D.D. Ward is Writing

The werewolves pulled back, forming a line between the women and the house. Theresa had a single silvered dagger. Amber was a partially transformed werewolf. And they now faced six werewolves, five in front and one behind. “If they have any purification potions, they will be inside the house.” Theresa said. Amber nodded and turned towards the house. As Amber tried to gauge their chances, one of the werewolves faltered and then fell to the ground in a heap. Amber realized the werewolf that had fallen had been the one Theresa stabbed in the throat. It must have bled out, Amber decided. So two against five. And then a second werewolf stumbled. It dropped to its knees clutching its belly where Theresa had punctured the beat with her boot spike. So two against four. She looked back at the werewolf who had brought her here. It clutched its neck where Amber had struck it. It didn’t look as though it could fight. So two against three. Maybe they could do this.  “What’s our plan?” Amber ask...

The werewolf led Amber to a hovel in the forest. The meager cabin lay in a wreath of dead trees and jagged thorn bushes. Five other werewolves stood in front of the structure. They remained in their monstrous half-wolf forms. Chained to a stake outside the hovel lay Theresa. Her face was a battered mass of bruises. As they approached, Theresa looked up and smiled. “My lady survives.” “Is that all I am to you? Just your lady?” “You are everything to me.” Amber felt her stomach lurch as she stared at Theresa.  “I love you.” “I know, my lady.” The werewolf with Amber smiled a horrible smile back at Theresa, “Your lady is one of us.” “Not yet. I know the signs. She still has an hour or two before the transformation is permanent.” “You think you can do in an hour what you could not do in the days before this?” “I was alone before.” Theresa said.  “You are alone now.” Theresa locked eyes with Amber, “No. I don’t think that I am.” Amber nodded and shifted her weight. Her stomach sett...

The werewolf bore down upon her. Amber looked around for something, anything, she could use to protect herself. She found nothing. The werewolf lunged. And in response, Amber lashed out with her nails. As she did so, her nails lengthened into claws and her hand grew in size and strength. Her new claws tore fissures into the werewolf’s face and the monster stumbled in its charge.  Amber flung herself to the left, out of the way of the now stumbling charge. She landed hard on her side, and scrambled to her feet. The werewolf clutched its face and turned to stare at Amber. Then it began to laugh, a ragged horrible laugh. “You are one of us now.” The werewolf said. “You may as well give up and join us. We can teach you to control yourself. Otherwise you will just be one more feral werewolf to be put down by monster hunters.” “I’ll never join you.” Amber said, and she spat for added effect. “You don’t have a choice.” The werewolf said. “The only thing you get to choose is whether or not...

Amber knew that they were running out of time. This was their final week, the fourth since the attack. On the fourth day, Theresa stopped to examine the dirt in a clearing as they passed. “These tracks are werewolf tracks. They have rejoined the hunt. This one has a smaller left foot, the one we injured is healing now. We are running out of options.  A howl sounded in the distance.  “We have no cover,” Theresa said. “This is less than ideal.” Theresa looked around and pointed at a gnarled spreading oak tree. “Get your back to the tree. Keep myself between you and the werewolves when the fight starts. Don’t run. You can’t outrun a werewolf.” Another howl sounded closer. Amber heard claws tearing at the earth. She heard labored breathing of many things running hard. “I can hear them.” She whispered. Theresa looked at her and paused, “You can?” “They’re almost here. Now.” And the pack burst out of the brush, howling and whooping and snarling.  “You’ve led us on quite the cha...

Amber awoke to the metallic chime of a bear trap and a howl of alarm and pain. She lay alone in the lean-to. She scrambled from the lean-to and looked for Theresa. Her bodyguard stood ten feet back from a massive werewolf as it struggled with its leg. The bear trap bit into its ankle as it strained against the metal. “The trap is silvered, and coated in wolfsbane.” Theresa said. “You will not heal until the wound is cleaned.”   The werewolf snarled and struggled with the silvered bear trap.  “You think you’re so clever.” She snarled in a ragged voice, “I am not alone.” “Yes, you are. I’ve checked,” Theresa answered. “Not here. My pack will come for me. Just as I came to avenge my mate.” “The werewolf we killed?” Amber gasped and brought a hand to her mouth.  “I will have my vengeance.” The werewolf said. “Your mate attempted to kill us. She may have succeeded. I have no sympathy for you.” Theresa said. She raised her blunderbuss to aim at the face of the werewolf....