Part 5 (1/2)

Daniel gave a snort. ”I wouldn't say that, but when you think about it... we're doing a service to the whole d.a.m.n world by doing what we do to whom we do it to.”

”Stop!” Robert roared, gaining both Daniel's and Alexa's attention once more. ”Let me go! I promise not to say anything! And I won't ever attack another woman, I swear! Just let me live!”

”Aww, he's begging.” Alexa smiled sweetly, as if staring down at a child's drawing. ”Tell me something, pervert. How many of the women you defiled begged you to let them go? To not hurt them? How many tried bargaining with you-tried praying to G.o.d for you to leave them alone? And how many times did you oblige them? Hmm?”

Robert was silent.

”Exactly,” Alexa said matter-of-factly. ”So, tell me then, why should we give you the kindness you never showed anyone else?”

”P-Please...” Robert whimpered helplessly.

”Alexa,” Daniel said, lifting his head skyward. ”It's almost time.”

”Mmm,” Alexa hummed, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself. ”Yes, I can feel it.”

”Feel what?” Robert gaped at them as they both turned towards the sky. He glanced up at where they were staring and was met with a sight that chilled his very soul.

The full moon stood high overhead, beaming its light down onto the field the three were settled in.

”It feels so good...” Alexa moaned, swaying her hips slightly. She kept her arms wrapped around herself, swaying with a tune only she could hear. She spun around, relis.h.i.+ng the wondrous feeling of the moon beaming down on her.

She felt something warm and soft touch her arm and she opened her eyes to see Daniel smiling down at her, his arms draping over hers as he pressed his body against her back. She hummed in pleasure at the feel of his body against hers, leaning back into him as they swayed together to the melody of the moon. She reached up to wrap her arm around his neck, pulling his face into the crook of her neck. She heard him inhale her scent, sending a s.h.i.+ver down her spine.

”Alexa...” Daniel whispered into her ear huskily, and she nearly melted. She turned in his grasp and leaned up to kiss him fully, feeling his arms wrap possessively around her as he kissed back. She felt his tongue push its way into her mouth and she met it with her own to dance for dominance, their hands exploring each others' body.

Just as she felt his hand moving up her s.h.i.+rt, his antic.i.p.ation pressing against her stomach, Robert made a noise and Daniel pulled away-much to Alexa's chagrin. She growled, turning to Robert as he tried to crawl away, dragging his broken, bent leg behind him.

”Didn't I already say you couldn't leave yet?” Alexa said, walking up behind Robert. He froze, having hoped to get away as they got lost in their twisted pa.s.sion. He slowly turned towards her, staring up at the woman as her silhouette shone in contrast to the large, full moon behind her.

”You're crazy...” Robert said.

”You've said that already,” Daniel remarked from behind Alexa, walking to her side over by Robert. ”I'm growing tired of your obvious name calling. Alexa...” He turned to her, a bloodthirsty grin plastered to his tan face. ”Shall we?”

Alexa grinned at Daniel, showing each and every tooth in her mouth. ”Let's.”

Robert watched as the two lovers closed their eyes, both sucking in a slow, calming breath. He furrowed his bruised brow in confusion as they began to sway back and forth, their bodies loose and relaxed. The light of the moon seemed to grow brighter as the two swayed, rocking back and forth on the b.a.l.l.s of their feet. Robert was about to ask what they were doing, but was silenced as both of their eyes snapped open in unison.

They turned to him, and he loudly gasped.

Their eyes were glowing gold.

”Aah...” Daniel groaned, hunching slightly. ”It's here...”

”Yesss...” Alexa seethed, crossing her arms to grab her shoulders. ”The feast...begins!”

