It was light when Evan opened his eyes, and he felt a deep, painful stinging in his chest. He tried to sit up on the bed, but the pain shot through his body, preventing him. He laid himself back down flat with his head against the pillow and wondered how he had gotten there.
A lot had happened last night, but he couldn't remember any of it. He only knew that it was a lot from the pain in his chest and the bloody bandages wrapped around his torso. As he labored to breathe, he felt the weakness in his body, and he knew that his health had been compromised.
Lunus tried to hide her disappointment as Evan explained that he would be unable to prevent Balthazar’s returning and would be forced to return to Malkouth with the rising of the moon. The pack would be waiting for him, and it was likely they wondered what had happened to him already, since he never returned from yesterday’s hunt.The Hunters were assigned to seven day cycles of service, and Lunus had filled her week’s requirement, so she would be off duty for several days. Even so, she was concerned about Evan. Balthazar may have been a monster, but Eva
He ran through the forest, his powerful paws sinking into the soft dirt of the dampened ground. The prints he left behind him were like that of a monster as he moved effortlessly through the night.It wasn't that he wanted this, but it was the life he was bound to live, and he would do his best to execute his charge with excellence.
It had been a quiet night in Banglador. The hunt had been no more successful, but the number of casualties was down considerably from the prior evening and the injuries the hunters sustained were much less severe.Her father considered it a strange occurrence that the wolves had fought so fiercely the night that Lunus had fallen from her horse, but she supposed that it was more likely to have been Evan's influence. If he really was holding the other wolves back f
Evan was pouring over the journals in the archives when Lunus found him. He looked up at the red headed lady and smiled."Lunus!" he greeted her gladly.
Andy Parsley laughed when Lunus and Evan came and asked him about Elkshire."I'm not surprised you don't know about it; I'm just amazed you've never heard of it," he said, still shaking his head and laughing. "Just shows you that Hollis isn't doing so good a job as he'd like to think he is. It's an old Kingsmen town in Altruon. Burned to the ground once some few hundred years ago, and a lot of folks died."
Jeremy Jensen, better known to the werewolves as Arfak, was a scrawny man with a big mouth and a bad attitude. Despite his small size and unimpressive appearance, the man was surprisingly strong. In the town, he had a reputation for trouble making. Among the wolves, he had a reputation for... other things. He had a great tendency to avoid work, and because of his position among the wolves, he rarely had need of it. There were always some among the Omegas ready to serve the Delta, even as men.
The circle shrank as the men began to descend on the two fighters, all in attendance swarming on Evan's position with a vile and unrivaled hatred.He punched one man, then another, fending them off, but there were too many of them for him to fight all at once. One man struck at him as another man held him back. He threw off the man who was restraining him and ducked down, allowing the other man to punch his companion in place of
Arthur Bayard was a man like Evan was. He was a man of power, well respected among men and wolves alike. To the people of the town, he was a successful businessman and a member of the town council, but to the wolves, he was Ba'reel, Balthazar's Beta.He dressed impeccably in a three piece suit with a long jacket and a gold watch chain strung across his vest between his pockets. His thick copper hair was neatly combed has he presented himself, as ever he did, as t
Lunus and Evan sat the next morning on the wooden platform of the tall gallows which the Hunters had erected speedily the night before. They had been given places of honor on the stage for their participation in the discovery of the cure and sat alongside Eccord, Howard, Arthur, and the other members of the Town Council. Before them all the town was gathered. Women held their children on their hips and men lifted their little ones high on their shoulders to see this amazing spectacle of justice. At last, the curse of Banglador would be broken and paid for! Evan tapped his fingers on his thigh with nervousness. Someone was missing, someone of note, and it had begun to bother him considerably. "Where is Ryan?" he whispered harshly towards Lunus. She shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. Arthur looked at them for a moment, overhearing, but he turned his ey
Ryan was quiet on the walk back towards the town. At the cave, he had rejoiced with Evan and Lunus as they shared what had been perhaps the happiest time of their lives. Freedom, at last they had freedom and what a release that was to each of them.There Ryan had been celebrating with them, joining in their laughter and glee, but it was different now. He wasn’t talking and his face looked a little more serious despite the fact that he was still smiling. There was a determined look on his face which glittered in his eyes like kindness, and Evan couldn’t help but watch him as they walked together through the forest now devoid of magic and mist.“Do you think we could come back, back to the town?” Lunus asked, wanting to get him talking again as much as she was genuinely curious.Ryan looked up at her. His smile broadened and his eyes lit. “Yes, of course!” he answered
