Her soft, cold hands rested on my bare shoulders. Well, only I could say they were soft. To humans, her touch would be the considered the same as glass, hard and smooth. But there weren't any humans that lived in our little coven. And I could honestly say that I'd never even seen one before. I assumed they looked like us; just weak.
"So do you like it?" She asked. She knew I did. Anyone with eyes could see that I was happy with my present. I just wished that she showed up in the mirror behind me. I wished that I could see us both together, standing like a mother and son should. But I could only wish…
My mother had once said that the reason her kind's appearances didn't show up in a mirror, is because they weren't strong enough to face the monster that they'd become. She always seemed distressed by her condition, but all I saw, and all I ever knew, was my loving mother.
"I love it." I said, trying to mat my hair down so that I didn't look like such a ruffian. But the fact that it refused to stay down, both infuriated me, and made my mother laugh.
"Come on, Adam. It's time for bed."
Our beds were downstairs, in the cellar. The houses in our neighborhood were all hoaxes. It was the cellars that kept us rested and ready for a new night. You see, the vampires who lived in this coven, weren't really part of any coven. They were coasters.
A coast is when a vampire has built up such a fortune, that they could live years and years without conflict. They didn't need jobs, nor did they need cars or food courts; they were completely self-sufficient beings. The only reason it's considered coasting, is because vampire or not, everyone gets bored. Add in such things as Electricity, Water, Gas for the heater, cable television… etc., and their fortunes become like a thick rope being cut with a rusty spoon. Their comfort was almost forever… depending on how much money they'd saved.
Younger vampires though, like Erica, remained self-sufficient here. They usually came and went, but when they did, they hadn't any need for electricity or entertainment. They were all living off of their instincts, something I could relate to. They hunted past the borders of Alaska, and crossed well into Canada to feed when they had too, which was only once a week, and when they weren't hunting, they were spending time with whoever amongst them was like them.
My mother was the previous type. She'd been one of the very first vampires to cross into America from Russia, and was also one of the first female vampires to occupy Alaska. And though it wasn't her idea for something like this safe haven to exist, she was, as she said so often, a co-conspirator. I hadn't a clue what she meant when she first told me, but it didn't matter. This safe haven was named Paradise. Which when you look around at the snow and dead trees, sounds like a mistake to a normal person, vampires seem to rather the cold than the heat.
As I walked down the concrete steps towards my bed, my mother followed behind and closed the door, leaving the once bright path down, pitch black.
It wasn't hard for my eyes to adjust to the dark, seeing as how I'd spent every waking minute of my life in the dark. Like vampires, our eyes automatically adjusted, theirs were just a little faster than mine. I didn't know if it was normal for my kind to be able to see without light, but then again, the only beings I'd ever known were vampires.
This cellar that we both descended down into was where I'd met my mother. I was almost four, as far as she could tell at the time, and I was huddled up against the back wall crying. The blood of dead rats stained my naked skin, and the corpses that surrounded me reeked in the room.
With her was the landlord; the both of them were speechless. She'd told me that he planned on killing me out of pity, but when I changed to protect myself, he backed off. She said that the first time she felt my warm fur, I'd limped over too her and rested my back against her feet. She'd been so moved by that small notion that she raised me from a wild dog; to the well mannered person I was today.
When talk of what had happened spread through the small community, I was under constant surveillance by my mother. She'd protected me when they threw rocks in the windows to make me leave, and kept up my spirits by letting me sleep in her coffin with her every day. And eventually, the night came when the windows weren't being broken in by the offended patrons of the community. A night, she told me, that I'd never forget.
To her, I'd always been her little hunter. Which was where I got my name. And being the first of my kind to ever come to this place, she thought it fit to name me Adam. A name, that I took with pride.
"I'm gonna build a fire." I said, ignoring the fact that the heater was already pumping the large room full of warmth.
