Reclaimed

by Diane Alberts

  “The only way I differ from you is you can’t kill me. In human form, if I got hit by a train, I’d get up and walk away after a short break to recover. Run over? I’d heal almost immediately. Shot? My body absorbs it. The only way to kill me is if I am one of them. Then, I’m vulnerable.

  “As far as food—well, you already know I eat normal food. When I phase, however, I take on the tendencies of the creature I become. If I’m a vampire, I thirst for blood. As a werewolf, I hunger for meat. I become that creature, and act as such.” He paused to await any questions she might have about his last statements.

  “All those things are real?” she asked incredulously. It made sense that if Elijah and Isaac were real, the rest would be, too. But come on, man. All the things kids were terrified of, the things that went bump in the night, really did exist?

  “Yes, everything you’ve heard of, and some you haven’t.”

  “What do you mean ‘some I haven’t’?”

  “Shines, mongrels, fourwers—”

  “Okay, enough. Way too much information. I don’t even know what the heck those are.” She held a hand up when his mouth opened. “And don’t need to know right now. Maybe I’ll never need to know.” She shuddered. “Let’s get back on track. Why not stay an Enforcer to battle these…creatures? If you are, as you say, immortal as an Enforcer?”

  “When I’ve changed into one of them, I’m faster, stronger. My reflexes are improved greatly. It makes it possible for me to beat them. As an Enforcer, while unable to die, I’m not as strong, nor as quick. I’m also susceptible to human weaknesses, such as being knocked unconscious. Not a good thing in a battle.”

  Okay, that, at least, made sense. “Have you ever, as a vampire—?” She stuttered to a halt, scared of his answer.

  “No, I’ve not bitten anyone. If I do, there’s a hefty price to pay. If I succumb to my beastly desires, I’m cursed to remain that creature for all my days, and in turn will be hunted down and killed. So, you see, I can’t afford to be weak.”

  “Elijah, as a vampire, does he…act like one? I mean, kill people?” She shivered as she pictured Elijah jumping out at an unsuspecting old woman walking down the road.

  The now familiar ice-mask he wore when he no longer liked the subject at hand reappeared when she mentioned Elijah’s name, and she cringed. Her inquisitive writer’s mind had to be getting the best of her. Perhaps she shouldn’t ask about Elijah.

  Gee, do you think?

  But she needed to know every detail about his amazing life. It felt so new and incredible.

  “Yes, he acts as a vampire and drinks blood, though he tends to stay away from people. He has, on occasion, weakened and succumbed to his desires. But he mostly feeds off of wildlife and blood banks. He doesn’t change into a bat or anything, and sunlight doesn’t bother him, either. Elijah does, however, hate garlic. It will keep him away from your blood.”

  “Crucifixes?” she asked.

  “Hates them, especially gold ones. Gold burns vampires.”

  “Gold? I thought silver hurt them.”

  “A myth they put about to make everyone steer away from gold,” he stated as he shook his head. “It worked, too.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch,” she grumbled. “I need to get a gold crucifix.”

  “It won’t stop Elijah, or Louisa. It’s merely an annoyance for ones who are as strong as they are. They’d rip them off and heal right away. They’re most effective on newborns.”

  “Well, there goes my grand plan. At least he hates garlic, since I happen to love it.”

  “That doesn’t, I repeat, doesn’t make him safe or trustworthy. Sometimes, no matter how much a vampire tries to be good, he just can’t resist the lure of human blood—garlic or no garlic. I’ll be honest and say there are ones who succeed in resisting their animalistic nature. Elijah is one of them, and as such, he’s not high on our list of targets. But if I were to come across him, it would be different.”

  She nodded, accepting the warning for what it truly meant: stay away from Elijah, or I may run across him and have to kill him. She didn’t want to put any of them in that position. Isaac had been trying to protect her, and in some twisted way his brother, all along. Her suspicions at his secrets faded away.

  He hadn’t spoken to her about it before because he’d feared to turn her away. Plain and simple.

