Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series) (7 page)

As she crested the top of the hill
 she heard the vampire moan in agony.  It was a slight sound but her ears picked it up instantly.  She spun around, ready to fight.  What she saw was unexpected.  A young, female vampire was crouched under a bush only a few feet away from her.  The coppery scent of blood was sickly and sulfuric.  The close proximity sent her fight or flight response into overdrive.  

Humans think vampires are unable to be out in direct sunlight which is actually a misconception; another scary myth that developed from a kernel of truth.
  They will not burn under the sun, but they do look different in the daylight.  Their skin is pale, which makeup can help conceal and sunscreen can help protect from the sun’s rays.  Their eyes are brighter, almost iridescent compared to a human’s, but with modern technology that can be fixed with contact lenses.  According to Dianna they also have sharp, elongated incisors; only these can be retracted when not in use.  Technically, a vampire, when it wants to remain hidden among the human population, has very little trouble doing so; unless they are injured like this one.  Even without her superhuman senses she would have recognized the girl as a vampire. 

The vampire’s gut was slashed open, but she was attempting to heal.  Cuts covered her milky white skin from head to toe.  The progressive healing ability was something they possessed, just as wolves.  It was uncommon to see one injured to the point that it was having difficulty healing. 
 

The closer Rebecca got to the vampire the more danger she was in.
  The vampire hissed violently at her, a warning to stay away.  Her behavior was that of a wounded animal, the self defense instinct was in overload.  When Rebecca was able to work past her fear and actually focus on the girl she realized she was just that, a young girl.  She couldn't have been more than twelve years old when she was turned.  It seemed barbaric that she was changed when she was so young.  To live eternally as a child, never having the ability to grow up, to have children; it was inhuman.  But then they were, at their very core, inhuman.

Rebecca’s desire to hurt the childlike creature was overcome with her human compassion.  She realized she suddenly had an urge to help her.
  "It's okay.  Let me help you."  She told the hissing child.  Apparently the instinctive reaction was not strong enough to overcome the vampire’s morality.  Regardless of the creature’s reaction, in Rebecca’s eyes she was a child in need of help.

"I do not wish to be helped by the likes of you, little wolf."
  She snarled, then cried out in pain.  "Don't you know we are supposed to be enemies?" 

"I guess we’re supposed to be enemies.  But any warrior I know isn’t willing to take advantage of a weakened foe.  Besides, I don't see anyone else around to help you so I guess you’ll have to deal with me."
  Rebecca came a step closer, now only a foot or two from touching the vampire’s skin.  "Before I help you up, need I remind you that my blood is poison to you?"  It was the only real defense wolves had against vampires while in human form and Rebecca was suddenly thankful she had that defensive ability.

"I am not stupid, you foolish child.
  I have been around a lot longer than you have."  The vampire hissed bitterly as she tried to maneuver out from under the brush to gain a better defensive stance.  The look of distrust in her eerie green eyes was out in the open for all to see, and it bled over to her face in the scowl she wore.  Despite the ugly expression, it was easy to see how pretty she was.  Her long auburn brown hair had the perfect amount of waviness.  Her eyes were guarded and held many secrets; they looked older than the girl that surrounded them.  Her pale skin matched her auburn hair perfectly.  The light layer of freckles that sprinkled over her nose and cheeks gave her a youthful look. 

Rebecca nodded, "I’m sure you have."
  She reached a hand forward only to take a step backwards when the vampire snapped those sharp teeth at her hand.  "I’m going to help you, and snarl
ing
at me like a wounded cat won’t do you any good."

"Why should I trust you?"
  The vampire asked as she inched her way out of her hiding spot; groaning in pain as she twisted around the shrubbery.  The pointy thorns cut deep across the skin of her neck, causing a bloom of red to bleed out before the injury healed quickly.    

"Why shouldn't you?"
  Rebecca asked the obvious question and decided to continue after the deadly look the injured girl gave her.  "Because it’s the right thing to do.  If I leave you here, you could die.  I won’t have that on my conscious.  My compound is over that ridge.  We can have the doctor look after your wounds and help you." 

The vampire snarled again.  Frankly, Rebecca was getting tired of her
 theatrics. 

"I won't let you take me back to the
compound
.  Your people did this to me which makes your offer of help highly suspicious, don’t you think?"

"I highly doubt
my pack had a hand in this."  Rebecca held out her hand, waiting for the vampire to take it.  It was difficult to ignore the suspicious comment.  Truth be told, it was strange she was out here.  But antagonizing the injured vampire would only drag this ordeal out.  Rebecca was losing her patience and goodwill.

"Leave me!
  I will heal in time."  The vampire shrank back into the brush cover.

Her movement caused Rebecca to pick up on
 the scent of fresh blood.  She was still bleeding and the major
wou
n
ds
were doing little to heal.  Her knowledge of vampires was limited to myth and the few tidbits Dianna fed her when Rebecca was preparing her for the change. 

Rebecca shrugged and stepped back, "Suit yourself, however, that wound looks to be getting worse, and not healing."

The girl grimaced, "That’s because your pack leader tainted the wounds with poison to slow the clotting process.  He is a very good interrogator...” a hint of respect crossed over the girl’s face.  “…but he got nothing from me.”  The look was quickly replaced with disgust.

Rebecca shook her head, "why would he do that?"  She didn’t want to believe Tomas would do something so terrible, but he wasn’t a good man, and they were at war.  The only thing he cared about; no, obsessed over, was the safety of his pack.  Even that was getting twisted with age and the internal battle he and his alpha constantly fought.  Dianna worried for him, worried that he was losing his mind, and feared he would be overtaken by another wolf. 