My mother strode off to the other side of the room, yawning that it was alright, and opened her solid black coffin. It was a coffin fit for a fat man, which was why she liked it. It gave her room to twist and turn without being hindered by the close walls. When I used to sleep with her, she would be on constant alert not to hurt me when she rolled over or pulled her legs in. But now, I had my own bed, and it's been like that for about seven years.
As I light the Dura flame log, the room became perfect in its clarity. Sure a fireplace in a cellar was a little weird, but we were a weird family. The look on the landlord's face when my mother had asked him if it would be alright to have one, was priceless.
It was a cellar. That's the only way to describe it. Other than my mother's coffin, two dresser drawers, and my bed with a small rug in front of it… there was nothing. The grey walls were so common to me, that I'd much rather it than the rooms upstairs. Again, this house was a hoax. It was all just for show, and entertainment.
As the flames built up around the log, I turned to my bed. I hopped in, slid the warm blankets over my cold body, and let the oncoming heat from the vents in the ceiling wrap themselves around me. This is the life.
My nights were strictly routine. Well, the beginnings of my nights. It was well past the light season, and I didn't have to worry about my mother's temper anymore, so I'd wake her. During the light season, vampires didn't even think about going outside. Because with an entire month of sunlight, there was too much to risk in even covering up. So she'd go the entire month without feeding, which would make her hungry and angry. I doubted that she even slept during that time. With coagulated blood stuck in her veins she was aching and always stressed. And it hurt me to know that she would bare it for me, because all of the other vampires would just leave and go south until the light season was over. I always hated that season.
It was 6 O' clock on the dot when my alarm went off. I didn't own a real one, but my stomach sufficed for such a simple reminder. And with a soft knock on my mom's coffin to let her know I was going out to eat, she'd knock back and sleep in a few more minutes before getting up.
Every morning I debated on dressing up before I headed out into the below zero temperature, and every morning I walked out with my same old pajamas, and an empty stomach. If the cold was such that I wouldn't be able to stand it, then why dress up and find that out later as I was getting ready for my change? It didn't make sense to debate it every night, but as I said, it was a routine.
I didn't even bother with brushing my teeth yet, nor taking a shower. I'd just get blood all over me and have the taste of whatever lingering in my mouth when I got back.
As with every night, I opened the door to the dark abyss of cold that I'd called my home for many years. And as with every night, I held my breath, and shoved myself out the door. The cold snow on the ground instantly numbed my feet, and the wind wasn't helping. Alaskan cold was all I'd ever known. It wasn't a geographical thing that I was cold; it was a reminder that I was standing ankle high in fresh snow.
I bolted all of the way until I'd hit my favorite hunting grounds. The snow rabbits would be trailing through here as they did every night, and I would be ready; not shivering and trying to force a change with my mind debating whether or not I should go back inside.
As I felt the all too familiar feeling of pressure building inside of me, I fell forward onto the snow. It wasn't hard for me to push through the pain of change. Nor was it an achievement for me to change in less than a minute. So when I finally was done debating retreat, I'd already changed.
I shook the snow off my perfect white fur as felt the heat of the change wash through me. The numbness in my feet was gone, replaced by an extreme amount of blood flow mixed with adrenaline. I loved this feeling, more than any I'd ever experienced.
As I scratched away an itch behind my ear with my hind leg, I scowered the cast fields of white past the forests edge. The only reason I used the forest was because it was easy to track my pajamas by the scent of the trees, rather than having to search for them under a fresh blanket of snow as I did a few months ago. I was in a hurry to hunt in the abnormally warm weather, and as I was hunting, it snowed. I remember having to run back home naked and how I was so grateful that no one had seen me.
The plains were clear of any life, and with that knowledge, I became concerned. Where's my meal? I asked myself. Even though I hunted the same spot nearly every night, the rabbits were always here; they were stupid in that way.
As I paced in my spot waiting for something, anything to arise from the snow, I became anxious. My stomach churned on itself as waited, and I knew that sooner or later, it'd get me to leave my comfortable spot.
