Disclaimer: I don’t own Gargoyles. This takes place after the episode, “Angels in the Night.”
Chapter One- Violent Encounter
Elisa scanned the roads for any sign of trouble and knew her friends were doing the same in another part of the city. Crime was down from what is used to be, thanks to the gargoyles whom everyone in the city knew weren’t evil or vicious monsters. The only evil, vicious monsters had been Castaway and his Quarrymen. But, Castaway’s in jail and the Quarrymen are no more save for a few rogue members. All in all, life’s been a bit peaceful. I wouldn’t mind some action, though.
At that moment, her radio crackled to life and the voice of Captain Chavez came on. “Maza, head to the processing plant. Report of a possible break-in.”
“Ten-four,” she answered as she angled her car through the streets to the plant where months ago Proteus had lured Hudson, Angela, and her as part of a plot for revenge. The place was quiet, but the door to where the meat was stored had been rammed open, a large dent in the center of the door. She pulled out her gun and slowly entered the building. She wasn’t sure who she would encounter. It was possibly someone with a sledgehammer, like a rogue Quarryman. The dent in the door could be made by a good solid blow with a hammer.
She entered the area where all the meat was hung up, the same place where she and the clan encountered Taurus. She slowly and quietly prowled between the rows, seeing no one the further she went. However, she did see several slabs of meat with bites taken out of them; bites that weren’t made by a human. She thought back to the door and realized that it could have been caused by a wild animal or a stray dog. Seems this break-in is nothing more than a hungry animal. Probably already long gone. I’ll keep checking, though,
Her search led her to a room where a series of enormous containers that housed metal blades that were used to chop the meat into pieces. All seemed quiet until the machines went active; a standby diagnostic check to make sure everything was working perfectly. The machines powered down and in the immediate silence that followed, Elisa heard clicking sounds on the platform above.
She went to the nearest ladder and climbed it while willing herself to stay steady. The last time she was on the platform, she was almost chopped to pieces. She had no desire for a repeat performance. She reached the top, pulled out her gun again and a flashlight as well. She switched it on, shined down one way, moved it to the other side, and froze.
There was a large gray wolf staring back at her. It was much larger than an ordinary wolf, partly due to its muscles. It had long limbs, an extremely bushy tail, long pointed ears, a long muzzle of sharp teeth, and claws that extended from all four paws. The most striking thing about it was its red glowing eyes.
The wolf had likewise frozen in place the moment the light landed on him, for it looked male to her. The sudden light only froze him for a moment before he crouched low and growled threateningly at her. Elisa wasn’t sure what to do. Instinct said to back up, even turn and run. But she knew intellectually that if she did that the wolf would chase her down and likely kill her. If I stay still then he may not be interested in me and leave. So, she stayed where she was, time seeming to slow to a crawl. The wolf continued to growl, but the detective didn’t move.
The whine of the machines going into check mode startled both predator and prey. It held Elisa’s attention more than the wolf’s and by the time she snapped herself back to the confrontation, it was too late. The wolf had launched himself into the air and was in mid-air by the time Elisa turned back to him. He plowed into her, knocking her onto her back. Elisa wiggled herself around so that her back was against the rails away from the edge that led to the containers. The wolf also maneuvered himself, determined to not let his prey got away.
He pressed his clawed paws on her chest before lunging forward, aiming for her throat. Elisa instinctively put her arm up to protect it and the wolf’s teeth sank into her arm. Elisa screamed before her legs, pinned by the wolf’s body, lashed outward. The feet planted themselves on the wolf’s stomach and pushed. The strength and force of the push dislodged the wolf, sent him over the edge, and into a chopping machine, the system still doing its check. The wolf howled in pain that was truncated as he was cut to pieces.
Elisa got to her feet, her left hand pressed to the bite mark on her arm. She winced at the pain that raced through her limb as she retrieved her dropped items, and carefully and gingerly climbed down to the floor below. The machines shut off as she left the room, aware that she was going to be making a report to her superior who would, in turn, inform the owners of a ripped up wolf in one of their slicers.
And what a wolf, she thought as she got to her car and pulled out her personal first-aid kit. She slid off her jacket off and started tending to her wound. He was quite muscular making him bigger than a normal wolf. His eyes were the most striking. They were glowing red ones. Wait a minute. No wolf has glowing red eyes. So, if it’s not a real wolf…could it be a…werewolf? No, it couldn’t be. For one thing, it’s not a full moon. Elisa shook her head as she secured the bandage around her bite wound. She found an unusual wolf that was responsible for the break-in. That was it. Case closed. Despite everything Elisa had seen and encountered, she didn’t believe that werewolves existed.
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Chavez scanned the report in front of her before looking up at Elisa. Her eyes flicked over to the right arm, hints of a white bandage visible through the holes in the jacket. “So, this wolf apparently rammed open the back door, ate some meat, attacked you, and fell into one of the meat slicers while doing a self-check and it sliced him to pieces.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“I see. You know I have to tell the owners so that they can clean the machine in question and remove the bitten meat.”
“Of course.”
Chavez smiled in sympathy at the bags under Elisa’s eyes. “Go home and get some sleep, Maza. Oh, and Detective Bluestone will be joining you on night shift again tomorrow night.”
Elisa seemed to perk up at that before stifling a yawn. “That’s great, Captain. Good night.” She left the office, the station, and drove home where she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Chapter Two- Signs and a Proposal
“Whoa. That must have been scary,” Matt commented as they went about their shift the next night.
“The part where he was trying to kill me was the scary part,” Elisa answered. “What I can’t stop thinking about are the eyes: Red and glowing.”
“I’ve never heard of a wolf with red eyes. However, red eyes are sometimes part of the werewolf legend.”
“Oh, come on Matt! It wasn’t a werewolf! There was no full moon and there won’t be one for a week.”
“Well, that’s one side. There are stories that a werewolf can change whenever it wants and some even prefer to be in wolf form rather than take human form.”
“You find this fascinating, don’t you?”
“I admit it, I do.”
The car stopped at a red light. “Well, what about this?” She pushed back her mended jacket sleeve to reveal smooth undamaged skin. “I had a bite mark last night and when I took the bandage off today to change it, it was gone. There was blood on the bandage, but there’s no mark.” She pushed it down as the light changed to green and she drove on.
“Hmm, that’s interesting.” Matt didn’t say anything more than that. But he was becoming more convinced that his partner had encountered a werewolf. The red eyes were a good sign. It bit Elisa and the mark was already gone. Wait…it bit her. If it was a werewolf that changed anytime it wanted, it could infect someone all the time, not just the full moon. That means…Elisa could be a werewolf! Whoa there, Bluestone. Don’t jump to conclusions. She may not be a werewolf. The full moon’s a week away and there’s signs that surface that indicate that one’s a werewolf before the first change and I’ll be sure to pay attention to any unusual things about Elisa. The fast healing of the mark is one sign: Werewolves heal quickly. Matt discreetly watched Elisa for the rest of their shift but she was completely normal. He also didn’t see anything unusual the following night, either. It was the third night when he noticed something unusual.
Elisa was tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove. He leaned forward a little to see that her jaw was set and she looked…annoyed, perhaps? She noticed him looking at her and snapped, “What?” in an angry tone.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said tersely.
“Elisa, you seem angry. Perhaps I should drive instead.”
Elisa stopped at a red light and glared at Matt. “I said I’m fine,” she practically growled, poking Matt in the chest with a long-nailed finger.
“Okay. I get it, you’re fine,” he said quickly.
Elisa blinked as she lowered the finger. She slowly exhaled as the light changed. She drove in silence before saying softly, “I’m sorry, Matt. I’ve been having disturbing dreams and not sleeping well since the attack.”
“Ah, I see. Well, tomorrow’s your night off.”
“Yeah and Goliath wants to see me especially.”
“Intriguing. Let me know what he says.”
“Deal.”
