THE CURSE : Safe & Sound/Part 4 by scongrove |
Previously. . .
Suddenly, lurking from out of the shadows came several hulking wolfish creatures with dark matted fur and elongated snouts. Their long, protruding canines reminded Jace of a saber-toothed tiger. As they stalked closer, he noticed they had some sort of metal contraption attached to them. It resembled a dog’s collar with strange electrical wires. And that’s when he began to question Jena’s theory. Could silver really kill those things? With the Glock in his grasp, he pondered on whether to bring forth his Beast or just go ahead and start plugging them full of holes. But before he made up his mind, one of the creatures—the largest of the mix—charged forward, snapping its jaws. Continued. . . That’s when Jena made her move. She lunged at the creature with lightning speed, pinioning it to the ground. In a matter of seconds, she had its wolflike head between her massive jaws. When she bit down, its skull split open like the sound of an egg cracking. Jace and his comrades-in-arms merely watched in amazement as Jena tossed the lifeless creature aside like it was nothing more than a flimsy doll. While she ripped into the throat of another unholy beast, Nicolas vanished in thin air. It was like magic. When he reappeared, he was standing behind one of the creatures who was about to attack Jena from the rear. In the blink of an eye, he quickly wrapped his arms around the creature’s neck. As it struggled to get free, he tightened his grip. Sounds of bones breaking filled the air. The moment Nicolas let go, its limp carcass collapsed to the ground in a heap. A sudden fury rose from deep within Roman as he witnessed the bloody scene right before his own eyes. Anger pumped the Adalwolf blood through his body, infusing him with a burst of fiery rage. His body expanded and grew twice its size. Powerful muscles bulged atop his chest and claws jutted from his hands and feet. Instantly, Roman was no longer human. A hybrid of some kind. Half-man and half-wolf. With all the strength he could muster, he grabbed one of the four-legged creatures by the torso and flipped it on its back. It fought like hell to get up, but Roman was a force not to be reckoned with. He twisted its neck at such an unnatural angle, the bones snapped and popped. He nearly severed the things head. It seemed every person present—except for Jace and Jem, who maintained Manuel and Frank’s safety—were engaging in war. In the midst of chaos surrounding them, Drakon and Tim fought against the remaining savage beasts with unbelievable strength and agility. It wasn’t long before the howls of their enemies turned into defeated whimpers, until finally, there was nothing but dead silence. That’s when Jena noticed something odd. The creatures—who were no longer moving, much less breathing—did not shift back to their human bodies. They remained in their ghastly wolf-like forms. Jace clapped. “That was freakin’ awesome, guys.” His outburst drew everyone’s attention. “And just think, you did it without the Beast.” “Don’t get too comfortable,” Manuel spoke out. “We’re not done yet. I’m sure there’s more of those things where we’re going.” “Then what are we waiting for?” Jace grabbed the duffel bag Drakon had brought and slung it over his shoulder. “Sooner we get this over with, the better.” “I don’t understand.” Jena’s voice was rough, almost as deep as a man’s. “The creatures…” She slightly tilted her head, staring down at the fallen beasts. “Why did they not shift back?” Jem came forward and stood next to Jena. “You mean shift back human?” Jena lifted her chin with a nod. “Did the creatures you encountered earlier in the tunnel shift back?” asked Jem. “Yes.” She nodded again. “I don’t know,” Frank muttered in a sympathetic tone. “Maybe it’s better this way.” Manuel glanced over all the dead and dismembered carcasses. “Not for their families. In this condition, we’ll never be able to identify who they were.” Jem put a comforting hand on Frank’s shoulder. “There’s nothing we can do now. We better get on the move.” It didn’t take long before they came upon the opening of the underground passageway. By what Jena had experienced, once they climbed down, it would take approximately an hour to get to their destination. But eventually, it would lead them straight into the heart of A&E Pharmaceuticals. Frank shuttered as he stared down into the dark hole. The thought of running into more of those hideous creatures created an uneasy feeling. “Maybe if we’re lucky, those things back there were the last of their kind.” Jace pointedly looked at Frank with an arched brow. “Well so far, our luck is proving otherwise. But don’t fret it, Detective. I’ve got your back.” Frank’s breath hitched as Tim trotted up to him and pawed at the ground. Shortly after, Drakon—who was far bigger and more terrifying than Tim’s Breedline wolf—slid in next to Manuel with a low growl. Acknowledging the tense expression on Frank’s face, Jace reached out and gave him a comforting pat on the back. “Looks like you guys are pretty much covered by all sides, wouldn’t you say?” “Yeah,” Frank nervously said, looking over at the gigantic wolf who stood beside him with glowing eyes and a mouth chalked full of razor-sharp teeth. “And I’m pretty damn grateful you guys are on our side.” Nicolas threw his arm around Jena, his fingers stroking through the dark, coarse hairs still covering her wolfish form. “We better get moving.” He averted his eyes from her and looked to the others. “You guys want me to lead the way?” Jace motioned Nicolas forward. “Be my guest.” Jena peered down into the dark pit that seemed to go on for miles. When she lifted her head, she gave Nicolas a slight nod. As soon as he shined a flashlight in the opening and started to make his way down into the narrow cavity, Jena stuck close by. The minute Roman stepped up, readying himself to go next, he started to shift back into his human form. By the time he completely transformed, he stood barefoot, shirtless, and his pants were split down the seams. “Damn,” Jace blurted, eyeballing Roman’s ripped jeans. “Looks like you’re hanging by a thread there, buddy.” “Tell me about it.” Roman exhaled an aggravated sigh. “But at least I still have my pants.” Jace chuckled. “Yeah, barely.” Roman shrugged it off and began to climb his way down. “Okay, Detectives,” Jace said, standing near the opening. “You two are up next.” Manuel slowly lowered himself onto the steep stairwell and started to climb downward on shaky legs, cursing under his breath. Jace looked down at Manuel. “You’re not afraid of heights are you, Detective?” Manuel glanced up slit-eyed and muttered, “Smartass.” Jace grinned, realizing he’d hit a nerve with the detective, and proceeded to help Frank. As Frank descended lower, Jem accompanied in behind, leaving Jace with Drakon and Tim. “Well guys,” said Jace. “Better get shifting fast. There’s no way you’ll make it down those stairs in your current condition.” He tossed the duffel bag that contained extra clothes and weapons. It landed with a thud between Drakon’s humongous paws. “Let’s go.” He snapped his fingers. “Time is ticking.” To be continued. . .
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