A/N: Second year of college complete... I know I haven't been so frequent with updates this year, but I promise it will be completed.
However, next month I'm studying abroad so I can't promise many chapter uploads. Also, I'm working hard on concluding the story. I have an idea for pretty much everything except the ending. It's TBD.
In fact, if any of you lovely readers have any speculations about how you think this story ends, send them my way! Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!
He had been told where to find them—his friends. He was surprised to see them located in such a remote area. It was a small camp that once whiled away its summers uniting young monsters and humans. But now it was home to an older group of monsters: his former classmates. When they had seen him advancing toward the camp, they stared on dumbfounded. Recognition was simple. It was the realization of his existence that they had trouble processing.
"Is that..?"
"Oh my ghoul!"
"But how?!"
They rushed him, forcing him to crush a couple of crops as he was backed into the garden. They buffeted him with questions but he was too stunned to answer. So many familiar faces... Some he had been close to, others he hadn't, but he remembered all of them.
"You're not... dead?"
The word, said so unsurely, struck him. The voices muffled in his hearing. He tried to respond, to open his mouth and assure them he was fine—and others too—but even when the asking took a less dour turn, he couldn't bring himself to reply.
Then someone brought up the breathing tube enclosing his nose and he almost laughed. It was easier and lighter than the helmet he had worn in high school, but it still interfered. The sun, for instance, would occasionally cause a glare like the helmet and momentarily blind not only him but also those who were subject to the reflected light.
Yet if it weren't for the glare, he would've noticed her sooner. Her name was the first word he spoke since his feet touched the ground.
"Lagoona?"
Unlike him, her style changed. Her clothes were plain: brown shorts, leather sandals, a white tank top... Of course, that didn't matter to him. The soft blue of her skin was visibly dry, and it pained him to see her that way. Her blonde hair framed her freckled face, the one feature that stood out to him the most. Only five years had passed since he had last seen her and yet she looked worn and tired.
"Gil?"
Her eyes widened. Green and full of life—that was the one thing that hadn't changed. The air seemed thick like water, and they were swimming in an abyss of it—a chasm filled to the brim with trepidation and teeming with slivers of hope.
The second he wanted to run to her, she beat him to it. It caught him off guard, but he quickly returned her embrace, welcoming the brush of her cheek against the gills on his exposed neck. When the tears began to fall, they held each other tighter, and the ache in their chests softened.
The sun reigned high in the sky. Clouds soon accompanied it as the heat subsided. The drive back from the concert consisted of remarkably little traffic, although the incessant giggling in the back seat was anything but pleasant. Clawdeen was more than relieved when they had returned to the palace, the ghost couple phasing out the car as soon as it was parked.
But when the quiet came, Clawdeen was dragged back into her thoughts. Skelita trailed behind her as the Wolf's mind wandered. One step onto the palace's marble floor shocked Clawdeen back to reality, and she remembered the imprisoned plant ghoul with a suicide mission.
"Venus..."
Skelita was at her side, her brows furrowed in confusion. "¿Qué? Did you say something, Clawdeen?"
Her gold eyes widened at the attention. "Uh, nothing. I gotta go."
She disregarded the skeletal ghoul and dashed down the nearest corridor with supernatural speed. She rushed down a flight of stairs until she found her claws yanking open the metal door leading into the dungeon.
Senses alert, Clawdeen took a cautious step forward. The she-wolf's ear twitched as she tried to pick up any sign of movement. When she caught none, she held her nose high and inhaled deeply. Venus' scent came quickly, and Clawdeen felt assured when she didn't catch Valentine's. At ease, the Wolf took reassured steps to the ghoul's cell.
If I go down with him then so be it.
Clawdeen was less than a foot away when the coppery smell of blood engulfed her nostrils.
She stumbled on panicked steps to Venus' cell. Darkness enshrouded anything past the bars. Realizing that it was unlocked, Clawdeen slid the barred door open.
Venus was sprawled on the dirt ground with one arm outstretched. Her eyes were glazed and wide open; the black poisonous liquid pooled beneath her opened neck. Clawdeen loomed over the fallen ghoul for what felt like hours, her mouth agape in astonished horror.
Though the stench of blood was strong, Clawdeen caught another scent—Valentine's. Her eyes swept across the cell, but there was no sign of the vampire. She shook her head—maybe she'd been mistaken.
"Hello?"
Clawdeen whipped her head around to the voice, tense and ears perked. In the corner of the cell, a pair of red eyes dimly shone.
She took a step closer to Venus' body. "Are you proud of this?"
Valentine wheezed out a dry laugh. "Of course not." He shakily stood to his feet, clutching his side and letting out a hoarse cough. "She wanted this."
