Chapter 1

I crept slowly and eased my breathing. I need to be quiet and watch from a distance. The screams and whimpers got louder when I took another two steps.

I used a big old tree as my hiding spot and gave Alice the signal. She nodded and lay bottom down on another tree. She had her crossbow cocked and ready, waiting for my next decision.

I secured my double-bladed sword and flexed my claw and climbed onto the lowest branch, and watched. I inhaled deeply and held my breath.

Humans. Dirty and rotten ones. In the distance, a man was sitting on a falling log and cackling. His men were toying with a human female.

“What do you think boys, should we eat her now or play with her first?” The ugly fat man who was sitting on the log said while licking his blistered mouth and his rotten teeth sneered at the female.

The woman whimpered and tried to move away, but her hands and legs were tied, so she fell on her ass. The men laughed at her, enjoying her feeble attempts.

“Boss, it has been a while since we were with a woman with full white teeth. We can eat her tonight after.” The boss stood and circled the poor female, his eyes eating her up.

“I think you are right even though she is so skinny.” He said and palmed her ass and breasts.

Alice made a small sound to get my attention. She made some quick signs and I shook my head no.

She wanted to help the woman now, but we can’t there are at least seven men right in front of us and I could smell the stench of another four or five.

I sat straighter and used my hand and signed. ‘No, we can’t do anything right now. If we were to save her, then we will wait for nightfall that is our best bet.’

She shook her head furiously and I growled silently. Stubborn teenager.

She started to sign quickly. ‘We need to do it now. They will rape her.’ I glared at her, annoyed.

‘These are dark times Al, people have lost their last ounce of their humanity after that plague. We will help her, but as long as we stay safe. I won’t risk our safety for a female that I don't know.’

She glared at me from behind her ski mask and faced forward. I sighed. I know this look. It means that she will do something stupid now.

I made a small chirp, and she looked at me again, then I signed. ‘Be ready and attentive. They won’t do anything now. As you can see, they are preparing for their lunch. We will free her when they are busy eating.’

Her green eyes brightened and I tsked. One day she will be the death of me.

I climbed higher and checked the area. There was no undead close by or any other travelers. I can’t say if that was good or bad. I sniffed again and now I could tell where the others are.

They were busy……….. I cocked my head to the side. Are they having sex? I gagged this was disgusting. Not because they were gay, which I doubt, but because they looked ugly and deformed.

Cannibalism can do that to you. Your body won’t be healthy feeding on human flesh, especially one full of diseases and goddess knows what else.

I went back to where I originally was and signed to my companion. ‘I will go and get rid of these three on the east. After my signal, go and cut the woman loose.’ She nodded her head eagerly.

I walked on my tiptoes and stood behind the men. I unsheathed my Tactical Bowie silently and held it between my teeth, then I took off my backpack and sword and hid them behind a bush.

I wrapped my hand around the first one’s throat and stabbed him three times in his heart. I lowered him slowly so as not to alert the other two.

They were talking about what they should do with the female and wanted to rape her together.

I snarled and stood behind them; I used the knife in my right hand to slit one’s throat and my left claw dug into the other's vocal cords. I flashed my canines at their slowly dying eyes and went back to the main camp.

I gave Alice the signal, and she went to the woman who screamed, but nothing came out from behind her gag.

Alice worked quickly and efficiently, but luck wasn’t on her side. The big ugly man saw her and alerted the others.

I cursed and moved quickly, discarding my knife, and flexed my claws. A man saw me coming from his left and shouted.

“Shifters. We have shifters here. We need the torch.”

I took off my ski mask and growled loudly. My muscles expanded and my eyes glowed neon green. I reached the snitch and used my lengthened claws and tore his arms off.

His screams were music to my ears. Even though I don’t have a wolf like other shifters, I basked in the smell of blood and the agonized cries.

Someone at my back pushed me forward, making me fall. I turned to see what happened and there was heat licking my front.

“Burn that bitch now. Don't give her the chance to stand up or she will kill us all.” The fat man shouted.

Suddenly there was a weight on top of me and I gasped for breath for a few seconds. Alice was on me, shielding my body from the scorching flames.

I groaned. Now I have to find her a new hoodie, and those were hard to find nowadays.

I pushed her and she stood. She used her leg to kick the man in his stomach and I took the chance and ripped his throat off with my teeth. I spat the rotten flesh and faced the last two.

The big man hid behind his cronies and shouted. “Leave us alone you she-devil. We did nothing to you.”

