Free Werewolf Suspense (Book 2): Outage 2 (The Awakening) by T.W. Piperbrook Page B

was still on the door.

Chapter Thirteen

    Ashley huddled in the storage room next to Billy, the smell of the dead body wafting into her nostrils. The room was a sickening mixture of grease, sawdust, and blood. She shined the flashlight around the storage room, taking in the shelving, the ceiling, and the floor.  
    The room was dank and uncomfortable. She'd rather be anywhere else than here.
    But hiding out in the room, like most things in life, had become a game of patience. She glanced over at Billy, taking in his soft countenance in the glow of the flashlight, and smiled.
    "How'd I do?" she asked.
    "Great," he said, smiling back at her. "They have no idea."
    He brushed his shaggy hair from his face. She leaned in close and nuzzled his neck. As disgusting as it was to be cooped in the room, surrounded by the blood of their brethren, it was only a matter of time until they succumbed to their true selves.  
    Once Tom and Mark were distracted, she and Billy would make their transformation. They'd spring from the closet and partake in what they'd been waiting for. In truth, Ashley had hoped for a larger crowd. But she'd settle for Mark and Tom. Her main concern was that the others might reach them first.  
    She wanted them for herself.
    "Should we go out there?" Ashley asked innocently, batting a playful eye at Billy.
    "Give it a minute. Wait until they're good and distracted," Billy said.
    She nodded. She trusted Billy. Billy was the most logical of the pair; Ashley tended to be impulsive. If it were up to her, she would've eviscerated Mark and Tom a while ago. In fact, she would've killed Tom in the street when they first met him.  
    Ashley and Billy had killed many times in the past, but always in secret, always in remote areas. They'd never bided their time like this. That was the promise they'd made each other when they encountered Tom—that they'd wait for a better opportunity, hoping he'd lead them to other survivors. Her goal had been to get inside the shelter before turning. That way they'd have a roomful of victims to themselves. But they couldn't wait anymore.
    They were going to lose their prey if they didn't act.
    Somewhere deep in the building, she heard the snarls of her brethren. Footsteps pounded the last set of stairs and feral cries filled the air. Ashley felt a sensation of warmth, of rightness, in what they were about to do. It was a feeling she'd had ever since the storm started. It was a feeling she could get used to.  
    They'd all known the storm was coming. It was as ingrained in the beasts as the need to kill. But none of them knew the exact timing. Until a few hours ago, it was nothing more than a feeling in her bones, an instinct as primal as the phases of the moon or the chill of winter. A few of their kind had even moved north in anticipation.
    And now the storm was upon them.  
    She looked up at Billy, admiring how far they'd come. She was so glad they'd found each other. They'd learned to control their urges over the past few years together.
    They'd started with Billy's parents.  
    Dave and Sherry were always trying to keep them apart, restricting their time together, limiting their interactions. And so she and Billy had lured them out into the woods a few summers ago. When they were far enough into the wilderness, Billy and Ashley had changed, killing them and disposing of their remains.  
    Ever since, she and Billy had been inseparable.
    It was moments like that one that made her feel invincible.  
    Moments like that, and the one they were about to have.
    "You ready?" she asked Billy.
    "You bet." He smiled.
    She sucked in a breath, recalling the guns Mark and Tom had. They'd have to surprise them. But that wouldn't be an issue. Not as long as she and Billy were together. They'd get through it, like they'd gotten through everything else.  
    She and Billy held hands as they started to change.  

Chapter Fourteen

    Tom listened to the clatter and chaos from the ground floor of the