Blood Moon (Moons of the Wolf Series Book 1) (10 page)

CHAPTER 12

Weeks passed.  Regularly scheduled pack meetings were held at Kedar’s house, where he taught the pack basic combat skills that they would need to survive against a vampire attack.  Samantha had been once again allowed to join in on pack activities.  Unfortunately, she and Kedar didn’t speak very often.  Some weeks she didn’t talk to him at all.  Other’s she only spoke to him at pack meetings.  Rarely, however, they would talk and see each other as though nothing had happened.  Kedar made every attempt not to touch her, however, even when correcting her stance or posture when he was instructing the pack on a new survival technique. 

Shortly after the meeting at Malcolm’s house, Kedar began to smell like another woman, near constantly.  Samantha couldn’t pinpoint exactly whose smell it was all over him, but it hurt.  When he came around with the mysterious woman’s scent on him, Samantha wasn’t able to look him in the face.  It caused knots to form in her stomach and a lump to work its way into her throat.  She secluded herself from the pack when she wasn’t at meetings and for the first time in a long time she felt truly alone.

Samantha wasn’t the only one distancing herself from the pack.  Charlotte had begun to spend more and more time with Zachary and the whole pack feared that Charlotte was going to tell him their secret, without getting to know him completely.

***

One day in late January Samantha and Maia were leaving Da Vince’s.  Samantha had thought it would be a nice gesture to take her out to lunch, seeing as how Maia had yet to make friends in town, and although they were temporary pack mates, Samantha knew very little about her.  It was nice for Samantha that she didn’t spend the afternoon alone, and she could tell that Maia was thankful for the company as well, regardless of how awkwardly silent lunch had been.  Samantha was terrible at making new friends, and she had a feeling that Maia was the same way.

They got into Samantha’s car, which she had parked in the far back of the lot.  She pulled her phone out of her purse to check her text messages before she began driving.  She had one missed text from Alex and another from Kedar.  Her heart almost skipped a beat when she read his name on her screen and she quickly unlocked her phone to read what it said.

“
I want to see you.  Please come over. –K.
”  It read simply.

Samantha smiled wide and quickly text him back, “
I’m bringing my friend home. I will call you after
.”

“Is that Riley?”  Maia asked, noting the huge smile on Samantha’s face.

Samantha looked up from her phone at her shocked, “No…  It’s my friend, Kedar…”

“The one teaching us how to fight vampires?”  Maia replied as she raised an eyebrow.  She looked Samantha up and down with her big brown eyes.

“Yeah, him.”  Samantha responded simply.

“No offense, but you two don’t seem like friends.”  Maia stated frankly.

“Yeah.  It’s complicated.”

“Well, you guys are either friends or you’re not.”

Samantha just shook her head, but she didn’t feel like arguing.  She simply checked the text message from Alex.

“
Dad wants us on patrol tonight.  Hurry back.
”  Was all that it said.

Samantha sighed, started her car and began driving away from the restaurant, “Alex says that we have to patrol tonight…”  She said softly after a few moments of awkward silence.

Maia didn’t respond.  Samantha frowned.  She hoped she hadn’t lost a friend before a friendship could even be formed.  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and she dialed Kedar’s number.

It rang four times before he answered, “Hello?”

“I got a text from Alex.  We have to go patrolling.  Meet me in our old spot?”  Samantha asked softly.

“Of course, I’ll see you in a bit then.  Would you like me to grab you water or something?”  Kedar responded.

“Yeah, thanks Kit,” Samantha responded, going to hang up.

“Wait, Sam?”

“Yeah?”  Samantha’s voice was barely audible.

“I’ve missed you…  And whatever it was that was going on between us…”

Samantha was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond, “I… I miss you too… Bye…”

Kedar hung up before saying anything else.  Samantha sighed and rubbed her temple with one hand.

“You two had a spot?”  Maia asked skeptically, “Sounds more like a lover than a friend.”