The Wolf shook her head. "No. She wanted you gone. So she put herself at risk."
Valentine took a step forward. "Some plan."
"She was my friend!"
"And now she's dead."
Clawdeen stared down at Venus, her vision blurring.
Valentine let out another cough. "Help me out of here. I need fresh blood."
"Get someone else to help you," Clawdeen sneered. "I'll... I'll take care of the body."
As the vampire trudged out, Clawdeen brought her gaze back to the body and carefully knelt beside it. She could hardly think—the reek of blood was overwhelming. She willed herself to reach a trembling hand to close Venus' eyes—once a fierce bright blue now livid and devoid of life. The Wolf's shoulders shook uncontrollably, and she clenched her eyes shut. Her chest throbbed and bile simmered in her throat. She remembered Venus in high school. Determined, just like today. All Venus wanted was to make the world a better place.
All that remained were the rebels Venus had told her about. Now she had to find them... for Venus' sake.
Darkness swept over the parched land the instant they caught sight of trees in the distance.
Excitement bubbled up inside him. He pointed ahead. "Look! A forest!"
He turned to look at the ghouls behind him, and his mood immediately fell. To say they were tired would be an understatement. The two were panting as they ran to keep up with him, and their eyelids dared to drop closed in exhaustion.
He sighed. He knew he shouldn't have expected too much from them. He was a werewolf; they weren't.
"That's good to hear, Clawd," Jinafire said as soon as she reached him. The smile she gave him looked forced like she was trying to repress her weariness.
Jane Boolittle, her dark, red-highlighted hair pulled back and purple skin sleek with sweat ran up beside her and sent Clawd a nod in agreement.
"Not everything around the city's a wasteland," he said triumphantly. "We've been gone long enough; we should head back to tell the others."
The golden dragon shook her head. Her green eyes showed a hasty resilience. "I would think it unwise to turn around after traveling so far."
Clawd frowned but perked up the next second. "Okay. Let's set up camp in the forest!"
He hurtled toward the woods. He could tell the ghouls were struggling to run alongside him, but he couldn't help himself. The ghouls were tired, and he sympathized with them, but the sooner they camped for the night the sooner they were able to leave—and Clawd was itching to go back.
It wasn't the rough, dry camp he yearned for but the monsters in it—the atmosphere of their presence. From his ghoulfriend, Draculaura, to his friends Deuce, Heath, Slo-Mo, Jackson... Even Bram and Gory. He longed to see them all again. He longed to be home.
After trekking deep into the forest, the three settled in a small hollow. Clawd slipped the knapsacks off his shoulders. He had offered to carry them when the group's necessities waned. Jane immediately plopped down onto the grass—tall and lush, unlike what they were used to these past five years.
Jinafire peeked past the barrier of trees. She dragged out sticks to the center and placed them in a pile. Once she was seated beside Jane, the dragon pursed her lips and puffed a quick burst of flame, igniting the wood.
Clawd grinned. "Way to go, Jin. A campfire's a great idea. Now we can heat up the..." The Wolf's brows creased as he raised his knapsack from the ground. It was abnormally light. When he opened it, he was startled to see it empty. Okay, no problem.
"We're out of food, so I'm going to see if I can find anything out there. We'll roast whatever I catch." He bounded into the trees.
"Be careful!" Jinafire called, her voice almost inaudible in Clawd's ears.
His footsteps steadily thumped upon the forest floor as he ran; he was tempted to fall onto all fours. It'd been nearly two weeks since they had set out on their journey and now they finally found land that was more than just dirt. Then again, they might have found it sooner if they hadn't taken so many breaks in between. As relieving as it was, their friends were probably worried. Clawd hoped they weren't too worked up about their absence. The last thing he'd want is for them to put themselves in danger because of him.
It wasn't long before Clawd caught the scent of prey. He stopped in his tracks, observant of the wooded area surrounding him. Then his eyes landed on the white tail of a fleeing rabbit. A greedy grin spread onto Clawd's face. It'd felt like ages since he last hunted like a real werewolf. He pursued the scent of the rabbit, making his way over fallen branches and thick brush as stealthily as his body allowed.
A small flash of white brushed past Clawd's vision, and he froze. The rabbit was a few feet away. He carefully pushed past the pressing foliage, his eyes trained on the rabbit's tiny form in the small patch of grass. Then it stiffened suddenly, and panic overtook the werewolf. He leaped at it a second too late. It had already darted into the woods.
