Created (Book 1 of the Created) (39 page)

I easily overtook her before we had covered a half mile. I
knew that it had been by design, but still I had a purpose in the rescue of
Logan. The wolves would be another issue entirely. One matter at a time I told
myself as I ran through scenario after scenario of fighting the three wolves.

Without warning, I was blasted from the side. The blow was
jarring enough that a rib cracked along my right side. Tumbling through the
air, I smacked into a pine tree hard with my face which stopped me cold. Having
time to shake off the impact of my collision with the tree was a luxury I
realized too late that did not have. I was awakened by screaming: my own.

My mind was a mess. The instrument of my demise was chewing
at my left leg. Hazy eyes registered that a large brown wolf was ripping away
the flesh from a broken and twisted limb. The scream was a result of the shear
pain that was radiating throughout my lower extremity. The fog that was
clouding my brain created a broken motion picture of the wolf upon me shredding
my lower leg. I knew I was screaming, but I couldn't figure out how. The sounds
emanating from me were heard through an effect that made them sound miles away.

The wolf was large, but obviously not the Seventeen. Its
gray muzzle was buried inside my open wound. Periodically, the beast would bring
his head from my leg to snarl and snap at me. The canine tugged at the exposed
bone dragging me across the ground. I was alert enough to claw at the earth and
trees surrounding me as he latched on. He began to pick up speed as he ran
through the forest banging my attached body against every object within his
path without regard to me.

Where was Veronica? I worried about her as we jumped over a
row of downed trees. I did the best I could to shield myself, but was slapped
repeatedly against the still smoldering logs.

Why hadn't I been alerted to his odor? My mind was beginning
to incur rational thoughts again. I was relieved. The hardest part would be
getting free from the mutt. After getting hammered by several small saplings
that the wolf dodged, I continued to be taken for a unique and horrific ride.
Deciding I could force the issue and try to stop the both of us by taking hold
of a passing tree or
stump,
I abruptly detoured from
my plan. The wait was what I needed. Slowly I was healing. My bone was exposed
and broken, but the tissue damage surrounding it was being fixed with each
additional second the beast didn't reopen the wound. The bone would eventually
start to regrow if given enough time, even if it was inside the mouth of the
wolf. Where was Veronica? Had they gotten her too? I would be no use to Logan
or her if I didn't heal enough to fight.

The leg in the wolf's mouth was healing rapidly now. I could
feel the bone trying to snap back into place. The wolf must have felt it too.
Suddenly the wolf stopped. I was ready. The wolf disengaged from my leg with
the hope of flinging me forward to allow himself time to pounce. The plan was
solid except when the wolf let go, I took that as an opportunity to catch the
tail with both hands. The sudden stop and my momentum while grasping the tail
allowed me to catapult the wolf into a lone standing pine.

The wolf was thrown into the tree with enough force to
splinter the three foot diameter tree. I rolled head over heels for a moment
then stood on my almost completely mended appendage. The wolf jerked and
coughed then whimpered upon unsteady legs. The wolf lurched finally and fell
over, howling in pain.

The beast yelped then snapped at me as I approached. Seizing
the wolf by the back of his neck, I lifted him to my eyes. I wanted him to see
who his killer was before I took his life. Baring my claws, I swiped at the
torso of the beast, ripping out a large chunk of flesh from under one leg. The
beast howled.

I brought the bared teeth of the about to be departed wolf
to within biting distance. The wolf snarled as the beast wiggled wildly in an
attempt to get loose. Our eyes locked. When the beast was caught unaware, I
drove my clawed hand into the upper neck and through the top of the skull
killing the Three instantly. My hand shown out of the top of the dead wolfs
head. It was covered with blood and brain. Yanking my hand free, I allowed the
deceased wolf to drop to the ground.

Before the body thudded against the ground, I was already
making my way through the woods in search of Veronica, Logan and the remaining
two wolves who were rampaging through the countryside.

