The Enemies of Vengeance

by P. A Ross

  "Tonight, we will spar for one fight only as it will be very tiring for you. Then I will go off and try and scout out the first gen Turned. We believe there is one about thirty miles away. In my heighten werewolf form, I can cover the ground quickly and will be able to sniff them out. If they do sense me, it won't necessarily give away the rest of our presence," Max said.

  "Why not?"

  "It wouldn't be abnormal for a wolf to be in the woods. The Turned can't always sense werewolves as well as Dragans. I would be able to sense them from much further away. So unlikely I would even come into their range."

  "So we could be launching an attack in the next few days?"

  "Yes. It looks like the war is starting."

  I polished off my food and drunk down the last of my coffee. I was excited and scared that we were finally about to fight back. I could get my revenge and eliminate the constant threat of the Turned from trying to cut me open. I had no choice but to fight them, and this was the first time we could take the battle to them, even if it was just one first-generation Turned. But with each first gen gone, their potential to grow their army diminished and we furthered our goal of defeating them.

  I changed the conversation. "So how is everything going back at the diner? How are Eleanor and Amber getting along?"

  Max drank his coffee. "Everything is going well. Amber has taken the money that you gave her and invested it into revamping the diner. She convinced me that a fifties style diner was old hat. Nobody was going to drive out there to eat. And passing traffic didn't always stop. We had to make it a go-to place, so we had to make it different, something special."

  It sounded interesting, and I shoved my plate to one side and got a refill of coffee. "So what is it now?"

  "You're not going to believe this, but Amber wanted to literally revamp it. So it has become a cafe with the Gothic theme. It embraces everything to do with vampires and werewolves. Amber has some steampunk vampire outfits that she wears to serve in. The walls have pictures of famous vampires and Gothic settings. We have fake spider webs around the door and along the counter. The menu is horror themed. We have the first bite burger and bat wings. All served with Mummy fries and werewolf milk. She's been running a social media campaign on Instagram and Twitter. We offer a discount if you re-post."

  "Thorn would find this highly amusing. The restaurant is doing well then?"

  "Thorn did find it highly amusing. Especially as I have to pretend to be a werewolf. You know how much she loves to mix the fact with fiction, almost rubbing people's noses in the truth. Anyway, the restaurant is doing fantastic. It appears that people want an eating experience now, not just casual dining. It has become the go-to place to be seen in. Amber has done a fantastic job. She's worked in so many different places that she had a wealth of experience to bring with her, as well as the money you gave her."

  "Excellent news. I felt so bad for what happened to her with the bikers. I'm pleased it has all worked out for her in the end. Please say hello to her when you go home."

  Max shook his head and scratched his nose. "I don't think she would want to hear that. Your name isn't particularly well thought of by her."

  "She blames me for what happened with the bikers because I gave her that money?"

  "No. She knows you gave her the money with good intentions. You didn't arrange for the bikers to kidnap her. But she is annoyed with you over the way that you met. She learnt about your powers of seduction, the chemical hormones that you can release as a Dragan or half Dragan. She feels that she was used."

  "Ah. I did use my powers on her. It has occurred to me since, that I seduced her by using my powers. I wasn't sure how much effect I had on her until I met up with Scarlett again and saw the reaction she had to me. I can only apologise for what happened, but on the night, she seemed just as eager as I was."

  "You can't be sure that she was completely willing as not used to the overwhelming emotions your powers cause. I know you didn't force her into that room, but your powers were an unfair advantage and something she wouldn't have been aware of. She would have thought her feelings were real and meant something special. You need to learn to control yourself."

