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Vlad's POV
I open the gate to the big pasture when the horses begin to trot this direction. I smile in joy to see the horses coming around the corner then directly for the wide open fields they spend in for the holidays. I try to keep them fit throughout most of the year except during the winter. The winter they get a good long break, be real horses for a while.
The horses take off when every single one of them is now in the pasture. I close the gate behind me, lock it up. My head caretaker tells me that the food is here for the barn party. I always throw a holiday party for the workers. They earn some time off to be with their families. I make my way into the break room.
There are fifteen workers all together at my barn. I don't have to have that many workers however I would prefer to have enough in case a worker is not feeling well or family emergency, anything. There are some pumpkin rolls, cranberry sauce, turkey, stuffing and much more; a small Feast dinner setup for the gathering. I would have bought them some liquor but no drinking on the barn. There are some sparkling ice drinks of cherry limeade, black cherry and black raspberry.
I smile in the fun everyone is having. We even do gifts for one another. I give everyone a holiday bonus and when the party is done, I wish them all farewell and will see them after the holidays. I wait until all of the workers leave the property and lock up the main gate. I walk back into the stables to pull out the horse, Applause from his turnout paddock.
I walk him over to the saddling area then gather all of the riding equipment. I decide on blue for the saddle pad and polo leg wraps for Applause. I get him ready for a good ride. I would rather take a good ride over to Luke's place than fly or drive. Applause snorts when I finish picking out his hooves. I rub his front left leg up and down before I set his leg down.
I would prefer to gently let a horse's leg down than just drop it like others in the horse world do when picking out horse hooves. I'll admit that horses can be some of the tough animals on earth however they can hurt just as easily as a human can with their bodies. I pat Applause on his neck then lead him out to the forest pathway that leads to Luke's house about five miles away.
I open and close the gate behind me. I adjust Applause to ensure he is standing solid on all four hooves when I mount up. I lift my body up and sit on the saddle seat. I smile in the same feeling as always get when I am on a horse. Everything else in the world fades away when Applause begins to walk.
We walk for the first mile to allow him to warm up especially with the slight autumn chill in the air. When we reach the second mile, we trot it through smoothly. It is foggy down the forest pathway. The change colored leaves on the trees and on the ground truly is brining the feel of autumn to winter in the world.
The sound of his hooves pounding against the ground as my senses feel his heartbeat, breath, and strong legs carrying us onward; I ride through these woods feeling like I am back at my real home of Romania, traveling one of the main ways to travel across the world. The more I ride through these woods, the more I recall how Romania once was.
The land beyond great vast of forests, surrounded by high mountains and vineyards; most of all the flowers grown there were as if they were to be found nowhere else, most beautiful. I ride through the woods feeling like the man I once was. I smile in excitement, urging Applause into a full on gallop. Applause lets loose his speed on the path ahead of him.
This thrilling feeling of horseback riding like I once did before my powers are amazing to feel. We get to a tree filled area when turning a corner. I make sure to use my legs and hands to help shift him between any trees that get into our way. I shift my body left and right to assist Applause moving his body. I continue to smile in the excitement of riding like this.
As soon as we hit the next clearing of the pathway, I push Applause into an even faster pace. Applause drives forward in his love of running. I let him run. Applause is breathing like a freight train when I extend both of my arms outward like I am flying. The reins rest on the middle of his neck as the wind is blowing in my face, my black hair back.
Applause is moving like a tremendous machine through the woods filled with the trees as old as I am. My thoughts fill with the bible verse Job 39:19-24 and Applause is one of the many examples of the good bible words.
'Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not sway away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground, he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.'
We keep on flying down the pathway until finally reaching the final marker. I begin to slow him down from gallop, canter to trotting when arriving to the driveway of Luke's house. I circle him around Luke's driveway a few times so Applause can properly slow down his heart beat. I keep on cooling him off when Luke comes out of the house smiling.
"Applause is a mighty horse in speed, physical features no matter what his past trainer said about him." Luke says at the sight of Applause covered in sweat.
"Indeed he is." I gentle tug on the reins to slow down to a walk. Applause snorts in response and goes into a fast pace walk. I keep on circling him when Luke informs me about finding more stallions and mares that share the same bloodline with Applause. I am pleased to hear this because if any blood related horses to Applause is anything like him, he is a worthy line to continue on in the world.
When Applause has a calmer heartbeat and breathing, I jump off his back. I pet him up and down his neck. He is covered in sweat and dirt. I take Applause over to a resting area. I take off his saddle equipment and bridle. Luke brings out a flake of grass and alfalfa for him to eat. I fill up his water bucket.
