The room is silent as the voice rang out, “Alpha?” All eyes flew to the old witch as she shook in disbelief. “Alpha!” she screamed. “How is she your ALPHA!” Pointing her bony finger at me with disbelieving eyes. We looked at C. J. imploring him to answer. Just standing there looking at the ground with confusion trying to breath through the pressure of the our stares. Giving slight twitches Willow could not stand still as she clearly fought her bodies desire. Clearing his throat C. J. lifted his eyes to meet our stares. “What do you mean how is she an Alpha?”
“You popped your body from the ground walked over to Sortie and called her Alpha!” Willow announced to the man with a blank face.
“I do not remember these actions,” C. J. mumbled.
“Uyaga, you need to calm down. Clearly whatever you did awakened primal instincts and he decided to pledge his allegiance to me.”
“You are out of your mind Sortie. He would only act in such ways if you were the most powerful or if he felt strong emotions towards you. Both are asinine, you need to see this as a plea to save his life. He is using you, I am killing him.” Uyaga started to run towards C. J., who just lowered his head.
“C. J. behind me, now!” C. J. quickly skirted around me keeping low. “Willow protection spell around him and you.”
“HA HA, this is pathetic nothing will change. He is weak right now and NOW is the time!”
“STOP,” my words seem to freeze the air around us as the wind starts to whirls up from the ground. “I said no witch,” my voice coming out a rumble, low over the ground.
“Excuse you?” Uyaga voice mimicked her eyes as they narrowed.
“I spoke clearly Uyaga. I am his Alpha, you heard it from his own mouth. In the future if he goes awry it will be my fault and I will put him down.” A whimper came out from behind me, I did not glance to look but knew it was C. J.. Willow must have stopped him since it was short lived but I dared not look away from the haggard witch.
“I disagree with this completely, he needs to be put down.” Her voice was grave as her eyes shimmered with disdained.
“Listen here old woman, do your twirly-doo and tamper his abilities if you are so worried.”
“HA! So you do not believe you can control him?” her laughter raked over my ear drums.
“You have to be kidding, you are the idiot that is concerned about his abilities. It is you who can not imagine it becoming managed?” All laughter stopped in the air, death flooding her eyes. We stared at each other while the air died out. Every thing stopped as the deafening silence draped over all of us. Neither of us willing to move, even blink; as all the tension crackled.
“FINE!” her voice screeched. “I will cast a spell binding his powers once he tastes human blood.”
“I think you have that backwards,” I snapped.
“No, no you think you can take him in full beast mode I will let you.” Her laughter rang out, “driving him to want more power and blood.” C. J., Willow, and I growled at the same time.
“I feel you want him to destroy the world,” I sneered earning myself a nice little glare.
“Fine have it your way, Empress.”
“HA, yeah right witch.” The words rang out with disdain as her hands flung fire sparks at his face. After about a minute she stopped speaking gibberish and looked at me with a gleam that gave away she did something horrid. “What did you do?”
“Oh me?” the witch smirked. “Only cased a termination binding spell, a distant spell, and a few minor ones. I left his powers and life intact for now.”
“Distant spell?” Willow whispered.
“Yes, a spell that will make C. J. unable to take a new breath if he is too far from Sortie as soon as you taste human blood.” Her toothless grin widen.
“How far?” C. J. asked with a shocked voice.
“Oh, I do not remember. Darn this old age,” she said as her body began to disappear from in front of us. We all ran towards her ramming into each other.
“Damn you Witch!” C. J. yelled as I screamed “Uyaga!”
Willow walked to the door as we followed. “Do not try and test her spells,” Willow said.
“I would not want to test that witch. I’m certain there is a death clause in each spell she gave me,” C. J. pouted.
“Well, you have hope for another tomorrow now,” I bluntly announce. “Head to the truck. She did not give too many answers but at least we have gained some knowledge.”
“Oh yeah! When I was recovering earlier from your first blood letting, a female voice told me that the pack was roughly about 48 hours away from our location.”
“Great lets get out of these weird trees and back to normal lively nature.” I deadpan while heading west to where I assumed the truck was. Willow kept running around as C. J. followed behind. “You will start getting hungry by next night fall.” We considerate on walking as the sun began to rise through the branches behind us. We walked for a few hours before my silver truck came into view. All of us quickly entered to the cab. After two clicks sounded I started the beast beneath and backed out of the small trail that appeared.
Getting on the highway after a short time I headed the truck to take us east now that the sun shone noon. Both passengers fell asleep as soon as the wheels hit blacktop. I listened to the heavy breathing and the light tunes of music keeping watch for any tails. By the time we hit the nearest rest stop the sun had started to sink below the distant tree line. After pulling into the rest stop I checked my box in the trunk, only to see one filled gas can left. Breathing out a sigh of annoyance trying to figure out how to make enough cash for gas. Looking around the rest stop with the few automobile sitting in the parking lot filled with families. Seeing that Willow and C. J. are still asleep I walk to the bathrooms to take a shower with my clothes bag hanging on my back.
After an Hour
Taking the express way heading east, I start looking for a town to grab some gas. C. J. now awake keeps yapping about stupid things he knows. Willow decided to hid under the seat with her paws over her ears.
“Where are we going now?” C. J. blabbed.
“A local town for a while,” I deadpanned.
“Why what’s up?”
“Need to find work for money.”
“I have some money left.”
“Stop already, save it for something special.”
“So, what is the plan?”
“Seriously? Just trust me, ok?”
“But why?” C. J. whined.
“We need gas, food, and lodging for a bit;” I growled.
