CHAPTER NINE
I
wake up stiff and sore on a pile of old clothes. I smell of wood smoke, sweat and sex. It's not completely unpleasant. I stretch, enjoying the sensation as my muscles come to life again. I look around the cave to find Wolf but he is not in the small space. I rise and walk over to the pile of discarded clothes he has in a pile, sorting through for a clean shirt, opting to keep my jeans. I pull on my tennis shoes and walk outside to find where Wolf has gone.
I find him crouching next to one of the huge wolves he calls friends just across the clearing from the opening to the cave. I stretch again and yawn loudly, both to wake up more and to make sure he is aware of my presence. No sense in sneaking up on a vampire, not a good survival tactic. I hear him yip and yaw and know that he is talking with the animal though I have no idea how or what is being said. When he finishes he stands and turns in one fluid motion to face me.
"Morning," I say with a half grin.
Wolf looks at me with amber eyes and says nothing for too long of a moment.
I feel my stomach sink inside; this is not what I expect, especially as I see a frown playing on his lips. I arch an eyebrow, determined to face whatever is coming head on, I will not be weak or let him see me hurt. Fleetingly I think of begging, of professing my love for him, of crying. I see myself for an instant going that path, but I choose not to, that is the path of the prey that I was. I will be the predator. I want him, I want him to want me, but I'll be damned if plead with him again. I know, even if I did, he could never love someone who is prey. That would never get me the result I want so deeply it makes my heart ache to think of it. I see him starting to speak and my decision is made, I won't let him be in charge here, I will be.
"We have to hurry up," my voice is brusque and I push aside all my feelings. "Balthazar will be waiting. What kind of protection can you offer me and what part exactly am I to play?"
I watch his eyes, the frown forms on his face and then passes.
Good! I think to myself. I'm in control here, not you.
Wolf nods at my words, apparently accepting them at face value. Idiot.
He walks past me into the cave and inside I feel my heart sink, a hollow emptiness replacing where it should be and I struggle to suppress a rush of tears. I inhale one shaking breath then I'm in control again, so I follow him into the cave.
Wolf is digging through the old chest he has there. He turns as I enter and presents a jacket to me, so I take it, and then almost drop it. It is heavy, much heavier than I would expect. I look the item over recognizing it from cop shows on television, a bullet proof jacket.
"It won't stop it, but it might help," he says.
I eye the thing which looks big enough to fit three of me into. I look up at him questioningly.
"Seriously?" I ask. I'm supposed to wear this thing that feels like it might weigh half as much as I do. "This against a monster taken by his beast?"
Wolf has the decency to shrug.
I shake my head and start trying to put it on. I can't figure it out beyond putting it over my head so he steps in to help. His closeness fills me with thoughts, wants and desires that I know he is not going to return. I push them away with anger; I will not be anyone's victim ever again. That is not who I am now. The doubts and desire linger behind my facade of anger but that is the best I can do so I focus my attention on to how he is strapping me in, pulling ties and tightening bands. When he finishes I feel ridiculous and I have trouble moving right. The jacket is heavy, bulky, and obviously made for someone much larger than me. I look up at him again.
"Better than nothing," he says gruffly as he turns away from me.
I shuffle along behind him having to agree. I've seen one vampire when his beast is let loose and it was scary, one that has completely let it take over without restraint is not something I'm looking forward to encountering, yet here I go right into the face of it.
I follow him through the woods and into the city, traveling without event. I focus on what is ahead as that is the easiest way to keep my mind from going places I don't want to go. Emotions have no place in a hunt, they have no place in a predator. I took what I wanted, that is that. I lie in my own thoughts but it does nothing to fill the void in my chest.
I see a version of myself that runs up to him, grabs him by the shoulder, spins him around and makes him face me. I profess my love for him. In this version of me he takes me in his arms and tells me that he loves me, that he will always care for me. I see it but even as I do I know it's not real. It will never work between him and me. I don't know exactly what it is that stands between us but there is something or someone. Athene's words come back to me. Wolf has eyes only for the moon. I wonder again at them but they make no sense to me, except I know I am not the one he will pine for, it is not me that he will howl that lonesome howl in the night for.
I almost run into him as he comes to a sudden stop. We've traveled fast and I haven’t noticed being absorbed in my own thoughts. We are at the fire escape that Athene had climbed that night I first met her. I think of her again and as I do so the hole in my chest feels a little smaller. I can believe she might actually care about me. She is kind and open, her face and demeanor beautiful if you ignore the scar.
Things seem a tad brighter and I look up to find Wolf looking at me before he starts climbing the stairs. I follow along behind silently, no point in words when they can't help anything anyway.
We reach the roof to find Balthazar is waiting for us. Wolf walks over to stand next to the gargoyle on the edge of the building and looks out over the city. The two men stand in silence as I walk up to stand beside Wolf. Darkness enfolds the city but it doesn't sleep, the whirring of cars on asphalt sing into the night, the shouts of the living defying one another and the distant sounds of guns being shot. They are the sounds of a city under siege from within itself.
