The Predator and His Prey

Chapter Sixteen

Jade inched towards her bedroom door, carefully listening as she held the white table lamp tightly in her hands. She had heard the pounding on her door, something trying to break through, someone trying to break through. She knew it was him, Dominik, because there was no one else in the loft with them. But then suddenly, as she cowered behind the bathroom door, scared of what he would do if he broke through, the noise stopped. As suddenly as it started, it ended. She waited, with baited breath for any sounds, any signs. But none came. Silence. For five, then ten, then fifteen minutes.

She pushed the ottoman aside, carefully straining her ears to try and hear. But there was nothing but silence as she moved the dresser next. She waited, lamp held up over her head ready to strike, but no one came through the door. She pulled it back slowly, listening, the soft sound of air reaching her ears. She pulled the door back more, peeking around the edge of it, searching for the man but there was nothing.

Nothing but a brown wolf. A brown wolf bleeding from its head. A brown wolf laying in front of her door.

"What the hell?" She whispered the words, her eyes wide as the blood from the wolf pooled on the hardwood floor. "How did a wolf get in here?"

The animal stirred, its leg kicking out absently as the eyes remained closed. It whimpered softly, the blood still pooling. She knew she should be scared, there was a wild animal in the loft. Yet as she watched the injured animal, unconscious as far as she could tell, bleeding out onto the floor, she didn't feel danger. She felt pity for the animal and knew without help that it would die. She couldn't call anyone, there was no phone in the loft, and Dominik had made sure of that. She was sure his cell phone was with him, where ever he was.

I am an idiot. This just confirms it.

She inched around the wolf, inching towards the small powder room beside the kitchen. She started the tap and ran a towel under it, soaking it wet before she pulled another large black towel off the shelf. She inched back towards the wolf, carefully watching it, before she went to her knees beside it.

"I am going to clean you up. You are bleeding and I don't want you to die. Maybe if I save you, you won't eat me?" She asked the wolf, knowing full well she wouldn't get an answer. It wasn't like the animal could even understand her even if it wasn't unconscious.

How the hell is there a wolf in the loft? Is this why he locks me up? He has a pet wolf?

She placed the dry towel on the bleeding wound, pressing firmly so to try and stop the bleeding. She had no idea how long the animal had been there, injured. She wondered where Dominik had gone, how he left her alone in the apartment with a wolf.

She lifted the towel off the wound to see if it was still bleeding, happy to see it had stopped. She took the wet towel and began to clean up the wound, unsure how she was even supposed to dress a head wound on an animal. The animal shifted again, its leg kicking out, shaking. She watched the animal, wondering if it was going to wake up soon, but it was still out. But suddenly the dark fur was shrinking.

She stared, confused and unsure as she continued to stare at the dark fur, as slowly it began to recede into the animal. She moved back away from the animal, her eyes wide as she continued to stare, unsure what the hell she was even staring at. Slowly, the fur was almost gone and cracks were echoing through the quiet loft. Cracks as the wolf arched its back and stretched it legs, the fur still receding as soon fur was gone and skin took its place. And once there was a wolf now laid Dominik. She opened her mouth and screamed.

"Shut up!" He snarled out the words as he sat up, a hand going to his head. Jade was pressed firmly against the wall, far away from this... this... she had no words for what he was.