  “If you came across him and let him go, what would happen?”

  “Theoretically, if no one knew, nothing would happen. But if I were caught doing such a thing, I’d be tracked down and killed, like any other target of ours.”

  His eyes glittered like ice, and she could almost hear his teeth gnashing together. “Did you find him earlier?”

  “No, he’d already left and I didn’t follow his trail. I wanted to come here to explain this whole mess to you.”

  “Can I ask another question, about Elijah?” She hated making him mad, but she had one last question. At his nod, she continued. “When I talked to him, he told me he couldn’t tell me what he is. Not wouldn’t, but couldn’t. Why? Did I misunderstand his words?”

  “No, you understood. Just as my kind have their sets of rules, so do his. He’s not allowed to tell anyone of his existence, unless it’s a person he’s about to change. Or a person about to become his dinner, neither of which you are. Or ever will be.”

  It would be impossible to miss the proprietary tone in his voice, or the warning he gave. She belonged to him and him alone. That didn’t sound too bad, even if he were some kind of freak of nature.

  She’d never been normal anyway.

  “Oh. I-I see.”

  Staring off into space, she wondered what had happened in the meadow after Isaac had lost consciousness. Elijah had said he had killed Amelia, but had he really? Or did he blame himself for his weakness?

  Isaac believed her to be Amelia reincarnated. It could be possible, she supposed. She’d been drawn to this area, and God knew she’d become obsessed with Isaac. And, to be honest, to some extent she felt drawn to Elijah as well. They were like two incredibly hot magnets, pulling her in opposite directions.

  But she couldn’t deny it any longer; Isaac’s pull was stronger. And would win, hands-down.

  “You’ve been quiet for a while now. Are you okay? Got any more questions for me?” He smiled playfully at her.

  “Um, yeah. Tons. So many I can’t even sort them out to make sense.” She massaged her temples and flinched at the headache rapidly gaining strength. “You said you change into the creatures you fight. Do you have to become a werewolf to fight a werewolf, or can you fight a werewolf as a vampire?”

  “I can become whatever I feel I need to be to win the fight. More often than not, I morph into the same species. It makes sense.” He shrugged his right shoulder, and then rubbed his head. It left his hair sticking up in places, looking delightfully mussed. Sabrina yearned to run her fingers through it. She reached out to touch his soft waves and jumped when a pounding on the door broke into their conversation. Before she could even hop to her feet, Isaac stood at the door, swinging it open.

  Would she ever get used to how fast he moved?

  Probably not.

  All thought left her as she caught sight of their visitor. The man was huge, at least six-and-a-half feet tall. He had to be a bodybuilder or something, judging by the bulging muscles straining underneath the black skin on his biceps. It didn’t even look like he could fit through the door.

  Yikes.

  “I smell a mongrel.” He scrunched his nose as if disgusted. “I’d say it’s close by, no more than a mile. It must be looking for—” He threw a meaningful glance in her direction, and finished, “dinner.”

  Isaac tensed, looking torn. She could tell he couldn’t decide whether to stay here, or to go after the mongrel. “Please, Isaac, I’ll be okay. Go. I’ll stay inside. I promise.” She met his eyes, eager to show him she told the truth.

  After all, she didn’t have a death wish, and she could do without seeing this ‘mon
grel’, thank you very much.

  He rushed to her side and grabbed her arms. “I’ll get him. Connor will stay here to watch the house. He won’t let anything by.”

  She had no trouble believing that.

  “Be careful, Isaac.” Even knowing his strength, her heart dropped to her stomach at the thought of him chasing a dangerous...whatever it had been called. He grabbed her face and kissed her, leaving her clinging to him in need. But unfortunately, the kiss was brief. He had a mongrel to kill.

  She staggered when he released her, and she didn’t miss the smug smile on his face as he vowed, “I’ll return soon.”

  You better.

