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“Hi, pretty.” His monster mouth slurred the words.
Ahead three hyenas, two in beast-form and one human, circled Derek, hooting and laughing in berserk glee.
The male lunged at me. I twisted to the side, caught him in an armlock, and squeezed his throat, putting pressure on the artery. “I don’t want to play. Take me to Aunt B,” I said into the round ear.
His clawed hands clasped my arm. “Mmm, hurts so good. Hurt me more.”
God damn hyenas.
Ahead Derek snapped at one of the females.
“You need to learn humility.” The human hyena uncoiled a whip from her hand. “Come, let me pet you, little wolf.”
Shit. I wrenched the hyena male to the left and into the buggy, nose to nose with Andrea. A weak cry escaped from Andrea’s lips and washed over the male’s face.
“She’s dying!” I squeezed the words through my teeth.
The werehyena shoved me aside and screamed, “Open the way!”
The human female put her fist on her hip. “You forget yourself…”
“She needs Mother now!” He snarled and she backed away. He turned to me, eyes glowing. “Drive!”
I drove between the hyenas, and they closed ranks behind me, blocking Derek’s path.
“The wolf can’t pass. It’s the law.” The werehyena’s voice was grim.
“Nothing will happen to him.” I loaded as much steel into my voice as it would hold.
“Nothing will.”
The hyenas followed the cart. Spurred by their scent, the draft horse picked up speed. Rumbling and creaking, we drove faster and faster, until the buggy bumped and flew over every pimple on the road.
The trees parted, revealing a large ranchstyle house. I pulled on the reins and nearly lost my arms. Unable to stop, the draft horse thundered around the house and finally came to a stop. The male leaped onto the grass, scooped up Andrea, and ran to the porch.
The porch light came on and Aunt B swung the door open. Middle-aged and stout, with graying hair rolled into a bun, she looked like she should be baking cookies, not ruling a brood of social deviants with a penchant for hysterical laughter and kinky sex.
She took one look at Andrea and jerked her head. “Inside. You, too!”
I ran inside, behind the male. A female in a human shape followed. At least I thought she was female.
Aunt B looked out into the night and shut the door.