The scent of Veronica could not be hidden. It was like a
roadmap which guided me to the edge of the forest along an old, barely paved
county road. The roadway was clearly in view, but the squad that had been
ordered to meet us there were two miles further north. No one had thought to
give me a radio, so I couldn't relay the troops to the new position.

I focused my attention on locating either Veronica or my
adversaries as I scanned my surroundings. Earlier, the Three had gotten the
drop on me. There had been no warning. A similar mistake in this isolated
location could spell the end for all of the vampires and the continued spread
of the wolf virus throughout the U.S.
 

The scent of Veronica and Logan was strong, but I couldn't
get a lock on either. The wolves were also nearby or at least one. The scent of
the remaining Three was within fifty yards; He was doing well to hide his
position. Occasionally, I could make out his shape stalking me in the woods
just ahead of me. The more worrisome matter was the lack of being able to
locate the GW17 or my friends.

The thought crossed my mind that the Three was a
distraction. The beast was holding my attention. If it hadn't been for the
strong aroma of my friends, I would have believed the wolf was made to hold me
in this place while the GW17 escaped.
          

The Three stayed distant. Standing in the middle of the
road, I waited. Impatiently, I began walking briskly a few feet in either
direction, paralleling the woods on either side of the road. I was mirrored as
I walked by the GV3. The wolf had inched closer on a couple of passes then
settled deeper into the woods.

Frustrated I yelled, "Come on already. I am right here.
I will kill you the same way I killed the other wolf. Come on!"

The wolf did not even offer a growl at my taunts. The
creature stretched out atop a log to watch me.

My inability to track the other vampires and the GW17 was getting
to me. The pacing quickened. Further up the road, I could hear the actions of
the soldiers as they swept closer to my position. I started to call out then
thought the better of putting the men in danger.

Kicking a rock from my path, I noticed two glowing reddish
brown eyes were staring at me as it moved in my direction. The Three joined the
GW17 as the large wolf clambered through the woods. At issue was the knowledge
that the creature was larger than what I could have imagined. On instinct I
phased.

The eyes were seven feet off the ground as the wolf walked
upright on its hind legs which was disconcerting. The shoulders were at least
twice as wide as mine. Razor sharp claws hung from arms that, when extended,
hung to the beast's knees. A fresh wound in the abdomen was leaking blood. The
smell proved that it was self-inflicted. It was part of a master plan that had
yet to be fleshed out.

Where was Veronica or Logan? There were no indications of
their whereabouts, and I didn't have time to worry about either as the wolf
jumped the last thirty feet, landing on the edge of the pavement. His companion
galloped the distance in a few running strides to rejoin his master.

"Where are the others?" I requested abrasively.

A deep roaring laughter exited the wolf. "They have
been here the whole time only masked by my smell. You have more things to worry
about than them at the moment, but I will show you your friends." The
wolf's voice was familiar as he pointed upward toward the trees above my head.

Getting me to look up had been a trick. Almost
instantaneously the Three attacked. I caught the wolf in mid leap. Slamming the
brown and black speckled wolf to the pavement, I steadied myself against attack
from the GW17 which did not come. The larger wolf could hear the reinforcements
coming, but did not get excited to fight or anxious to flee. Instead the wolf
watched as the Three rebounded nicely from my defensive tactic.

The wolf flipped from the ground shaking out the cobwebs as
it prepared to resume the battle. I dared to not turn my back to the GW17 which
limited my response. I placed my back to the woods from wince I came. My hope
was to fight a war of attrition long enough against the pair that I could gain
some help when the soldiers arrived. Using the woods as a wall, I stood my
ground.

The Three wanted to circle me, but I cut him off at the
first two attempts. There was no third. The wolf lunged at me. I caught the
wolf with a hard punch to the muzzle that sent him tumbling. The Three did not
rise from the right that I had landed. His vitals detailed his unconscious
state. I didn't realize I hit him that hard.

