Chapter Eleven

    Armand, Mr. Thunder and Quetzal raced across the surface of the snow completely unaffected by the snow storm blowing about them. There was a hard crust on the surface of the snow and their Wolf paws spread wide and acted like human snow shoes which enabled them to move over the snow’s surface swiftly. But this crust wasn’t everywhere and they plunged deep into the snow several times. When ever this happened it slowed their going down somewhat but didn’t affect their enthusiasm at all.

    Are we getting closer? Mr. Thunder asked telepathically.

    What do you think? Quetzal responded.

    I don’t know. I wasn’t keeping track. My mind is on the hunt. answered Mr. Thunder.

    We are getting closer. Armand said. I can feel the change in the atmosphere.

    After a short distance more they spotted the mist coiling about the trees and snow banks. Mist in the winter left no doubt they were near the border between the Human World and the Wolf People World.

     Their thoughts were filled with the hunt and the excitement of it shot their bodies full of adrenaline.

    The Misty Veil appeared before them, grayish in color and shifting and heaving in appearance. The three Wolf People came to a halt. Though they were extremely excited they retained enough of their senses to remember that they couldn’t go crashing through the Veil in their Wolf Forms.

    Armand shape shifted back to his human form. Mr. Thunder and Quetzal did the same. Their eyes shone with their excitement and they were all grinning wildly.

    “Ready to kill some humans?” Armand asked.

    “Never been more ready.” said Mr. Thunder. “When Miss Starfire gets pregnant with my Wolf Children I’m bringing her here to hunt a lot!”

    Armand felt a serious stab of guilt. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Mr. Thunder Miss Starfire didn’t want him for her Mate, not yet anyway but he would do it. He’d rather not but he knew he had to. He didn’t want Mr. Thunder to hear it from someone else. He needed to hear it from him, his friend and Miss Starfire’s brother. Armand knew he couldn’t put it off for very long.

    “Better have a lot of Wolf Children then.” said Quetzal.

    “I plan on it.” said Mr. Thunder.

    “Better hope you’re super fertile.” said Armand.

    “Miss Starfire is. I bet you and Mr. Hunter are too. You came from good Wolf People blood.” said Mr. Thunder.

    “Thanks.” Armand said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

    “Let’s stop all this talk of fertility and go hunt us some humans.” Quetzal said. “I’m looking forward to something for the first time in a long time.”

     “Alright! Enough talking. Let’s go!” Armand stepped through the deep snow and into the Misty Grey Veil, Mr. Thunder and Quetzal right behind them.

    They came out on the other side into a wintry afternoon beside what was obviously a country road. It was lined on both sides with tall thin bare limbed trees with a few small Douglas Fir and Pine trees mixed in with them. Several crows were circling overhead crying loudly, pestering an American Eagle. A chilly breeze blew dried leaves along the edge of the road. A squirrel darted up a tree trunk nearby. In the distance drifting to them on the chilly air was the sound of a dog barking.

    Armand, Mr. Thunder and Quetzal stood there blinking their eyes, waiting for them to adapt to the light. The Wolf People’s World was predominantly dark so their eyes needed a few minutes to adjust.

    “Oh oh.” said Armand. He slapped a hand against his thigh.

    “Oh oh what?” Mr. Thunder asked.

    “I forgot something in all the excitement and haste to get here.” admitted Armand.

    “And what might that be?” asked Mr. Thunder.

    “Well, I wasn’t the only one who forgot. You both did too.” Armand said.

    “This light is hurting my eyes.” Quetzal said.

    “That’s just it. We forgot our dark eyewear.” said Armand.

    “Oh, how stupid! Our sunglasses!” said Mr. Thunder.

    “We can’t disguise how different our eyes are to humans.” Armand said.

    “We just won’t hang out with them long enough to alarm them.” Mr. Thunder looked around. “This area doesn’t look like it has a large population of humans.”

    Quetzal held a hand over his eyes to shield them from the daylight. In the distance the dog kept barking. “That dog knows danger is here.” He said.

    “And the smart humans aren’t listening.” grinned Armand, exposing his canines. “Is everyone’s eyes adjusted yet?”

    “I’m ready.” Mr. Thunder answered.

    “Yeah, just about.” Quetzal said.

    Rain started to fall, the splatter sound loud as the large drops hit the dried leaf debris on the ground all around them. The dog in the distance added howls to its barking. 

    They started walking along the road heading in the direction the dog’s barking and howling was coming from. They took breaths of air deep into their lungs as they walked.

    “Humans. That sweet scent of humans.” said Mr. Thunder. “Close by.”

    “Yes.” Armand closed his eyes to savor it for several seconds then opened them again. “Several close by. They must be the ones who have the barking dog whose warning they’re ignoring.”

    Large drops of rain continued falling adding a rather soothing splattering sound as they drew closer to the house where their soon to be prey lived. The dog knew they were coming and did its best to sound a warning to the humans.

    “One for each of us.” grinned Mr. Thunder. He started walking faster.

    Armand and Quetzal kept pace. They were getting closer to the house where the humans were, the humans they very soon would be making a meal of.

Reviews

[Black Cat Fever]

I suspect there's going to be some human snacking soon. Too bad humans can't understand what their dogs are saying to them!!!! Like the description of the landscape and the tension leading up to what I think is going to be a few kills. Werewolves for sure!

[Wicahpi]

Did someone say "Dinner" lol scary..
why do people have dogs, if they don't listen
to their warnings ... on to the next.

[Star Wolf]

Yeah, awesome! A serious blood bath is on the way. They are werewolves after all. Can't blame them for acting like it but I sense something bigger is going to happen besides a human killing.

[Jenny Nelson]

" Mist in the winter left no doubt they were near the border between the Human World and the Wolf People World."

Love the distinction and the description. The dogs' barking is a good tie in between the wolf and human. Well done!

[trish420]

People never listen to their dogs enough! Since I've really started paying attention, every single person that my dog has a real problem with once he gets to know them more has ended up doing something foul or in some way showing true colors that aren't so pretty :-/ Trust your animals people! They aren't confused by pretty words.... Sorry for the mini-rant; the chapter was good, obviously thought-provoking LOL Can't wait for Armand's first human kill, and whatever happens next :-)

[Eric Cox]

The Humans should have paid attention to their dog and realized something was approaching, Armand and his friends are hungry for human meat. A cool pen on this write with some horror around the bend.