"I've locked down the area it is in. We will have to work fast, it is heading into more populated areas," Balthazar says.
Wolf nods.
"We can't let this go public, we have enough of a PR nightmare as it is, the Keeper will have my wings if she has to go into a full cover up mode."
Wolf growls at the mention of Katherine, but says nothing.
"Where do we find this thing and what is my role exactly?" I ask. Take the bull by the horns, let's get the show going.
Balthazar looks over at me and smiles a half smile.
"I like her Dallas." he says with a chuckle.
I smile at him, appreciating his kindness.
"It's heading into the Plaza," Wolf announces.
Balthazar frowns. "Damn it, I thought we had it blocked in. You sure?"
Wolf nods, frowning himself now.
Shit, the Plaza? That area will be filled with people this early in the night; lots of high end shops, fancy diners, and bars. Definitely not the place to let loose a monster, much less catch and kill one without exciting attention.
Balthazar doesn't say another word, his wings sprout from nowhere and he is in the air and heading in that direction. "I'll head it off; make your way fast as you can." He calls to us.
Wolf nods to Balthazar while looking at me. We stare at each other for a moment and then he nods.
"This is it," he says.
I nod to him, at a loss for words.
"Have to move fast, get on my back."
I arch an eyebrow at him unsure if he is serious. As I should have known, he doesn't joke, but stands there staring and waiting for me to comply. I frown but I move behind him and hop up, grabbing around his neck and wrapping my legs around his waist. He adjusts me effortlessly, hooks his hands under my legs and then steps up on to the ledge of the building. As he bends his knees to a slight crouch I feel my heart sink into my stomach.
I struggle to speak fast enough to stop what's about to happen. "Wolf we can't ...!"
He leaps before I can finish my sentence and we are flying through the air. I can't help the scream that rips out of me, compl
etely involuntary and not at all the predator I am trying to be, but there it is flying past my lips being carried away from me on the rush of air going past the two of us as we fly across the gap between the two buildings. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds but it felt like minutes stretching to hours. We land and he is immediately in motion running as we touch down. I squeeze tighter to him wishing I could meld into him but instead I bury my face into his hair and against his neck. I feel us going up again then landing with a crunch but no cessation of motion. I keep my head buried as we go until I hear him land and his boots skid in loose gravel. Involuntarily I clench my arms tighter around his neck thinking we are about to fall to both of our deaths. If it was necessary for him to breathe, I'm sure he would have passed out by now. Slowly I raise my head from his shoulder. I inhale sharply as I look around to see we have covered over half the town in moments a journey. It would of taken an hour at least under normal travel circumstances. Wolf takes his hands off my legs and I slide down to the ground as Balthazar lands next to us.
"Good time there Dallas," he says, then "there." Balthazar points down towards an alley.
We are close to the Plaza, fancy facade buildings all lit up, crowds of people carry shopping bags, moving from store to store. The street here is four lanes, divided by a median down the middle that is filled with flowers and statuary to add to the ambiance of the city's premiere shopping district. I look where Balthazar is pointing but all I see is shadows in the alley, then something moves and I feel a cold chill run down my spine. I can feel the beast there in the darkness. It's strong, stronger than anything I've ever encountered. Hunger and madness is all I feel from it. It is an overwhelming need to feed, a mania such as I've never felt in my life with no rational thought, just cunning and mad gibberish. I take a step back, shocked at the impact of the creature. Wolf looks over at me but says nothing.
The alley the creature hides in is just outside the actual Plaza zone but close to a parking garage that is used by shoppers. As I watch, a family of four walks out of the garage and starts towards the Plaza. I feel the monster down below hone in on them. There is a Father, a Mother carrying a baby, and a boy with them who can't be more than six or seven who skips along beside his Father.
Greed flares up in the Fallen and I can see what is going to happen. I feel its drive beating at my own self, invading me, the hunger becomes mine and I want them. The sweet flesh, the taste of blood on my tongue, satisfying my unending thirst. I step forward unable to resist. One step, then two, then I'm being pulled back. I growl spinning to face that which would block me from my satisfaction. Amber eyes meet mine so I swing at them with my claws. Take out the eyes then go for the throat.
The wind is knocked out of me and I am suddenly looking up at the night sky with its sparse sprinkling of stars. I try to breathe but everything hurts and I can't seem to inhale. I look up at Wolf past his knee that is pushing into my chest. I gasp, struggling for enough air to speak.
"Wolf," I force the words out. I sense the tension ease out of him as much as see it. He slides the knee off my chest, rising slightly but remains in a controlling crouch over me. It makes it inestimably easier to get my breath back without his weight pushing into me.
"What the hell was that?" Wolf stares at me; I see the uncertainty clearly on his face.
"Don't know," I gasp. I try to breathe one breath at a time. Then I remember the family. "We have to stop it, the family!" I cry out to him just as the screams start down below.
