Overwhelmed, Liz looked away to a woman in a flimsy halter and a short pair of cutoffs. She’d already lost her shoes. Fine tremors racked her body as she stared through her surroundings, a silent mantra spilling from her lips.
Two young men stood to Liz’s left, one of them wearing a University of Texas sweatshirt. University students? They didn’t seem to know each other. Would their friends and family, wherever they were, notice they were missing? How long would it take for her own family to start to worry? She and Rachel had called home less than twenty-four hours ago—days could pass before anyone realized they were missing.
Beyond the young men a lone woman stood, feet planted, hands curled into fists. She looked to be in her early twenties, maybe younger. Of all of them, she seemed the most composed. She stood her ground, a guarded expression watching everything. When their eyes met, she briefly inclined her head, as if to say hey.
For a long moment, only the sounds of the wind rustling the trees and early morning birdcalls filled the air. Finally, as Liz began to wonder if any of the men were ever going to say anything, the kid in the University of Texas sweatshirt spoke up.
“Why the hell are we here?” His tone wavered between angry and frightened. “What the fuck do you want?”
“What do we want?” Markko strode toward him, a smile stretched across his face. “Just to have a little fun.” With his gaze never leaving the kid’s face, Markko barked, “Aleksander.”
Alek stepped forward, withdrawing something from his pocket. He flicked his wrist and his butterfly knife flew open, clicking into an open and locked position as he approached Liz and Rachel. Unable to do anything to stop it, Liz watched as he wrenched Rachel away from her.
“Lizzy!”
“Leave her alone! Don’t touch her.”
Alek held Rachel in front of him and slowly ran the tip of the blade in a vertical line from Rachel’s throat down the front of her shirt. “Or what?” Alek taunted as fat tears squeezed out between Rachel’s clenched eyelids, tracking down her face.
Desperately Liz pleaded, “Please. Whatever you want.” She took a bracing breath. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just let her go.”
A burst of clapping sliced through the tension around them. “Oh, you…you are so much better than I’d thought you’d be.” Markko strode toward Liz until he stood directly in front of her, a smug smile plastered across his face. “Oh, Lizzy.” His breath skittered across her face and Liz fought to hold her ground. “You know, I knew I’d like you when I saw you in the bar. The ones with a bit of fight, a bit of defiance, are always so interesting. Although…” Markko raked his gaze over her, “You are far more attractive than most. Too bad you’re not for me. You’ll be Ivan’s first.” Markko gestured to the young kid standing at the edge of the clearing. “And I promised my little brother I’d find him a true challenge; he’ll always remember his first.”
Liz’s stomach turned but she ground out, “Let her go.”
Markko smiled, “No.” He glanced over her shoulder and said, “Go ahead.”
The moment the words left his lips, Rachel started screaming and struggling, trying to twist away from Alek. His knife came up, flashing in the morning light, poised to slice Rachel’s life away, but plummeted down, cutting through the ties that held Rachel’s hands together instead. Alek shoved Rachel away from him, laughter filling the air around him.
Markko’s firm grip around Liz’s elbow prevented her from rushing to her friend. Rachel hit the ground hard and didn’t get up, sobbing into the earth beneath her.
Cold metal pushed between Liz’s hands and the ties around her wrists snapped apart. The moment he released her, Liz darted forward, dropping to her knees next to Rachel.
“It’s okay. Take a deep breath. Calm down.” Rubbing Rachel’s back, Liz looked around the clearing. Alek was busy slicing through the captives’ bonds as Markko rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, grinning.
“Come on, you’ve got to get up.” Liz got a firm grip around Rachel’s arm and forced her to her feet.
“I believe you wanted to know why you’re here.” The clearing went silent. “Every blue moon, we arrange a little game. The rules are simple. In a few minutes, you will be released.”
Whispering rustled through the clearing.
“You’ll be free to go.”
Liz tightened her grip on Rachel’s arm and waited for the ax to fall.
