Beastly Tenderness

“I couldn’t keep away from the bar,” Gabriel said. “The girl became my obsession. I would have done anything for her. I was surprised at how quickly I won her, because I thought she was too good for me. We became lovers and I was the happiest I had ever been. She was gentle and…

Finally the perfect, fail-safe solution came to her. There was a can of gasoline for the lawn mower in the garage. There were matches in the kitchen. She thought of the inn going up in flames, her father trapped within. Fire-a family tradition. It seemed so right. As she went downstairs a flash of fear…

“Where?” he asked. “The rocks by the river behind my house.” “Greg, get back to my place and tell Finn,” Gabriel said. “See how many pack members you can find. Willem, you and Ulf see who’s still at Tooley’s. We’ll need some strong teeth tonight. I’m calling a Judgment.” The boys took off. “Vivian, you…

“Because I hate you,” Astrid spat. “And I think I’ll kill you, too. Oh, dear,” she continued in a singsong voice. “We came upon her slaughtering the boy and had to stop her. She must have been the rogue.” “And how will you explain the deaths that keep happening after I’m gone?” Vivian said. “You…

I can’t change, she thought, her gorge rising. I can’t change. She was stuck in between. September—– Vivian held a brush in her clawed hand and swept fat strokes across the mural, obliterating the forest and the wolves on her bedroom wall with patchy white paint. This is no longer mine, she thought. It hasn’t…

“We’d like to ask you some questions,” the woman said. The blood roared in Vivian’s ears like a train. She wanted to slam the door shut, but that wouldn’t make them disappear. “You’d better come in,” she said. “What’s wrong?” Esmé asked, coming down the hall. “They want to ask me some questions, Mom,” Vivian…

“Let me speak with Vivian,” Gabriel said. Vivian hadn’t even noticed him entering the kitchen. “I’ll speak to my own daughter, thank you,” Esmé answered. “This is family business.” “When the police are involved, it’s pack business,” Gabriel said. “Go call Bucky.” His eyes glittered as he stared Esmé down without blinking. Vivian wondered how…

Esmé leaped to her feet, but Tomas tugged at her arm and she sat down again. “It’s terms like ‘meat-people’ that foster the attitude that’s gotten us into this mess,” someone yelled. Vivian missed who. Gabriel raised his hands to quiet the swell of voices. “We all have dealings with Homo sapiens in our everyday…

Bad girl. Can’t do that, can I? Then an idea brought a thin smile to her lips, and made the warmth of the liquor burn brighter. But I could scare her real good. “And where might I accomplish this delicious task?” she asked aloud. Her words slurred, and for some stupid reason this made her…

Had anyone seen her? Had she left a trail to her house? She rushed to the window and looked out. A mist rose from the grass, but there was nothing unusual outside. What if Esmé came in? She ran to the door and locked it. Despite the cool breeze she was bathed in sweat. She…