by Anna Lewis
“Not so tough now huh sweetheart?” he snarled. Before either of us could make a move, a giant brown wolf mowed him down. It pinned him to the ground and ripped at the Hunter's throat with his teeth. I stared at the wolf, shocked that he was helping me. He lifted his head and speared me with his hazel gaze. It was the alpha who'd yelled at me. He snarled and I remembered the battle around us.
“Jeffers,” I called. I searched for him and noted Damien finishing a kill. Roland and Nia were still standing, but the others were fallen. “It's time for us to go,” I told my team. Damien nodded and the four of us grouped up. There were only three wolves left and they drew nearer to us as well.
“Listen…” Nia said. She inclined her head to the left. There were more Hunters incoming.
“It's like they're spawning from thin air,” Damien growled.
“We need to move,” I said. Our odd group moved deeper into the forest, away from the humans tracking us.
“This is counterproductive Sophie,” Damien said. We were moving deeper into the territory the Hunters had seized.
“The safe house,” I said. We were nearby one of our coven's cabins. We'd set it up on the edge of the wolf-vampire boundary, just in case any of our kind encountered wolves while out hunting stray hikers. It was far enough east that I hoped it went overlooked by the Hunters.
“Can we make it there?” Roland asked.
“If we hurry,” I said. I shot off towards the direction of the cabin and even the wolves followed my lead.
* * *
We ran for hours, though it felt like days. It was the first instance in my life that time meant anything to me. I found myself praying for it to slow just for us. I wasn't dying at the hand of a Hunter. Soon I saw the thick bunching of trees that hid the small cabin from sight. One of the trees was nearly covered in moss and vines and acted as a subtle marker for the safe house. When I slowed, so did the group.
“You wolves should shift into normal form. We have to squeeze past the trees,” I said. I didn't wait to see them shift, we simply continued forward. The size of the cabin—above ground—was only the span of one room. It was unassuming as we could make it. It had a kitchenette, a futon across from a space heater, and one bookcase by the small window.
“This is the safe house?” said a deep voice behind me. Whoever spoke was answered with three hisses from my fighters. I was tempted to leave the wolves above while we took solace underground. But the facility below was extensive and would hold us all comfortably enough. I moved towards the window and slid the bookcase to the side. It sat on a section of the floorboards that were in fact the bunker's hatch, like a manhole. It took some work, but I managed to get the thing open.
“You first,” Damien said when I looked up. I nodded, then jumped down the manhole. The only difference was it being square apart from circular. I quickly moved out of the way as everyone else jumped down. The alpha wolf was the last to jump in, he pulled the hatch shut tight.
“What about the bookcase?” one of his wolves asked.
“It was off center before, now it appears as if it's in place,” I said.
“That's…semi-smart,” he scoffed.
“Relax Joseph,” the alpha said.
“Why haven't the lights come on yet?” the remaining wolf asked. He sounded almost prepubescent.
“We have to switch on the breakers,” Damien said. He sounded irritated, though it was safe to say everyone was. What with the amount of losses we took and being forced to hide out with our longtime enemies.
“Can't you wolves see in the dark?” I asked and turned to face the wolves head on. They simply stared at me instead of replying. A breath later, the room lit up. Underneath the cabin was set up much like a small underground base. It had a control room, kitchen with ample seating, a common area—where we stood—and several rooms with adjoining bathrooms. The common area was set up much like a lounge; it had a few small couches and two chaise lounges all angled towards the single hallway that led to the rest of the base. There wasn't much by way of entertainment in the bunker, unless one wanted to sit in the control room to watch the video feeds from the hidden cameras set up around the cabin.
“Feel free to explore. There should be enough rooms for everyone…we should regroup in a few hours to discuss a plan to get back to safety,” I said.
“Who made you leader?” Joseph asked.
“This is our safe house dog, you'd be sure to remember that. Not to mention you are outnumbered here. We certainly don't need your dead weight around here,” Damien snarled.
“Damien.” I said his name softly and he stood down, though he kept his angry gaze leveled on Joseph.
“Shut your mouth before you get us killed, or left to the Hunters,” the alpha ordered. Joseph didn't say anything more. “We'll behave if things remain civil here. Until we figure a way out of these woods,” he told us.
“What's your name?” I asked.
“Kai, and this is Nick,” he said. Nick was slimmer and a bit shorter than his counterparts. His youth was apparent in his wide blue gaze. Like Kai, he wore his hair long, but that was all the resemblance between them. Joseph sported a bald head and battle hardened features. There was a long thin scar that went from the tip of his eyebrow to his jaw. His dark eyes were like onyx in the diffuse, power saving, light.
“I'm Sophie, this is Damien, Roland, and Nia,” I said. There was an awkward beat of silence. It would be more than strange to turn my back on a werewolf. But Kai did kill a Hunter in my benefit. “We will agree to be civil,” I said.
“Great…is there food in this place?” Joseph asked.
“Above, in the kitchenette there are some non-perishables,” Roland said.
