by Stead, Nick
I looked back down at the dead Slayer. Half his face was gone, one socket gaping blank and empty, the other missing the lower eyelid and surrounding tissue. There was something incredibly ghoulish about that mismatched stare. Another reminder that we were all monsters here.
I ate my fill, then grabbed the blanket Janet had wrapped me in when I’d first entered. Time to leave. I’d lingered too long already, and there were probably more Slayers on the way to clean up the mess. They’d obviously decided a pile of dead bodies was easier to cover up than dealing with any living witnesses. No doubt they’d be happy to have another attempt at killing me though, and I didn’t feel like fighting my way through more of them that night.
Luke watched me with interest. I ignored him and prowled over to the doorway. I wasn’t sure why I was letting him live when I’d just killed so many others and I still didn’t trust him. A part of me wanted to place my trust in him, I think, but something about him didn’t feel right, and I had enough sense to listen to my gut, for the time being at least. His eyes never left me as I cleared the doorway and slid the bolt back into the unlocked position. I expected him to make some parting comment when I pulled the door open, but he didn’t. There was only the greeting of the howling wind.
With a shiver, I crossed back over the threshold and took my leave of the human world once more. The winter seemed all the harsher, even with my fur coat. But at least the blanket would provide some added warmth when I eventually settled down to sleep. It was a small comfort and one I didn’t really feel I deserved, but I knew I would be grateful for it once I was back on the moors. So I kept the one Christmas present I would receive that year, forcing myself to focus on finding my way back to Lady Sarah and trying to forget the carnage I’d left behind.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Anger Rekindled
Even though the Slayers probably had some kind of clean up crew in each area, there was no sign of any nearby humans when I stepped out of the pub. It seemed it was safe to head for the moors, and hopefully Lady Sarah.
She had indeed decided to return to the area and wait for me, and to say she was not happy at my decision to run off was an understatement.
“You fool,” she hissed. “How can I protect you when you continue to be so reckless?”
“Why do you care?” I retorted. “It seems like the rest of your race hates me. Why are you so interested in helping me?”
“After giving up so many of my nights training you, I am not about to abandon you now.”
“Oh yeah? What would you be doing with those nights if I wasn’t around?”
“This is a discussion for another night,” she said. I knew better than to push her when she was already angry with me, so I let her change the subject. “What happened after you left me feeding? How many did you kill?”
“It was weird, the wolf left you wanting to make another kill and feed on more fresh meat, but then I blacked out and when I came to I had this strange feeling, like I was both human and wolf at the same time. There was a body lying nearby so I ate, then I went off in search of more prey. Everything was confused though, until the human me was in control again and things went back to normal.”
There was a hint of a smile on her face as she listened and she was somewhat calmer when she spoke again. “Your two identities merged as I have been urging you to do, but without the mental preparation it was too much. This is normal, but as you were not prepared you returned to a more manageable mental state. What is unusual is for your human half to have asserted himself while the moon is still full.”
Her expression changed to the look an adult might give a kid they suspect is up to no good, as though she thought I’d done something to take over from the wolf. I looked away and shrugged. “Well whatever the reason, when I came to my senses I knew I should try to find you, so I went back to where we made our first kill. But then the Slayers found me.”
Her eyes hardened, her voice commanding. “And?”
I shrugged again. “They chased me for a bit and tried to trap me in an alleyway – you know, the usual. I escaped and managed to lose them before coming back here. Don’t worry, I’ve not led them to us.”
Her eyes hardened further still. “And what happened on your journey back to me?”
I hesitated. Could I really hide the night’s events from her? Probably not. The vampires were sure to be watching after the murder the previous month, and they were obviously in contact with her. I had a feeling she’d find out one way or another.
“I was drawn to a local pub,” I sighed, “almost in the middle of nowhere, if it hadn’t been for the little village down the road. There was a Slayer in there but I killed him and I made sure there were no others lurking outside. I left no witnesses.”
“Fool! The Slayers may well renew their efforts now you have given them good reason to. I had hoped if we went far enough afield we could minimise the risks. But after this latest slaughter I would not be surprised if they decide to actively hunt us again, instead of waiting for us to reappear in a populated area and setting another trap.”
She turned away and gazed up at the sky. There was a pause, then she said “I believe the moon will affect you as normal these next two nights, but once the full moon has passed we must resume your lessons and make the most of the time we have here, before we are forced to continue our flight and seek out a new safe haven.”
I wasn’t happy to hear her say that. There didn’t seem much point in arguing though, and I supposed I should be grateful she didn’t insist in continuing on that night. I didn’t think I had anything else in me after everything that had happened, and I was glad to settle down to rest.
The floor was as hard, cold, and uncomfortable as ever, but at least I had a blanket to curl up in. Sleep came a little easier, and I surrendered myself to the usual nightmares.
The next night, I experienced the normal full moon transformation as Lady Sarah had predicted. After the unpleasant experience of merging identities with the wolf, I gladly sank into the darkness of our subconscious. There I would happily remain dead to the world, until the new day dawned.
