Claws // Colby Brock

💫 8 💫

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for my OG Bad Taste fans 😉

☯︎☯︎☯︎☯︎☯︎

The discomfort in my stomach was finally over, which meant so was my heat. I'd be back on the couch later today. Colby left another mark on my neck when I woke up, which was uncalled for as I hadn't done anything to him a second time. So I was glad I wouldn't have to share a bed with him anymore.

Everyone gathered in the kitchen for one final talk on tactics before Mike began to bend down to pick me up. I was fine with it - carrying me wasn't a big deal, but I caught Colby glaring at him as my feet lifted from the ground. Still, I wrapped an arm around the back of Mike's neck and placed my hand on his chest to fist his shirt for an extra layer of comfort. And discomfort for Colby.

The world zipped by around me. It was exhilarating to move so quickly, to see nothing but a blur. I thought it might be uncomfortable, as I'd never travelled like this before, but I actually loved it. If only I wouldn't be leaving these guys as soon as my apartment was ready.

Sam had done some research on the clan we were confronting tonight, meaning we knew exactly where to go to catch them off guard. It was apparently breaking the honour code to directly attack someone's lair, so instead we were invading one of their feeding spots. According to Sam, they fed at the same place every week, which was a public park where they'd grab, feed, compel and dump stragglers.

We waited in the shadows. I had Mike on one side of me, Cassie on the other, both crouched into a defensive pose while I lounged back on the grass enjoying the nighttime breeze. I looked up at the sky wondering if the Goddess considered everything that had happened so far progress, or if she was still disappointed in my refusal to fully accept my mate. It was probably both - she was probably disappointed I was fighting so hard, but pleased that the bond was forcing us together more and more. She knew I wouldn't be able to resist it forever. Nor would he.

After a few minutes, the clan showed up, so I shifted up onto my feet and waited for the 'regular process' to begin. Sam and Colby would go out first to confront the clan, then slowly the rest of the group would slip out. If the enemy attacked before they had a chance, they would all fly out in an ambush, which was just as effective as the intimidation tactic. I hoped the enemy did attack because of the chaos it would cause.

I didn't bother to listen to whatever was going on, choosing instead to assess the area around us. If this group picked up stragglers on the regular, wouldn't there be potential witnesses who would see our fight if it went down here? It wasn't like only vampires could see, there were street lamps illuminating everything every few metres.

Eventually, Cassie tapped my arm so I got up and we walked out of the dark. The opposing clan glanced at us upon our approach, all of their eyes on me. They could smell my very human blood, maybe that I was a werewolf. The leader, who I vaguely remembered was called Brandon, or something, looked down at my neck then up at Mike.

"Has the cold-killer vampire found a pet dog to call his own?" Brandon teased, grinning directly at me.

There were two ways to go about this: imply I was a weakling to increase the number of targets on my back and keep quiet, or reveal that I was actually Colby's and display my own aggression, which would both entice them to attack me and terrify them of harming something of his.

I liked the second one better.

"Not that cold killer, no," I called out, my lips twisted at the corners. I motioned at Colby, who was already playing along by glaring at Brandon. "That one has, and if you call me a dog again, your vocal cords will be ripped out. I'll let you choose who does it."