Page 40 of Theoden
My Father wanted me to feed, then bring home the wolf once I was done, and that was exactly what I was going to do. With him pinned beneath me and struggling in vain to break free, as I was stronger than he was, put him at my mercy. I reared my head back and struck, burying my fangs inside his neck. He growled in pain as I fed, then he began to shake with erratic movements.
I pulled back, as I was unaccustomed to the reaction of my bite on this wolf. I wiped the blood from my mouth and chin and watched with a mixture of shock and fascination as the wolf began to vomit a foul stream of bile as he thrashed on the ground. Sweat poured from his skin as if he were in the throes of a deadly fever. I didn’t know what to do or what I had done wrong.
I stood up, taking a step back as he continued to die. I knew that much, this was death for the wolf and somehow my bite had killed him. I knew I had dragon venom in me, it was why humans enjoyed my bite so much, but I didn’t know my venom would kill a wolf. Had Ara known this would happen? Was that why he sent me to hunt this wolf down? Was this another test?
I watched as the wolf took his last breath, his skin was slick with sweat and his veins looked as if they had been filled with black tar as they protruded from his flesh. I turned and ran away, leaving the body there. I made it back to the inn Ara and I were staying at and burst through the door, slamming it behind me.
“Did you enjoy the wolf?” Ara asked.
I turned to see him sitting at the table, reading something by candlelight. My heart leaped into my chest, because what if the wolf had not been a test and he had expected me to bring the wolf back? Had I failed the mission?
“The…” I took a deep breath even though I didn’t need to breathe. I just needed to do so in order to prepare myself. “The wolf is dead, Father.”
Ara put down the book he had been reading and looked up at me with an expression I could not read. “Dead?”
I nodded. “I caught him, Father, just as you wanted. I bit him and began feeding, but then the wolf became ill.”
Ara uncrossed his legs, stood up, and walked over to me, looking up. “Your bite killed the wolf?”
Again, I nodded and braced for his disappointment. “Yes, Father.”
He stared at me for a long time, looking me up and down, then his eyes met mine and he smiled. “Magnificent.”
I blinked, because I wasn’t expecting that reaction. “Father?”
“A dragon’s venom is deadly to werewolves and vampires alike, my child. It is why I do not take the chance of allowing you to feed from your brothers or me. It would seem that your venom is also deadly to our foes and quite possibly our kind,” Ara said.
“But what if my venom is not deadly to vampires because I am one?” I asked. I was now growing more curious about what kind of powers I possessed.
Ara arched an eyebrow. “That is something I would like to test, but not with my sons.”
“Father, are you angry that I killed the wolf?” I asked, wanting to know if I had failed the mission.
Ara smirked and shook his head. “No, my son. I wanted to see if your venom could kill a wolf, which is why I told you to feed when you caught him. Had it not been deadly, then I would have been disappointed.”
Well, that was a relief, even if it was a bit heartless.
“Heartless? Is that what you think of my intentions, son?” Ara asked.
I froze with fear, I had forgotten for that moment that he could read my mind. “Perhaps my thoughts are wrong, Father.”
Ara raised his chin. “Perhaps they are. You should reconsider them.”
I nodded once. “Yes, Father.”
“Now, on to my question that you did not answer, which only slightly annoys me. Did you enjoy the wolf?”
In all honestly, I didn’t really get a chance to get my fill of the wolf, as I had panicked and pulled back the moment he started to shake and foam at the mouth.
I sighed. “From what I did taste of the wolf, yes, Father, I enjoyed it.”
“That is another thing, why did you pull away?”
“I thought that I had failed the mission. That you wanted the wolf brought to you, Father,” I said.
“Obedient, almost to a fault. I wanted you to drink your fill, but I do like that you wanted to please me by following my orders. I am proud of you, Théoden,” Ara said and I felt my heart swell with my own sense of pride.
“Thank you, Father,” I said, grinning from ear-to-ear.
