Connor sprinted across the dark streets, heading towards Dillon's house. His gaze darted back and forth, peering into the shadows around him and down every side street or dark area between buildings. At any moment, he expected a giant shape to jump out and attack him but it was still early evening, barely dark.
The moon was just rising into the sky, large and yellow. Its light began to bathe the village in an eerie glow.
He looked over his shoulder at the rising moon and hastened onward. In a few minutes, he rounded the corner of the street Dillon lived on and collided with a man headed towards town.
They went down in a jumble of arms and legs, the man swearing loudly.
"What the bloody hell are you up to, running around in the darkness?" He shoved Connor aside and stood.
Connor jumped up. "Sorry!" He continued down the lane, ignoring the man's questions about what his name is and who his parents are.
Dillon was exiting the house and closing the door as Connor reached the steps to his house. "Dillon!"
The boy turned suddenly and dropped the pillow he was holding. "Gosh Connor, you scared me to death!"
"Sorry, you alright?" Connor picked up his pillow and involuntarily brought it to his nose, inhaling Dillon's scent.
"Sure, just getting that. My folks are not here so I guess they are back at the inn." He held out his hand for his pillow. "You don't have to carry that."
Connor regretfully handed him the pillow. "Ok. Let's go, we need to get back into the middle of town and amidst a lot of other people. There's something else..." He began to smile and happiness was in his voice.
Dillon barely saw him begin to grin, in the near darkness. "What?"
Connor beamed, "Aiden is back!" He wanted to hug Dillon but resisted. "He came back!"
"Oh that's great!" Dillon nodded. "Where is he?"
"Waiting for us in the stables. Come on!" Connor reached out and took the boy's hand, pulling him away from the house.
Dillon ran alongside Connor, holding onto his hand. He had been dreading the return journey to the inn, alone in the dark, but now everything was going to be ok.
As they reached town Connor released his hand, suddenly realizing he had been holding it too long.
They walked casually to the stables, not wanting to draw attention. Someone had lit a lantern hanging on the front of the building and it cast a little bit of light inside.
"Aiden? We are back. Dillon is safe with me." Connor whispered into the darkness.
No one replied.
"Are you here?" He asked a bit louder.
Still no answer.
"Where did he go?" Dillon asked.
"No idea. He was here when I left to get you." Connor tried to keep the worry from his voice but he immediately thought of the Sheriff's threat to turn his friend over to the mob.
"Maybe he went back to the inn?" Dillon asked.
"I don't think he would have done that. He knew I was bringing you back here." Connor moved towards the back of the stable and felt behind the hay pile for the sword. He grasped it and lifted it up. "At least this is still here."
"Wow, what is that?" Dillon moved over into the darkness, barely able to see, as the lantern's light did not penetrate far into the stable.
"This is my great grandfather's sword. He was some kind of knight a long time ago. Believe it or not, it's magic and the werewolf is afraid of it."
"Oh? How do you know?" Dillon ran his hand down the thick leather scabbard.
Connor knew it was time to tell the boy about why he and Aiden were in the town again, on the full moon.
"Come sit here with me." He sat down on the closest hay pile and laid the sword across his lap.
Dillon plopped himself down in the hay and faced Connor.
"It is a long story but I'll do my best to make this brief, so we can go find Aiden."
He began with his encounter with the beast that first, fateful night at the river, then finding Aiden in the hayloft, then the encounter at his house, and finally their decision to come to the village during the full moon. He purposely left out any talk of sex between the two of them, the fact that Aiden could transform into a wolf, and the situation with the man in the forest, who was now dead.
"So you knew there really was a werewolf the whole time and you didn't tell me." Dillon looked down and shifted his feet in the hay. "I even took you into the woods, to my secret place."
"God Dillon, I wanted to tell you, so many times. I didn't want to frighten you and I really didn't think the werewolf would try to hurt you. I assumed it was only after us."
"Best friends aren't supposed to keep secrets for each other." He faced Connor and shrugged.
"I know and I'm really sorry." Connor put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'll be honest with you from now on."
"Promise?"
"I swear it." Connor nodded.
"Ok. Then we are best friends again." Dillon smiled in the darkness.
"So now you know that it wants me and Aiden but it also seems to hunt anyone who comes into contact with him. So, that means it probably wants you too. This is a very dangerous time for the three of us."
"I know!" Dillon stood. "So we had better find Aiden and fast!"
Connor hid the sword back behind the hay pile and stood. "Agreed. Let's go to the inn and see if he is there. I doubt he is but we need to start somewhere."
The boys carefully exited the stables and approached the inn. Several men with rifles were standing on the main entrance porch and stopped them.
"What are you two doing outside? Get in here immediately!"
The boys were roughly grabbed and shoved into the main room of the inn. Nearly the entire town was packed inside and it was difficult to move around.
"Should we go upstairs and ask if your parents have seen Aiden?" Connor yelled over the noise.
"No, they will be angry that we aren't inside the sheriff's house." Dillon shook his head. "Besides, they would probably try to keep us here with them instead of letting us go back outside, even if we told them we are heading back to the sheriff's house."
"Agreed. Do you see the sheriff?" Connor looked around the room, jumping to see over the tops of people.
"I can't tell; too many people jammed in here."
"Well I don't think Aiden is in here, in fact I know he isn't." Connor knew Aiden was afraid the sheriff would betray him and would not have returned to the inn.
"So where should we..." Dillon was interrupted as several people pushed between he and Connor and he was shoved backwards, away from the door.
"Dillon!" Connor yelled and began pushing his way through the people, trying to get to the boy.
"Connor help!" Dillon was knocked down next to a table and disappeared from sight amidst the throng of villagers.
Connor rudely shoved a woman aside, ignoring her protest, and made his way to the table, helping the boy up.