Applause does not hesitate to eat the food given to him. I fill up another bucket of water with a rag. I dip the rag into the water, and then take it across Applause's coat to help clean him up. I finish wiping him down. I pat him one more time before heading into Luke's house.
Luke hands me the paperwork in the findings of Applause's bloodline relation. I read through each paper and I am pleased to know that his family line lives on since he cannot carry it on due to be gelded shortly before I bought him. I wish I was there to stop those idiots from doing so. They only gelded him because they thought his stallion manners would calm down. But that is not what the case was.
It was the trainer named Priscilla is the one at fault. She couldn't handle him because she was not a true trainer. All she wanted in any horses in her training program was gorgeous features and a spirit easy to break for the show ring. Any horse that was not to that standard was treated terribly. Thankfully the trainer, Priscilla is no longer training the last I heard anything about her.
I hand Luke back the paperwork when walking through his family house. I bought it for Luke's family about three centuries ago as gratitude for his ancestor, Priest Lucian saving my son, Ingeras. And as long as they helped me, they have the entire house to themselves. This whole place is like a time capsule. I made sure to only stop by so often so humans did not get suspicious. I ensured to update on the plumbing, putting in the electricity. This house is almost an historic mark in my long life and in Luke's family history.
I always feel so comfortable here especially when entering into the library. I know I am always comfortable, my own sense of space and safe from any danger if it is ever needed. I smile at the sight of all of the books around me. Books can be the best of friends at times. I never get tired in the smell of old books, papers, ink and candles going. I see the thousands of books collected over the years.
I go over to the shelves closest to me and spot out on my first edition books with signatures of the authors; William Shakespeare, Alexander Pope, Charles Darwin, John Smith, Ben Jonson, John Donne and Niccolo Machiavelli. Many books helped me a bit passing through time and meeting each one of them was even better. This entire library cost millions if not billions of dollars in all of the first edition books still in mint condition.
One of the things about walking through time is the knowledge that I know. I was a man of science, a philosopher, a scholar, a doctor, and knows things that mankind has forgotten four times over. In all of my centuries of learning, I am a repository. If only I could step forward into the real world as I really am, the amount of lives improved with all of my knowledge. Sadly all I can do is write in great books of my knowledge which is why I am here today.
Luke and I walk past several aisles of books until Luke reaches the aisle containing all of my ancestral leather journals that were updated into printed books so if any of my centuries of journals are destroyed, or lost, I have backup copies in case. I never know if my history will contain anything connected to the Master Vampire, including weapons and magic materials that can even kill him.
Luke and I pull out of all my written history books and pill them up at the desks. We separate them into the centuries they were written. Each medium leather bound journal contained a total of ten years, a decade. Each pile is up to ten books for an entire century since I was turned into a vampire.
"What is it that you are looking for, Vlad?"
"I am going to look for any clue as to who the wolf is. And the only major time I wrote about wolves was in the 16th century, little in the 17th century. The 18th century was nothing but spotting a few wolves, nothing more or less. So the 16th and 17th century is the best chance of finding out the identity of this wolf I have been seeing."
Luke nods his head in my words. I let him take the 17th century books as I take the 16th century books. I can read far faster than he can and I have far more history with wolves in that time. We both seat down and begin reading each one. Luke is a good speed reader however my vampire speed passes him. However if I did not have my vampire powers, he would definitely pass me in speed reading if I were human.
We remain quiet as the sounds of the crackling fire echoes through the library, the rustle of pages turning, and sometimes the scratch of a pen writing of us taking notes on anything worthy of attention in wolves. Both concentrated in working, no distractions. We keep on going for a few hours. Luke takes a break to make him a drink of bourbon. He pours me a glass of blood from one of the blood bags he has stashed for me if I ever get hungry while I am here.
He hands me the glass as we continue working. I slowly drink the blood in case an incident of throwing up blood happens again. But nothing like that has happened in the past few weeks. Maybe it was nothing but a bad bag of blood and I worry for nothing. However it still does not explain the changes of becoming human for a few minutes to an hour or two here and there. I swallow a bit more of the blood then set the glass down.
I come across one entry, October 12th, 1648, twelve days before the end of Europe's Thirty Year War. The Thirty Year War involved many nations across Europe fighting for a variety of reasons. As religious denominations in the Holy Roman Empire struggled for dominance, other opportunistic European states stretched the boundaries of their territories, and in the case of the Dutch, fought for independence. The wars ended in 1648 with the Treaty of Westphalia, establishing not only an entirely different-looking European continent but also a principle of sovereignty that serves the understanding of nation-states today.
But behind Europe's Thirty Year War is when the rise of the Supernatural Council rose up in power within the Holy Roman Empire by the Van Helsing Family. Half of it was due to my influence in their top vampire killer, Serena Van Helsing. Serena Van Helsing is known as my Monstrous Love to the supernatural world. Serena and I are the Lovers who changed History, labeled like King Henry Vlll and Anne Boleyn.
