Chasing Wolves (completed)

Prologue

Prologue

After our lips part we just stare into each other's eyes as everyone continues to cheer around us. We did it; we're married! A sound cuts through the night from outside, a vaguely familiar, utterly haunting howl. "Everyone! Quiet!" There's silence in an instant and I'm grateful for it as I follow the noise outside, stopping as I look straight ahead into the forest- into a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The wind shifts and my mouth fills with bile as I try not to gag from the rancid stench.

If I wasn't sure before I am now.

Pitching my voice low so that only my companions can hopefully hear, "Rob, don't argue. Take Lanny, Brad, and Em into the basement and don't you dare come out until we come and get you. 4265. Do you understand? Go!" I turn around quickly to make sure he was within ear shot and see him staring at me from right behind me, surprise mixed with terror as he takes in my appearance. I've drawn my daggers and I know there must be some sort of... murderous intent in my grey eyes (its too bright out here even with my normal night vision and that's exactly what I'm feeling).

If he's this frightened by me there's no way he'll be able to handle what's about to happen.

Turning back almost in the same second I come face to face with a werewolf. I know I've been told just how huge they are but seeing one of them for real, towering over me, is a whole lot different. It has to be at least... ten feet tall? It's body is covered in scraggly, matted brown fur and its teeth glint yellow along with its eyes. In some distant part of my mind I liken it to the werewolves from Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman. I chuckle at my word play- Lycans are werewolves from one of my other favorite movies- and everyone looks at me like I'm insane.

I pay no attention to them, instead only focusing on the monstrosity before me, and don't breathe as it howls in my face. Once it's done I breathe and the smell of decay still lingers in the air, making my eyes water.

Taking advantage of its slightly stooped position, I lunge towards it and jump to its knee before latching a hand in the hair of its neck and twisting around so that I'm now straddling the back of its neck. Remembering the few weak spots it has I lean forward and plunge a dagger into the soft flesh at the base of its jaw, twisting and slicing it all the way across to the other spot.

It howls in agony and blood spurts through the wound, showering onto the ground and the hem of my dress. Shouldn't that have killed it? I don't have time to think as it gives a particularly violent sudden that almost rocks me from it. This whole time it's been flailing around, trying to escape my clutches, but only now does it almost succeed.

I thrust my other dagger into its temple, pushing until all but the hilt is lodged into its brain. It instantly stills and a second later falls forward like a giant limp doll with me on its back. I cling to the fur on its shoulders and when it lands I use the momentum from the crash to propel myself into a spring, landing on my feet nose to nose with Lin.

Everyone has identical looks of shock as I look to everyone trying, and blessedly failing, to see Rob or the kids. At least they're safe. It takes me a second to realize no one's acknowledged me, everyone just continuing to stare in terror over my shoulders.

Turning, I'm met with nearly a hundred yellow orbs glowing at us, watching us, from the tree line.