by D McEntire
Chapter Seven
The vampires trudged through the brush along Fourteen Mile Creek until they reached a small clearing.
“Ah. Do you smell that? Fresh blood,” one crooned. His smile was revolting, making it hard for Suma to hold her ground and wait for the opportunity to strike.
Suma knew it was now or never. She needed to stop them before they moved closer to the campsite. She needed to eliminate them without being seen by the humans or her presence here would no longer be safe. If word got out a wolf was roaming the park, she ran the risk of being killed on sight or captured.
The wolf’s body trembled in anticipation of the attack. This was a hunt and its instincts were telling it to kill on contact.
Without hesitation, Suma sprang from the bushes where she had been watching the vampires and attacked at full force.
One of the vampires was killed immediately, its head nearly ripped from its body. Suma turned and faced the others, growling, promising a brutal death.
The five remaining vampires spread out in an attempt to encircle her and cut off her escape. Two lunged forward, but she dodged them, then plowed into the stomach of one waiting for his chance to join the fight. He went down hard, and used his hands to keep her away from his face and neck, but to no avail.
Her hatred of the creatures exploded into full rage. She tore into the flesh of the vampire, tearing away the left jaw and cheek. With another quick attack, she ripped into the artery in his neck. The vampire howled in pain, then writhed in the dirt and leaves. After a few moments, he stilled as his blood seeped from his body.
Movement from the corner of her eye caught Suma by surprise, and her heart sped a little faster. Her mind assumed more vampires were joining the fight against the wolf, but soon saw this was not the case.
A man leapt from the trees and separated a walking stick to reveal two long, sharp knives. He swung them with grace, hacking and pushing back the vampires as they snarled and hissed. One of the vampires fell, its head attached to its body by a mere strip of muscle and flesh.
Suma stared in shock. The man who had stepped in to assist her was the same man from the coffee shop. A snarl brought her attention back to the fight at hand, and she pulled her gaze away.
With a shake of her head, she tried to clear the thoughts in which she was losing herself. Whirling around, she seized one of the vampires by the leg, bringing him to the ground where she could conduct a more lethal attack.
Even in the throes of battle with the vampire, Suma could see the man fighting effortlessly. It didn’t take long for him to bring another one down, but he could not get out of the way of the other one’s attack fast enough.
When she saw the vampire sink its fangs into the man, she sucked in a breath and unconsciously held it. The act almost cost her a blow to the head from the vampire she had pinned to the ground. The wolf turned to finish him off so she could aid the newcomer before he suffered serious injuries.
Suma returned her focus to the man struggling with the vampire and was just about to spring forward, when she saw his eyes. His once beautiful honey colored eyes were glowing red, mirroring those of the vampire he was fighting.
A loud hiss came from his mouth as he opened it wide, showing a bright set of fangs. He turned them on the vampire, making the creature release the hold on his arm. The man immediately swung both blades in an “X”, slicing the vampire’s head from his body.
Suma took several steps backward, not able to believe her eyes. The gorgeous man standing before her was a vampire. Why did he help her kill the others? Unless he wanted to have the sole honor of killing the wolf.
Breathing heavily, Rayne concentrated on slowing the beating of his heart. He and the wolf had taken out the Rogues, and now it was just the two of them.
After he had left the shelter of the small cave he had used, a shrill cry had pierced the night, sending his senses on alert. He knew Rogues were close and from that sound, so was one hell of a fight.
Rayne stood very still and watched the emotions play in the wolf’s eyes. He saw immediately when the decision about his presence had been made. The wolf’s beautiful green eyes narrowed speculatively as it took several steps in retreat.
The wolf slowly pulled back its lips in a snarl, venomous and low. It did not trust him and considered him an enemy. He braced himself for an attack, but didn’t have long to wait. When the wolf lunged forward, he held still until the last minute, then twisted to the left, far out of reach of the wolf’s fangs and claws.