“Are there supernaturals around here?”
“Probably.”
“But we are not here for that?”
“Correct, how ever if I need to feed we will hunt.”
“You can only go for two days, right?”
“Depends, on the circumstance.”
“It already been a day and a half since you drank some of my blood.”
“Thank you for the offer; however, I would rather not keep drink from a mutt.”
“Hey, I am not a mutt!”
“Yeah keep telling yourself that.”
“Hey, town on the right about a mile and a half.”
“I see that, just hope we make it in time. We have a half a tank with one gas tank in the bed.”
“So we need gas? I have money for it then. Why not just use the money than keep moving?”
“We might need money later. It is better to save.”
After he shut his mouth for a while, we got to the exit for the road side city. Willow finally stopped hiding to join the bench to keep an eye out. We found a motel around a half of mile in town and I decided to go rent a double bed room. Cost around $100 per week, which I paid for plus the $50 pet fee. After we all went into the room to settle down my stomach ached for with the need to feed. C. J. quickly went in the bath to shower while Willow got comfortable on one of the beds. The suite kitchen was empty except for a microwave, mini stove, and mini fridge with a tiny freezer section on top. C. J. came into the room after a 45 minute shower. I found a bowl for water, filling it in the bathroom sink I placed it on the floor next to the tub shower combo.
“C. J., I need to go out hunting. Please stay put with Willow while I am gone,” I informed him.
“Why can we not go with you?” C. J. mumbled.
“I will be quick to find food for you all. I need some blood though so I would appreciate if you stayed put. Thank you.”
As I walked out of the door I could hear his words of grumbling, though I did not stop what I needed to do. I walked behind the motel which was conveniently placed in front of a wooded area you could see from the highway. Once I hit the tree line I could see a light blue glow farther in. Walking deeper I could smell forest life sleeping around me, while some night time lovers skittered around. I continued towards the blue fire for a few yards before finally seeing what made the luminosity. Stalking up the it I stood quietly for a while.
“Know where any live beings are?” I whispered.
“Follow,” the wisp replied before moving ahead of me. I followed the bulb for a good 15 minutes until it stopped moving. “There,” it nodded to the west before disappearing. Standing there for a minute I smelt the air. It had no mutt smell so I knew there would not be a pack. Climbing a tree I smelt again, and listened carefully. The earth mud smell was absent informing me that it was not a troll family either. Bouncing from branch to branch on different trees I came closer to the smell. Peering through the brush I could make out a shadow trudging up the path to me. I could smell death hit my nose with an insulting force. It stopped a few yards ahead of me glancing around the area.
“I smell you human come out,” it hummed from it location. I pulled out me wooden stakes from my coat’s arm sleeves. “Little human, I mean you no harm.” I could hear the sweet melody in its hypnotic voice.
“Ha, I am not dumb enough to listen to a blood sucker,” I yelled back allowing my voice to bounce from the trunks. Hissing with the loud impact it creature waited in it’s spot watching around the trees. I on the other hand silently bounced from limb to branch using the trees as coverage getting closer to it. When I reach the tree just east of the beast I noticed it was a male. Long silver hair reaching past his shoulders a grin plastered on his perfectly sculpted face. When his violet eyes found me he growled through his teeth showing grin.
“I see you little human, why not come down and introduce yourself. I can make your life so much easier, you would not have to worry your pretty little head about death.”
“Nah, I would rather die then have you turn me into one like you;” I scoffed.
“Find I can make that happen, too.”
“How about we fight to see who would win.”
“You think you can beat me? Do you not know I am a Vampire?”
“Oh really? I could not smell the death coming off you.”
“What is your name little human?”
“What is your name sir?”
“My name is Ah-pol Low, now your name is? You are being very rude coming into my home turf.”
“Am I? I apologize but you see I was passing through and decided to walk through the woods looking for wounded animals for my pup, you see.”
“If that is it I can show you where some are, if you tell me your name.”
Jumping down from the tree I landed on his shoulders pushing him to his back. Pulling my stakes into my hand I leveled them to his head and heart. His eyes widen in shock as his smile turned into a sneer. Leaning toward his ear I whispered, “I am Sortie.” Fear took over his body as he struggled through my knees pressing on his shoulder creases. Slamming the one stake in his skull sticking it a few inches into the ground. I latched onto his jugular sucking his blood slowly. He tried to twist and turn, clearing trying to escape. When his struggle lessen and his breathing slowed I lifted in his ear, “how does it feel having your life drain from you?”
“I… hea… rd… of… you. Tho… ught… you… were… a… myth…” he wheezed out while losing his consciousness. I dug deeper into his neck to finish off his blood before stabbing him in the heart with my second stake. For good measure I ripped off his head throwing it in the limbs of a near tree. Calling for an animal to bring food, I waited in the spot for 15 minutes or so.
“Yoooou, caaallled?” a deer peaked out from behind a trunk.
“Yes I need food for two,” I whispered to her. She left then brought a few branches on blackberries back. “Thank you, do you have any meat I could take?” Leaving again she brought back a couple squirrels by the tails. “Thank you,” came out as I grabbed the sleeping squirrels tails. She scurried off quickly. I quick snapped the necks and gutted them before ripping the hide completely off. I ran fast towards the room. Cooked the meat and handed out the squirrels and berries out, before I went to take a shower. By the time I came out they were asleep, I read a news paper looking for local job offers before laying down to watch a documentary. Glad I found some jobs that C. J. and I could apply for. Willow rolled over next to my legs snoring the darkness away. Closing my eyes as I started to meditate until the rays of morning light came through the window.