by C. D. Gorri
“No sir. I- I’m sorry. I’ll act in a professional manner from now on.” The sincerity of her words struck me. She seemed truly ashamed of her behavior. I doubted she wanted to tarnish her reputation just to spite me. Still I didn’t see us becoming lifelong friends or anything.
“Before we continue I’d like to give Grazi a little background information.” A few grunts of assent around the room then Uncle Sean sat down on the leather loveseat. That’s when all the fun really started.
“First let’s go over some basics about Vampires. The one that attacked you was a hunter. A creature that has been Vampire far too long. You see they weaken with age, their humanity sheds, and over time, hundreds of years mind you they become fragile. They are threatened by other younger and more powerful Vampires and they lose their place in their coven. Some choose to seek protection. Usually it is provided by Witches who then use them as trackers and hunters. With their craving for blood they can search out one among millions with just a hint of that person’s blood. The mystery here is how he found you. He must have gotten some of your blood from somewhere. I just can’t imagine how, but I’ll look into it. Next, let’s talk about the different kinds of Vampires…”
I sat still and concentrated on my uncle’s words. This was a lecture I never thought I’d hear. Beware for here be monsters.
Walking home that night was like waking after a really real dream. You know the kind when you spring up in bed and are mad at someone for something they didn’t do or afraid of something that never happened? Like that. Only these things were real and now they were hunting me. Sascha walked me to the back door of my house. Ronan had stayed behind. I missed him.
“Cara is good Wolf. She misses her brother.”
“Who’s her brother?”
“Her brother died in accident. Motorcycle. The investigation is no good.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s Werewolf. We ride motorcycle very good. They say it is an accident, she says no. She misses him.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“He was on a mission for the Hounds. Rolf orders missions. You are his granddaughter. She should not take it out on you though, printzyessa. Old wounds sometimes take longer to heal.”
“Why does everyone call me that?”
“Because it is who you are. Me, I am Sascha.” He looked at me as if this was the simplest explanation. Completely obvious. Uh huh, right.
“Goodnight, Sascha.” I smiled and closed the door.
I took the steps two at a time. Everyone was in bed already. I had been getting to bed later and later. It was getting ridiculous, but I guess Werewolves don’t need much rest because I felt great every morning.
I so should not have said that. No doubt I’d be up all night. I got in bed and closed my eyes. As usual I said a quick prayer.
Hey, it’s me again. I guess I’m addressing this prayer to anyone listening. Why me? Oh Lord, why me? I’m not sure I am right for this path You have chosen for me. Give me strength, patience and wisdom to see it through. Help me find out what happened to my parents. Please.
I fell asleep immediately after I finished praying. I dreamt of a place with dark tunnels and dirt floors. There was no light, but my Werewolf eyes adjusted. I smelled dampness and mold. I listened for noises to lead me in any direction. but it was quiet as a tomb. That’s when I came upon the first body.
It was crouched on the floor hands up as if trying to shield itself from something. It looked like a mummy. Its skin was like leather, completely sucked dry. Like an empty husk. No wonder I smelled nothing. There was no blood left. That’s when I noticed the two puncture marks on the neck.
I gave a quick sniff, my muzzle scrunched up in revulsion. Definitely dead. There was nothing I could do but move on. I passed some more corpses. They were like the first only these were bound and gagged. Some had torn limbs and others were clutching each other. They were all frozen in their last moments of life.
Horrific expressions remained on their sunken in faces. Men and women, young and old. The beasts who did this did not discriminate. It was as if every last drop of fluid had been stolen from each body. Preserving them in their terror. I wished there was something I could do, but they were long gone.
I sniffed and noticed a few things. These were the remains of people the Vamps had fed on, but the feasting had not been done in the tunnels. I’d smell it if blood was spilled there. These poor people were simply thrown away. Where no one would ever find them.
I could hardly breathe for the pain of their families, the ones they left behind. They would never have closure. Never know what happened to their loved ones. Bad enough to murder innocent people, but to rob their families of knowing what happened. It was too much.
