No words could convey how happy, yet how sad I was the moment I left that bar. If it wasn't for the damn bond with Julius, Anabelle would be mine. She even said so. My heart ached each time I had to back away from her touch, as much as I wanted to just hold her and tell her that it was alright and that I could make things better. Only I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. That is what made me even more mad than her hitting me in the face, repeatedly. That threw me through a loop. It was like a light switch. At first she was trying to push me away, then she was hot for me and then she was angry and pushing me away again. I didn't get it at the time it was happening, but now I did after Julius had called me. He was angry and he made it known that Ani was his and that I knew that already. That she had been his for years now and I was just getting in the way. Maybe I was, but I wasn't about to give up. He may have staked claim on her when she was young, but she was a woman now and could make her own decisions, despite what had happened a few months ago. Despite the growing tension between her and the Fairy that frequented her house often. I wouldn't let either of them get in the way.
I knew the words I spoke to her when I left only made it worse. Only made her sob and cry on the floor of that bar with Portia and Ruben looking on. I nodded to Portia on my exit and she nodded back in response. I left as swiftly as I could and was home in a matter of minutes. I wanted as far as I could be from Anabelle. It was the only way I was going to get my feelings into check without going crazy myself. Maybe I should go hunting to ease my troubles? Surely there was plenty of animals in the woods this time of night, even though it was still early in the evening. Once the fight broke out in the bar, many patrons left. Many were scared that Portia and I would have attacked them as well, or would have been attacked by the men and women that dominated the bar.
I put all of those thoughts aside as I entered the woods by my house. I noticed that the light was on but I didn't bother to come close enough to see who was there. I didn't care. It was probably Julius, rummaging through my things, thinking that if he destroyed something precious to me that I would feel the same as I was doing to him. Little did he know. Granted I had artifacts that many archaeologists would have loved to get their hands on, but nothing mattered to me more than Anabelle. Unless he hurt her, there was nothing that he could break or destroy that would hurt me as bad as that.
I took a few calming breaths out in the cool air. It was a balmy forty degrees outside this time of night and I could just about see my breath that I blew out. As if I needed to breath, but it was a function that of habit than anything else. Breathing felt natural, and so did running. I felt that for tonight I would be a large mountain cat. Maybe a Panther would suit me tonight. It's dark, black, velvet coat and the dark eyes would camouflage me tonight. I envisioned my creature of choice as I shifted into shape. The large paws of the mighty cat that would be unusual to see in these parts pounded on the ground as I took flight.
Running, harder and harder through the woods. I kept going until I was miles from home. Closer to Anabelles. I noticed the light was on in the kitchen which faced this part of the woods. Tristian, that stupid fairy was in there, doing something. I couldn't see that far in such great detail. What was he doing there so late at night? Surely he didn't live there with her. I growled in response and jealously that was eating me alive. I needed to kill something. I had hoped the fairy would come out, and I could have fair game of him if he only played fair and wouldn't "pop" out of existence. I would have my vengeance on day.
A smell, rancid and malodorous smell consumed my broad nose. My ears perked up, listening for any sound of moment. Nothing. The noxious smell would keep everything away, and it was close. With my nose to the ground, searching, I came upon a mound. It was freshly disturbed with the smells of many animals around it. Paw prints that looked bigger than a panther's and claws as large as bear were scattered throughout the ground. Wolf. That was the smell. Large wolves. And not just any normal wolf pack, but a Werewolf pack. This was unusual. Normally they traveled alone, not in packs together. Though, Wolves were pack animals, a Werewolf was not. This was extremely worrisome.
My nose nudged the mound and it moved slightly. There was something under the brush and with myself being so low to the ground as a Panther, I shifted into my man form to get a full view of the lump. I stood there in the woods, naked, looking at a body. That was clear enough. All I smelled as a panther was the decomposing smell of meat and flesh. There was no way to discern what it was, if it was human or animal. As a man, I knew right away. The smell was harrowing. I even covered my own nose at the smell of it. What could cause this so early on? There was not a body out here the other night when we found the other. This was a fresh corpse and yet it smelled like the beast had defecated on it after they ate it. Deplorable.
I turned the body over to see it was another woman. This one was profoundly dark, chocolate skinned. One that would make it hard to see in the dark. All the more challenging. This woman I recognized. She also worked in the bar that Ruben's. She was a new bartender. I had spoken to her a few times I had gone in hoping to get to talk to Ani. She was a very nice girl. She had just moved her from Britain, her accent was very strong. She was lean and tall and you could see from her feet and hands that she rarely worked with either of them. Now her body was strewn all over the woods. She was missing an arm and chunks out of her waist. Her legs were gnawed down to the bones and her face was twisted in agony. The poor child. A Vampyre is at least more merciful in killing than those beasts.
Shaking my head, I spoke aloud, "What am I to do about this?"
