I nod my agreement, uncomfortable with what we’re doing, but understanding we really have no choice if we want to get him help before it’s too late. And what exactly is too late for an injured vampire?
Pat and I carefully shift, drag, and lift Drew as painlessly as we can to settle him into the trench. Unwilling to put dirt on his open wounds, despite the fact he probably wouldn’t get an infection being undead and all, I grab a handful of dried leaves and scatter those over him.
“Go,” he rasps. Go…”
“Don’t worry, man, we’ll be out of here soon. We will bring back help. I promise.”
Once I feel we’ve covered him as best we can, and there’s no exposed skin showing, we retreat back into the bright sunlight.
“We’ll travel faster as wolves,” Pat says while staring up at the sun. “It’s only going to get hotter the longer we wait.”
“It’s not like he’s going to melt. He’s in the shade, covered up. We’ve done everything we can.”
Pat smirks, a little of the smart ass coming back to the forefront. “I know that, man. It was my fucking awesome idea.” He pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it in the direction of the backpack.
I begin to unbutton my shirt, when a snapping twig behind us pulls me around. Drew staggers out from under the tree limbs, leaves stuck to the wet bloodied patches of his exposed blistering skin, shredded fabric hanging from his limbs, his eyes a solid black.
Pat gets out, “What—” before Drew attacks him, leaping at my friend, his mouth wide open, sharp fangs descended and ready to feed.
“No!” Pat stumbles backward as I lunge forward, tackling the slim vampire. “Stop it, Drew! Get control of yourself!”
He’s like a rabid beast, gnashing his teeth and growling. His black eyes appear feral and maddened. This creature is not my friend. But my friend lies somewhere deep inside the insanity that currently grips him.
Drew’s mouth latches onto the thick muscle between my shoulder and neck, like he’s going to tear a hunk of flesh from my body. “Stop it! You can beat this!” I reach up to wrench his head away from me and scream to Pat to help.
Pat bounds up, races over to our position on the ground and punches Drew in the back of the head hard.
“Hit him again!” I yell. “Hit him again!” That first blow loosened his hold on my shoulder, and all I can think of is getting this leech off me before he does permanent damage.
Pat’s face scrunches up in pain as his fist flies forward again and again, pummeling the vampire until the man’s jaw slackens. As quick as it started, the energy and fight drains out of Drew and his body lies limp against me. I shift my hands to his chest and push him off, strangled gasps of air wheezing from my lungs.
“Holy shit. That was intense. We’ve got to get the hell out of here before he wakes up.” Pat leans over and offers me a hand up. He pulls me to my feet, and I stand, bent over at the waist, hands on my knees breathing hard. I can’t believe it. We waited too long.
“Let’s drag him back to the trench, cover him up, and run a mile before we shift. I want more space between him and us when we’re changing.” I stand and stare my friend. “Thanks.”
“Damn straight. You’d have done the same for me.”
Once we’re done, and have tied Drew’s hands behind his back, Pat and I take off into the woods, sprinting as fast as we can from the hellish scene. Holy crap, Drew tried to drain us. Deep inside I know it wasn’t him. I don’t know what it was—and I hope to never have to face such a reaction in Vivian—but whatever happened to him showed in his eyes. They were black, bottomless pits. That creature wasn’t the man I’ve come to know.
After a few minutes, Pat lunges ahead of me, indicating we’ve gone far enough. We slow, and eventually come to a stop, thoroughly winded from the headlong sprint through the woods.
“I still can’t believe that shit just happened,” Pat says. “It was so damn fast. Normal Drew one minute—crazy, psycho Drew the next.”
“I know, man. We’ve got to get him help. I never thought I’d be as happy to be in the middle of nowhere as I am right now. If there had been a village or homestead nearby, who the hell knows what he would’ve done. I’m glad it was us and not someone weaker.”
Pat nods, glances around, and finally pulls his head over shirt, deciding this is the best place as any to transform into wolves. Since he’s right, I begin to disrobe as well.