"Let's get out of here; this place is like a cattle stampede." Connor yelled and pulled Dillon towards the door.
They left the inn and were immediately stopped by the men on the porch. "Oh no, you two get back in there. Sheriff's orders that none are to be out on the streets after the moon rises."
"No!" Connor shoved the man backwards and yanked Dillon down the steps.
"Hey!" One of the other men made a desperate grab for them but was too late.
The boys ran back towards the stable and then suddenly froze as a deep, blood-curdling howl sounded from the Eastern edge of the woods.
"Connor?" Dillon grabbed his hand and leaned up against him.
"It's here." Connor whispered, though he knew it didn't matter. The beast would be able to find them by scent, especially as both boys were together. Their combined scent would be an irresistible draw.
"What should we do?" Dillon whispered back.
A great commotion at the inn drew their attention. More men had appeared on the porch and were rapidly readying their rifles.
The boys were standing frozen in place, shoulders touching, when two large hands landed on their shoulders.
"What in the blazes are you doing out here?" Morgan yelled at them.
Connor spun around, startled, Dillon doing the same.
"We...are looking for Aiden. I don't know where he went."
"I don't care where he went. You two should be in my house with the door locked, not roaming the streets under the full moon. I take it you heard that howl?"
"We did." Connor nodded. "All the more reason to find Aiden!" He shrugged the man's hand off his shoulder and stepped back a pace.
Morgan frowned at Connor's willfulness and placed his other hand on Dillon's shoulder, pulling the boy tightly against him. "Well I'm taking Dillon to the inn to be with his parents. It was clearly a mistake to leave him with you!"
The sheriff turned and steered Dillon towards the men on the porch.
"Connor!" Dillon shouted and struggled to break away from the man. "Connor help!"
"Hold still boy, this is for your own good. You don't want to go getting messed up with those two." Morgan grabbed him more tightly.
"Ouch! You are hurting me!" Dillon struggled harder.
"Now I have had just about..." Morgan was cut off as Connor crashed into him and knocked Dillon out of his grasp.
"Come on!" He helped Dillon steady himself and then ran away from the inn towards the sheriff's house.
"Get back here, both of you!" Morgan yelled and gave chase.
The boys ran through the darkness, not looking over their shoulders.
"Where are we going?" Dillon panted.
"Aiden might be near his house, hoping we would head there to meet him." Connor ran on into the darkness.
Another howl split the silence of the forest, seemingly closer to the village.
The boy's stopped, not caring if the sheriff caught them.
"I think it's getting closer." Dillon whispered.
"Yes."
"Connor I'm frightened."
"I know, me too." Connor nodded.
He grabbed Dillon's hand and began running towards the sheriff's house again.
Morgan stopped chasing them and turned back towards the inn. He was torn between protecting all the people in the inn, being himself safely among the crowd there, and catching up to the boys who seemed to be heading back to his house.
He shook his head. "You two will be the death of me yet!" He continued after them and barely saw them run up the steps and into his house.
Connor ran into the side room he and Aiden shared and called out. "Aiden?"
There was no answer.
"He isn't here!" He faced Dillon, his voice heavy with despair.
"I'm sorry."
The front door banged open and the sheriff stepped into the room. "You two stop running!"
Connor panicked and slammed the bedroom door shut. He didn't feel a lock so he moved a chair under the door handle and wedged it into place.
"What are you doing?" Dillon whispered.
"I'll tell you later but just trust me that we need to keep away from him." Connor pulled the boy away from the door and looked about the room.
"The window, come on!" He moved to the window and quickly opened it. "Let's go!" He jumped out and turned to help Dillon.
The younger boy pulled himself through and dropped to the damp grass below. "Where should we go?"
"Back to the stable. That is the last place I saw him." Connor pointed to the building a ways off towards the inn.
Dillon nodded and they ran that way.
Morgan threw his weight against the door and it moved inwards. He was able to maneuver his arm through the opening and move the chair.
"You two stop this at once!" He stepped into the room and in the moonlight saw it was empty.
The curtain flapped in the slight breeze and he looked out the window but they were gone.
"Damn you Connor!" He swore under his breath and left the room, closing the door. "You and Aiden are more trouble than you are worth." He left the house, heading back towards the inn.
"Aiden?" Connor entered the stable and whispered. "Are you here?"
No answer.
"Dammit!" He swore.
The boys were trying to decide what to do next when a gunshot rang out towards the woods and then the sound of someone screaming in agony.
Dillon stepped closer to Connor and leaned against him. "Connor, I want to go...now."
Connor put his arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him closer. "We are actually safer here. My great grandfather's sword is really the only thing that can protect us."
"Then shouldn't we give it to the sheriff?"
"No, he...that is..." Connor faltered.
"He what?"
"Trust me in that we need it more than he does."
"Ok, then let's stay here." Dillon pulled free from Connor's grasp and moved deeper into the stable. "Come on."
Connor looked around. "Is there a loft?"
Dillon looked up. "I don't think so but there are some large beams up there. Maybe we can climb up and hide? At least we would probably be out of reach of anything that comes in here."
"That's a great idea." Connor nodded and followed Dillon. "Here, get up on this hay pile and climb up."
He steered Dillon towards a pile of hay directly under a beam, along an outer wall.
Dillon climbed onto the hay, the pile sinking down slightly. He reached upwards but was several feet to short.
"I can't reach!" He panicked and tried jumping but the hay was too springy.
"Here, let me help." Connor knelt down and hugged the boy's lower legs, lifting him upwards. "Uhh...you are getting fat." He laughed uneasily.
"Am not!" Dillon answered softly and flailed his arms, the tips of his fingers just brushing the beam. "Almost got it. Sorry about this..." He moved so he was standing gently on Connor's shoulders and then pulled himself up, swinging his legs up onto the beam. "Come on, get up here."