  She bolted to the window to watch him jog away. Wait, why could she still see him? She knew for a fact he could move faster than the human eye could see. His pants hit the ground, and she caught a glimpse of bare buttocks before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

  Well, duh, mongrels didn’t run around in clothes. Whatever the hell a mongrel was.

  A mongrel turned out to be a huge freaking beast that stood eight-feet tall and had long, black fur. The fur didn’t look shaggy or coarse, surprisingly: in fact, it looked silky. He stood on his hind legs, sniffing the air. Catching the scent of his prey? She shivered at the sight. These beasts were out there, and humans were none the wiser.

  It horrified her.

  Isaac took off into the woods, and she rested a hand on the window pane, silently wishing him luck. Studying the empty spot he had left, she headed to the door to collect the clothes scattered about the lawn. A form stepped into her path, and she shrieked in surprise. Holding a hand to her racing heart, she gaped at the face looming over her.

  Oh, right. The giant man Isaac had left behind to guard her. How had she forgotten about him?

  What had Isaac called him? Connor?

  “I’m sorry. I forgot you were there….” She let her voice trail off, seeking his name.

  He smiled. “Connor.”

  “Connor. Right. I’m Sabrina. Nice to meet you.” She held out a hand to him, and he shook it. Oh God, her hand disappeared inside his—like a newborn baby and its father.

  Yikes.

  “I know who you are. I’ve been here the past few days, keeping an eye on things.”

  “Oh…really? I had no idea.” Though it felt a bit unnerving to have a strange man lurking about, it also comforted her. He sure looked like one heck of a man.

  “Don’t be frightened. Isaac sent me to help keep you safe, not guard you. You’re not a prisoner, or anything.”

  “Well, thanks for keeping an eye on things. I’m gonna go outside and grab his clothes.” She gestured at the door and moved toward it. She paused when he blocked her way a second time. She stepped to the side and tried to pass him, but he blocked her way once more. She raised an eyebrow in question.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Sabrina. I’m going outside to keep watch, so I’ll gather them for him. You stay inside, okay?”

  Well, if that wasn’t a contradiction, she didn’t know what would be. Not a prisoner, but not allowed outside?

  Okay.

  “Wait!” she exclaimed. “Can I ask you a question?”

  He paused mid-stride, turning to her with a raised brow. “Sure thing, ask away.”

  “You’re like Isaac, right? An Enforcer?”

  “Yes, I am.” His chest puffed out as he straightened to his full height. How the hell did he fit in the house?

  “So, why did you come tell Isaac about the problem? Why not run and take care of it yourself? I’m not upset or anything,” she hurried to assure him. “Just curious.”

  “Oh, well as the Ruler, Isaac gets told of all incidents, no matter how minor. Also, he has more powers than any Enforcer. He’s faster, stronger, and more capable than all of us combined. So it makes sense he would choose to go, since the mongrel—” Again his nose scrunched in disgust. “Came so close to you.”

  “The Ruler?” Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what that meant. It sounded as if he insinuated Isaac was a leader of some sort. And Isaac certainly hadn’t mentioned being in charge of anything. Or anyone.

  Connor stiffened imperceptibly at her question and cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry, but I have to go outside. If you have questions, please ask Isaac.” The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her accompanied only by the unanswered questions filling her mind.

  Chapter Seven

  Louisa lurked close-by. Elijah smelled her stench. Well, she didn’t actually smell bad, but to him, it reeked of evil. Since scaring off Sabrina, he’d been following Louisa across the country, in a game of cat and mouse, one he didn’t like to play. She, however, loved having his undivided attention.

  Sick bitch.

  He’d been trying to kill her for years. No matter how fast he ran, she always escaped due to her gift, her ability to see the future. Not the distant future, but she saw the world five seconds ahead of the rest of them, in her own unique time zone.

  In battles, it proved to be an invaluable tool to have. She’d be dead by now—by his hand—if she hadn’t been blessed with such a gift. Instead, she lived to watch him suffer in the hell she’d put him in. She laughed as he resisted blood and mocked him in his feeble attempts to remain more human than monster.

