All Chapters of THE LAST SHIFT: A Werewolf without a Wolf : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

It stood just outside the stone circle, tall enough that the lower branches caught in its hair. That smile never moved. It stretched too wide across a face that looked almost human but wrong. The skin was too smooth in some places, torn and jagged in others. Moonlight hit teeth that were too many, too perfect, like someone had placed them there one by one.I tried not to look, but my eyes kept going back to that mouth. The grin wasn't a happy one. It wasn't even threatening. It was... knowing. Like it could see right through me.Kieran moved, putting himself between us. The girl was still crumpled on the ground, but her eyes were open now, tracking every move the thing made."It's not supposed to be here," she whispered."But it is," Kieran said. His voice stayed quiet, but each word hit like a door slamming shut.The thing tilted its head when he spoke. Its neck turned way too far, bending until it was almost upside down. That smile never changed.Heat pressed against my chest. Not f

That sound wouldn't stop. At first it was quiet, like someone laughing behind their hand. Then it got louder. Sharper. It made my skin crawl and matched the beat of our feet hitting the ground.Kieran kept running. He held the girl tight against his chest, his face hard, staring straight ahead like he was afraid to look anywhere else.My foot caught on a root and I grabbed the nearest tree to stop myself from falling. My hands came away dirty and sticky. Something was wrong inside my chest, it felt like claws scratching at my ribs, trying to get out. Every breath hurts."Kieran," I called out, my voice rough. "What was that thing back there?""Not now." His voice was sharp as a knife. He didn't even turn around.Branches hit my arms as I pushed forward. The moonlight came through the trees in thin lines, and every time I stepped into the dark, the air felt thick. Like it was trying to choke me. I couldn't tell if the forest was getting smaller or if I was just dizzy.The laughing move

That one step made the ground shake. Not violently, but worse than that. Subtle, like something huge was moving deep underground, way below the moss and roots and black water.Kieran moved with it, keeping himself between me and the thing. His sword was up and ready. I could tell by how tight he held it that he wasn't waiting for it to attack, he was ready for it to appear anywhere.The girl felt heavier in my arms now. Way heavier, like she'd doubled in weight in seconds. Her skin was so cold it hurt to touch, and her head just hung there against my shoulder, completely limp."Kieran…" My voice came out rough and too loud.He didn't look at me. "Keep backing up."The thing took another step. Slow and careful. The moss under its feet didn't just bend, it turned black and curled up like paper in a fire. The smell got sharper until I could taste it, metal coating the back of my throat.The quietness was terrible. I hadn't realized how much the whispers had filled my head until they were

The girl's mouth ripped open wider than any mouth should go. Her lips split like paper tearing, no blood coming out. That smile opened up like a black hole trying to swallow everything.The sound coming out of her wasn't whispering anymore. It was a hurricane. Thousands of voices screaming and praying and laughing all mixed together, crashing inside my head until I couldn't think. My skull felt like it was going to crack. Everything went white around the edges."Kieran!" I reached for him with my free hand. His body was shaking under my touch. He was still on one knee, his sword trembling, his other hand pressed so hard against his head I thought he might break something.He took a deep, rough breath and pushed me back with a growl. "Don't touch me, hold her still!"But she wouldn't be still. The kid's body in my arms bucked like something was crawling under her skin, like a hundred hands were pushing from the inside trying to get out. Her little fists hit me, weak but wild, her nails

The tunnel seemed endless. The walls pulsed with silver veins, but they grew dimmer with each step I took. Like the hollow was bleeding out slowly. My boots splashed through puddles, and every echo sounded like something hunting me.The girl burned against my chest. Her fever made my skin sticky with sweat. She breathed weird; too fast, then too slow. Each breath smelled like ash."Closer," she whispered. Just one voice this time, not that creepy chorus from voice, or whatever was wearing her skin. "Closer to the end. You'll see."I swallowed hard. "Shut up."The walls bent inward like they were listening. Roots hung down, dripping thick sap that landed on my shoulder. It was warm and sticky. I wiped it off, but it stained my shirt.Everything here sounded alive. The drip, my footsteps, even my heartbeat, it all wove together into a rhythm that wasn't mine."Trade me," she said again, like she was singing. But underneath, I caught something else. Something human. "If you want him back