Connor reached up but was only an inch taller than Dillon and could not reach the beam.
"I'm too short!"
Dillon leaned as far over the beam as he dared but the tips of their fingers barely touched. He couldn't reach Connor's hands enough to pull him up. "Oh no!"
"Hang on, I have an idea." Connor climbed down and went into the stall with his father's draft horse. "Easy boy..." He patted the horse's side and gently climbed onto its back. From there he could just barely reach the beam directly above the stall with his fingertips.
"Oh yeah!" Dillon nodded. "Good idea!" He moved over to help by laying down on the beam and reaching his hand downward.
Connor grabbed the boy's hand and hoisted himself up onto the beam. "Made it, thanks!"
Dillon nodded. "Come on, let's move away from the sides of the stable and out over the middle where there isn't anything to stand on beneath us, just in case."
The boys carefully moved from beam to beam until they were nearly in the center of the stable. From there, it was at least twelve feet to the floor, not having a pile of hay or a horse underneath to stand on.
"This should be pretty safe." Connor sat down, his legs hanging over the beam.
Dillon sat next to him. "I think so. We just have to be ready to stand up so our feet can't be grabbed from below."
"Yeah." Connor nodded. "Let's sit here quietly and maybe it won't find us." He suspected that even with all the other smells in the barn, hay, straw, and horse, the werewolf would still be able to find them. They had been running and climbing and both had worked up a sweat. His shirt was stuck fast to his chest and back and he could smell Dillon, sitting next to him.
Connor felt his penis twitch. Even in the terror of the moment, he was still managed to be aroused by the younger boy sitting close to him, all sweaty. He buried those thoughts and concentrated on the situation at hand.
Dillon scooted closer until their legs were touching. "I'm frightened."
"I know, me too." Connor put his arm around Dillon's shoulders. "I won't let anything happen to my best friend." He tried to calm him.
"Promise?" Dillon faced him.
"Swear it." Connor nodded.
"Thanks." Dillon exhaled deeply. "And now we wait."
"Yeah..." Connor whispered.
Beneath them, the horses shifted uneasily but were otherwise quiet. They too seemed eager to remain unnoticed.
Morgan arrived at the inn, just as four men with rifles were heading towards the forest, to where the scream had come from.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To see what happened." One of them nodded towards the forest. "Didn't you hear that scream? Someone is in trouble."
"Was...in trouble." Morgan shook his head. "He isn't screaming now and we all know why. Stay put!"
"But we..." The man began.
Morgan shook his head. "Absolutely not! We all stick together, here. We have a duty to protect those inside. Anyway, it would be suicide to go off into the darkness with that creature lurking out there somewhere."
"I guess so." The men stepped back onto the porch, looking relieved to not have to investigate the scream.
"Now, who is where? Are all the corners of the inn guarded?" Morgan asked.
"Aye, they are." Another man nodded. "Four men at each corner and a two upstairs, positioned by windows."
"Good. That should be enough to see us through the night."
"I hope so." A different man said softly.
"Sheriff?" One asked.
Morgan faced him.
"Who were the two boys that ran into the stable? Shouldn't we bring them here?"
"Where are they?" Morgan looked out into the darkness, his eyes settling on the lamp hanging outside the stables.
"In the stables. They ran in there a few minutes ago. One of them might have been Dillon, the boy who was attacked last night."
"That so?" Morgan stepped off the porch. "I'll go get them. Keep an eye out and yell if you see anything while I'm away from here."
The others mumbled agreement and Morgan stepped out into the night, heading towards the stable. Carefully and quietly, he moved through the empty street, approaching the stable doors. He stepped inside and called quietly.
"Connor, Dillon?"
Connor faced Dillon and put his finger against the boy's lips. The boy nodded in understanding.
"I know you two are in here." Morgan stepped into the darkness and looked around. "This isn't time for games Connor. You are both in great danger. Come back to the inn with me now. I'm not angry. I'll even help you look for Aiden."
Dillon faced Connor who shook his head `no'.
Morgan lingered for a moment and then spat on the ground. "Damn you Connor. It isn't bad enough that you and Aiden have lured that beast here, now you have involved Dillon. I swear to God if I catch either of you again I'm personally delivering you to the werewolf and that will be the end of this." He spit again and left the stable, hurrying back to the inn.
When he had moved off, Dillon faced Connor. "You hear that? He's crazy. He wants to give you to that monster to save his own skin!"
"I know. I was afraid he had already betrayed Aiden but I guess not as he doesn't know where he is either."
"Well that is a relief!" Dillon sighed. "I mean, that he didn't hurt Aiden." The boy looked down at his hands and picked at a fingernail.
"Yeah." Connor was quiet but now concerned that if Aiden hadn't been betrayed then where had he gone?
"You know..." Dillon began. "It won't be enough if the sheriff gives you and Aiden to the werewolf. The monster will still want me. Won't it?"
"I don't know." Connor whispered. "He probably thought you were me, when you were on the roof. You were wearing my clothes so you smelled like me. Still, I suspect you are correct. I wish I hadn't been so foolish and traded clothes."
"Well, we are in this together now and I'm staying with you. Wherever you go I'm going too."
Connor smiled in the darkness at the boy's defiance.
"Thanks, that makes me happy. You are a good friend."
"Best friend." Dillon corrected, a hint of happiness in his voice.
"Most bestest friend." Connor laughed softly.
"Maybe even like a younger brother?" Dillon asked hopefully.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"Me too." Dillon whispered. "I wish we really were brothers."
"I know. I think that would be..." Connor began.
Another deep howl rang out from the woods, seeming closer. That effectively ended their conversation. The stable was once again plunged into silence.
Dillon pulled his feet up onto the beam.
