“Open! This! Door!” Mathias’ voice rang clearly from the other side of the door and I thought he might rip it completely from its hinges if the Johnson’s didn’t hurry. It wasn’t a normal door either. When I said the basement was more like a bunker I wasn’t kidding. The door was like the kind you see on TV that secure bank vaults.
Christopher unblocked it and scrambled to get out of the way. He wasn’t fast enough though. He caught the edge of the door, knocking him off his feet as Mathias threw it opened and stormed in.
Mathias was in wolfman form but he looked like vengeance come to strike us down. I wondered how anyone stood against such an awesome spectacle. He did a quick scan of the room, nostrils flaring and muscles rippling. I was almost frightened for Christopher and Kyle who were within arms length. “Why weren’t you watching for me?” he demanded.
“Because you told us not to. You didn’t want it to upset her,” Christopher said, still on the floor, not attempting to get up.
Mathias nodded but I’m not sure how much he actually heard. His gaze had fallen on David and I in the opposite doorway. For a moment he looked frozen, just taking us in then his muscles ground to life with the power and urgency of an oncoming freight train. I couldn’t help but take an involuntary step back.
David is either the bravest or stupidest guy I’ve ever met because for the second time in as many days, he threw himself in front of me, putting himself between Mathias and what he wanted. He didn’t say anything this time. He just threw his arms up in front of himself and cringed, bracing for impact.
Anger flashed across Mathias’ face but he stopped just short of taking David out. It looked like he was going to roar and swat David out of his way but he didn’t. He just looked at his friend standing there, confusion softening his features.
David took a small step back and then another to the side clearing the path toward me. Mathias reached an arm toward me and took a deep breath. All the air rushed out of him in an exhausted animalistic snort and he sank to his knees. David lunged for him, catching him before he collapsed completely.
He lowered Mathias to the ground and I know I wasn’t supposed to touch him, but when I saw David’s shirt covered in Mathias’ blood, there was nothing and no one who could have stopped me. I rushed around David, pulling Mathias’ massive head into lap and pressing my hands to the jagged gash on his ribs.
The Johnsons’ both looked horrified. “Go!” I snarled. “Get Elizabeth!” My tone snapped them out of their stupor and they both looked at me with raised brows before vanishing into the stairway. I counted their thundering footsteps to keep myself calm. I couldn’t think about what would happen if Elizabeth couldn’t get to Mathias quick enough.
David placed his hand over mine and looked me in the eye. “It’s gonna be alright, Case.”
“I can’t lose him already, David. I just found him.”
“He’s not going anywhere,” Elizabeth said from the door. She glided into the room followed by four wolfmen, two of which I was pretty sure were Christopher and Kyle based on their coloring and size.
Elizabeth snapped her fingers and pointed to Mathias and the four wolfmen surrounded us. Each one took a corner and slipped their hands under Mathias. “Ready?” Kyle asked, looking at me. I nodded and followed as they stood up, keeping my hands pressed tightly to his injury.
“Let’s move,” Elizabeth said. They moved quickly, but kept a pace that I could keep up with. We moved as one, scaling the steps and maneuvering through the house. It only took a couple of minutes to reach a miniature version of a hospital emergency room.
YOU ARE READING
A Tail of Stars
FantasyThere is nothing average or ordinary about Casey Miller's life. She has no illusions about that. She's been having visions since she was six. At seventeen these waking dreams have become so intense and overpowering they have put her in danger, lu...