“As I said.  It’s complicated.”

***

Samantha drove straight to Alex’s house, silence lingering in the car the rest of the way.  She went right into the yard, Maia following close behind her, where the rest of the pack waited for Colin.  Samantha looked around, taking a head count.  Charlotte wasn’t there, again.  Samantha grumbled, annoyed.  She had this feeling that Charlotte was skipping out on her pack responsibilities in order to spend more time with Zachary and it really got under her skin.

Colin stepped out onto the porch, gathering everyone’s attention.  “Darren called and said he saw vampires moving into our territory.  We’re going to split up.  Half of the pack will go into town, the other half will be going into the woods.  All of you should have been sure to grab hunting knives or fastened a type of wooden stake before coming.”

Fuck
. Samantha thought to herself.
That’s what I forgot
.

“If you don’t have one, I have extra hunting knives inside the house.  If you do, but don’t know where you are needed, please find Bridgette and she will direct you to where you are going.  Otherwise, be careful out there.”

Samantha went inside, following Alex and Riley who also needed to grab hunting knives from Colin.  He had them arranged neatly on the marble countertops in the kitchen.  Samantha grabbed the first one she saw and she ducked out of the house, strapping the knife’s holster to her leg.

She followed the trail into the forest and began walking towards the spot where she and Kedar used to meet.  She walked briskly, excited to see him.  As she turned onto the overgrown path that she needed to be on she smelled something horrible, which caused her throat to burn.  The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and a loud shriek pierced the air.  She turned and ran as fast as she could in the direction of the smell, not thinking about what she was doing once.  She dodged the underbrush and leapt over tree roots until she stumbled upon a private camp ground; the source of the scream.

There, right in front of Samantha, were three, dirty and unkempt vampires.  One was knelt down beside the lifeless body of a woman.  Samantha watched in horror as another, who was holding a man who was very much alive, bit down on his victim’s neck.  The man screamed in agony, but it was cut off by the wailing of a child.  Samantha didn’t think, the screaming child was enough to send her instincts into overdrive.  She leapt forward and buried her knife into the back of the vampire feeding on the now lifeless man.  The vampire, a woman who was turned not long after her twentieth birthday, screeched and threw Samantha off of her back.  Samantha hit the ground with a loud thud.  She quickly rolled over to get back on her feet and her eyes landed on the man who had died right in front of her.  She scurried to her feet, as the child, who she had yet to see, continued to cry.

“Shut that thing up!”  The third vampire, who seemed to be in charge, hollered.  Samantha’s eyes shot up to her and she snarled.

The woman was tall with pale, pale skin.  Her hair was a thick dark brown, and her eyes had a red tint to them and she didn’t dare step out of the shadows.  Samantha quickly turned to look at the vampire obeying her order, the one who had been feeding on the woman.  Samantha stood and ran at him, digging her knife into the side of his neck.  He hissed and pulled away, stumbling into an open patch in the forest, exposing himself to the sunlight.  In a matter of seconds his skin began to boil and blister, and eventually he caught on fire.  Before Samantha could make another move, the brunette vampire grabbed her by her hair and dragged her into the shadows.  She lifted her up, as Samantha cried out in pain, and pinned her against a tree, squeezing her around the neck.  She stared Samantha down, hissing all the while.  She was clearly gauging Samantha’s ability to fight her off, and Samantha continued to struggle.

“Shut that stupid child up!”  She directed at the wounded female vampire.

Samantha struggled against the restricting grasp, managing to break free, falling to the ground.  She had dropped her knife and she surveyed the ground, spotting it.  The vampire grabbed her by her hair again, but Samantha pulled back and punched her in the jaw with all of her might, before diving for the knife.

The vampire stumbled back, “Little bitch!”  She snapped.  She grabbed Samantha by the leg and pulled her across the cold, partially frozen ground.  The dead underbrush, dirt and rocks scrapped at her face and it stung.  She dug her fingers into the dirt and pulled her leg free, kicking the vampire in the face.  The vampire yelled and grabbed hold of her leg once more.  She swung Samantha around and threw her into a tree.

