David Dalglish - Night of Wolves

Jerico’s face paled, he swallowed, but he nodded.

“I’m sorry,” Darius said, unsure if it were truth or lie.

“Go help Jim and his wagon. And Darius…thank you.”

A cruel, chaotic world, thought Darius. What greater proof could he need?

“J acob Wheatley bent over beside the wheelbarrow in his garden, swearing at each passing moment. He yanked and tore at the zucchini and winter squash. The tiny hairs on their sides poked his hands, and several cuts bled along his thumbs and palm. Under the best circumstances he wasn’t a patient man, and today he had even less time to be careful. The wolf-men were coming, and the whole town was turning yellow and running.

“Can’t believe Jeremy’s such a bloody coward,” he muttered. “Would probably tuck his dick between his legs and run from a fucking rabbit if it bared its teeth.”

“They ain’t no rabbits,” said Perry, son of his neighbor, Jim Douglas. Jacob usually paid the boy a few coppers to help with his harvest, along with a bottle of shine his father knew nothing about. The two had already filled one wheelbarrow, dumped it back at his house, and come back for a second load.

“Shit, I know that, son. I was there with everyone else when we stepped into the wedge. We were in their land, at night, and we still gave as good as we got. Thank the gods those paladins were there, though. I mean, you should have seen what Gary looked like before the redheaded one could heal…hey, you listening?”

Perry stood straight, a yellow squash still in his hand. His eyes scanned the distance with an intensity that riled up the snakes in Jacob’s stomach.

“I said you listening?” he asked, louder.

“I saw something. There. I’m sure of it.”

“What could you be seeing?” Jacob asked, looking. He saw the edge of his garden, then the long stretch of hills, followed by the slender forest. “There ain’t nothing out there.”

“I was sure, ” Perry insisted.

“And I was sure Tessie would marry me if I bought her a ring. Sometimes we’re so sure of something we don’t realize how stupid we are. At least that tease ended up with Noel. Don’t tell your pap, but I hear his dick’s the size of a…”

“There!”

Jacob stood a second time, and he followed Perry’s outstretched arm. This time he did see a vague shape, but only for a few heartbeats before it sank back into the grass.

“What the fuck was that?” asked Jacob.

“Dog maybe? Looked gray…”

“Dog?” Jacob felt his blood chill. “How big a dog, you think?”

Perry realized what he thought, and he paled.

“It’s daylight,” he said, as if that should mean anything.

Jacob glanced behind him. In the far distance was his house, and several hundred yards beyond, the Douglas home. He could make out vague shapes in front of their porch, no doubt Jim trying to fix that damn wagon of his. He’d made excuses all summer, and now he was learning a hard lesson about putting off until tomorrow what you should have done two weeks ago.

“It’s a long run,” Jacob said, his voice low. “But we might have to do it anyway. You still watching?”

“Yeah.”

Jacob knelt and pulled a few more squashes, struggling to not look alert.

“You just act like you’re catching your breath. Wait for it to move again. Don’t stare at it, you idiot. Look away. Use the corner of your eye, as if you’re trying to peep down a girl’s blouse without her knowin’ it.”

Perry’s neck went red, but he nodded and tried to obey. Jacob counted the seconds, wishing the damn thing, whatever it was, would hurry up and make its move.

“It crawled again,” Perry said suddenly. “Shit, it’s big.”

“It stopped?”

“Yeah.”

“Then run like the wind, boy.”

Jacob stood, grabbed the handles of his wheelbarrow, and ran. Perry had the shorter legs, but he was a wiry boy and unencumbered. Gradually he pulled ahead. Jacob felt the wheelbarrow jostle in his hands. His vegetables would be bruised beyond recognition, but by the gods he wasn’t leaving them behind. It was a matter of pride. He glanced back once, hoping to be revealed an idiot, to see nothing behind him but his empty garden.

A gray wolf-man loped after them, its back bent, its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth.

“Fuck!” he shouted, turning back around. “Run, goddamn it, Perry, run! ”

But the boy was getting tired, his short legs working double-time to keep pace, and they were only halfway down the path toward his home. For a moment he considered tossing Perry into the wheelbarrow, but he knew that’d only get them both killed. No time…no time! He slowed, then stopped completely.

“Jacob?” Perry asked, whirling about. His eyes widened, and Jacob knew he saw their pursuer.

“You not hear me? I said run, you twat, now run!”

Perry obeyed. Swallowing his fear, Jacob turned to face the wolf-man. It was closing the distance between them with horrifying speed. Giddy laughter bubbled up from his belly, and he couldn’t hold it in. Here he was, facing off against one of the most terrifying creatures of all Dezrel, and his only weapon was a wheelbarrow. He was fucked. Totally, completely fucked.

The wolf-man seemed to share the sentiment, for it howled with joy just before leaping at him. Jacob dropped to his knees, ramming his arms against the wheelbarrow’s handles. It pivoted into the air on the back braces. In mid-jump, the wolf couldn’t change its angle in time. It rammed its chest against the front, which crumpled inward with a metallic groan. Its momentum killed, it fell back onto its hind legs, the wheelbarrow tipping over onto its side. Jacob dove for it, curling his legs to his chest as he lay atop a pile of vegetables.

Snarling, the wolf-man yanked the remnants of his wheelbarrow off him, removing whatever defense he had. Still laughing, Jacob swung the biggest squash he could find. It smacked against the wolf-man’s nose. Blood sprayed across him, and he wondered what had made the crunching noise, the thing’s nose or the shattered squash in his hand. As the wolf staggered back, swinging its head back and forth in a daze, Jacob took to his feet and ran. He knew it would only be a few extra seconds, but he had to try. In the brief moment, he realized he couldn’t see Perry, and he figured that enough of a victory. The boy would survive, at least longer than Jacob was going to. If the entire pack had come early, then they were all destined for a stay in a cramped belly.

When the wolf-man hit him, it felt like a sledgehammer had slammed his back. He flew through the air, his arms and legs waving wildly. The ground rushed toward him, and it seemed like his legs couldn’t find purchase to keep running. He braced his fall best he could, then rolled along the rough ground. As rocks tore into his skin, he screamed. It felt like his back was on fire. When he came to a stop, the wolf-man towered over him, blood trickling down its nose and onto its yellow teeth.

“I’ll eat you slowly,” it said, its hot breath washing over him. “I’ll eat you alive.”

“Shut up and do it,” Jacob said. The world seemed to swirl before him, and he felt like the patch of ground he lay upon was unstable. Light-headed, he watched with strange disinterest as the wolf-men brought its gaping maw to his chest and bit. Warm blood spilled to his abdomen, and he heard someone screaming. It was him, he realized. That was embarrassing. He’d always thought himself tougher than that.

The wolf-man pinned his arms, because evidently he’d been struggling. It grinned at him, its whole mouth dripping red. It swallowed something. A piece of his flesh. A soft growl came from its throat, and it sounded hungry. Claws dug into his wrists. More screaming.