Paranormal Heroes 1 and 2

Chapter2

Chapter Two

Laura

Shit.

The sound of the dry leaves crunching behind me made me pick up my pace. It was always risky going up here, but what choice did I have? I had to do something, anything, to help. But I had always known it was only a matter of time before someone caught my scent, came after me and dragged me back.

So far, I had been lucky. They had always been too drunk or hungover and out of it to even realise I was back. My scent sure as hell wasn’t one they would remember anyway. Family, we might be, but I wasn’t one of them. I never had been. And for the most part, that was fine by me. I needed them less than they needed me. I had carved out a good life for myself. One that I loved. I was of no use to them apart from bringing them supplies and when the time came…

Another sound, this time much closer to me, made me let out a frightened squeak. Family or not, they wouldn’t be kind to me if they caught up with me. Especially after everything I had been putting off doing. They might even kill me, although I doubted that. Although enough people went missing in these hills, they would draw too much attention taking out one of the locals. At least, I hoped that was the case. Their need to keep themselves a secret was the only thing that was keeping me alive. And even that was a double-edged sword. I knew about them, and yet lived with the humans. I straddled both worlds and yet didn’t belong in either.

The long lingering howl of a wolf made me freeze. The hair on the back of my neck stood up on end and I rubbed my hand over it unconsciously. It was such a haunting sound and one that hadn’t been heard in these forests for centuries. Wolves weren’t native to the hills of Wales. They weren’t even native to the UK anymore.

Something new was stalking the woods. Something that didn’t belong. And I had a horrible sinking feeling in my gut that it was hunting me. I didn’t know what put that thought in my head, but I couldn’t shake it. Crossing my arms around my chest, I broke into a jog. Coming up the mountain had been a mistake. I had known it the moment I had made the decision. But what other choice did I have? Without me bringing them food, they would starve. My safety wasn’t worth their lives. They were family.

Breaking into a jog, I trotted down the stony path. Running didn’t come naturally to me. I was a curvy girl, all hips and t**s. And even though I was in pretty good shape, running down the mountain wasn’t the same as doing the odd aerobics class.

Still, being winded and sweaty was better than the alternative. I couldn’t be caught. People would die if I was. Women would die. Women like my mother. There wasn’t much I could do, but what I could I did with an open heart and… Something slammed into me from the side. I tumbled, my hands reaching for something, anything to break my fall as I careened down the rocky path.

Whatever had hit me had been big. Desperately I clawed at it, my fingers pulling out tufts of thick, coarse hair.

Fuck. I meant for the word to leave my lips, but all that came out was a scream. A scream that was cut short as I finally came to a stop. My head hit a rock hard, and my vision swam. I could do nothing but lay there and try to blink away the tears that blinded me.

A wolf prowled towards me; lips drawn back over razor sharp canines. It was growling low and menacingly, and for a second I thought that growl was directed at me. I shrank back. Unable to do much in my current state than to throw an arm over my face.

The tall, imposing figure of a man stepped in front of me. His stance wide, his arms outstretched. I didn’t recognise him with his back to me, but I recognised the uniform. The black boots, the camouflage. He was one of the special forces guys who used our mountain to train.

If I had known they were back in town, I wouldn’t have dared come up the mountain at all. They were dangerous. Everyone knew that. And the last thing I wanted to do was to lead them to my…

“Stand down, Oz, now.” The man in front of me barked an order like the wolf growling at him openly could understand him. I frowned. Could the wolf understand him? The growling increased, echoing through the still early morning air. And the sound of it made my heart slam against my ribs harder than I had ever thought possible.

“Get her off the damn mountain and back into town.”

I didn’t fight as strong hands lifted me. I was a big girl, but whoever had picked me up didn’t seem to notice. I stared up at the face above mine in bewilderment, and two blue twinkling eyes stared down at me in amusement, almost like this was one big game.

“Wolf,” I managed to croak, and the laughter in his eyes died. The blond who was carrying me shook his head and increased his pace.

“No, lovey, you just banged your head pretty hard back there. There’s no wolves in this country.”

Behind us, a chorus of snarls and howls rent the air. He frowned.

He was lying to me, and we both knew it. Even if I hadn’t seen one with my own eyes, I knew what secrets this mountain held. The real question was, how did he?