The Lycanthrope Tails. Chapter two.
The Lycanthrope Tails.
Chapter Two
By Roofles
The sun was beginning to rise over the mountains as Jared poured himself another glass. Another cup of coffee, this early in the morning? His life was hell. And his face showed that. It was neat and he managed to shave that very morning leaving just a small tuft of facial hair on his chin. Jared even managed to get a workout in before his morning shower. He should've been attempting to sleep off the hangover he should have gotten from last nights party; hell he might've even still be up from it! His face should be an utter greasy mess and his hair wild an uncontrolled; reeking from not shower and smelling of some other guy. However with the little accident that happened left both him and his twin sister home and dry and clean. What a way to spend a Friday night.
All Jared could do was text his best friends, Andrea and Lucca, to see if they remembered how awesome the party was and that he could then vicariously live it through them. He knew he wouldn't hear from either of them for a while, so he tossed his phone onto the counter and with a groan began working on breakfast.
Jared had cooked since he was just a kid for him and his twin sister. Their parents weren't around often and so they took on the different things that would've normally been taken care of for them. Jared job was to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. So he knew the way around even a small, back closet kitchen like this one that was more of a break room than anything else.
All he had to do was find the right equipment needed. And a hotplate served as a good stove. He even found an easy bake oven Tess had gotten as a gag gift. Soon eggs, bacon and toast filled the air within an iron frying pan, their heavenly aroma wafted throughout the back of the clinic. A small apartment had been somehow managed to be installed onto the side roof of the building. There was a flight of stairs leading up to a one room bedroom and bath. It served them well enough for last night. Jared had to sleep on the floor however and was feeling the stiffness in his neck. Tess normally crashed here anyways so she had spare cloths to wear and Jared just made due with the ones he had on the other night.
The smell was the first thing Dakota woke too. His nose twitched and his muzzle began to drool profusely making him have to swallow several times as he tried to lift his head up. It had been days since he had even gotten a chance to eat, only stopping long enough to get a drink of water. His stomach protested loudly at this, more than happy to remind him of the neglect he had shown it in those days. A squirrel barely could be called a meal.
Somehow Dakota had dragged himself off the table, breaking the straps like strings of laffy taffy and crawled or more like dragged himself into the far corner where a makeshift dog bed had been set up. It smelled and the scent of the foreign canine made his hackles rise but Dakota was too weak to do much else. The muzzle strapped on his muzzle still reeked of what he had puked up the night before, pieces still clung to the leather straps. It only made Dakota feel more nauseous as he weakly pawed at it with one hand.
Almost ten hours had passed by and it only felt like minutes as Dakota tried to lift himself up once more, he didn't even recall moving into the corner. His legs continued to wobble before they gave out and he hit the ground hard, his chin smacking against the concrete ground. He groaned, closing his golden eyes and took the time to just rest. His throat had grown so dry and his tongue felt like sandpaper. His ears were up however and he could hear the sound of someone in the kitchen humming to himself as the food cooked. It was male, Dakota could tell.
The man smelled like the scarf still around the large wolf's neck. And his voice was soothing to his tired ears after the hell of a roller coaster ride he had been through. And once more Dakota let sleep take him feeling safe enough to collapse into that welcoming blanket of darkness that draped over his senses and once more he was lost in its cold embrace.
"Tess. You up yet?" Jared called up the flight of stairs next to the kitchen. He rolled his eyes as he got silence in turn. "Lazy bum." Chuckling with a shake of his head he moved away from the stairs, leaving the doorway open to them. He set up two dishes anyways and began buttering the toast. He looked up and out the kitchen window into the back parking lot and frowned, seeing the large dent on the front of his truck. It only then dawned on him that he hadn't checked on the very animal that had dented it in the first place.
Setting everything down Jared moved into the back room, stretching as he did so. He flicked the side light on. The garage didn't have any windows installed leaving it shrouded in darkness. Morris said he always like to give animals their privacy. Jared never got it but wasn't about to question the man.
Even before the man could enter the room the wolf had passed out once more, unaware of his presence and in the state Dakota was in it was for the best for both of them. A wounded animal could be far more dangerous than one who wasn't.
"Whoa..." Jared muttered looking at the table first, his eyes going wide as he saw the creature missing. There was a blood trail and his eyes followed it slowly, holding his breath the whole time until he saw the creature. It had somehow stuffed itself into a bed made clearly for a creature far smaller than itself. It was almost cute, if Jared hadn't been so scared. "Tess." He said slowly not taking his eyes off the animal. "Tess!" He said a bit louder over his shoulder still watching it sleep.