CHAPTER TEN
W
olf moves in a blur. I roll over and get to my feet as quick as I can, lacking his superhuman speed. He is leaping off the roof just as I start to approach the edge. I hear his growl as he throws himself at an angle across the street below. I see him flying across that space, his duster flapping behind him. There is an instant I have to suppress a chuckle as my mind draws comparisons between him and a costumed vigilante, but the deadly seriousness of the situation quickly douses that urge. I can't freak out now. I look up at Balthazar who is watching impassively.
"Help him!" I yell.
Balthazar looks at me and shakes his head. "It is not allowed," he replies, turning his attention back to the street below.
I look around desperately and realize that on each roof around us is another one of the goons who previously escorted us to the Court. They're all watching the fight down below.
Wolf lands with a heavy impact that echoes back up to us directly in front of an oncoming car. The car slams on its brakes but can't stop in time and crashes directly into him. Wolf rolls across the hood hitting the windshield and the sound of breaking glass fills the space between us. He rises to a crouch quickly orienting himself. He leaps from the roof of the car towards the alley, his growl coming out over the sounds of cursing and crashing. The Father with his family has pushed the Mother and baby behind him but the little boy is out of sight. I look around trying to find the boy but can't spot him anywhere. I reach out with my senses and find Wolf immediately but the Fallen that I felt previously is not as close. I stretch, straining at my senses, finding my limits, then right as I'm about to give it up I feel it. Elation and glee, it has its prey and now it runs.
"Balthazar, that thing is escaping and it has the little boy!" I scream. "You have to help!"
Balthazar looks at me and for the first time I realize how cold his eyes are, empty of emotion.
"Judgment has been passed; I shall not interfere unless Wolf falls."
Frustration fills me along with helplessness. I look around trying to find a way down. There is a door that must lead down so I run over to it. It is locked and steel, nothing I do is going to affect it. I run back to Balthazar.
"Get me down there." I demand it of him, asking is for prey.
Balthazar slowly turns to face me, a smile spreading across his face.
"Now." I add.
"You will put yourself into this?"
"I will and you will get me down there now! Wolf can't save that boy alone!"
"Wolf doesn't care about that boy's life," he says.
"Well I do!" I try to reach out to Balthazar's beast but again I find nothing but a void where it should be. "Please." I urge him.
Balthazar nods, then his bat-like wings emerge and he steps behind to take me in an embrace as he begins to flap them. I worry at first that the extra weight is too much for him to get off the ground, but he flaps his wings harder and we rise.
"That way." I point in the direction I can feel Wolf and the beast heading towards the darker side of the city, away from the denser population. Balthazar heads in that direction without question, but we move slowly. I can barely sense Wolf.
I try to avoid looking down, the height is doing funny things to my stomach, but I can't direct him with my eyes closed. I imagine myself slamming into the ground and splattering from this height. The image makes my insides heave but I push it aside and focus on the image of that little boy who a moment ago was peacefully skipping along behind his Father. I understand the imminent danger that boy is in and I know that I can help Wolf, when no one else can or will. In the face of that, my petty fear is swallowed and easy to push aside. Focus, stay focused.
My sense of Wolf is getting stronger as I direct Balthazar across the City. As we get closer, I can also sense the Fallen. They do not seem to be engaged in battle but they are close together. We start into the warehouse district and I spot Wolf with my eyes for the first time. Balthazar must have spotted him first as he starts spiraling down before I say a thing. We land beside Wolf who is crouched to the ground and sniffing.
"Wolf!" I cry out running to him as soon as my feet hit the ground. "He has the boy."
Wolf looks at me and I see the truth of Balthazar's words, he isn't trying to save the boy, he is doing what he came to do. If the boy is saved that will be a side effect, not the goal in itself. Wolf growls looking at the building across from us.
"In there," he says.
I nod in agreement; I
know the boy is alive. I can feel the beast is not yet satisfied, it senses the danger that it is being hunted.
Balthazar takes to the air without a word leaving Wolf and I alone in the street.
"Shouldn't be here." Wolf says looking at me.
"I can help," I argue.
He stares at me which is enough I know he doubts my words.
"We have to save that boy." I insist, I don't care what I see in his eyes. I don't want him to lose his grip to what makes him human, to become so cold and lost to the darkness inside that he is nothing more than an animal himself running on instinct without rationale or reason of any kind.
Wolf grunts without looking away from the warehouse. I reach out and feel the Fallen there waiting to see if it is safe. It instinctively seems to know that Wolf is here, sensing a predator of equal or greater strength, sizing it up and deciding if it will fight or flee. I don't want it to run; the longer it runs the greater the chance the boy will die. So I present myself to it. I imagine myself as a bird with a broken wing, easy prey, sending that feeling and concept out to the beast in the warehouse. Still stupid!
The Fallen bursts out of the second story of the warehouse with a screech. Shattering glass seems to hang in midair as time slows to a crawl. I watch as the beast that was once a man arrows through the flying shards towards me, teeth bared to show enormous fangs, its eyes glow red, its face is a travesty of damage from glass and other wounds.
Beast Page 7