“Great…” Joseph said. I took a deep breath and moved to sit on one of the chaise lounges. I watched as Joseph moved with surprising stealth to climb back out into the cabin. He was quick in passing all the food there down. There was about a week's worth of canned goods there.
Kai appraised the containers that were passed through. “This should last us three days, four if we stretch it,” he said.
“Hopefully we won't be down here that long,” Damien muttered. Nia and Roland had lost interest in the wolves' food hunt. They sat on the couch nearest me. As siblings, I was sure the main reason they were still alive was because they stuck close to one another. They shared the same angular features, curly black hair, and bright moon colored eyes.
“They really are animals,” Damien muttered as he sat next to me. I shot him a warning glance and he held his hands up in mock surrender.
“I feel tired, entirely too tired,” I sighed. Joseph and Nick took the containers of food deeper into the bunker. I hoped they stored it in the kitchen.
“If you need to feed?” Damien offered me his wrist, but I shook my head. In emergencies, such as the one we were in, vampires could feed from each other sparingly. It gave the direct nutrient we needed to keep us going for a time. “I would suggest resting, but I don't like that Joseph. Kai seems honorable and Nick harmless,” he said.
“True…” I said.
“We are going to get a few hours' rest Sophie, Damien,” Roland said. We nodded at Damien and Nia before they went to find rooms.
“I've always thought they were too close for brother and sister,” Damien said. I chuckled and shook my head.
* * *
After we heard most everything quiet within the bunker, Damien and I retired. He took the room right next to mine. As I stood at the foot of the bed I realized just how large the bunker was. An entire queen sized bed fit in the room. There was also a reading chair in the corner, opposite the bathroom door. Each room was identical as well.
I went to clean the battle off me and decompress. In the bathroom, there was a set of clothes for a male and female. They were combat leathers, nothing I wanted to change into right away. I took a quick shower and settled into bed naked. Though we didn't need as much, vampires still slept, especially without having fed to replenish the
energy spent in fighting. As I closed my eyes, all I could picture were the faces of my fallen vampires. All were intrinsically loyal and each had plenty others who would mourn their loss. I lay in bed for three hours, staring at the concrete ceiling, and tried to force myself to sleep. I gave up when I heard voices passing by in the hall.
As I got out of bed there was a knock on my door. Then Kai's deep voice penetrated the room, “Are you awake Sophie? I was hoping we could talk about a strategy to present to the others for getting out of here,” he said.
“I'm awake, I'll just be a moment,” I said. I was hyper-aware of my nakedness and Kai's proximity. Oddly enough, it felt as if the door wasn't there. I knew he was waiting on the other side; I could hear his slow heartbeat. Quickly, I changed into the clean combat leathers. It was a full body suit accompanied with boots and a duster jacket. Though I usually kept my shoulder length hair straight, it had a natural curl when left to air dry. My eyes looked dull compared to their usual ice blue color. I knew it wouldn't be long until the need to feed hit me hard.
When I opened the bedroom door Kai was indeed leaning against the door frame. His hair was pulled back into a half ponytail and he wore the same jeans and plain black t-shirt from the night before. It wasn't as if they'd gotten dirty. He'd only fought in his wolf form.
“The others are spending their time in the control room, watching the monitors. The Hunters really don't know this place is here, but they do patrols close by,” he said. He was getting right down to business.
“I'm sure they figured they could ignore this place if they had noticed and looked in the cabin before,” I said.
“Right. So, shall we talk in the common area?” he asked.
“Of course,” I said and stepped from the room.
“So, the others have been vague but…are you the Sophie? The vampire princess?” he asked. I rolled my eyes. That unfortunate nickname was something given to me in jest. How it had gotten into werewolf conversation was beyond me.
“I'm not a ‘vampire princess'. But My father does oversee the Prime Coven of this region and I am to take his role in due time,” I said.
“Huh…you aren't quite what I had in mind when I pictured the vampire princess people talk about,” he said.
“What is said about me in your circles?” I asked, truly curious. We'd started a slow walk towards the common room.
“That you lead the least aggressive coven. It's why a lot of my kind live in Portland,” he said.
“I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or insult,” I murmured. Kai chuckled.
“Well, coming from me, I appreciate your coven's tame nature. It bodes well for the population of my fellow wolves,” he said. My coven did not go hunting in the woods as other vampires did. We encountered fewer wolves, thus had no reason to engage many in combat. We'd sent many fighting parties out to aid in eradicating the Hunters, but the night before was the only excursion we'd lost so many vampires.
“We aren't tame, we simply stay away from needless conflict with your kind,” I said.
“When you take over the regional coven, how about you implement that policy into all the smaller covens?” he said.
“Are you ordering me?” I asked. Kai smirked, but held his hands up in surrender.
“No, of course not Princess,” he said, still grinning. I wanted to laugh and punch him at the same time, it was an odd emotion.
“So, you said they've been studying the Hunters' patrols around the cabin?” I said. We'd reached the lounge area. I sat down on a chaise and stretched my legs out on it. Kai sat near my feet. I wondered why he chose to sit so close to me.