The men on the inn porch shifted uneasily. "It's getting closer." One of them said in a hushed voice.
"It is." Morgan agreed, walking back up onto the porch to stand with them.
"Nobody in the stable?" The man asked.
"No, they must have gone elsewhere. Anyway, we have a much more serious problem than those two." He jerked his thumb towards the forest.
"What should we do?" Another man asked.
"Stand our ground." Morgan answered. "We have more than enough men to protect the people inside.
For a time, nobody spoke. Each man was pre-occupied with his own thoughts.
The night wore on as the moon rose in the sky. At about the midnight hour the silence was suddenly shattered by gunshots to the side of the inn.
First one shot, then another, then two more rang out in the still night, followed by screams and the sound of glass shattering and wood breaking.
"Come on!" Morgan ran along the porch that wrapped around the entire inn, rifle in hand.
Screams broke out inside the building and the sounds of breaking dishes and overturned tables were heard.
Morgan and the men rounded the corner and for a moment were frozen with shock. The four men stationed at the side of the building were all lying on the wooden deck, their bodies broken and torn. Blood covered everything and a metallic stench hung in the still air.
"Dear lord!" Morgan cried.
Screams from within drew their attention. Looking through the shattered window and wooden window frame, they saw the people inside crawling over each other to get away, towards the other side of the inn.
It took a moment for Morgan to realize what was happening and then he saw the werewolf rise from the floor, where it had landed after crashing through the window. Maybe it was a trick of the light or maybe something else but it seemed to have grown in size from the last time he saw it, inside the Darrow's small home.
The werewolf waded into the mass of screaming people and threw them roughly aside as if they were children's dolls. It took no great notice of them other than to slash and rend absentmindedly with its clawed hands as it moved towards the back of the building, towards the stairs. It was sniffing and turning its head from side to side as it moved.
Morgan raised his rifle and took aim at the creature's head. He fired but the werewolf unfortunately stepped to the side to get closer to the stairs and his shot whizzed past its ear.
The werewolf turned and its glowing yellow eyes focused upon him. As if it held some slight recognition, it squinted at him, then raised its muzzle to the ceiling, and howled.
It tossed more people aside and lumbered up the stairs and out of site.
"Inside, all of you. It's on the second floor." Morgan stepped through the hole in the wall and into the chaos of bleeding and dead villagers.
He slipped on the bloody floor and went down, hitting his arm hard on a table, his rifle skidding across the floor, out of reach.
A lone shot rang out from upstairs followed by a blood-curdling scream and then the body of a man was thrown down the stairs. It landed in a bloody and torn pile on the floor, people moving away quickly.
The other men moved inside and cautiously approached the stairs. They heard a door shatter and a woman scream, and then it became deathly quiet. A dull thump landed on the floor above and then another but what had made the sound they could not tell.
In the stable, the boys heard the commotion and wondered what was happening.
"Should we get down and look?" Dillon asked.
"If we do, we won't be able to get back up here quickly." Connor cautioned.
"Ok, let's wait a bit." Dillon sat still.
Morgan got to his feet, cradling his sore arm. He retrieved his rifle and moved into the room, towards the stars.
"Everyone get away from the stairs!" He assumed the creature would come back down when it failed to find the boys in their room.
More sounds of breaking wood and they heard heavy footsteps headed back towards the stairs. A dark shape blotted out the light from the upper hallway.
The men fired and the shape darted to the left and out of site. Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass was heard from above and a heavy thump on the roof.
"It's outside, on the porch overhang!" Morgan pushed through the crying and bleeding villagers and ripped open the front door. He ran a few paces out into the night, away from the building and looked upwards. Two other men joined him, rifles raised.
"Sherif look!" One of them yelled.
Morgan and the other man followed his hand and they saw the werewolf standing at the edge of the roof, looking around as if trying to decide the best way to get down.
Just then, a woman came to the window with a lantern and pushed open the drapes from her room. She held the lantern to the window and peered out into the night, trying to see what was happening.
"No! Go back!" Morgan yelled but she couldn't hear him.
As she looked out, her light lit the roof overhang below her window and she barely saw the men below. They seemed to waving at her frantically. She was just pondering whether to open the window so she could hear what they were saying when a darkness blocked her view.
She raised the lantern, looked up through the higher half of the window, and screamed. The muzzle of the werewolf broke through the glass and its teeth clamped onto either side of her face, shaking her violently.
One of the men below aimed and took his shot. The bullet flew straight and hit the werewolf in the shoulder.
It howled in either pain or fury and dropped the dead woman from its mouth.
"That got him!" Another man cheered.
"But that won't stop it!" Morgan yelled. "It isn't easily hurt by bullets!" As he said that, he suddenly remembered the sword, back in his room.
The other men paid him no heed and began to shoot wildly at the creature as it dropped to all fours and ran along the porch overhang, disappearing behind the building.
Morgan shook his head and turned. "Stay here and keep shooting!" He began running back to his home to retrieve the sword.
The men gave chase, one going one way round and the other going in the other direction.
Unbeknownst to them, a fire began burning in the woman's room, ignited by her dropped lantern. It quickly engulfed her drapes and began to char the wooden window frame. The oil spread out across the wooden floor and soon the bed caught fire.
In the stable, Connor and Dillon heard the commotion, then the gunshots, and then the silence that followed.
"What do you think that was all about?" Dillon asked.
"I don't know but it's gotten awfully quiet."
"We need to go look and see what's happening. Maybe they've killed it?"
"I don't know. It didn't seem to be badly hurt by bullets at my house."
"Still, I don't hear anything now." Dillon whispered.
"Ok, let me go down and look. You stay put!" He poked Dillon in the arm.
"But I want to come with you." The boy protested.
"I can't get both of us back up here on the beams quickly if anything goes wrong. Just stay there so I know you are safe."
