Wild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary Book 4)

Through the tumble down remains of the housey-pie, we ran like a raucous circus of beasties and baddies. My dark hair fell in my eyes and bounced up and down like a cricket on my crocket.

I was leading the charge, the chaotic rush of dangerous animals all following me to their destiny which just so happened to be a feast of bad guys.

They didn’t bite me though – no, I was one of them, their own, king of the creatures, man of the mammals, fae of fiends-

“Ahh!’ I yelled as a heavy weight collided with my spine and sharp teeth sank into my right buttock.

I whirled around, punching the serifius monkey in the face and causing it to fall back with a cry of alarm.

It looked at me and I looked at it, my eyes wide as saucers and its full of accusation.

Oh no. I’d gone and marked myself as its enemy.

The beastie raised a hand and pointed at me before releasing a furious whoop of challenge.

I squawked in fear as a hundred hungry eyes swivelled my way. It was like being in the mess hall back at Darkmore. But these weren’t convicts without access to their magic, and I was no superior with a shock baton.

“Oh crickets,” I breathed before turning and running as fast as I could in the direction of the beach which sung my name in the distance.

Fae were running, screaming, blasting magic in every direction, carrying their goods or simply sprinting for their lives as the hoard of angry monsters charged after us.

I didn’t have to be the fastest. I just had to be faster than…that guy.

I grabbed a man who held a box of what looked like orange-capped mushrooms in his arms. Probably some kind of illegal whatsit. He was a bad guy for sure. And he was smaller than me too.

He cried out in alarm as my grip on his arm tightened and I spun us around before launching him straight at the group of hungry looking animals.

Snarls, cries, screams and the crunching of bones followed but I was running faster now because his strength had just become my strength and I was a four legged Larry on the path to redemption.

I made it to the sand and saluted the terrifying looking bull which depicted Taurus on a rock as I passed. I could have sworn he winked at me as I made it past him to where the ocean kissed the sand and my name was Mandy all over again.

I tripped over my own feet, yelling in alarm and throwing my hands out before me. My palms struck the sand and ice sprung from them, coating the beach ahead of me and sending five Fae skidding to the ground.

I was up and running again, an unknown source of screaming and curses following me as the beasts chased me on.

The sea loomed ahead.

I could see boats on the dock too but as I looked their way I could make out teeth and angry grins on their prows.

No. I needed the water to wash me away. It was my only choice.

Something leapt onto my leg, that first critter digging its claws into me and scurrying up the inside of my pants.

I howled as I kicked out, trying to dislodge it but it moved beneath my clothes, biting and scratching.

I couldn’t stop, so on I ran, a huge beast like a fanged gorilla at my back, almost upon me.

Salvation called my name in a sultry purr as I set eyes on the prettiest looking barrel I’d ever seen and I raced for it with wild abandon, opening my arms wide in greeting.

She beckoned me closer and I sprinted for her, throwing myself onto her back just as the sand met with the waves.

The beast which pursued me hollered in rage, swiping at me with razor claws, splashing out into the tide at my heels. I waved my arms at it wildly, spraying water from my palms, shooting my vessel out to sea where I collapsed in a heap of exhaustion and sighed in utter relief.

My trusty barrel sighed my name as I bobbed out into the ocean on her back and I turned to look at the beach behind me. The compound was burning and the animals which had run with me so peacefully were feasting on the bad men. It was a truly horrifying spectacle to behold but as I bobbed away, I lifted a hand and waved.

I was forgetting something important. But Bobby bobbed on so I clung to her, riding her to a sanctuary of the unknown while the world changed colour with every blink I took and euphoria tingled through my limbs.