  "Yes. You're not the first person to say that to me. Thorn said the same, but then again, it was her idea to practice on Amber in the first place. I'm not sure what to think anymore. Part of me feels guilty for what I have done, and the other part couldn't care less. When I first became V, after Barry's death, I felt no emotions whatsoever. I just felt cold and numb. All I wanted was to become a vampire and take revenge. But after a while, the desire went and my real emotions returned. Meeting Amber helped me regain some of my humanity. Seeing Scarlett and my dad helped it all return. But seeing him shot, and my kidnapping and torturing has left its toll. As time goes on, I seem to care less about how I have hurt other people. Rip and Thorn don't care about how they hurt people. Cyrus definitely doesn't care about who he hurts."

  Max nodded and sat up straight in his seat. "It's not just the things you have been through, you are becoming a Dragan, and therefore, your humanity will be draining away. As a Dragan, you will need to feed, and I doubt you will survive for long if you worry about the people you may hurt or trick. You will be driven by instincts and humans won't seem the same to you once you have fully transformed. You may lose your sympathy for them."

  "So what can I do? I have to become a Dragan to survive and to be with Thorn. How can I try to keep my humanity intact?" I asked.

  Max stared up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. "Maybe you can't. Maybe you have to accept you will become different. After a hundred years of living as a Dragan, you won't care about humans anymore. Seducing them against their will is the least bad thing you could do. It is easier and quicker just to kill them outright."

  "But Thorn cares about humans still."

  "What makes you think Thorn cares about what happens to humans?"

  "She is with me. I am human. In the past, when I wanted to kill Barry's sisters and mother, Thorn stopped me.

  "Maybe this is more to do with Sisterhood than humans. But I take your point. Maybe it is possible to keep some of your humanity intact."

  "Plus I've seen that Thorn could have killed people before but chose just to feed on them instead. She even takes away any painful memories and leaves them with something happy to remember."

  "That is good to hear. Maybe you can ask her how she does it."

  "I will. I know she has a moral code about who she kills and who she doesn't. I thought it was weird and twisted, but now it's starting to make some sense. She has rules of engagement."

  "Maybe, for now, your answer is simply to follow those same rules. Or make your own rules to ensure you have empathy and feelings for other people."

  "I will try it."

  We sat in silence for a few moments and continued drinking our coffee. I tried to think of something else to chat about, but I didn't want to start unnecessary small talk. Somehow it felt beneath us to discuss the weather.

  Max broke the silence after he finished his coffee and took the cup to the sink. He turned back around and leaned against the kitchen side. "How about we get in a little practice before tonight? A bit of man against man. A rematch from our first encounter in the diner. Let me see how much you have learnt."

  "Okay. We should go out into the woods and get a bit of space. But let's not go one hundred percent, you will heal tonight when you change, but it may take me a little longer, and I need to be at my best if I am to practice tonight."

  "You have a deal."

  We headed out of the kitchen through the hallway and passed the other bedrooms with sleeping Dragans and out the front door.

  The forest looked different during the day with the sun streaming through the branches of the tall pine trees. I had noticed last night the area was devoid of wildlife. I sensed no animals in the local vicinity. I guessed they all sensed the Dragans and Werewolf.

  The open forest floor outside the lodge was hard-baked in
the summer's sun. We walked across the mud baked floor into the wooded area where the ground was covered in pine needles and twigs.

  Max crunched the twigs underfoot as he walked further into the forest until we came across a small circular clearing of brown ground. He turned around to face me and took a couple of steps back.

  "Is this enough space for you?" he asked.

  "This will be fine."

  "Let's start. Show me what Rip has taught you."

  I nodded to acknowledge, and I observed Max, expecting him to launch into a furious attack. Instead, he paced around me, and I kept my guard up as he stalked about. I felt a nervous anticipation as I waited for him to attack. I let that feeling build my magic. I let it store up to make myself stronger. Rip had taught me werewolves attacked head-to-head, so I expected Max would be the same even in his human form, just as he had attacked me at the diner. Therefore I expected a quick and aggressive full frontal strike at any moment.

  But Max took his time circling and watching me. He would turn back in the opposite direction and stop, and then spin back again like an agitated wild animal.