I couldn't tell Anabelle. She would want to know why I was nearby, though I could explain that I was hunting, but she would know that I was stalking by. Then she would want to go with me to see the horrid face of her former co worker, and I couldn't allow that. Portia had already told me of the dreams she had currently. They were horrendous. Portia would describe to me the screams in the middle of the night, the night sweats, the sudden bursts of and fits of crying. Anabelle was living in a nightmare. I couldn't involve her any more.
So I did what I didn't think I'd ever do. At least, not tonight anyways. I called Julius. He wasn't my first choice, but he was my only choice. I could have called Haggai, but he was working at the club as always and if Haggai knew, then Julius knew. I'm sure they all knew about what happened by now between the two of us, possibly even taking sides on the matter. I didn't care. I hadn't been to the club since it all happened and I had no interest in going back again.
"Cousin, so soon." Julius answered, "Calling to apologize?"
"No apology is warranted. I need your assistance." I stated.
"No apology warranted? Is that so? And if you are not here to apologize for trying to take Ani from under me, you now as for my help? Why should I?" He said.
"Because, it involves Ani and I'm sure you would want to be of help to her, correct?"
"Where?" He said hurriedly.
"Meet me at the house. We will go together." I finished and hung up the phone. I knew in a matter of just a few minutes that Julius would be at the cabin. Especially when it concerned Anabelle, he would be rushing over.
I was surprised that I had to wait about twenty minutes for him to arrive. He came by car. His flashy new prototype Lexus LFA that he just purchased roared as it came to a stop. In the past few months I decided it might be a good idea to cut a path, mostly for cars to come up to the cabin. It just wasn't feasible to not have one anymore. Everyone drove a car now a days, except for me. There were other ways to get around. But the drive was for Julius and Portia mostly who frequently came over. Portia had insisted that it be paved, but I told her that I would leave it rough, just on the off chance that it would have to be covered up.
The flat black car stopped and Julius stepped out. It was amazing how small the Lexus seemed compared to his size. He was huge compared to the car. Clearly, he had it fitted for him as Julius spans over six and a half foot tall. He is much taller than I, but yet again, his mother and father were large people in our time.
"So, what is this that concerns Anabelle?" Julius asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned on the car, not coming any further into the house.
I turned to go into the house, hoping that he would follow, but he didn't. I turned my head around to see him eyeing me in a calculating way, wanting to know then and there what it was that brought him here. "Come inside, we will discuss there. You do not know who lerks in these woods."
Julius rolled his eyes and assended up the steps to the door and into the warm and inviting cabin. He slammed the door behind him as he stood at the threshold and refused to go any further. "Tell me what it is that you have brought me here for."
"There is something killing humans in the woods."
"And I should be concerned why? I kill humans in the woods and I assure you that if it was me I would admit it." Julius rolled his eyes again, bored with the conversation.
"Werewolves are in the woods, killing humans. They are leaving the bodies out to be found."
This pipped Julius's interest in the subject, "Werewolves? As in multiple? Where have the bodies been found?"
"Portia and I found one last night, a few hundred yards away from the pasture by Anabelle's barn last night while we were hunting. I found another tonight, closer and fresh."
"By Anabelle's? So you think that there are more wolves trying to attack her like last time?" Julius asked.
"Yes, and I don't think they are lone wolves either. This fresh body, looks like it was attacked by a pack of wolves, not just one and then another later. This was group work." I said, worriedly. And I was worried. Worried for Anabelle. The bodies were getting closer to the house where she lived. What if they were doing it on purpose? And what would happen if Anabelle was outside when they were grouped together nearby?
"Take me to this body." Julius insisted.
"Come, I will show you." I led him out of the house and off into the woods. It was a few miles from my cabin to Anabelle's farm. We had ran the whole way, only taking a few minutes to get there. I used my senses to get back to the same spot where the body lie. Only when I got there, the body was gone.
"It was here. Right in this spot." The blood still soaked the ground and chunks of rotting flesh were still littered throughout the area.
"It is obvious that there was something here and not long ago." Julius knelt on the ground and swept the blood onto his finger and licked it. "The blood is cold, but fresh. Female, correct?"
"Yes, a dark skinned woman, she worked at the bar with Anabelle. So did the other." I informed him.
"The other body that you found, where did it lie?" Julius asked.
I showed him, just a few hundred yards back is where the police tape was and where the body had been found.
"The tracks are the same, multiple wolves attacked this one as well. They smell similar so it had to have been the same pack." Julius stated as he sniffed again, this time in a different direction, away from the pasture and where the bodies were founds. "This way."
"What about the body?" I asked, not wanting to leave. Wanting to be sure the Anabelle was safe since the body that was here just a few moments ago, was now gone. Which meant, someone was still out here and close by.
"The body is gone, but I have a scent. Come!" Julius commanded and I followed him diligently.
Walking through the woods, we kept our ears and eyes sharp on anything moving. The scent from the trail was growing strong. Stronger than before from around the bodies. We must be getting close to where they all gathered. It was a few miles up in the woods that we came upon a clearing. And in that clearing was a van. A dark, black van that was lifted and raised on large tires. The windows were blacked out and the engine still ran. "Someones still here." I whispered to Julius just as we were attacked.