I cackled and circled the frightened men, who cowered away. It is all fun and games unless you become the prey, but I stopped and strained my ears.

When the hissing and crawling noise registered, I cursed and turned to Alice, ignoring the humans.

“We need to hide, now. Crawlers are coming and they are not alone. They have two vampire masters.” Alice signed quickly and I growled, this was not the time for argument.

‘But what about the human female? We can’t leave her here. They will drain her blood then eat her after.’

I punched a tree. She was right and anyway, we can’t escape now. They are almost here.

“Ok, bring her to that huge tree. We need to hide our scents, too. These creatures have sensitive noses.”

I went for my backpack and rummaged through it to find the Moss Phlox extract. This plant will hide our scent and make us blend with nature.

The human boss charged me and tried to grab my hoodie, but I sidestepped him.

“What are you talking about? And you can’t leave us here alone to face whatever is coming. You are a bitch wolf, so you are strong. Protect us.”

I ignored him and went to my friend and the human, then dragged them away from here.

The human female was shivering and her teeth chattering. I faced her and shook her body harshly.

“You need to get a hold on yourself if you want to overcome this. These beasts won’t be as kind as those filthy human males. So get a grip and focus.”

The female breathed a shudder before nodding. Alice took off all her clothes and stood in her underwear and bra and I did the same.

We won’t be able to dose them now, they were too near and we don’t have much time.

I sprayed my pulse points inside of my wrists, inner elbows, below the belly button, and behind my ear lobes.

My knees, then under my armpits and between my legs too. I had to make sure nothing of my scent would be carried away.

I signed to Alice. ‘Come, we need to move. They are a few seconds away now.’

I moved the human in front of me, then climbed first. Alice gave her a little push and I helped her to sit next to me on some dense branch. Alice climbed above us.

 I raised my finger to my lips and made a shush sign. She nodded, and we waited.

It didn’t take long, and the cries and screams began. Someone ran and stood behind our tree, trying to hide. The clacking noise and hissing followed him.

“No, stay away from me. No, don’t come closer.” A crawler moved on its eight legs and leisurely eyed the human male.

The creature was ugly with its weird body combination. It was a mix between a human and a spider. His upper half was almost human with a big head and long fangs.

The lower half looked like a huge spider. They were some vampires hunting hounds. Vampires were the only species to tame them so far, and no one knew how.

“No, please don’t eat me.” The human whimpered, and the creature stopped to look to the right. A slender vampire male came into the view.

“Don't worry little human, he won’t eat you unless I tell him so. Come to me, don’t be afraid.” The vampire said in a sickly sweet tone and the human inched closer to him.

“Yes, that is it. Don't be afraid of me. I just want to taste your blood and if it was good I will spare your life.” The male swallowed and stood before the vampire, shaking, and offered him his neck.

The vampire male chuckled and took his hand instead. He opened his mouth and instead of two sets of fangs, there were rows and rows of sharp teeth.

 I shuddered involuntarily. He was a tainted one. A supernatural who was deformed, because of the virus and the poisonous shit the governments had unleashed in the world.

He took small sips of the male blood, then gagged and threw it up. His eyes turned from dark brown to glowing red.

“Ah, you are one of this filth. You eat your own.” The male took two steps backward, his eyes were wide open.

The vampire turned and gave his crawler a signal. The crawler advanced on the male.

“No, please don’t eat me. I know where I can find you pure ones. Three women, they were here, I swear.” The vampire stood and raised his nose.

I gritted my teeth anxiously. If he chose to search the area, he would easily find us. The woman beside me started to tremble again, and her mouth opened, ready to scream when the vampire turned to glare at where we were hiding. 

I clamped my hands on her mouth and almost suffocated her.

“Hm. I think you are telling the truth. If I concentrated on it, I can catch their faint smell.” He licked his lips and smirked.

“It is so sweet and subtle. A she-wolf, human, and something else I don't know what she is.”

The human turned her head towards me and shook her head. I raised my finger to my mouth again and ordered her silently to stay quiet.

The vampire squinted his eyes at the dense foliage, but he couldn’t see anything. “It is here, but faint. They have left a long time ago. Stop wasting my time.”

The man screamed and when the crawler attacked him. In seconds he was cut open and his entire stomach was eaten. These abominations eat only the soft body parts and leave the rest to rote.

The vampire called after his companion and went towards the rest of his group. But not before looking around again, inhaling, and moaning with a shudder.