I kept moving. I had to leave my pity behind with them. Slowly and cautiously I continued on. The tunnels were empty. Not a rat or bug in sight. Then I smelled it. Death, rot, the distinct metallic tang of spilled blood. Vampires.
The tunnels gave way to a basement. It was cold and dark. I could hear someone or something walking on the floor above me. I snarled in defense. The slow shuffling of that someone’s footsteps abruptly stopped.
Crap! Me and my big mouth. The better to eat you with I guess. I waited behind the wooden stairs that led to the above floor. The door opened. Whatever it was it heard me and it was going to come down here.
I held my breath and crouched down low. Waiting. Would I have to fight? Would I survive? My heart was pounding as these thoughts raced through my mind. Another pair of footsteps came into the room these louder and heavier. Their gait uneven, as if the person they belonged to had a limp of sorts.
“And just where are you going?” A woman’s voice asked impatiently. She sounded hoarse. Like a chain cigarette smoker and nasty too. Whoever she was speaking to, she did not respect them. That was evident.
“Eeeeeee.” The Vampire screeched in answer. I heard a shove and something banged against the door.
“Get back to your cage! And no more wandering around, bloodsucker! I’ll have to lock you in if you keep this up or maybe I should just throw you back where I found you. Ungrateful brute!” The door banged shut and I listened for more clues as to who or what that could have been. I breathed in the air. It was definitely human, not a Vamp, female though her voice had been hoarse and rough. She definitely smelled female. Also she smelled like grape cough syrup.
That thick nasty purple stuff Aunt Theresa was always shoveling down Julianna’s and Rebecca’s throats at the first hint of a cold. It was a sickeningly sweet smell. Made me a little queasy.
I listened, but could hear nothing else. I climbed the steps out of the basement and nudged the door open with my muzzle. I hesitated a moment. I was so big in my Wolf form, I would most likely get noticed. But this is only a dream, Grazi.
My hesitation made me ashamed. What kind of Wolf was I to get scared in my own dream? Come on girl, get a grip.
I quickly passed through what look liked a kitchen. It was dirty with old dishes and glasses strewn about. Heaps of garbage littered the floor and the smell of rotting food and waste was everywhere. It obscured anything relevant I might uncover.
Packages of ultra-processed snacks filled the counters as well as stacks of 100% high fructose corn syrup and food dye juices. There were also stacks of drained blood bags, like from a hospital, piled in one corner.
Dirty hypodermic needles were flung in an open waste basket. It was overflowing. I took my steps more cautiously.
A big black pot or cauldron, oh yeah, it was definitely a cauldron, sat on the stove bubbling over. Its smell made me want to throw up. Not that anyone would notice with all the filth and garbage everywhere.
What was in there? I couldn’t tell from afar so I got closer. I stopped and sniffed. There was nothing in there I could identify.
I walked quietly as I could over the dirty floor. I stopped and listened. There seemed to be noise coming from the left, a television show I think
. I heard a couple of “eee’s” so I figured that was where the Vampires were. A heavy New York accent echoed from the surround sound. Seriously, Housewives, huh. I guess they really like their reality TV. Go figure.
The woman who scolded the Vampire by the stairs seemed to be nowhere in sight. I went down the right side hallway away from the noise of the television. There was one bedroom door. It was locked from the outside. I reached up with my lupine head and gripped the doorknob in my mouth.
A few shakes of my head and the door opened. The first thing that hit me was the absolute dark. There was no lamp, TV, or light. Just a dirty window under a dirty drape or shade. My Werewolf eyes adjusted quickly. Tied to a bed, sitting up, was a young boy. Maybe ten or twelve, he was thin and unwashed. He cowered against the wall.
“Don’t hurt me, please. I keep telling you. I don’t know anything.” His eyes were squeezed shut, there were puncture marks in his arms and legs. Clearly he was a prisoner and he was being fed on.