Silence fell again and Matt stared out the windshield. Elisa’s words and actions had been alarming, but they were exactly what Matt had been waiting. He had done a bit of research on the Internet on werewolf signs and had complied a list of possible traits. Elisa’s already exhibited three signs. She had a flash of anger, when insisting she was fine she practically growled, and her nails are longer than they usually are. It points to being a werewolf, but it’s not definite. It could be as Elisa said: She hasn’t been sleeping well. Perhaps her day off will give her time to sleep.
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Elisa ascended the tower steps feeling confused and angry. She was confused about why she was angry and her anger grew because of her confusion. The two emotions fueled one another and she was having trouble getting past them. She achieved the top to see the clouds that obscured the city below and the stone back of Goliath. The sight of the gargoyle she loved caused her anger and confusion to melt away.
The sky darkened and the air was soon filled with sounds of crunching stone and roars or screams. I never get tired of that, she thought before Goliath turned and smiled at her before getting down and approaching her. He took her in his arms and embraced her and she responded back the same way. She always felt safe and calm in his arms.
Goliath enjoyed the feel of Elisa against him; it always filled him with a sense of joy he hadn’t felt in a thousand years. A joy that made a decision he had been debating for a year very easy. It was now a matter of asking, however another matter seized his attention: Elisa seemed to be hugging him a little too tightly. “Elisa, you’re hugging rather tightly.”
Elisa eased up and stepped back. “I’m just happy to see you.”
“I’m happy too and I wanted to see you to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Elisa Maza, will you be my mate?”
Elisa blinked in surprise. Goliath wanted her for his mate; the human equivalent of being engaged and married. She had had feelings for the clan leader for quite some time and had admitted them when the clan moved back to the castle. Heck, she had kissed him before he turned to stone. The smile frozen on his face made her glad she made her bold move. In short, she was happy he asked. Smiling happily, she said, “Yes. Yes, I will.”
Goliath smiled as he took her hands. She had accepted as he had been sure she would. He was sure she knew that by accepting his proposal, they would be one, now and forever.
He was also aware of the wolf attack on Elisa, thanks to Matt. He had turned up before dawn and reported Elisa’s strange behavior as well as his theory that the wolf who bit her was a werewolf and the possibility that Elisa was one now and would change on the full moon that was a few nights away. He had listened to Matt’s report, but dismissed the werewolf claim. Elisa did not encounter a werewolf and she certainly wasn’t one, either. What she is, is a police officer and now my mate. She’s no werewolf.
Chapter Three- First Night
What is wrong with me? Elisa demanded as she cooked some steaks for lunch. She had been feeling angry since the attack and now she was craving meat since dawn this morning. She didn’t know why she felt this way but it, oddly enough, felt right.
Right!? Feeling angry shouldn’t feel right. But to me, it does. She put her head in her hands and shook it. I need to stop being angry. This isn’t me. She took several deep calming breaths and she felt her anger dissipate and a calm took hold. She lifted her head and her eyes focused on her hands. Her eyes widened when she saw the length of her nails. She usually kept them cut short and indeed she had trimmed them before going on shift the night of the attack. How did they grow so long so fast? The sizzle of her steaks drew her attention and she returned to cooking and eating lunch.
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Elisa was aware of her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly and eased up. She felt restless, desirous for some action. She kept her eyes on the road while glancing in her mirrors and dashboard as she did so. She glanced into the rearview mirror at one point and noticed that her brown eyes had an amber tint to them. She gaped for a moment before pulling over, parking, and putting her face in her hands which naturally caught Matt’s attention. “Elisa?” he asked gently, not wanting to anger her.
Elisa looked over, fear in her brown-amber eyes. “Matt, something’s wrong with me. I’ve been feeling angry most of the time, my nails grew so fast, I desire meat a lot, and my eyes now have an amber tint to them.”
Matt had been aware of the first two signs his partner noticed, but the last two were new. Craving meat and an amber tint? Those are on my list as well. “Elisa, you should know that these things you’ve been feeling and seeing are connected with one who’s been bitten-,”
“By a werewolf,” she interrupted. “You really believe that?”
“I do. Look, the full moon is the day after tomorrow. Call in sick that day and if you change, then we’ll know.”
“All right.” She thought of her nails and desire for meat as she pulled back onto the road. Her nails almost resembled claws and her craving was definitely that of a carnivore- like a wolf. She looked at her face when she got home. The amber tint gave her eyes an intense and almost angry look. She turned away from it, scared of what she saw. Am I really a werewolf? Everything I’ve seen and felt is very wolf-like and I can’t think of anything else it could be. I’ll call tomorrow to call in sick and wait for nightfall.
She did exactly as she planned, faking a convincing sick voice. Once she hung up, she went to the kitchen to cook up some of the meat she had bought after the shift where she had confessed the signs she noticed to Matt. Her craving had increased and though the thought of eating it raw strangely appealed to her, she refused it and cooked. Of course, wolves can’t cook but their stomachs can handle raw meat. She went to take a nap after eating and after that, a shower. If I don’t change, I think I’ll go see my mate. He’ll ask why I’m not at work, I’ll tell him and we’ll have a laugh over how silly I was to believe Matt.
Elisa stripped off her nightgown as the sun started to set. She decided it would be best to wait in her room naked as she wasn’t sure if her clothes would change with her or not. She peered out her bedroom window to see the sky black with night and the edge of the full moon rising. The sight of it sent her heart racing for some reason. She stepped away and then she gave a wolf’s howl before groaning and falling to her knees.
She gasped as a rippling swept over her body and she placed her hands on the floor to see her nails hardening into razor sharp claws while her fingers shrank away and black fur began sprouting on the backs and spreading up her arms that looked more like forelegs as her hands were now forepaws. She felt a tingling by her legs and looked back to see back legs and paws forming and her toenails were becoming sharp exposed claws.
I’m becoming like the one who bit me, except my fur is black. Her fur continued to grow as her muscles grew larger which was painful. She attempted to groan, but a whine came out. Oh, great. I can only make wolf sounds now. She felt something brush against her back legs and surmised that she had sprouted her tail. Her jaws and nose bulged out and became a muzzle of sharp teeth while her ears became pointed and moved to the top of her head. Her eyes turned gold and she howled again before shaking herself out: Elisa had become a werewolf.
She leaped onto her bed to see herself in her vanity mirror. A large muscular black wolf with intense gold eyes stared back at her. She tilted her head as she took in her face, paws, and tail. I kind of look…cool. I know I’ll have to tell my friends and family as well as Captain Chavez. I can’t continue to call in sick every full moon. Yes, better to tell her, maybe even change a little in front of her.
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“So, you are a werewolf,” Matt said the next morning on the phone.
“Yeah, I am. Last night was amazing, you have no idea, Matt. I saw clearer, smelled better, and heard more than before,” she answered, a tone of awe in her voice.
“Well, that’s to be expected. Most animals have better senses than we do.”
“True. Matt, I’ve been thinking about telling the Captain. I can’t keep calling in sick every full moon.”
“Good point. You know you may have to prove it.”
“Yes and better off here. I think my clothes would be destroyed if I changed at the station.”
“You could wear different clothes when she comes over. Your place makes sense as you wouldn’t be able to drive.”
“Right. Well, I better let you go so I can call Captain Chavez.”
“Got it. Catch you later, partner.”
“Bye, Matt.” Elisa hung up and bit her lip. She didn’t tell Matt everything about last night. Yes, she spent most of the night exploring her enhanced senses and learning to walk on four legs. Another part was spent fighting against thoughts of killing and eating. The reason she fought was because the thoughts were wanting her to target humans for her kills. She resisted these; she protected the citizens and would not break that oath.
She waited until after twelve to call Chavez, but she did tell Xanatos so he could pass it on to Goliath with the request that he not see her until after the full moon was over. With her mate taken care of, Elisa prepared her meal of cooked meat and once done, dialed Chavez’s office number. The phone was answered in two rings. “Marie Chavez, captain of detectives,” she said.
“Hi, Captain.”
“Maza. You sound better.”
“I wasn’t sick, technically. It seems the wolf I met last week was a werewolf because I changed into one last night.”
“Maza, you’re joking.”
