Something Wicked

“Werewolves don’t scare me,” he said. “Should be the other way around, right puppy? What? Don’t you sense what I am? I can understand that. I’m a bit different recently. But, trust me, not where it counts.”

He held his right hand out. Eden’s eyes widened as flames began to ripple across his skin from the elbow down until his hand could no longer be seen behind the fire.

The wolf whimpered and stepped back.

“That’s right. I suggest you run away before I decide that well-done werewolf steaks are on the dinner menu tonight.”

The wolf bared its sharp teeth again as if deciding whether or not it wanted to fight with a demon, but then it thought better of it, tucked its tail between its legs, and ran away.

Eden finally let out the breath she’d been holding.

Darrak glared at her. “That was way too close.”

She scrambled to her feet. “Where is he?” She scanned the alley until she saw it. A boot attached to a leg, sticking out from behind a green Dumpster. Without hesitating, she ran to it.

Sure enough, it was Andy. He lay on the ground, half covered in garbage. His white shirt was dirty and ripped and covered with blood.

Three deep, red slash marks streaked across his face.

She clamped a hand over her mouth at the horrific sight, a sob catching in her throat.

Darrak pushed past her, knelt at Andy’s side, and checked his pulse.

“Is he. .” she began, not wanting to ask the question. If Andy had been killed because she’d ignored him, she didn’t know what she’d do.

“He’s alive,” Darrak confirmed. “But barely.”

She dialed 911 on her cell phone. Why would Andy call her and not an ambulance? She could yell at him for that later. Right now, they needed help.

The ambulance arrived five minutes later, and Andy was taken away to the hospital.

Eden and Darrak followed in her car.

It was funny how something like this, a friend who’d been hurt and almost killed, cancelled out all of her other worries. She’d endured blackmail from Lucifer himself, as well as helping a greedy demon strip an angel of his power, but Andy’s well-being was the only thing that mattered to her at the moment.

Her fingers went to her gray amulet, and she twisted the chain nervously as she waited.

Darrak stayed by her side but didn’t try to make her talk. She knew he was angry she’d used black magic to find Andy, but she’d had no other choice. In fact, it was one time that she was actually thankful she had some extra power. If she’d been a regular, everyday woman, then she wouldn’t have been able to find him in time. She felt certain the werewolf would have finished Andy off if they hadn’t been there to stop it.

Over an hour later a doctor came out to speak with them.

“He’s going to be fine,” she said.

Eden exhaled shakily. “Thank God.”

“Looks like a wild animal attack,” the doctor said. “Something large. Unusual for the downtown core but not unheard of. He’s lucky to be alive.”

“Can we see him?”

“Are you family?”

“Yes,” Eden said. “I’m his niece and this is my husband.”

Darrak raised an eyebrow.

She lied very easily. Almost too easily. But she didn’t want to wait.

Lies sometimes got you what you wanted.

In Andy’s room, she slowly approached him in the hospital bed. He was covered in white bandages.

“Hey,” Andy said weakly, raising a hand to her. She took it gently.

“What did I tell you about getting yourself hurt like this?” she said.

“I don’t think you told me anything, did you?”

“No, I didn’t. But that’s only because I didn’t think you would. Otherwise, I would have given you a very stern warning not to.”

He grinned a little but then grimaced. “I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.”

“There’s not going to be a next time.”

He touched the bandage that covered half his face. “You’re right. I think I’ve learned my lesson about werewolves. They don’t like being spied on, do they? Who knew? The wife’s boyfriend is responsible for this. Smashed my camera and chased me, then beat the shit out of me, as you can see. He turned to his wolf form — which, by the way? Freaky as hell—and I thought he was going to tear my throat out. Feels like he did.”

“Did he give you these wounds when he was in wolf form?” Darrak asked.

“Yeah. I guess women are going to have to love me for my personality now instead of my male-model good looks.” Andy attempted to grin but failed.

Eden sat on the edge of Andy’s bed, still holding his hand, and studied Darrak. “What’s wrong?”

His light blue eyes met hers. “He was attacked by a werewolf. You saw it yourself.”

“I know. But I don’t know what we should say on the police report.”

“There’s not going to be a police report. The police won’t know what to do with this,” Darrak said. “It’s just. .”

“Just what?” Andy asked.

A sensation of dread crawled up Eden’s spine. “What is it?”

“May I?” Darrak indicated Andy’s facial bandage.

“You want to look?” he asked. “Kind of morbid, don’t you think?”

“I just need to check something.”

“Then go ahead.” Andy eyed the door. “But Nurse Ratched will have a fit if she sees you. The women here. . not charmed by me bleeding all over the place.”

That sounded like a good opening for a snappy comeback from Darrak, but he didn’t crack a smile at Andy’s attempt to lighten the mood. Instead he gently peeled back the corner of the bandage.

His lips thinned. “That’s what I thought.”

“That bad, huh?” Andy said.

Eden had forgotten to breathe again. She’d braced herself to see horrible wounds, but instead, the only thing under the bandage were three faint red scratches. The wounds had almost completely healed.

“Oh, my God.” Her voice was hoarse.

Andy cringed. “Hey, no reason to rub it in. I used to be very vain, you know.”

Eden’s hands trembled as she reached into her purse and pulled out a hand mirror, flipped it open, and held it in front of Andy. It took him a moment before he forced himself to look at the damage, his face tense as if bracing himself for the worst.

He blinked in disbelief. “That’s not half as bad as I thought it would be.”

“It was as bad as you thought,” Darrak said. “You’re healing.”

“This fast? How’s that even possible?”

“It’s possible because the wounds came from a werewolf.”

“So what? That means they heal up faster than if it was a regular wolf? Like they’re magic wounds?”

“No, it means your healing ability has now improved since you’ve become infected.”

Andy frowned. “Darrak, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Infected with what?”

“Lycanthropy is the proper term,” Darrak said. “Shifters can change whenever they like, with effort and practice. It’s only on the night of the full moon that they lose any ability to maintain human form. Luckily, the next full moon isn’t for a couple of weeks. You’ll have time to do some research. You should meet some other shifters and ask for their assistance, although I’d probably suggest you stay away from the one who infected you, at least temporarily.”

Andy stared at him.

Eden was still in too much shock to say anything for a moment. When she found her voice, she said, “Andy, it’s going to be okay.”

“Are you. . trying to tell me. . I’m a — a werewolf now?” he choked out.