“Hey,” Pat says, stopping me. “We should change one at a time, watching over the other during the shift to make sure we’re safe.”
I dip my chin in agreement and turn back the way we came, watching for Drew. Even though I seriously doubt the hog-tied vampire would be able to catch up to us in the time it takes us to shift, I’m also not willing to take the risk.
Five agonizing minutes later, Pat has changed to wolf form, and lies on the ground panting. Once he’s stable, he stands, shakes himself all over, and stares at me, indicating he’s ready. Wasting no time, I strip off my clothes, bundle them up as Pat did with his, and change fast as I can, allowing the painful, agonizingly slow shift to transform my body.
Both of us grab the clothing bundles in our mouths, via loops we made of our pant legs, and race in the direction of the road. I hadn’t planned on us running the hundred or so miles to the resort, because I doubt either one of us has the energy, so I sincerely hope we’re able to find someone who can help us on Haul Road.
A few minutes after we set out, the unmistakable thump-thump-thump of a helicopter’s propellers sounds in the distance. This is one time I wish Pat and I had a telepathic connection, like the magical merry trio does back home.
We stop and turn around, racing toward the sound as it fades in the distance, but the copter can’t see us in the dense foliage. Pat looks back where we came, then looks forward, before finally looking to me. He’s wearing a comical hang-dog expression of “what now?”
I’m not sure what to do, but instinct tells me we need to go back and protect Drew, or more than likely protect the people who might find Drew. It could be a helicopter from home searching for us. That is, if we even have a helicopter.
But if it’s rescuers from Fairbanks and they find the wreckage and send people out after us… they’d have dogs to track, right? Within a few hours, they’d find Drew and then where would we be? There’s really no choice. We have to go back.
Pat recognizes my decision, a whine escaping him. Both of us are torn on this one. The consequences lay heavy on my mind, and reluctantly I lead us back to do the right thing. Shifting again so soon is going to hurt like a bitch.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
VIVIAN
The tan and black hound, also known as Candy, is easier to spot from the helicopter than Jon. His mottled fur coloring blends in better with the wilderness around, but thanks to our mental connection I’m able to keep track of them as they run through the woods following the boys’ scents.
I direct Diego as he flies. He knows we’re following a tracking hound and thanks to a little mental nudge from me, he thinks we brought the dogs along in the helicopter with us. While a lot of the employees have a feeling about what’s going on, most of them don’t know for sure. Or I should say, none of them know for sure about Jon.
The ones who donate blood, they know vampires are real. We’ve never really had an open conversation with the employees about other supernatural creatures, as in what exists and what doesn’t, and in this case, I’ve always felt ignorance is bliss. For them, ignorance is safer.
Anxiety bubbles inside me as I watch the two run through the woods. The fact that Eric, Pat, and Drew all had enough sense to leave the plane wreckage, knowing standard procedure would be a rescue party sent out from Fairbanks, means they’re thinking clearly.
How far did they get? How far into the woods will we need to track?
We travel father than expected, close to fifteen minutes, before I see Jon and Candy come across something in the woods, and their direction seems to di
vert. Very soon I see two more wolves racing toward them and the tracking charm burns hot in my pocket. But they’re alone. There’s no sight of Drew with the two wolves.
I reach through my connection and touch on the neuro pathway leading to Drew, something I’ve done periodically throughout the whole trip. My mind recognizes his essence. He’s still alive, but that’s all I can tell for now. But the question remains, what have they done with him? Where is Drew?
“Diego, I believe we found them. Do you see a place we can land?”
“Not yet, ma’am. Give me a minute to circle around and locate a clearing.”
I watch the four tiny figures through the window, see them change routes again and head in a more easterly direction. Their path indicates they were going toward Haul Road. Smart. If I were them, now knowing where they landed, I probably would’ve done the same.
Why leave Drew behind? Something major had to have happened for them to leave him. Men in the military don’t normally skip out on a comrade.