Samantha hit the tree with a loud smack, and she tumbled to the ground in a broken heap.  She slowly forced herself to get up, wincing in pain.  Blood ran down her cut cheek and she wiped it away with the back of her hand.  She scanned the area quickly with her eyes, searching for the now quiet child and the other vampire.  She spotted them, hidden among the trees about twenty feet away.

“What do I do with it?”  The younger vampire asked.

“Kill it…”  The brunette responded.

Samantha mustered up what was left of her energy to charge at the vampire.  The brunette, however, grabbed Samantha before she could make it to the child, which had begun to whimper again.  She held her in a head lock, and swung around to pin her against a tree, twisting her arm around to her back and holding her like that.  She snarled and licked up Samantha’s neck, taking in all of her scent.

“A dog, eh?  I look forward to helping my mistress kill your pack…”  The vampire crooned.

“Fuck you!”  Samantha spat, struggling against her hold.

“Silly mutt…  Dear, kill the child.  I want this poor heroin-wannabe to watch…”  She whipped Samantha around, holding her in a headlock once more.

Before the young vampire could make a move she hit the ground.  Kedar stood over her, holding the child in his arms.  He put his foot on her stomach and held her down as he drove a wooden stake through her heart.  She screamed, and then she laid completely still.  Kedar put the child safely on the ground and then pat his head.  He turned towards Samantha and the only vampire left standing.  He pulled his crossbow off of its holster on his back and aimed it at the vampires head.

“If you let her go, I’ll spare your life.” He bargained.

She chuckled, “You think I’m afraid of a pair of smelly dogs?”  She mocked.

“You should be.  Just let the girl go.”  He pulled the string back on the cross bow and loaded a large wooden stake, made from birch wood, into it, “Now, leech.”  He seethed.

She released Samantha and pushed her to the ground.  She stepped over her, and walked up to Kedar.

“You killed my daughter in front of me.  Why should I spare the life of your mate?”

Kedar glanced towards Samantha, who held her side as she struggled to get up off the ground, “She isn’t my mate.  Just let her be, and I’ll let you be.”

“Why should I?”  She hissed, taking another step towards him.

“Because I’m giving you a get out of jail free card… One step closer though, and the bargain is off the table.”

She smiled smugly, “I don’t think you’re going to do that.  My mistress wouldn’t be happy if her best hunter went missing.”  She took another step.

Kedar didn’t say a word.  He simply pulled the trigger, sending the stake flying into the vampires head, piercing her right between the eyes.  Blood splattered into his face, but he simply wiped it away and stepped over the vampire’s corpse.  He picked up the child, who had begun to wail once more.  He shushed the child and walked over to Samantha, helping her up.  She was about to give her thanks, but he grabbed her face roughly.

“You’re alone?”  He snarled.  Samantha nodded slowly and he snarled, but he helped her over to a fallen tree so that she could sit.  He handed the child to her and pulled a matchbook out of his pocket, going over to the bodies of the vampires.  He lit and dropped a match on each of them and he watched as the fired quickly burned the bodies away and put themselves out.  He turned and went over to the vampire that had burned up in the sunlight, examining it to be sure it had been burned enough to prevent it from reanimating.  Once he was satisfied he snarled and made his way back to Samantha.

“I’m sorry…”  Samantha choked out, spitting up blood.

Kedar didn’t respond.  He helped her to her feet and took the baby from her.  They walked in silence all the way back to Samantha’s house, Kedar supporting most of her weight the whole way.  When they reached her back porch she collapsed, unable to continue on.  Kedar helped her sit on the stairs, touching her face with his free hand and giving her the child once again, prompting her to hold onto him tight.  Samantha barely moved her head to nod, and he lifted them both up, carrying them into the house.

“Mel?  Melody?”  He called out, panicked.