“Yes, surprisingly Damien and Joseph work well together when focusing on something mutually beneficial,” he said.
“It seems like much happened in three hours,” I said. Kai chuckled.
“Yeah, to say the least. They're still trying to find a pattern in the Hunters' patrols. I'm sure it'll take at least twenty-four hours to figure that out,” he said.
“Then what strategy could we possibly brainstorm on, without that information?” I asked.
“Just the mechanics. We're looking for a window of time to get out of the woods. Will we stay together? Will we split up? Take a certain formation?” he asked.
“Ah, right…” I said. I blamed my lack of energy on my shortsightedness. “I'm not sure if you picked up on it while in the fight. But when we took to the trees and you all were on the ground, it worked as a good formation to surprise and attack the Hunters,” I suggested.
“It leaves us mostly vulnerable,” he said.
“Not if we're a few paces ahead of you all,” I said.
“It's too easy for you vampires to just bail on us.” He shook his head and then leveled his golden gaze on me.
I said nothing, my mind blank for a moment.
“I'm not trying to insinuate anything…but are you thinking clearly?” he asked.
“I'm fine. What are your suggestions then?” I said, waving away his concern.
“We pair up, obviously there's gonna be a group of three, but we split off in pairs. Of course, we'd be within reasonable proximity with each other, but it doesn't group us all up for the slaughter. That way we each have a better chance at getting away alive,” he suggested.
“Pair up as in vampire to wolf?” I asked. Kai nodded.
“As unnatural as it seems, yes. But this is an extreme situation,” he said.
* * *
“What you're proposing is…logical I suppose,” I said. Kai nodded, his gaze seemed concerned as he watched me.
“You look sick and that's saying a lot for a vampire,” he said. I took a slow breath, my chest felt heavy with exhaustion.
“I simply need to sleep,” I said.
“We both lost a lot of fighters out there,” he said. His voice had softened and his gaze seemed understanding.
“You couldn't sleep either?” I asked.
“Not a wink,” he said, his voice heavy. “But I did eat at least. Can't your kind feed from each other?” he asked.
“Yes, but we are all in similar positions. I don't want to take any of the energy they have, feeding one only to deplete another,” I said. Kai nodded slowly and leveled a considering gaze on me before he stood up.
“Well, let me walk you back to your room then,” he offered.
“Thank you,” I said.
He stood and gently pulled me up by supporting my forearms. Once I was standing, I kept hold of his arm and used him to lean on. He was incredibly warm and smelled like pine. The burn of thirst inched up my throat and I felt my fangs elongating. I was shocked that I was reacting so strongly. Then again, I wondered when the last time I fed was. It must have been months before. I was to a point where my body wasn't discriminating about what I could drink from. I kept my gaze averted from Kai. I didn't want him to see the change in my visage.
“You aren't…like Joseph,” I muttered.
Kai laughed. “Thank you, I actively try not to be,” he said.
“I mean to say, you aren't what I thought wolves to be like,” I clarified.
“I guess you and I are the same in that way…not what the other thought,” he said softly. If I wasn't mistaken, I heard a degree of intimacy to his tone. I looked up at him with mild surprise. His eyes widened of course when he saw my eyes glowing. Thankfully I had it in me to keep my fangs from fully descending.
“Okay, I'm getting you to your room and sending Damien over,” he said. The pang of disappointment I felt was baffling. All I could do was nod and let him get me to the room. He walked me to the bed and sat me down, then he hurried to fetch Damien. I lay down on my side and closed my eyes while he was gone.
“Sophie.” Damien's voice woke me from the light slumber I fell into. I opened my eyes and saw him crouched in front of me. Kai was standing in the doorway watching. I couldn't fathom his expression, he looked so serious. I focused on Damien, he looked just as tired as I felt.
“How are you sta
nding?” I mumbled.
“I drank from Nia. Roland and I were thinking of venturing out to capture a Hunter,” he said. I glanced over his shoulder at Kai. There was a small scowl on his lips.
“No, no…” I shook my head. “That wouldn't be wise,” I said.
“Of course we'd strip them of all gear, and once either of us feeds they'd be in a state of euphoria,” he said. I glanced at Kai once more. Damien looked back and sighed.
“You don't have to stay here,” he said. Kai pursed his lips and slowly walked out of sight.
“I don't think keeping a Hunter as blood slave here would help things with the wolves,” I said. Damien rolled his eyes.
“That is not what it would be,” he said.
“Damien, holding humans captive to bleed them dry is not how vampires operate anymore. We take what we need, wipe all memory and that is it,” I said sharply.
“Given the situation—”
“Enough. We aren't staying down here longer than a few days. This discussion is over,” I said.
“Of course Sophie,” Damien said. He inclined his head in acquiescence. “Here, you need to feed.” He offered his wrist. I sat up and brought it to my lips. My fangs descended sharply and I struck him quick. Blood spilled from his vein and I could already feel some life entering my system. I took only two swallows of his blood before I let him go and licked the puncture wound for it to heal.