Elisa resisted the urge to growl and get angry with Chavez. “I’m serious, Captain. I’m a werewolf now. If you like, you can come over and see for yourself.”
She heard Chavez sigh. “Very well. I’ll be over at sunset.” Chavez hung up and Elisa did the same. She sounded skeptical and I don’t blame her. I’m still feeling angry and wanting to make wolf sounds. Something tells me I’ll be acting more wolf-like during the full moon. At least I hope it’s only the full moon.
Chapter Four- End of First Cycle
Marie Chavez approached the door of Maza’s apartment highly skeptical and a little annoyed. Maza had claimed she was ill yesterday and then today admitted that it wasn’t true; that she had actually turned into a werewolf. The claim sounded ridiculous and when she told Maza as much, the detective suggested she come over and see for herself. So, here she was, a few minutes before sunset. She knocked on the door and waited a couple of minutes.
The door opened with Maza looking around the edge at Chavez. She entered to see Maza wearing a simple white shift. Once the door was closed, Chavez stepped up to Maza to look at her more closely. Her brown eyes now had an amber tint to them, her nails looked like claws, and her ears had developed slight points. She stepped away and led the way to the living room.
“Well, you certainly have the signs of a werewolf,” she commented.
“I had other signs earlier in the week but didn’t recognize them for what they were,” Maza replied. She shifted on her feet slightly before saying, “Captain, given the circumstances-,”
“You need the full moon nights off,” Chavez cut in. “I can accommodate this, but no other nights off aside from the ones that had been put aside already.”
Maza sighed in relief. “Thanks, Captain.” Both women gazed out the skylight for a moment before Elisa spoke again. “Captain, it won’t be necessary to stay for the full change; just enough to convince you.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, I was alone last night so I didn’t experience how an actual werewolf acts around people and I rather not find out.”
“Makes sense.” She watched Maza lean forward to look out the skylight as the sky went black. She swiftly left her seat and went to the door as the detective howled and started sprouting black fur. Chavez felt spellbound by the change but shook it off and left once Maza had four legs and was growing a tail. She locked the door behind her and left the building so that she could give her werewolf detective her three nights off.
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Elisa shook herself out before padding into the kitchen and pawing open a bottom cabinet to reveal a bowl full of bloody raw meat. She grabbed it in her teeth, put the bowl on the floor, and began to eat. She found that changing burned a lot of calories and she needed to replace it. She hadn’t done that last night because she had been distracted by her new form and her thoughts. One of those thoughts concerned food. It pointed out that wolves ate bloody raw meat in the wild and she decided to try that out.
Hmm, this isn’t half-bad. I could definitely get used to eating like this every full moon. She licked the edges of her muzzle as her eyes roamed the apartment and picked out her cat’s location. He hadn’t come near her all week. He clearly smelled the wolf on her before her change. He was probably confused at seeing his owner become a wolf and then human before going back to wolf. She knew he was eating, most likely while she slept as was evident by the empty food dish when she woke up.
Her dinner finished, Elisa proceeded to prowl around her apartment, exploring her senses more. However, she grew bored with this activity. She managed to use her claws to turn on the TV and flick through the channels but this too lost its appeal. It wasn’t hard for her to figure out why: Her eyes kept looking out her skylight and an urge to go out rose within her with each glance. I want to go out and run around, but the window’s locked and I can’t unlock it with paws and claws. I can’t go out tonight, but I can tomorrow. I just have to make sure to unlock and open the window before nightfall.
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Elisa lifted her nose and breathed in the night air that wafted through the window before leaping out and onto the roof. She walked around to the fire escape, her extended claws clicking on the stone and asphalt. She quickly leaped from floor to floor of the fire escape landing lightly on each one, her claws the only sound on the metal. She alighted on the ground and her tail swished happily at being free; wolves don’t deal well with being cooped up. She needed this.
She stuck to alleyways to avoid human contact despite thoughts of killing humans. She was out to enjoy the night, nothing more. But, I’m a werewolf and we either kill, eat, or turn humans, though the latter is by accident. My sire didn’t plan to turn me, but I’m glad he did. I love being a werewolf and I can’t wait to tell everyone about it.
She moved through a back alley and the scent of a nearby human floated over to her. Her head snapped to her right to see a human in the alley. The human froze upon seeing her and Elisa felt her eyes turn red and start glowing. A desire to kill the human awoke within her and she did nothing to resist it. She slowly stalked toward her prey, a low growl in her throat, designed to keep her target frozen with fear.
It worked as the man remained rooted to the spot. Elisa kept her gaze on the man as she moved past, looking as if she was going to move on. She paused for a split second before turning and pouncing on him, knocking him on his back. Her front claws ripped deep into his chest while her jaws locked onto his throat and ripped it away, blood gushing from the wound. The sight of the blood excited her and sent her into a frenzy. She continued to savage the body even though he was dead. Once she was thoroughly satisfied, she howled loudly before sprinting away and returning home.
Elisa awoke to find herself on the floor, but didn’t think anything of it. Her night out had let loose all her wolf instincts and tendencies. She felt so free. She got up, showered, and dressed before getting her meal together that wasn’t as meat heavy as it had been the last three days. Her human side was now more dominant than her wolf side; she looked forward to the next three weeks of full-time humanity.
Not that the last three nights were bad. Yes, I couldn’t talk, but the grace and strength I had was awesome. I still have enhanced senses and longer nails, but my eyes are completely brown. No one would know I’m a werewolf just by looking at me; it’s only if I told them would they know. She sat on her couch and flipped on the TV before turning on the news.
“Our top news is the brutal murder of a man identified as a former Quarryman. Officers on the scene estimated he was killed last night. Police guess that a wild animal is loose in the city as his throat was torn open and his body was clawed-,”
Click. The set was turned off and the remote fell from Elisa’s limp hand as she stared at the blank screen in horror. She had a hazy recollection of the attack, remembering it as a vivid dream. Only it wasn’t a dream: She had killed a man!
I can’t believe I did that! It seems when faced with a human while in wolf form, I can’t resist attacking. The lucky thing is I didn’t eat him, but still how could I have killed him?
Then again, he was a rogue Quarryman. He was probably going to end up setting a trap for the clan. I likely saved my friends and mate by killing him. Furthermore, I’m a werewolf; killing humans is what we do. The kill excited me, but part of me hopes I don’t do it again.
Chapter Five- Aftermath
Elisa clipped her nails short so that if she needed her gun tonight, she wouldn’t have trouble getting her finger on the trigger. She then eyed her image critically. Yes, eyes were completely brown and her ears were round, no slight points. She looked just like she did before being bitten. She was ready to go back to work. She left her room and put out food for Cagney. She had just set down the bowl when she heard wings and a small thud on the roof. She turned toward the sound and her face lit up: Goliath!
She opened the window and stepped outside before being hugged by her mate. She hugged back, mindful of her strength. She breathed in Goliath’s leathery and earthy scent and loved how it suited him. Eventually, the two parted and Goliath gently brushed her hair back. “Xanatos gave me your message two nights ago. It seems we were both wrong. This must be hard for you.”
“Not at all,” she replied. “I spoke to Captain Chavez and she’s agreed to give me time off during the full moon and I keep to myself. Although Cagney doesn’t come near me anymore.” She looked back to see her cat eating. It hurt that she could hold and pet her cat, but surely he would adjust to her new scent and come over to receive her affection once again.
An hour later, Goliath left and Elisa headed to work. He was lost in thought as headed for the castle. It seemed like her being a werewolf wasn’t a bad thing; she had a good handle on it. When they had hugged, he sensed the new strength in her that she had restrained and her scent now had a whiff of wolf to it, but it was pleasant. All that aside, she was still the same Elisa Maza he loved.
“So, no problems the entire time?” Matt asked.
“Aside from my cat not liking me right now, no problems,” Elisa lied. She didn’t want to admit to killing that man. She had thought about it since learning about it and came to a couple of conclusions: She had been in complete control during the attack, despite her hazy recollection and she was proud over what she did since it was protecting her friends. There was no wolf side that was separate from her: She was the wolf and the desire of attack had simply awoken. She knew she was guilty of murder but she didn’t care and as long as no one suspected her, she was fine.