"Fine...be careful." He whispered.
Connor turned around and lowered himself down until he was hanging by his hands, about six or seven feet above the ground and then let go. He fell with a thump and rolled to the side.
"You ok?" Dillon asked.
"Shh..." Connor lay still, listening. He thought he had heard footsteps running past the stable but it was quiet now.
"I'm going to take a quick look around." He stood and carefully moved to the stable doors, looking outside.
Dillon saw him standing in the light from the lantern that hung outside the stable. "Well?"
Connor stepped away and gasped. "Oh no!"
"What?" Dillon whispered and began turning around on the beam.
"The inn, it's on fire!" Connor called back loudly.
"What? No! My parents are inside!" Dillon began to lower himself over the edge of the beam.
Connor looked back inside the stable and yelled to him. "No! Stay up there. I don't know where the creature is!"
Dillon paused his descent and pulled himself back up so he was lying flat on the beam.
Connor turned back to the inn and looked around. "People are coming outside...I think others are getting water but I can't tell for certain." He noticed the wind had picked up and much of the second story was now in flames, which were rapidly spreading upwards and to the side, the breeze fanning them. The room he had shared with Aiden was already ablaze.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, praying Dillon's parents had managed to get out of the room.
On the porch overhang, on the side closest to the eastern edge of the forest, the werewolf suddenly froze, sniffing the night air. It inhaled strongly and its eyes narrowed to slits. It growled deeply and ground its teeth, saliva dripping out through its gums. The wind had picked up and was now blowing from the north, from the stable, carrying with it the intoxicating scent of farm boy.
The werewolf lowered itself to the roof, ignoring the flames that were quickly spreading in its direction. Slowly, it crept along until it could see the stable, and the boy standing just outside the door.
A long string of drool escaped its mouth as it recognized Connor. The creature knew that if it could capture that one, it could breed him and pass the gift along. Then, while the boy struggled with the curse, he would capture and kill the traitorous Aiden. Better yet, the farm boy would kill Aiden for him and seal his own fate.
The werewolf crouched at the edge of the roof as a few people began to flee the burning building below. They were of no interest to him as his prey was within sight.
"What is happening now?" Dillon called down from the rafters.
"It's hard to tell with all the smoke but I think most people are coming outside. Truth be told, he had no idea how many people were inside but a good number were coming out.
"I want to get down." Dillon swung his legs over the beam again.
"Ok but be careful. I'll help you get down." Connor stepped back inside the stable to catch the boy's legs when he let go.
Dillon landed on Connor and they crumpled to the ground together. "I thought you were going to catch me." He rubbed his elbow.
"Yeah, so did I." Connor rubbed his knee.
"Come on; let's go see what's happening." Dillon pulled him up.
"Hang on, let me go look first."
"Connor, I want to see too." Dillon protested but stayed put.
"Shh. Let me look." Connor looked around the corner and surveyed the scene. "Lots of smoke so I can't really see much." He looked back inside the stable.
The werewolf leapt off the roof and hit the ground running. People screamed and dove out of its way. It extended its long arms and kicked off the ground with its powerful rear legs. It moved with a terrible speed and purpose.
"What's all that yelling about?" Dillon asked, moving towards the door.
"Not sure. Let me look again." Connor turned away from him and looked back towards the inn.
Dillon saw his friend throw his hands out in front of him, scream something, and then in a blur of movement he was gone. Something large and dark had collided with him and knocked him away from the stable door and out into the darkness.
"Connor!" Dillon screamed and ran to the door. He looked out into the darkness and the sight before him made his blood freeze. He opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out.
Connor was lying face down in the dirt, a large, hairy shape poised above him. His pants lay in shreds as the creature continued to rip the material free from his legs. Blood ran down Connor's legs from multiple gashes.
The werewolf dropped to its knees and took up position between Connor's legs. It roughly pushed the boy's legs outwards, exposing his tender bits.
Dillon gasped and choked stumbling against the stable door, which banged loudly against the side of the building.
The werewolf swung its gaze to him and growled deeply. He sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes, recognizing the slightly familiar scent of the other boy.
"You...get away from...him..." Dillon whispered.
The werewolf turned back to the farm boy and lined us his dripping penis with the boy's exposed hole. Growling, it pushed the head of its long, thick, red penis into him.
On the ground, Connor groaned with pain and began to move his arms, trying to push up from the ground.
"No!" Dillon suddenly understood what the creature was intending to do to Connor. "Leave him alone!"
The werewolf turned again to the younger boy and opened its mouth, exposing bloody, jagged teeth.
Dillon heard a loud, deep growl but it sounded different, not like the werewolf's. He turned to the side and his heart faltered. He choked again with fear.
The werewolf turned its gaze from the boy and looked ahead, out into the night.
A large, black wolf was approaching. Its head was hung low and it was growling deeply. It opened its mouth and snapped its white teeth, snarling. Stopping its advance, it crouched, ready to spring.
Terrified, Dillon stepped back into the stable.
The werewolf gnashed its teeth and stood, pulling out of Connor. It lifted its head to the moon and howled a terrible cry.
The black wolf launched itself forward, straight over Connor's body, into the middle section of the werewolf's body.
Both wolf and werewolf went down in a tangle of flailing claws and snapping teeth.
The black wolf gained its footing and spun around, sinking its teeth into the werewolf's leg and dragging it away from Connor's prone body.
Another dreadful howl split the night and the werewolf swung its clawed hand behind it, knocking the wolf away.
With a yelp, the black wolf was thrown back and slammed into the ground. It struggled to get to its feet.
The werewolf spun around and raised its clawed hand again. It brought it swiftly down upon the black wolf's head, knocking it down to the ground.
Aiden, the black wolf, lay on the ground unmoving. His vision blurred and he could not stand. Dimly aware of what was happening around him he saw his maker turn and once again crouch down between Connor's legs, preparing to mate him.
