A Werewolf Fantasy
Chapter 48

Both Erin and Timah barely slept a wink all night as they schemed and plotted together, trying to come up with the best escape plan. When morning came, they were the first to get up and go outside to see what was happening. The handful of werewolves on Nikjin's side was in high spirits because they thought that they were about to become elite warriors once their master became the Alpha King.

The humans among them scurried about getting ready to start making preparations for the victory feast, as Nikjin had called it.

"Nothing significant will happen until in the night when the moon rises," said Timah.

"I know, but let us still keep our eyes open," replied Erin. "Go back into the hut. I shall go to the bleeding hut to fetch Rowana. We cannot leave her behind." Timah obeyed Erin immediately and returned to their hut. As Erin strode toward the bleeding hut, Zokman showed up in front of her looking smug.

"You made it to the final day, I see," he said. "You are one resilient female and I salute your strength."

"I am not in the mood for this," said Erin, attempting to walk past him but Zokman blocked her way. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"That is none of your business," she retorted. "What do you want from me?"

He grinned. "I am glad that you asked because I do have one final task for you and your little friend, Timah."

"I am not doing anything more for you, Zokman. Whatever you need has nothing to do with me. Find someone else to run your errands for you."

"Now, you listen to me, you dimwit. I still have the power to kill the rest of your family and serve up your sister-in-law to Nikjin like a full meal if you do not cut out that sass and do as I say."

Erin snorted. "They might all die today anyway, so what do I care? Do whatever you want as long as you leave me out of it."

Zokman's eyes widened in surprise. He could hardly believe that his threats no longer hold water with Erin and he could not control her anymore. He had lost his hold on her.

"Then I should just kill you now," he said and retrieved a crude dagger from the side of his loin cloth. "If you are no longer useful to me and my ally, then you deserve to die!"

He lunged toward her with the sharp blade in front of him and Erin dodged his attack by stepping to the side. He came at her again, missing her neck by an inch.

She took to her heels and began to run toward the bleeding hut, as fast as her legs could carry her. She knew that if she could get into the women-only enclosure, she would be safe from Zokman. "Come back here!" he yelled at her as he chased her.

Erin finally reached the bleeding hut and she burst through the entrance, hoping that hiding there would save her from the raving mad shaman that was after her life.

Unfortunately, she was wrong. He followed her in, brandishing his weapon threateningly and frightening the half-dozen women who were sitting on designated holes dug in the ground to receive their menstrual flow.

They all screamed and were too confused to decide whether to remain where they were or to get up and run away from the armed man and his prey.

"Did you think I would not follow you in here?" he asked with glistening eyes and a garish grin of delight.

"I will simply return to my hut and perform some purification rites after I have finished killing you."

Erin was incensed by his blatant disregard for the privacy of the women in the room. How dare he come here and make the women feel unsafe in a place that was supposed to be their haven for a few days? Who the hell did he think he was? "I am done running away from you," Erin said with building rage. "I am not afraid of you!"

She ran forward and immediately shape shifted into a giant brown werewolf that descended on the shocked shaman. His dagger dropped from his limp hand seconds before she landed on him and ripped him apart.

At this point, the women didn't need to wonder what to do, they all stood up and ran out of the bleeding hut, except Rowana. She stood stock still, staring at the carnage in front of her with an open mouth. "What have you done?" she whispered when Erin finally stepped away from Zokman's body. "You have killed him."

"He was going to kill me," replied Erin. "Why are you still standing here? Why did you not run outside with the others?"

Rowana shrugged. "We are all going to die anyway, so why run?"

"You stand a chance of making it out of this war alive if you do as I say. Timah and I are making plans to escape from this place during the heat of the battle between Nikjin and the reigning Alpha King of werewolves." "We cannot escape, Edvana. Any hope we had of leaving this place has just died with Zokman. He is the only one with the power to unlock the unseen shield that seals this place from the outside world." "Well, not anymore. I have that power in my possession already."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have the magical powder that Zokman uses to unlock the portals. I stole some of it from his hut yesterday in preparation for our escape tonight." Rowana was intrigued. "You went into his hut alone?"

"Yes, and it was a good thing that I did it yesterday because his hut will be out-of-bounds to everyone now that he is dead."

"Lord Nikjin would be furious with you for killing his only friend," said Rowana, fearfully. "He will not be happy about this at all."

"Edvana! Come out now, for Lord Nikjin wants to see you," a male voice called out from outside. "Do not make me come in there to get you."

It was a threat and she could tell that she was being addressed by a fellow werewolf who had orders to bring her to his master.

