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.

out, slicing across her belly, and he continued to pin her down. Melissa used her hind legs to push Gordon away. She sent him flying a good three feet. They both recovered quickly and

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

throat out. Melissa’s body went limp as blood poured from her neck, making the dirt beneath them red mud. Gordon lifted his head and howled in victory. He then turned his attention to the house and climbed off Melissa.

They turned their guns on him, but they never got to pull the trigger. While the men were focused on Gordon, the others silently came up behind them from the back room.

Melissa wrapped her arms around him. Then she let go and

back, each being careful where they stepped.

have caused complications. Lewis, what

Lewis said quickly. “I don’t do babe troubles. I’m a

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 baby was going to die, and if he did not

both going to die,” she said and

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. The last thing he wanted was to be perp-walked on the morning

Stanton asked as they followed him outside. Gordon carried Mackenzie to the car the goons

said, placing her in the passenger seat then running around to the

Aster said with panic. “Look at you. They are going to arrest you.

“I have no choice.”

tears in her eyes. “Please, no. I’ve lost my mother, don’t

back, he caressed her face lovingly. “I go to see you grow up. What kind of father would I be if I didn’t

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

and pulled recklessly into the hospital emergency bay, blocking an ambulance. The paramedics came his way

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

would want to swab the blood for DNA samples. He couldn’t let them. If they ran Melissa’s DNA profile, they would realize she wasn’t human, and that would raise all sorts of questions he couldn’t answer. He went into the washroom, and with some

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

room under guard. Two uniformed cops stood by waiting to see what they could

seconds. “Is

them. The guys took Gordon 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

“You don’t think I can

maybe, but not years on the inside. We

house, drown it in gas and light

way to get the suspicion off

I am. So, you’re the head of the pack now. I don’t know how long I’ll be

been in

three hours,” Gordon said, sitting 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

but I must insist only two at

began, unsure if he wanted to know the answer to his

“Mother and son

joy. Not only did the baby live, but it was also a boy. Everyone

moved to after the surgery. Gordon knocked on the door and went in. Mackenzie’s bed was already in an upright position, and next to the bed was a small plastic cradle just big enough to hold their son. Richard hugged Mackenzie gently and kissed her

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