I moved further inside of the room. My claws made small clacking noises against the cold, uncarpeted floor.
“What, what are you?” I cocked my head to the side at the question in his voice. He opened his eyes and stared at me in surprise.
“Are, are you real?” I nudged his foot with my nose and he pulled back. He was scared, but brave. Tentatively he reached out with his small hand, his dirty fingernails and frightened eyes tore at my heart. I wanted to help him. I let him touch my head and neck. He seemed fascinated by my fur.
“You’re so soft. You can’t be one of them. Are you here to free me, brown Wolf? She said you’d come someday.” I whined softly. I wanted to. I really did want to free him, but this was just a dream.
I heard a loud sound like a gun shot and jumped to the front of the boy’s bed. There was no one in sight. No gun. No, it was an engine backfiring from outside. The boy pulled back completely. He flattened himself against the wall. His chest heaved in and out with his increasingly deep breaths.
“She’s back! Oh no! You have to go.” I growled, but he shook his head and nudged me towards the door.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You can come back for me, brown Wolf. Hurry go now! Run! Run, but come back! Don’t you forget me! Hurry, go now! Run!”
I took off down the hallway and made my way back to the basement. My journey back was short, but I awoke with the distinct memory of everything that had passed fresh in my mind. He wanted my help and he believed I would return for him. What kind of crazy dream was that anyway? I didn’t know.
I jumped up. I was back in my bedroom. I was breathing heavy and my pajamas were drenched in sweat. I closed my eyes only to see the boy’s clear blue ones as he begged me to come back for him.
CHAPTER 4
After school the next day I sat silent in the black SUV.
“Can I see your arm when we get back? I want to change the bandage. Alright?” I nodded. Ronan looked down at my arm. We listened to Sascha and Dimitri argue about which drive thru they were going to hit before we got back to the house. It was a frequent argument.
“McDonald’s isn’t food! It’s pureed feathers and bones!”
“Fine, we will get KFC. It is real chicken!” Sascha rubbed his hands together in anticipation, but I could tell Dimitri wasn’t budging. Good for him. That stuff’ll kill ya.
“No way. That colonel, pssh! He makes genetically altered birds with no heads!”
The discussion continued the entire length of the drive and no food was bought. Dimitri started chopping onions and celery. I could hear them arguing only now it was in Russian.
I headed to the guest bathroom with Ronan and sat down on the vanity stool. He opened a drawer and pulled out hydrogen peroxide and clean gauze. He unwrapped my arm carefully and ran his hand over the wound. I had my head turned. I didn’t much like looking at wounds and the thought I was permanently scarred left me a bit panicky.
“Wow. It’s completely healed. Check it out.” He sounded like he did when he first bit into a triple bacon cheeseburger down at CyberSodas. Amazed.
I looked down and nothing. There was absolutely no mark or scar where the wound had been. Just smooth skin. I had completely healed.
“Guess it wasn’t that deep after all.” Ronan shook his head and put away the bandages.
“You seem distracted, Maria. Is something wrong?”
“You mean other than the fact that Vampires are attacking me and I get all furry when the moon comes out?” I snapped. He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. I felt so stupid and more than a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry Ronan. You’re right, there is something wrong. Last night, I had a bad dream.” I felt like an idiot. The Werewolf is afraid of a little nightmare.
“Tell me about it.” And I did, down to the blue eyes of the little boy that had haunted me all day. Worse was his utter faith in me. He believed I would come back to rescue him. Weird dream.
“That sounds serious. Have you told anyone else?”
“No. Why? It was just a dream.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, nothing is typical when it comes to you. It’s worth a conversation is all.”
In the sparring room Ronan motioned for me to talk to Uncle Sean, but I shook my head. I was about to spar with Cara and I needed to focus. After a few warm ups we began. Her attack was swift and sudden. I was flat on my back, out of breath, and more than a little embarrassed. A second and third time, same result.
“Looks like I found your weakness, princess. You need time to prepare and study your enemy. Well, you’re out of time.” She laughed at me.