The claws upon the Seventeen's feet could be heard digging
into the earth. The wolf sprang from the ground as he bellowed a monstrous roar
over shooting my position. I thought it had been a miscalculation, but when he
was about to crash into a tree, the animal rebounded by pushing from the tree,
leap frogging to another then back to another large pine. Using the added
momentum, he exploded toward me with impossible speed. I threw myself at the
earth at the precise moment of impact. The Seventeen flew wildly overhead. We
both traded blows before the wolf landed head first into the blacktop.

I tried to capitalize by spinning and sprinting to attack my
adversary, but the Seventeen had already recovered and met me halfway. I dodged
the first wave of his melee style attack, but the wolf finally connected with a
single set of claws to my arm. The arm began to throb and bleed uncontrollably.
Staggering away as best I could, I held my sliced open arm as I dealt with the
reality that this was about to end badly for me unless I found a way to defeat
him. Blood was pouring from me in huge amounts. My healing ability was being
somehow affected by the cut inflicted by the wolf.

The soldiers were closer now, but were still over a mile
away. If the result so far was any indication of what was going to happen, then
this fight would be finished in less than a minute, two at the most. The
Seventeen roared with a sound that mimicked laughter then followed that with a
long deep howl. The wolf was aggressive and fast. There had to be a way to use
one of the two to my advantage. He certainly was using them to his. The wolf
did not give me time to deal with my injury. The Seventeen knocked me off
balance then pinned me to the ground. As I struggled, the wolf tried to bite
me. The snapping jaws were positioned for my throat. His large teeth were
deflected by a head-butt that almost rendered me unconscious. The creature drew
back as we tussled upon the ground then launch ferociously another attempt
finish me by tearing away my throat. In the corner of my eye, I noticed the
Three starting to awaken. I had to find a way to escape or kill the Seventeen
before the Three was fully aware.

The Seventeen rammed his head against mine in an attempt at
retribution, or so I had thought. I almost realized too late that the plan was
not to retaliate because of my painful blow, but to knock my head to one side
so that my neck was exposed. Letting go of one clawed hand, I grabbed the
muzzle of the wolf clamping it shut. The wolf fought as I twisted the neck to a
breaking point. The maneuver had left me vulnerable to attack from the clawed
arm to which I was no longer attached. The wolf slashed at my torso. No longer
tightly thrown together, I wedged my leg between the wolf and I allowing me to
deflect most of the blows.

The further I twisted the neck of the wolf, the louder his
whimpering became. In an attempt to free
himself
, the
Seventeen rolled away from me, but I held fast to his arm and muzzle flipping
with him. The wolf was afraid and in great pain as muscle and bone began to
crack and rip as we rolled. I stuck the freed leg outward to stop the roll,
placing me on top of my opponent pinning his free arm with my knee.

I kept driving the neck around. The extreme thickness of the
Seventeen's muscles and skeleton kept me from easily killing him. It was a
chore and a huge drain of strength as I fought to break the neck. I was tiring
rapidly, but so was he. Both would be exhausted soon and there was still the
matter of the other wolf with which to deal. This had to end now.

Taking advantage of being on top and at great risk of losing
that upper hand if the wolf managed to get free, I let go of the
wolf's
other arm to use both hands to attack. My own claws
dug at the wolf's exposed flesh of the neck, severing tissue and bathing me in
blood. Ripping more, the neck began to give as the beast screamed under my
restraints. Precious muscle stripped away the wolf's neck and finally gave way
with a loud, wet pop. The wolf quit struggling and breathing.

Before my eyes, he shifted from wolf to human. Sitting
astride, the man seemed unnatural and a little gross so I crawled off and sat
beside him. The process only took a few seconds. I dared to look upon the face
of the Seventeen I had just killed. Turning slightly, I was startled to realize
that the man that had just given his life to me in battle resembled a fallen
member of my new vampire family, Liam.

"What the hell?" I let slip.

Rotating the head so I could get a better look, I was right
with my first identification. It was Liam. Already on the verge of passing out
this pushed me closer. I didn't get time to think about the ramifications.