Page 25 of Insatiable Hunger

“Ruby! Jinx!” I screamed, fastly approaching the maroon light. “Run!” The women turned to face us, confused by our warning. “Run!” I screamed, terror soaking my hoarse voice, my eyes widened in fear. They quickened their speed, joining us aswe raced through the woods. Alastair galloped to the front of the group, leading the way as the four of us struggled to keep up.

An unnatural growl soared through the woods from deep within, the sound of something rushing through the trees. Branches snapped and broke, the ground shaking as heavy, galloping thumps quickly shadowed us. Whatever that thing was, it was chasing us and gaining. The cold fear I felt in my veins was unlike any I had ever experienced before.

A whistle shot through the air, closer than the previous chimes. The heavy pounding immediately stopped. Another whistle echoed the first as the shaking trembles faded in another direction, the horrid, unnatural smell slowly dissolving from the cold night. My lungs screamed in agony, as if they were about to burst from my rapid breathing. Alastair barked just ahead, the woods thinning as we approached the edge of the forest.

The four of us rushed through the last few trees, stepping into the open landscape of the property, the cabin visibly just up the small hill. I collapsed to the ground, my hands clawing at the mud as I tried to calm my breathing. Ruby and Jinx stumbled, their legs giving out as they did the same, rolling onto their backs as rain drenched us. Lazarus stood next to Alastair, his hand high above his head as he breathed heavily, his hot breath fogging the air around his face. The rain continued to pour, cleaning the mud from our bodies as we all stared into the dark night sky in shock.

“What,” Ruby heaved, “w-what the hell was that?” She rotated onto her stomach, glaring at Lazarus and myself, her long hair pooling into a muddy puddle.

Jinx mimicked Ruby’s motions, struggling to move her hands as she spoke to us. “Did you see it?”

I shook my head. “No,” I huffed. “I have no idea what that was.” My eyes reluctantly returned to the tree line. “But whatever it was, it would’ve caught up to us if it wasn’t for thosewhistles. Someone else is in these woods.” Thunder added to the ominous moment as we stared at one another, unsure of what to do next.

“We should get inside,” Lazarus breathed, taking charge.

“What about Cain?” I asked, my eyes glued to the trees. “If that thing is still out there—” I stopped, my words trailing.

Lazarus helped Ruby and Jinx to their feet. “We can wait for him inside, but we need to move. The storm isn’t letting up, and if thatthingis still out there, we’re safer inside and away from these woods.” He approached my side, reaching his burned hand out to me.

I carefully slid my hand into his as he raised me to my feet, our bodies inches away. His chestnut eyes studied me, searching for any injuries. “I’m okay,” I whispered, watching the terror in his face melt away.

He nodded as he raised his hand, gently brushing my hair from my face. “Good.”

Chapter

Twenty-Four

LAZARUS

“What are we going to do if he doesn’t come back?” Alaska asked sheepishly. She was leaning against the porch railing, a blanket wrapped around her shivering body, her hair still wet from her shower. Ruby and Jinx had both cleaned themselves and gone to bed, Alaska and me taking turns shortly after. It had been a few hours since we returned to the cabin, and Cain had still not returned. Regardless of my strong dislike of him, it was worrisome…even if part of me secretly hoped he would never return.

“Despite my personal preference,” I glanced at her, “I intend to stay up and wait for him.” I tried to use a teasing voice to lighten the mood, but Alaska was obviously upset. I knew the night had taken a toll on her. Her pale eyes were lowered, staring at the puddles on the ground below the porch, a sadness hanging heavily from them. Her cheeks were lightly scratched and reddened by exhaustion, her posture slumped, as if she had given up hope. “Hey.” I pulled her close, her body shivering from the cold. “I’m sure he’s fine. I mean, it’s Cain. If anyone can get themselves out of a bad situation, it’s him.”

“What if he doesn’t return? What then?” Her head lifted, her eyes glistening as they met mine. “What do we do?” Her words trembled. As much as I hated hearing her worry over him, it hurt to see her in pain of any kind.

“Let’s make it through the night before we start thinking that way.” My hand rubbed her arms, trying to soothe her while settling my own uneasiness as it itched beneath my skin. I kissed the top of her head, inhaling her scent as she curled into my chest. “I’ll stay up all night if I have to.” Thunder boomed, the storm still going strong. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do, dreamer.”Anything.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

ALASKA

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The nearby, rhythmic echoing sound slowly woke me from whatever dead sleep I had stepped into while waiting for Cain to return. My body screamed in agony, sore and exhausted as my eyes struggled to peel open, swollen from the lack of decent rest. A warm hand quickly covered my mouth as I yawned, causing my body to jump, the fear from the previous night immediately returning.

“Dreamer.” The low whispered word instantly eased me as I turned to see Lazarus leaning over me. He moved his index finger to his lips as he quietly shushed me, removing his hand from my gaping mouth. Alastair licked his face, excited to see him, but he remained oddly stiff and on edge, simply allowing the wolf to do so.

He carefully grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet, my legs sore and aching from the extensive amount of running the night prior. I glanced around the living room, sleep deprivation hanging heavily over me as I tried to piece together what was happening, the loud banging continuing in a perfect repetition. Daylight burned through the open front door to the cabin, a trailof muddy footprints leading from the front porch and snaked down the hall into the kitchen. Lazarus held a large knife in his hand, his knuckles white from the strength of his grasp, telling me just how worried he truly felt. I clung to his side, my brain still foggy and waking up.

Lazarus and I quietly stepped along the papered wall, our bare feet cautiously moving along the floorboards trying to remain silent as we shifted our weight methodically. We followed the muddy trail, the sound of the thunking increasing as we reached the kitchen doorway. I peeked around the wooden frame and gasped. Standing in the kitchen was Cain, dressed in the same clothes as the night before. He was disastrous, covered in dirt and mud, his clothes soaking wet from the storm, his apricot skin scratched and bruised. He stood against the wooden cabinets, dragging his battered arm up and down, a hammer gripped in his blooded hand, slamming it into a beige filled plastic bag against the old countertop. Each thunk of the metal against the counter made me jump, his motions odd and keeping to a hidden beat as he moved.

Cain raised his arm, freezing as it lingered in the air, the metal face of the tool reflecting the sunlight that broke through the kitchen window. “Are you just going to stand there staring, or are you going to get over here and tell me good morning, Bambi?” His dead eyes shot to the side of his sockets, peering at me though his messy hair, his voice low and emotionless. I glanced up at Lazarus, hesitating before stepping to Cain’s side. He rammed the hammer into the plastic bag once more, causing me to jump as I approached him.

“W-what happened to you?” The question quivered from my lips as Alastair remained next to Lazarus, his posture reflecting his discomfort. “We waited up for you—”

“Is that so?” Cain dropped the hammer onto the counter, the tool clanking as he lifted the cloudy bag, examining it closely.“Seems to me that the rest of you had no qualms about leaving me behind.” He held the bag high, the off-white powder contents highlighted from the warm light. His eyes shifted from the raised bag to mine, his muted gray irises darker than usual. “Sleep well, Lazarus?” His sight remained fixated on me as Lazarus cleared his throat and answered.

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