Ravi the Succubus: Werewolf of Tuhloon

Chapter 15: Finale

April, 2005

Logan didn't want to waste his rounds firing at a phantom. He wasn't convinced that the wolf stalking back and forth, blocking their path, was real. The way the shadowy body vanished in the furiously blasting snow only to reappear seconds later, didn't seem natural. Logan had no doubt something was there because, whatever it was, Tonya could see it too.

Vast knowledge of the supernatural made Logan hesitate. He only had two clips of blessed rounds and he had already spent several from the current one. He considered taking another route.

Logan noticed that Tonya's lips were slightly blue.

They didn't have time to be detained.

Whether the wolf blocking their path was real or not, they had to press on.

He fired twice at the apparition then twice more.

Logan took Tonya's hand and pulled her onward, keeping an eye out for their stalker but it did not reappear.

Tonya was having trouble keeping up. The poor girl's body was being overpowered by mother nature, the cold drifts of snow were like deadly squeezing fingers around Tonya's life. She was slowly being snuffed out.

"Don't give up!" Logan shouted over the snow storm, "Don't you quit on me!"

After what seemed like an hour they finally reached the area of the front gate and Logan's heart sank. Their vehicle had been badly damaged then flipped upside down. A thin layer of snow was already collecting on the exposed under carriage. The Werewolf had made sure that they couldn't easily escape.

Jesus Mary!

Logan looked at Tonya, took her face in his hands, "We're going to have to go back to town on foot! Stay with me, Tonya, do you hear me? I'm not going to let you die out here! You can't give up! We can make it! Stay strong and stay with me!"

Tonya looked pale and weak but she gave him a nod.

He holstered his firearm, knelt down so that she could climb onto his back and started through the woods on a straight line toward town. His pace was agonizingly slow and he hoped Tonya was strong enough to survive the journey.

Ravi chased the Werewolf up and out of the cave system but she lost sight of it shortly after exiting. The weather on the surface had taken a turn for the worst. She could barely see, she couldn't pick up the Werewolf's scent because of the powerful wind and its tracks were already completely covered over by the shifting drifts. She knew Logan had returned to the car so she hurried in the direction of the front gate.

The wind howled around her, deafening her to any other sounds. This was a perfect chance for an ambush. Ravi expected the beast to leap at her at any second.

She reached the front gate without incident and saw that the car had been completely demolished. Logan and Tonya had no other choice but to try and get back to town on foot. Even though they had probably passed by this area only minutes before, there were no tracks. The blustering wind had covered the area with a thin sheet of fresh snow.

Ravi started through the dark woods, hurrying to try and catch up to Logan.

A woman's voice laced with static suddenly sounded off in her head!

Ravi stopped chasing the Werewolf looking around in confusion. Then she realized, she had completely forgot the earpiece that Logan had given her. Amazingly, it had had not been shook loose from her ear during her Demon transformation or her fight with the Werewolf.

Ravi heard Jewel said, "Logan, Sephon and I are headed south towards you. We're trying to meet you halfway. I've got blankets for Tonya and juice to help warm her up. Do you copy?"

In Demon form, Ravi couldn't key the tiny mic button to respond but she didn't need to. Jewel had given her plenty of information to work with. There was no doubt that the Werewolf was headed north in hot pursuit of Tonya and Logan. Hopefully, Ravi could get to them in time. If she could not, at least Sephon and Jewel might be there to help in her stead.

The snow was already deep enough to reach mid-calf on Demon Ravi so it was at least knee deep to Logan and Tonya. She trudged through the blizzard as quickly as she could.

The thick trees provided some shelter from the wind and the falling snow but it also provided plenty of hiding spots for the beast she was pursuing. The shadows that fell from the high boughs looked unnatural upon the gleaming snow as if black ink had been spilled on white linen. From any shady spot, from behind any tree, her enemy could lunge out at her.

Ravi was fearful.

Her fear was overpowered by the need to help Logan. She knew that he would not abandon the girl even if his life was at stake. He would die trying to protect Tonya from the beast.

Ravi couldn't let that happen.