The wolf landed hard and rolled on the ground before springing quickly to its feet. Its snarl never ceased as it paced, looking for another opportunity to attack.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I am here to help you kill the Rogues.” Rayne spoke softly, trying to soothe the animal.
The wolf leapt once again, causing him to deflect its attack with the side of his walking stick. He didn’t want to injure the animal, but he needed to protect himself.
“Look. I know you can understand me. I watched the woman speak to you, and it was obvious you understood her. You tried to communicate with her.”
Those words only agitated the wolf even more, which was not what he had intended. This time, it seemed to gather all its strength to make a dead run toward him. Regrettably, he had to use his leg to kick out at the advancing wolf, launching it sideways where it skidded along the ground.
Suddenly, there was a cracking of wood before the black wolf vanished. Rayne ran over to a hole, which had appeared out of nowhere and swallowed up the animal.
“Damn! A trap! Who the hell would dig a pit out here?” Rayne cursed, his fists clenching at his sides.
He heard a faint whimper from the darkness of the pit. The wolf was hurt, although how badly, Rayne didn’t know. His gut knotted as he fought the panic threatening to rise, forcing himself to focus on getting the animal out of the pit. Then he would assess the injuries and go from there.
Rayne embedded the blades on his walking stick on each side of the dirt walls to brace himself and leaned as far as he could into the pit. With his night vision, he found the wolf lying on its side at the bottom, blood welling from cuts on its muzzle and a larger pool spreading underneath. Rayne gritted his teeth at the sight of the damage done by the sticks and brush as the wolf had crashed through the camouflage and fallen into the pit.
The blades held Rayne as he eased himself into the pit where he bent slowly, trying his best not to startle or agitate the injured wolf, and lifted the animal as gently as possible.
Rayne had no choice but to wrap the wolf around his broad shoulders and pray it had the strength left to hang on. Luckily it did as he grasped the blades and began the climb out of the hole.
It took several minutes and a lot of strength to pull himself out of the pit with the wolf draped across his shoulders. Once out and away from the hole, he laid the animal on the ground to get a better look at its injuries. Although he couldn’t find anything life threatening, he wasn’t relieved. He didn’t have any expertise in animal medicine like many of his ancestors.
Rayne knew exactly what he needed to do. He lifted the animal into his arms, swearing under his breath when it let out another whimper of pain, and headed for his Jeep as quickly as he could. The wolf needed help and fast.
Chapter Eight
Jed Parker made his rounds inspecting the traps he had laid, disappointment growing with every empty hole. He held out hope. There was still one trap left to check, and as he turned to head in that direction, a loud yelp caught his attention and his heart leapt.
Jed smiled to himself. “Bingo. I’ve got you.”
Heading for his trap as quickly as he could, stumbling along as he tripped over fallen branches and bushes, Jed cursed. His flashlight wasn’t much help when he wanted to go at a faster pace. Grudgingly, he slowed before he twisted an ankle or cracked his head open, and ended up stranded in the woods. No one knew he was here, which was what he wanted.
By the time he reached the a
rea of his trap, his elation quickly turned to anger. The trap had been sprung, but the pit was empty.
“What the hell?”
The night breeze fluttered a hunk of black fur stuck on the end of a large stick beside where he crouched. Jed pulled it off, and ran it through his fingers, then leaned into the pit, shining his flashlight onto the bottom.
A small pool of blood soaked the dirt floor and several sticks and branches layered the bottom, leaving no doubt in his mind the wolf had fallen into this trap. How it had escaped, he had no idea. He knew the animal could not have gotten out on its own, especially if it was injured.
His face drawn tight in anger, he swung the flashlight back and forth across the ground until he saw what he was looking for—footprints.
“Son of a bitch,” he cursed. “Someone took my wolf.”
With another muttered oath, he turned and used his flashlight to follow the trampled foliage and brush. It didn’t surprise him when the trail led to the parking lot.