  I decided to use my speed by letting my magic flood to my legs and arms. As Max walked back and forth, I waited for him to turn on the spot, and then I let the magic explode and darted across the ground.

  I flashed a few punches past his slow guard and tapped him on the chin. I danced to the side as he lashed out to defend himself. I kicked him from the side as he turned towards me and caught him in the ribs. He put his arm down to cover and stepped back. I jumped back to gain some space and skipped around the edges of the clearing, making him watch me.

  Max nodded and grinned. "He's a good teacher. You are much faster than the last time we met. And you took me by surprise. I thought I could wait you out and make you nervous."

  "Thank you. Rip taught me to control my Dragan power even though I am not fully transformed."

  "However, it may be a different story tonight when I change into a werewolf."

  "Maybe. I hope Rip has taught me how to fight a werewolf as well."

  "You know what your biggest advantage over a werewolf is?"

  "My agility. My clear thinking. My Dragan power."

  "All good strengths. However, you may find a more mature werewolf, like Giles's mentor, will be much clearer of thought. He will know his weaknesses as he knows your strengths. He would be wary and unlikely to give you the chance to use your agility against him. He would be of clear mind and will have learnt to control his werewolf aggression. As you saw in the warehouse fight, Norris can control his transformation and doesn't have to become a full werewolf. He can fight standing up and control his attacks. Only an experienced werewolf can do this. Giles' hasn't mastered this skill yet and must fight in the full wolf form. But there is one other advantage the Dragans have over werewolves."

  I looked at Max for inspiration but couldn't think of anything. I wracked my brain through all the stuff that Rip had taught me. But I had said everything I could remember. "Is there something I'm missing?"

  Max simply held his hands up in the air and opened them and closed them. Then he reached down to the floor, picked up a stone and threw it at me.

  I dodged out the way of the stone and stared at him. I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me. Max leaned down to the floor again, picked up another couple of stones and threw them at me. I dodged out of the way and picked up a rock and threw it back. "Will you stop throwing stones and just tell me the answer."

  Max laughed. "That is the answer. Can werewolves throw stones?"

  "Of course they can't. But are you saying I can beat a werewolf by throwing stones at it."

  "No. But the reason why werewolves can't throw stones is that they have no hands. Human hands can manipulate objects. Hands and arms can carry things. They can control things. You can throw stones. Or you could wield a sword or fire a gun. A werewolf cannot hold a sword or fire a gun unless they are in mostly human form. Your hands are your biggest advantage."

  "Are you saying I should just shoot Giles in werewolf form? I assume a silver bullet will do the job."

  "Why not? I don't think the bullet has to be silver. It would probably help, but enough bullets would kill any creature. Especially if they were in the head. Likewise, a sword would also kill a werewolf if it punctured its heart or severed its head. Why would you not use weapons?"

  "Thorn doesn't like guns. I assume it would be dishonourable to use weapons."

  "Thorn doesn't need guns. Therefore a gun would only slow her down. She is quicker and more powerful in the majority of battles without a firearm. But she does use a sword, as you have seen, when fighting the Turned. Why limit yourself to just your Dragan's claws and fangs. There is no honour in being dead."

  "So I should get a gun in case I have to fight Giles."

  "I am saying use whatever weapons you can find. Whether it be a sword or a gun or a club. The objective is to win and stay alive. No one is scoring you for honourable fighting."

  "I get it. It just hadn't occurred to me that I could use a weapon. I spent so much time with Thorn telling me not to use guns once I was a Dragan, I thought I couldn't use weapons at all. But you are right, even Thorn uses swords and once she shot me with that gun."

  "Yes. She shot you with the gun containing the formula. If needed, Thorn would use any weapon."

  "Thanks, Max," I said.

  "No problem. Get yourself a weapon. Now I would like to go and rest before my transformation tonight. I suggest you get some sleep as well before we embark on your proper training and you have to face me at the full moon."

