The Darkness We Hide

Richard sat unnoticed in his car, watching and waiting for Michelle to be vulnerable. He knew that all he needed to win her back was a chance. Just one chance to be near her again, to show her how nice it would be if she were his again. Even if he had to follow her to the ends of the earth he would find a way.

Perhaps his plan to grab her in the middle of the night and take her away to his place in the woods wasn’t so far fetched after all. He could keep her there until the full moon and perform the ritual that would turn her into a werewolf like himself.

The best part of that plan was that if done right, it would not only turn her, it could bind her to him for life. Gareth would be forgotten and he, Richard, would become her world, her only reason for existing.

He knew that kind of magic was forbidden to him, but wasn’t that why he’d left the community? Their rules about turning only those humans who were willing and had undergone extensive training was stupid. If not for their arcane stances on things, lycanthropes could and should rule the world.

Maybe kidnapping Michelle was a bit much, perhaps just killing Gareth would cause her to seek himself out for comfort, but that plan had its own problems. For Gareth’s death to affect her that much, he would have to let their relationship progress further until Michelle was genuinely attached, and he wasn’t sure he could stand to let that happen.

And, of course, it would bring down scrutiny from the community and Gareth’s own pack. He’d really have to think this through, maybe grabbing her was the best plan. He could do it tonight.

All he’d have to do was snatch her before she got into her apartment, but Michelle was a fighter. Apparently life in foster care made you tough like that. If he were to knock her off balance somehow, maybe a slight nudge with his bumper, not enough to hurt her too much, just enough to make her manageable so he could get her into the trunk.

Snow had begun to fall as Michelle neared her apartment, but it didn’t seem to be sticking. She was so caught up in her own thoughts about Gareth and the emptiness she felt without him nearby that she never saw the large furry dog slinking through the shadows towards her.

Without warning Michelle felt a terrible jolt of pain as the animal jumped on her back, knocking her to the pavement, splitting her chin on the pavement. Before she could react, its jaws clamped on the collar of her jacket, using its incredible strength to drag her toward a dark alley.

Screaming in fear, Michelle flailed out with her arms, blindly aiming for its face. Catching the animal in the eye, she caused it to release its hold on her. Digging into her pockets, Michelle managed to get her pepper spray out before it could grab her again.

With a roar of anger and fear, she thumbed the release on the canister and sprayed the dog full in the face, feeling the spray burn her own eyes and throat with its potency.

With a howl of pain, the animal backed off, swiping at its muzzle with its paws. Blinking away the tears, Michelle was able to see it was a huge dog, a huskie or possibly a malamute. What ever it was, it was the biggest fucking dog she’d ever seen.

Dragging herself on her stomach, Michelle crawled towards the streetlights, vainly trying to escape the writhing animal behind her. Before she could get more than a few feet, she felt the dogs maw clamp onto her shoe.

Turning to spray the animal again, Michelle’s heart sank. The bottle was empty, nothing more than a few drops sputtering out of the nozzle. Crying out for help, the pain increased as the animal pulled, the laces on her boot, straining under the pressure..

“Michelle,” a voice called from up the street.

“Mrs. Crabtree,” Michelle screamed to her neighbor.

“Call the police,” the older woman yelled over her shoulder to her husband before rushing forward brandishing a walking stick.

“Get off!” she yelled at the dog, beating it ferociously about the head and shoulders. “Let go of her!”

Under the onslaught of Michelle’s kicks and the old woman’s umbrella, Richard released Michelle’s foot and ran into the night.