Yay! I finished writing this. There are going to be 18 chapters exactly. I'll post 1-2 a day.
I'm so proud of myself. Out of the many multi-chapter stories I've worked on, this is the first one I've ever finished, and I've been writing for eight years!
Please excuse any spelling errors. No matter how many times I look it over, I almost always miss something.
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Chapter 10. Horrors on the Wall
Conner inspected the trap, shaking his head. "I don't believe it…"
"He's one smart SOB," muttered the smaller man when he saw the wolf tracks. "He's not falling for any of our tricks."
Conner stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Puppy wants to play," he said darkly, a cruel smile working onto his lips. "So, let's play."
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He loped through the forest, wandering. His need for food wasn't so desperate that he was starving, so he spent the time simply wandering around, looking for something to do. He felt…bored.
Since Pepper had gone, he had no longer felt the Call. He was too wounded inside, miserable. Even in their short time together he had learned much about her, and he wanted to know more. But she was not around.
Where, Pepper?
Pepper…
Then suddenly there it was. Her sweet scent, like lily flowers on the pond. His energy renewed, he took off. Pepper! She had been found! She was waiting for him!
He pushed himself as much as he could, driving himself to the limits. He was no longer alone. Strange sounds reached his ears, screeching and dull bangs, but he didn't dare stop to ponder them. Pepper was near! Suddenly, he burst out from the trees.
Down in the valley below him, the town buzzed with activity.
He ignored it. He had to find Pepper. Pepper was near. He picked up the scent again, faint, but still there, and hastened towards its source.
Pepper, Pepper, Pepper!
His trail led him to a large cabin just on the slope of the hill. He slowed his gait, observing the wooden structure with discomfort, but pushed himself to approach it. Pepper's scent was stronger than ever. She was very close.
The she-wolf's smell led up the front steps of the porch to the door. She was inside. He pawed at the door, whining. Perhaps she would hear and return his call
There was silence, but he was determined. He circled the house, looking for a way in. He was lucky. A window was open in the back. With a well-placed jump, he was through the window and into a small room lined with shelves.
Fortunately, this door was unlocked, and he pushed it open all the way. There was an overpowering scent of food as he passed through the kitchen, but he shoved his hunger aside and continued into the den.
And stopped.
Horrified.
Glassy eyes stared back, unfeeling, dead. Deer, Bear, Elk, Duck, Cougar—all strewn across the room, heads mounted on the wall and pelts decorating the floor. All stuffed, all gone from this world. He almost blended right in; he couldn't move, couldn't make a sound.
Hell.
He was in Hell.
His gaze flitted to the stone fireplace.
No…
The look, the smell, it just couldn't be…
No!
Stretched above the fireplace was Pepper, her gray pelt that had once held that lively spirit.
Now dull and…dead.
Pepper!
Rage, fury, hate—he felt them all. His vision became red as the emotions overwhelmed him.
The handle of the front door turned.
He launched himself at it, knocking it outwards with great force as it opened.
--
"Holy shit!"
Conner stared up at the massive dark wolf that loomed over him, a sliver of fear coming into his eyes at the sight of the white teeth bared to tear out his throat. "Hank!"
"Hey!" Hank saw the danger and ran towards his pinned friend, waving his arms wildly to draw the animal's attention away. "Over here, ya mangy mutt!"
The wolf snarled, but leapt away, making a beeline back for the forest.
Conner lay still on the porch, panting. For a brief second, he had been afraid for his life. There had only been a wild insanity in those eyes. Nothing more.
Hank rushed to his side and moved to help him up. "CK?"
Conner set his face hard. "Get the guns. We're killing the bastard. Now."
Good, bad? This chapter wasn't in my original plan, but I needed something to explain Pepper's disappearance.