She headed down a ravine from under the thick trees and encountered the strong winds once again. There was almost complete whiteout. Ravi could only see a few yards in front of her.

Over the wailing wind, Ravi heard loud cracking of gunfire. Three shots in rapid succession.

She ran swiftly up a steep bank, between the shivering trees and down into the next draw. The trees were larger and thicker here; her range of vision was improved. Charging over the churning snow, Ravi saw that the Werewolf had cornered Logan and Tonya, their backs against a large rock. The beast was running back and forth using the trees and the terrain to shield itself from Logan's shots.

Ravi stopped in her tracks.

The Werewolf was completely berserk, growling and snarling wildly. The frustration of being so close to its prey but not being able to get to Tonya was driving the beast wild with blood lust.

Despite the ferocious monster, Logan seemed calm. He kept his weapon trained on the Werewolf as it whipped back and forth but would not be goaded into wasting ammunition.

The Werewolf was snarling in anger and frustration, roaring at Logan savagely.

Ravi needed to help Logan but wasn't sure how. Tangling with the beast while it was so berserk with rage seemed like folly. She thought about throwing a boulder at it. Perhaps she could stun the monster long enough for Logan to kill it.

The Werewolf took notice of Ravi and to her shock, it charged straight up the hill at her.

In its frenzied state, the Werewolf moved much faster than it had in the cavern. It easily cleared the one hundred feet between them in seconds and came around a tree in full force, clawing and snapping its teeth at her.

Ravi retreated, giving ground to avoid its ferocious attacks. She swung back at the beast with her own claws but it was much faster. She had to defend and dodge much more than she could counter. The Werewolf was snarling loudly, slobber flying with each attack. Ravi knew that it was only a matter of time before it scored a hit.

Grappling the beast was unthinkable. If its speed had doubled then no doubt so had its raw strength. In a clinch, Ravi would probably be overpowered.

In a last ditch effort to save herself, Ravi spun around with her powerful tail, aiming at her opponent's legs. She landed a solid blow sweeping it off its feet. Snarling furiously, the Werewolf tumbled away down the slight decline away from her.

Ravi spotted a large rock and tore it out of the frozen ground, lifting it overhead. As the Werewolf flew uphill toward her, she threw it as hard as she could. To her dismay, the beast easily avoided it and lunged at her.

Ravi tried to avoid the attack but they crashed into each other. The Werewolf was on top of her, clawing and biting Ravi quicker than she could protect herself. She felt searing pain all over her body as the monster raked her with its fangs and claws.

Ravi tried to kick the beast off but it was too strong. She bit and clawed the monster as many times as she could, landing a good solid bite with her fangs into its forearm. It was no use, her strength waned from the damage she was taking. Ravi knew that the Werewolf was going to kill her.

Her vision narrowed and she faded from the cold snow and ferocious fight to a quiet warmth. She couldn't see anything except a calming faded orange color. Her pain had vanished.

Am I dead?

Ravi entered a strange state of bliss she had never felt before. Her body felt as if it wanted to relax and give in to the gentle euphoria. She had no sense of direction or whether she was even upright. The soothing warmth of the color was accompanied by a sweet floral smell.

Ravi didn't want to succumb to the pulling desire to let go. She tried to shake off the soothing calm and for a moment was transferred back to the cold ground and the vicious noise but the warming clung to her senses, numbing her to the Werewolf's ferocity. She drifted back to the pacifying color. Her will to live was being overpowered by her body's desire for release.

Her senses suddenly became focused again after she heard loud gunfire. The Werewolf let out a cry of pain and rolled off of her. She turned and saw it try to escape but Logan stepped into view and shot it twice at point blank range. The Werewolf fell and lay still.

As she watched, the monster slowly transformed from the massive creature to a mousy teenager. The young man was fully clothed and his expression was peaceful.

Logan looked down at her, "Jesus Mary, you're a mess."

Ravi passed out.

Ravi was having a wonderful dream. She was back in Heaven, her glory restored. She was seeing and speaking with all of the Angels that she had once known, surprising herself by remembering their names, their titles and their Orders. The garden was spectacular with lush trees, grasses and flowers far beyond the realm of human comprehension. The colors were so vibrant that they seemed unreal, almost glowing.

