Chapter Twelve

                “Jason, are you sure this is the right way?” Joseph asked as they rode along the deserted mountain road. The roads were nearly impassable for their rented SUV and darkness was closing in around them while fresh snow continued to fall.

                They had been heading west all day, following the tracker on the truck Abbey had stolen from him, but surely there had to be some mistake. Why would his wife, stupid as she was, ride up into the mountains with roads this treacherous and getting worse by the moment?

                “This is the road the GPS said she was on,” Jason replied irritably as he pointed to the nearly snow covered road sign as they passed by it. “Although I don’t see how in the hell she got up here in that old truck.”

                “Sheer stupidity brought her up here,” Joseph sneered.

                Jason shook his head, “More like fear.”

                “Well she should be afraid. When I get my fucking hands on her I’m gonna…. What the hell was that?” Joseph craned his neck around and looked out at the darkness and snow around them but couldn’t see much of anything.

                “What did you see?” Jason demanded.

                “I don’t know… it was big though, and black. Do they have bears out here?”

                “Shit, I don’t know,” Jason snorted, “We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

                Joseph flashed a grin, “You reckon it was bigfoot?” The brother shared a laugh and then Joseph yelled Jason’s name when he turned his gaze forward again and saw the tree lying across the tight, winding road.

                Jason slammed the brakes and Joseph gripped the dash board as he was thrown forward and the SUV fish-tailed while sliding across the thick snow.

                His heart was pounding with fear and adrenaline but somehow Joseph managed to chuckle nervously once the SUV came to a stop. He squinted through the darkness and falling snow to see the edge of the mountain ledge only twenty feet away from the hood.  The glow of the headlights illuminated the sheer drop as well as the edge of the large pine that had their path up the mountain blocked.

                “Looks like the end of the road for us, Joe.”

                “Like hell it is,” Joseph spat as he threw open the SUV door. Cold air and snow blasted into the vehicle.

                “Shut the door! It’s too damned cold out there!”  Jason complained.

                “”No. We’re going to move this tree. I want to find that bitch tonight.” Joseph was done letting Abbey make such a fool of him. The bitch was going to pay and she was going to pay with her life.

                Joseph readjusted the pistol in the waistband of his jeans and hopped from the truck. Jason’s curses filled the air as he joined Joseph out in the snow.

                “Can I ask how you plan on moving that tree?”  he demanded.

                Joseph shrugged, “With my hands and your help.”

                “That beer has done messed up your brain,” Jason grumbled.

                Joseph glared at his brother and shivered. That stupid bitch was going to regret leading him on this cross-country chase to the fucking North Pole.

                The two men waded through the snow which was nearly to their knees and stared at the massive fir tree.

                “I think we’ve met our match for tonight,” Jason declared. “We might as well head on back down the mountain and find a way around in the morning. The tracker is on her truck, Joe, so it’s not like she can get away.”

                Joseph wanted to argue. The anger he could feel boiling in his blood had him longing to forget good sense but Jason was right. They couldn’t go any further tonight.

                “Well looks like that whore will….” Joseph’s voice was silenced when a loud growl pierced the otherwise silent night.

                “Holy shit, what the hell was that?” Jason exclaimed.

                “How in the hell should I know?” Joseph shot back, pulling out his pistol.

                The growl sounded again only this time it came from the darkness to their right. “Do you think it’s a bear?” Jason shakily questioned.

                Joseph rolled his eyes. Jason was a police officer, trained to be brave and cool under pressure, yet here he was trembling like a school girl.

                Movement flashed to the left. Something big and dark bounded into sight and then was gone so quickly it caused Joseph to wonder if it had been there at all. Another growl sounded from behind them.

                Joseph swallowed hard, “No, I don’t think it’s a bear.” He whirled around expecting to see whatever was stalking them. His heart pounded and his pulse raced as he held out his gun, readied himself and….. Nothing.

                There was nothing.

                All that rested behind him was the SUV and heavy snowflakes falling in the glow of the headlights.

                “Let’s get the hell out of here.” Jason took off running toward the SUV.

                Joseph was quick to concur with his brother. He trudged several steps through the growing drifts as icy wind blew against his frozen cheeks. Suddenly his legs ceased working and his heart dropped into his stomach when that low vicious growl filled the air once again… This time from very close behind him.

                On quivering legs Joseph turned and found himself staring down a massive black wolf with ice blue eyes.

                The sight of that snarling beast and its razor sharp teeth had all thoughts of courage and toughness fleeing from Joseph’s mind. His gun fell from his quaking hand and landed silently on the snow at his feet.

                “Shit, Joe!” Jason yelled, leaping from the SUV and waving his hand wildly, “Come on! Let’s get the hell out of here!”

                Joseph wanted to run, knew that running was needed, and yet was unable to. It was as if the link between his brain and his legs had suddenly ceased to function.

                Then something that had him nearly pissing in his pants began to happen.

                The wolf began to change.

                His body twisted and grew as his fur sucked back into his skin. Soon he was standing on two legs and the sound of his cracking bones and twisting organs was enough to make Joseph’s stomach turn. The wolf’s snout sunk back into his face and then, within seconds, a man was standing where the beast had been only moments before.

                “Shit…” Jason gasped. “It’s a werewolf.”

                Joseph licked his lips nervously. From what he knew werewolf attacks on humans were rare but this didn’t look good. The man was tall, easily seven feet and he was covered in tattoos and rolling muscles as he stood there naked in the snow.

                His ice blue eyes were filled with a cold indifference as he studied the brother’s closely, “What are you doing up here?”

