Predator and Prey Prowlers 3 by Christopher Golden Read Free Book Online

cotton pants and buttoned up his shirt as he stared expectantly at them.
    “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded.
    After the first glance, Dallas did not look at him again. “Still bringing home strays, I see.”
    Valerie tried to stifle a naughty giggle. “You’re awful.”
    “I just know you,” Dallas replied. “You always keep a house pet or two around.”
    The boy toy with the military jaw had heard enough. He marched across the hardwood floor. “Hey, pretty boy, maybe you oughta let go of her now,” he snapped. “Val, who the hell is this guy?”
    Valerie ignored him. Instead, she gazed up at Dallas and rolled her eyes. “His name’s Paul,” she said in a stage whisper. “He’s grown a little attached.”
    “What . . . what the hell is with you, Val?” Paul stammered, unsure now.
    “They always do with you, sweetheart. You’re irresistible.”
    “Flatterer.”
    “Truthsayer,” Dallas replied, shooting her a wounded expression.
    “Look, I don’t know what this is supposed to be, but I am about through with it,” Paul said, his anger returning full force. “I’m talking to you, man.” He tapped Dallas hard on the shoulder. “Hey!”
    Dallas made a face. “He’s really gonna cramp our style.”
    Valerie took a step back from him, glanced at Paul, then back at Dallas. “No he’s not.”
    “Damn it, Val, do not talk about me like I’m not here! I swear to God you don’t want to cross me.”
    Dallas couldn’t help laughing at that one. Valerie held up a hand to cover her own grin, but her face reddened. He loved that little girl quality about her.
    “He’s funny, I’ll give him that,” Dallas told her. “Is he traceable?”
    “Not really,” she replied.
    With a nod, Dallas turned toward the fuming man again. Paul puffed up his chest, fists balled in rage, but he had the scent of fear on him, too. Apparently he was bright enough to have realized that there was something going on here other than losing his girlfriend.
    “Hi, Paul!” Dallas said brightly.
    The guy blinked, startled.
    “What’re you, an actor?”
    Confused, Paul glanced at Valerie and then nodded.
    “What is it with you and actors?” Dallas asked her.
    “Maybe I just need a little drama in my life.” Dallas sighed. That had always been the issue with Valerie. He was methodical, finding order in things, and she was always the chaos girl. He shrugged and looked at Paul again. The guy had deflated somewhat, thrown completely off track by this new turn in the conversation.
    “I’ve got a new role for you,” Dallas told him. “You get to be bait.”
    Then Dallas began to change, skin tearing and flaking away as the thick coat of fur sprouted from within, muscles swelled, bones popped and realigned. His snout stretched and he bared his gleaming fangs in an amused, savage grin that Paul would undoubtedly see as a snarl.
    Paul began to scream.
    Valerie only laughed and watched as Dallas lunged at him, claws slashing down, blood spraying the hardwood.
    Ogunquit, Maine, was an hour and a half from Boston but worth the drive. Jack had not been to the little seaside village in several years, but it had not changed very much. There were plenty of clothing stores and gift shops in the tiny downtown area, but Ogunquit had none of the crass, jaded atmosphere of Hampton and Salisbury to the south or Old Orchard Beach to the north.

    As far as Jack was concerned, the only unpleasant thing about Ogunquit was trying to find parking at the beach. Eventually he had solved the problem by parking in the dirt and gravel lot behind the Betty Doon motel near the center of town and hoping the Jeep wouldn’t get towed. He and Molly had walked down to the beach from there.
    It was a unique beach, accessible only by a small bridge that crossed a river that ran parallel to the shore and then curved out into the ocean, so that the beach area was shaped like an enormous letter J . The riverside was calm, and there were a lot of