As soon as he cleared the trees, he saw the red glow of taillights from a Jeep speeding out of the lot and toward the entrance of the park.
Jed flung his hat to the ground, growling in a fit of rage. “Dammit! That’s my wolf,” he shouted in the darkness, too angry to care if anyone heard.
Gritting his teeth, Jed vowed he would discover the culprit and take his wolf by whatever means necessary. People in town liked to gossip, and he could be all ears when there were things he wanted to know. “I’ll find you,” he growled, then turned and stalked to his hidden truck.
Rayne knocked on the door of the house where the woman from the park had gone the other evening when he had followed her. The door opened slowly and after a moment he saw recognition on her face as she obviously recalled the incident at the coffee shop in Charlestown.
“Yes?”
Rayne could hear trepidation in her voice.
“Ma’am, I know you visited the park to feed the wolf,” he said softly. “I am also a friend of the wolf.”
The woman eyed him speculatively and for a moment Rayne was afraid she would refuse to help.
“Okay, but what are you doing here? Does the wolf belong to you?”
Rayne shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. But, something has happened.”
The woman stared at him a moment, then stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“I’m sorry to wake you so early in the morning, but I need your help.”
The woman waved away his concern. “Oh, I wasn’t asleep anyway. What has happened?”
Unable to hold still, he paced the deck to gather himself, then stopped and looked at her intently. “There was an accident tonight, and it was injured.”
The woman’s eyes grew wide with concern. “Where is it? Please don’t tell me it’s dead.” Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Rayne put up his hands to stop her panic. “No, no. But, it’s badly injured, and I don’t know what to do. It’s in the back of my Jeep.”
The woman bounded down the steps of the deck, heading for his Jeep while he followed close behind. As soon as she reached the vehicle, she let loose a string of curses that would make a sailor blush.
“You put it in a cage?”
Her tone was incredulous, and Rayne spoke up defensively. “Yes, I put it in a cage. It attacked me at the park, and when it comes to, I’m sure it will do so again. I didn’t want a pissed off wolf in my back seat while I was driving.”
The woman turned to study the wolf lying still, her fingers slipping through the bars to lightly pass over a trail of blood running along its front leg from a jagged wound.
Before Rayne could react, she unlatched the door and told him to take the wolf inside a small trailer, which sat beside the house.
“You want me to let it out of the cage and set it loose in the trailer?” Is this woman out of her mind?
She nodded. “It’ll be fine.”
Before he could protest further, the woman walked over and opened the door to the trailer, looking at him expectantly.
“This is not a good idea,” he muttered as he carried the furry beast, limp as a noodle, in his arms into the camper and stepped aside as the woman flipped the light switch.
“You said it attacked you. Was that how it got hurt? What did you do, try to catch it or something?”
The woman began asking questions as she led him to the back of the trailer, her accusations grating on nerves which were already on edge.
“No, I didn’t.” Rayne knew his reply was curt, so he took a breath and started again.
“There were a couple of…men taunting it. After I finished showing them the error of their ways, the wolf turned on me.”
The woman let loose something along the lines of a snort, then whirled to face him. “Look, I know all about the vampires.”
Rayne stilled, not knowing what to say, but his thoughts were cut short when she continued.
“I was attacked by two of them in the parking lot one evening. That’s when I met the wolf. It killed them effortlessly, saving my life. I knew it was no ordinary wolf. It’s highly intelligent, and we have become friends, if you will. Here, lay it on the bed.”
As Rayne moved towards the bed, the woman suddenly put up her hands to stop him.
“Wait, let me cover the bed with something. It’s still bleeding. My parents won’t be happy with a blood-soaked mattress.”
“Your parents?” Rayne asked as he waited while the woman spread out a vinyl tablecloth on the bed before gently placing the wolf on top.
“Yes. They come on weekends, but won’t be out for a while. My mother doesn’t like to stay here when it’s cold, and it still gets chilly at night.”