Serena and I have quite the history when we were together. I taught her everything she knew that helped her to become the top Huntress in the Van Helsing family. I taught her and shared endless information to her so no one could ever learn of our love. If anyone discovered the truth, we both would have been butchered. Serena and I tried to stay away from one another but for our love, we were willing to risk life itself including the lives of others to keep our love intact.
Serena Van Helsing was the last human I attempted to turn into a vampire. I wanted to spend forever with her. She and I believed forever was not long enough for our love. Serena was willing to come over to complete darkness with me. I turn the page to come across the drawing of Serena Van Helsing. I lean back in my chair, brushing my fingers across the old drawing.
My eyes close recalling what she looked like as if she was right in front of me. She had auburn hair like no other. I often called it titan hair rather than auburn hair. It was brownish shade of red hair. And the red of her hair made her green eyes shine like a new found emerald or the bright green of a virgin forest untouched by mankind. She was bold, resilient, high sense of confidence and fought whenever needed. She was educated, superior, and a rare woman. However with all of those traits came stubbornness, never gave up when it was truly needed, and at times crazy for the kill. That is what made her different from the others I turned.
She fully knew me unlike anyone else. She was a killer like me in every way possible. Serena knew and understood when putting one village to the stake, and sparing 10 more. She was the other side of the coin for me knowing full well that sometimes the world no longer needs a hero; sometimes what it needs is a monster.
Serene was head deep in knowing what it is to be a monster like I once was when going to the Master Vampire in Broken Tooth Mountain to save my family, my people from Mehmed, and the Turks. We were the designed from the same fabric. There is hardly anyone else exactly like we were in the battlefield and always ready for war.
I stare at the ink written date and begin to recall that very night, the last full night Serena and I were fully able to be ourselves, together as one. I will never find another woman such as she was. I close my eyes, taking myself back to that very fateful night.
OCTOBER 12TH, 1648
I take a few steps in the snow while my black cloak barely touches large tree branch that I am standing on. I am on a tree among a vast forest of trees in Rome. Even though it is broad daylight, the winter sky helps me to come out in a part of the day I normally stay indoors. It feels wonderful to be out and about like this. It is rare that I hardly get to be outside during day time.
I do not feel the cold of the snow covering my black hair and wolf fur covering my shoulders. My black leather long sleeve shirt, black riding pants, and knee length boots almost help me to blend in with the snow forest surroundings. I kneel down when I hear the lovers come this way in their usual forest walk. I don't make a sound so they do not have a heads up of the trap set for them.
The lovers are walking hand in hand, talking about their new life they will have. But their new life is not going to happen when they are suddenly cornered by a band of hunters. The lovers freeze in terror as the sky has snow falling on them now. I placed my gloved hands on the branch, studying the lovers. The man is average height and muscle built with dark brown hair, almost black. He has dark brown eyes that would make any woman smile at the sight of them. The woman is gorgeous and has rare blonde hair that it is almost like the color of the moon instead of the sun. Quite a number of men would have killed for her; I would even kill for her. She could have easily been my vampire bride but her heart belongs to the man with her.
The man steps in front to protect his lover from all of the silver head arrows aimed at them. I watch Serena let loose an arrow. The arrow pierces right into the shoulder of the man. The man does not even groan from the impact of the arrow. The wolf pulls the arrow out; he immediately throws the arrow back. Serena manages to duck. The arrow goes right over her and hits the chest of a hunter right behind Serena.
I realize the man is not bleeding from the arrow. He healed right after he pulled the arrow from his flesh. I'll admit that I can heal rather quickly but not from silver. This wolf man was not affected by silver at all. I am in somewhat awe of this. Never in my long life there has been a single supernatural being to heal from any kind of silver weapon. That is not possible but this wolf just proved the impossible.
Serena and her band of hunters begin unleashing their arrows. The caster steps in front of her wolf, extending her hands outward. I observe more of the impossible nearly over twenty arrows stop in midair. Serena and the hunters behind her are stunned in what just happened before their eyes. I am impressed as well.
"Ok, you have some talent." Serena says in disappointment to the caster.
The caster flicks her wrists, and in doing so the direction of the arrows flip around, striking some hunters. Serena draws out my very own sword I gave to her. The gold dragon designed handle of my family sword. I gave her my own sword as a sign of trust when she learned who I truly was. I smile in pleasure to see her use my sword in blocking the arrows within close reach of her.
