Cole ignored the scornful tone and focused on the needle, his mind moving at breakneck speed each time the noise lurking in the dark came too close for his liking. “When we could still see the mountains, I said the cabin would be north—”
When the needle settled on the right direction, he looked up, and all blood drained from his head.
A tall figure stood just beyond the edge of trembling light. It could have been a man, but its head was all fur and bones, with eyes reflecting the flames from inside the large skull.
When it moved, shadows of other creatures emerged from behind its back, clawing at the air. As the beast stepped closer to the campsite, Cole saw two more heads growing out of its arms, and as the one in the middle tilted back, all three howled in unison, their unnaturally low sound sending chills down Cole’s back. The trees creaked, moving with the wind yet somehow also encroaching on the campsite in the flickering light of the fire, as if they’d been waiting for a sign from their master all along.
Cole raised his rifle, standing his ground when the beast stepped toward them, embraced by a tangle of its brethren, and once his focus was entirely on the monster, a bell chimed behind him, closing in on Cole’s unprotected back. He spun around, staring into the black shadows that would never let him out if he dared to step in. He saw nothing yet could hear one, two, three, perhaps even four creatures lurking in the woods.
“We’re surrounded!” Cole yelled, and the rattling echoed over his head like an inhuman scream, moving around with no pattern, ever faster.
The creature stopped mid-stride and cocked its skull-face as if it wondered whether to ravage them both now or keep one for later. The long claws it had instead of fingers glistened in the light of the fire.
Lars rushed past Cole, as if he were a mountain lion about to pounce its prey, and threw his whole weight at the Wolfman. “We need him alive!” he cried, colliding with the mountain of fur.
Cole stilled, shocked by the ease with which his partner managed to take down a creature that had given him so much fright, but he stepped closer, frantically trying to pick up any noise made by the Wolfman’s companions. The wind shoved him forward, and in the faint glow of the fire he saw that the numerous paws climbing out of the beast’s form were only parts of the hides making up their captive’s coat. The two heads growing out of the beast’s arms were wolf skulls partially covered in leather. Everything Cole had seen had been a trick of the light.
He lowered his gun and stared at the skull mask and at the very human gaze watching him from behind fur and bone.
Whoever the Wolfman was, he was very much a part of nature, just like any other man. Lars hissed when the long claws tore at his arm, and Cole kicked the offending hand, stepping on their captive’s wrist once it was down. Hair fell into his face as gusts of wind brought in the scent of ice and pine, but he ignored them and raised his voice, looking between the trees.
“We’ll shoot both his legs if you all don’t come out!”
Lars used all his weight to keep the snarling, writhing beast down, but despite Cole’s warning, something bolted out of the darkness, straight at him. The wind dimmed the flames somewhat, but what Cole saw in their unsteady glow was a wolf made of bone, leaping across the clearing with a loud rattle, its eyes red as if it were about to take them to hell with its teeth. Cole shot the same moment the beast changed direction and squeezed its muzzle on his arm with a low roar.
The Wolfman cried out as if he were the one being hurt. “No!” It was a deep rasp from the bottom of the man’s chest. “No. Go home.”
Cole stumbled when the wolf let go, leaving holes in the sleeve of his thick coat, but the animal listened to its master, already backing away toward the nearby trees. Only then did Cole see that the thing was just a large dog dressed in a costume of leather and bones. Something rattled as it moved, so there had to be attachments on him to make the noise.
Smoke and mirrors.
But why would the Wolfman… help him?
When the dog whimpered its unease from the darkness, their captive repeated in a roar. “Go home!”
That voice. It was hoarse and low, but he recognized it. Its familiarity made something grow deep in Cole’s throat, and as the dog skittered away, he dipped forward, grabbed the mask and yanked it off to reveal a face. Covered by a red, matted beard, it didn’t look quite how Cole remembered it, but those green eyes, and the large nose with a bump in the middle?