Hey! Here's the fourth chapter! I love it when y'all review! I'm doing science homework. Ugh. It's a booger. Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's going to get sadder from here on out for a while. WARNING!!!: This chapter has a lot of fighting in it.
After two nights of traveling, we came to an area around Saltillo, Mexico. I was for once grateful for being the monster I was. The city was located in the Chihuahua Desert, and- if I were human- the aridity of it would have bothered me. It made Texas seem bearable. I looked around at the cacti and dried soil, bathed in moonlight. My throat was barely burning, as there were no people within scenting range. Again, I was grateful. Maria and I led our army until we found the resident vampires.
I looked over them in the moonlight, their skin glowing. There were thirty of them, ten more than we had. I watched their wild, instinctive movements. They were untamed and had no training. I smiled grimly as I thought of how this would be relatively easy. I led five newborns in a wide half circle, so that we were behind the enemy. We had much practice with this strategy, and it almost never failed. By the time we had taken our places, Maria had her five in front and five on each side of the group. The enemy army snarled its chorus of disapprovals. Our army came closer, closing in any space they had to escape the attack.
The inexperienced, untrained newborns of the enemy were quick to strike out, and they didn't care who they harmed, just as long as harm was done. If everything worked out, they would help destroy themselves. The first newborn ran at full speed toward me. I snarled viciously as I met his attack, flipping over him so he couldn't bite me. I sank my teeth into his skin, jerking and sending his head flying.
"I'll get him, Jasper!" Maria called, "Get the fire going!"
"Yes ma'am!" I yelled as I released the now headless newborn.
I lit a match after gathering a heap of dry grass and wood, throwing it on the brown foliage. I heard footsteps coming toward me. I turned, grabbing the female enemy newborn before she could get me, and pushed her into the rising flames. Maria threw various limbs and appendages into the fire as she killed the enemy. I was numb to the suffering around me.
I had learned quickly to distance myself and focus on the fun Maria had while killing. I blocked out the macabre shrieks from the vampires being dismembered to be thrown in the flames. I personally didn't see the point in even making them suffer dismemberment, but just shove them in the fire whole. Their demise would come much sooner. I felt a sting on my face, right below my right eye, before I realized a newborn had pounced on me.
I snarled, jerking away and biting down hard on the first place my teeth could find. I ripped what happened to be a leg off of the newborn, and threw it into the fire. I threw the rest into the fire with ease. Maria danced over to me, hips swaying perfectly, as always. She motioned for me to come to her, and I did as she said.
"You need to strop pondering life and focus! Look at your face! Now come on and help me get these into the fire!" She barked, her crimson eyes practically glowing with hellish delight. The fire reflecting in them making them even more eerie.
"Yes, ma'am," I replied, following her quickly.
She ran over to grab a soldier from the other army. As she extended her arm to snatch the female's hair, another newborn, probably her mate, jumped Maria, biting down on her neck and locking her on the ground. Maria's scream was bloodcurdling. I ran as fast as I could to save the leader of our army. I tackled the male newborn, pushing him off of Maria. She jumped up and looked at me, not bothering to help me as the female attacked me as well. I twisted as she bit into my upper back, and I grabbed her arm and jerked as hard as I could, causing a metallic shriek to fill the night as I severed her arm. I snarled and threw her into the fire. Now I had to deal with her mate.
He glared at me with his bright scarlet eyes. I could tell he truly wished death on me. I charged, then jumped back, ignoring the burning bite-marks, then feinted. He charged towards me, rage in his newborn eyes. I ran and jumped over the fire, the flames almost licking my feet. He followed, stupid fool. I jumped back up to meet him, shoving him down in mid-air into the fire. I scanned the battlefield. It was over. Maria, Nettie, Lucy, and nineteen newborns stood victorious. We had wiped out the entire enemy army with only one death. I walked over to them, smelling the sweet scent of the dark purple smoke coming up from the fire.
"Jasper, watch the newborns," Maria barked at me, though I could tell by the way her slim hand was on her neck that she was in pain.
"Yes, ma'am," I said as she ran off, taking her place in front of the newborns.
I analyzed the condition of the newborns. They all had at least two new scars. Not bad, I had trained them well. They had dust all over their clothes and in their hair, but they were still wound up. I felt ecstasy emanating from the entire group. This always happened after a big win like this, which I was glad for because it helped keep me from pitying the other army. Nettie, imitating the lusty way in which Maria's hips would sway she walked, moved toward me.
"You should have let her perish, Major Whitlock," Nettie said, fluttering her long, surprisingly dark lashes, "She'll never reward you for it."
I fought the grimace I wanted to contort my face into at the lust radiating from her, "Well, ma'am-"
"Nettie," she corrected, purring her name.
"Well, Nettie, I was raised better than that. And, without Maria, we would have no leader," I explained.
"I could take over. I'm well capable. And you could share the power. Yes, more than you have now, Jasper," Nettie purred my name, putting a hand on my chest, and tossing her long, fair hair over her shoulder.
"Nettie, back down. Maria's not going anywhere anytime soon. And I really wish you wouldn't speak to me like that. I have no interest in you in that way," I told her off.
"Fine," she said placidly, though her crimson eyes flashed from indignation. She strutted away.
I heard a human heart frantically pounding in the distance, making my throat catch on fire. I scanned the horizon, not needing to squint through the darkness. I saw Maria coming back, towing a human girl behind her. When Maria arrived, I got a look at the girl.
She was a pretty Mexican girl. Her skin was a creamy caramel color. She had flowing black hair and big, dark eyes wide with fear. She had an admirable hourglass shape and full, trembling lips. Her only imperfections were dark, bruise-like circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
"Jasper, you saved me, so you get a reward," Maria grinned at me, and from the corner of my eye, Nettie glowered.
"Thank you, Maria, but I'm not thirsty," I lied, and I knew my eyes gave it away. I watched the girl's pulse point beat under her caramel skin, making my throat sear.
"That's a lie, Jasper. Look at her! Doesn't she smell delicious?" Maria taunted, and I wanted to rip the girl's throat out and satiate my thirst for her blood.
"Ay de mi!" The girl sobbed, her knees giving out. I caught her before she hit the ground.
She looked up at me nervously, her big brown eyes about to overflow with tears. She couldn't understand English. She must have only understood "delicious", poor girl. Her nervousness, fear, and sadness hid traces of lust when she looked at me. I couldn't control myself much longer. I bent, pressing my lips to her neck. Confusion emanated from her, along with lust. I sent calm to her as I bit into her neck, severing both her jugular vein and carotid artery. She would bleed out quickly. I swallowed her blood as quickly as it flowed out. She was dry within five minutes. I took her over to the still burning fire and put her in it, licking her blood from my lips. Maria came over to me again.
"Come on, Major. You know there's more to your reward for saving my life," Maria purred, kissing me roughly.
"For crying out loud, not again," I thought to myself as she pushed me down into a ditch.