"What?" Came a tired voice from the stairwell where his sister soon appeared. She was rubbing her eyes, her long dark hair a mess. Jared would've made fun of her for it if he even noticed.
"He moved." Jared just said in no more than a whisper.
"Moved?" Tess took a moment to try and collect her thoughts, still waking up from the sleeping world. She walked over, yawning loudly before looking in.
"W-wait!" Jared hissed at her as she walked further into the room.
Tess was nearly the same height as her twin brother and in the wrong light it was, at times, hard to tell either of the two apart. Even still Jared was hiding behind his sister as she looked from the table and into the corner. She walked over to the table and inspected one of the straps.
"See." She just said looking at Jared now. "You didn't fasten them right. He," she motioned to the wolf not even noticing the straps on the other side that had been ripped clean in two. "He just woke up enough to do what any wounded animal would do. Try to hide. It couldn't get far and just ended up there. Is all." And she shook her head. "You're such a coward."
"Right." Jared said unconvinced about the matter. "And fuck you." He added from the insult.
"Morris," Tess yawned again covering her mouth and heading into the kitchen ignoring him. "Will be here shortly. If you are so worried you should just set up a cage around it." And she laughed, teasing her brother. Jared didn't catch that and began doing just that.
Shoving some of the metal tables, boxes and kennels over he created a makeshift barrier around the animal trying to form a cage without getting into teeth ripping range. Jared then spied his scarf, the red black checkered cloth still wrapped crudely around the wolf's neck. He wanted to reach out, snag it and then wash it a hundred times over. The man gave up on the idea even before it had formed as Dakota twitched and his teeth could been seen on his slightly agape muzzle. Yellowish with black gums and lips. Jared shuddered recalling the raccoon.
"Sleep tight, and please don't wake up." Jared begged holding his hands together and shaking them at the wolf as he groveled in front of it. So long as it just stayed asleep Morris could get here and take care of the rest. He wouldn't need to do anything once he could pass the baton along.
Dakota's ears flickered as that voice reached him and he shifted his weight from one side to the other. His breaths evened out if only to a steady pace. One of it's massive red fur paws clenched at the ground, nails scratching at the pavement and the whiskers on it's face twitching. It's nose wrinkled as that fresh scent of male hit his nostrils and the wolf settled back down. Jared missed the motion as he quickly retreated bravely as far away from the animal as possible.
"The thing has my scarf!" Jared protested making sure to shut the door to the clinic.
"What's your point?" Tess asked with a smirk. "You looked horrible in it."
"So what?" Jared glared at her, folding his arms over his chest and giving her the once over. "Like you're one to talk." And he sneered.
Tess looked herself over. She had short black gym shorts and a white T on. The shirt was wrinkle and had a pizza stain on the front of it. "Fuck you." She said flipping him off.
The two continued to argue until there was a click as the front door was unlocked and the soft screech of it sounded as it was pushed open. The two stopped mid sentence and both looked over, holding their breaths as heavy steps walked their way.
Morris was not a small man. He was of mixed African heritage and sported a chrome dome with a very well trimmed goatee. In a business suit the two saw him more of a hit man than a veterinarian. Morris had to duck under the low doorway and looked into the kitchen at the two. He was not happy to be here so early on his day off.
"Tess." He spoke with a rough voice as his dull gray eyes turned towards Jared. "You." He said to Jared who quickly recoiled back and hid once more behind his sister, more afraid of the man than of the large wild animal in the other room.
"Sir." Jared managed to say with a weak, half-hearted smile. "Good to see you again."
"Still haven't grown a spine I see." Morris just noted before turning back to Tess. "And the patient is...?" He asked with a blank face that seemed to be carved out of some sort of stone. His cheek bones were well define and he had a strong jaw line as if he were always clenching his jaw.
Tess had told Jared once that he was ex-military and had been the one to snap Bin Laden's head off during the night raid. Jared doubted that but never dared to ask either.
"In the other room." Tess said pointing towards the door. She stood just a little taller and was trying to appear professional.
Morris gave a nod to her not even asking about her outfit. Looked at Jared and frowned. Then proceeded into the other room with a heavy suitcase in hand. Jared half figured he was going to take care of the creature and dispose of it's body like some mobster.