The sky was golden, the buildings were breathtaking and slow flowing stream was crystal clear. Everything was free of decay, infection and erosion. There were no seasons, no drastic changes in temperature, no stress, no worry and no hate. There was only beauty, love and understanding.

Ravi realized that she was beginning to awaken and desperately tried to cling to the dream. She didn't want to leave but she found herself waking up despite her best efforts. Her struggle follow her from her dream to reality and she found herself stirring on a hospital bed. Her wounds were mostly healed. There were no monitors, no sticky electrodes or any gauges set up around her bed. She was alone in the room and wondered where she was.

There were light walls, fluorescent lights overhead and a dark polished tile floor. She could smell medicines and antiseptics. Her bed was enclosed by a bright beige curtain, she opened it fully and saw that she was in a single occupant sized room.

Ravi recalled the terrible fight that she had with the Werewolf and that Logan had killed it. She was happy that she escaped death who was welcoming her. Indeed, if death had been a party, she showed up, had a few drinks and left before the host noticed.

She was lucky to be alive. If Logan had taken the opportunity of escaping while Ravi was fighting the Werewolf, she'd be dead. He had stayed behind and rescued her. Despite acting as though he despised her, Logan had saved her life. Deep down, he actually cared for her.

She smiled to herself. Logan cared for her.

Ravi threw off her blankets and frowned at the ugly blue checkered hospital gown she was wearing. Obviously, the hospital had sprung for the gown with cost-saving in mind rather than fashion. Underneath the hideous gown, Ravi was surprised to find that she was completely nude. She wondered what had happened to her cute cold weather outfit.

Logan peeked into her room. He wore an expression on his handsome face as if he wished she was still sleeping. Ravi grinned at him.

"So, you're awake," He said bluntly.

"Yup."

"Welcome back to the world of the living."

"Thanks."

Logan stepped into the room and went to the foot of her bed, "How do you feel?"

"Sore."

"I'll bet."

She opened the gown and exposed her naked body to him then asked, "Do you have any idea where they put my clothing?"

He blushed adorably and turned his head, "Dammit!"

"What?" Ravi asked innocently.

"Cover yourself up for fuck's sake!"

Ravi laughed at his faltering vapors, "Don't bother trying to pretend, Logan, I know you enjoyed the view."

Logan found her clothes in a tiny closet then kept his back turned as she got dressed. She decided to make conversation so that he would relax, "Did we save the girl?"

Logan nodded, "Tonya is a hell of a lot tougher than she looks. She made it back on her own two feet. I thought she'd freeze to death for sure. Minor frostbite all over her body and she was on the brink of death when we got back to town but, she pulled through."

Ravi felt a stab of jealousy again. Logan admired the girl. In her long years as a Succubus, seldom had she been infected by envy. Tonya had stirred her jealousy to a surprising level. Ravi said simply, "Good."

"I didn't think you'd pull through either."

"I'm a lot tougher than I look too."

He chuckled, "Damn right you are."

"Thanks for sticking around and saving my ass."

"I was hired to neutralize the Werewolf so that was my top priority."

She was disappointed, "I see."

Logan looked uncomfortable, "You must be starving."

Ravi shrugged, "A little. I don't lose energy while I sleep."

"Even after a whole week?"

"A week?" Ravi was surprised that she was unconscious for so long. She was immediately curious what had transpired while she was out.

Logan quickly filled her in on what had happened while she was recuperating. The local news had reported that the police had shot and killed the Lone Wolf serial killer. The town was ecstatic. There was a public funeral for Lieutenant Yakov Smolin who was given credit for killing the serial killer in a shootout. Unfortunately, the young policeman was wounded and died of his injuries. The entire town paid their respects to the young Lieutenant. It was a beautiful event.

According to Logan, Captain Dragomirov was the one who carried the unconscious Ravi out of the forest. Ravi had been admitted to the secret Dhelfoi hospital, while Tonya had been treated at the local medical clinic.