I looked to Lady Sarah, ready for another joint hunt.
“No, Nick,” she said. “It is too dangerous to return to the same area we fed in last night.”
I pulled back my ears and lowered my head, tucking my tail between my legs and whining.
“Fear not, you will not go hungry.” She looked out across the moors as though searching for something, and nodded to herself. “Come, we will find livestock to feed on.”
“Not humans?” I growled, disappointed to hear those words.
“Not after your human half’s antics last night. If we are lucky, we will be able to satisfy our hungers without alerting the Slayers. You know as well as I taking animals attracts far less attention.”
I growled again and she lost her temper, her fangs bared in a cat-like hiss.
“Do not test me on this, wolf! I am doing my best to protect you from the dangers of both the Slayers and vampires like Ulfarr. So you will make do with cattle and be grateful for such a large meal.”
“Yes, alpha,” I growled, sinking into a submissive crouch.
She eyed me for a moment. “Come.”
Her form remade itself into the she-wolf and she bounded away. I followed but there was none of the play of the previous night. The run was less enjoyable for being denied my favourite prey at the end of it, and I felt my anger stir, my resentment of the human growing.
We slowed as we approached the field full of livestock. I could smell the humans who tended them through the day and it set my mouth watering. But I felt more than just the desires caused by the curse now. The more insight I gained into humanity, the more I grew to hate them. Especially when it came to the way they condemned entire species just for being predators. Preying upon a human carried a death sentence, and yet their own kind could take other human lives in cold blood and still be allowed to live. Granted, they may spend some time behind
bars, but all too often they were released on supposed good behaviour, only to repeat past crimes. How could they justify culling any animal they deemed to be a problem species, when they were so loath to take the lives of human killers who were arguably more dangerous, and a much bigger threat? The thought angered me.
They wouldn’t even allow the sick and the disabled a dignified death through assisted suicide, despite the fact their numbers just kept on growing, at the expense of every other creature on the planet. Ultimately, all they caused were death and destruction, to themselves and their environment. They should have been thanking the likes of myself and Lady Sarah for helping to keep their numbers down, and restoring some balance. But instead they’d hunted us to near extinction, like so many of the world’s natural predators.
The idea of joining with the human half of my mind filled me with disgust. That brief collapse and merging of our separate identities had only served to force us further apart, which would be much to Lady Sarah’s dismay, I was sure. But I was grateful to remain free of all those traits the human possessed which I despised, and virtually untainted from them. The curse might set me apart from any other mortal wolf, but I would fight to stay true to our nature and separate from the human, even if it meant never finding peace with myself.
Fangs wrapped around my muzzle and I was forced to submit again. It was another of those disconcerting moments where Lady Sarah appeared to have read my mind. But she needn’t have worried. My control was greater after a night of being allowed to gorge myself, even if the human had done most of the killing and feasting on their flesh. I had no intention of running off.
“Wait here,” she ordered, letting me go.
I did as I was told. We were downwind of the herd and she was able to slink under the fence without causing a panic.
I watched her rise up to two legs, her form humanoid once more. She became a blur as she ran over to her chosen victim. The animal just had time to sound an alarmed moo before falling under her spell.
The rest of the cattle started to react to the predator in their midst and she turned into a blur of movement again. Moments later they’d fallen quiet, completely docile. I stared in amazement. She’d used her hypnotic powers on the entire field!
Lady Sarah made her way over to me and the first cow followed. She sank her teeth into its neck, drinking long and deep. The smell of blood chased away the last of my disappointment. My senses fixed on the animal and I crept under the fence, ready to tear into the carcass the moment my alpha had drunk her fill.
Time ticked by. Finally the vampire raised her head and gave a sigh of contentment, her tongue flicking out to lick the juices leaking from the corners of her mouth. That was all the permission I needed.
I lunged forward and tore into the meat, happy to find there was still some blood oozing from those dead veins when I bit into them. It was all the tastier for it.
I gorged myself, then buried what little remained. Lady Sarah smiled, apparently satisfied with the way this hunt had gone. Then she returned to her wolf form and we were running back across the moors. We made it without encountering any humans, Slayer or otherwise, and the rest of the night passed relatively peacefully.
We risked managing our hungers in the same way the following night. The kill went smoothly again and we were able to feed without being disturbed. But the remaining hours of darkness would not be ours to do with as we pleased.
Our heads turned as one to the sound of approaching footsteps. I snarled, expecting another fight with the Slayers. Then I caught his scent and realised he was another vampire.
He stalked towards us, slow and cautious, deliberately allowing us to sense his approach. I felt a strange kind of pride in that. It was good to know I made some of them wary.
“Lady Sarah,” the vampire said, coming to a stop. He gave a respectful nod of his head, but his eyes never left mine, as if he thought I might attack at any moment.
She mirrored him. “Walter.”
“I’ve been ordered to bring you and the… wolf to another meeting.”
