Beautiful Creatures Series

Another wave of pain washed over Mackenzie, and she cried out. Tears streamed down her face as she begged her captors to let her go. They had been talking about how they were going to kill her. They wanted to torture her, but she was already in so much pain they did not know what they could do to her that would be worse. They spent the day debating it. By evening they decided to dismember her piece by piece while she was still alive. Gorge took out a cigar cutter from his pocket and slipped Mackenzie’s finger through the hole. He was telling her how he was going to start by cutting off every finger and toe one by one.

Before he could sever her finger, a blood curtailing howl echoed through the mountains outside, followed by others. They sounded so close, like they were right outside the door. Gorge walked away, and all four men and Melissa went to the living room window. Mackenzie could not see out the window from where she was, but she smiled nonetheless because she knew Gordon was outside.

“Holy shit, look at the size of those wolves,” one of the goons gasped.

“They are bigger than you said they would be?” Donald snapped with anger.

“Just shoot to kill,” Melissa barked back. Those bullets will do the trick.

“Oh, hey, look,” Gorge said, pointing out the window. “They are leaving, all but the black one.”

“They aren’t leaving,” Melissa said. “They are circling the house.”

Mackenzie began to laugh despite the pain. “What the fuck are you laughing at?” One of the goons growled at her.

“Didn’t she tell you, morons, how Meskler died?” The men looked at Melissa with question, then back at Mackenzie, who was now watching them with a menacing smile. “That wolf outside literally ripped him apart. You motherfuckers are already dead,” another wave of pain took her, and Mackenzie threw her head back and cried out in pain. They all looked back out at the wolf who still stood there howling.

“Why does he keep doing that?” Donald asked.

“He’s communicating with the others. Telling them what to do,” Melissa said.

“What is he telling them to do?”

“He’s telling them to cover all the exits and wait.”

“Wait?” Donald barked. “What the hell are they waiting for?”

“They are waiting for me. Gordon’s calling me out,” Melissa said, undressing as she backed up from the window.

“What are you doing?” Gorge asked.

“Gordon came looking for a fight. I’m going to give him what he wants.”

“Alone.”

“Don’t worry. Putting this bitch down is my specialty,” she said as her eyes lit up, and she changed into a white wolf before everyone’s eyes. The wolf ran forward and busted through the glass window out into the yard. Broken shards flew through the air and came to rest scattered across the floor. All four men stood at the window to watch the scene outside. Mackenzie hung her head in one of the brief reprieves before another bout of pain consumed her once more. He looked down at the blood on her legs. She closed her eyes and prayed for Gordon to kill them fast because she needed a hospital. She was losing the baby.

***

Gordon stood in the yard with the others. He knew from the smell Mackenzie was inside. He could hear her crying out in pain. Wanting to spare her the pain, he howled to announce his presence, hoping it would be enough to distract the men from hurting her. Right after he howled, the others did the same in a show of unity. Gordon looked one way and then the other. The other understood, and they dispersed, slowly circling the house to make sure no one tried to flee. The men inside were going to pay for their part in this.

Gordon remained where he was, waiting for Melissa to come out. She was a real threat, and he needed to deal with her first. Gordon howled again, calling Melissa out. He could see movement inside, then the glass broke, and Melissa stood in front of Gordon, her white fur shimmering in the moonlight.

Slowly they circled one another. He knew Melissa was expecting him to lay down as he did when she used to smack him around, but things had changed. Gordon no longer cared what his father had taught him. This time he would stand his ground. Tonight, one of them died.

leg. He swiped at her with his claws out, slicing across her belly, and he continued to pin her

get behind him, jumping onto Gordon’s back. He bit down on his neck and dug her claws into his side so she could hold on while Gordon tried to buck her off. When he couldn’t shake her, Gordon rolled, crushing Melissa between himself and the ground. It had been enough to shake her. They both got up and went at it once more. They tussled and rolled around in the dirt, flipping and

the dirt beneath them red mud. Gordon lifted his head and howled in victory. He then turned his

cut at the pads of his paws. He did not pay attention to the pain; he was focused on the men that were backing away. They turned their guns on him, but they never got

arms around him. Then she let go and held her belly as she screamed again. Looking down, Gordon could see the blood on her legs, and his worse fears were realized. Mackenzie was losing the baby. The taser had caused

the others changed back, each being careful where they stepped. “Oh god, what did they do

tasered Mackenzie. It must have caused complications. Lewis, what

do babe troubles. I’m a medic, not a

the window at Melissa’s body, which had reverted back to its human form in death. She was his only midwife, and he had just killed her. His

you don’t take me to a hospital, we are both going to die,”

right. But he was covered in blood that was not his. HE would be arrested. But if he did not take her, Mackenzie would die. Gordon ran over to Gorge’s body and stripped his pants off, then put them on himself to cover his nudity.

followed him outside. Gordon carried Mackenzie to the car the goons had

taking Mackenzie to the hospital,” he said, placing her in the passenger seat then

with panic. “Look at you. They are going to arrest you. You’ll go to

“I have no choice.”

Aster yelled with tears in her eyes. “Please, no. I’ve lost my mother, don’t make me lose

face lovingly. “I go to see you grow up. What kind of father would I

she understood his sacrifice. He kissed Aster’s cheek goodbye and told her he was proud of her, then he got in the car, tore open the steering column and hotwired the car. Mackenzie looked at him questioningly, wondering how he knew how to hotwire a car. Gordon offered her a half-hearted grin. “I stole a few cars in my youth. Let’s get

ambulance. The paramedics came his way to tell him to move, but

laid her on a gurney while the other started an IV. They brought Mackenzie inside and instantly. She was surrounded by four nurses as they fast-tracked her to the operating room. Gordon was right at her side, keeping pace while they took her up to the third floor and wheeled her into an operating room. Seconds later, two doctors came running down the hall and into the

room down the hall. He paced the hall like a madman ignoring the security guard as he asked Gordon questions like why he was half-naked and covered in blood. He knew the cops weren’t far away, and they would want to swab the blood for DNA samples.

men that took her were? Why was Gordon covered in blood when he arrived? Was it all Mackenzie’s blood? They took his pants for evidence complaining about

room under guard. Two uniformed cops stood by waiting to see what they could arrest him for when Aster, the

“Is she alive?” She

aside and lowered their voices so the cops couldn’t hear them. “Did you clean up?” Gordon

that house. The cops are going to find it, and they’re going to blame this on you. You’re going to go to jail for murder. That’s hard time in

don’t think

maybe, but not years on the inside. We need a backup

it in gas and light a

get the suspicion off you,” Darrell

I am. So, you’re the head of the pack now. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, so I’m stepping down and conceding to you without a fight. The pack

long has Mackenzie been in

down, adjusting the scrubs the hospital staff had offered him when the police took his jeans. They all waited for Mackenzie to come out of

must insist only two at a time in the room and don’t get her worked up. She’s in stable condition, but that could change if she

wanted to know the answer to

smiled. “Mother and son are

lit up with joy. Not only did the baby live,

bed was already in an upright position, and next to the bed was a small plastic cradle just big enough to hold

the cradle and looked at his son. He was beautiful. He looked normal. Ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, no tail. He had a thick patch of dark locks. Gordon carefully picked him up and held him in his arms. Instinctually the baby wrapped his little hand around Gordon’s finger. His little eyes opened partly, and Gordon could see he had the same amber eyes as any Lycanthrope. He couldn’t help wondering just how much of him was Lycanthrope and how much was mortal. He had to have the same powers the others had because he was three months early yet strong and breathing on his own. The hospital staff