“Get away from my wagon!” He threw the rocks at Imogen.
Imogen cried out as one struck her cheek, covering her face and protecting her head. A moan of despair left her as she crouched in as small a ball as possible, too frightened to even run.
Kate ran with the rest in her wake, but she couldn’t react fast enough to prevent what happened next. Charlotte let out a roar. She rushed the farm boy, her eyes flashing unnaturally. She was still human, but only just. She shoved him violently, and the young man flew backward to slide across the graveled road.
“How dare you!” Charlotte screamed at him. She picked up rocks of her own and threw them hard at the flabbergasted young man. Then she looked down at her arms, which had started to bulge with the transformation. Her looked about wildly for help.
“I can’t stop it!” She ran for the house.
Imogen stood up and started staggering after Charlotte. Kate threw her arms around her sister, trying to restrain her, unmindful of the quills that lay flat against her arm.
“Imogen! Stop! Calm down.”
Imogen only moaned pitiably and used her good hand to tear at the sodden dress she wore, ripping the sleeves and the ruined bodice.
Penny grabbed the young farmer by the arm, yanking him to his feet. He pointed at Imogen and demanded, “What is that thing?”
Penny didn’t answer except to kick him in the backside, nearly tumbling him to the ground again. The lad stared at the young woman in surprise, too shocked to ball his fists and fight back.
“On your way!” Penny slammed the heavy rucksack against the boy’s shoulder. “Get on your wagon and begone before I do something terrible to you!”
Two figures appeared from the door into the kitchen. One was Mrs. Tolbert, the housekeeper of Hartley Hall, and the other a mature man in workman’s twill who rushed toward the wagon when he saw the boy being manhandled by a young tough. He wrenched Penny aside, showing sudden surprise and shame when he realized she was a woman.
The grizzled man touched his beaten cap. “Begging your pardon, miss. I didn’t realize … that is, I didn’t know you were a …” He turned on the young man. “What’s happening here, son?”
The lad stammered and pointed toward the house, where Kate could be seen struggling to calm the ragged and despondent Imogen.
Penny snapped, “The boy saw something that scared him.”
“Oh.” The man relaxed and gestured for his son to climb onto the wagon. “Is that all? Let’s be on our way.”
“But it was some sort of monster!” the boy shouted.
“Aye, no doubt.” The farmer doffed his cap to Mrs. Tolbert, who had waddled up in alarm. “Sorry for the disturbance, Missus. It’s the boy’s first trip up to the Hall.” And then he gave Penny a slight bow. “And I humbly apologize for laying my hands on you, miss.”
“No harm.” Penny turned and legged it for the house.
The boy took the reins, still looking quite stricken as his father climbed up beside him. “But I saw it!”
“Drive on.” The man shook his head ruefully. “The day you come to Hartley Hall and don’t see something strange is the day you should worry.”
The wagon was pulling off as Simon ran through the open French windows into the library. Charlotte was pulling open the door leading down to the cellar, trying desperately to reach the safety of her room. Suddenly, the young girl screamed and pressed against the door. Fingernails thickened into curved talons, and they sank easily into the paneled wood beneath. She wailed in pain as her glowing eyes locked on Simon as he froze in place.
“Charlotte, you handled that situation very well,” he soothed, trying to keep her calm. “Try to relax.”
If the girl heard his words, they were lost inside a raging beast. Gone was the beautiful youth. The thing that remained was over twice Charlotte’s size, horrible and powerful. A human-shaped creature writhed on the floor, broad-chested, all knees and elbows. The horrific form was covered in grey fur. Its head was long with a doglike snout curling over savage teeth. Yellow eyes darted from side to side, squinted in pain or anger.
She was fast. Her muscled limbs propelled her forward. Long sinewy arms darted out. A deadly clawed hand slashed at Simon’s face. He blocked the blow with a stiff arm, gritting his teeth at the impact. It bought him precious seconds as the werewolf staggered off balance. He drove himself at what once was Charlotte and shoved her against the wall, one arm across her neck, blocking her snapping jaws.