  And Isaac being an Enforcer thrilled her to no end. She never missed an opportunity to gloat over it. He skidded to a halt when her trail disappeared.

  Where the heck did she go?

  “Hello, Elijah. Lovely to see you. What brings you to see me on this glorious day?”

  Following her voice, he located her on the highest branch of the tree overhead. She always hung around in trees. He wondered fleetingly if she had been a cat in her previous life. Hah, more like a lion. Her eyes glittered in the sunlight, and she smiled in the face of his frustration.

  He growled in return before replying. “You know why I’m here, Louisa. Leave her alone. She’s done nothing to you. Take your anger out on me. She is innocent.”

  Louisa dropped to the ground in front of him and tossed him through the air. He slammed into a nearby tree and slid to the ground. He leapt to his feet, ready to defend himself.

  “Take your anger out on me,” she mocked. “Amusing, I know I’ve heard similar words before. The memory escapes me, though. Oh, where have I heard it? Hmm….” She tapped her finger against her chin as if she strained to remember. Her eyes focused on him, and he glared in return. “Oh, silly me. It was from you as I broke your little harlot into pieces in front of your very eyes. Such a delightful day, too.” She cackled.

  Anger consumed him, causing him to rip a nearby tree out of the ground and throw it at her. Futile effort at best, but that didn’t stop him.

  He despised her.

  She sidestepped it before continuing. “Now, now Elijah. Don’t be a poor sport. You’ll ruin my fun. And I’m so looking forward to breaking her apart again.”

  He roared and lunged for her. His arms sought for purchase, but met thin air. He crashed to the ground and rolled to his feet. Though he lacked the ability to outthink her, he didn’t lack the ability to outrun her. He effortlessly caught up to her and knocked her face first on the ground. She snarled while she fought to free herself, and he howled in satisfaction as he grasped her head in one hand and her neck in the other. Just before he had the chance to rip her head off, she managed to free herself by kicking him in the balls.

  Vampire or not, that still hurt like hell.

  Son of a bitch.

  Not allowing the pain to rule him, he leapt to his feet, only to have them swept out from under him. He landed on the ground, and his head slammed on a tree root.

  This time, the pain ripped through him intensely enough to cause him to lie motionless for a split second, allowing her to disappear into the woods.

  He didn’t give chase.

  ***

  Isaac studied the mongrel as it followed Sabrina’s scent. Thunder crashed above even though the sun beat down on his th
ick fur. Sabrina adored being outdoors, much like Amelia had, and could easily stumble upon this monstrosity and become its meal. She’d stand no chance against the thing as it jumped on her, gnawing her limbs from her body.

  He leapt on the unsuspecting beast in sheer fury. How dare he hunt Sabrina?

  He wasted no time dismembering the creature, devouring the chunks whole. He swallowed a paw before pausing to break the leg bones using his massive teeth. Once only the torso remained, he slowed his pace.

  The tender muscle always tasted the best, and he savored the flavor of his enemy. To kill a mongrel, one must eat every last piece, or else they’d simply regenerate. Afterward, he lounged in the sunlight. Shifting too soon after a meal would give him a hell of a stomachache, so he forced himself to enjoy the feel of the breeze ruffling his fur.

  When he had become an Enforcer, his stomach and mind had rebelled against the very nature of the mongrels, more so than any other monster. He had to eat the creatures, bones and all. But during his first battle, he’d discovered he thought like a mongrel when in their form, and therefore could enjoy the task. In human form, however, he tried to not dwell upon his dining habits in his alternate forms.

  Hopefully, it would be something he’d never be forced to tell Sabrina, either. It would be enough to send any sensible girl running for the nearest airport. Although Sabrina, he snorted, had proved less than sensible so far. She’d be far too brave to be scared by a beast.

  She liked him.

  Nonetheless, he’d rather keep this part of his job hidden from her. Just like he wouldn’t tell her that he was technically a king. Telling her of his position might scare her off as no monster could. Loving him would take a big commitment on her part. And she would love him.