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Astrid's shrill laughter pierced the night. "Are you sure?" She walked around the rocks. Horror bloomed in Aiden's eyes as he saw her, half changed, her ears pointed, her breasts emerging from a smooth red pelt. She had abandoned her patch, and a knot of scar tissue marred her face where her right eye had been. Aiden's gun wavered and switched to the new target.
"Can I join the party?" Rafe's voice came from behind Vivian, and she whirled to face him. His hair was a shaggy mane down his naked back, his nails were talons, and his eyes glowed red.
Aiden swung the gun toward Rafe. Panic distorted his face. Vivian backed up until she was at Aiden's side. "Do you believe me now?"
His "yes" came out a squeak, but despite his fear, Aiden stood his ground, slowly moving his gun in an arc between Astrid and Rafe.
"Playing with guns are we?" said Astrid. "You know bullets can't harm us, meat-boy." Either she hadn't heard Aiden say he had a silver bullet or she didn't believe him.
"If you leave now, Vivian, you won't have to see him suffer," Astrid offered.
"You get out of here," Vivian growled. "I won't let you hurt him."
Astrid grinned maliciously. "Oh? And it's up to you, is it?"
"Come on, Viv, he's nothing to you," Rafe said. "The stupid little creep was gonna shoot you."
"Oh, but he is something to you, isn't he?" said Astrid. "That's why I shall take such pleasure in killing him."
"Try it," Aiden managed to say. He didn't sound convincing.
"If you can't get off two shots fast, don't do it," Vivian whispered.
"He knows who we are now, Vivian. He's got to die," Rafe taunted.
Vivian's talons slid in and out, and her teeth ached with the urge to grow. A tail writhed invisibly in her back like a worm. Couldn't she control herself? Was she truly just an animal? But she dared not change. Aiden was as likely to shoot her as them if she did. Where the hell is Gabriel? Vivian thought. She'd have to stall. "Why did you set me up?" she asked.
"Clever Vivian. You figured it out," Astrid answered. "Give the girl a hand, Rafe. Oh, but you already did, didn't you?" She shrieked with laughter.
"It was a joke, Viv," Rafe said. "You were being such a pain, acting like a meat-girl. We would have told you."
Vivian noticed the scornful look Astrid shot Rafe. "Why did you really set me up, Astrid?"
"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 don't think she's going to stop, do you Rafe? She's crazy. Can't you see that? "
"Hey, come on," Rafe said, starting to look worried. "It's a joke, right?"
"You're such a tool, Rafe," Vivian said. That wiped the grin off his face.
"Not satisfied with one lover, are you?" Astrid snarled. "You took Gabriel from me but you want to keep the boy as well."
Her words surprised Rafe. "She didn't take Gabriel from you."
"I could have had him if it wasn't for her."
"But he didn't want you," Rafe said, hurt and rage in his voice. He no longer faced Vivian and Aiden.
"I would have changed his mind," Astrid answered, turning on Rafe.
Vivian couldn't believe her luck.
"But you've got me now. Why should it matter?" Rafe cried.
She had to trust Aiden's common sense or they both would die. "Shoot him. I'll take her." She yanked off her T-shirt and ran.
The change ripped through her. She leaped into the air as a girl but came down creature, and heard a shot and begged it wasn't for her. She slammed into Astrid's chest. Her teeth found Astrid's throat.
