Chapter 29 （Caleb）Summer
Chapter 29 (Caleb)
Summer
Y ou’d think I’d be used to the strength of my powers, but traveling such a great distance in a single day still blew my mind. I reached the edge of the forest. I knew I was just outside the werewolf pack territory. I could smell and hear them.
They were close.
That was a good thing. I needed to drink some blood after traveling so much. I made my way through the forest, coated in the darkness of the night. I purposely made noise and didn’ t hide my presence. I wanted them to find me.
I didn’t have long to wait. Three pairs of glowing orange eyes appeared through the shrubbery. Quietly, the wolves closed in, baring their fangs and snarling. A man came out beside them. He was tall and muscular, his brown eyes filled with hatred, black hair sprouting from his shirt as he hunched his chest.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in disgust.
A grin formed on my face. “How about I show you what I’m doing here?”
I infused my movements with my powers, moving at incredible speed, suddenly finding myself behind the werewolf in man form. I immediately plunged my teeth into his neck, the man howling in surprise. The wolves tried to pounce on me, but I sent a wave to repel them as I feasted on the man’s blood. A primal instinct came over me as I tasted the wolf inside him. It was pure strength, and I reveled in it, communicating with the beast as I had never done before. He tried to resist, to fend off my powers, but as I was a demigod, the werewolf didn’t stand a chance. When the man was on the verge of death, just before his soul left his body, I released his dead body and turned my attention to the others.
The other three werewolves were still in their animal form. Although I’d fought them off while feeding, they were still furious with me, especially as I’d just killed one of their own.
The wolves all jumped on me at the same time. We entered a melee of claws, fur, and blood. I broke the neck of one wolf quickly and choked the other to death. It was too easy. I nearly felt sorry for them.
Almost.
In the end, only one wolf, smaller than the others, was left in front of me. Seeing the three bodies lying beside me, he tried to save himself. I gave him a head start. What was the point of killing people if you didn’t give them a little hope? It made the game so much more fun.
When he thought he was far enough, the wolf reverted to human form, and I watched in delight as a naked woman appeared before me. The urge to take her filled me, but I had no time for that—not tonight.
She had blond hair, and her blue eyes filled with terror as I appeared just inches from her. The blood in her veins was tantalizing, and I salivated at the beat of her heart.
“Please, don’t,” she begged.
But I had no intention of being merciful. I grabbed her with one thrust and sank my teeth into the soft skin of her breast. The woman moaned and dug her nails into my back. The scent of pleasure rose as I drank from her, intoxicating me. The woman moaned deliciously as her life ebbed away. This was what I loved most about being a vampire. I released her body when I’d finished draining her, admiring one last time her beauty. Soon, it would be gone, and insects would feed on her as nature would claim her body.
I casually studied the bodies lying on the ground. The sun was now entirely down, and I was enjoying the darkness of the night. It was the only time I felt I belonged. But despite the dead at my feet, I knew I wasn’t alone. I could sense another werewolf lurking in the darkness. Could he be so naive as to think I didn’t feel him?
I walked quietly toward the presence, pretending not to know someone was hiding. The next thing I knew, I was pinned against a tree, a knife blade at my throat. Before me stood a she-wolf, her brown eyes filled with hatred and her long black hair braided and strewn with flowers.
She spat out her words, “Don’t even think about moving. ”
I held back my laughter at such a fragile, delightful creature, but my lip curled nonetheless. Did she really believe she was in control?
I leaned into the blade. She shivered but didn’t flinch. I replied, “Or what?”
She hesitated, taken by surprise, and I took advantage of the moment to push her with my strength until our roles were reversed, and she was the one pinned against a tree, the blade of her knife still against my throat. My face was only inches from hers. She kept her calm, but the rhythm of her heart betrayed her panic. She swallowed and pressed the blade a little harder against my throat, trying to look menacing.
I inhaled the scent of her neck, and she gasped, her voice trembling as she ordered, “Let me go. Back off.”
A laugh escaped my throat. “Do you think you’re in a position to give orders, little wolf?”
She exclaimed with rage, “I can say whatever I want. You are on my pack’s territory, killing my own—my family—and you think I’ll let you do as you please?”
I had to admit, she showed a lot of courage in front of someone as powerful as me, but maybe she didn’t fully realize it. It was refreshing.
“You should watch your tongue when talking to a demigod. I could crush you before you had a chance to blink.”
The woman froze at my words. She was lucky I was in a good mood.
