by Pepper Pace
He sniffed and looked at me over his shoulder. I think my transformation confused the Werewolf. Its confusion let me know that while the Were could understand me, Paul wasn’t completely there. The Werewolf tilted its head at me and I covered my nudity with my arms and prepared for the worst.
He turned back to the forest ahead of us and set a steady pace.
Transforming back to myself had drained me.
Although I hadn’t been under the light of the sun in forever I couldn’t enjoy it. My mind was preoccupied with what would greet me when I reached the house.
I wanted to make another attempt to contact my human family that hadn’t been at the house, but I was faced with the dilemma of what to tell them even if I did make contact.
I groaned anxiously. Please let this nightmare end. Tears of frustration fell down my cheeks. Please don’t let me be faced with the massacre of those I loved…
***
When the house was in sight Paul’s Were tensed, growling low in his throat. There was still danger, then.
I couldn’t bring the Creature back but I did drop teeth.
Paul leaped up onto the second floor balcony. I could jump, too but because of my fatigue I barely made it. Paul gripped my forearm and swung me effortless up and over the railing.
This was Monica’s suite. I rushed to the French doors that had been ripped from their hinges.
Blood was everywhere. I swooned and weaved on my feet. The Werewolf brushed past me into the room. I braced myself and searched for any signs of life…or just any signs of Monica.
She wasn’t a fighter…not the way Julie, Tyler and I were. Her job was to assist me in my many legal and business endeavors and to be pretty. That’s all she knew how to do. When it came to protecting herself…she wouldn’t have been able to bleed anyone this bad—it would have been her that had done the bleeding. And my nose confirmed the truth; it was her blood and not Were’s blood that had sprayed this room.
When I came to the bed and saw a pool of blood there I finally went to my knees and vomited.
What was left of the deer came up in hunks of undigested gore. Paul knelt beside me and his tongue bathed the back of my neck soothingly.
“Monica…” I sobbed. I stood up quickly. There was still Tyler, Julie, Tige. I hurried from room to room with Paul leaving me to lead this time. Each room had been ransacked but it wasn’t until I came to the third spare room that I found more blood. I could smell Tyler the way a mother could smell her newborn’s individual scent.
Tyler’s blood was everywhere, and it too was mixed with Were blood. The door had her bloody hand print as if something had dragged her away. I put my fingertips there and then I ran out of that room, too.
Down the stairs and down to the underground quarters. I ran faster then I could ever remember running before. Paul kept one pace behind me. When I reached the cellar door I slammed it open until it lay in splinters. I hurried down the stairs so fast I almost fell. I skid to a stop.
Ash was scattered all over the floor.
Oh God…Tige…Julie.
My world went black.
CHAPTER 15
There is something that kept me human despite the fact that I had been dead for more then a year. Maybe it was my idealism or my disbelief in the absolute worst. Regardless, in that moment all that was left of me shattered.
Nothing could have broken me as completely; not the punishment by fire, not losing my lovers, not losing my life. But losing the only family I had left finally did what nothing else had.
Things left dormant in my brain flooded my consciousness. I saw and understood things that Tony and Julie had tried to teach me…things that I should have known instinctively. Understanding of who I was became crystal clear. My power my liege my purpose was no longer a mystery.
The fruitlessness of the things I had previously valued flooded me. The new awareness left me tingling.
I became aware that I was still standing in that dark cellar. I stared dispassionately at the ash for a long time. When I finally did look up it was because Paul’s Were was pacing anxiously.
My pet. That was my first complete thought. My pet was strong and I needed strength to wreak my vengeance.
I went up the stairs one step at a time. How long had I been there? It was almost fully dark.
The Were followed me quietly.
I stopped and turned to him.
“We will kill them all.”
I vanished then. I could flash myself away although it wasn’t completely dark. My strength had returned with the coming darkness.
Where I flashed myself to was a place I was long familiar with. It was my first home as a Vampire. It was Tony’s house. I would need his alliance if I was going to succeed with my mission.