The black wolf whimpered but could not rise. As Aiden tried to force his legs to move he dimly became aware of a new sensation. His body tingled and he saw movement at the stable door.
"Get away from him!" Dillon's voice was quiet but firm. "Now!"
The werewolf again swung his head in the direction of the stable and instantly flattened its ears to its head. With more of a slithering motion than anything natural, it backed away from Connor and crouched a few feet away, laying as close to the ground as possible, snarling.
"I said get away!" Dillon lifted the softly -glowing sword and stepped closer to Connor. His arms were shaking and his knees felt week but he continued advancing.
The werewolf gnashed its teeth and ripped up chunks of dirt with its clawed hands. It moved back another few feet, keeping a safe distance from the weapon.
Dillon quickly knelt down next to Connor and shook him. "Hey, Connor!"
Slowly, Connor rubbed the back of his head and groaned. "What...what happened?"
"Get up!" Dillon kept his eyes locked on the werewolf. "Connor, now!"
Connor coughed and looked around. He saw Dillon holding the glowing sword and looked in the direction the boy's eyes stared.
The werewolf was beginning to move into an upright position, as if it were preparing to spring.
"Give me that." Connor held out his hand to the boy. He stood, shakily.
Dillon passed him the sword. "Are you ok?"
"Not great but I'll survive." He gripped the sword with both hands and leveled it between himself and the werewolf. He kicked his legs free of his tattered pants and planted his feet firmly apart.
The creature again flattened its ears and moved back a bit further.
"That's right. You've seen this before, when you attacked me last time. This sword belonged to my great grandfather and now it belongs to me."
It snapped its jaw a few times quickly and then turned its gaze to the black wolf lying motionless on the ground. It made the slightest move toward it.
"Dillon, stay at my side!" Connor called to him.
The boy moved next to Connor and grabbed a handful of his shirt.
Connor moved slowly to the side, keeping himself between the werewolf and the black wolf's motionless body.
The werewolf looked back and forth from the farm boy to his offspring. He needed to kill one and seed the other but that sword...
"Touch him and I will kill you." Connor took another step closer to Aiden.
For a terrible, long moment, the creature weighed its odds of succeeding at either task against being struck down by the sword.
Connor took another step closer to Aiden and was now directly between the black wolf and the werewolf. "Go!" He moved the sword back and forth, side to side. "Be gone! You will not have either of us."
The werewolf lingered for a moment and then sprinted off into the darkness. It needed time to reevaluate the situation.
Connor stuck the point of the sword into the ground and bent down next to the wolf. The sword dimmed but continued to glow faintly.
"Aiden?" He lifted the wolf's head. "Can you hear me?"
"What?" Dillon knelt down next to the wolf. "What did you just call it?"
Connor gently laid the wolf's head on the ground and ran his hand down its body. He began to cry, choking on his words. "Please don't die... You can't leave me..."
"Connor? Is that? Is it..." Dillon placed his hand on the wolf's rear leg.
Aiden whimpered and lifted his head. He locked eyes with Connor and sighed.
"Can you get up?" Connor placed his hand on the wolf's head. He smiled and wiped his eyes with his other hand.
Aiden whimpered again and began to struggle into an upright position. It took a moment but eventually he gained a shaky footing.
Dillon rose and backed away. "I don't understand."
Connor faced the boy and wiped his eyes. "It's complicated but I'll tell you everything."
"Is that..." Dillon pointed at the wolf.
Connor nodded. "Yes, it's Aiden. I understand now why he wasn't here when I brought you back to the stable."
"Is he a werewolf too?" Dillon whispered.
"No! Far from it. I'll explain this to you but we need to get away from here. The werewolf might return at any moment."
Aiden shook his body and sat down, licking his front leg. The fur was matted with blood.
"Is he safe to be around?" Dillon stared at the wolf.
"Sure, it's Aiden, just in a different body." Connor lifted the sword and wiped off the part that had been in the ground with his hand.
"Where should we go?" Dillon looked around, his gaze settling on the burning building a ways off. "Connor, my parents are in there." He rubbed his eyes.
"Maybe they got out before the fire spread." Connor placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, we need to find a place to hide."
Dillon faced him and tears ran down his cheeks. "I might be all alone now..."
Connor laid the sword on the ground and placed his other hand on the boy's shoulder. "No you are not! I'm here with you and we will stick together."
Dillon sniffled. "Promise?"
"Brothers." Connor smiled.
"Brothers." Dillon nodded.
Aiden slowly walked past them, limping on his right side. He moved into the stable and into the first empty stall, by the door.
The horses were agitated and stamped in their stalls, shaking their heads. They did not like a wolf so close.
"Hey? Where are you going?" Connor called after Aiden but the wolf did not return.
"Why is he going in there?" Dillon pointed. "Shouldn't we get away from here?"
"Well, it does only have the one door and he might be too injured to go much further." He lifted the sword and turned Dillon towards the stable.
"I guess this is as good of a place as any." The boy followed the wolf into the stable.
"Let's wait here until the sun comes up. I have the sword so I don't think it will return tonight. Tomorrow...well...tomorrow we will see what's what."
Connor pulled the stable door mostly closed and sat down in on the ground by the stall where Aiden was laying down.
Dillon moved over next to him and leaned against him, resting his head on Connor's shoulder.
"I'm tired. I know I should be wide awake but..."
Connor placed his hand on the boy's leg. "Go ahead and rest. I won't sleep and I'll wake you if anything happens."
Dillon nodded sleepily. "Thank you." He leaned into Connor more heavily and sighed, the events of the evening finally overwhelming him.
Connor looked over his shoulder into the stall and locked eyes with the wolf, a few feet away. "Are you alright?" He whispered.
