All Hallows' Eve (Halloween Vault 2)

Howl

Go into the woods they dared.

The taunts echoed inside Cato's pointed ears.

The little werewolf prowled on the mossy forest floor. Tall birch trees loomed over him like giants. He ignored them in silence. Behind him, city lights faded in darkness with each step the creature took.

The gleaming lights were not the only things Cato left in the far distance.

Wild imagination overtook Cato's mind.

"I bet you can't ever find you-know-what," grinned the red-furred Angel. Two of his goonies surrounded Cato. 

Three bullies stared down at Cato. He narrowed his golden eyes back at them. 

"Go ahead!"explaimed Cato, "I dare you say it!"

The larger bully's grin flickered for a moment before reforming itself back.

"The Beast of Gevaudan"

A low growl escaped between the monster's teeth.

Even Cato shuddered at its name. 

Tales of the Beast were always uttered in the most hushed tones from his grandfather.

Only two wolves of Desert Moon Pack had long lived to whisper the tale of the unlikely survival.

They say that the Beast eats werewolves for all meals of the day: breakfast, lunch, and supper.

"Now it is my turn to be the next survivor," whispered the white-pelted creature. 

Faint smells of moss numbed the werewolf. 

His eyes began to close while his small hind paws slowed down. 

Before he could lay down, something was strange in the air.

Cato's black nose twitched at this unfamiliar scent.

It was not old musk from the elderly nor was the ale from the bullies.

It was the sickly odor of death.

Cato felt a twisted knot in his stomach as loud thumps pounded into the soil. He breathed as his claws came out. The werewolf bared out his pointed teeth.

Don't get scared now! thought Cato while shifting his body around. 

Beyond the trees, no one was there.

"Come on, Angel!" shouted Cato, "Whatever you think it is, it is not funny!"

His shout faded into the dark. 

No snickers came behind the trees.

His ears twitched for any sound.

Before the wolf shifter knew it, a twig snapped behind. 

He turned before a strong whiff of death breath in front.

The werewolf's eyes widened.

Standing on four long furry legs, it was here.

It was big as a human man. The beast had long gray fur that gleamed in the dark of the night. Deadly black claws curved into the earth. Razor-sharp yellow teeth were bared along with deep snarls. One silver eye and one blue eye focused on its new target. Its thick two tails twiched in anticipation.

Shaky breaths passed between Cato's teeth. The werewolf crept back by one tiny step at a time. Large paws thumped against the dirt. 

It didn't took Cato long to find himself  slipped down the hill. He tumbled while feeling sick with fear and dread. He could hear the chilling howl in the autumn air. He felt his body shifted into painful spasms.

They stopped when Cato was slammed into the flat bottom surface. He felt himself shivering in the cold. His eyes glanced down at his paws, no not paws. Human hands.