I ignored the front door knowing that he would be in his oversized bedroom at the very top of his Condo.
Tony’s bedroom had a feeling of being an outdoor room due to the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the entire room. The special glass was unbreakable and safe for Vampires. At night it was like sleeping at the top of the world.
I materialized and walked across the room to the oversized bed sheathed in black satin sheets.
He was there still in the grips of the otherworldly sleep. In his arms was a beautiful woman; a brown woman—not Kaniji.
Her mane of black hair flowed over the pillow and Tony’s head was resting on it contentedly.
I’d never seen her before. Likely she was some Master from his territory. I could still smell the evidence of their lovemaking in the air.
I watched them without emotion. It didn’t even surprise me that I didn’t care—and that’s how cold I had become. I cared about one thing, and that was revenge.
It could have been a minute, it could have been an hour. But soon Tony’s eyes opened. He stared directly at me. And then he sat up quickly.
I forgot. I hadn’t cleaned up. I was nude, dirty, bloody, with skin split opened in places. I’m sure my hair was a mess on my head. Even aware of all of this I still didn’t care.
“What the-?!” Tony threw the sheets off of him and he leaped out of the bed. His handsome face was twisted in horror. He rushed to me, meaning to take hold of my shoulders, or maybe to just hold me but the look on my face stopped him a foot from me.
“The Were’s came back.” My voice was foreign to my ears.
“You’re hurt, Kim. Let me…Let me get you cleaned up.”
“Tige is dead, Tony. As is Julie, Monica, Tyler…everyone.”
He gasped but with surprising calm he gently took my arm and led me to his bathroom.
“The Werewolves killed everyone. They ate Monica, then they destroyed my Vampire body guards. There’s just…blood left. Blood and ash.”
Tony didn’t comment. He reached into the shower and turned on the water.
“Come on.” He said gently as he guided me under the hot spray. Nude as well he got into the shower also and using his cupped hands poured water over my bloody body.
“Baby…” He murmured. “I’m so sorry, baby…”
“I’m goin to kill them.” I said simply.
Tony nodded. “Yes.”
He cleaned me washing my hair and even probed some of my worse wounds with his tongue trying to help heal them.
When he was drying me, taking extra care with my open wounds the women from the bedroom entered the bathroom, her brow wrinkled in surprise at my presence.
She looked from Tony to me.
“What the hell is this?”
She had an island accent. She was a very beautiful girl. I stared at her without emotion.
Tony put the towel over my nude shoulders and then left me to lead the girl out of the bathroom.
I could hear them talking in the other room, Tony’s low even voice, her high pitched anxious one. They really hadn’t needed to leave. After all I could hear them just as well as if they had stayed in the bathroom with me.
“You said you were done with her.” The girl was saying.
“You saw with your own eyes the condition she’s in. She’s a Council member Natalia. This is Council business.”
“Well, why did she come here?” Natalia’s voice had gone even higher.
“Natalia, this is not the time, Baby. Tige is dead, so is Julie and everyone else that would have been in that house.”
I heard Natalia sigh. “Well, will you keep me in the loop, Tony?”
“Yes. Now go home.”
“I still don’t trust this.”
But evidently Natalia left because Tony returned to the bathroom alone.
“Have you fed? You look exhausted.” He led me back into the bedroom and started searching his drawers for clothes.
He found me a Rocawear jogging suit and I dressed quickly. Ignoring his question I gestured with my head.
“Follow me back to the house.” Then I vanished.
When I reappeared it was to the sight of Paul transformed back to human form. He was curled on the floor naked and filthy. He was okay but breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon.
I kneeled down beside him and touched the pulse in his neck. He didn’t move. Paul was out cold. He would need the sleep for what I had planned.
I picked him up easily and carried him up to his own suit of room. I stepped over pools of blood and broken furniture but Paul’s room was untouched. I heard Tony downstairs. I knew he was assessing the damage.
