Bloodfang

Epilogue

Ricky

Ricky did not see Feral again before he left for New York. During his last two weeks in Durango he often found himself looking out the window to search for a pair of golden eyes but sadly he never saw them.

Despite their good-byes, Ricky did not believe he would never see his friend again. The Bloodfang had made a promise to him. He would keep it if he could. The mission Feral was on was a dangerous one and sadly there was nothing Ricky could do to help him. Nor could he prevent anything bad from happening to Feral. The only thing Ricky could do was hope and pray that Feral would survive his quest so that he could keep his promise and come back one day.

The day of Ricky's return home finally came to pass. July had flown by just as Feral had flown out of his life and August had rushed in with no hesitation. School would be starting soon. And more than anything else, he missed his mother. He needed to see her.

Uncle Steve drove him to the airport after letting him say his goodbye to Rosy and the Stuttles and he learned a very interesting bit of gossip his last day. One he knew that would help his uncle's standing in the community going forward as the people in Durango had something new to talk about. Apparently Samuel and George were telling anyone and everyone who would listen that they had seen vampires and a demon wolf! Local residence found their story far more entertaining than anything Uncle Steve now had to tell. Ricky had-had to struggle very hard to keep a straight face upon hearing the news.

The farewells he exchanged at the airports with his uncle were emotional for both the man and boy. Ricky promised to keep in touch through email as well as to return to visit the next summer. Uncle Steve promised to have more things planned for them to do so that Ricky wouldn't be so bored next time. Ricky assured his uncle with utmost sincerity that he hadn't been bored one bit!

As for the flight home, Ricky had stayed awake the entire trip. Flying in the large jet didn't seem as scary to him as it had done on his way to Durango. He did come to the conclusion mid-flight though, he preferred Feral's flights more.

The reunion with is mother was everything he hoped it would be. She hugged him as tightly as he hugged her. She balled her eyes out and he teared up. Her love for him was there for anyone in the waiting area to see. He put up with the public display because he could see how much she needed it. And if he were being honest... he needed it just as much.

The icing on the cake for Ricky came later. While on the drive home, his mother told him that she was no longer seeing Tyler. Apparently he was just not the guy she thought he was when she first met him. Ricky refrained from telling her that he could have told her that in the beginning and saved them both some heartache but he figured, no matter how happy she was to see him, she wouldn't appreciate his comment. He had smiled at the thought. Being socially appropriate wasn't always easy for him but he was learning!

The only downside of returning home was the fact that he still had to go to school. But he found as he entered his apartment that first day back in New York, he wasn't dreading it as much as he thought he would. After all, if he survived being attacked by vampires, he could survive high school!

Feral

As for Feral he focused on his mission. For years he had been hunted and ridiculed by vampires. Now it was time to locate the source of the attacks and end the madness once and for all!

He hunted, he flew, and he fought! And every day he thought of Ricky, looking forward to the day he could honor his promise.

Often during his travels he asked himself a question. "Am I truly a monster?"

It was a difficult question for him to answer. He had always been so sure that he was. Vampires were and they had made him so he had to be one as well, right? But then he had met Ricky. The boy hadn't seen him as a monster. He had seen Feral as a friend. His reflections of old conflicted with his thoughts of new and his mind chewed at the contradicting views until he had come to his final conclusion.

To the vampires he was an accidental abomination. And that was fine with him. He thought they were horrible demons, so he figured that made them equal.

The animals in the forest feared him, but he was their natural enemy as any normal wolf would be. That didn't make him a monster, just the predator that he naturally was. In fairness, some humans referred to it as the natural order of things where as others considered it a food chain issue. Either way, he was only being a wolf. His wolf was just wired differently.

He reached back many years to his pack. To his pack he was a runt. He was pretty sure they would see him differently today so that view seemed moot.

To Ricky...well to Ricky he was a friend. A genuine, trust you with my life, friend. He had never felt less like a monster than he had while spending time with the boy.

Opinions, names, Feral thought as he soared threw the night sky, he had heard them all.

Freak of nature... accident... runt... monster...

None of them mattered. Because it all came down to a boy named Ricky Vera. As long as that boy cared for him, called him friend, Feral knew who he was...

He was the Bloodfang.