Matt kept an eye on Elisa as the night wore on. She was calm and focused on her job. There was no hint of the anger or confusion she had exhibited prior to the full moon. Perhaps they were simply symptoms of her body preparing itself for the changes. They may resurface as the moon draws closer, though. I’ll wait until the week before the moon.
Matt was true to his word. He put watching for signs on hold but he had asked if her family knew what happened. She said yes when she had Sunday dinner with them and had told her brother at the Labyrinth. “There was initial horror and sympathy until I said it’s not so bad and it’s really not,” she had said.
“I believe you. It’s great that you’re handling it so easily.”
“Of course it is. I could bite you and you could join me,” Elisa said with a teasing smile.
“I’ll pass. Besides, if we got too friendly, it would anger Goliath,” Matt answered; Elisa had told him the news the night after accepting Goliath’s proposal.
“You’re right.” Elisa glanced at her hands before focusing on the roads. Her nails needed trimmed again; they grew so quickly she had to clip them every three days. It was irritating, but it was a minor one. She knew she would stop clipping as the moon arrived. She also wondered what other signs would resurface. Would the amber return to her eyes? Would her ears be slightly pointed again? I’ll eventually find out, she thought.
Elisa ran up the stairs the night before the full moon, eager to see her friends and also feeling that burning but comfortable anger again. It was buried deep in her, but there nonetheless. That wasn’t the only thing that returned. Her eyes were two-toned again and her ears were slightly pointed. She had stopped trimming her nails two nights ago and they were pointed at the tips as well.
I’m ready to change again, but for now I’ll be with my friends. She reached the top, not feeling at all winded even though she had run all the way up. My endurance and stamina has gotten better, she realized as the sun vanished and the gargoyles greeted the night. Goliath hopped down, gave Elisa a hug, and was about to kiss her when he paused and took a good look at her.
Elisa was confused for a moment, but then she smiled in understanding. “I know. This happened last time.” She casually brushed back some hair, exposing an ear which more closely resembled a gargoyle ear instead of a wolf ear at the time.
“It’s a little unusual,” Goliath said.
Elisa felt a flash of anger at Goliath’s comment, but reined it in. Instead, she let him scoop her up and glide down to where the rest of the clan waited.
“Whoa, Elisa,” Lexington gasped when he saw her nails. “They really look like claws.” He grinned at her. “Very cool.”
Elisa nodded in appreciation, but after that the conversation turned completely normal. She enjoyed hanging out with the clan who didn’t comment further on her unusual features. They also didn’t comment whenever Elisa used her enhanced senses. It felt like old times, something Elisa loved; after the novelty of the past month this was a welcome change of pace.
Elisa opened her window and stripped the following day, watching the sky slowly darken. It was finally the full moon again and she intended to spend all three nights outside. She leaned forward as the sun vanished and she saw the moon already in the sky, its white light spreading across the area.
Elisa felt a pleasing tingle go through her body and looked down to see herself covered in fur and her reflection in the glass showed her with wolf ears. She scratched behind them before falling on all fours: Her feet and hands had become paws and her spine couldn’t keep her upright. She didn’t mind, she wanted to go to full wolf form. A howl and a shaking out ended the transformation and began the fight against her dark thoughts.
She had felt bad about attacking someone. She was a cop, after all; sworn to protect and serve. But, she was a werewolf when she attacked. She had been doing what werewolves did: They killed and ate humans. There was no reason to feel the least bit guilty. It didn’t matter if the human was a Quarryman or a law-abiding citizen; both were eligible to be her target. These dark thoughts made sense and were so strong that resisting them was impossible. Elisa leaped onto the roof and then down the fire escape to the ground before sprinting through the alleys as she headed for Central Park. I want to kill as many as I can. Maybe even eat one. She licked her chops at the thought.
Chapter Six- Moon Murder
Elisa loped over to a stream and lapped up the cool water. She had arrived at the park and found herself thirsty. Water first, then hunt, she had decided. As she stepped back, licking water off her mouth, she questioned the decision to hunt and kill people. Surely, she didn’t have to do that, she reasoned. She went two nights last month without killing.
Yeah, well the first night you were exploring your body and senses. The second night, you were cooped up. Heck, bitten humans don’t realize they survived a werewolf encounter and thus they change outside and succumb to the dark side on the first night. The following morning when they recall that they killed, they completely give in to the killing instinct and desire.
Matt recognized the signs and urged me to stay home. I heeded his advice and thus I didn’t kill until the last night. But, now? I shouldn’t resist. Werewolves hunt, kill, and eat humans and since I’m a werewolf, that’s what I’ll do. My first kill was a mix of horror and pride. These next three nights, there won’t be horror, only pride.
She stalked into a nearby grove of trees before lifting her nose and sniffing the air. The smells of countless humans hit her and she sifted through it to determine which were recent and fresh, indicating that they were still in the park. She picked up two nearby scents and she moved toward it. The scents belonged to a couple, a man and a woman. The sight of them triggered her desire to kill and her eyes became red glowing ones. She waited in a bush until they had passed it before she attacked. She leaped and pinned both at the same time before delivering bites that killed them instantly. Their deaths didn’t stop Elisa from savaging their bodies until she was satisfied with her attack. She ran from the scene, growling in satisfaction. She had successfully killed and it gave her such a thrill as well as a desire to do more. She felt her conscience against killing slip away; she didn’t care if someone died at her claws and teeth. She loved the feel of skin ripping under her claws.
She found another human and approached from the front, freezing her for a moment before she turned and ran, screaming. Elisa took off after her with a growl and a snarl that was her way of laughing. Her claws clicked against the sidewalk giving her no stealth, but additional traction. It was the traction that gave her increased distance and speed. She launched herself into the air, aiming for the neck. The woman turned upon hearing silence and screamed again at the black, red-eyed wolf coming at her. Elisa hit her in the chest, knocking her prey backwards. Elisa slashed and ripped at the arms, the chest, the stomach, and the face before latching her jaws onto the throat and ripped it away. The blood poured out and Elisa leaned down, cautiously lapping at it. Hmm, tastes like the blood I had with the raw meat. Makes sense. She lapped up more blood but stopped when she heard the distant wail of sirens. She dashed away from the scene and back home where she licked her paws and face clean before lying down on the floor of her bedroom and re-living her evening. That was thrilling! I love killing and I like lapping up blood from my last kill. If the police hadn’t shown up, who know how many more would have died tonight. I’ll kill in other places tomorrow and the night after that.
&&&&
She stalked about the alleys, wary of any police cars. The news of the park murders had officers on the alert for a vicious wild animal. Chavez had called her that afternoon to ask her if she was responsible. “Of course not, Captain,” she had lied. “I have no desire to find out if I am a danger.”
“All right, Maza. Just stay in until the animal is caught. It’s possible there’s another werewolf running around.”
There is no other werewolf, Elisa thought as she slipped into another alley. I would have smelled him or her if there was. If I did encounter another wolf, I would kill him or her without a second thought. The humans in this city all belong to me. She ran through the alleys and came out in a slums section where she knew she would find humans to kill and have privacy to eat one if she desired, which she did.
She entered one home and inhaled deeply before growling low to herself. There were humans here: Four of them and they would all die. She quickly determined they were all together and pulled old furniture and wood over the block any possible escape routes for her prey before crouching by the door less room where the people were grouped. She flexed her clawed paws before charging in and delivering either killing slashes or bites before any realized they were under attack. She stood among the group of dead humans, savoring the speed with which she moved before moving on to savage the bodies, taking care to smudge her paw prints that got blood on them. She was tearing apart a woman’s body when she heard a whimpering sound and whirled around to determine the source.