Diego’s voice comes over the line. “There’s a flat, rocky outcropping ahead. It’s next to the cliff face, meaning we’ll have a sheer drop on one side. But the rocky area is quite large, ideal for a makeshift landing pad. Let me set her down there.”
“Great. Take us down when you’re ready.”
While I could’ve flown the helicopter myself, I don’t think I could’ve managed following Jon and Candy on the ground as easily without Diego. He’s a top-notch pilot, and lands the helicopter easily, despite the uneven surface. “Shut her down, Diego. I’m not sure long how long we’ll be here. Might as well conserve the fuel.”
“Roger that.” The engine winds down, and very soon the propellers lie still.
I grab the cooler we brought with us, the one filled with hot packs and bags of blood. I knew whatever happened to Drew, he’d suffer damage from the sun. I slide open the door and jump out, grateful for the thickly-soled hiking boots to keep my purchase on the rock.
As I walk toward the line of trees, the four canines come barreling out. The large hound is dwarfed by the immense size of the werewolves. Despite looking like a wolf and having all the physical attributes of one, real wolves don’t weigh the same as a grown man.
I motion for them to wait where they are, so we don’t waste any more time. Once I arrive, cooler in hand, I address the boys, “Is Drew nearby?”
They both yip, in what sounds like a positive response. “I know it will take you both too long to change, can you lead me to him?”
Two more yips sound in the air and they turnaround, returning to the woods the way they came.
After a few minutes of following them through the forest, they refuse to go any further, pointing their noses toward a large tree with deep shade underneath. Unsure of their hesitancy, I decide to ease forward on my own. Whatever has happened to Drew, I know I’ll be the only one who can safely handle him.
And judging by the younger wolves’ desire not to come any closer, I’m guessing it certainly was something big that happened between the three of them. As I bend down and scoot under the canopy, the tree’s darkness envelopes me, the temperature dropping several degrees already.
A loud hiss greets me from the darkness. “Drew? It’s me. You’re going to be okay.”
I set the cooler down, open it, and pull out a bag of blood. One sharp fingernail pierces the top, and the scent of rich, warm blood seeps into the air. Strangled, garbled gasps followed by another hiss reveals exactly where Drew’s body lies. He’s on his side, his arms bound behind his back, and his bloodied face carries numerous open sores oozing fresh blood.
I’ve seen this type of reaction before, the fatal damage a vampire can receive from the sun. After a while, our natural healing ability is taxed so much it can no longer heal, and we become more susceptible and more damaged with every repeat exposure to the sun.
If anyone should know how sun exposure can eventually kill any vampire, it’s me. It was my preferred method used on several ancients, one of whom was a deranged pedophile who really needed to die.
I have no experience saving someone from a situation like this. But, one thing I do know: blood cures all—at least for a vampire. I brush the leaves off his bound form, searching for whatever they used to tie him up. Before I have a chance to cut his bindings, he snaps at me. His teeth clamping down viciously on the air.
Deciding the way he is right now is as good a time as any to feed him, I bring the opening in the bag to his mouth and pour the blood in. He begins to gulp and choke, his hunger so intense, he’s messy in his need and blood dribbles down the sides of his mouth, coating his face, mingling with the blood already on his skin.
The first pint is drained sooner than I would’ve expected. So I grab another and repeat the process. I brought four pints. And judging by his wounds, I still don’t think it’s going to be enough. “We’ll get you to the inn and Dr. Cook’s clinic as fast as possible. If you need to, you can feed from me on the ride back.”
I’m wondering if he has a bit of sun poisoning along with the damage. Sun poisoning on a human is not quite the same as it is for a vampire. Enough sun poisoning can and will eventually drive the vampire mad.
My only hope is that we’ve reached him in time. His black eyes have me worried. After the first pint, they should have faded back to his normal brown color.
I’m glad I told Diego to turn off the helicopter, because by the time we’re done at least forty minutes have gone by. The others have not come closer, and looking at Drew, I’m glad they didn’t.
