“You…YOU?—”
With an ear-piercing howl, a werewolf burst through the thick brush. But the thing collapsed forward before they even got a chance to lift their guns.
On the ground, its large body violently shook. Another howl was let loose, before the thing flopped over onto its back and started to claw at itself.
It only took a single look to tell that something…was very wrong. Covered in this odd electric blue dust, the werewolf’s eyes were completely yellow, pupils and all.
It let out howl after howl, that eventually was replaced by gargles, and then…nothing, as the werewolf had torn its own throat out, its claws having cut through to the bone. The werewolf’s body continued to twitch, even after its eyes went dark.
“Well…what the fuck…was that…?” Harlow rasped.
“Do not touch him. I…” Foxx swore. “I know what they are growing. And if I’m right, they will be locked up in that house, because if not…they’ll all end up like this man.”
Harlow took a step away from the dead body. “What is it?”
“Aconitum phoria, otherwise known as Heaven’s Wolfsbane. It’s basically werewolf cocaine. While not illegal to grow, according to any human government, it is a death sentence if the werewolf council finds out. And we are going to need the council to find out, because they will have to come here and destroy whatever is here before anyone else gets near this place.”
“It’s that dangerous?”
“It’s toxic to the touch, and it spreads like a weed. While the most dangerous part of it is the pollen, touching any of it would be a bad idea.”
“What would happen if I or you just brushed up against the flower with say a hand?”
“You would likely become violently ill, followed by a tingling sensation, numbness, organ failure, and…” Foxx grimaced.
“Death?”
“Yes. Even with immediate medical attention, you’d likely still die. Without it, there would be no chance for survival. As for me…I’d also become violently ill, followed by all the other stuff…and death, if one of the organs that shuts down happens to be my heart.”
Harlow’s eyes widened. “It could kill you too, just from touching it?”
“If enough came into contact with my skin, yes. Look, this shit’s toxic for everyone. Werewolves have a higher tolerance. But not by much. As highly addictive as Heaven’s Wolfsbane is, and as much as some crazy idiots are willing to pay for just a taste, its hold on people doesn’t last long. Because any wolf using it will be dead by their fifth high. And that’s only if they don’t manage to overdose before that, like this man did.”
“So, stay away from any blue plants, kill all the werewolves, and call the werewolf council to come get this shit before it spreads further and likely kills some dumb fuck who stumbles upon it?”
“Pretty much.”
“What if they have some in the house?”
Foxx shook his head. “They won’t. The tour group died weeks ago. If they were using, they’d all be dead already.”
“What happened to him then?” Harlow frowned, looking down at the dead body. “Is he one of them?”
Harlow couldn’t tell, even though the man had transformed back, as he hadn’t actually gotten a look at the pictures they were sent. Though, now that he thought about it, those cops had managed to get a shit ton of information, despite how annoying it was that they’d waited so fucking long.
“Yes…he is. Maybe…he didn’t make it back before they locked up? I’ve heard that the scent the flowers give off attracts werewolves.”
“Ah…so once the moon came up…”
“Like a fly to honey.”
Harlow clucked his tongue. “Well…one down, and…fifty-one to go.” His gaze flicked to Foxx as a thought occurred to him. “You know, I didn’t even hear him approach, did you?”
The vampire blinked and then slowly shook his head.
“Were you trying to?”
Foxx winced. “Message clear, let’s stop fucking around and get serious.”
