TWIN HOWLS: A Tale Of Vengeance

Chapter 6

Xander couldn't shake the unease that had settled in his gut after the meeting. The man who had introduced himself as Mr. Black—had left him with more questions than answers. Xander knew he had to keep his wits about him. Trust was a luxury he couldn't afford, especially in New Avalon.

The night was deepening, the city's artificial lights casting a surreal glow on the streets as Xander made his way back to his makeshift home on the outskirts of the Old Quarter. The air was thick with the scent of rain and asphalt, mingling with the more subtle aromas of the forest beyond.

He pushed open the creaky door of his shack, the familiar scent of wood and damp earth greeting him. He tossed his coat onto a makeshift rack and sat down heavily on the worn-out chair. His mind was racing with the events of the day—his new job, the mysterious woman at the bar, and now this enigmatic organization that had its eyes on him.

Xander knew he needed to reach out to Xavier. His brother might be the only person who could help him navigate this dangerous new territory. But their relationship was strained, to say the least. Xavier had his own demons to wrestle with, and Xander wasn't sure how he would react to his brother's predicament.

As he pondered his next move, a sudden noise outside jolted him from his thoughts. His heightened senses kicked in, and he detected the faint scent of blood in the air. Xander's heart began to race as he cautiously approached the window, peering out into the darkness.

There, on the edge of the clearing, he saw a figure staggering towards his shack. The person collapsed just as Xander opened the door and rushed to their side. It was a young woman, her clothes torn and stained with blood. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him with a mixture of fear and desperation.

"Help... me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Xander didn't hesitate. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside, laying her gently on his bed. He quickly assessed her injuries—deep gashes along her arms and legs, and what looked like a bite mark on her shoulder. His mind raced as he tried to piece together what could have happened to her.

"Who did this to you?" Xander asked, his voice steady but urgent.

The woman winced in pain as she tried to speak. "It was... a werewolf," she managed to say before her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness.

Xander's blood ran cold. Another werewolf? In New Avalon? And attacking humans? This was worse than he had imagined. He knew he needed to get her help, but he couldn't take her to a hospital. The authorities would ask too many questions, questions he wasn't prepared to answer.

Without another thought, Xander grabbed his phone and dialed Xavier's number. It rang several times before his brother's groggy voice answered.

"Xander? What is it? Do you know what time it is?" Xavier sounded annoyed, but Xander could hear the underlying concern in his voice.

"I need your help, Xavier. It's urgent," Xander said, his voice tight with urgency.

There was a pause on the other end. "Where are you?"

Xander quickly gave him directions, and within minutes, Xavier arrived at the shack, his expression a mix of confusion and worry. He took one look at the injured woman and his face hardened.

"What the hell happened here?" Xavier demanded as he knelt beside the bed, checking the woman's pulse.

"She was attacked by a werewolf," Xander said, his voice grim. "We need to figure out who did this and why."

Xavier's eyes narrowed as he looked at his brother. "And what makes you think it wasn't you?"

Xander felt a pang of hurt at the accusation, but he pushed it aside. "You know it wasn't me, Xavier. I have control over my transformations. Besides, I found her like this."

Xavier sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, let's say I believe you. What do you propose we do?"

"We need to get her somewhere safe first. Then we need to find out who or what did this," Xander said, determination in his voice. "And we need to do it quickly before more people get hurt."

Xavier nodded, his expression resolute. "Alright. Let's move her to a secure location. I have a safe house we can use."

As they carefully lifted the woman and prepared to leave, Xander couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced around the clearing, his heightened senses on high alert, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

The journey to the safe house was tense and silent. Xander could feel the weight of Xavier's suspicion and concern, but there was no time to address it now. They needed to focus on keeping the woman safe and figuring out who or what was responsible for the attack.

Once they arrived at the safe house—a nondescript building hidden away in a secluded part of the city—they carefully tended to the woman's wounds. Xavier, with his medical training, skillfully cleaned and bandaged her injuries while Xander kept watch.

As the night wore on, the woman began to stir, her eyes slowly opening. She looked around, disoriented, before her gaze settled on Xander and Xavier.

"Who... who are you?" she asked, her voice weak but clear.

"I'm Xander, and this is my brother, Xavier. You're safe now," Xander reassured her. "Can you tell us what happened?"

The woman took a deep breath, her eyes filling with fear as she began to recount her ordeal. "I was walking home from work when I heard something behind me. I turned around and saw this... creature. It looked like a wolf, but it was standing on two legs. It attacked me before I could run. I thought I was going to die."

Xander and Xavier exchanged a grim look. This was no ordinary werewolf attack. There was something more to this, something sinister.

"Do you remember anything else? Anything that might help us identify who or what did this?" Xavier asked gently.

The woman shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, I don't remember much else. It all happened so fast."

Xander placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. You've been through a lot. Just rest for now. We'll figure this out."

As the woman closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep, Xander and Xavier stepped outside to discuss their next move.

"This is bad, Xander," Xavier said, his voice low and tense. "If there's another werewolf in the city, we need to find it and stop it before more people get hurt."

"I know," Xander agreed. "But we need to be careful. Whoever did this is dangerous and won't hesitate to attack again."

As they stood there in the moonlit night, a sense of urgency and determination filled the air. They had to uncover the truth, no matter the cost. And as they delved deeper into the mysteries of New Avalon, th

ey couldn't shake the feeling that their lives were about to change forever.