The two peeked inside as the man headed over to the side table, ignoring both the wolf and the cage Jared had made for it. He tossed the suitcase up on the table and undid the latches, popping it open. Several bottles and needles were safely stashed inside. Morris favored to carry the medicine with him and store it at his house where people couldn't... wouldn't break in to steal any. There had been thefts in the past with previous coworkers. And he had not been amused.
"You treated the wound? With what?" Morris asked taking out a bottle and looking it over. Using a syringe he withdrew a rather large dose from it. He flicked the side of it, looking it over to make sure no air bubbles had gotten inside.
Tess went into great detail to everything that happened. From hitting the animal to begin with to Jared giving him his scarf. Morris raised an eyebrow at the end but didn't say a single word the whole time.
Morris set the syringe down and moved over to the sink to inspect the source of the injury to begin with. Slipping a rather large black rubber glove on one hand he picked up a silver shard and looked it over in the light.
"You sure he can help?" Jared dared to ask before jumping up and running back into the kitchen as a small bell went off. "My biscuits!" He nearly shouted as he flung the tiny easy bake oven open and pulled the homemade cheese biscuits out. Fresh, his home recipe, and he was glad to see they had somehow managed to cook through. Then he poked one with a toothpick and it deflated and so did his face as he watched it crumble in on itself. Today just couldn't get worse...
"He's a little... feminine, isn't he." Morris said and it wasn't a question as he turned back to Tess. She just gave a half nod. "You sure this is what you found?" Morris did ask this time needed confirmation on the small metal fragment she had pulled out of the wound. Tess nodded once more. "These are illegal." Is all he said on the matter dropping the metal back into the cage.
Dakota whole head moved at the sound of the metal hitting metal and his eyes snapped open, slightly bloodshot. Something Morris noted as he headed back over to him. He didn't even seem to mind that the wolf had woken up, if only slightly.
For a man his size, Morris voice was very gentle as he spoke, calming the animal down as he slowly moved the kennel out of the way. "Bring some food in here." Morris called without taking his face away from the wolf. Dakota looked at him wearily, moving his head back and showing his teeth. Morris didn't even flinch at the action as he reached out slowly and snapped the muzzle off of Dakota's snout. That seemed to make the wolf take a second to think this whole situation over.
Jared brought in the two plates he had made, the sizzling sound of bacon and eggs frying up once more for the plate he had planned to make for Morris. Dakota's eyes jumped over to the new guest in the room and then locked onto the plate on his hand. Steam was rising off each one and his muzzle was already beginning to drool.
"Did you use any salt? Pepper?" Morris asked as Jared walked over, keeping a good distance still both from the man and the canine.
"Tess doesn't like either on hers." Jared said showing her plate to him. Morris took it, looked it all over before setting it down in front of the wolf. "You sure fried food is the best thing for it to have." Jared asked eying the food on the plate. He wasn't sure if he was happy or insulted Morris had offered it to this animal.
"It needs something to eat." Was all Morris said on the matter. Jared didn't use butter but an organic spray he had gotten from his truck. At the same time he had used a large plastic drape to cover the back of his car from the rain that continued to sprinkle down from above, wishing he had done it last night. He'd set up the plastic cover once he got the chance too at least.
Morris just watched the wolf before the corner of his mouth smiled as Dakota hungrily ate his food, not looking away from the man the whole time. Morris stood up, stretched and moved away not showing his back for a second to the wolf however.
"It'll be fine." The man just nodded seeing something the other two missed. "It has the strength to eat at the least. I can take care of the treatment from here. Was worried we'd have to go to clinic in the town over."
"We?" Tess asked blinking a few times having remained silent before.
"It is your patient." Morris just said giving her that half-smile that disappeared the second after it appeared. Tess beamed at that and nearly skipped around the room. "An animal that can't eat is far once than you'd think." Morris addressed Jared unasked question.
"You still planning to put it out?" Jared said instead resting against the far wall and looking everywhere but at the animal. Dakota looked up at that, glaring now at the man, his mouth full of a slice of toast. He snapped it in half with his teeth, growling. Jared did look at him now, blinking a few times and for a half second wondered if the animal understood what he had said. He quickly shook such a silly thought out of his mind.
"I hadn't planned too, no." Morris just said walking over to the tools. Dakota was on edge but continued to eat, his hunger wouldn't let him slip up the chance. And the food was good, hot and scalded his mouth a bit but it had been a long time since he had the luxury of eating something cooked. Morris frowned at his equipment. "You didn't clean these." He just said.
