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“What does he mean?”

What did Roger mean? Steph supposed he could mean a small number of things.

“Kelvin’s dead,” Steph replied.

Davey’s facial expression slackened slightly as he digested the news. He looked from one face to another. Then he paused, frowning.

“Where’s Calum?”

“Dead,” Steph replied.

“How?”

“Murdered… just like Kelvin.”

Davey turned his head towards Ashley, his upper lip rising into a snarl.

“He was not really the man he made himself out to be,” Roger said, his voice full of appeal. “Neither of them were, in fact. There is an awful lot that you don’t know, Davey.”

To Steph’s ear, Roger sounded sincere. Even so, Davey’s face continued to contort.

“You despicable little prick!” he said, turning towards Ashley again. “You’re probably the one who shot Michael!”

Ashley continued his look of malice.

“Michael deserved everything he got. So did Kelvin!”

Steph could see Davey’s fists clench. She watched as Davey took a couple of steps towards Ashley. Both men’s bodies tensed ready for the clash. Then, as suddenly as he had started moving – Roger’s half-hearted pleas for calm echoed around the space between the trees – Davey stopped.

Ashley sensed the momentary weakness and began to step forward. Davey began to step back, his shoulders beginning to slouch slightly as he let his chest deflate. Ashley barked out a laugh as he stepped forward again. Then his body arched backwards as something heavy and grey hammered him forward, onto the ground.

Steph reached forward to grab Davey’s arm, pulling him away. Her eyes spun left and right, expecting to see more figures appear from between the trees.

On the ground, Ashley writhed, desperately trying to fight off the massive wolf who bit into his forearm causing him to yell in pain and anger.

Martina, like Steph, had the sense not to run – she too was spinning her head left and right waiting to see where the next wolf would come from.

Roger, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. Steph watched as he kept his eyes on Ashley rolling on the floor, now calling for help as the wolf lunged at his throat. All the time, Roger edged towards the fallen rifle.

Steph noticed that Davey did not pull himself from her grasp to answer the call for help. Either out of dislike for Ashley or simply because he was stunned into inactivity, she didn’t know. Together they watched as Roger slowly and deliberately kneeled so that his shot would be more horizontal and have less chance of accidentally hitting Ashley. He edged closer still, the wolf oblivious to his intentions.

There was a loud bang followed by a whimper. The force of the bullet lifted the wolf clean off its victim. For one brief second, the wolf tried to stand on shaking limbs. Then it collapsed, its breathing shallow.

Steph watched as Roger pointed the rifle at Martina who had been edging towards the nearest tree.

“No silly shenanigans from you, please.”

He then turned to look at Ashley on the floor; his face fell slightly.

“Oh dear.”

Releasing Davey’s arm, Steph ran to kneel by Ashley. His arms were torn, bloody and bruised. However, it was his wide eyes, pale face and the tear in his throat that really drew the attention. He was trying to speak but couldn’t. Blood was pumping from the wound in his neck.

Steph tried to stem the flow with her hands, but blood oozed from between her fingers. She looked at Ashley’s face. He was terrified. She took his hand.

Behind her, the sound of the wolf’s breathing had ceased. There was only the uncomfortable sound of Ashley’s rasping last breaths.

His hand weakened in Steph’s. His eyes still moved aboutpleadingly in his skull as if there was still a way out, that his fate was not yet sealed. Then he took one slightly longer breath and blood gurgled from his mouth. Then he choked and died.