The Vampire's Harvest

173

If you leave the battlefield you know you'll only look like a coward, but you also know that staying in the back like this won't allow you to prove yourself to the alpha. Gianette isn't the only person in your family capable of being a wolf.

You clench your fists and steel your nerves as you brush past the thick furred bodies of the werewolves. You can feel their hair raise as you pass and their lips curl as you climb ever forward, but they know better than to make a sound, fearful of doing anything to give way their position.

You stop just short of the front line, which is composed of the alpha and two other wolves jammed into the entryway of the alley. Your smell gives you away, though, and the alpha turns with a snarl on his lips and a snap of his teeth. You feel your skin crawl and your heart beat quicken beneath the steely glare of the wolf. However, a sound you can't hear catches his ear and turns his attention to the street.

Looking out, Colin gives a yip and the pack springs into action. In that moment you realize how foolish it was to come forward ahead of thicker, faster, heavier bodies. In their eagerness to join the fight, you are nearly trampled. After a few terrifying jostles and a frightening tackle that sends you flying into a brick wall, you gather your wits and run ahead, entering the street and catching sight of a blonde-haired wolf sprinting out of the hall with a horde of angry vampires trailing behind her.

You now linger on the outside and near the middle of the pack. You think to fall back and resume a more defensive position in the rear, but then Gianette catches your eye. She's bypassed the front line and is skirting the outside of the lupine army. On her way to the back of the pack, her eyes graze over you and her pace slows. Not by much, but enough for a trailing vamp to have her within pouncing distance.

Before you can call out to warn your sister, the vampire leaps forward with claws ready and mouth stretched wide. Instinct grips hold of you and you spring after him, reaching out to snag the length of his scarf that dangles within your reach. Feeling the fabric graze your finger, you grip tight. The pull of the vampire's momentum nearly tears your arm from your shoulder but it also snaps him back, sending him skidding across the ground. There he chokes and sputters, while you stand shaking, massaging your arm which still holds tight to the scarf.

You drop the silky cloth and turn with intent to sprint to the back of the pack and avoid any further confrontation. Unfortunately, you can't really find a back to escape to. Everywhere you turn you find wolves battling with vampires—neither side winning nor losing.

You spin around, desperate to find an escape. Your frantic gaze bounces around until it lands on the vampire that almost pierced Gianette with his fangs. He's recovered and has set his sights on you. You look for your sister, hopeful she can return the favor and tackle the angry vamp to the ground. However, once you find, you discover she's entangled with another vamp some distance away.

You think to use one of the weapons you have on you, but just as you send your hand to your belt, the vampire springs, grabbing your shoulders and pinning you to the ground. Above you he looms and hisses, his claws digging into your skin.

You grow stiff with fear, but your arm isn't completely immobilized. Your hand hovers over your belt and satchel. If you can grab hold of something, you might be able to knock the vampire back. There's the silver pin you bought earlier with Ailisa, the water skin you took from home, and the spiked knuckles you got from the wolves. The question is, which will you use?

- Silver Pin: ch 178

- Water Skin: ch 179

- Spiked Knuckles: ch 180