Her glowing eyes landed on a child, her throat partially torn, but the main artery and vocal chords were still intact. The child’s eyes were wide and terrified as they locked onto Elisa’s eyes. The child’s innocent face made no impact on the werewolf detective. Instead, Elisa went over and swiped her paw, the claws severing the artery and the vocal chords. The child died without another sound. She flipped the child onto her back before ripping open the body and seizing a kidney with her teeth. She pulled it out, settled on the floor, and proceeded to chew on the organ. She then dug around for a different meat once she had eaten what she wanted of the kidney. She ate various organs, muscles, and skin before she was satisfied. She left the house, taking care to smudge the new paw prints until she found a puddle to wash her paws and face. She smiled as best she could with her muzzle. Tonight was excellent. Four killed and I ate one of them. I enjoyed every moment of it. Eating a human is no different from a human eating a hamburger. Of course, I can’t eat a human in human form; it would look suspicious and wrong to everyone else, but as a wolf? No problem there.
Elisa’s final night for the month was a killing spree. She roamed far and wide that night, killing as the mood struck her. It didn’t matter who she killed; all were her prey. She wrapped up her spree up feasting on a man and howling on the rooftop before slipping into her apartment, a sense of deep satisfaction felt. That was wonderful! she thought, tail swishing happily. I lost count, but I know it was more than the first two nights combined. It has been a good month and I can’t wait to do it again next month.
Chapter Seven- Shifting Preparations
Elisa was surprised and delighted when she reported for work to learn that seventeen people had been killed last night, the last of the Quarrymen among them. Paw prints were found at the murders, but so badly smudged that they couldn’t be used for DNA evidence. Officers had followed a trail of smudged prints but lost the trail at a puddle. Elisa had been careful to conceal clear prints and washing her paws to avoid leading her pursuers to her home. The city was in a state of panic and she was happy knowing she was the cause.
She kept her happiness and delight to herself and affected a concerned and preoccupied expression that matched her co-workers. She also learned that the animal was being dubbed The Full Moon Killer as the murders had only occurred during the full moon.
“This is serious,” Elisa said as she drove her and Matt around during their shift.
“Yeah. Captain thinks there could be another werewolf or some similar animal is loose.”
“I agree with her thought of another werewolf. The smudged prints and the trail being lost points at cunning and a predatory animal doesn’t conceal their trail like that.”
Matt nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Of course. It’s important to know how your suspect thinks.”
“Elisa,” Matt said slowly. “How’s your sense of smell?”
“Quite good. You may want to apply less aftershave, for example.”
“Hey!”
Elisa laughed at Matt’s annoyed face. “So, why did you ask?”
“I just thought that maybe you would be able to sniff out our killer even while human.”
Elisa affected a thoughtful expression. “Yes,” she answered slowly. “That could work. It makes sense that a werewolf could be caught by another werewolf. I’ll suggest it to the Captain after our shift.”
“An interesting suggestion, Maza but let’s wait on that. Other officers have already been assigned to track and catch The Full Moon Killer.”
“I understand,” Elisa replied, but inside she was worried and annoyed. She was worried that she may have left clues that would point to her and she was annoyed that the Captain wasn’t putting her solely on the case. Even if she did, she might get suspicious if the murders continue while I’m sniffing out the “suspect” in between moons.
Chavez watched Maza leave her office before leaning back in her chair. The search for the killer hadn’t really started as officers were searching for evidence; once they collected what they could, then they had to figure out a pattern. Initial reports stated there was no pattern: The murder scenes were all over the place. Rich, poor, young, old, the killer wasn’t picky. She kept the werewolf theory between herself, Bluestone, and Maza. Speaking of Maza, I’m becoming suspicious. There hadn’t been any deaths until the last full moon last month. This month, the full moon deaths total twenty-four. It’s possible that Maza got loose last month and killed that night. If so, she’s allowed herself to roam this month, resulting in those deaths. I can’t ask her as she’ll most likely lie. I can, however, tell Bluestone and he can keep an eye of her.
Elisa carefully drove around the city, visiting each scene and obliterating any evidence once the scene was devoid of any police. There had been one scene where she found strands of black fur that could have been her fur, so she collected it. At another scene, she spotted clear prints and quickly smudged them with a white cloth that she took with her. She went home, got some sleep, and ate a dinner of medium-done meat before heading to work.
Matt watched Elisa out of the corner of his eye as he had been doing for two weeks now, ever since Chavez had called him into her office two nights after the full moon. She voiced concerns that Elisa may be responsible for all those deaths, despite claims that she stayed home. Matt took Chavez’s concerns seriously and knew it was likely that Elisa had killed. I’ve read that once a werewolf kills, he or she becomes addicted to it and will want to do more murders and eventually eat people. Indeed, two of the dead people showed signs of being eaten. If Elisa has killed and eaten, then she’s becoming a dark and possibly evil person. She needs to stop before that happens or goes much further if she has already started.
“Elisa, you haven’t killed anyone, right?” he asked gently.
“Of course not, but what if I have?” she asked neutrally.
“If you had, I would ask that you resist doing it again. You know killing is wrong. But since you haven’t, no problem then.”
“Of course I know it’s wrong and you’re right. I haven’t killed, so there’s no problem.”
&&&&
How dare he! she silently growled once at home. He doesn’t understand! I’m a werewolf! Killing is what werewolves do! I bet Chavez is suspicious and told Matt! They dare meddle in how I conduct myself! Fine, then in two weeks, I’ll kill them.
Her nose and mouth itched as she imagined ripping out their throats and a growl of satisfaction emerged; a real wolf growl. She blinked at the sound and then noticed the reason for it: Her muzzle had formed! She ran to the mirror to see herself with the ears and muzzle of a wolf!
How did this happen? Did my desire to kill make them appear? She thought back to the night she was bitten and remembered that there had been no full moon that night. She looked back at her reflection and focused on making her muzzle disappear. She watched her muzzle shrink back into her human nose and mouth, leaving the ears. She focused and they changed too. Nice. I can change whenever I want. I don’t have to wait two weeks to kill Matt and Chavez. She smiled evilly as her ears reappeared and her eyes turned gold and cruel.
Elisa practiced shifting back and forth and discovered that her clothes molded with her fur and skin which made it convenient: If she was going to kill, she didn’t want to strip for that as it would give her prey time to get away or shoot her. She learned to partially shift first and then fully shift. She contemplated which version she would use on her targets and decided to use the full one on Matt and for Chavez that depended on the circumstances.
Matt glanced side along at Elisa. His partner seemed calm and happy tonight as opposed to the tense way she had been three nights ago. He wondered whether she had simply a good day’s rest. “You sleeping better, partner?”
Elisa smiled slightly and nodded. “Oh, yes. I slept well today and my head’s a lot clearer now.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Suddenly, Elisa pulled over, stopped the car, and turned it off, her attention on the alley behind Matt. “Elisa?” he asked.
“I thought I saw something in there.” She nodded at the alley.
“Well, let’s go.” Matt got out of the car and headed for the alley with Elisa slowly following, a cruel smile on her face.
Chapter Eight- Paranoia Murders
The alley was narrow; there was barely enough space for Matt to walk down it let alone turn around. He had his gun out as he slowly and cautiously looked around. There were boxes, trash cans, and dumpsters lining the sides and Matt checked behind and beside each one. He soon reached a dead end and found nothing. He sighed and put his weapon away. “All clear, Elisa,” he said. No response. “Elisa?” He heard a clicking noise and turned to see glowing red eyes coming toward him. A nearby street lamp exposed a four-legged black wolf stalking toward him. He knew it was Elisa; Chavez had told him that she had seen Elisa grow black fur before leaving the apartment.
“Elisa?” he said softly and nervously. Her posture indicated that she was going to attack and likely kill him. But, why?
She doesn’t need a reason, he realized. She’s gone dark and cruel. It doesn’t matter who she attacks. It’s also possible that she’s thinking like a real wolf as it’s not a full moon night. I don’t want to shoot her, but maybe I can wound her enough to escape. Matt reached for his gun.
Elisa growled before lunging forward, locking her jaws onto his arm and twisting her head. There was a snap and Matt screamed: Elisa had broken his arm! The she-wolf released her hold, backed up a little, and then leaped forward, planting her forepaws on Matt’s chest and knocking him onto his back. The fall knocked the wind out of him and the last things he saw and felt was Elisa leaning forward and teeth ripping away his throat.