His wounds are healing, slowly, but he still hasn’t spoken beyond a hiss or growl. Before giving him the last bag, I gently probe his mind. His mental pain and confusion is still high, telling me he needs more blood. Despite what I said to him earlier, it’s too dangerous to share my blood with him while he’s like this. With his eyes still black, he could easily snap and go after one of us on the helicopter—which is not something I’m willing to risk.
I’m going to need to knock him out. When Drew approaches the end of the pint, I cradle his head in both my hands and slip into his memories. Invading his mind is something I promised myself, and every member of my seethe, I would never do. But extenuating circumstances often call for extreme actions. Hopefully he can forgive me later when I tell him.
His mind is not what I expect—it’s a hazy craze of bloodlust. This isn’t good. I sift through the scattered surface emotions to delve deeper, but I resist acknowledging the damage I see. I’d like him to have more treatment—meaning blood and a long healing sleep—before I have to make a judgment call.
My shoulders slump, it’s not a call I want to make for Drew. Or for anyone in my care, for that matter. Pushing away the subtle feelings of failure as they try to encase my spirit, I force him into a deep restorative sleep, the state his body would normally be in broad daylight. Hyped up on blood, he could easily stay awake, but with the deranged brain patterns I saw, it’s definitely not safe.
When he’s out, I lay him back and collect the empty bags, setting everything in the cooler. I walk out from the shade and deliver the cooler at Jon’s feet. He, Pat, and Eric have all shifted back while I was with Drew, and judging by the clothes Jon is wearing, he must have returned to the helicopter to fetch his.
“How is he?” Jon asks.
I glance back at the shade under the tree. “I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure? From what they told me, he survived the crash.”
“He made it.” My eyes dart to Pat and Eric, then look away. “But he’s not himself. Did he hurt you two?”
“Yes, ma’am. He did. We had to tie him up.”
Jon looks shocked. “You tied up an injured vampire?”
Pat chimes in, his anxiety radiating off him. “We had no choice. We gave blood and helped him as long as we could. That’s how we got as far as we did.” He twists his hands, self-guilt evident in his tone. “But then something happened… He wasn’t himself at the end
. He went after us. We had to do something.”
Eric nods, opening his mouth to add more.
I hold up my hands to stop him. “Relax. No one’s mad at you. You did the right thing. He wouldn’t have stopped until he killed you both.”
Jon looks past me toward the tree. “What do you want to do?”
“I’m going to carry him back to the helicopter. I don’t need any help, and I want you guys to stay clear until I have him secured inside. It’s not that I don’t trust the compulsion I put on him to sleep. It’s…” I run my hands through my hair and sigh. “I’m not so sure how much of him is still there.”
Eric looks distraught. Hands on his hips, he stares off at the tree, a tortured expression on his face. “What more could we have done? Is it our fault? Should we have buried him sooner and made him stay in the shade?”
“You did everything you could. Don’t second-guess yourself. You guys traveled over thirty miles with him, were you aware you’d gone so far?”
Pat shakes his head, his self-disgust evident. He walks away, in the direction of the helicopter.
I look around the clearing. “Where’s Candy? I was hoping I’d get to meet her.”
“I asked her to stay back at the helicopter. She didn’t bring any clothes with her and I wasn’t sure what we’d be facing here. She’s wearing an old jumpsuit and shoes left in the cabin from earlier. I told her to drink water and rehydrate after her long flight.”
“Good. I’ll meet you guys at the helicopter.”
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Eric asks. “I don’t feel comfortable walking away and leaving him here for you. He’s our friend. I feel like we let him down.”
Jon pats him on the shoulder. “Trust me. She can handle it. Let’s do as she’s asked.”
The three of them return to the helicopter and I go back and grab Drew. It takes a little maneuvering so I don’t hurt him, but soon enough I’ve got him in a fireman’s carry across both my shoulders. I move slowly hoping to not jostle him and cause any more injuries, but well aware his exposed skin can still be damaged by the sun during this transfer to the helicopter.
Sharpen the Blade (The V V Inn Book 6) Page 18