The instincts of a Wolf

Chapter 5

Michelle was lying on the floor, wearing nothing but a small blanket over her body. Her eyes were blank and glassy, her pale lips hanging open. Her hands were open and lay on her chest, as though she was sleeping.

But she wasn't.

Scarlet cried out in terror as she gazed at her empty daughter, her eyes mad with grief, searching for any sign of life. Her tufts of dark hair stuck up in places. The floor was rocky and uneven, stones digging into the babies back.

Scarlet stumbled as she scrambled towards her daughter,but she could not get any closer. Despite her efforts, Michelle remained as far away as she had done before.

Something twitched in the corner of her vision, and Scarlet turned to look.

The limp form of a man lay on the gravel, fingers still twitching feebly.

The man's eyes were staring straight up at the sky, at the moon. His healed scars had been opened, and were now bleeding thick, glossy blood. His t-shirt was ripped, as though he had been attacked by a savage beast. Blood trickled from his mouth, which was silent and still. His chest made no movement, and a thick gash ran across it horizontally.

Scarlet recognized the man at once.

"Wolf!" she cried, her voice breaking as the ground smashed into her knees, her shoulders shaking violently as she sobbed.

The images dissolved around her, and Scarlet awoke, shaking, the sheets damp with cold sweat. Her face was salty.