Elisa growled in satisfaction as she licked the blood off the edges of her muzzle that had resulted in tearing away Matt’s throat. That felt so good and it went perfectly. He’s obviously didn’t realize how fast I am. She looked at his corpse before going over to it and tore at it. She wasn’t hungry and had no desire to eat him anyway. She did, however, want to rip and tear at his body. She did it with more fervor and brutality than her previous victims; most likely because he had become suspicious of her, thanks to Chavez. Once she finished savaging his body and cleaning herself and the crime scene, she howled in joy, returned to human form, left the scene, and drove away.
Elisa claimed Matt was sick for the next two nights, but she suspected that Chavez didn’t believe her. She wasn’t too concerned over that as her superior would die eventually. Heh, she scoffed. I spent years obeying authority figures: My parents, teachers, co-workers in a higher position than me, and of course government officials. But now? I don’t have to listen to anybody. I’ll kill and eat as I please and only one person suspects me. Soon, though, she won’t be around to suspect me or boss me around. I love being a werewolf; I may even shift to full wolf form and stay that way when I’m not working.
Elisa was getting ready to eat an early dinner on the third night after killing Matt when a knock sounded on her door. She peered through the peephole to see Chavez on the other side. Hmm, perhaps tonight’s the night to kill her.
She opened the door and admitted Chavez. “What’s up, Captain?” she asked once the door was closed.
“We need to talk, Maza.” She fixed her detective with a cold stare. “I believe you lied to me about your activities last month. You killed all those people, didn’t you?”
Elisa affected a shocked expression. “Captain, why would you think that?”
“The evidence detective. All the attacks occurred during the full moon, no clear paw prints or trail, no attacks since then and no sign of any other wild animal. I have every reason to suspect you as the attacks were rather brutal and track with the way a wolf attacks.”
“That’s all circumstantial, Captain. It doesn’t mean I’m guilty.” Elisa sounded hurt and turned away from Chavez.
Chavez felt bad at seeing Elisa’s reaction. Perhaps I was wrong to suspect her. I allowed my preconceptions of werewolves to believe Maza would succumb to a werewolf’s dark, vicious nature. She put a hand on Elisa’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Maza. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions without any hard evidence.”
Elisa took another step away, stayed that way for a moment, and then whipped around and knocked Chavez onto her back, using her increased strength to keep the woman down. Elisa looked down with cruel gold eyes. “So, Captain, you want hard evidence? Well, here it is: I did kill those people and I loved every minute of it. I tried to fight back against the darkness but it was too strong and attractive to resist. I’ve recently learned to control the change so I don’t need to wait for the full moon.” She grinned, showing sharp teeth. “I killed Matt three nights ago as he was suspicious of me as you were.” Elisa planted a knee on Chavez’s chest before locking a hand on the woman’s throat and started to squeeze, cutting off her air.
“I love being a werewolf and killing as I want. Your continued existence threatens that so, you’ll have to die. Goodbye, Captain.” Elisa’s hand shifted position and she crushed Chavez’s windpipe. Chavez, unable to draw breath, thrashed and writhed for several minutes before she died due to suffocation.
Elisa stood, spread a tarp on her kitchen floor, and dragged Chavez’s body onto it before shifting to full wolf and ripping up Chavez’s body as well as eating it. She gave that growling/snarling laugh. She couldn’t believe Chavez had bought her act. That had been too easy, she thought as she ate the throat’s skin to destroy evidence of her palm print. She intended to dispose of the body in about two days after she had eaten what she wanted. She licked her face and paws clean before shifting to human, draping the tarp over the body, and left for work, her mood light and happy. She had eliminated the only two co-workers who knew her secret.
She kept silent about Chavez’s absence that night as well as Matt’s. She knew Matt’s body would be found and she made sure to volunteer to help look when it was reported that he wasn’t at home. No one questioned it as everyone knew Matt was her partner. She kept tabs on where the other officers were searching before pretending to scan an area for him. She casually drove toward the area where she killed him, got out, and pretended to search the alleys. She then went down the narrow alley and stood there to savor and re-live the attack before returning to her car to report that she found her partner and that he was dead, making sure to sound stunned and sad about the discovery. She stayed until homicide investigators arrived and took her statement before being allowed to leave and continue her shift.
She returned home, uncovered her meal, resumed her wolf form, and began to eat. Her tail swished as she feasted; she enjoyed eating her prey raw and loved being in wolf form. She would be able to go on another killing spree in a couple of days as it’ll be the full moon again. This time, no one will think I’m behind the attacks. Wait…a lot of people will think that. My family and the clan. But, they haven’t spoken to me about the attacks, so they likely think another werewolf is around.
The phone rang and Elisa growled at the interruption before shifting to human and answering it. “Hello?”
“Elisa?”
“Sis! I didn’t know you were back!”
“I’m taking a break from school. Mom and Dad have been telling me what’s been going on lately. They said you’re a werewolf now.”
“It’s true.”
“You’re not dangerous or evil, of course.”
“Of…course. Why would I be like that?”
“It’s just that most people that are bitten turn into dark, vicious creatures, day or night.”
“Right, but I’m strong-willed enough to resist it.”
“Right. So, we’ll see you at dinner Sunday?”
“I’ll be there. See you then.”
Chapter Nine- Severing Family Ties
Elisa dumped the tarp with Chavez’s remains in the dumpster on her way to dinner Sunday, making sure to smudge her prints on the tarp. Tomorrow was the full moon and she felt anxious for that night so she could have all night to attack, kill, and eat. But, for now, she would enjoy a pleasurable dinner with her family. At least, they don’t have a problem with my being a werewolf.
&&&&
Elisa chewed and swallowed the vegetables with effort when her impulse was to spit it out. She had become accustomed to eating raw bloody meat that eating anything else was repulsive. She was a strict carnivore now, however, she forced down her food to spare her mother’s feelings.
Peter Maza cleared his throat halfway through the meal. “Elisa, I heard about Matt. I’m sorry you lost your partner. He was a good cop.”
“Thanks, Dad. He was a good cop and a great friend. I just can’t believe he’s gone.”
“Any idea of what happened?”
“No clear ones. There were teeth and claw marks, so autopsy reports list animal attack as the cause of death.”
Peter nodded thoughtfully. It was obviously an animal attack. He doubted Elisa did it as it hadn’t been a full moon night. She only changes during the full moon and speaking of the full moon…what about those deaths last month?
“Elisa, any leads on those murders last month?”
Elisa shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “No. None, but then I haven’t been assigned to the case. I could check on that, though.”
Diane frowned at her daughter. “Dear, are you all right?” she asked her.
“Yeah, I’m just restless. Tomorrow is the full moon and I found I get restless when it’s close.”
Peter studied Elisa’s tense form and thought about last month’s murders. Twenty-four people had been killed in three nights- full moon nights. Two of the bodies showed signs that they had been feasted upon; something animals would do when killing only they would eat every prey they killed and only two out of twenty-four bore these marks.
“Elisa, tell me the truth: Did you kill all those people last month?” Peter asked slowly, ignoring the shocked expressions on his wife and daughter’s faces.
“I…might have,” she said slowly. “The problem is I’m not in control when I change. I see myself changing and then I black out since the next thing I remember is waking up on my living room floor.”
Beth shook her head. “Elisa, you couldn’t have blacked out. It’s more likely you know what happened but was unable to stop it.”
“I think you’re right. I now recall seeing people dying and could see my claws slashing at them, but unable to stop myself.”
“If you did kill on some level, you may want to confess to the homicide investigators, but make it clear that you weren’t in control,” Peter said. Beth and Diane nodded in agreement.
“I know you’re right, Dad,” Elisa said. “I’ll confess once the full moon nights are over.”
Peter smiled. “That’s my girl. You will need to keep yourself from being able to get out so that no one else will die.”
