Five
The beast had transformed into the Shadow Walker when it had regained consciousness. It followed the trail that the truck had left behind, knowing that it would find them again.
A kind of sadistic gratification filled it. So, the woman was strong in an unusual way. What a nice surprise! It would be good to feed off of her life-force. Such energy was rare among humans. But, then, she was special. She would have to be to gain the attention of one as strong as their opponent.
A feeling of satisfaction filled it as it continued along its way. It would bide its time. Let the warrior get closer to his mate. Let him begin to truly appreciate what he had. It would make it that much sweeter when the time came to take her. The pain would be excruciating to him and that much more delicious to it.
In its shadow form, it crept slowly across the land, watching for any that might be an appropriate snack to fill its need. It needed a soul. It ached for the panic that struck when the spirit was being taken over; Hungered for it in fact. The cry of agony that came from its victims fed it and made it stronger.
As if the universe was answering the mists desire, it gave him its first human victim. Unconscious of the danger, the man, getting his morning exercise, rode his bike directly into the fog, not paying it any attention.
The acidic texture of the cloud became more solid. It closed in around him and devoured him hungrily. When the shadow passed, the bike lay forgotten on the side of the trail.
The body of the man was no more. It had become another source of energy for the Shadow Walker to feed off of; and yet another form that could be used by the monster.
* * *
When Copper opened her eyes, she stared at the colors of the coverlet for several minutes. Pale and darker blues mixed together with tans and browns, making the Indian quilt quite pleasing to the eye. Sleepily, she stroked her hand across the top of the blanket before coming fully awake, wondering what she was doing in a bed in the first place.
She had gone to sleep in the truck. Keltan had offered to drive the rest of the way. She knew he was driving when she closed her eyes, but now, she found herself in a bed with soft cotton sheets the color of midnight.
The pillow under her head was soft and made her just want to snuggle deeper and go back to sleep. But the panic of being in a strange bed made her want to find out where the hell she was. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to sit up and take in her surroundings.
The bed was just a double; nothing fantastically spectacular. The coverlet was soft tweed that did truly resemble an old, authentic Indian blanket. The different colors of blue and tan built into the weave were soothing and pleasant. As she examined the blanket, she noticed her jeans lay at the foot of the bed. Folded and placed there with care.
Baffled, she stared uncomprehending for a few minutes before it dawned on her that she had nothing save her t-shirt on. Gasping, she pulled the covers away from her body and stared at her naked lower half for a split second before shrieking.
Sliding from the bed as if it was a frying pan, she grabbed her jeans and pulled them back on. “Oh my God! How in the hell did he even bring me in here without waking me? I’m a light sleeper!” she ranted to herself, not knowing if she felt more violated because he had halfway undressed her, or cheated because she had not been awake to enjoy it. She pulled on the jeans and buttoned up the fly with more force than necessary, feeling her frustration lessen just a little when she wasn’t so exposed.
Sighing, she looked around the room. Well, she thought to herself, at least he lives in a real house. She smirked. Too bad she couldn’t tease him about being a Neanderthal like his other brothers of the Order.