A curse spouted out Clawd's mouth. He rose from the ground and shook his head. So close. He blinked, adjusting to the night. He hadn't realized it had gotten so dark so soon. With a dejected sigh, Clawd turned to head back to the ghouls. He had to do a double take when he glanced up. He expected to see a plume of smoke rising above the trees, but there was no sign of a campfire.
He let out another sigh and sniffed the air. At least there was the faint scent of smoke to guide him. The Wolf lumbered onward. Clawd let his thoughts carry him to a more comfortable time, back when he was younger, more carefree, and monsters coexisted with humans. A time when Monster High still stood.
His mind traipsed further, and the memory of pounding rain became so vivid in his mind he could almost see her. Drenched in rain, her hair plastered to her face, Draculaura shivered in the storm. It was the moment Clawd felt something new for her. She wasn't a family friend anymore. She was something... special. But even when he had proceeded to drive her home, he couldn't quite place how he felt. That was different now, and he was glad their relationship had endured the years.
Clawd noticed a flicker of light in the corner of his eye and stilled. He warily stepped to his left, a twig breaking beneath his sole. "Jin?"
The Wolf heard a low rumbling, and he knew he wasn't alone. A force pummeled him onto his back. Blazing red eyes brutally stared through him. Clawd barely had time to react when the creature tore at him. Each scratch burned like fire.
"Clawd!" Jinafire's frantic yell came loud and clear. Flames abruptly blasted at the beast, and it released its hold on Clawd.
The beast was an enormous, ruthless canine with long claws and dark fur like coal; its eyes broiled with flames. The Wolf dazedly watched as Jinafire breathed fire at it. Jane was at her side desperately attempting to communicate with it. But the beast remained unfazed, and it swatted at the ghouls like toys. It attacked with unhinged ferocity. Clawd had looked into its eyes and saw the malice in them. It hadn't come to hunt, but to kill.
The Wolf knew he had to act, but he struggled to even move. He felt drained. His chest seared with bleeding lacerations. He felt his eyes threaten to close, and he cursed under his breath an instant before he lost consciousness.
-.-.-.-
Clawd awoke slowly, his limbs numb. His eyes remained shut as he sensed his surroundings. Unlike the unconditioned heat he had grown accustomed to, the air felt cool and there was no discernable scent—except that it was unfamiliar. He lay on his back; so comfortable he felt as if he was floating on a cloud. When he decided to open his eyes, he had to adjust to the light.
The artificial light.
He jolted upright. Somehow, he had ended up in the middle of what appeared to be a fairly large, modernized bedroom. There was a window to his right and a white wooden door across from him. He looked down where he was tucked beneath the covers of a full-sized bed, the blue and yellow blankets splayed out from his sides. Awe and befuddlement intermingled within Clawd as his eyes scanned the room.
Then the door opened.
The Wolf was wary to move, and not just because his body felt like lead. The door had swung open and hit the wall, and Clawd's fur stood on end in anticipation.
As if by magic, a silver tray hovered into the room. Clawd stared in astonishment as the floating object set itself down on the nightstand. On it was an assortment of snacks and a glass of water. But Clawd was still marveling the fact that the tray had transported itself into the room. Then the door began to close.
The werewolf's ears shot up in suspicion. "Who's there? A ghost?"
An exasperated sigh resonated from the threshold. "You know, I hoped that at least you could remember I never liked being called that."
"No way..."
"Yeah," Invisi Billy said while materializing. His old friend leaned confidently on the doorframe, dressed casually in a blue t-shirt, black pants, and a pair of boots; tufts of his cut, dark blue hair poked out from his gray beanie. He grinned. "It's good to see you."
"H-how?" Clawd faltered. "I thought..."
"You thought I was dead?" he finished. "I thought the same of you. And the others."
Clawd's expression morphed into concern. "The others? You mean Jinafire and Jane? They're here too?"
Invisi Billy nodded. "Uh huh. We noticed you guys in the woods nearby—it seemed pretty hectic so we had to check it out. You were lucky. We usually stay away because of the hellhound."
Clawd winced as he remembered the beast. "So that's what it was."
Invisi Billy gave a sympathetic, sidelong grin. "The woods are its territory," he said grimly.
"And we were trespassing." Clawd groaned. "How are Jane and Jin?"
The other waved him off. "They're fine. Just a couple scratches. I think you should be worrying about yourself. You were knocked out all night and this morning."
Clawd exhaled as he took in the information. The werewolf's eyes skimmed over his arms and torso, numb from pain and wrapped in bandages like a mummy. He grimaced, knowing the sting of his wounds would strike him soon. "It's just a couple scratches," he joked.
"Yeah right," another voice came from the hall, and Clawd caught an all-too-familiar scent. "It took forever to patch you up."