Aiden nodded slowly and resumed licking his front legs.
"Thank you. You saved me."
Aiden again dipped his head.
Connor rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He mind was racing with a dozen or so thoughts all battling for attention.
Are Dillon's parents alive? What if they are not? Where did the werewolf go? Will it return tonight? What will happen to Dillon if his parents are dead? Where is the sheriff and what will he do in the morning when Aiden is found to be with them? For that matter what will he do to Connor and Dillon? Will he follow through on his threats? Where could they go now? Should they go home? Should they go see Mira?
Connor sighed and shook his head, trying to clear the racing thoughts. He touched his leg and felt the many cuts. For the first time since the attack, he took personal inventory of his wounds.
His legs were scratched in many places but none too bad. All but a few had stopped bleeding and he needed to clean himself up. He suddenly froze, a thought forcing itself to the front of his mind. Had he been raped? He remembered the werewolf penetrating him but only for a moment and then Aiden had attacked.
He felt between his legs and there was something slippery on his fingers. He examined them in the little amount of light filtering into the stable past the mostly-closed door. His fingers were damp with blood but that was all. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for but he assumed Aiden had arrived in time. He certainly didn't feel any different, not at all cursed.
"Are you alright?" Dillon asked softly having seen Connor rubbing between his legs. "I saw...well I saw what it was trying to do to you."
Connor nodded and put his arm around the boy's shoulders. "I think I am. It was trying to turn me into a werewolf but I don't think it succeeded. I'll ask Aiden about it tomorrow when he changes back into himself."
Dillon nodded. "Will he be alright? He really got beat up." He sounded sad.
"I think so. He heals pretty quickly when he changes back and forth from the wolf to himself."
"Will you tell me about him and how he's a wolf?"
"Sure but would you rather sleep now and talk tomorrow?"
"I don't think I can sleep. I thought I was tired but I can't quiet my mind. Too much has happened."
Connor sighed. "Yeah, me neither. Ok, I'll tell you what I know."
Dillon nodded and leaned closer.
Connor hugged his shoulder and began to recount everything he knew of Aiden's situation. He left out the accident in their room at the inn. He went into detail about how the werewolf changed Dillon and that it had tried to rape Connor in the same way and curse him as well.
When he finished, Dillon looked at him and sniffed. "That's a sad story. I feel so bad for him."
"Me too." Connor nodded. "I'm his only family now.
"That's good. He needs you."
"And I need him." Connor looked over his shoulder and was pleased to see Aiden watching him intently. He looked over at the boy. "He needs you too Dillon."
Dillon sighed and mumbled something about family and then his head slumped forward.
Connor laid his head back against the wood and closed his eyes. He would not sleep but he needed to calm down. Gently, he laid Dillon down on his back in the straw.
He rubbed his legs, shivering in the chill night. He looked over his shoulder. "I'm a mess." He smiled sadly. "I need to get some pants before anyone finds me like this."
Aiden held his gaze.
"I have another pair in the cloth sack back at the sheriff's house."
Aiden shook his head side to side in a `no' gesture.
"I know it's risky but what else can I do? I could slip into the room we were using and get them. Or I suppose I could just use the front door." He smiled sheepishly. "He isn't home; he's over by the inn with the other villagers. He won't even know I was there." Connor rose and picked up the sword. He moved to the stable door and cautiously peered out into the night. "Wish me luck."
Aiden sighed heavily and laid his head on his front legs, closing his eyes. Connor had the sword so he should be safe enough. He hoped his maker would not come back to the stable as he was in no condition to protect Dillon or himself from another attack.
Across the village, Morgan raced home, ripped open his front door, and stepped into the main room, slamming the door closed behind him. He didn't bother to light the lamp on the table but instead walked straight into his bedroom. He frantically looked around for the sword but it wasn't where he had left it. Cursing, he assumed Connor had moved it to his bedroom.
Morgan hurried across the common room and into the room the boys had been sharing. He looked under the bed, on the floor around the room, and even under the blankets but could not find the sword.
"Damn you Connor if you took that sword from here!" He cursed loudly, closed the bedroom door, and returned to his own room. He moved the bed away from the wall in a panicked search but found nothing. Realizing the boy had probably taken the sword with him, Morgan decided to check the stable again on the way back to the inn. Maybe Connor had stashed the sword in the stall with his father's horse.
Morgan ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. This night had turned into a complete disaster. The inn was ruined and he had no idea how many people had died from either the werewolf's attack or the fire.
He dropped down into his chair and lit his pipe. He inhaled deeply, the smoke calming him. Foremost in his mind was finding the boys. Hi would protect Connor but Aiden he would turn over to either the werewolf or the mob. Then there was Dillon. What to do about him? Clearly, Connor had told him something as the boy had been terrified when he had tried to separate him from Connor. He considered what he might do if the boy's parents had been killed. Dillon would need protecting and a place to live. The sheriff absent-mindedly placed his hand on his groin and gave it a gently squeeze.
He took a long pull on his pipe and stood. Time to check the stable again. He reached into a drawer of the table next to his chair and pulled out a pistol. He checked that it was loaded and tucked it into his belt.
Just then, sound in the boy's room caught his attention. There had been the slightest thump against the side of the house, at the window where the boys had eluded him earlier.
He quietly walked across the room and put his ear to the door. There was the sound again, as if someone were trying to open the window from the outside. He placed his hand on the door handle and slowly opened the door, the hinges creaking slightly.
The moonlight filtered into the room through the curtains but it was otherwise empty. The window was still closed. He crept across the room and peered out the side of the window, staying concealed behind the drape.
The moonlight reflected off the dew-covered grass but the boys were not there. Assuming they could not enter the room through the window, he guessed they would try the front door.