"Ryan," Lunus breathed, and she looked at once with teary eyes to Evan.So, it wasn’t over.Jeremy’s body laid on the cold stone in front of him, his blood poured out upon the floor of the cave, and the red light illuminated the deathly scene as it danced within the darkness of the ground which swallowed them. The light brought with it an eerie reminder of all who had died there.There was the faint sound of drops falling from the altar, and Lunus looked up to see that some of Jeremy’s blood had splattered on the slab where Evan sat and mingled with his own. The mingled blood dripped down and fell to the ground. Then, all of the lights went out and the cave was filled at once with an almost tangible darkness.“Who goes there?” asked a voice from all around them. The tone of it was hollow and threatening.“Rya
Evan felt the pain of the bullet as it tore through his flesh. He felt the force of it shake him, and he doubled over in agony, grabbing the place of the wound, and stumbling back.He ordered Lunus to get down and pushed her back away from him, since he seemed to be the shooter's desired target. No matter what, he wouldn't let anything happen to her.He heard the gun cock. There were footsteps approaching, and he could see the vague silhouette of a man in the dim light of the red flashes. Then, there was another blast of the silver handgun, and he felt the touch of another bullet as it tore through his chest.He stumbled backwards and fell on the altar, grasping at the stones.He screamed in agony. The pain was so excruciating it was debilitating. He breathed in deeply and unevenly, each touch of air hurting.
The neighing of the horses and the cries of the Hunters were like needles in the wolves' ears as they approached, charging at them with a special gusto, probably brought on by the knowledge that this would be their final hunt."Don't think this is the end, Balthazar! I'll get you yet!" Arfak vowed as he backed away, running off into the forest and calling on his wolves to follow.Evan wasn't sure if he should be angry or relieved. Arfak and his wolves had gotten better. They were both more coordinated and more powerful. They moved as a team now, instead of a mob. Still, he thought he could haven beaten them and saved the town some trouble.They had to die. All of the spirits had to be released without a place for them to dwell. With nowhere to move to, no host to take them, no body to control, they would be forced to disperse and return to the forest... to Malkouth. He
Evan was watching the crowd from his place near the gates of the town, careful to keep himself hidden, and he knew that Lunus was doing the same. He listened to Ryan's words with a peculiar fire growing in his chest. It was the ignition of hope, causing him to want to jump up and scream for gladness, but this was not the time for such an open display of joy and exuberance. No. To the contrary, this was a time to watch the scene from the shadows in silence.Ryan had instructed them to wait. They would break the curse together over the stones where the covenant was made. That way, they would keep their cover, and after... Evan supposed that they would run away. He could not see any alternative to that, even here. They were still wanted. He had crimes he had to answer for, and so... they would have to run. It wasn't the happy ending he had wanted, or even an ideal one, but it was one which offered life to the two of them... and a l
He was sitting with his hands folded and on his face he wore a dastardly grin when Hollis arrived at the judges’ table.“Councilman!” Ryan said, throwing his hands determinedly down on the table in front of him.The mayor was well on his way to introducing him as the next speaker, and Ryan
They stayed for some days in Gelsome before departing, Ryan having come up with a plan to set the townsmen free from the curse their ancestors' error and the wolves along with it. So, Evan and Lunus enjoyed the time of their waiting with joy filled gratitude for the marvelous sights of this mountain town which seemed so far from all their problems in the midst of its foreign attraction.The plan was this: that they not return to Banglador until the time of the bicentennial. Doing so would afford them a few advantages.
The last thing Evan remembered was walking into the lobby of the Gelsome Inn with Ryan Hollis, who had walked up to the desk clerk and asked about a room. While they were talking, he had also asked the man about Lunus, and he had assured the two of them that she was, in fact, a guest there. That was good news. What wasn’t good news was whatever had happened to his eyesight.Evan Marshal had been curiously examining the unfamiliar craftsmanship of the wooden beams and decorations which the brightly lit lobby proudly displayed amidst its grand staircase and crystal cha