The wolf man smiles as his brown eyes change into orange-red glowing wolf eyes. The hunters rush them. The caster kicks one into the nearest tree while the wolf does a sort of roundhouse kick breaking the main point of his spear. The wolf catches the sharp edge end and stabs the man in his stomach. The wolf ducks down when a man tries to swing at him from behind. The caster uses her magic to deflect any weapons that come close to her.
The wolf and caster are back to back, pivoting back and forth within hunters that got within reach of them. I can tell that the wolf and caster are only trying to hurt the hunters, not kill them. They are showing compassion even when the hunters are here to kill them. Their compassion will be their downfall in this fight.
I was fully aware these two were strong in their own unique way but never like this. These Hunters were trained from a young child to grown adult who are being beaten into the snowy forest ground like children. Serena knew trying to contain a rare breed of a wolf and his lover who is a caster would be difficult. However we never imagined this. If I had known their skills sooner when I discovered their affair, all of this would have been better planned out. But we could not delay it; Serena had to take the evidence of their affair to the Council. It will bury their thoughts more than ever of Serena and I being together as the rumors have spread across Europe.
After Serena informed them about these two lovers, she was given direct orders to capture and imprison them. The Council will decide their fate which will be to their deaths. I watch the wolf protecting his caster. I see that this will be Serena and I if we are to be hunted. Then again, they are not us. I do not care about these two. I will get my forever life with Serena. Everyone else be damned.
The remaining the band of hunters begin to surround them in a closed off area of the forest. I use my heightened sight to see what is happening as if I was right along with them in battle view. There are at least twelve hunters left when Serena tells them to stop attacking. They stop their attacks when Serena draws a sharp dagger. She throws it right at the Caster. The dagger would have pierced her in the throat but the wolf caught the dagger with his hand.
The wolf man groans in pain. All eyes see the blade of the dagger covered in his actual own red blood. My senses pick up on some of his blood that drips to the snowy ground, almost staining through it like red wine on white fabric. I feel my hunger come forth in wanting his blood however I cannot intervene until it is time to do so.
The wolf man glares at the dagger then to Serena when she gives him a sinister smile saying, "Silver is not your weakness but Wolf's Bane is. "
The wolf man grips the handle of the dagger ready to use it against her. Serena comes at the wolf right as he takes aim at her. The blades collide before the wolf kicks her back. He manages to twist her arm then grabs my very own sword. Serena flips over, landing on her feet. She stares at the wolf while he has her dagger and my sword at the ready like he has used those weapons many times.
Serena charges at the wolf when he throws the dagger. The tip of the dagger cuts her left cheek then gets imbedded into the nearest tree. Serena pulls another knife, dodging the attacks of the sword. I snarl in angry of a mutt using my own family sword. I want to rip his neck out for this but all I can do is remain watching until the exact right moment.
Serena thrusts and slashes the dagger at him; he has some luck in avoiding her fighting movements. Serena throws a punch and lands one on his face then manages to get my sword back from him. I grin in pleasure knowing that my moment is coming while the Caster is distracted by the remaining six hunters. The wolf man does a spinning kick at Serena, she is sent flying. Her body hits a far back tree. The tree shakes from her body hitting the tree. The impact causes all of the snow on the tree to fall like a sudden snow cloud above her.
The wolf man runs at her, roaring an almost victory roar. He has his knee raised to deliver the final blow. However Serena uses the trick I taught her by throwing the wolf right over her shoulder, using the wolf's own strength against him. The wolf slams into the same tree that Serena did moments ago. Serena grabs him around the neck, throwing him into another tree.
The wolf immediately stands to his feet, using his mighty strength to push Serena back. His wolf speed comes right at her with a balled fist. However Serena moves out of the way at the right second. His fist makes a crack in the earth below the snow. Serena jumps up but gets thrown against another tree. Serena struggles to stand as the wolf grabs my sword once again.
Serena grins when she is right at the base of the very tree with the wolf's bane dagger is imbedded in. She grabs it then delivering a two handed strike. The wolf howls out in agony when it cuts into his right arm. The wolf switches my sword to his left hand, fighting against the dagger. Serena tries to force the dagger against him. She manages to pull the sword away from him while the wolf's bane is slowly starting to weaken him.
Serena takes her battle stance with the dagger and sword, ready for her final blow. The Caster has been captured by the last three hunters standing. The Caster is now struggling at her attempts to break the nose one of the three hunters at her. The wolf man stares at his lover knowing that she is now captured.
The dark haired man roars out, immediately turning into a wolf. Serena screams for him to stop but he does not when his bones shift, transforming into a winged wolf. The size of the feathered wings knocked Serena into the air. She is sent flying right for the tree I am standing in. I reach out for Serena, pulling her right to me. Serena responds to me like she always does at my touch. She locks her hands around mine when we both look down at the wolf.