Her voice grated on my ear. I started to sweat and my heart began to pound. It was humiliating. She threw me around like a rag doll. I got up for the twentieth time. My breath came hard. I could smell my embarrassment. It was sour. She went to attack me again, this time I jumped back in a somersault. Mid-air I brought my fist down on her shoulder. I could feel my Wolf howl in my mind. Remember our strength, little one. She cannot win when we work together.
Cara cried out and dropped to her knees. I should have hit her again, but I assumed the match was over. My mistake. She pulled a wooden short staff from her back and went to strike me while my back was turned.
Ronan leapt from the wall and knocked the staff from her hand. All hell broke loose then as the dominant Wolf that was Cara butted heads with Ronan’s protective one.
“That’s the last time you get in my way, pup!”
“Fight fair, Cara. You’re here to teach not to hurt!”
“There is no fair when you fight Witches. Even princesses need to learn that. Looks like you do too.” She kneed Ronan in between his legs. He doubled over and fell to his knees. Gasping breaths came out of his mouth as he groaned on the floor.
My Wolf snarled. I was all over Cara in a flash. We struggled in a tangle of arms and legs. She held nothing back as blow after blow her fists connected with my midsection. I got my hands around her throat and squeezed. Soon I had her off the floor and against the wall. She kicked and grasped at my hands, but I was immovable. Everything in my sight turned a shade of red. Like the entire room was illuminated by a neon sign from a storefront or something.
“Grazi! Grazi let her go.” I cocked my head to the side. It was Uncle Sean. Behind him were Dimitri and Sascha. One of them went to help Ronan and the other stood in the doorway and gasped. I threw her down and turned to face my uncle. I was still enraged. Cara held her throat and pointed at me.
“She, she’s lost it, Sean.” Her voice sounded hoarse, barely audible. But her finger was pointing at me and her eyes were accusing me of wrong. That was the last straw. I Wolfed out completely.
“Holy crap!”
It was instantaneous. One minute I was on two legs the next I was on four. Uncle Sean held his hands up and took a step backwards. Cara was pale and fell back. Her head completely down and her throat bared to me.
Ronan was still on t
he ground, but seemed to notice my transformation. He reached for me as Cara moved and I jumped in front of him. Mine. My Wolf said and growled loudly. Cara did not move again and she did not dare look at me. Good choice.
“I’m alright, Maria. It’s okay.” I turned around and faced him. He did not look in my eyes and that bothered me. I wanted him to. He seemed to sense it and he raised his. His green eyes glowed and I could see his proud Wolf in them. I nuzzled his face with my nose and he put a hand on my neck.
“Cara, go to your room and wait for me there. Everyone leave now!” Uncle Sean stood by the doorway. He didn’t move. His shock and awe was tangible. I could smell them and his indecision.
“You don’t need to do whatever you’re thinking, Sean. It is Maria who is in control. I can hear her. In here.” Ronan patted his temple and continued stroking my fur with his other hand.
Are you okay? I was scared.
“Aye. I’m fine. She wouldn’t have hurt me permanently.” I growled and he laughed a little.
I am so not her fan.
“I know. How’d you go all Wolf then? You know it’s not a full moon. They’ll all be talking about you now.”
Great. More reason to be called a freak.
“You’re no freak, Maria. And I thank you.”
You have my back so I have yours. That’s our deal right?
“Yes. Always.”
I nuzzled his face with mine. His breathing was getting back to normal, but he still needed a moment or two. I sat my long wolf body down in front of him. He made to move his arm and I growled. He laughed and put it back around my neck.
After I changed back I met Dimitri on my way from the shower. He did not look in my eyes, but he seemed happy to see me. He gave me a slight bow and smiled.
“It is you. I knew it would be.” I asked him what he meant, but he shook his giant head and continued on his way.
“Sean is waiting for you, printzyessa.” He called back and I walked down the short hallway to the study. The door was open and Uncle Sean was pacing and running his fingers through his hair.