Blood and Death

Night was upon me as I awakened deep within my cave shelter. As soon as I breached the mouth of it and stepped out onto the grass, the light of the moon washed over me and I was immediately in tune with my surroundings. I paused and listened intently to the sounds of the night, my ears erect to catch any hidden sound I might have otherwise missed. A few miles away an owl hooted in triumph as it clenched its talons around an unsuspecting mouse. The sound of many scrambling little feet followed, signifying the retreat of all other mice who were anywhere near the owl. I turned my attention away from the silent predator and instead began my own search for prey. Within a few minutes, I had found my target. A large stag stood out in the open ravine a few miles away, completely content with his surroundings, engulfed in a false sense of security that consumed all deer during the rutting season. I allowed my inner woman a moment to laugh. All men were arrogant when seeking women…even wild creatures!

I stretched languidly for a moment, relieving the tension in my muscles in both my front and back legs. My tail brushed out behind me as I raised my muzzle towards the moon and let out a long, drawn out howl. Just as I did so, other cries echoed my own as the rest of my surrogate pack came to join me on the hunt. I took off at a full out run, feeling a mix between pleasure and pain in my body as it strove to release itself from the wolf form. I suppressed the Carpathian woman within me, knowing full well that she had no idea how to free me from my canine body and that she only wished to be free. Her longings would do me no good. As I ran, my thoughts wandered and I couldn't help but remember the night I had been caged within my own body.

I had been but 7 years old, a mere girl, as I watched the Turks bombard our village. While everyone ran for their lives, my family and another helped to save everyone, they were caught within the rays of the rising sun. I had watched as both of my parents writhed as a blazing fire engulfed them. I began to feel the effects of the sun as well and at the last moment, my father merged his mind with mine and helped me turn into our four-legged allies. With a mental caress and then an order to run for cover, he left this world along with my mother. It had been centuries since that day, but it was stilled burned into my memory and I was a wolf still. After I had found cover I had attempted to change back, but had found that I had never learned to shape-shift, forever forsaking me to a life as a wolf.

The rush of the wind surrounding me and beating against my face distracted me from my memories and I soon heard the sound of the deer's heartbeat, steady and unknowing. The urge to kill rose up within me and I suppressed it, quietly allowing the woman within a moment to mourn the passing of such a beautiful creature of the earth. We were upon it in an instant and it quickly fled, urging us on the chase. We followed it down the ravine, many of us closing in on it, snipping at its heels and then allowing it to gain ground. It was more of a cat and mouse game than anything else. We could have killed it instantly had we wanted, but the wolf within me desired the chase. Needed it. I allowed the game to continue for a bit longer and then once I felt the anxiety and fatigue wash over the deer's mind, I closed in and locked my jaws onto it's throat, delivering a quick and painless death.

Our pack cried out in victory and began the pre-designed feeding order, alpha male and female getting to eat first. The younger and weaker wolves moved aside to allow me access to the deer as well, but I felt my stomach lurch at the idea of consuming the animal's flesh. Instead I bent my head and lapped at the blood pooling beneath the animal's neck. It was astonishing that I had survived on taking blood in this manner for as long as I had. It had been many a century since I had become a wolf and I had to admit that I was impressed with what I learned of the wolves. They were my brethren, my friends and my family. They protected me and I them, but no matter how much I cared for them, part of me missed the Carpathian life, the physical contact, the way of life, learning all the skills and talents our kind possessed…and speech…I missed speaking most of all. I took my fill of the blood and left the meat for the other hungry creatures, happy that I could help provide them with what they needed to sustain life and then took off towards the nearest city.

I loved the city. I loved to sit within the darkness and watch as humans walked by, completely content in their ignorance, not even caring that somewhere within their world another species of people existed and were being inhumanely hunted for being an evil creature that they were not. Vampire-hunters constantly were searching for my kind, believing that Carpathians were vampires, when nothing could have been farther from the truth. It was true, my kind drank blood, slept during the peak of the sun's reign, and had many other talents that humans could never understand, but never did we kill humans when we fed, nor did we take pleasure in tormenting them. Vampires were the effect that years of solitude and loneliness had upon the men of our race, if they did not find the woman that could balance out their dark natures, but true Carpathians were not vampires and it was the true Carpathians that were being killed.

