Chapter 8: The Big Bad Wolf

*TRAE’S POV*

I could hear Grayson close behind me as I leapt over Ada’s wolf and onto the wolf closest to her. As my teeth ripped open its throat I realized that it was Noah. A sense of pleasure filled me as I finished the coward off.

Grayson effortlessly destroyed the other two wolves as I watched Noah's body return to human form.

“But you were shot. I saw it with my own eyes…How did you?…” asked Noah, blood pouring from his neck.

“I'm a healer, not a witch… that’s how.” Said Ada, spitting on him.

Noah’s eyes had a wicked smile. “Well regardless you're still a deadman, Damon and his whole pack will be here any second.” He sputtered, his voice gurgling.

“Hope your betrayal was worth it. A lot of good it did you.” I growled as Noah choked on his last breath. I was glad his brother Blane wasn’t there to see it.

***

*MIRA’S POV*

*Moments before*

I stared at the empty door frame where Trae was standing just moments before, trying to understand why I felt so disappointed. I didn’t know Trae in the least. For all I knew, he was a raving lunatic. Why did I feel an overwhelming emptiness as I watched him walk through that door and back out of my life?

Duke whined in agreement.

“It was for the better. Trust me,” Ada consoled me as if she could read my mind.

“Why is it for the better? What aren’t you telling me?” I asked, turning to look at her.

“Nothing, just that he’s obviously intertwined with some dangerous people. Better he leaves us out of it,” she answered casually.

“Then why do I have the feeling that I’m in the dark about something? Ada, for once, please tell me the truth. My whole life has consisted of trying to decipher one mystery after another,” I urged.

Ada pulled the curtain back and stared out the window. “Some mysteries are better off left unsolved.”

She observed as something outside seemed to catch her eye.

“D*mnit, I was afraid of that,” she scowled, snapping the curtain shut. “You need to hide now!” she snapped, hobbling toward me with her cane.

“Hide? Why? What’s going on?” I asked, walking toward the window.

“Just as I feared. Your friend, Trae, has led his enemies right to my doorstep. Now, run! Hide yourself in the cellar!”

“What about you? Come with me!” I shouted.

“Don't you worry about me,” she assured me as she locked the deadbolt on the front door. “Those thugs don't scare me. Now, go! I have work to do. And don’t come out, no matter what!”

I ran toward the cellar as I was told, a sense of imminent danger growing stronger with each step. I pulled the cellar door closed behind Duke just as I heard a banging on the front door.

“Come out, come out wherever you are!” a man's voice taunted from outside.

“Yeah, we know you’re in there. We saw you leaving in that van with your little lady friend,” growled another man's voice.

“Sh*t, how many of them are there?” I wondered aloud just as the sound of breaking glass filled the air.

“Ada!” I shouted pushing the cellar door open. I couldn’t leave an old woman out there to fend for herself.

I entered the living room and found Ada standing strangely upright for her feeble age. She held her cane over her head with both hands. Duke rushed beside her, growling angrily at the now broken window.

“Go back!” whispered Ada to me, not willing to look away from the men who were standing outside. “You are not welcome here!” she shouted at the men through the window.

“We know what you are. We saw your runes all over the forest. We aren’t here for you witch, so keep your spells to yourself,” boomed a low condescending voice.

“He’s gone, left early this morning,” Ada insisted.

“Oh? What about the girl? I have some questions for her. And I know she’s in there, I can smell her.” sneered the low voice. “We are coming in whether you like it or not. Just hand over Trae’s girlfriend and we won’t hurt you.”

“I don’t negotiate with rogue trash!” yelled Ada, spitting at them through the window.

Her seemingly intentional taunt was countered by what sounded like snarling as a giant wolf bounded toward the window frame.

Did the bad guys use wolves to do their fighting for them? Is that what I heard the other night while camping?

Time seemed to stand still before my eyes as I watched the scene unfold before me. Ada did not waver. She stood her ground as the wolf’s body hurled toward her through the shattered glass.

“You are not welcome here!” she shouted again, circling her cane overhead through the air.

Duke snarled and lept towards the wolf just as it seemed to hit something, almost like an invisible shield. It’s body practically bounced back through the window as it howled in pain.

Duke also slammed into whatever it was that had just rappelled the wolf. He bounced off of it and backward toward Ada.

“What the h*ll was that?!” I stammered aloud.

“Ah! There she is! She’s a pretty little thing isn’t she boys?” said gaunt looking man.

Where were the other men I’d heard? I only saw wolves. Was he talking to the wolves?

The creatures growled angrily as if in response.

“D*mnit Mira, I said run!” Ada yelled at me. The fury burning in her eyes could scorch the earth.

I turned and ran back toward the cellar with Duke beside me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a small gray wolf leap out the window…

“Ada?” I whispered as I closed the cellar door. Was I seeing things?

***

The sound of snarling and violence came to an abrupt halt from where I sat listening in the cellar.

I cracked the cellar door open and listened intently to hear Ada’s voice coming from out front. She was no longer yelling and sounded surprisingly calm.

Then I heard the unmistakable deep voice of Trae. My heart leapt in my chest. Had he come back to protect us? But how could he have known?

Whatever the reason, I couldn't help but smile. “Come on Duke, let’s go see what happened,” I whispered. I tip-toed cautiously through the house and out of the front door.

I thought I must have been dreaming when my eyes fell on them. Ada was tying a robe around her waist and spit towards a man that was sprawled on the ground, blood pouring from his throat.

“What the h*ll is going on?” I gasped. Ada, Trae, and a blonde-haired man that I’d never seen before turned to face me where I stood gaping, my face white with fear and shock.

“Was… wasn’t that man just a wolf? And Ada, you… you too? One second you were there and then you weren’t, and there was a gray wolf leaping out of the window! And why are you all naked? Oh, my g*d!”

I stammered, remembering Trae’s naked figure just a day before. “Are you all wolves!?” I wondered aloud in utter disbelief…