Morgan quietly left the room and approached the front door. He listened and sure enough, he heard slight movement outside on the steps. Apparently Connor and Dillon, and perhaps Aiden, were returning to the house. He would give the two boys a stern lecturing about disobeying him and Aiden, well, he would do something with him too, but he wasn't immediately certain what. He did have some rope in the other room, he remembered.
He waited until the sound of movement was right outside the door.
The door handle rattled quietly, twisting from side to side slightly.
Morgan grabbed it and yanked the door open. "Get in here this instant!" He whispered loudly into the darkness.
At that moment, two things happened. First, the pipe fell from his mouth, embers scattering across the wooden floor. Second, a great shape rose up against the brightness of the moon.
Morgan stepped back and slammed the door shut, fumbling for the lock.
A heavy weight slammed into the door but it held. A sound of sharp claws dragging across the wood came through the thick door.
Morgan backed away and pulled the pistol from his belt. He didn't dare waste the shot firing through the heavy door. He began weighing the chances of slipping out through a window either in his room or the boy's room when he heard the sound of breaking glass in their room.
He turned to look and realized he had left the bedroom door open. He took a step and then paused, fear gripping him tightly. Did he dare walk into that room not knowing what was inside?
The tinkle of falling glass caused him to move away from the room, towards the front door. A sudden thought came to him. If the werewolf was climbing into that room he had a chance to escape through the front door.
He crept to the front door and slid the lock to the side, the metal squealing just enough to make him cringe.
He pulled the door open and looked cautiously outside. The porch was empty. He took a deep breath, stepped outside, and moved down the steps and away from his house.
The wood of the porch creaked behind him and he froze, the hair on his neck rising. Slowly he turned around, raising the pistol as he did.
The werewolf was hunched forward with its hind legs on braced against the top step and its longer front arms nearly on the ground as it leaned forward, poised to spring.
Morgan's hand began to shake as his eyes stared into the softly glowing eyes of the monster.
The beast sprang forward, muscles rippling beneath its fur. Straight at the sheriff it leapt, arms flung wide, claws outstretched.
Morgan fired and the shot struck the werewolf in the shoulder but did not slow its attack.
He turned and tried to run but a hand landed upon his head, claws wrapping around his skull and squeezing. Blood began to trickle into his eyes.
The werewolf pulled him back by the head and hair, the human kicking and fighting in its grasp.
Back into the house it dragged him. Inside, it tossed him against the wall as easily as a child throws a rag doll.
Morgan slammed into the wall and crashed down on the small table next to his chair. He struggled to stand but before he could the werewolf was upon him.
He punched and kicked at it but the clawed hand that suddenly wrapped around his throat was unbelievably strong.
The werewolf lifted the man by his neck and sniffed him. He moved his muzzle down his body, eventually prodding his groin. A deep growl began somewhere inside the wolf and its eyes narrowed to glowing slits. The scent was strong, a mixture of the man's own musk and Aiden.
This was the man who had dared to breed his offspring in that cabin in the forest.
The werewolf lingered on the man's groin, inhaling a few more times. The scent of Aiden had always excited the beast, as did the scent of all young boys. It was the creature's greatest desire. He could have bestowed the curse upon any number of adult males but it was teenage boys that drove it mad with lust and the urge to breed.
Morgan continued to flail in the creature's grasp to no avail. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was going to die but his body continued to fight out of some primitive need to survive.
The werewolf lifted its muzzle to meet the man's gaze and saliva dripped from its twisted teeth.
"Well? Go on! Do it!" Morgan screamed and kicked out with his foot. "What are you waiting for?" He spit into the creature's face. "That's right...it was me who bred your precious wolf boy! I rammed my prick into his pretty hole until he bled! You murdered my friend you son of a bitch and I'll see you in hell!"
For a moment, it looked like the beast smiled a sort of wicked gleam in its eyes. It extended its other hand and a single, clawed finger. With a quick thrust, it jammed the finger upwards, into the man's lower jaw tissue.
The finger burst through Morgan's jaw and through his tongue. He tasted blood and felt the tip of the claw poke into the roof of his mouth.
With a heave, the werewolf lifted him by his chin, his legs dangling limply as his hands grabbed onto the beast's forearm for support.
He screamed as best he could with his tongue speared against the roof of his mouth.
Higher into the air he was lifted, until his head bumped against the ceiling.
The werewolf used its other hand to rip the man's pants from his legs, exposing his groin and abdomen.
Morgan began to choke on his own blood and was only dimly aware of what the creature was doing.
The werewolf nuzzled the man's groin with its snout, detecting the lingering scent of semen and Aiden's blood. Gently, almost lovingly, he tongue bathed the man's penis and testicles in a circular motion, drawing the scent and flavor into its mouth.
Then, without further hesitation, it snapped its mouth closed around the man's genitals and pulled away.
Morgan screamed weakly as his body was ripped apart. He felt a great warmth running down his legs and managed to turn his eyes downward in time to see the wolf chewing thoughtfully on what it had ripped away from his body.
He was only dimly aware when the beast took another bite of his lower abdomen. He was getting very tired now and felt a great chill descending upon his body.
The werewolf took a final bite of the man and casually tossed him aside. It lifted its muzzle to the ceiling and slurped up a piece of intestine that was hanging out the side of its mouth.
On the floor, Morgan's life fade to nothingness and his body ceased twitching. He became just another person who had perished that dread night.
The werewolf chewed absentmindedly and then turned to the open door. The boys it desired were still out there somewhere but dawn would be upon them before too long. It had fed and ended the life of one who had dared to interact with its offspring. It rolled a shoulder, feeling where the bullet had struck. In fact, it was becoming aware of all the wounds it had received that evening and knew it needed to rest and heal.
It left the house and moved into the forest. It would spend the day recovering and then try again to secure the boys the next night.