Page 30 of The Dinner Party

This wolf is seriously pissed off at all the old people in this room. The first thing it does is lunge at Heinrich’s throat, streaking dark red blood all over its fur. After efficiently disposing of him, the wolf proceeds to the next victim.

You should probably make a run for it, but you are absolutely paralyzed by the scene unfolding in front of you. The wolf is making short work of everyone in this room, ripping through clothing, tearing off arms and legs, shrugging off their attempts to fight against him. You’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like the wolf has superhuman strength. (Superwolf strength?)

And then—finally—the last guest has been ripped to shreds by the wolf. Its formerly white coat is now drenched with crimson. Its chest heaves with the exertion of killing everyone in this room—well, everyone except you.

The wolf swivels its gaze to look at you, zeroing in as it stands between you and the door. If you try to run for it, you’re pretty sure the wolf will catch you and kill you. Maybe if you just stay very still and look nonthreatening, the wolf won’t attack. Isn’t their vision based on movement? Or is that only dinosaurs?

To make a run for it, turn to Chapter 52 (page 126)

To stay still, turn to Chapter 53 (page 128)

52

You have to try to run for it. It’s your only chance.

The door is hanging open on its hinges. Without a second glance at the wolf, you run as fast as you can in the direction of the door. You don’t stop to look behind you.

It’s no surprise when the wolf comes out after you. You move as quickly as you can, nearly tripping on a bloody body in the hallway. It only vaguely occurs to you that the body belongs to Avery, who is now just as dead as everyone in that room. You don’t even have a chance to mourn your friend, because you need to keep moving. You hurry down the hallway, desperately searching for the way out.

Except when you hazard a look over your shoulder, you don’t see anything. You slow to a halt, looking all around you, but somehow, the wolf has vanished into thin air.

Turn to Chapter 54 (page 130)

53

The wolf descends on you, blood and saliva dripping from its lips. It lets out a low growl, and you brace yourself, waiting for the animal to pounce and rip your throat out.

But the blow never comes.

Instead, the wolf turns away from you and leaps back out the broken door that it came in from. You just stand there, trembling violently and hugging yourself. Everyone in the room is now dead. You’re not in danger anymore, so that part is good, but what the hell?

It takes several minutes before you’re able to coax yourself to move again. You step outside of the room, and that’s when you find Avery lying in a pool of blood. The wolf got her too, apparently. You clasp a hand over your mouth, staring down at your dead friend, who did nothing more than get you a waitressing job to help you out of a jam.

But you can’t stand here mourning her. You have a feeling that if you do, you’ll end up just as dead as Avery.

Turn to Chapter 54 (page 130)

54

Are you the only one left alive?

Before you can check for other survivors of the wolf’s rampage, you hear footsteps coming from down the hallway. A second later, you see the silhouette of a man, and when he gets closer, you realize that it is Carson, the butler. He’s limping, his hair is mussed, the white bowtie has unraveled, and when you see the streaks of blood on his white shirt, you are sure the wolf got him too.

“Carson,” you gasp. “Are you badly hurt?”

“I… I’m okay,” he manages.

You look him up and down to figure out where he’s bleeding from, but you don’t see any wounds. He must have come across one of the victims and gotten their blood on him, possibly trying to revive them. Well, he was sure right about you being in danger.

“Are you okay, Sloan?” he asks you.

You nod mutely.

“Everyone else in the house is dead,” he says, answering your only question. “I hid in a closet until the wolf was gone.”

“It’s gone?”

“Yes,” he confirms. “It… it took off into the night. I’m not sure where it went, but I don’t think we’re in any danger anymore.”