Elisa growled angrily as she stalked about her apartment after arriving home from dinner. She had shifted forms and paced back and forth, her tail swishing in anger. She couldn’t believe her family wanted her to confess her murders to the police! Why should I? Animals don’t confess to killing their prey and I’m technically an animal when I’m killing only I decide who I kill every now and then; other times I don’t care who I kill. Speaking of deciding, I think I need to eliminate my family since I have no intention of going to the police. I’ll do it tomorrow night so they’ll think I’m not really in control, even though I am.
The following sunset, Elisa entered her parents’ apartment building and crossed into the elevator. She pushed the fourth floor button and she saw the sun vanish as the doors closed. When the doors opened again, Elisa had taken her wolf form and she exited the car, ready to kill. She knew Beth stayed with their parents when on break from school, so the only family member not present was Derek. That’s fine. I can go to the Labyrinth later and kill him too along with anyone else there.
She flexed her paws for a moment before sprinting down the hall, aiming for the door at the end. She increased her speed and rammed her shoulder into the door as hard as she could. The door bent at the impact site, but didn’t break. She heard her mother’s voice, followed by her father’s and the click of a gun being cocked.
Elisa poised herself beside the door and waited to see what would happen. The door opened and Peter stepped out, gun barrel pointed upward. He stared down the hall, then left, and finally right, looking down into Elisa’s glowing eyes. The she-wolf lunged, her paw knocking away the gun before her teeth bit down on his throat and tore the jugular apart. He fell backwards to show Diane and Beth, the former screaming in horror. Elisa snarled as she leaped over her father and charged toward the women. She brought her mother down quickly by slashing at her throat before pouncing on Beth who had turned to run. She bit down hard on the neck, killing her instantly.
She growled in satisfaction and was prepared to rend and tear but the sounds of concerned neighbors prompted her to move to the door and growl threateningly, causing doors to close. I don’t have much time. Someone’s likely calling the police. She ducked back inside and quickly ran her claws over the bodies of her mother and sister before sliding open the window that led to the fire escape, bounded down to the ground, and ran off into the darkness. She started home, sticking to alleys. She ended up killing three more people on the way, taking time to rip them up and even eat one. She got back to her home, feeling a bit better.
She had never killed in an apartment building before and now she saw why: Too many people to call the police thus giving her no time to rip and tear her prey or even eat them. The anger of not being able to do so was abated by killing those random people and doing to them what she couldn’t do to her family; indeed it was three people to make up for her family.
I’ll get Derek tomorrow night, she thought, hearing police sirens in the near and far distance. There are too many officers out tonight. Possibly because of all my victims last month. They’re on the lookout for a vicious animal. I’ll need to proceed cautiously. I’ll travel to my target places close to sunset so I can kill and leave quickly. I’ll take my time in the Labyrinth since it’s less likely someone will call the police.
She saw winged shapes glide past overhead and her tail swished happily: Her friends. Surely, they wouldn’t insist she turn herself in. If she convinced them that she had no control during the full moon, they’ll likely believe her and not badger her about confessing to the police. Yes, they’ll accept that I do what werewolves do, even though I can’t control it.
Chapter Ten- Labyrinth Horror
Elisa leaped down into an abandoned tunnel that led to the Labyrinth, landing on all four paws. She sniffed the air and found no smell of humans. She proceeded down the tunnel, pausing once in a while to sniff out humans. She found none, but knew they would be some in the Labyrinth: Derek and the Mutates protected them and gave them a safe place to live. But not anymore, she thought.
She reached the entrance and eased herself in. Her appearance received a mixture of surprise and fear. The smell of fear which came from the humans was intoxicating to her and made her want to attack them, but she knew if she tried, the Mutates would attack her to protect them. So, to kill the humans, I have to kill the Mutates. Not a problem.
She moved past the humans, her eyes were now gold as they focused on the winged black panther who stared at her in surprise. Does he recognize me? Or does he think I’m a stray lost wolf who found her way into the city and into the tunnels below? Derek crouched down to look at her more closely. “Elisa?” he said softly. “Is that you?”
She nodded and Derek reached out to cup her lower jaw and gently scratched her chin making her whine in pleasure and her tail swished. Oh, that feels great, but he needs to die. They all need to die. She opened her eyes, jerked back, and bit his hand. He yelled in pain before she ripped out his throat. A feline scream sounded and Elisa leaped aside to avoid a twin blast of electricity courtesy of Maggie and Claw. She faced them, growling and snarling, her survival instincts surfacing: Killing humans was easy as her speed and strength enabled her to kill quickly and efficiently. But, not this time, at least not quickly. Her prey were able to protect themselves and keep her at bay until she could devise a strategy.
Claw fired another blast and hit the ground in front of her paws; clearly a warning shot. Elisa retreated, running into a tunnel that led deeper into the Mutates’ home. She heard the rustle of their wings and the pounding of their paws as they gave chase. She came to a brief halt as two tunnels faced her. Two directions. Perfect! They’ll likely split up to find me and that’ll give me the chance to kill them. She chuckled low in her throat- more growl than snarl before spreading her scent in front of both tunnels before taking the left.
&&&&
Maggie and Claw raced down the tunnel, the former’s eyes actually glowing with anger. She couldn’t believe Elisa killed her Derek, the one she loved and who had convinced her to stay as she was. It seems the werewolf nature got to Elisa. She’s killing whenever she pleases. Well, we’re going to capture her and imprison her just like what we’re doing to Fang right now. The two cats stopped before two tunnels and Maggie groaned inwardly. Which way did she go?
“Claw, take the right, I’ll go left. Lucky for us both tunnels are dead ends. Take her alive and hopefully we’ll get answers in the morning.” Claw nodded and the pair split up.
Maggie crept down the tunnel, her cat’s eyes giving her excellent vision. The scent of wolf was strong which meant Elisa took this tunnel! I’ve got her now. She’ll pay for killing Derek.
She came to the end of the tunnel and blinked in confusion. That’s strange. She’s got to be here; her scent’s very strong. Suddenly, she was tackled from behind and she hit the ground face-down. Her hands crackled but they faded and she screamed as teeth latched onto her neck and bit down hard, killing her.
Elisa pulled back before running her claws across the neck, breaking the bones to insure she was dead before leaving the tunnel, sticking to the shadows in case Claw heard the scream and came running. She had almost reached the entrance when she heard someone coming. She crouched behind a rock and watched as Claw cautiously entered, his fists sparking with electricity. He passed her position and she inwardly smirked: Clearly canines had a sharper sense of smell than cats did. She slowly came up behind him, crouched down, and leaped high, hitting him between the wings. He fell forward and Elisa brought her paw around and slashed his throat, severing the jugular and the arteries. Claw hit the ground and bled to death.
Elisa headed out of the tunnel and back to the tunnel heading to the living area. She found it interesting that when faced with attacking and killing the Mutates, her eyes remained gold; only when killing humans did the eyes glow and turn red. And speaking of the humans, she thought as she entered the area. Her eyes turned red and glowed as she growled at them. There were screams and they started to run. Elisa selected the largest group that was running and chased them down. She managed to corner ten of the fifteen humans of that group at which point the butchering began in earnest. She slashed, bit, tore, and rent to her heart’s content and gave a loud joyous howl once they were all dead. She then proceeded to eat not one, but two humans.
She emerged from the Labyrinth hours later, licking her chops and laughing in that growling/snarling way. She had hunted down more humans after killing and eating that large group. She had eaten one or two of each group she killed as she burned energy and calories from her transformation, her stalking, running, and killing. She had even found a way to kill Fang who had been trapped behind shock-proof glass. It had been a very productive and very satisfying evening. She looked forward to tomorrow and hoped she killed almost as much as she did tonight.
She started trotting home, thinking about where she would like to hunt. Hmm, the park is always a good place to hunt as is the slums section of town. Of course, I’ll go after any homeless people I come across as well as any just walking around. She reached her apartment building, quickly bounded up the fire escapes, and landed on the roof. She came around to enter her apartment and stopped. Her way in was blocked by four gargoyles: Brooklyn, Lexington, Angela, and of course, Goliath. The clan leader stood in front of the other three.