And as expected, I did. There was nothing here for me tonight.
My paws hit and sunk through the snow as I tried my best to run without looking lop-sided. Not that anyone was watching. But soon, I found myself skidding to a stop. Right in front of my nose, was a fresh pair of tracks that led east, around the coven. They were human. I knew that much because they didn't smell anything like me, and the scent of rotting corpses didn't overtake my senses as I sniffed them. It smelt like leather and deer urine. Hunters?
As I followed the tracks, I kept myself cautious. With every mound of snow too high to see over, I slowed to a crawl, trying my best not to make a sound. I didn't like that there was someone lurking around my home, and I knew that the others wouldn't either. No one in this entire community liked outsiders; unless of course, they were undead.
With only one set of tracks and one scent to follow, I had to assume there was only one hunter. Even I knew that people should never hunt alone. Not unless they could defend themselves if they run out of ammo. He might have a gun. I thought sharply as I argued the safety of their kind.
Another mound of snow was coming up quick as I quickened my pace. And as I did, a large figure began to appear from the other side of his soft, white cover.
I didn't make a sound. I'd stifled my breathing, aimed my paws down into the snow to keep them from crunching, and stood as tall as I could to keep my belly from dragging across the snow. Thankfully, he wasn't looking my way. Instead, his hand was held up to his eyes with a pair of binoculars.
"I didn't know there was a town up here."
It's a small community. I corrected him. Sure I could have let it go, but had a natural hatred of human kind. Some would say that was bad, but they were food to my mother, and they were food to me… if there's no way to just scare him. I said, now correcting myself.
As I snuck up on him, I saw he'd set down his shotgun. Its wooden butt stuck out like a sore thumb in the blanket of white that engulfed the rest of it. He was covered in white camouflage, but it really didn't help conceal the fact that he was a predator in the woods. Even the stupid rabbits could see through this guise if they were close enough. But then again, then they'd be dead. I couldn't stop myself from cutting into his appearance as I drew nearer and nearer to his gun. But right when I was inches away, I had to. This would require speed, and a lot of it.
Just grab it and run.
I stuck out my neck, with my head passing just under his arm as he looked onto the small community and bit down softly on the strap of the gun. But as soon as I did, his arm came down to his sides, and he felt me.
His recoil was fast as he jumped forward and placed his hand behind him. He's got another gun! I panicked. I wasn't prepared for that! But as we stood there, both of us motionless, he stared into my eyes.
"You scared me there little fella." He said quietly, still holding his hand behind him. As he began to lean forward to grab at the muzzle of the gun, I slowly backed away from him. The strap that was clung tightly in my mouth was pulled along with the gun as I did so.
"Awe, come on little guy. I'm not going to hurt you; I just want my three hundred dollar gun." He pleaded.
I was torn between disbelieving him, and wondering why he was trying to convey the importance of his gun to a wolf.
He inched forward, and I inched back. Another step forward, two more back for me. His legs were much longer than mine, and so I had to compensate with annoyance.
"I'm really getting tired of this little game, now can you please let go of the gun?"
My legs were starting to shake, and I didn't know what to do. If I ran, he'd just shoot me down for his precious gun. But if I kept on, he might do the same in anger. And with my anxious instincts going haywire in my head, I decided to roll with reflex. And so I turned and ran.
"Oh, dammit!" He yelled, as I tried to outrun his grip for his gun. I knew that it wouldn't be long until I heard the gunshot and fell forward into the snow. And with that knowledge, I pushed for more speed.
In the clearing was a small patch of forest, something I could easily lose him in. Please God, let me make it! I begged as I trudged through the cold snow. With ever pound of it sifting through my paws, I became more and more afraid of the bullet that would soon be chasing me.
Only a few more feet! I panicked…
And then came the gunshot.
I didn't feel anything, but still I stopped in reaction. I'd never heard one before, and when it resounded through the clearing, I didn't know what to think.