  Chapter Seventeen

  After sparring with Max, I went back to my room and lay down beside Thorn who had cocooned herself in the duvet. I had to wait another four hours until Thorn would awake and we could spend some time together. Afterwards, I would have to face Max as a werewolf. It would only be sparring again, but I was scared. Max would be at the height of his powers, and I was unsure if I could control my fear enough to battle against him.

  Thorn loosened off her grip on the sheets, and I slid in beside her. I really wished she was awake so we could talk, but I would have to wait for a few more hours. I turned around to face the opposite direction, and then felt her hand glide across my stomach and hug me. Her lips kissed the back of my neck. "Get some sleep," she said. I smiled to myself, put my hand on top of hers and closed my eyes.

  I woke again a few hours later with Thorn gazing into my eyes. She smiled and put her hand on my cheek.

  "It's night-time and Max will change soon. And I need to work out a strategy to fight the first generation Turned and put up with that insufferable fool, Cyrus. We will both be busy tonight. But we have a little bit of time now. So I suggest we use it wisely," she said and kissed my lips.

  I returned the kiss and moved my hands onto her waist. She wrapped her arms around my back and pulled me closer as our kissing intensified. She pushed me down onto the mattress and then sat on top of me, flinging the duvet off. The supernatural breeze blew her hair and a mist circled around the room. She grinned, and the redness in her eyes flickered. I reached up, grabbed her and pulled her down towards me. Our lips kissed. We carried on where we had finished off the night before until we were both in ecstasy.

  Afterwards, I lay in the bed, catching my breath as Thorn got up and got dressed. She pulled on a pair of black leggings, knee-length boots and black Lycra top. She tied her hair up into a knot. "Come on, up you get. We have things to do. But hopefully will be back together again before dawn," she said and walked out of the room.

  I rolled out of bed and pulled on the clothes I had worn earlier. Dark blue jeans, thick army boots, a T-shirt and a thick green fleece with a hood. I strolled out of the room and back down to the kitchen. Sitting around the table and drinking coffee, were Cyrus, Cassius and Max. Thorn was pouring herself a drink and handed me one as I walked in.

  I grabbed the warm cup in my hands and took a sip. Thorn leaned against th
e kitchen side, and I stood next to her. Cyrus glared at us, and Cassius raised his eyebrows at Max. Down the hallway another door opened.

  "Good night everyone," Rip said and made his way to the kitchen side. Thorn put the coffee in front of him, but he uncorked a bottle of red wine he had left on the side and poured a glass.

  "It's a bit early for wine isn't it," Cassius said.

  "It's never too early for wine," Rip replied. "Anyway, it does me no harm."

  "So then why drink it if you get nothing from it?" Cassius asked.

  "Why do you drink that coffee?"

  Cassius shrugged. "It's warm and tastes nice. I get a little kick from it but it wears off."

  Rip raised his glass to them and took a big gulp. "Maybe you aren't doing it right?" Rip replied and winked at me.

  I knew full well he meant using his Dragan power to let the wine take effect. Cassius could use his ability to allow the coffee to give him a bigger kick. They hadn't worked out the full secrets of the Dragan power. Rip had taught me how to do it, but the time wasn't right to tell the rest of them.

  Cassius shook his head. "You have become very strange, Rip. The coffee or wine has no effect on us really. But I like its taste, and I like to drink it hot."

  "And I like my red wine at room temperature. I also like a cigarette, so I will go outside," Rip said and fetched a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and walked out of the room

  "He has changed," Thorn said.

  "How has he changed?" I asked.

  "He used to be extremely serious about his training. It was all he ever thought about. And it's all he ever did were training and studying martial arts."

  I laughed and gulped down my coffee. "He hasn't changed as much as you think. I must go outside and get some last minute tips before my practice match tonight."

  I drank down the rest of my coffee, put the cup on the side and went outside to join Rip. I found him stood by the car with the wine glass on the bonnet and a cigarette in his hand. I walked over, and he offered me a cigarette, but I waved it away.