The She-Wolf’s Prey

By Hannah Carter

In the wild, underestimating a wolf could be deadly. And, in Adia’s opinion, slaying a wolf was vastly overrated. Hunters argued that murdering one proved dominance over the beast, but that was not the case. One could luck into a kill, but it took a formidable person to outsmart and control the will of such a predator.

Adia stood as she stroked her pet’s fur. At first, the she-wolf would growl and snap in response. Now the beast accepted her master’s dominance with flattened ears and a drooping tail.

“You see, Teo,” Adia began as the dimwitted vampire trembled in front of her. The man’s eyes flickered back and forth between her and the wolf, who growled. “Though you’ve stumbled onto my kidnapping scheme through sheer accident, there’s nothing you can do about it. What a pity. You really were a good—and stupid—acrobat.”

Behind Adia, two dozen grimy children, all former circus patrons, sat stuffed in a cage. Their ages and races varied: vampires, werewolves, fairies, and more. Teo had been trying to free them when she caught him. Wasn’t it just like a young man, to rush in with some savior complex?

Adia shook the leash, and her precious beast crept closer to the misguided acrobat. Adia knew Teo’s next move. When trapped, a vampire would always turn into a bat and try to run. And each time…

The transformation came, and Adia snapped and pointed. The instant the change happened, her wolf leapt in the air and latched onto the bat’s wings, piercing the wing’s membrane in several spots.

Teo reverted back to his human form, the wolf still attached to his now-human arm. With his fangs extended, Teo roared and hissed at the creature, but Adia expected this as well. She jerked her animal backward to avoid the blow.

Teo snapped, but caught only air. Secreted venom dripped from his teeth and splattered to the floor. Teo winced. “I’ve called the police.” He tried to stand, only to collapse against the cage. His words came out labored. “You’re smart, Adia. Your best bet is to run and leave me with these kids.” His eyes flashed a dangerous red. “Because you aren’t taking them to your boss.”

Adia cackled. “My boss? Why, Teo, you think I actually work for someone? I’m offended.”

When she clucked her tongue, her wolf lunged at Teo’s foot. The vampire let out a scream as he shook the beast off.

Adia smiled and knelt beside her beast. She ran her hand along its sleek brown fur and traced the golden medallion that hung from the creature’s neck. “I work for no one. I’ve sold hundreds of children on the black market—all by myself.” Adia’s voice dropped. “And I’ll sell hundreds more after you’re dead and buried.”

Teo struggled to back away from her, but he was as good as a corpse already; this was his desperate last resort.

Adia rose and held out her finger to call the final attack.

Teo tried to stop the flow of blood as red stained the floor, his clothes, and his hands. “You’re not the alpha of the black market. You don’t operate it. You’re just another seller there, at the whims of the man in charge. I bet he even gets a slice of your profits.”

“Vlad? That old bat?” Adia chortled. “That vampire’s almost a thousand years old. I hate to be irreverent, but he’s already got one foot in the grave—in more ways than one.” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, I can’t leave my circus. That’s the most lucrative part of my organization. Without me, the black market has no children. In a way, you could say that I’m the real leader.”

Teo didn’t reply. Beads of sweat trickled down his pale face, and damp strands of long, black hair fell into his eyes.

“Pity you turned out to be a snitch. You were quite handsome. Maybe I would have even taken you on as an assistant. Imagine, a wolf and a vampire at my command.” Adia sighed. “Oh, well. Life’s brought us here.” She pointed at their prey. “Finish him.”

The wolf growled and leapt.

Then Adia screamed as her precious beast tackled her to the ground and dug its teeth into her face. The wolf’s claws pierced Adia’s arms, but her screams died out as darkness overtook her.

Teo watched as the wolf backed away, her maw stained crimson, and hobbled toward him.

Adia would live, though she would never be able to charm anyone with her beauty again.

With his good hand, Teo reached for and yanked off the amulet that had kept her prisoner for so long.

Slowly, the wolfish features morphed. The animal howled until the noises became the grunts of a woman struggling to transform.

“Sadie!” Teo shifted his weight and caught her before she could fall. Her wolfish ears twitched, and her left leg still ended in a paw. “It’s all over. You’re free, and now the kids will be too.”

“Thanks for helping me find out the name of the organizer. I couldn’t leave Adia until I knew who I needed to kill to stop the slave trade.” Sadie’s voice sounded like a growl. Teo wondered if it would ever fade in time, or if she would always deal with the repercussions of being trapped as a werewolf for too long. “Sorry I dragged you into all this and ruined your circus dreams. Next time, you should work for someone who isn’t secretly a psychopath.”

Teo flashed her a thumbs-up—quite bold for a man on the verge of unconsciousness. “Oh, it’s okay. Just… call an ambulance if I pass out while we wait for the cops.” He grinned, which shifted into a wince. “Y’know, we make a pretty good team. Maybe we should work together more often.”

Sadie chuckled. “Yeah. I guess Adia forgot she should never underestimate a wolf—and her vampire partner.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hannah Carter is just a girl who wakes up every day hoping it will be the day she discovers she’s secretly a mermaid. Her work has been included in several anthologies: Whispers From Before, The Depths We’ll Go, Havok’s Prismatic, and Finding God in Anime. Her short story, “Lara,” won a competition, and she has two published novellas, “Amir and the Moon” and “Seashells.”

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