Logan and Trisha Lamont had met with The Three and Father Vincent at the Iron Side. Dragomirov showed up, drank a double of vodka with Logan and shared a cigarette with him. He was a man of his word.

Father Vincent had attended Serje Niko's funeral. To keep the public ignorant of the aberrant, Serje was listed as one of the victims of the Lone Wolf killer. Father Vincent sat with Serje's grandfather and Tonya during the ceremony. The Three didn't attend the service.

Ravi asked Logan, "If the Werewolf has been killed and the town saved, why are you still here?"

Logan shrugged, "I wanted to make sure you survived."

She beamed at him, "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

Logan reached for a smoke, "Why? We had nothing better to do."

Ravi was happy regardless of how he tried to downplay his concern, "So now that I'm better, you're going to leave?"

He nodded, "We have a case in Germany. We'll probably leave today."

"Father Vincent? Is he going with you?"

"No. He already took a flight back to the US."

Ravi used her sweetest voice, "Can I come with you to Germany?"

Logan blew out a large cloud of smoke, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want Jewel to shoot you. She's still pissed."

"That stupid whore should just marry Sephon if she doesn't want any other women around him."

Logan shook his head, "I would prefer them to just stay friends. If they ever got together, I might be stuck as a third wheel."

Ravi grinned, "I would make it a foursome! You'd never be a third wheel with me around."

"No."

Ravi pouted.

Logan shrugged, "We promised to stop by and see Tonya before we leave. You're welcome to tag along."

"As long as I'm with you, I'm willing to go anywhere."

"Jesus Mary."

Tonya was delighted to see them. She was still mourning Serje's death but her spirits were high and she was recovering from the trauma excellently. They were standing in her front yard, the sun was high and bright. Birds were singing. Ravi noticed that she was particularly interested in seeing Logan. Tonya's eyes lit up as she spoke to him. Ravi felt another poke of jealousy.

"Could I speak to you alone, Logan?" Tonya asked. She was blushing fiercely.

The rest of the group smiled and politely walked back to the rental van but Ravi left begrudgingly. She jealously watched them from a distance. Logan was cool and aloof as usual but Tonya seemed to hang on his every word. She was entranced by Logan, as if he were a celestial God. Ravi watched as the girl shakily handed Logan a letter. Logan took the letter, shrugged a few times at Tonya's questions, then they embraced. Logan gave her a one armed hug while Tonya wrapped both arms around his neck and pressed her young body fully against him. She was in tears saying goodbye.

Ravi rolled her eyes. The little tramp was only fifteen and she was practically throwing herself at a man older than her father.

Tonya waved to everyone one last time then went back inside her house.

Ravi asked, "What was all that about?"

Logan shrugged.

Ravi pressed the issue, "Don't act all innocent. She gave you a letter. Aren't you going to read it?"

Logan put the letter inside his jacket and pulled out a cigarette, "Not here."

She was fuming, "Why not? Aren't you curious?"

"Sort of. You're a hell of a lot more curious than I am. Why is that?"

Ravi sighed, "I've always been nosy. Stop trying to change the subject! Let me see it!"

"No."

Ravi was getting pissed. As soon as The Three boarded the van, she had no idea when she would ever see them again. "Why not? I want to see what she wrote!"

"It's none of your business what she wrote me."

"You're being too defensive. She's a teenager. It's probably just a goofy love letter so hand it over."

Logan lit the cigarette and took a deep drag. He started for the van.

Ravi blocked his route.

Logan blew out a large cloud of smoke and chuckled, "You should see your face right now."

"Logan, if you don't let me see that letter, I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

Jewel called from the van, "We need to get going. Leave him alone, bitch!"

"This doesn't concern you, whore! Logan, give me that damn letter."

"No. I want to respect her privacy even if she's just a teenager."

Ravi stamped her foot.

Logan suddenly leaned forward and gave Ravi a peck on her lips.

The move left her so shocked that he was by her and in the van before she could react.

"I'll see you again, Logan!" Ravi shouted after the van as The Three departed, "You can bet your ass on that!"