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.

her belly, and he continued to pin her down. Melissa used her

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

victory. He then turned his attention to the house and climbed off Melissa. It was

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 to pull the trigger. While the men

let

dead, the others changed back, each being careful where they stepped. “Oh god,

have caused

do babe troubles. I’m a

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,

Lycanthrope Gordon. If you don’t take me to a hospital, we are both going to die,” she said and then

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 news in the nude. “You guys dispose of the bodies, then get the fuck out of here,” he ordered the others as he picked Mackenzie up in his arms and carried her to the door bridal

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

in

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

“I have no choice.”

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

lovingly. “I go to see you

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,

his way to tell him to

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

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. He couldn’t let them. If they ran Melissa’s DNA profile, they would realize she wasn’t human, and that

were all asking questions. How did he find Mackenzie? What had happened to her? Where the 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 the fact that he had washed the blood off. The pants were cover in blood, but not Melissa’s. This blood was from the human men. He would likely go to jail, but at the moment,

by waiting to see what they could

“Is she alive?” She

operating room,” Gordon informed them. The guys took Gordon aside and lowered their voices

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 federal

“You don’t think

maybe, but not years on the inside. We need a backup plan,” Darrell suggested.

to the house, drown it in gas and light a match. That will destroy

get the suspicion off you,”

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

been

said, sitting down, adjusting the scrubs the hospital staff had offered him when the police took his jeans. They

room. “She’s awake, but I must insist only two at a time in the room and don’t get her worked

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

doctor smiled. “Mother and son

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

to the maternity ward where Mackenzie had been 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

to 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