Author's Notes: Thank you to all who reviewed my fic.
Shining Zephyr: Valerie's not a true werewolf per say, she's a Lycanthrope (which in my modern day version of the legend that I made to fit into the Moonlight story arc is a creature between wolves and human. You can only become a true werewolf if you're a vampire that abandons your humanity). I am glad you like the fic. Happy Holidays, my friend.
Mystery Writer5775: I'm glad you like the fic. Happy Holidays, my friend.
Chapter XXVIII: Bloodstained
Jazz
"I think we finally made it to exit," I said as we followed the beam to an iron door and opened it revealing a room with crystal walls.
"What is with this guy and reflecting walls," Sam said as we looked at the crystals, but soon we regretting asking that as the room began to filled with a bright light blinding us.
"I can't see," I shout as I try to shield my eyes from the light. It is unbearable and giving me a migraine. My eyes hurt and I feel dizzy.
"Here put these on," Sam says as she hands me a pair of sunglasses which shield my eyes when I put them on and relieves some of the pain.
"Thanks, now let's see if we can get out of here," I say as we start walking around in search of the exit. Suddenly, I feel the ground start to move and I lose my balance. "What's going on," I shout as I try to stand up but the movement is too much for me.
"The room's spinning, he's trying to confuse us," Sam says as help me up and we lean against the wall.
"How are we going to get out of here?" I ask trying to keep from throwing up.
Sam thinks for a moment then replies, "take my hand, close your eyes, and follow me." I follow her orders and hope she knows what she's doing.
Maddie
"I think I see Jack up ahead," I saw as we continued down the hall.
While we were walking, I couldn't help but look back at Valerie, she was like a wild animal. Her eyes looked like a wolf's and face had more a more animal than human quality.
Every once in a while she would start to growl and try to break free, "Let me go, you weaklings or I'll tear your throats out," she would shriek and wail.
The threats unnerved me as she was no longer the Valerie we knew but some monster posing as her.
Mick however would simply glance in her direction as if to say 'you won't while I'm here' and bring her in line with a tug of the rope like a master brings a wayward pet in line.
"Don't worry Maddie, as long I'm here you're safe," he said noticing my anxiety over Valerie's ranting.
"Thank..," I said before I tripped on a stone and fell. I winced as I felt that I had cut my hand slightly.
"Are you okay," Mick said as he helped me but never made eye contact with me. It was odd but what really frightened me.
When she saw the blood on my hand, her eyes grew hide and smiled, "finally something eat," she said racing over to where I had fallen and placed her finger in the small amount of blood I had spilt and drank it.
The sight of which made me faint as it sickened me to see someone drink blood.
Mick
"Valerie!" I said tugging on her rope to subdue and pull her away from the blood.
She yelped from the force of the pull, "Let me go, I must feed and you can't stop me," she said turning and tried to pounce on me.
"NO!" I commanded her as I grabbed her wrists and held her back, "Not like this, you're not yourself but if you must feed I'll give you some of my blood," I said never taking my eyes off her lest she attack.
"I don't want your dirty blood, you piece of undead filth," she snapped as he tried to break free.
The fact that she knew I was a vampire or called me 'dirty' didn't surprise me as she was a Lycanthrope and had heightened senses. Like all Hemotrophs (the scientific name of anything that feeds on blood) she sensed and knew that the blood of the undead was impure, tainted with dead cells and putrefied lymph giving it a sickening taste (I had felt bad giving it to Maddie earlier but she would be dead without it).
"Then you won't feed," I tell her turning my back to her to let her that my blood was the only way she was getting fed.
She glared for a second before bowing her head in defeat.
Once again I rolled up my sleeve and cut my arm and collected the blood in a stone font in the hall.
She slinked up to it, cupped her hands, placed them in the blood, and drank it. A disgusted scowl crossed her face as she wanted living blood not dead blood but knew that she had no choice.
After a minute or two she was sated and seemed more subdued (vampire blood acts as a sedative to other Hemotrophs, which is why I gave it to her).
Now that she was sedated, I turned my attention to Maddie. She merely passed out from the sight of Valerie drinking blood but I wanted to treat that cut on her hand.
I bent down and examined her, to my surprise the wound was starting to heal, "She still must have some of my blood in her system," I concluded as I took some disinfectant to clean it then bandaged up.
Once she was treated, I slung her over my shoulder and with Valerie in tow and went to rejoin Jack.
Danny
"Slowly, your friend is becoming more and more like me. She already craves blood and by the time she gets here, she will be my slave forgetting her past entirely," my captor proclaimed joyously as he watched Valerie along with others make their way here.
I had enough of this and in anger kicked a piece of iron on the ground at him.
"Have you not learned your lesson," he sneered as he lunged at me. I tried to get out of the way but he was too fast and grabbed my arm. "Perhaps you need to learn how to respect royalty," he said tightening his grip on my arm.
Tears rolled down my face as I felt his sharp nails tear into my flesh like knives. Blood soon flowed through wounds and dripped down my arm.
"Next time I won't be so merciful," he said pulling his talons from me and drank the blood on his hands. I've become somewhat accustomed to the sight (even though it still upset my stomach).
I didn't even bother to look at him; I was too tired and weak. I just slunk back to the corner and sighed as I watched him drink the last drops on his hand and went back to watching my friends.
