he had been the killer all along. After knocking me unconscious, he had torn Madison to pieces and I had woken to find him eating her remains.
With my heart aching in my chest, I staggered to my feet. “You filthy fucking animal,” I screeched and shot at him.
Drake glanced back, a look of surprise and fear on his face, as I lunged at him with my claws. He rolled back his fleshy gums as if to bite me, but I was too quick and he had been taken by surprise. Swinging back my arm, I swiped at him, slicing his head from his body.
The wolf’s head spun away, and the
Sprinting in the direction of the sounds, I whisked between the trees in a black spray of shadows. Moonlight cut through the treetops in silver slices and it was almost as if I were running through a wood made of giant daggers. Then ahead of me, I saw someone or something stumble from behind a tree. I stopped hard, sending up a shower of fallen leaves and pine needles. It was Madison who was staggering towards me. Her eyes blazed yellow out of the darkness, but there was something else that glistened. I looked at her hands as she clutched her stomach and could see blood running between her fingers in black silky streams.
“Madison?” I yelled, running towards her.
She fell against me and I took her in my arms.
“What’s happened?” I asked as she looked up at me, her eyes locking onto mine.
“Drake,” she barely whispered.
“Where is he?” I asked her. “I lost him.”
She trembled in my arms and clung onto me. “Potter,” she whispered.
“Shhh,” I whispered. “Save your strength.”
“I don’t have much time,” she groaned in pain. “I just want to know your name – your first name.”
Looking down at her in my arms, her eyes still fixed on mine, I said, “Sean.”
“That’s a nice name,” she smiled weakly up at me.
“What’s yours?” I whispered.
“Sean, look behind you,” she said, her eyes closing as she fell limp in my arms.
Glancing around, I saw the wolf spring through the air towards me, then everything went black.
21
I woke to the sound of howling. It was so loud that the earth trembled beneath me. It took me a moment or two to get my bearings. My heart thumped and it felt as if I had the worse hangover in the world. I peered up and could see the moon shining through the trees that stretched high above me. Rolling over onto my side, I groaned in pain then fell silent as I saw Drake only feet away between the trees. His giant hair-covered body was bent over and he had his nose buried in something that lay scattered across the ground.
I crawled on all fours towards him, being careful not to make the smallest of sounds. Lying on my stomach, I peered around the edge of a tree trunk and nearly puked in revulsion. Drake had his snout buried in a pile of innards and flesh that lay scattered across the floor of the woods. Whoever it was had been torn to pieces by the wolf. I inched my way forward, using my claws to pull myself along. I could hear the sound of licking and slurping as Drake prodded at the bloody remains with his tongue. Then, just as I was about to move forward again, something glinted amongst the entrails strewn across the fallen branches and leaves. Peering at it, my heart stopped. No, it didn’t stop; it broke as I saw what it was shining back at me from the pile of red stuff – it was Madison’s cross necklace.
Then, everything came clear to me. Drake had come bounding out of the woods as Madison lay dying in my arms from an injury that he had caused because, like me, she had discovered he had been the killer all along. After knocking me unconscious, he had torn Madison to pieces and I had woken to find him eating her remains.
With my heart aching in my chest, I staggered to my feet. “You filthy fucking animal,” I screeched and shot at him.
Drake glanced back, a look of surprise and fear on his face, as I lunged at him with my claws. He rolled back his fleshy gums as if to bite me, but I was too quick and he had been taken by surprise. Swinging back my arm, I swiped at him, slicing his head from his body.
The wolf’s head spun away, and the
Similar Books