“You have until nightfall, at which point we hunt. Seems fair, no?” Markko smiled and nodded toward his men who immediately backed away.
“Hunt? What, you mean you’re gonna chase us through the woods, like with guns or something?” Texas asked, face disbelieving.
“No.” Markko’s lips pulled away from his teeth. “A true predator needs no weapon.”
Movement in the corner of her eye caught Liz’s attention. Alek stood off to the side, toeing off his shoes and pulling down his pants. She glanced at the rest of the men, shock shifting to bafflement. All of the men were stripping.
“Aleksander!” Markko barked. “Show them.”
Alek stalked, brazenly nude, into the clearing. He smiled and bent into a low crouch that reminded Liz of a sprinter setting in starting blocks. Shoulders pushed in and back arching, Alek grunted as the skin along his spine rippled from his neck all the way down his backbone.
Gagging but unable to look away, Liz watched as Alek’s body began to shift. Birdsong died and the clearing fell unnaturally quiet, the silence broken only by Alek’s grunting and the sound of bones snapping.
Alek’s legs jerked in toward his body. His hamstrings flexed and shortened into hindquarters. Hair sprouted, first all the way along his back and spine, then raced down his arms and legs. Finally, as he opened his mouth to scream, his face shifted, lengthened and honed into a snout. A howling wolf sprung from where moments before a man had crouched.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Texas panic and run toward the parked vans. He didn’t take four steps before the wolf was on him, bearing him to the ground.
“No! No… Please!” The wolf pinned him, facedown in the dirt, jaws spread across the back of his neck. The slightest pressure would be lethal.
“Oh my God, Lizzy…” Rachel’s fingers clawed into Liz’s sweater.
“Don’t look, Rachel,” Liz whispered, relieved as Rachel pushed her face into her shoulder. “Don’t look.”
“Let him up, Aleksander.” Markko strode, fully naked, toward where the wolf—where Aleksander—had Texas pinned. When he didn’t immediately back off, Markko barked, “Aleksander!”
Alek paced back, his teeth bared and allowed Texas to push himself up.
“Now, now, no running.” Markko tsked. “You’re getting ahead of the game,” he said, glancing around the clearing, a smile on his face. “We haven’t discussed the rules yet.”
“First…” Markko waved toward the other two men, who instantly transformed from men to wolves. It happened so quickly that Liz wondered if Alek had drawn out his shift for the sheer pleasure of seeing everyone react. “Right. Rules. First, to ensure that this is sporting for us, you’ll be given until moonrise, at which time our hunt will begin.” The three wolves prowled the group in ever tightening circles, each moving toward a group of hostages.
“You may head toward the trees and into the woods. If you’re caught circling back to the cars, you’ll have spoiled our fun.” Markko’s voice hardened. “We would be most disappointed.” He let the threat hang in the air.
Screaming erupted. One of the wolves circled the older couple, snarling and snapping, occasionally leaning in and sniffing at their legs. A bulky, brown one Liz thought might be Alek headed toward the two single women, hackles raised and teeth barred. The third wolf prowled their way. Grabbing Rachel’s hand, she pulled her in tight against her back.
The wolf circled them twice, tightening in closer each time, snout pressed to the ground. As he passed behind them he dodged in, snapping at Rachel’s ankles. Screaming, Rac
hel panicked and jerked away.
“No!” Liz curled her fingers into Rachel’s arm and yanked her back. “We stay together.”
The wolf circled around and stopped in front of Liz. Eerie, intelligent eyes inspected her as he approached. Liz squealed and jumped, but managed to hold her ground as the wolf pressed his snout hard against the crotch of her jeans and sniffed.
Bile burned in the back of her throat and Liz stumbled back a step, horrified when his long tongue licked the denim covering the inside of her thigh before he backed off.
“Everyone ready?” Markko stood in front of her again. “You have her scent, Ivan?”
The wolf behind her brushed up against her legs as he withdrew.