I placed Paul in his bed. I watched him and tried to understand what I was feeling. Nothing. I turned away and went down to find Tony.
He was in the basement crouched to the ground fingering the ash. He glanced at me and the look on his face was horrible. The anger there had colored his dark face even darker than normal.
“Paul’s still alive?” He stood. He was wearing a black Sean Jean jogging suit.
“Yeah. He’s out cold from exhaustion.”
“Where are the fucking Weres from?”
“Poland.”
“Okay. I’m going to get a flight out for us tonight.” He reached out meaning to touch my cheek but he stopped. “Have you…contacted the others yet?”
I tilted my head. “No.”
“Do you want me to do it?”
“You get us out of here. I’ll handle the rest.”
Tony hesitated and then disappeared.
I closed my eyes.
“Karen?”
“Kim? Hi Sweetie, I was on my way over there. How you feeling-“
“Karen…the Weres returned.”
“What? Are you okay?!”
“No-I mean, yes. I’m okay and so is Paul. But-” I took in a deep breath. “Monica, Tyler and Julie are dead.” There was no response.
“Karen? Okay. Call Mara…I’m going to Poland tonight…to kill those bastards-”
“I’m coming, too.” Karen’s response was faint.
I nodded. “I’m going to Julie’s. I need to speak to Ran.”
“Ran is going to be crushed, Kim. Just…be careful. I-I…”
She broke the connection. I didn’t stop, I didn’t want to. I just flashed to Julie’s house.
When I appeared in Julie’s home I sent feelers out for anyone present. There were three present; two humans and Ran. I went down to the lower level where they were all sitting and chilling.
Ran looked at me curiously. “Kim? What’s wrong?” They were all looking at me intently. Ran stood up.
“Where’s Julie?”
“The Weres returned this morning; while I slept. Paul was able to turn and fight many of them…but he couldn’t save Julie or Monica or Tyler. Tige is gone, too-”
Ran screamed. I thought my ears would explode. But I didn’t move. I just watched him.
The two humans covered their ears and cowered.
Ran’s teeth dropped and his hands curled into fists. “Show me.” He said evenly.
I turned and flashed back to the house. I went directly to the basement. Ran appeared beside me and he glared down at the floor.
He went down on the floor and scooped up a handful of the ash. With a harsh cry he lowered his head and sobbed.
I watched him curiously. I knew that I should have wanted to reach out and comfort him…but I couldn’t. The door to my emotions was closed and I wanted it to stay that way, because it was safe.
I turned and walked back up the stairs. I wanted to burn this fucking house down. Instead I sent a message out to one of the workers from the first safe house. Pablo was Hispanic and enthusiastic in his duties. I told him to arrange for a cleaning crew to clean up this place. I wanted all signs of the attack to be cleaned away upon my return to the States.
Ran put his hand on my shoulder. I looked over at him.
“Julie was always fearless. She turned me. But before that she was my first love. You see we were childhood friends and I knew what she was well before she agreed to turn me. Of course I begged her to do it immediately. Her Master was a child molesting sicko and he was killed as a Rogue soon after he turned Julie. I wanted to protect her,” I blinked. “I loved her but she loved me too much to sentence me to an eternity trapped in a child’s body. As soon as I was old enough to pass for her Father she turned me and I have never regretted it; not in these two hundred years.”
Ran looked away. “There is nothing left for me to live for now. Everything was for Julie. So I pledge my allegiance to you now Kim. I will kill every Werewolf responsible for Julie’s death.”
“We’re flying out tonight. If you know of anyone that wants to join us then get with Tony so that he can make the arrangements.” I gripped Ran’s hands. “Julie…will be vindicated even if I have to give my life to do it.”
Ran stared at me. He nodded.
