Bonedust

forward, reaching for him. His heart skittered in his chest but he let her twine fingers through his hair, let his mane loose from its ponytail as it fell around his face and she kissed his lips, his chin, his jaw.
    He soon found himself kissing her back. There wasn’t even lust between them—just a feral, unspoken need. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him and they became just another couple making out on the dance floor. At least until Reese pulled away, her fingers twining in his and a secret smile on her lips. Excitement danced in her sun gold eyes as she pulled him after her. “C’mon, Gabriel,” she whispered.
    Gabriel found himself in a tiny room with a bed, complete with stained sheets. No stripper pole in this room, he noted as she locked the door behind her. She tilted her head back, watching him as he stood there, unsure of what was expected, what she wanted. She slowly began to unbutton her top, a smile twisting her face.
    He took a step back and his legs hit the bed. “I…I’m not sure,” he murmured, his mind spinning. Sex was just sex, he told himself, but it didn’t ease his fear. He swallowed tightly as she stepped forwards, dropping her shirt to the floor behind her, her breasts soft and round in the lacy bra she wore.
    “It’s okay to be nervous,” she said around a smile, her hands touching his chest. She gave him a gentle push and he collapsed on top of the bed, staring up at her with wide eyes. Her fingers traced down his chest, sliding under the fabric of his shirt. “I’ll be gentle.” Her lips found his throat, mouth opening and there were the teeth—sharp, pointed against his flesh and Gabriel stiffened.
    No! He thrust his hand into the pocket of his jeans and grasped the silver band. He reached up to Reese’s wrist, wrapping the metal around her arm, but before he could snap it shut, she reared back with a snarl. The silver sizzled against her skin and she screamed, high and piercing and wild. All gentleness was gone from her face as she wrenched the unlatched band from her arm and threw it across the room.
    “What the fuck ?” she snarled, teeth elongating into fangs, her face partially wolven. Fury dripped off of her in waves. Gabriel scrambled off the bed and she slammed into him, sending him sprawling. His head bounced off the plaster wall, sending a wave of stars cascading down around his vision. “You little fucker. You never wanted me in the first place!” She wrapped a clawed hand in his hair, yanking his throat back. Her lips twisted into a sneer. “This is about that bastard, Micah, isn’t it? Isn’t it?!” She slammed his head back again and he felt a scream rise in his throat.
    He lashed out, slapping her across the face, swiping nails across her cheek. She wrenched back and he stumbled out of reach, lurching for the door. “Hell no,” Reese sang out, grabbing the back of his shirt collar. She flung him off balance—right through the window. The glass shattered beneath his weight and he felt thousands of tiny shards cut through his skin. He screamed, unable to help it, praying Urban would come. Then he did the only thing he could think of: He forced himself to his feet and fled into the forest.
    Reese shrieked behind him, first a human wail that turned sick, then a snarl rose up. Gabriel’s shoes slapped the ground, pain racing through his body like a drug, but adrenaline made him strong. He didn’t dare look behind him—he could feel the pounding of her paws and his mind twisted, thinking of Jeremie’s hellhounds. He thought of their bodies pressed against him, their teeth at the back of his neck as they… No. No. “No!” he howled, pushing himself faster.
    He felt teeth snag his calf, catching on his pair of borrowed jeans. He lurched, stumbled, and hit the ground rolling. His legs came up to kick the massive red wolf off of him, but her fangs were merely inches from his face. Eyes pressing shut, he prayed to Halcion, that the Goddess might take him out of this world with very little pain and suffering. Please. Please…
    An explosion lit the air and Gabriel opened his eyes just in time to see Reese’s head explode in a crash of blood, bone, and brains, soaking him with crimson. Her body, now dead weight, jerked and twitched on top of him, a massive weight on his chest and Gabriel tried to breathe through the panicked tears that were burning his eyes. His entire body trembled as he feebly tried to push Reese’s wolf