He finishes transforming into his full wolf self. He has wings large enough that they would drag behind him when walking. My eyes widen at the sight before me. The eyes of the wolf glow again in the same orange-red, snarling its teeth ready to sink its jaws into the hunters touching his caster. He makes his first step toward his last targets.
"Now!" Serena shouts when the winged wolf is about to strike.
Two of the hunters draw out their rare and few Wolf's bane arrow heads. We were waiting to use any further of the only weapon against him until he was in his true wolf form. They shot the laced Wolf's bane arrow heads, firing at his feathered wings. These arrows shot through and through his wings. The wolf cries out when the arrows pierce through him, it begins to work like poison on him.
The caster is begging all of them to stop but they continue releasing their poisoned weapons on him. The wolf steps forward, opening his mouth, biting the whole head off a hunter. He crushes the fresh bitten head in his jaws like it is nothing but a bone to snap apart. This wolf goes for the second to last hunter, tearing out his throat while the man screams out for help.
The amount of blood from the man's throat torn out drenches the mouth down to the front neck of the wolf. The caster tries to get free of the last hunter with a hold on her. The wolf spreads forth his wings, flapping them. The wind of his wings, knock the hunter and his caster to the ground but it did what he wanted to do. It separated the man from his lover. The Caster runs to her wolf while the last hunter tries one last attack. The Wolf lunges at the man, landing on top of him. The man cries out, begging for his life. The wolf is eye to eye with the hunter who put his hands on his caster.
The wolf begins to eat him and the man is alive, screaming the entire time until the wolf tears open his chest then sets his teeth around his heart, ripping it out. The man's body jerks while the sound of his heart was yanked out. The wolf holds the heart of the man in his blood drenched jaws while the man finally dies at the sight of the wolf holding his own heart of his mouth. There is so much blood that is creates a pool of red around the caster and wolf.
Now it is time for me to act with Serena at my side since the other hunters are injured terribly or died. I grab Serena's hand and she is ready for the next move to capture them. Serena and I both free fall and land firmly on our feet. The snow around us goes straight up in the air like dust from our landing. The wolf snarls with blood strained sharp teeth at us as he eats the whole heart within one bite.
The wolf darts right at us. I become uneasy when the wolf goes for Serena. Serena puts my sword out in front of her, and then launches herself off the ground. She flips upside down; the wolf is right below her while she is in midair. She cuts the dagger from top of bottom of the wolf's back then slashes one of his wings with the dagger. The wolf howls in agony, collapsing to the ground. Serena lands while the blood of the wolf covers the blade of the dagger.
"NO!!!!!" His caster cries out in horror, running to her wolf. But I grab her by the arm, stopping her. She spits in my face then yells, "You bastard!! Both of you will pay for this!" She begins hitting me in the arm but it does nothing to me. She stops when hearing the cries of the wolf.
The wolf continues to howl in his right wing being broken, shattered and the massive wound of his back. The wolf tries to stand up but struggles to stay standing. He falls completely into the snow covered ground. His few injuries begin to stain the snow to red. I let the caster go so she can be free with her wolf for the remaining time that she can be with him before their death sentences.
Serena and I step forward together knowing that these two will ensure the secret of our love. Serena and I grip our gloved hands together knowing we will spend the rest of time together. We watch as the caster sobs in the awful state her wolf love is in. The wolf whimpers in pain, covered in blood of his and the hunters he killed.
"I'm here. It's alright. We're going to be alright, my wolf. You're not going to die. I won't let you. It's going to be alright. I love you so much. Fly back to me..." She cries to him uncontrollable with tears running down her face like a river.
She rubs her hands up and down the wolf's head to his neck. The wolf is having some trouble breathing properly. She gently wraps her arms around the head of the wolf like it is not the last time they will be together.
Serena and I don't feel anything for these two when we both speak the words, "Let's begin."
We move forward to them. The Caster slowly turns around to glare at us like she will kill Serena and I where we stand. Her hair begins to move around like the wind rushing all over, and gets on her knees in front of the wolf. The wolf tries to speak but the Caster begins glowing almost like a full moon shining on the darkest night.
"Your magic cannot save him. You both will be dead soon." Serena tells the Caster.
But the caster smiles at Serena for another reason entirely. Serena realizes that she is going to do something else. Serena runs forward but instantly knocked back by the Caster. I growl in anger, raising my hand to attack when she puts her hand up before me, tossing me aside like I was a sack of bread.
Right before my eyes a magical shield is formed around the wolf and caster. Serena lets out a battle cry, grabbing my sword close by her. She starts slamming the sword at the shield but it is not budging. I focus my body to shift into a swarm of bats, I repeatedly attack the shield. The shield makes a ringing noise that it hurts more than before each time I strike.
