Furry Humans

❝She wasn’t afraid to be herself. When everyone said, “be a lamb,” she showed her fangs, and became a wolf.❞

XAVIER

Both wolves, brown and blonde, come barreling from the forest line, heading our way. They skid to a stop in front of Dad, gazing up at him with beady eyes.

“Nothing?” he asks, already knowing the answer.

They shake their large heads, sadden looks as they wait for further instructions, my hands ball up at my side as I looked down at the snow that was melting around my feet from my rising body heat. My claws extended and punctured the skin of my palm, sending sharp zips of pain through my system as I willed myself not to shift, he claws at the walls I built up to keep him from taking over, each day is a struggle and soon I won’t be able to take it.

Dad sighs, jerking his head to the side as he dismisses both wolves, watching them shoot off into the shadow of the trees to continue their search for their lost Luna. The growls in the background from Abigail’s grow louder, things in the house crashing to the floor thumping and shattering; I could only imagine what it’s like for your child, mate, and unborn child to be taken from beneath your nose.

My Dad turns away from the woods and faces me with a solemn look, “We’re going to find them. Don’t worry.”

I grunt, taking a deep breath. Day six and still nothing, not a whiff of their scents, not a track left behind— it was as if they were meant to be wiped off the face of the earth.

“I don’t understand what they want,” I hear Dad mumble to himself, in deep thought. “Never in my years have I heard Vampires and werewolves- rogues at that, working together. What’s their purpose?”

“To kill.”

I turn to see Dylan walking towards us, Riley closely behind as she holds a worn-out book in her hands, once closer Dylan gestures towards the book an incredulous expression on his face.

“Did you know this book is registered in the school’s library and I don’t know about it?” he says, taking the book from Riley and waving it.

I frown, tilting my head, “I don’t understand what you mean.” I state, “What’s the point of that book?”

“Where did you find that?” Dad asks after, a bit shocked.

Dylan directs his eyes towards him, taking a step forward, flipping to a certain page.

“It was in Abigail’s book bag. This is the answer to all our questions, the reason why everything’s been happening.”

There’s an excited gleam in his eyes with a tinge of relief and I couldn’t help but feel the same, knowing that all the things that have been happening all these months will finally come to an end.

“DAD! stop!” Mason’s voice shatters the atmosphere between us.

We all whip around to see his father dashing out of the house and stumbling to a stop in the middle of the yard, determination was coming off of his in waves, his beats close to the surface causing his eyes to flash a lighter brown. His attention was focused on the edge line of the woods, flickering from tree to tree, searching for something.

“Elijah!” he bellows, “I know you’re there! Show yourself.”

The lingering warrior wolves that Mason called to the house, look at Abigail’s Dad as if he’s gone out of his mind- maybe he has- Mason slowly stalks towards him hands still by his side.

“Dad, no one is there. He’s long gone.” his voice is soft and soothing, “Let’s get inside and get you— ”

“It’s about time you called for me.”

The air went still, the disembodied voice rings through the air, everyone instantly becomes on high alert as we look to where the source of the voice came from. Cole stood with his shoulders back, head held high, body quivering with the effort to hold his wolf at bay. We all gaze at the direction where footsteps that were heading our way.

The hairs on my arms and legs stand tall, the beast in my head, ramming at the walls within; creating a headache for me, its scent drifts into my nose, the sickly sweet smell itching at my nostrils. I huff, watching a shadow looms from behind a large tree and stalk with grace out into the open.

“I was starting to think you’ve forgotten about me,” the Vampire mummers, it’s voice low but clearly heard.

The frigid air circulates through the air around us, ruffling the strands that escaped the ponytail of the vampire- tied loosely at the nape of his neck- his piercing green eyes analyzing the wolves in the area.

Cole took a step forward, bare feet shuffling in the snow, causing the Vampire, named as Elijah, to turn his attention to him.

“You know they took her?”

A dark, harden look crossed over his pale features, “I’m highly aware.”

His voice took on a dark tone, revealing hints of the monster myths claim his kind to be, small specs of red bleeding into his orbs. Steps to my side draw my attention to my Dad as he saunters forward, dominance within every step.

“Cole, who is this?” he practically growled out, muscles bunched up in his shoulders. “Why is there a vampire in my territory?”

Cole looks over his shoulder, “If we have any chance of finding Abigail or my wife, he will help us, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.” he mutters the last part to himself, facing Elijah once more.

“How long have you been following us?”

“Since you moved here.”

A loud growl rips from Cole’s chest as he balls his hands tightly to his side, slides rising and falling with his harsh breathing.

“You’re telling me you’ve been here the whole time and didn’t think once to show yourself and help Abigail while she was in trouble?”

I couldn’t stop the throaty growl that rose from my own chest, knowing that he could have saved her that day from being bitten. Elijah casually slipped his hands into his jeans pants, casting me a sideways look while rolling his shoulders back and then looked on at Cole with a cool expression.

“I didn’t want to risk anything. I’ve been keeping tabs on the two other Vampires that attacked her and I don’t yet want those higher-ups knowing that I’m not exactly on their side.” he retorted.

“Exactly what’s going on?” Dylan chimed in, “What are you both talking about?”

“And how don’t we know you aren’t working with the other people?” Riley added, raising a brow.

Elijah turned his gaze towards her, staring her down with intense eyes causing a quick shudder to pass through her.

“I can tell you more than a book can,” he gestures towards the one Dylan was holding. “The information in there is barely scratching the surface of what’s really going on, and I think it’s time you understand the world you live in.”

He let his words hang, silence surfacing us as we took in each sentence he spoke, having no choice but to trust him for now knowing he was the only hope of finding Abigail. Suddenly, as if a fire was ignored in me, the most agonizing pain overwhelmed me burning my insides. I didn’t have time to gasp as I fell to my knees with a cry of pain.

“Xavier!”

Everything drowned out, my hands digging into the snow and the dirt beneath, the fire spreads through my veins yielding any movements and clouding my thoughts with nothing but pain. It left me winded and clueless of the world beyond it, my name was called by multiple voices and the feel of hands on my shoulders intensified the pain.

Constant deep growls vibrate in the air from me, the beast slamming into the mental walls I’ve built, the sudden pain threw him off guard- now he wants nothing more than to break free and finally take control to get rid of the threat to my body. The pain came from nowhere and had no source, and he only thought was the bond I shared with Abigail.

My world stopped just like the moment she was taken from me, I realized this wasn’t my pain, it was hers, they were hurting, torturing, hurting what is mine.