"Right." Tess nodded already moving over. She slipped gloves on and began doing just that.
"You need to remember this." Morris instructed, his tone fair and even. Still Jared found the hairs on the back of his neck rising up at his tone at the hidden warning underneath those words. Morris went on to inform her she used the wrong type of knot used for such wounds and he'd need to change it out. "We won't be using stitches yet." He went on to say. Soon a lecture began on the proper means to treat such a wound, Jared was more than happy to roll his eyes at and leave the room.
For a wild animal, Jared was rather amazed how calm it had been around the vet. Morris did seem to have a natural gift for working with animals and his very presence... seemed to have an effect on them. As if the animal knew where it stood in the food chain around the man. Even before Jared could slip his shoes on the doorbell rang. He put them on anyways. "Morris." He called looking into the clinic. "The doorbell." He motioned to the front.
Morris just frowned at him. "And what do you do when a doorbell rings?" Tess giggled at that looking away.
"Get it?" Jared offered before his face fell and then chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll get it." And headed over towards the door. Down the side hallway that passed the front of the building and to far door Morris had used to come in.
Jared made sure he at least looked somewhat decent before he opened it. "Hi, how can I help you today?" He asked but his voice faltered halfway through.
A woman stood before him, possibly in her early thirties or maybe just turning forty. She looked good though and that's what caught him off guard. At one time she easily could have been in magazines and even as the years passed her figure had held that of a model. Thin but fit, most of which was hidden under the large black coat she wore that draped down to her ankles. She wore combat boots which Jared did find odd for someone as good looking as her. Half of her face was covered by that milky white blonde hair and Jared couldn't see under it. And when she smiled her teeth sparkled like stars on a moonlit night.
"Hi," she spoke with a soft sing-song voice that seemed to warm the very air around them. "I'm with the bureau of animal control." She said vaguely but Jared wasn't focused on that at all as she leaned forward, showing her cleavage as she quickly showed a badge to him as proof. "We've been tracking a wild animal that escaped from a Northern animal preserve. We're checking the local animal hospitals to see if it accidentally turned up." And she just continued to smile sweetly at him.
It took Jared a few seconds to realize she stopped talking and to see she wasn't the only one that had come to the door. A man roughly the same height and size of Morris stood behind her with a bowler hat on. Both he and the woman had large bags under their eyes as if they had been up all night. There was a white clergy collar around his neck but otherwise wore an identical outfit to the woman's. It was hard to see underneath that coat other than the leather padded chest and black pants they had on.
"We just want to make sure no one gets hurt." The man said and for someone of his size his voice was affable and held a rather amiable disposition as he smiled down at the man. Jared almost felt safe around him and that put him off guard for a second.
"Well..." Jared said blinking a few times. "I just got here actually." He lied for reasons he wasn't sure. "I'll get the vet, he came in early today." And with that shut the door in their face and quickly headed back into the other room unsure why his guts were twisting in discomfort. They had seemed genuinely friendly and yet at the same time so fake, like plastic dolls.
Mary winced as the door slammed shut in their faces and her pale blue eye glared coldly at it. "I told you it would have been easier to just kick the damn door down." She glared back at the man now, her growing slightly wide and a madness flickering behind it. "If that thing gets away one more time..." She hissed between clenched teeth, her smile twisting up into a sadistic grin. "I think I'll cut your eyes out instead."
"Bloody Mary," Benjamin said lifting one hand. "It is best if we keep on good terms with the locals while we're hear. Do not forget as to why we do this." The man said covering his heart with a hand, his fingers open as if he were holding a book he didn't possess.
"We all have her reasons." Bloody Mary just muttered looking back at the door and with one hand reached up under her bangs to touch her bad eye that was hidden from view. Benjamin put a hand on her shoulder.
"I know, Mary. I know." He said softly and his voice sounded like a brass bell.
"No wonder why they call you gentle Ben." She said softly placing a hand on top of his before turning back towards the door and knocking several times once more. She added a kick for good measure.
"Morris." Jared called once more ducking into the side room and quickly jumping down the concrete step. "We have... you have guests." He looked behind him. "A couple of freaks in overcoats."
"Overcoats?" Tess chuckled. "That's rather vague."