"He wanted to know why the vampires were increasing their numbers in Phoenix.  He was positive that we were gearing up for a terrible attack."  She seemed irritated that Rebecca didn't simply take her word for it.  “We aren’t, by the way.  We are tired of the ancient battle between the vampires and wolves but Tomas refuses to entertain a truce.”

"Well, you could’ve fooled the rest of the pack."
  Rebecca sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair.  “Part of the reason they made me was to add numbers to our side.  As far as everyone is concerned, peace is a long way off.  It would take a miracle, I think, for it to ever become something to consider.”  Rebecca leaned against a sturdy tree trunk and crossed her arms over her chest.  “Regardless of the war brewing, I plan to help you.  So you might as well come out of there and let me.” 

"You’ll be signing my death warrant if you take me back to that compound."
  The vampire stated simply.

"So I won't take you back to the compound.
  I’ll take you somewhere else; anywhere you want, but not your nest."   Rebecca’s wolf screamed the word
'loyalty'
in her mind.  She felt a twinge of disloyalty in not taking her back to the compound, but couldn't leave her here dying.  War was one thing, but torture and inhuman behavior was another; we were, still half human, after all.  Even war had rules of conduct.

The vampire cried out in pain with almost every move she made, "I ask for sanctuary, can you take me to the
Refuge?"

"Of course, as long as you promise to behave."
  Rebecca reached a hand towards the injured vampire again and she slowly, reluctantly moved forward.  The girl’s skin was ice cold and she weighed more than her tiny frame suggested but Rebecca managed to help her down the hill.  They made it to the camp sight where her car was located in little time.  

There was a water fountain with a hose hook up at the head of the trail; something locals’ used to water their dogs before embarking on or coming back from a long hike.
  Rebecca sat the girl down at the picnic table near the water source and went to her car to find the baby wipes.  She also grabbed a spare hoodie from her overnight bag and brought it with her. 

"Take off your shirt."
  Rebecca ordered; her voice flat.

She looked at her with daggers and disgust.
  "There’s no way in all of Hades that I’m going to take my shirt off.  What if someone comes along?"

The vampire girl had a point.
  They were all tasked with the one simple rule; do not reveal themselves to humans.  Seeing someone as bloody and cut up as the girl would definitely make another human question how she was still conscious; and breathing, for that matter.  Rebecca needed to clean the vampire’s wounds before they left.  "It’s the middle of summer, one of the hottest days this year.  It’s highly unlikely someone will come along.  But you can use this as a shield just in case."  Rebecca handed her the hoodie which the vampire reluctantly took, her disgust and anger slowly subsiding into something else, something that looked an awful like gratitude.

The girl struggled with removing the shirt so Rebecca ripped it from her to get a better look at the wounds.
  The angry scent of infection mixed with the coppery scent of blood had Rebecca fighting back the urge to be sick.  The wounds were claw-like gashes made over and over and over again.  Her torso looked like
black
and red blood soaked ribbons.  Disgust for anyone who could do this to any creature boiled up inside her as she began to slowly clean the wound with water and the disinfectant baby wipes.  It would have to do for now.

"It was Tomas."  The girl’s voice was barely above a raspy whisper.

"What?"  Rebecca asked as she kept the bulk of her concentration on cleaning the vampire’s skin.  Black specks dotted the blood and instinctively Rebecca pulled out as many as she could.

"Your disgust should be directed at Tomas."
  She held back tears.  Maybe being half naked while her enemy shows her kindness made her vulnerable.  Rebecca didn't know, but she never expected tears - bloody tears. 

"Stop that.  You don't have the blood to spare."
  Rebecca commanded the girl.

"He laughed
 while he tortured me.  I think, I think your pack leader has gone mad.  It happens sometimes, the alpha is too strong for the human and it drives the man insane.  It happens to vampires, too, but that is a response to living while everything and everyone else around you dies over and over again for centuries."  She cringed and shivered; reaction probably from the pressure on her wound and the memory of what happened. 

"I’m sorry.  I wish I had better supplies but I didn’t expect to come upon an injured vampire."  Rebecca told her as she continued to clean the wounds. 

"And I had never expected to be treated with kindness from a young werewolf... especially one connected to the pack.  You people are loyal to a fault."  The vampire snapped.

"We are."
  Rebecca nodded in agreement, "But there are rules."  She dampened another handful of wet wipes and cleaned more of the vampire girl’s skin, continuing to clean as many of the specks out as possible as she went along.  "I won't lie to you; if you attacked me I would have fought you to the death.  You were on compound land.  Trespassing is not tolerated."

"But because I was injured you took pity on me?
  That’s foolishness.  A real wolf would’ve taken advantage of the situation and ripped my head from my shoulders."  Disgust laced her voice again making it clear she thought her helper was weak. 

"Be thankful that I’m not a real wolf then."
  Rebecca responded with sarcasm.  Her hearing picked up the sound of wheels on asphalt approaching their direction.  "That’s going to have to do for now, someone is coming."

The vampire nodded and slipped on the black hoodie.
  It clashed against her pale skin, auburn hair and bright green eyes; but it was the best Rebecca could do for the moment.  It wasn’t like they were getting ready for a beauty pageant anyways.  Rebecca tossed the bloodied shirt and wipes into the trash and motioned for the vampire to get into the car. 

"Please bring those with you."
 
S
he asked, nodding toward her clothes.  "It’s my blood."

Rebecca looked at the vampire girl like she was losing her mind, but she complied with her request just so they could leave.
  The injured girl placed them on her lap in the car after she slowly got in. 

"Please don't let them soil the car; that would be a difficult thing to explain."  Rebecca washed her hands quickly
 and headed back to the car.   The new car pulled into the parking space next to them just as Rebecca was getting into the driver's side.