“Good.” Markko leaned into Liz, pressing his mouth against her ear and took a long, deep breath. “So do I.”
“Go!”
At first, no one moved, but then, the wolves gathered, snarling and barking as they tightened their circle and herded everyone toward the tree line. Liz reached behind her and jerked Rachel forward, forcing her to walk in front of her.
“I can’t.” Rachel pressed closer to Liz’s side and sobbed out, “I can’t do this. I can’t.”
Liz twisted out of her grasp and shook her. “Yes, you can. We’re going.”
“Go where?” Panic choked her words. “Where are we going to go?”
Liz stumbled as Rachel was pulled away from her. “Shut up!”
The young woman from earlier had a solid grip around Rachel’s arm and started hauling her toward the trees. “Your dramatics are going to get the both of you killed. Is that what you want?”
“No.” Rachel’s voice wavered, but she didn’t struggle or stop moving.
“Then let’s go.” With a final shove in the right direction, the three of them broke into a jog, slipping into the edge of the forest.
***
The sun hadn’t yet crested the trees, but the dew was burning off into mist as the morning warmed. Rachel stopped moving and leaned heavily against a tree, breathing hard. Liz slowed her pace, then turned back. “We’ve got to keep moving.”
“I have to stop, Lizzy.” Rachel pushed a sweaty strand of hair back from her forehead and took a deep breath. “I feel like we’ve been running for hours.”
It hadn’t been hours, but they had pushed a brutal pace for the last forty minutes or so. When they’d first entered the forest they’d seen a few of the other people from the clearing, heard them moving through the forest’s thick undergrowth. But now Liz didn’t hear anyone outside of their party of three. It made the forest feel bigger and more intimidating.
“What’s the hold up?” The woman that had helped them out of the clearing jogged up to them.
“We just need a breather.” Liz stuck out her hand, “I’m Liz by the way.”
The woman’s smooth palm gripped her hand, “I’m Allison, Allison Sparks.” In the growing light, her hair glinted dark red and hundreds of tiny freckles spread across her nose and cheeks. Fresh faced and young, she looked startlingly vulnerable, her appearance casting an astonishing light on her actions of the morning. Few people would have exhibited the poise and control she had. Liz would be forever grateful for her help getting out of the clearing.
“I’m Rachel, by the way.” She didn’t bother to move from where she’d propped herself up against the tree, but did manage a small smile and a little wave.
“We really shouldn’t stop.” Allison glanced around warily. “We don’t know how long they’ll actually wait before they come after us.”
Liz stiffened. “You think they’ll come before nightfall?”
“No.” Allison cast a cautious glance at Rachel, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes, her face frozen in a shell-shocked expression. “But I don’t intend to trust them to play by their so-called rules.”
“I agree.” Liz frowned and pushed the sensation of the wolf’s snout pressed up against her out of her mind. The feel of his tongue…
No.
Stop, don’t think about it.
Don’t feel it.
“You okay?”
Liz forced herself to focus on the present. “Yeah.” Allison’s fingers curled around her limp hand and squeezed.
“You did great back there. You held it together.” Allison’s soothing blue gaze held hers. “Keep it up.”
“Right.” Liz squeezed her hand and let it go.
“Look, let’s try to get a little farther. The more distance we put between us and them, the better.”
“Okay.” Liz turned and extended a hand to Rachel. “She’s right. We’ll get a little farther into the woods, then take a break.”
Rachel looked at her from behind her bangs, panic lurking, ready to drag her under.
“Don’t think. Just move.”
“Don’t think about it, she says.” Rachel muttered under her breath as she gripped Liz’s outstretched hand. “A crazy pack of dog-men is hunting us through the woods, and she says don’t think about it.” Rachel forced a smile. “Don’t think about it, my ass.”
An hour and a half later Liz couldn’t tell how much progress they’d made. They’d moved quickly, occasionally chatting to fill the most oppressive of the silence, but for all Liz knew they’d been walking around in circles. Regardless, they needed to stop soon; Rachel hadn’t said anything in half an hour and she was beginning to drag her feet. She needed a break. They all did.