Jared rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me. They look like some bad noir flick." Jared shrugged one shoulder. Morris looked at him and he went on. "Some good looking chick with long blonde hair and some big German dude. I think he's from a ministry though." And the wolf jolted at that. "Have you heard the good word of the lord?" Jared laughed and Tess joined him at that neither of the two grasping the situation they were in.
Dakota stood quickly and knocked over one of the boxes set up around him. He looked around quickly, wildly with unfocused eyes as he began to breathe heavily. His large chest falling and rising quickly and his muzzle open wide. "Tess, keep him calm." Morris said getting up and quickly heading over to see who had just walked in his front door. The side door wasn't used by clients. That was why he had spent the small fortune to install the waiting room. Which Morris had kept closed so early in the morning. The whole purpose was to NOT be bothered.
There was a commotion from the other room followed by gruff voices as they began to argue, Morris getting on the two for coming inside and the two pushing the issue they were here from the government. Jared nor Tess could really make things out but both knew they weren't here for some routine check up.
"Who were they?" Tess asked moving over to Dakota who was still just looking around the room. She lifted her hands up to the animal. "Easy, easy boy. Nobodies going to hurt you." The wolf jumped a bit before it's breath began to slow down and focus came back to it's eyes. One of it's leg spasmed and it nearly fell back down.
Tess quickly got it a bowl of water and Dakota drank the whole thing down in three slurping licks.
"Not sure." Jared said eying the wolf that was now staring at the back door the two had come in last night and not seeing either of them. "They said they were from some animal control or something and were looking for our big friend here." And he motioned a finger at the wolf. Dakota looked at him and Jared quickly withdrew his finger.
"What?" Tess nearly shouted before calming down and standing up. She quickly refilled the water dish and set it down. "Watch him." She said as she moved past Jared who was flabbergasted at the fact the two had left him with the animal.
"W-wait!" Jared pleaded but found that Tess had shut the door in his face, most likely to keep the wolf from view. Jared face palmed and looking over at the wolf. He could clearly hear Tess putting in her two cents on the matter of animal mistreatment. She wasn't just an activist, Jared was sure she was some kind of crazed Eco-terrorist when it came to animals. The type that throws blood on people who wear animal fur. Everyone needs a hobby...
The man shifted his feet uncomfortably as he looked back over at the wolf who was now just staring at him, as if trying to read his reactions to what was going on.
"It'll be alright, boy." Jared tried to remain calm and sound just that. Calm. He was sure animals could read body language or smell or something and wanted to appear as calm and friendly, and non-threatening as possible. For his own sake! "Tess will take care of them. They won't find you here. Not until you're all nice and patched up." And he tried to smile at that, even gave a half laugh to try and fortify his poor excuse of support.
Dakota narrowed his eyes at the man. The wolf knew he wasn't any kind of threat and it'd be easy to take him out if the need ever arose. The wolf's pointed ears laid back and he lifted his lips in a snarl as Jared tried to take a step closer. The man lifted his hands quickly withdrawing. Jared wasn't good at this kind of thing, at all. It was out of his comfort zone by a mile.
"Easy, easy." He said softly as before. "I'm not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you here. I promise." And he meant it. Even if he couldn't back it up he did mean what he had said. "I know it's scary." Jared mentally frowned at himself for talking to an animal. "But it'll be ok." Jared was sure he could say whatever he felt like so long as he had a nice, friendly tone to it. "Did you like the food?" Jared just changed the subject. The man went back to his comfort zone, cooking.
Dakota lifted his ears suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.
"I made it." Jared just pressed a hand to his own chest and tried to smile. "See. We don't mean you any harm." And he took the plate he had barely touched and offered it. "Are you still hungry? I can always make more."
The giant red fur wolf began to drool at the very thought and swallowed loudly. Dakota shook his head of such primal thoughts and pushed his hunger to the very back of his mind. There was more to worry about here than that. Still that scent lingered from the scarf around his neck and for some reason unknown to him it put him at ease. He should be on his feet, trying to get the hell out of here. And yet here now, in this room he felt no such thing. His mind understood the situation but that gut instinct he always relied on wasn't telling him to run. Not yet.
Morris was the alpha here, that much was clear to Dakota. The one in charge and would have a say in the end on what to do with him. Still, Dakota twitched his nose sniffing at the man only a couple of feet away. This man was unclaimed and some part of Dakota was relieved about that and it made him more confused, baffled about this whole situation to be thinking that. And his eyes narrowed on the man trying to figure out why this man, this human no less, plagued him so.