Rayne didn’t speak as the woman gently raised the wolf’s front leg to examine the wound. She also took a few moments to look over cuts on its head and muzzle before sitting back on her heels.
“If you didn’t approach the wolf in a threatening manner, then there’s only one reason it would attack. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
Rayne was about to voice his opinion of her accusations when the woman’s eyes grew wide with fear. She staggered a few steps backward, stopping when the wall hit her back.
He allowed his face to soften, held up his hands and spoke softly. “I need your help. You have my word I am not here to hurt you or the wolf.”
The woman stared at him for several heartbeats, waiting for him to continue.
“Yes, I am a vampire, but no, I am not one of them. They are Rogues, merciless killers, and my job is to stop them.”
He watched patiently as she took in his words, then noticed her relax. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. “I don’t know much about treating animals, but my sister does. She raises miniature goats and has had to take care of wounds, illnesses and birthings. I’m sure she has antibiotics and other supplies at her house. I could ask her to bring them over.”
“Actually,” Rayne said, “there’s no need. I stopped at a veterinary clinic I spotted on the way here. I’ve got some things in my Jeep.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “But, it’s after midnight. Wasn’t the clinic closed?”
When she rolled her eyes after realization set in, Rayne smiled.
“Guess that’s where you got the cage too,” she muttered.
Rayne held out his hand. “I’m Rayne. I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier.”
“I’m Dana. Dana Viers. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rayne,” she said, shaking his hand.
After fetching the supplies from his Jeep. Rayne stood aside while Dana shaved the area around the wound on the wolf’s leg, then used a rag to clean out the dirt.
“Do you know how to do stitches?” she asked after she was finished.
“Yes, unfortunately, I do. I’ve had to stitch myself up a time or two,” he said grimly.
Rayne placed the supplies on the bed, and after a deep breath, he poured the alcohol over the wound on the leg, then used cotton balls to disi
nfect the ones on the head and muzzle.
After the wounds were cleaned, stitched and antibiotic ointment applied, Rayne covered the wolf with a blanket.
“Let’s step outside for a while. It’s not going anywhere,” Dana said.
Rayne glanced at the mass of fur curled on the bed and silently agreed—the wolf wasn’t going anywhere soon.
They left the trailer and sat on the deck in front of Dana’s house. A cool breeze sifted through his hair, which had slipped out of the leather strap sometime during the fight with the wolf.
He sat back in the rocking chair, trying to calm the thoughts swirling in his mind. It had been a long night, and he was growing tired.
After a few moments of silence, Dana told him more of what she knew about the wolf and described in detail the attack on her in the parking lot. When she gave a description of the Rogues, Rayne saw her shudder.
“Where do you fit in all this vampire stuff?”
Rayne adjusted himself in the rocker, wondering where to begin. “I’m a Watcher,” he replied, “from the Cell in downtown Louisville. There are many of us around the world. We have taken a vow to protect the innocent from the vampires like the ones in the park. We call them Rogues.”
The woman glanced up at the sky, and Rayne followed her gaze. Dawn was on its way.
“Come on. Let’s check on the wolf one more time, then we’ll get you settled out of the daylight.”
Stepping into the trailer’s bedroom, Rayne thought he was dreaming. The wolf no longer lay on the bed. In its place was a woman, a Native American woman with long, jet-black hair spilling around an oval face. Soft, pink lips parted as she lay in a deep sleep, not making a move though he and Dana stood by the bed.
“I ran into this woman at the coffee shop the same night you were there. Later, I had stopped by the park and saw her walking into the woods. I had no idea what she was doing there…but now I guess we know.”
Rayne leaned over the bed, mesmerized by the beauty of the woman who lay there. He pushed back a strand of hair from her face, unable to stop from touching her. He, too, had met her at the coffee shop, and now he remembered how she had looked at him with hungry eyes. Green eyes.