Clawd somehow managed to laugh when a white-furred werewolf stepped into the doorway. "You too?"
Romulus raised an eyebrow. His wardrobe hadn't changed much either. "Clawd, we've known each other since we were pups. You can do better than that."
The Wolf let out another laugh. "I just can't believe it! You're here and not smooshed by textbooks and Mr. Hack's jar of toenail clippings."
The other werewolf grinned. "I can say the same about you."
"How did we miss each other?"
"We were stuck in the school, actually," Invisi Billy informed simply. "We must've been in there a day or two before we finally got out."
Romulus ran a hand through his auburn hair. "Gigi helped out a lot, granting her mini-wishes."
"Gigi's here, too?"
"There's a few of us," he said. "Like you guys."
Clawd shook his head and beamed. "There's a lot of us. Me and the ghouls left them to check out the land."
"Really?" An awestruck smile spread onto Romulus' face. "Wow. That's great." He took a step sideways. "I'm gonna let the ghouls know you're okay. Be back in a sec."
The golden-eyed wolf sent him a nod before Romulus disappeared into the corridor.
"So," Invisi Billy drawled as he pulled away from the doorframe. "You said there are more of you?"
Clawd leaned back. "Yeah. And there should be even more by now."
Invisi Billy moved to stand at the front of the bed. His gray eyes faced the ground. "Is... Can you tell me if..." He grimaced before looking the Wolf head-on. "Is Scarah there?"
A relaxed sensation swept through Clawd, and he cracked a slight grin, excited to answer him. "Yeah," he replied softly. "She's there."
Invisi Billy's gaze once again fell to the floor, and he took a shaky breath. "How is she?"
"Well," Clawd said, trying to keep his tone lighthearted in an attempt to soothe his friend. "She'd be happy to see you."
He brought a bluish, white-skinned hand to his downturned face. "Good," he croaked. "Because, if she was with you, that means she's coming."
"What?"
"Gil," the other said. "Jinafire told him where to find you guys and Gil took the bus there. He sent each of us a text when he found them."
Clawd was baffled. "Gil's also not dead?"
Invisi Billy let out a short laugh. "Yep." When he looked up, his gray eyes were glassy.
"And a bus?" Clawd gestured about the room. "How do you guys even have all this? We've never heard you were around. Who's paying for it all?"
The blue-haired monster gave a wry grin. "We got a couple monsters providing for us. You know Catty Noir?"
The Wolf's jaw dropped open. "But she's actually out there! The whole monster world knows she's not dead."
Invisi Billy nodded. "Her exposure helps keep us hidden. She wasn't too big on making a comeback when the school got wrecked, but she did it for our sake. And the one running it all."
Clawd's eyebrows arched. "So who's in charge here?"
Invisi Billy chuckled and raised his arms in a teasing shrug. "Probably someone else you thought was dead!"
There came a sound of thumping footsteps, and Jinafire and Jane came rushing through the doorway with Romulus calmly trailing behind.
The dragon's worried, wide-eyed expression eased when she saw Clawd. "Thank goodness you're okay."
Both she and Jane moved to either side of the bed, and Clawd took the opportunity to flop back down onto it with an audible creak. He stared up at the ceiling. "Thanks for helping out, guys. I would've been a goner."
Jinafire's scaly hand pointed across the bed. "It was Jane who warded off the hellhound. She even sensed it, which is why we had to extinguish the fire." She glanced down at Clawd, her long green hair falling from her shoulders. "You were fortunate it listened to reason."
The werewolf looked at the ghoul on his left and sent her an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Jane."
A brief blush tinted her purple cheeks, and she gave a small smile. "I must admit, it was rather difficult to communicate with him. Every word he said was quite garbled." She shuddered slightly. "I've never encountered a beast like that before."
Clawd noticed her pick at a bandage beneath the white speckles of her eye. It must've scratched her. "I never want to see it again."
"I hope you don't mind, Clawd," Jinafire said, "but I told the monsters here where to find our group of friends."
"I know. Invisi Billy told me," Clawd said while craning his neck to gesture at the Invisible Man's son. He let himself get comfortable where he lay before listening to Jinafire continue.
"It's good we can avoid traveling back all that way," she said. "We wouldn't want you adding more to your injury."
Clawd scoffed good-naturedly. "I'm just glad I get to see them again."
Jinafire smiled in agreement. She noticed the tray of food on the nightstand, then moved away. "We should leave you to recover. Enjoy your meal."
The monsters gradually filed out the room, and Clawd's mouth stretched into a yawn. Fatigue overtook him and he closed his eyes, the tempting yet soothing smell of food from his bedside lulling him to sleep.