Robert watched in horror as Daniel shot up straight and gave a b.e.s.t.i.a.l roar, his canines lengthening to sharp points. Alexa grunted, her fingers flexing as the nails turned a deathly black and grew in length, sharpening into claws. Daniel growled as hair began to sprout on the sides of his face, his sideburns spreading down his neck under his gray hoodie and turning to a burnt russet-like color. He reached up and tore apart the hoodie, exposing the muscle of his torso, which flexed under the skin. Alexa spun her head around in a full circle, her face distending forward into a broad snout, little whiskers growing along her cheeks as she snarled.

Robert was paralyzed to the spot as he watched the two transform. They fell onto all fours, growling and grunting like the wild animals they were. He stared at the sharp fangs in their mouths, which glistened with saliva between black, rubbery lips-the knife-like claws digging into the dirt below their feet-the hard muscles that s.h.i.+fted under their furry skin as they shook with the final stages of their metamorphosis.

In front of him was not the couple he had been stalking earlier, but two angry, hungry wolves staring down at him with glowing golden eyes. The larger russet-colored wolf snarled at Robert, stalking closer, until the smaller, black-furred wolf gnashed her teeth at him. The male turned to the female, giving a loud snort before backing up slightly, c.o.c.king his large, heavy head in Robert's direction as if to say, ”Ladies first.”

The female, with fur as black as night, made a noise in the back of her throat towards the male, as if thanking him. She then turned to the ever-paling Robert as he shook with terror at the sight of the two large wolves.

”O-Oh my G.o.d...” Robert felt tears welling at the corners of his eyes as he stared down his death. He turned his head away, unable to bear the sight of the two monsters any longer. His moist brown eyes landed on the white stuffed rabbit from earlier, its black b.u.t.ton eyes seemingly staring directly at him from behind the tongues of the campfire that blazed strong into the night. He raised a hand towards the stuffed toy, as if calling out for help-but it did nothing but stare.

Twin sets of howls pierced the air, snapping his attention back to the wolves.

Robert's scream was cut short as the two wolves lunged and began their feast.

Sweet Lenora.

Bart Hopkins.

Author Dedication For my beautiful daughters, Racquel & Jacqueline. You'll always be my babies.

Lenora's mother had warned her.

That was nothing new. Lenora's mother was always warning her about something, about the many things that could hurt her. Laying there in her oversized, handcrafted, cast-iron bed, servants bustling about, she would dole out morsels of wisdom to Lenora, each and every morning, on the potential dangers that awaited her, crouched hidden along the path of life.

Her mother was right about many of those things. Mother could be frightfully intuitive about the ways of the world, which always surprised Lenora since her mother was an invalid and bedridden. What made her so wise? Besides Lenora, the only people her mother had contact with were the servants-and they were all overly subservient...not at all talkative. She surely learned nothing from them.

Newspapers? Out of the question-no respectable lady read the newspaper-that was a man's duty. Books? A frivolous pursuit, to be sure.

Yes, her mother had warned her about newspapers and books, too.

”Sweet Lenora,” she always began, ”my sweet child. You have always needed protecting, haven't you, dear? Come sit down with your mother. I'll tell you what to watch out for...”

Then her mother would fill the following twenty or thirty minutes with pa.s.sionate descriptions about what existed in the world solely to poison innocent, naive young daughters. Like her.

”Oh, of course, yes, Mother,” Lenora would reply dutifully, whatever the topic might be. Sometimes it was interesting, such as when her mother described how they all fit into the pyramid of society. Other times it was boring, covering everything from home economics to education to charity work.

There was an ornate iron clock on the mantle of the marble fireplace in her mother's bedchamber. When the clock struck seven o'clock each morning, it signaled the end of their morning conversation. Lenora would kiss her mother on the cheek, near the top of her prominent cheekbone, and wish her a splendid day.

After leaving her mother's suite each morning, Lenora would make her way into the kitchen for breakfast.

”Good morning, Berta.” Their cook was a curmudgeonly woman of about fifty.

”Miss,” Berta replied.

”Can I have pancakes today, Berta? I am just famished.”

”Hmm.”

Sometimes Lenora wondered if Berta's vocabulary consisted of just two words: ”miss” and ”hmm.”