An angry growl rumbled through my throat. I was no fool. I knew he’d hesitated before settling on wolf because he’d wanted to insult me, but had clearly thought better of it. The sound made him take a step backwards, a flicker of fear passing across his eyes.
Lady Sarah shot me a warning look. “Why, what has happened now?”
“Come, and you will see for yourself. Elder Ulfarr didn’t make it a request.”
She turned to me, and I sensed another bout of anxiety. “We should do as he says.”
“So Ulfarr can make more accusations?” I growled.
“It will be worse for us if we refuse.”
There was a second warning in her eyes, and I knew what it meant – follow and for God’s sake don’t run off! But she daren’t vocalise that warning and reveal the times I’d been running around unsupervised. Not when the rest of her kind already distrusted me.
Walter had taken another step back. “I would appreciate it if you could bring your beast to heel.”
“He is his own beast and no lesser than you or I. If you do not wish to be bitten, perhaps you should start treating him as such.” She strode past Walter, tall and majestic as ever. Anger flashed across his eyes but he held his tongue, hurrying to catch her up. Neither of them took their wolf form for this journey. I didn’t know if that was because Walter didn’t possess the ability to shapeshift, or due to his feelings towards werewolves, and I didn’t care enough to ask.
They broke into a run and I bounded along behind, forced into a full sprint just to keep up. The night was still fairly young when we reached the same abandoned warehouse as before.
Walter led us inside, holding his head high and marching to the front as though he were the Elder’s right-hand man. Lady Sarah gave him a scornful look and I snorted. Clearly Walter wasn’t as important as he believed himself to be.
Fierce green eyes tracked our approach, filled with the same level of hatred the human had encountered in them. Ulfarr was ready to address his audience again, but this time the rest of the gathering had yet to arrive. Had Walter been so eager to please his Elder that he’d brought us here early?
“Elder,” Walter said, stopping before him and giving a bow.
“You may go,” Ulfarr answered. There was no trace of gratitude in his feral features, only that hatred for my kind. Walter didn’t seem to notice. The younger vampire hastened to do as he’d been told, with another, much clumsier bow.
Lady Sarah’s uneasiness was palpable. I remained alert, keeping my senses focused almost solely on Ulfarr. But I cocked one ear towards the entrance we’d just passed through, listening for sounds of danger outside.
Ulfarr’s eyes were boring into mine now. A growl escaped my throat, but the moment I bared my fangs he turned the full force of his power on my mind. Fear shot through me when I found myself frozen in place. It was as though I’d been paralysed. I couldn’t so much as twitch, let alone fight or flee.
“You remember our last conversation, Lady Sarah, and my promise of what would happen if I found you were lying to me?” Ulfarr said. His gaze remained locked with mine, his control never lifting.
“Please, Ulfarr, I swear to you I have spoken only the truth.” There was a hint of fear in her voice and my heart pumped faster.
“Yes, you also swore to me he is not the killer,” he hissed, and she flinched as if he’d physically struck her. “You claimed you could account for his actions under the full moon, and yet the Slayers were out in force just two nights past hunting this same beast, who by all accounts was alone, running rampant in a town. Did you really think all of this would escape my notice?”
Lady Sarah remained silent. I hoped she was calculating, but there was something different about her now. Before she’d defended me, putting her life on the line in the process, but that night she was subdued. I still didn’t understand exactly how vampires worked, but if they’d been pack animals I would’ve said he was
her alpha, and she was clearly unwilling to challenge his dominance over her this time. Did she fear him that much?
“Be grateful I am feeling generous enough to spare your life, for now, but do not test me or that may change.” Only then did he address me. “You may not be so lucky, dog.”
I wanted to growl but I couldn’t even do that. I poured all my will into straining against his control but it was no use – he was too powerful. If Lady Sarah could hold me under her spell, what hope did I have against an Elder, one who was clearly among the most powerful of his race?
Walter reappeared, carrying something which he laid on the workbench with the utmost respect. Adrenaline flooded through me when I realised it was another body, the sheet covering it bloody this time. Decay rolled out from it in odorous waves, the stench worse than any human corpse, making it hard to tell how long the body had been truly dead, or even how many centuries old the vampire had been. I looked for Lady Sarah but she’d moved out of my line of sight. Was she as worried as I was?
Moments later, the first of the vampires and ghouls began to arrive, and Ulfarr had me jump up on the workbench beside him. My muscles moved of their own accord as I turned to face the front, then froze once more.
“My fellow undead,” Ulfarr began as the last of those he was expecting filtered in. “It pains me to tell you there has been another murder – a third vampire felled by another undead.”
He paused to let that sink in. My instincts were screaming at me to run as several eyes turned to glare at me with more hatred, and an angry muttering passed through the crowd. But Ulfarr’s power remained as strong as ever.
“You will recall I promised to find the killer and bring him to justice, and that is the very reason I have summoned you all back here tonight,” he continued. He gave another brief pause, his eyes settling on me. “And thus, I give you the murderer!”