"When you leave here, stay in the hut with Timah. She will tell you what to do," Erin said to Rowana, and then she stepped out of the bleeding hut.

Outside, two men armed with spears were waiting to take her to Nikjin's lair. She did not bother to shape shift back into her human form because she did not want to walk through the compound stark naked.

As soon as she was brought into his presence, he got on his feet and grabbed Erin by the neck, getting a handful of fur and skin.

"Where is Zokman?" he asked angrily.

"He is dead," she said plainly. "He chased me into the bleeding hut with a dagger, intending to kill me. I had to kill him to defend myself."

Nikjin growled out his frustration before punching her in the flank with his other hand. "Why?" He screamed angrily.

Erin was surprised that his human fist could cause her this much pain in her wolf form. "He was going to kill me!" She shouted back at him. "So what? Of what use are you to me?"

"Nothing, maybe, but I know that Zokman was of no use to you either," she said through her pain.

He glared at her. "What sort of nonsense are you saying? Who is supposed to open the portals for me tonight, if not Zokman?"

"I can do it," she said and added quickly, "I saw him do it recently and I know what he used."

Nikjin's eyes narrowed. "I see there was some truth to Mizzah's accusations after all. You were indeed aligning yourself with Zokman. For what? To take me down?"

"No," she said, not liking where his train of thought was heading. "He was blackmailing me. He wanted me to replace out information about your intended conquest that he may not know of. In return, he would not kill the rest of my family." "I do not believe you," he said darkly. "You are lying!"

"He was planning to double-cross you and kill the Alpha King. He thought that he could somehow overpower you and the supreme leader and then become the Alpha King himself."

Her words stunned him. There was no way for her to know about Zokman's unrealistic dreams from the past if he hadn't told her himself.

"So, he was still hanging on to that foolish dream of his..." Nikjin mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting..."

"He was planning on killing you tonight before you got a chance to kill your brother," Erin informed him.

"I see. Why did he charge at you this morning?"

"He wanted me to run an errand for him but I refused, and so he decided to kill me instead."

"What was the errand?"

"I do not know. I never gave him a chance to say it because I knew that I was not going to do it, whatever it may be." "Hmm..." Nikjin murmured. "I do not believe you."

"It is the truth, I swear it is!"

He snorted. "I should kill you, but I will only keep you alive because you happen to be the only one who can unlock the cell portals for me.

"In the meantime, I will have you locked up someplace where you will not wreak another havoc and ruin my plans altogether. I do not trust you at all."

Erin said nothing. Getting locked up was far better than getting killed, and she would take survival over anything else right now.

"Take her to any of the vacant sheds behind the longhouse," he ordered his men. "Keep a guard there to watch her and do not let anyone get close to her, except for when she is being served food. Is that clear?" "Yes, my lord!" the men responded in unison and led her out of his presence.

Getting locked inside a guarded shed was not part of her initial escape plan, but if either Rowana or Timah could be allowed to come to her, she could still make some magic happen and work something out. The shed was right behind Nikjin's longhouse and it was the only empty one in the lot.

The others were presently holding dozens of beasts who were resting at the moment. The place stank and it looked like an abandoned zone. She wondered if the beasts were ever fed or if they were simply locked up without any form of sustenance and set free when they are needed by their master.

She felt sorry for them, knowing that these were innocent people captured by Nikjin and turned into monsters by Zokman. It was a cruel thing to do to anyone and any remorse she felt about killing the evil shaman was gone in that instant. He deserved what he got. Now, the next person to be put in his place, was his good old friend, Nikjin.

Erin couldn't wait for tonight. It was the final day of this werewolf civil war and the outcome would determine the fate of all werewolves.

"Get in!" one of the guards said to her harshly.

"I need a cloak to cover myself first," she protested.

"You are covered in fur," the guard retorted. "Now, get in before I shove you inside by myself."

"I want to shape shift into my human form and I need a cloak to cover myself," she argued stubbornly.

"I may be a prisoner, but I understand my importance in this place. You heard Lord Nikjin, he needs me tonight and I do not think he would thank you for letting me freeze to death in this shed before his battle moment."

The guard contemplated for a bit before conceding to her reasoning. "Fine. Someone will get you a cloak, but you have to get inside now."

She stepped into the stinky shed that barely contained her giant bulk and watched as the guard struggled to lock the door with a metal hook. Erin sat on her haunches and waited.

She hoped that her newfound friends would stay true to her and be ready to act when she needed them, otherwise, this might indeed be the end of the road for her in this era.