I roll onto the ground, placing my hands over my ears in the piercing noise getting louder every moment almost like a banshee unleashing their scream. I scream out in the terrible pain as the screeching keeps getting louder. My eyesight becomes blurry as my head is splitting apart.
Within the screeching, I manage to hear the caster chanting something, an incantation while her hand was on the neck of the wolf. The wolf lets the spell happen like he understands the words she is speaking in the strange language. I watch the shield change into different colors, even colors I have never seen before. Serena is resilient in banging as many times as she can to break the shield.
The caster finally finishes the spell and uses the shield as a blast to knock all of us out. I manage to get in front of Serena to protect her from the blast. I feel my black cloak catch fire from the blast. I immediately rip the cloak off, throwing it to the cold ground. Serena yells in a fury at the Caster when she raises her hands about to strike again.
I transform into a swarm of bats, intervening her, I throw the caster around like a ragged doll. The caster falls to the ground with a bloody face while screaming, "You won nothing!!"
"We have won." Serena tells her then throws a kick to her face, knocking the caster unconscious. The wolf tries to cry out but he is so weak that he transforms back into a man. He is covered in blood and I knew I would never forget his face. His teeth are drenched in blood along with dark brown eyes, shoulder length hair and pale white skin. He looked like he was at death's door in how he looked right now.
All of the power, strength and love they had was not enough to protect them and now they will pay the price for their forbidden love. And their price is our freedom. I stand above the wolf while Serena is standing a few feet back from me. We stare down at the wolf when he clutches his right hand around my left wrist. His claws dig into my skin, making me bleed a few drops when he says these words.
'I will have my retribution. My Retribution will be your malediction. I will track you through all time. Every life you take and every wolf you torment, you will feel the clasp of my hand. I will hunt you down and I will never release you.'
Serena comes forward, shoving the dagger into the backside of the wolf man. The wolf man cries out right before his head falls to the ground, no longer awake and his grip on my wrist releases. His hand falls to the ground with some spots of my blood under his fingernails. Serena stands up when I begin to hear other hunters are heading this way. Serena starts to hear them as well.
"Go, my flame. Hide." She tells me.
I do so by flying up onto the tallest tree. I remain observing the hunters coming forward. Serena tells them her own story of what happened and how she managed to handle both of them. They do not question her any further. They bond the caster and wolf, dragging them away like deer or fox from a hunt, sealing their fate. I smile knowing their capture will satisfy the Council far more than the rumors of Serena and me.
I waited out for the hunters to gather the dead bodies of the hunters before leaving. Serena tells them that she will catch up when she has some time alone. They shake their head yes, leaving her behind in the blood snowed area. When Serena and I knew it was clear, she signaled me to come down. I jump down, landing before her that she and I are face to face.
She gives the sexist smile toward me as her hand goes to my belt. Serena wraps her fingers around my belt then pulls me right to her body. There is no space between us that I can feel whenever her body warmth and each time she takes a breath. I grin at her with my vampire red eyes knowing that we are free to be together until the end of time.
My eyes go to the pool of blood from the wolf. I shift my hands to the back of her knees, lifting her legs up. She wraps her strong legs around my waist while her hands wrap around the back of my neck. I walk over to the blood pool and sit down in it while Serena remains straddled on me. Serena chuckles in joy as I take off my leather gloves, placing both of my hands in the wolf's blood. My hands sink into the blood, covering every inch of skin of it.
"Let us drink on their blood and the start of our forever." I whisper to her lustfully.
Serena takes my right hand and sucks the blood off my fingers. I bite the blood of my lip in how she does this even though she is still only human. The blood stains her teeth and tongue as the same sexist smile comes across her beautiful face. I take my left hand, tasting whatever I can of the wolf's blood. It is nothing like I have ever tasted, quite the flavor for one such as that wolf to have.
Serena moves her titan hair away from her shoulder and takes off her family crest choker necklace. When she removes the necklace, it reveals her half healed wound from the previous times I feed on her. She is giving me permission to drink one last time before I turn her into a vampire like me. I feel my sharp teeth come forward as I bring my mouth to her neck wound.
Serena runs her hands through my hair moaning as I drink from her like she is the finest vintage of red wine. I growl in pleasure of feeding on her. Her blood is so full of flavor, unique and particular just like choosing a specific wine to drink or the perfect, forbidden fruit just like my wife, Mirena's blood. Serena buries her face into my shoulder when I pull my mouth away from her. She is already looking fairly pale in drinking from her. She is at death's doorstep and I am that doorstep.
I cup her face in my blood stained hands, admiring her soul one last time before it is gone from her body. In all of my long years, Serena was the only one who opened up her veins at her own will, she embraced and accepted it; knowing full well what was happening. Serena Van Helsing will be my finest bride and after this, she will live forever with me at her side.