I was on the outskirts of the city before I had even noticed that I had moved. I looked around and found that I was surrounded by a grouping of farms, sheep, horses and cows all grazing within the pasture, not noticing that they were being watched by a large black wolf with gleaming blue-green eyes. Just then, I heard a rustling sound from behind me and I flung myself around to face whatever had caught me off guard. I found myself face to face with a huge wolfhound, a dog that was trained to protect the farm and it would not allow me to be so near its family and live. I attempted to send mental messages to the animal, but it was no use, he was not going to give in so easily when every urge within his body told him to kill. I respected the power and the need to protect his family and so I eased backwards, away from him, completely unaware that I was backing towards my doom.

Just then, the sound of a gun cocking caught my attention and I turned to be simultaneously shot and attacked by the dog. My mind was indecisive for a moment as I tried to conclude which adversary was more threatening. I knew the human had the worse weapon, but I also knew that the human was likely to miss if I was fighting with the dog. The dog's intent was to kill and he would not so easily miss his targets. I flung myself at the dog, putting all my power and strength behind my attack, using my jaws to grasp the dogs throat. The pain between my shoulders cut through me and my concentration faltered for a moment. The dog took his chance and snapped his own jaws around my throat. I growled and threw him off of me and jumped to the side, allowing a flying bullet to hit the ground beside me. I felt the trickle of blood running down my back and realized that I was getting extremely weary. I attempted to make a run for the trees, knowing that if I had been in my Carpathian form, there would be no problem between the dog, the man, and I, but in the wolf form, I was vulnerable. Destructible. The dog took hold of my leg and dragged me back to it, leaping around my fallen body to take hold of my back. The man took the moment to shoot at me again, the bullet searing through my skin as it pierced my right side.

Both the woman within and the wolf did not want to kill the beautifully loyal dog, but at that point I was running out of options. I was losing blood far too quickly and if I was caught unable to move, but still alive, the daylight would catch up with me, leaving me to a slow and agonizing death. I got to my feet as the dog tore at my body, attempting to bring me down once more. I fought the urge to give in and allow death to take me under its dark, looming wing. NO! I would not die a wolf! I wanted to die as a woman! I allowed the anger in that thought to consume me and a burst of energy surged through my body, giving me just the amount of drive I needed to hurl myself to my paws and shove my weight into the dog, throwing him off balance. Just as he tumbled to the ground, shocked at my sudden assault, I threw myself on top of him and tore his throat. The dog took in a sharp breath and then fell silent. Dead. I lifted my head and held the gaze of the man a few yards away.

The man lifted the rifle to his eye and fingered the trigger, watching me with anger blazing in his gaze. I stared back, daring him to pull the trigger. For a moment, he looked like he would, but something about my eyes gave him pause, most likely the color. I didn't wait to find out and turned around, limping towards the cover of the foliage. As soon as I was far enough in to feel safe and sheltered, I allowed myself to collapse, feeling like death was upon me already. My mind struggled with itself.

I knew what I should do, I should send myself into the sleep of my people: shut down my lungs and command my heart to stop beating. I knew I could still do it, even though I was a wolf, but that was the fact that concerned me. If I was a seemingly dead wolf, there was no telling what scavenger would attempt to tear my body apart and consume my flesh. If I could command the earth to open and bury myself the soil would heal me slowly and I would be safe from all other harm, but I knew I was no where near strong enough to do so, and so I simply lay there, wondering if the last thing I knew on this earth was the vultures picking at my bones. Just then, a voice sounded within my head. Who are you?

I didn't have much strength left and so I used all that was left to send a message back to the stranger. I am a Carpathian woman…if you know what that is…regardless I am mortally injured and stuck within the forests near the northern end of Montreal Canada. I am a black wolf close to a farm. Please! I do not want to die as a wolf!

I closed my eyes and prayed to God that whoever was calling out to me would not think me insane. I knew my plea sounded idiotic…I should never have said the word Carpathian…what if I have betrayed my kind in my dying moment! Oh God! As I lost consciousness one last thought slipped into my mind, a sensation like a billion butterflies flitting across my skin.

Do not worry, I will come for you! Be calm…know I will care for you…I will not allow you to die!