Jared wasn't sure if he should be relieved or alarmed at the look the wolf was now giving him. He looked confused, angry and at the same time something else that made Jared feel even more uncomfortable.
"Do you like that?" Jared asked unsure what else to say as the commotion in the other room only got louder and something crashed to the ground. Dakota just looked at him as Jared did his best to keep the wolf's attention and away from whatever the hell was going on in the next room. "The scarf." Jared pointed. "It's mine." And that made Dakota's ears jump up. "It was just from some random store downtown, but it soon became my favorite. I used to wear it all the time." Jared chuckled rubbing the back of his head. "Uh... we didn't really have much money. So I wasn't able to just buy new cloths every season... or year." Jared muttered just saying whatever came to mind now. He had never felt so uncomfortable before. It was like being trapped in a cage with a hungry tiger. "So it was nice to see something... so nice," he chuckled a bit smiling at the wolf. "That was within my price range for a change."
Even before Jared asked, even finding it silly himself, for the wolf to give it back there was another crash behind him and someone hit the door with a loud thump.
"You can't just go where you like!" Tess said on the other side seeming to block the door with her very body. "No ones here. So get out."
"Please step aside, miss." The man from before said in that soft voice. Yet it was still somehow threatening. "It's for the best if it falls into our hands. We can't let it escape into such a populated town."
Jared was looking over at the door expecting it to fly open any second. He was distracted and didn't even notice Dakota getting up. Hobbling over on three legs the wolf easily closed the distance between them, bumping his large nose into Jared's hand making the man jump with a very masculine squeak.
"W-whoa there," Jared said in no more than a whisper backing up a bit a those large golden eyes stared at him. "E-easy big fella. Please don't eat me." He muttered under his breath. "Oh god, I'm going to die."
And Dakota snorted at the very idea. Dakota nudged his hand once more with his snout before motioning over to the side door. Then look back at him. He did this once more, and with a roll of those golden eyes, once more until the man got what he was asking for.
"Y-you want out." Jared asked and then nodded. "Of c-course you want out!" And he was more than happy to back up, slowly, not turning away from the wolf until he got to the back door. He jimmied the first lock off, then the bolt and then the knob itself.
As he turned the handle the other door opened and Tess was knocked out of the way as the woman sprinted into the room. She had a curved blade in one hand and a crossbow in the other. A silver bolt was already aimed up at the large wolf that sprinted out of the room, a surge of pure adrenaline carrying his footsteps. The silver bolt shot right past Jared who had been shoved out of the way by the large wolf in the same motion; Jared still managed to hold onto the door handle. He didn't even think as his body moved on it's own and managed to pull the door back and shut it as the woman ran after.
"You idiot, out of my way!" And with the back of her hand smacked Jared in the face. Caught off guard and still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, the man fell to his side. His cheek had a slight cut on it, just glad that jagged curved dagger was sharp on only one end.
She kicked the door opened with a boot and jumped outside chasing after the wolf.
Jared didn't even manage to get to his feet before a hand was offered to him. He blinked at it before looking up at Benjamin who was looking down at him. The large man continued to offer his hand as if to make amends for what his partner had done to him.
"Are you alright?" The man asked taking Jared's hand and lifting him back up to his feet. Jared only just then noticed that one side of the man's coat was empty and it dawned on him that this behemoth of a man was missing his left arm.
"F-fine." Jared just mumbled unsure if he was a good guy, a bad guy or what the hell was going on to begin with. "The hell." He asked looking over at Tess who had a similar cut on her cheek as Jared did, seemingly smacked out of the way much as he had been.
"Damnit." A curse shouted from outside. "Damnit it all!" And then Bloody Mary came back in, her one good eye quacking with anger as she spun towards Jared and lifted up the knife in her hand. With skilled fingers she turned the sharp side of the blade around and swung it at his throat with a blood lust in her eyes. Benjamin caught her wrist and restrained her with seemingly little force. "This fucker let him get away." She howled now turning towards the man and her whole body shook with an uncontrolled anger.
The motion of her head turning gave Jared just enough of a view of the scar over the other side of her face, hidden under that gorgeous hair. It was sickening even to look at, the corners of those three long scars seemed to be suffering from necrosis and the wound itself smelled horrible, dripping a putrid pus down the side of her face. It was as if some animal had clawed one side of her face. Jared tried to keep himself from puking.