                Joseph swallowed hard. This werewolf’s voice was just as hard and terrifying as the rest of him seemed to be, “Lost,” he managed to reply with only a slight tremor in his voice.

                “I would say so,” the man growled. “What brought you both up here?”

                “Exploring,” Jason spoke up as he came to stand beside his brother. Joseph realized Jason still had his gun holstered and wished Jason would have pulled it. Of course a gun wasn’t much use against a werewolf.

                “Looking for something?” the huge beast of a man questioned as he stalked in a slow circle around the brothers.

                Joseph swallowed hard and wondered how the man wasn’t shivering from cold. His bare skin was exposed to the cold, snow and wind and yet he acted just fine,  “N..not really,” Joseph stammered.

                “Oh I think you are,” the man hissed. He held up his clenched fist and then spread his palm to reveal a tracker and a blinking red light. “I think you’re looking for this.”  

                Joseph and Jason shared a look of shock and Joseph eyed his gun in the snow by his feet, ‘Where did you get that?”

                “You know exactly where I got this.”

                “What did you do to my family?!” Joseph demanded.

                The roaring growl that erupted from within the huge man caused the air to vibrate and Joseph felt the force of it down to his feet, “What did you do to them?!”

                “I….”

                “You don’t have to worry about them any longer. They belong to me and my brother.”

                “What the hell are you talking about?” Jason demanded.

                “Abbey is mine….” Joseph warned though tight jaws.

                The man stepped closer and Joseph’s quaking knees nearly buckled, “Abbey and those pups are mine and you are going to die for what you’ve done to them.”

                “I..Wh...no…” Joseph shook his head forcefully and the man only chuckled coldly.

                “You can’t kill him!” Jason warned. “I’m a police officer and I’ll….”

                The man’s laughter caused Jason’s voice to fall flat. “I’m not afraid of you,” the man assured him. “And I’d be much more concerned about yourself seeing as how I’m going to kill you too.”

                “Why?!” Jason exclaimed as Joseph wondered how quickly he could dive for his gun.

                “For knowing what your fuckin’ brother was doing to my mate and children and helping him instead of killing him yourself.”

                Joseph was aware of Jason turning and fleeing back toward the truck. He knew it was now or never. He dove for his gun and from his knees he managed to somehow pull the slippery trigger and send a bullet crashing into the werewolf’s chest.

                As the sound of the shot ricocheted off the surrounding mountains, Joseph tried to pull the trigger again but the gun slipped from his numb fingers.

                The wolf looked down at him and grunted as he put a hand to the gaping wound and then pulled it away, glancing at the blood coating his fingers.

                The werewolf chuckled coldly, causing Joseph’s blood to freeze in his veins. Joseph met the beast’s eyes and could see the bloodthirsty gleam as the beast looked back at him. For the first time in his life Joseph tasted true, all-consuming, heart pulsing fear.

                The werewolf bared his teeth as he glared down at him, “You shouldn’t have done that.”

                Joseph barely had time to scream before the creature was on him.

***

                Marcus wanted to tear Joseph limb from limb. Now that he finally had the monster from Abbey’s nightmares before him he wanted to make the man suffer until he was begging for Marcus to simply finish the job and end his life.

                But Marcus had to use caution. It would be hard for folks to believe that a man torn from limb to limb had died in an accident.

                He fell upon Joseph, his fists cracking the man’s bones as joseph cried out in pain and begged for mercy. A bullet ripped through Marcus’s shoulder and he roared in pain. Glancing up, Marcus saw Jason trying to aim for another shot. Marcus snarled and leapt through the air, landing in front of the man and swatting the gun from his shaking hand.

                “Please don’t kill me! I have a family that I need to get home to. A family that depends on me!”

                Marcus sneered at the man. The wolf in him was well past listening to pleas for mercy. This man had helped hurt his mate and children. This man had chased his mate down. This man was going to die and his family would probably be better off without him.

                Marcus let the wolf have more control and with a roar he found himself pounding his fists and feet into Jason only stopping when the man’s heartbeat no longer sounded.

                Panting and hungry for more, Marcus turned to find Joseph crawling away, dragging his broken legs behind him. The man’s pathetic sobs only served to further anger Marcus. It seemed Joseph could dish out the pain but couldn’t take it when returned.

                Marcus stood over Joseph and lifted him by his balding hair causing him to cry out. His swelling face contorted with pain as raised his hands and tried to swat Marcus away.

                “Not so tough now are you?” Marcus growled. “Abbey belongs to me and to my brother. We won’t let anyone, especially a pathetic, whining, sad excuse of a man like you cause her any more harm. Do you have any last words to say?”

                Joseph glared at him and spit out a stream of blood that dribbled down his chin, “Fuck you.”

                Marcus smiled, “No thanks. I’ll be too busy fuckin’ your widow.”

                Marcus was dragging Joseph back toward the SUV even before the sound of his snapping neck had finished echoing off the surrounding trees. He tossed both men’s bodies inside the front of the SUV and then stretched out his arms.

                His chest and his shoulder were bleeding and throbbing from the bullets that had torn through them. They would heal but it would take at least an hour or two. His broken knuckles however were already knitting back together.

                Now came the part Marcus had been dreading.

                He had to drive this SUV over the mountain and hope that he hopped out in time to avoid the fall himself. He had to make it appear that their bodies, when they were finally discovered in the spring, had been battered by a long and tumbling trip off the cliff.

                Marcus hopped in the car, held open the door with one hand and threw it in gear. He was more than ready to be back home with his family.