"Do you love me, Dracula?" She struggles to breathe deeply when she asks me one of her last mortal questions.
"Yes, I love you..." I say to her like it is the last time she will ever hear these words from me.
"Will you ever stop loving me?"
"I will love you no matter what you have done or will do from this day until the end of time. I will never stop loving you, my monstrous soul."
She smiles when hearing my words and says, "Good. I love you and I will never stop loving you, my monstrous flame."
I rise my right hand up, allowing my sleeve to slowly roll down to my elbow. I rest my left hand on the back of her neck when I bring my right hand close to my mouth. Serena's fierce green eyes remain locked with my dark brown eyes as I sink my teeth into my flesh like the sound of flesh being ripping open.
I extend my wrist close to her mouth. She grips her hands around my arm, bringing my wrist to her lips. She begins to drink my blood slowly; our eyes remain locked, never looking away the entire time she drinks. My heightened hearing slowly starts slowing down from a calm heartbeat to almost like the sound of butterfly wings flapping slowly.
"When you finish drinking, the pain will be unlike anything you felt but it will only last a few moments before you slip into death. And it will be far swifter than falling asleep. When you awake, I will be right here." I tell her because I wish I knew how it would be when I drank the Master Vampire's blood in Broken Tooth Mountain. I died alone in a terrible dark cave. I never want that for her or anyone else I may turn in future time.
Serena shakes her head yes in letting out a moan just before she releases her grip on my wrist. I stare at her in horror to see the light in her eyes fade away into her death. Serena cries out when the pain overcomes her body. It is brief right when she slips into her death in my arms. I lightly sob in hearing the last beat of her heart.
I snap myself out of that fateful day and close the leather journal. I bring myself back to 2014 in Luke's family house and in the library. I stand up from the desk feeling disgusted with myself in what I did in turning her to the events that changed afterwards. I can no longer dwell on what was once my life.
I bury my face into my hands, trying to get myself together when Luke asks me, "What is it? Did you find an answer to the wolf?"
I shake my head yes to him. He stands up and takes the journal but stops when he sees the drawing image of Serena Van Helsing. He stares at me, not saying a word because he and others before him know the story of Serena and me. Luke sits down and begins reading the journal at the start of the entry. He has read some of my long life entries but nothing like this. He seems a bit distraught in what he is reading.
I cannot blame his reaction given the kind of beast I was then compared to what I am now. I continue to watch his reaction while he reads about that day. When he finishes reading, he glares at the drawing of Serena then looks to me, placing his hands together.
Luke never liked Serena Van Helsing in the things he does know about her. She was many things but good for me was not one of them according to Luke. I do not believe it since I was the one who made her into the ultimate huntress. To this very day, Serena is known as the Top Huntress in the entire history of the Van Helsing Family. There has been no other like her because of me. I made her into the exact monster I was.
"You already know my thoughts about Serena, Vlad. I hope and prayer that another like her will never walk the earth. As for the chance of this being the wolf hunting you, this was over three centuries ago. If this is the same wolf that is haunting you now, how could he still be alive? Any other being of that powerful as you have written would not be allowed to live. Especially if silver did not harm that wolf."
"Maybe he had another mate that had a child of his and is now seeking revenge against me. Or he had a sibling that is out for revenge against me." I start pacing a little in the fear of this very wolf watching me even now.
"If this very same wolf had a child anywhere, they would be put to death. A rare winged wolf, not allergic to silver with the chance of unlimited power is a step in evolution. A hybrid of that kind would never be allowed to live another day or night. There is no chance of any living relation in the 21st century, Vlad. It is not possible." Luke tries to assure me since he knows how I get when I become paranoid on these things.
"Anything is possible, Luke. Mina, Michael and myself are living proof of that." I stop pacing, staring at Luke because he knows better than to assume that nothing is impossible in life.
"I grant you that however they are nothing but stories to be told, extinct just like the dinosaurs are now. I think it is something else entirely. What if you are seeing something else entirely?" He questions with a certain tone of carefulness.
"What else could it be, Luke? There is no other wolf like this one in my long life. What other explanation could there be? If this is not the wolf, what could it be?"
"Post traumatic Stress disorder, Vlad. Ptsd." Luke softly says to me like he is afraid to even say the words out loud to me.
"What?" I ask him in some shock that he would even say those words aloud.
"You are somehow becoming human, Vlad. It does sound like completely madness to even suggest this. But what if you are beginning to see things such as this very wolf?"
I stare at him like he is a madman. I have seen and done many things but for a vampire such as myself to have PTSD, there is no chance. I have regrets in my life but what I did to the wolf to be with Serena will never be one of them. I do not believe I do nor never will have post traumatic stress disorder.