As I tried my best to check for wounds without moving, a loud voice called me from behind.
"Adam!" He yelled. His voice was more forceful than I'd ever heard it. And when I turned, I felt a huge wave of relief fill me.
The hunter looked shocked to see the black haired man that stood beside him, letting the man have his hand back. "What the hell!" The hunter yelled.
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't allow you to shoot that wolf." Dominic said. He was the landlord to the estate, if I could call it that. This territory was his, but in a sense, it was also mine. We needed it for completely different things, which was probably why we didn't get in each other's way. It was also the reason he had no problem accepting me when I'd first been discovered. Sure he was going to kill me then, but I was a bloodied mess, eating rats in an abandoned cellar… I'd have probably done the same thing. "You see, this is private property and if you didn't see the do not trespess signs posted along our borders, then I must advise you to pay attention next time."
The hunter was completely overtaken by his kindness, though I had a strange feeling that it wasn't Dominic's words that had calmed him.
"Oh, sorry." He said. "What is all this out here, though?" He asked, quite honestly.
"It's an elevated Witness-protection program." Dominic said, quickly and smoothly I might add. He'd obviously had time to think about it. "We take in the more… extreme cases." He added, pretending that he hurt his hand when he'd diverted the hunter's shot. Such small notions about the way he acted and talked, was perfectly human.
"Oh my." He said, looking back over to the coven. "I'm sorry for the intrusion then. I'll make sure to tell the other hunters not to come out here." He said, scratching the back of his head. "Hey. Is there any way to get my gun back?" He asked.
Dominic laughed and nodded. Then, to my dismay, he whistled to me, and then made that clicking dog calling noise. "Here Adam!" It was so humiliating.
I made sure to take my time coming back. And when I finally got there, "Drop it." He said, putting an embarrassing emphasis on 'it'. Pain in my ass!
As soon as I dropped it, he patted my head, I growled at him, and then I left him there to converse with the stupid human. I should have bit his hand, or snapped at him at least! I thought as I made my way back home, hungry.
What a horrible start of my night. I thought.
Then there was a loud gunshot. From the small distance I'd put between the two of them and myself, I saw Dominic double over, his hand clutched the barrel of the shotgun. And without thought, I made a run for it.
The hunter tried his best to jerk the gun from Dominic's steel grip, but there wasn't any time left. I'd leapt.
My teeth sank right into his throat, and I ripped it right out as I landed on top of him. Dominic! God, please be alright! I prayed as I swallowed whatever part of the human anatomy was being chewed up in my mouth.
"I'm fine, Adam." He said. "He just took me by surprise." His deep blue eyes, peered into my own. "Scared the crap out of me too!" He added, and then looked down at the hunter. I was sure that the panic that I'd killed a man would overtake me, and would play on my face, but it didn't.
He looked back at me and then to the man again, and then right into my eyes. "Funny." He said, obviously deep in thought.
"When werewolves taste human blood their eyes usually change blue… Yours don't."
As he stood, he looked back to the coven, where no one was paying attention. Those of whom knew there was a hunter out here, now knew him to be dead, and that was how things were supposed to be.
I was about to go back home and try to build up some guilt, but my stomach was growling. I did kill him… I thought, debating whether I should just go full tilt and eat him.
"He's your kill, and we're going to have to dispose of him somehow." He stated.
But what about my mom.
"I'll go talk to her, and you stay and eat. From the looks of things, we're really going to need his body gone by daylight." He said. He was about to walk away when I questioned him about why. It was an honest question. Why would someone just shoot you?
"He saw my teeth, and I could hear his thoughts putting two and two together. Think about it Adam; A man appears out of nowhere in the middle of the night, brandishing cold skin, wearing thin clothes, and sporting a pair of vampiric teeth… he may have been stupid, but he wasn't ignorant. So just eat, and I'll go tell your mom what happened, and… I guess we'll burn the rest."
Was it wrong for me to agree with him? Not if I'm hungry.
