4

There was a time outside when it was not yet morning, but it was no longer night either.

Jack still held Amy's arm as he led her out of the house. The four of them - he, Amy, Mike and Nick - walked through the yard, heading for the Gelendvagen, which was parked outside the gates of her house.

Black, powerful, daring - he completely suited his owner - Jack.

“So,” Jack said, turning the girl to face him, “now you calmly get into the car and don’t utter a sound, otherwise you know what awaits you.”

Emily just nodded in response. She did not want to talk at all, and there was no point in it: no one would listen to her anyway.

The girl was put in the back seat, Mike sat next to her, Nick sat in the front passenger seat, and Jack drove. As soon as they were all inside, Jack immediately pulled away, causing Amy to scream. The men just chuckled.

Gelendvagen raced through the still sleeping night city at breakneck speed. Behind the glass of the car, everything blurred, preventing the girl from concentrating on the route. Emily only realized that they would soon be out of town.

Where is she being taken? Jack said they were going back to the lair. But where is it? Ten minutes later, the car had already left the city limits and raced along a deserted road towards the forest. Before him, the girl knew this for sure, they would not meet a single house, because there is no residential area there. Do these strange men live in the forest? Hmm, well, yes, it would not be surprising, because they are animals.

Jack's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

- Mike, you know what to do. At the same time, she will rest.

Mike just nodded in response.

What Jack was talking about, Amy did not understand, but she felt Mike's fingers on her neck, which pressed somewhere, and turned off.

"Jack," Mike turned to him, "are you 100% sure it's her?"

The man was driving confidently. The speed was simply prohibitive, but no one was afraid that they would break. Everyone was confident in their leader: in reaction (he was very fast), in strength (no one from the clan could compete with him), in intelligence (if he weren’t smart, he wouldn’t be able to hold back the pack for so many years: neither more nor less , over a century). Yes, they believed him and obeyed implicitly.

Jack looked in the rearview mirror and nodded as he said,

- Yes, Mike, I'm absolutely sure. The only negative is that it has not been initiated yet.

- On the one hand, this is bad: she will be hurt during the initiation; but on the other hand, it’s good that she doesn’t know anything. If she had been initiated, we would have had a hard time.

- Yes, if she were already like that, it’s not a fact that we would have coped with her. Well, physically we are stronger, but…” Jack trailed off, staring at the road.

Nobody said another word. They all knew what would happen then.

- Jack! Nick turned to the man.

He just looked inquiringly at the guy and again turned his gaze to the road.

- Jack, sunrise. He...

The guy lost his head and shuddered all over.

The leader looked up at the sky.

It was already beginning to dawn outside, and the sun was coming out from behind the horizon, painting it crimson.

Jake slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a halt, panting heavily. His breathing was uneven and hoarse, it began to burn unbearably in his chest, as if burning through all the insides from the inside. He fell out of the car and fell to the ground. A large trembling shook him, involuntarily transforming his body; A growl of pain erupted from his throat. The joints began to turn inside out, which brought hellish torment, bones crunched in several places, saying that they were breaking. Long claws appeared on the hands, which ripped open the earth's firmament, leaving deep furrows on it. The pain is hellish, excruciating, debilitating, preventing you from taking a breath to relieve the burning sensation in your chest. Bad, very bad!

Mike and Nick understood what was happening to their leader. No, it wasn't the sun that affected him that much, because he's not some kind of vampire that Bram Stoker invented. Vampires are fiction and nothing more. No, it was much more difficult here.

According to their beliefs, legends and past events that took place, the crimson sunrise meant only one thing: wolf blood was shed that night. And, judging by the reaction of their leader, it was the blood of someone who was part of their narrow circle, someone who was close to power and connected with him by blood ties. And it could only be one wolf - Jeremy, Jack's brother. Brother.

And he could only be killed by someone who had not been heard of for over a century.

The men looked at the torments of their leader and could do nothing to help him: neither stop nor alleviate his suffering. And all this was very painful and hard for them to watch. And from the realization that their clan was orphaned by another wolf, it became completely uncomfortable, and from this they both wanted to howl, releasing their inner beast! But you can't! Not now! Later, when they are in the lair. There they will be able to mourn their relative!

Jack was still lying on the ground, moaning softly - the pain was no longer so strong and burning. She started letting go. After about fifteen minutes, the man was already able to breathe in the air with a full chest, and this brought tangible relief. The bones began to fuse together, and his partial transformation into a beast stopped, and he returned to his human form again. Ten minutes later he was able to sit up.

The man looked at the guys who were watching him closely, but did not make any attempt to help him. Yes, they knew that their help is now useless, so they did not interfere. Jack's vision was still a little hazy, but his sanity had returned. And he said:

- Jeremy! - the voice, deaf and hoarse, was filled with indescribable pain. - He is back. After so many years, he's back! And he killed my brother!

The man somehow got up and, climbing into the car, put his head on the steering wheel.

"Jack," Mike turned to him. - How are you?

The leader just chuckled and said:

- You have a strange question, Mike. It was possible not to ask. It sucks for me, it really sucks. I lost a piece of myself! The one about whom all his life he cared and protected. And at that moment, when we had a chance to fix our miserable existence, someone appeared who we did not expect at all! Yes, let him die! Creature! Hate him! And as soon as I meet - I will kill!

Mike and Nick looked at each other knowingly, but said nothing.

- And now both are alive in the car, we are already quite late.

“Maybe I’d better get behind the wheel, and you get some rest?” Mike asked him.

- I! Said! Alive! In the car! - Minting every word, Jack growled, and claws reappeared on his hands, saying that he was on the verge of a breakdown.

The men shuddered and immediately obeyed, because they knew what would happen if their leader lost his temper. No one will be fine!

As soon as everyone was in the car, Gelendvagen pulled off and rushed to their lair. There, where with hope for the future, a flock was waiting for them.