Allison disappeared over a hill a hundred yards ahead. Liz moved past Rachel, ignoring the burning in her legs. “Come on, let’s get up this hill. Then we’ll rest.”
Finally, thighs burning and sweat soaking her hairline, Liz crested the hill. “I swear when I get home, I’m spending some quality time at the gym.” She turned and helped Rachel maneuver over the steepest section.
They stood together for a moment and surveyed the landscape before them. “Oh God.” Rachel uttered a defeated noise and slid to her butt.
Disappointment fell on her like rocks. Liz hadn’t really expected to crest the hill and find civilization, but the vast open forest in front of them was incredibly intimidating.
Allison was already down the other side of the hill, standing next to a wide stream that cut a path through the trees. She glanced up and waved them down.
“I’m going to go talk to Allison for a minute. Relax. Stay off your feet for a while. I’ll come get you in a few minutes, okay?”
Rachel pulled her knees to her chest and laid her forehead against her legs. “Whatever.”
“Rachel…”
“It’s fine, Lizzy.” Rachel snapped. “I just need a minute.”
“Okay.” Hoping that a bit of rest would help reenergize Rachel, Liz carefully picked her way down the steep terrain.
The last thing I need is a broken ankle.
“Be careful, I slipped and fell…” Allison called out as Liz went down hard on her backside. “Right about there.” Allison stepped up and extended a worn smile and a hand. “It’s really wet right in here, so be careful.”
Allison glanced to Rachel. “How’s she holding up?”
“Okay.” Liz shrugged. “Terrible. I don’t know.”
“You’ve got to keep her moving. Keep her mind occupied. The longer she has to sit and stew, the worse the fear and depression is going to get.” Allison looked Liz over. “How are you doing?”
Hysteria bubbled in her throat like a laugh.
How am I doing?
Terrified, scared stupid, ready for the padded room?
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” Liz met Allison’s eyes, and saw her fear reflected there, openly shared between them.
“No, I’m not.”
“If you need to panic, now’s the time.” Allison’s expression held as steady as the rest of her. “Take a minute, get it out of your system.”
For one agonizing moment, Liz let everything she’d tried so desperately to ignore rush over her. The horror and disbelief was nauseating. The fear and desper
ation consumed her until nothing but the harsh static of panic-induced white noise filled her brain. She braced her hands on her knees and tried to breathe around the sob clogging her throat.
What are we going to do?
We’re helpless out here, prey for men more terrifying than I’ve ever imagined.
The helplessness cleared away some of the fear and panic clouding her mind, replacing it with a hollow depression.
What chance do we have?
The enormity of the situation dragged her under, threatening to drown her where she stood.
“Minute’s up. Pull it together.” Allison’s voice cut through her thoughts.
Liz lifted her head and glanced at the woman standing across from her. Fear was plain on her face, but every single line of the rest of her body screamed determination. It gave Liz the strength to straighten and a force air back into her lungs.
“Good,” Allison whispered. “Now lock it away.”
Liz forced herself to push the fear and doubt from her mind.
Focus.
She made herself listen to the quiet babble of the stream, the birdcalls and the other natural noises of the woods around them. The more she focused, the easier it was to block out the suffocating silence of the vast wilderness, and the less alone and threatened she felt.
“Thank you. I think I need that.”
Allison nodded. “You’ve been carrying the both of you. I could tell you needed a minute to process this.” Allison glanced away to where Rachel still sat at the top of the hill, head buried in her arms.
“You have to keep her calm.” Allison turned back to Liz. “Keep her moving, don’t let her rest too long. The longer she sits idle, the more time she’ll have to let the fear consume her.”
Liz worried her bottom lip. Rachel was stubborn on her best day; an emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted Rachel would be a nightmare. “I’m not sure how. She’s already starting to crash.”