The woman I was holding against the tree gasped in surprise. When I looked at her again, her eyes were filled with horror and something else I couldn’t identify. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of her wolf growling through her chest. No matter what she tried against me, I was much stronger than her. She didn’t stand a chance.
With one hand, I tamped down the knife blade that was still frozen against my neck. I didn’t know why the woman hadn’t tried to attack me with the weapon already, even if it had been in vain. She seemed frozen, staring intently at me, probing my soul.
“Well, I think it’s time to let go of this, little wolf,” I said, squeezing her hand fingers until they released the weapon she still held. The knife fell to the ground.
“Why . . . are you doing this?” she whispered.
I didn’t need a reason. Killing was what I did for a living. “Because I can,” I answered coldly.
But as I stared at the woman, my head filled with fog. I was determined to finish her off and continue to the pack houses, but I couldn’t look away from her deep browns. Bodies still lay nearby, and all I ever felt was a rush of adrenaline and the satisfaction of watching death embrace them. Why couldn’t I kill her? The she-wolf was entertaining anyway, and to get rid of her so soon would be a real shame. I didn’t even get to play with her.
“What is your name?” I asked.
The woman hesitated before answering, “Summer.”
It felt warm and fun, strong and fresh. I thought it fit her well. Only one more reason to keep her. I knew Aeris would be pissed, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t anyone’s puppet.
“I changed my mind. I will keep you alive.”
The girl’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened.
“You’re coming with me. ”
“I will never go with you,” raged Summer, a menacing growl escaping her chest. I burst out laughing.
“You don’t have a choice,” I replied coldly, pulling her firmly by the wrist. Something stirred inside me as I touched her skin. I pulled on Summer so she followed.
The werewolf was constantly struggling, and it was tiring. “Will you stop it? It’ll be much easier if you obey, little wolf.”
“I’ll never obey you, you bloodsucker!”
She flinched as I turned and found myself inches from her. The air charged with electricity as I stared into her eyes, neither of us saying a word. She had a way of ticking me off in just the right way, and I wondered if keeping her was a good idea. The werewolf gritted her teeth, and her gaze was like a dagger. Maybe getting rid of her would be better. As if she’d heard my thoughts, her wolf growled again, triggering a jolt in my back, breaking the tension. I couldn’t do it.
I ignored her words, pulling her into the forest’s darkness. I’d have to find a place to keep her. I remembered spotting a cave earlier as I walked. It would be a good place to keep her. It was close enough to the pack so I could travel there but far enough that no one would hear her.
She shouted, “I hate you. You won’t get away with this.”
I chuckled. “Oh, my darling. But I already have.”
Soon, the cave I had spotted earlier came into view. It was perfect. The opening wasn’t too large and didn’t go too deep either. There was no exit other than the main one. There were many stalagmites and rock formations to hide her.
This would make the perfect hideout. Now . . . How to prevent her from running away? If only I could think straight, but this fog wouldn’t disappear. The only thing I had was a rope. It would do for a while. It was the sturdy rope I used for my murder contracts. She could wear it down against rock and escape, but it would be good enough for tonight.
I tied Summer tightly to the wide stalagmites that climbed to the cavern’s ceiling while she kicked, trying to prevent me from doing so.
“Let me go!” she screamed.
When she was securely tied, I stepped back to look her directly in the eye, and she froze. “You can scream all you want. No one will hear you, little wolf.”
I was satisfied with my bonds and with the way she was tied. She struggled to break free, and I added, “Don’t even think about shapeshifting. The rope is too sturdy; I use it for all my murder contracts. The way you’re tied, your legs and arms will break during the shift.”
It would be a shame if she bled her wrists on her rope. I shrugged. Oh well. Maybe I’d taste her if she did. She looked delicious. Tomorrow morning, I’ll find something better to tie her. I recalled seeing a small village not too far away. Flying, I could get there quickly.
“Now, sleep,” I added.
She kicked again and struggled to get out. I liked her determination. It was making this much more fun. Impulsively, I approached and inhaled her scent. She smelled like jasmine, and I found the odor irresistible. I would have gladly tasted her blood if I hadn’t already been full of the two werewolves I sucked dry earlier. Summer turned her head away, and I impulsively kissed her cheek. She froze, eyes wide open.
“Good night, little wolf,” I commented before walking away .
I chuckled when she started shouting all kinds of insults again. I quickly gathered some branches nearby and lit a fire in the cave. The night was cold. I didn’t need the heat, but werewolves did. I sat contemplating the flames, waiting for Summer to exhaust herself from struggling.
Staring at the sky, I tried to understand why I couldn’t kill her earlier. It felt like I couldn’t think straight.