***
Paul was still out cold when I went up to check on him. I went into the bathroom and ran a bath for him. Effortlessly I placed him into the water. He didn’t wake. I washed him thoroughly, careful of the horrible wounds he bore. When I was done I bandaged him and dressed him for the trip. He didn’t own his own sweats so I took off the Rocawears I had on and put them on him. I wanted him comfortable for the trip. It would be a long flight-- it was possible that he might sleep through the entire thing.
I flashed myself down into my bedroom. I was nude again and it made me shiver being back here where my guts had lain in my hands. There were no dead Were’s around. The others had taken their dead with them but there was plenty of blood and it was everywhere.
I pulled on black leather pants, boots and turtleneck. I didn’t want anyone looking at my wounds and becoming alarmed. My tangled hair was pulled quickly into a twist and I donned sunglasses to hide my ripped face. A leather cap with the bill pulled low hid a lot of my identity. I packed a quick bag.
Tony had arranged for two private planes. Even with such short notice we had a number of Vampires that wanted to go over with us. We had to limit it to sixty-two Vampires and their human food. We didn’t want to get over there eating the locals and bringing attention to ourselves.
The only person from the Council other then Tony that joined us was Kaniji. It surprised me, course I figured most of it was just curiosity. Still, it was good to have someone with her strength along.
Because I wanted Paul on the plane with me I drove over which meant that we weren’t in the air until after 9:00. We’d have a layover and would be flying directly into Poland by about six pm. It was nice having a Vampiric airline that flew faster and more efficiently than a human owned one. But we would still need humans to orchestrate our transportation to safehouses.
Understandably each Vampire wanted their own Assistants to make the arrangements for their transportation. I knew I wasn’t putting my safety in anyone’s hands but Karen’s just as Tony wanted Mei Wah and Ran wanted he and Julie’s Assistant, Danyelle.
The mood on the plane was excited. Many of the Vampires present just wanted to fight, some were curious but most wanted the opportunity to taste Werewolf blood. I cared very little about the reason, as long as we had their
numbers.
I was exhausted and Paul hadn’t yet awoken. There was a coffin for all of the Undead and to keep up the pretense that I needed to avoid the sun I entered my coffin early. Mara and Karen were in another plane but Mei Wah, at least was present, and I left him instructions to explain what was going on to Paul when he awoke.
In my Vampire bed/coffin I thought about wary looks I received from the other Vampires, including Tony. He had tried to talk to me but I only gave him one word responses. Finally he left me alone. We needed Paul awake in order to make a plan but basically the only plan was to run in and kill everyone.
I closed my eyes tiredly and tried not to remember all the horrors I’d seen today. Exhaustion was not a normal feeling for a Vampire. At times we felt dragged down as if the sun drained us. And of course if we engaged in strenuous activities we experienced fatigue…but Vampires didn’t feel sleepy.
I was sleepy, I even yawned. I closed my eyes and slept.
~ii~
When I awoke Paul was stroking my hair. He looked as exhausted as I had felt the night before. His eyes were deep set and hollow, his skin was ashen. Even his normally wavy hair was lank and hanging in his face. I sat up slowly and looked around.
We were in the bedroom of what appeared to be someone’s house. The room was small but comfortable; cozy.
Although the curtains were drawn I could tell that it was day.
“It’s day.” I said.
“Yes, it’s about two pm.”
“Where-?”
“The flight went fine. We’re evidently in some type of Vampire safehouse just outside of Poland. The windows are supposed to be Vampire safe.” His brow wrinkled. “Mei Wah told me what’s going on.” He looked around. “We just got here about half an hour ago. I didn’t know if you were going to wake up during the transport to this place. I just wanted to get you in here as quickly as possible and out of that coffin. As soon as I got you out of it I could see that you were waking up.”
“How could you tell?” Now my brow was crinkled.
He thought about his words. “You just…don’t look dead. It’s a real small difference but it’s there. Even though you’re not breathing you look like you’re sleeping. I just checked some of your wounds…you’re almost completely healed, even your stomach.” He reached out to touch my stomach but I moved out of his reach as inconspicuously as possible and stood up and looked around.