"Luke, a man like me will never have that disorder and you are forgetting one important thing. Mina saw the wolf as well when we went hiking."
"Good point. But all of the other times you have seen the wolf, there were no tracks, no scent or physical proof that the wolf was there. It is possibly nothing but a ghost wolf haunting you or someone powerful enough to make you see the very same wolf. Maybe the caster found a way to deliver the wolf's words to you. Or maybe she was granted some mercy and lived long enough to have a child, told the child the story. I'll look into it with my connections quietly however all I ask is that you consider that you are seeing ghosts of your long past, Vlad."
I shake my head yes. However I know that it cannot be ghosts of any kind haunting me. Why would things of my past come back right when Mina came into my life? It has to be some sort of strange coincidence. That is the only thing it can be; nothing else to it
"I better head back, Luke. Let me know if you do or do not find anything in your connections." I begin to gather the other books up. Luke does the same however he leaves that journal with October 12th, 1648 to keep for any further clues of the ghost wolf. We put the books away in order as I recall Serena's smile before she slipped into her death in my arms.
I look down wondering what my life would be like if she was still in my life. I stop my thoughts knowing I cannot look forward if I start looking backwards. Luke and I walk outside to where Applause is waiting for me. I see that it is not far off from nightfall.
I need to get back home so I can get the house prepared. Especially for Mina's mother; that will be something that could give me post dramatic stress disorder. She sounds like the most critical human being on earth. I have feared many things in my life, but meeting Mina's mother is a totally different fear to deal with. No matter how terrible she is, I cannot drain her to death.
"Remember to be at the house around 4:30. Mina's mother will be at the house around 5:30 p.m. I figure we would all meet up, have a little fun before her mother arrives."
"Is Mina's mother truly that awful?" Luke asks.
"From what Mina has told me, she tells me that she is too much. Mina says that she will wag her finger and criticize us, generally ruin everything when she is around." I tell him walking up to Applause.
"At least we only have to have dinner with her. And don't worry; most mothers are all the same. When you met one mother, you've met most of them." Luke says to me and he is right about that. Thankfully it is just for a night rather than a whole weekend.
Applause stands ground tied when I put the blue saddle blanket and an english saddle on him. I adjust the girth of the saddle so his stomach can adjust properly. I never straight up tighten the girth on any horse. It is better for both the horse and rider in the long run when getting ready for any kind of riding. Applause takes the d-ring snaffle bit in one go like he always does when putting the bridle on him. I put the reins over his head to rest on his withers.
I look to Luke and we hug for a moment before I mount up on Applause. I tell Luke to have a good night and will see him tomorrow for the Feast. He says that he will be bringing the wine for everyone and blood for the vampires that come. He knows that we will need quite a lot of wine to drink to get through the entire Feast. Plus he knows how much Lucy and I drink whenever we are together.
I urge Applause back onto the riding pathway to head back to the house, riding down the same pathway. I ride on a smooth canter the whole way back. Applause is breathing steadily fast the entire way and I make sure to pace him. I do not want to overwork him after his past owners and their cruel training methods.
The forest pathway is engulfed in a heavy fog above the trees. The ride helps to clear my head in reading about my past. It sometimes can be great fun but otherwise, terrible memories. I focus on how Applause moves the entire way back to the house. It is night fall when I arrive back at the stables. I dismount from Applause. He lowers his head and snorts while I clean him up.
I do a brief rinse off the get the dirt and sweat off him. When I finish rinsing off his coat, I get all of the loose water off then put a blanket warmer on him for the night since it will be chilly tonight. I clip a lead rope to his halter then walk him out to his turnout paddock.
I walk into the paddock then let Applause go. I pet him up and down his neck before Applause walks away to be with some of the other horses. I lock the gate behind me, and locking down everything else at the stables before I head back to my house.
I change into a comfortable shirt and sleeping pants. I lie down in bed and stare up at the ceiling for a few moments then turn to look at the photo of Mina and I together. We took a photo of us at the park, lying down. I adore her smile in this photo. Even though Michael was put in a mental hospital and he is getting what he deserves for all he did to her and I have never seen her so happy since she learned what happened to him.
I set the photo frame back on the night stand then turn off the night lamp. I remain in the darkness of my bedroom thinking about my time with Serena Van Helsing like our time together like remembering a movie, start to finish. I snarl in anger because I cannot be thinking about Serena.
She is gone and never coming back. What's done is done. There is no need for me to think anymore about the past. I turn over to have my eyes on the photo of Mina and me until I finally fall asleep at the sight of Mina's beautiful smile and meeting Mina for the first time all over again.