“Elisa,” Goliath said in a firm, stern, no-nonsense tone. “Stop all this violence. We heard what happened at your parents’ place. I don’t know if you’re in control or if there’s a wolf you in control. If it’s the latter, you need to fight back. All this senseless killing is not who you are. Do you hear me?”
Elisa made a show of blinking several times, shaking her head, and jerking her head up to stare at Goliath with wide shocked eyes. She slicked her ears back, tucked her tail, and made whimpering sounds to indicate remorse and horror.
Goliath felt his heart and demeanor melt at seeing his mate come back to her senses and showing that her action’s horrified her and she felt ashamed. He crouched down in front of her and scratched her chin. “It’s all right, my love. You’re in control now and you won’t be killing anymore, right?”
Elisa whined and nodded once Goliath removed his hand. She headed for her apartment, the others moving aside and following Goliath into the sky once they saw Elisa head for her bedroom.
The moment she shut her door, Elisa snarled in anger. Now, the clan was poking themselves into her affairs. They believed she couldn’t control herself, but the notion that they could tell her to stop killing was insulting!
Why is everyone trying to stop me from killing!? I love killing, eating, and being dark, cruel, and vicious. I intend to kill tomorrow and will avoid the clan’s attention. Then, a day or two later, I will kill them and the Xanatos family to while I’m at it. After all, they know my secret and sooner or later, they would involve themselves in my affairs.
Chapter Eleven- The Final Obstacles
Elisa stuck to her plan and her third full moon night saw a number of murders almost as high as the Labyrinth ones. Her plan to kill the clan and the Xanatos family took some consideration. I can just push the clan over the edge while they sleep…except Goliath. I plan to rend and tear him myself. As for the Xanatos family…I better kill Owen first. If I try to harm Alex, Puck will take over to protect him. Yes, that will work. Once the humans are gone, the clan is next.
Two days after the full moon, Elisa strode into the Eyrie Building and was unsurprised to see Owen in the lobby, seeming to be waiting for her. He cocked an eyebrow and waited for her to come closer before saying, “Detective Maza, it is unusual to see you here during the day.”
“I’d like to talk to Xanatos on behalf of my precinct,” she answered.
“Of course. Follow me.” They walked in silence before Owen added, “May I inquire as to the specifics of your precinct’s request?”
“It’s about acquiring another RECAP robot. It seems we’ll be getting funding for one maybe two of them.”
“Very good.” They boarded the elevator and as they headed up, Elisa was plotting how to kill Owen. It took her almost no time to figure it out.
The elevator chimed before the doors opened and Owen led her from the Great Hall into a corridor that led to Xanatos’ office. It was halfway down this corridor that Elisa spoke up. “Owen, one more thing.” The majordomo turned and Elisa lashed out, her nails having shifted into claws. Her right claws slashed and ripped his throat and then her left claws did the same. Blood poured from his throat as he fell to his knees and then face-down. Elisa’s claws changed back to nails as she knelt down and felt for a pulse: There wasn’t one. Owen and Puck were both dead.
Good, Elisa thought, taking out a cloth and cleaning the blood off her nails. Now my path to the others is clear and speaking of which, I think I’ll shift to full wolf to do the job. Elisa dropped to four paws and growled in anticipation of the violence that was about to occur.
She charged down the rest of the way, halted at the doors, and pressed an ear to it. She heard his voice and it sounded like he was on the phone. She studied the door to determine how to enter. Ramming it wouldn’t damage it, however it did open by handle, not doorknob. Excellent. I can open it with my paw. I’ll have to move fast when I do. I’m sure Xanatos has some kind of gun nearby. She licked the edges of her muzzle to ready herself, rested a paw on the handle, pushed down, and opened it with a shoulder before leaping into the room.
She spotted her prey behind his desk and rise to his feet, his hand going for an inside jacket pocket. She paused as Xanatos pulled a laser gun but she tensed herself ready to move as soon as he had committed himself to the shot. Her glowing red eyes stared intently at his hand and fingers. The gun was steady so he wasn’t nervous; however she saw the knuckles tighten and the finger slowly starting to squeeze…
A laser beam shot out and missed as the wolf moved to one side and sped to Xanatos’ side before he could re-aim the gun. She knocked the gun away before lunging forward, seizing his throat, and ripping it away.
She padded out of the office and began sniffing out Fox and Alex. She found the woman’s scent and followed it through several corridors, taking out any guards she met up with. She left a trail of shredded bodies behind as she tracked her targets all the way to the master bedroom. The doors had a hooked handle with a push down button. She hooked her right foreleg into the handle, pushed the button down with her left, and pushed the door open.
“David?” came Fox’s voice from inside.
Elisa stalked in to see Fox beside the bed, her son sitting up on the bed. Fox gasped at the large black wolf that entered the room and though its eyes were glowing, she was convinced its attention was on her son. She edged herself to block Alex from the wolf’s sight and prepared to defend herself.
The wolf growled before launching itself at her. Fox seized the forelegs and threw it aside. It skidded across the floor on its side before popping to its feet, fur bristling. It charged and leaped, but Fox rammed it with a shoulder, sending it on its back. Fox pinned it there, prepared to knock it unconscious so she could kill it.
The wolf thrashed and wiggled, making it hard to give Fox the opportunity to attack. She grunted and cried out as the wolf slashed her hands and arms with its front claws. I won’t let it get away, she thought. It won’t get to Alex. Then Fox screamed as she felt extreme pain in her stomach. She leaped away and saw that her stomach had been clawed and her innards were visible and were starting to fall out. The wolf got up and slashed at her stomach again before leaping up and biting off her throat, ending the fight and her life.
Elisa shook herself out. Fox had fought back to protect her son and she did well, but she underestimated the black wolf and how vicious she was. She had managed to coil her hind legs and slash the stomach. The move dislodged the woman and she was able to get up and kill her. The sound of crying reached her ears and she turned her attention to the source: Alex. She approached the child and growled low before taking two claws and slitting his throat, cutting through the main artery.
Elisa took the time to lick her back claws clean, before leaving the room and padding outside, aware that her eyes were gold again. She emerged from the castle and onto the tower where the gargoyles stood sleeping. She returned to human form, stepped up behind Lexington, planted her hands on his back, and pushed hard with her enhanced strength. It took a while, but soon Lexington’s stone form went over the edge to shatter on the castle floor below. The sound of stone shattering brought a sadistic grin to her face. That was fun, she thought.
She proceeded to push the other gargoyles over the edge until only Goliath remained. She saw the sun starting to go down and ducked inside before slowly approaching the staircase that led to the top. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening to stone cracking followed by Goliath’s roaring yawn. She slowly started up the stairs, taking her time. An ear-splitting scream of anger and loss made Elisa race up the stairs and emerge to see Goliath on his knees and his face in his hands. “Goliath! What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice full of alarm and concern.
Goliath stood and looked at Elisa with an anguished expression. “Someone…destroyed the others,” he said thickly. He hung his head and felt tears spill from his eyes.
“No,” Elisa whispered in horror. She leaned over the side to see an empty lower level where the clan usually slept. “No!” she cried, the last letter transforming into a wolf-like howl of grief before she dissolved into sobs though no tears fell. “Who would…do this?” she said in a trembling voice. “How did they get…past security?”
“I don’t know, but when I do they will be sorry,” Goliath rumbled.
Elisa faked a sniffle and nodded, her muzzle starting to appear. She felt Goliath’s hand on her shoulder. “I can count on you to help, yes?” he asked. She responded by whipping around, leaping up, and sinking her sharp teeth into his throat. His eyes widened as Elisa tore off his throat before he fell backwards, his life pouring from his throat and his eyes blank and unstaring.
Elisa shifted to full wolf form and proceeded to rip her dead mate’s body to shreds. She snarled in delight as her claws tore across his body; the arms, the legs, his wings, and especially his face. She threw back her head and howled her triumph. Everyone who knew her secret was dead and she was free to be the dark, vicious werewolf that she had become.