"Mary," Benjamin said and looked at the ooze running underneath her milky white hair. That seemed to snap the woman back and with a shaking hand touched her chin. She quickly turned away from the two, cursing under her breath and quickly heading back outside. She had stashed her crossbow into her jacket and had a white handkerchief out and was dabbing that side of her face with it.
"It'll head back towards the mountains." She breathed between clenched teeth not looking at anyone and then disappeared into the October morning air out the back door once more.
"Please forgive my associate. She can be rather... high-strung." Benjamin said tactfully looking at Jared whom of which he still held the hand of. Jared snatched his hand back and held it looking at him as if he were the crazy one of the two. "I cannot condone her behavior." And he bowed slightly, looking over as Morris came into the room. "I'm sorry for disturbing you during breakfast." And he looked at the plate of food on the ground and frowned at it. "It would've been best not to waste it, however."
Jared face went sheet white at the shotgun Morris branded rose up just in front of his face, aiming up at the man standing just in front of him. Jared tried to shrink himself against the wall.
"Get the fuck out of my clinic." Morris spat, glaring at the other man. Morris had a large cut on the side of his neck. It was still bleeding but he had somehow managed to bandage it and slow down the bleeding by applying pressure with his other hand. The sawed off shotgun was as stiff as a board, Morris hand not even shaking as he held the heavy weapon.
"This is for the good of everyone." Benjamin just said. And with that took his leave. He shut the door behind him with one final farewell. "Have a good day." And the door slammed shut.
"I don't know w-what's going on." Jared just said looking at the other two. Then his mind quickly came back to him and he ran over to Tess. "Are you hurt." He asked looking at the cut on her lip.
"Fine. Fine." Tess muttered holding the side of her head where a large bump was forming. "I just hit my head when she knocked me to the side."
"Let me see." Morris said setting the shotgun down within reach and moving over to help her. "You might have a concussion." And Tess just gave a weak nod as she hopped up on the side table. Morris examined her eyes and asked her a few questions.
"My names Tess. It's October Tenth. And its Saturday." She tried not to roll her eyes as she looked back at Jared. "Where is he?" She asked a look of concern falling over her face.
"I let him outside." Jared said talking about the wolf she meant and quickly added on as Morris looked at him. "He was begging to go out! I didn't want to try and stop a hundred pounds of wild feral animal from trying to get out."
"Three hundred." Morris corrected. "Possibly four hundred pounds." Jared whistled at that.
"Damn, it was the size of a bear." Jared just muttered looking over at the door. Then he nearly collapsed, holding his chest. "Holy shit! It was right in front of me! It could have mauled me!" And only then did the light bulb flicked on over head that the wolf had actually touched him. Had bumped it's nose against his hand and could have easily taken the whole thing off with a single bite. No need to chew either.
"Relax." Tess just smiled at him. "It didn't." Jared wanted to go on but she soon winced and held her head. It was hard to argue with someone that was injured.
"You need to take it easy for the next few hours. I'll keep an eye on you." Morris just said leading her back into the kitchen. He grabbed the shotgun as he went by, eying the door. "They won't come back." He just said to Jared before leaving him behind.
"Do you need me to get anything?" Jared asked following after. He snagged his phone and looked over a text message he received during the whole incident. "I was going to head home and grab some stuff. Do you need anything, Tess?" He asked replying to the message and trying to keep his sanity. Stuff like this just didn't happen in their small town.
"A fresh change of cloths." Tess chuckled. "I'll text you." And Jared groaned at that already knowing there was going to be a giant list he'd have to collect to satisfy her needs and wants. Most of which he'd end up having to buy. It was hard to say no when she held the side of her head again and still tried to smile.
"Text me." Jared waved at the two, before heading out back. He quickly looked around and made sure the coast was clear. They had heard the other truck drive off and up the mountain road so he knew they weren't around at least. "Crazy, crazy, crazy." He shuddered a bit. "Why is it always the hot ones?" And with that headed over to the side of the garage and grabbed the plastic back for his truck.
He normally kept it at home but he had to pick up Tess anyways here. He didn't plan on the sudden storm that had hit last night however. So with it in hand he tossed it over the back of his truck, ignoring the plastic sheet that was crumbled up in the back and sealed all the edges and shut the back of it, unaware of the red tail that had quickly slipped underneath the sheet before he had even had a chance to see it.