"I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other."
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Part Seven
The stranger guided Newkirk's limp body to the stone floor and put one pale wrist up to Newkirk's mouth and gashed the delicate vein over the fledgling's fangs. Blood welled up and flowed over his teeth, coating his tongue and running down his throat in a rush.
His body greedily absorbed it, pulling all that it had lacked to complete the transformation that had begun when his heart stopped in the Castle cell.
The blood flowed electric with power and ancient memories, memories of the King of Vampires. The blood of the first one was like drinking alcohol while on cough syrup. He simultaneously leaned into it and tried to get away from the stranger holding him in place.
"Be still! " The command needed no magic to cease his struggle, the air of authority was enough in his confused state. "Sleep little one, and become whole. The King's voice became soft, paternal in its gentleness and laced with potent magic. Newkirk plunged into cold, empty darkness of vampiric sleep.
Alder nudged Hogan with his nose. There was no scent of being bitten on the man, just a long series of claw marks on his neck and shoulder. The worst of it was the head injury but the wolf was reassured when the human groaned. In his relief he licked Hogan sloppily on the cheek and neck.
"Gross. " The American protested weakly, every part of him aching... or slobbery.
Alder yipped like a happy puppy and put his front legs to the floor, butt up and, after a completely appropriate amount of licking, attempted to push Hogan up with his massive wet snout.
Carter and LeBeau finally caught up to them, the little Frenchman being pulled around by the taller American. The scent of blood was enough to make him woozy.
Hogan pushed himself away from the very cold nose. "Okay! I am getting up! "
Alder shifted into Klink and proceeded much more gently to get Hogan to his feet. His face was flushed embarrassed red.
Hogan looked around for the man who they had come to rescue. "Newkirk! " He called out, the englishman nowhere in sight.
A little buff tiger tabby cat sauntered in as if she owned the place and rubbed on Hogan's ankles. "Meow. Meow. " She remarked seriously.
Klink bared his teeth at the cat's taunt but kept silent. His mind gave way to Alder's, sinking into the primal world of scent.
"Still in the house." He informed Hogan. "The King probably moved him up stairs."
"The King? The other Lord he has been talking about? "
"Der König des Blutes, Dracula selbst." Klink moved reluctantly after the scent of vampires, one more ancient than Klink's own species.
Everything in him, but the need for pack, told him to run back to Stalag 13. Alder only had the vampire and the humans searching for him, so he pushed his human side forward, ever so cautiously. His shoes were soundless on the stone floor.
Hogan shuddered at the name Dracula. And the set his face in grim determination. Wobbling as he went he followed after the werewolf.
The other humans followed like a herd of sheep after a Shepherd dog.The cat trailed behind, just happening to be going the same direction as the two legged folk.
It was handy to know that there was never any need to clean blood off of a full Nosferatu vampire, even off of their clothes.It was all drawn into the body through the skin.
It had been the downfall of many a vampire slayer that they had assumed that their prey needed to get the blood into their mouths.
It also meant that Dracula didn't need to worry about the linens as he gently set his youngest child on the same bed Van Healing had confined him earlier.
He lay as though sleeping through the daylight, despite the late hour, the bloody scars on his wrists and neck closing slowly but surely.
There was very little of Newkirk that favored his grandmother Wilhelmina. The boy must favor his father.
But when Dracula had first seen Von Schloss's victims he could not deny Newkirk's eyes. They were feral eyes, full of pain and fury, eyes that dared the world to try one more thing. They were her eyes, his Light, and full of her strength.
The child had stood defiantly between him and the new wolf, barely able to keep his balance. He was not the same as the others, no doubt due to the taint of the dhampir inherent in the Harker line. That tiny sliver of vampiric ability had been more evident in Quincy than his sisters but it had obviously breed true.
This was an unfinished creature yes, but no mad thing full of only hunger like those the King put down in the months since their first meeting.
He should have realized that even in madness VanHelsing would realize the child's heritage, and desired him for his own. Such a victory that would have been for the German physician to steal one of her children away from him.
