There's a mutt here somewhere, but there's something strange about it. Zack thought. This one moves like a ghost. Most of them leave a trail a child could follow, and its scent is off somehow.
He'd been to Alston, and Winona, but had found nothing in either, Oh someone had been there but they weren't there when he'd arrived. After a time making sure they weren't still there he headed back to the nearest large town on the southern shore of Lake Superior, Marquette.
So he headed down US 41 until it ended into Front street. Taking a left he found the Hampton Inn Marquette-Waterfront. Pulling his nondescript Ford Escort into the parking lot in minutes he was walking into his room, followed by a fresh faced blonde in her mid-twenties. This was one of the things Zach hated about being what he was. Human females could smell that he was different, they could never tell what it was, but his scent sent them into full on bimbo mode.
This time was no different. The woman followed his every move and was far more attentive to his needs than if she'd have been a guy. So after saying goodbye at his room door, he slipped inside before she had a chance to follow.
Throwing his small suitcase on the bed, he crossed the room to its single window and threw it open. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he caught it again. The dog was somewhere near, inside the city. If he were to change, he was sure he could track it down. But inside a city of this size, surrounded by all of these human, the sight of a snow white, two hundred and forty pound leopard would not go unreported. The fear of what his mother would do to him if he were so indiscrete kept that avenue of approach off the table.
After dinner, Zach decided to do some scouting. The city really wasn't that big, so due to his nature he was drawn to the Presque Isle Park. The peninsula of land jutted out into the big lake like a thumb, had one road that circled it, and other than that was nothing but thick woods and the occasional picnic spot. It was there that he caught his first good scent of his quarry and realized why it smelled so off. It was female.
* * * * *
"Is everything in readiness?" His words passed between large fangs that glitter in the pale moonlight.
"Don't worry, it's one bitch. I can't believe they let her out of their kennel."
"Yes, but their stupidity is our gain. Didn't I tell you, leave a few rumors about, a few clues and the dogs come running? Have you ever tasted a she-wolf before?" Dressed in a full length trench coat, the man in a full fedora looked as white as a corpse. That was because he was dead, had been since the day he was born over two thousand years. His companion was his own creation, a lackey to do all the dirty, yet necessary things he didn't want to get messy doing himself.
"No, I've never even seen one."
"Then you're in for a rare treat. It's like a fine wine to a human. So shall we begin this little game?"
"Sure, after you Damien." Damien Laster scowled then planted the sole of his boot into his companion's back side, sending him sprawling into the leaves.
"You first, you half blood. You take point."
In a flash, the young vampire picked himself off the leaves and was shadowing his way through the trees. The only sign of his passing, the leaves and debris kicked up by the wind.
* * * * *
She'd been at it all night long and had gotten no closer to her quarry. Fleeting scents that were there one moment and gone the next had driven her in circles. that was until she caught a new scent on the wind. A cat, a tom cat! She never encountered a tom before. The legend was that there were only six tom cats in their entire species and that the she-cats guarded them velously. So why was one here of all places?
Casting a casual glance up wind she began to work her way towards the shore, then thought better of it. If she were standing on the shore, she would be up wind for everything. Taking a step off the path into the deeper brush, she caught sight of movement off to her right and spun to move when something slammed into her with the force of a freight train. Before she knew what happened she was flying through the air, out onto the footpath again.
Landing on her feet, a snarl on her lips, she looked for her assailant yet could find nothing. Lifting her nose, she sniffed several times, yet her greatest sense came up empty.
"That's not going to help you little bitch." The words floated out of the darkness and she froze. Zenah spun around. Whatever this was, it either knew what she was, or was playing a very sick joke.
"Whoever you are, you've picked the wrong girl to mess with. I'm warning you, this is not going to end well for you."
"Oh, but I think it will." The words came from right behind her ear and too late the sickening realization hit her.
Vampire! The thought screamed through her brain even as she ducked and tried to roll forward.
She hadn't moved a foot before a vise like grip caught her shoulder and she stopped in place. Her struggles brought her nothing, and seconds later she was flying through the air again.
Pulling her daggers free, she landing in a crouch, ready for the next attack. When it came she seemed stuck in place. Their speed was such that her weapons hit empty air with every strike, her defence always half a heart beat too slow. Until at last she was forced off her feet and onto her knees.
"You see, I told you she'd go down without a problem, most wolves do."
"Don't get cocky, it's still dangerous."
"Would you like first bite my lord?"
"I don't mind if I do."
* * * * *
Blood suckers, I might hate wolves, but I loath vampires. Zachs thoughts were as hard as flint as he watched the two vampires lift the beaten wolf off the ground.
With the utmost care, he brought his Katana from its sheath and stepped from his hiding place. They were taking the girl down the path towards the shore line. Smart, once they'd drained her they would simply throw her into the lake. But for now this would afford him the perfect chance to ambush two vampires, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and hey, he'd be able to kill a she-wolf, it would be a win-win.
* * * * *
She was dead, she knew that. They were going to drain her and throw her carcass into the lake. But she'd be damned if she made it easy for them. Wrenching a leg free, she drove her foot into the short ones face with a resounding crack. Only to be given a fist to her gut for the effort. She saw stars as she tried to regain her breath, then as her vision began to gray around the edges she felt something hot splash against her face and blinked, tasting copper.
With a howl from above her, she was dropped to the hard ground. The howl above her was cut short by the sound of a blade connecting with flesh. The rain of blood cascaded down on her as she struggled to her feet. Wiping the red fluid from her eyes, she stared at the man before her.
"Get down, the other one's still out her somewhere." His voice was far higher than she expected. With blood splattered over his face, she couldn't get a good look at him, but she could tell his hair was black and his eyes hazel. That was about it. That didn't matter, he was the tom, the one she'd been smelling for the last couple of days. To kill him would leave an impression her father couldn't ignore.
"DIE!" She howled, flying at him with her fingers extended to grip his throat.
Impossibly fast, he spun, his hand reaching out to grasp her throat. At the contact, an electric flash seared through her entire body. It was as if she'd been asleep and was suddenly slashed with ice cold water.
I can't be, It CAN'T BE! Her mind screamed at her.
"Look here, little doggy. The only reason you're still alive is the fact that we have a vampire who thanks to me saving your life is now after both of us..."
"You did not save my life!" Zenah choked through a windpipe being crushed.
"We can discuss that later. Right now, the only way either of us survives long enough to kill each other later is if we fight this thing together," he drew her towards him until they were nose to nose. "Understood." Damn him, but she knew he was right. If they didn't fight this thing together neither of them stood a chance.
"Fine, but don't touch me again." At that the fingers sprang free, and she landed in a crouch, ready for the next attack.
"So what are we dealing with?" The cat circled wide to her left side.
"It's an elder, you killed its prodigy so hopefully it kills you and gives me an opening to kill it."
"Not likely. Do you know what vampires like better than the taste of cat blood?"
Without taking her eyes off the forest, she shook her head in the negative.
"Bitch blood. I have no idea why your alpha would even send you out here knowing that."
Her reply dies on her lips as the vampire came out of the tree line. It moved so fast she had time to take one slash at it as it swept past her on its way to the cat. A muffled grunt later and she winced as the tom was taken off his feet, than rebuked herself and charged forward.
The vampire had him pinned to the ground, fangs reaching for his neck. Its cry of pain was very gratifying as her one dagger bit deep into the back of its neck. The other just scratched the surface of its side before she was tossed away and it was gone.
"Get on your feet." She called down, offering her hand to help him to his feet.
Growling, he did a kick-up to a standing position and marched away from her.
"Get that vaunted nose of yours to work. You wounded it, you're the better tracker, so track it."
"No need, I think we pissed it off." Zenah pointed to the tree line again, just in time to see the creature emerge into the clearing.
"Time to die." It snarled, its blood flecked fangs flashing.
"I was about to say the same thing." Zenah looked at the tom and he at her. They had said the exact same thing at the exact same time.
Springing forward, the battle was joined. From somewhere under its coat the vampire produced a rapier, its blade flashing in the moon light. The tom charged, knowing that his Katana couldn't match a rapiers speed. But a Katana could cut clean through a rapier if he could bring it to bear on the enemy's blade.
The sound of steel on steel resounded through the quiet forest. Cut after cut were received by both combatants until blood flowed freely on both sides. Zenah waited until the tom had the rapier pinned low then sprang forward, her nine inch dagger biting deep into its back, through its spine, and out its chest.
But ancient vampires have never died easily, and this one's dying spasm sent the tom flying head over heels into the underbrush. Its spasm continued into a lighting fast riposte, the rapier slicing deep into Zenah's abdomen. At last, with a last convulsing, blood dripping from its mouth, it pitched forward onto that handsome face and laid still.
Before she hit her knees, her blade fell from her hands and she reached down with both hands to keep her stomach closed. They'd killed it, but it had killed her in the process. Either that or the cat would finish what it had started. So when she heard the brush rustle, she knew she'd had it. She couldn't move, if she did her insides would become outsides. So she sat there and awaited her fate.
He approached with a wild look in his eye. The look of hatred she'd seen many times, and many times had given in return. Then, to her surprise, the look faded. only to be replaced by a look of concern and almost empathy. Shaking his head, his countenance returned to one of hatred and he stepped forward, his blade held high above her head for the killing stroke.
The next sound she heard was the sound of a sword hitting the leaves behind her. She felt next soft strong arms lowering her onto her back.
"Shut up and stay still. I have no idea why I'm not just killing you right here and now, but I can't. So just stay still and quiet or I might change my mind bitch."
The next couple of minutes were a blur for Zenah. The pain in her stomach making her vision darken, then blur as he sewed her stomach wound closed.
"There, now you won't bleed to death. But I would advise you to get back to your kind as soon as possible. I was only able to close the outside, but that cut is deep and will require more medical expertise than I have." With that he was gone and the emptiness inside her returned.
"NONONONONONONO!" She screamed after she was sure he was gone.
This couldn't be right, she wouldn't let it be right. Never had something like this happened, and why was it happening to her.
ns 15.158.61.37da2