But Dracula had never been far since the Castle, waiting for the boy to get into some trouble he couldn't get himself out of. Waiting for a moment when the child could not refuse him.
It had taken more time than expected... If he had known such a descendant was in Germany when he had passed through two years ago he would have claimed him before Von Schloss had ever known he had existed.
He heard the humans and the wolf heading upstairs, the soft patter of werecat footsteps. He appropriated Van Helsing's pipe and took a seat next to the bed.
The King looked younger than he did at the Castle. Klink grimaced at the thought as he stood in the doorway. No doubt a noble family nearby was missing a daughter or young wife, or any mix of the two.
He led the way into the room, motioning the humans to stay behind him. Pretending that would save anyone if Dracula felt peckish or unfriendly steadied his hands a little.
"Come in little wolf. Bring in your friends, they are safe enough at this juncture. I am sated for now, even with my expenditures tonight. " In many ways Dracula reminded Klink of Hogan, dark hair and eyes with a solid handsome face and a smile you couldn't help but trust... or fear.
Alder whimpered in the back of Klink's mind, no braver than his human half against this enemy.
Hogan had the luxury of ignorance. He pushed past Klink. "Is he alright? "
Dracula smiled, but there was no trace of mirth or kindness in it and he did not remove the pipe from his mouth. "Define 'alright?'"
Hogan frowned and looked at Klink. Klink shrugged. "He smells different... "Was all the Kommendant could offer. "More like the King now. "
Dracula's smile widened into a parody of sincerity. "He is one of mine now, completed. "
"Completed? "
"Even more for you to fear mortal. " Dracula mocked him. Hogan nearly took a step back but instead squared his shoulders and forced himself to make eye contact.
Whatever response the King would have made was swallowed when he noticed Carter.
Carter stared at Dracula for a long moment, deep in thought, and then smiled. It was soft and happy.
Dracula lost his composure in the light of it momentarily. "And what are you thinking little one? "
"Well you are like Newkirk's dad now aren't you? He really didn't have one of those before, or at least he never talks about his dad. Its kinda swell he gets a new one. "
"Carter.. " Hogan hissed a concerned warning.
But Dracula laughed, long and deep. "You little one, you... I like. Completely insane I'm sure. "
"Thank you sir, I like you too. " Carter answered Dracula, no fear in him at all. It was endearingly, and ignorantly, brave.
The cat sauntered into the room and jumped on the bed, sparing a disdainful look and a hiss at the elder vampire before settling down on the pillow to gently groom Newkirk's hair. A deep rumbling purr could be heard across the room even by the humans.
Carter walked over and began to pet the creature, standing awfully close to Dracula
"I don't normally leave children unattended, and now more than ever he needs instruction and protection. " Dracula addressed Klink, as the only creature in the room (besides Carter) he felt worth giving any attention to.
Klink's features merged with Alder's for a moment and he snarled. "You left him to the mercy of The Lords and The Castle. "
"Don't test me Wolf." Dracula snarled, wild and feral. " His existence was not expected. If I had known one of Harker's children was in Germany, one like him, I would have tore him out of your Stalag some time ago. And you would still be a sniveling wreck of a man."
Klink took a step forward before his senses caught up with him. Rage swirled in his eyes. Hogan caught him by the shoulder.
"Easy Kommendant. If he was going to take him... They would be gone already." Hogan swayed but his voice was steady. "He knows enough about Peter to know what Newkirk would do if he did take him away. "
"You are wise for a man so afraid. "
"Underneath what he has become, what you made him, what Von Schloss did to him, Peter Newkirk still exists. You would only slow down his return to Stalag 13."
"True, perhaps by several centuries... But vampires need mortals as surely as they need wolves. Perhaps after the war he will come to Romania, come home. "
"Perhaps. "
"Then I will take my leave. Be careful Colonel. You have the love and loyalty of a Nosferatu. It is a unique and terrible thing and we are far more vulnerable than you may believe. "
End of Part Seven
"With how many things are we on the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries."
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley