Page 85 of The Tracker's Rage
How had he found me?
Eric’s wolf rushed in on Jake’s heels, followed by Damien. The mage wore his top hat and cloak and marched in with confidence. His hands weaved at a prodigious speed as he shot spells right and left, hitting those vampires who weren’t fast enough to get out of the way.
My wolf was bursting to get out and join them in the fight. I peered around and spotted a basin on a pedestal, the kind that Catholic churches use for holy water. I had no idea what they could use it for in a place like this, but it would serve as a hiding place. Quickly, I searched for Stephen but couldn’t see him anywhere. I left my hiding spot, ran towards the basin, and surreptitiously dropped the jade dagger inside.
In the same motion, I shifted, reveling in the transformation of my body as my muscles grew and hardened, claws tore from my fingertips, and fangs elongated in my mouth. My clothes tore and dropped to the floor. Relishing the strength in my limbs, I leaped forward, landed on top of a vampire, and raked my claws across his back.
The creature howled in pain. I clamped my jaws around his neck and twisted my body to one side, using my momentum. There was a crack. He windmilled his arms, trying to hit me. I released him and landed a few feet away. He swayed on his feet, his head lopsided and his neck gaping. Eyes wide with panic, he righted his head, and the wound started healing right before my eyes.
Oh, no, you don’t.
I attacked again, jumping over a pew and propelling forward. My front paws collided with his chest, ripping through his shirt and digging into hard flesh. Reaching out, he held me back just in time. My jaws snapped shut an inch from his face.
Pain stabbed into my shoulders as he sank his claws in. I pushed against his stomach with my hind legs and shook myself free. My back hit the floor. Stumbling, I righted myself and was going in for a second attack when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.
Jake was still fighting Danika, and a second vampire was rushing him behind. I pivoted, changing directions, and, realizing that I wouldn’t get there in time, rammed my body against the corner of the nearest pew, causing it to fan out on the other end and clip the vampire at the legs. He tripped and sprawled on the floor. The crash drew Jake’s attention, letting him know of his sneaking opponent. He immediately spun, clamped his jaw around his neck, and snapped it in two.
These bastards didn’t fight fair. If they did, they wouldn’t stand a chance against us.
I returned my attention to my opponent, my rage mounting. He had picked up a jagged piece of wood and was rushing in my direction. I dodged. His stake missed me by mere inches. The vamp skidded to a stop and whirled, holding the piece of wood like a bat and swinging at me. I ducked, crouching low on all fours, then as soon as the blow whistled over my head, I jumped forward, clamped my teeth around his ankle, and severed his foot.
He lost his balance and fell, but quickly sprang to a sitting position. As I prepared to attack again, a shot hit him right in the heart, and he slumped backward, holding his chest.
I blinked and stared at his fallen body for several beats. He looked dead, but I have no way of knowing whether or not he really was—no breath or heartbeat to listen for. The sounds of battle raged around me. A pew flew overhead and smashed against the wall as Eric’s wolf jumped out of the way. I glanced around, searching for the shooter, but I saw no one. Whoever was doing this was outside the temple looking in and was a damn good shot. And their bullets had to be laced with magic if they could take out vamps.
Damien stood near the door, flinging balls of magic at Bernadetta’s blurring shape. She weaved in and out of the pews, trying to get to him while his hands danced in the air with grace and speed, crafting spells that conjured magic strong enough to stop one of the most powerful vampires in the city.
It was a sight to behold.
Drawing my gaze from their battle, I scanned my surroundings, searching for another target. Immediately, I homed in on Stephen Erikson who was carefully inching his way toward the door, hugging the jade cup close to his chest.
You’ll pay for this, you coward.
Leaping over the vampire’s body at my paws, I rushed toward Stephen, threading through the chaos of broken pews and fighting shapes to get to him. He noticed me just as he was about to sneak past Damien and Bernadetta. Pausing for a moment, he gave me a crooked smile, then pointed at me.
“Stop her,” he ordered, and too late I noticed that the hybrid Bernadetta had created was trailing behind him, slinking in the shadows.
The hybrid stepped forward and let out a deafening roar as his body began to shift, his muscles rippling, his head enlarging to three times its normal size, his bones elongating and cracking, his clothes ripping. I waited for him to fall forward to all fours, but he remained standing, his features only half wolf. Fur grew sparsely over his body, pulsing, black veins visible under it. They also covered his face in a jagged road map, climbing over his partially elongated snout and slightly pointed ears, creating a web around his all-black eyes.
He was monstrous and terrifying and blocked my way as Stephen snuck past the door and ran out of the temple.
That cowardly bastard. He would pay for this.
With a guttural growl, the beast charged, a savage expression shaping his face.
I glanced right and left as what felt like a freight train headed my way. I was paralyzed for a moment, unsure of what to do. When he was only a few yards away, the hybrid fell to his hands and pressed forward, able to run both as a human and wolf.
He leaped, his hands outstretched. His fingers were long with huge knuckles and three-inch claws at their tips. I tried to move out of the way, but he was fast. His claws raked over my side, digging deep. I yelped in pain. Blood slicked my fur, quickly oozing out and dribbling down my front leg.
The creature pivoted on a dime despite his size and, this time, went for my eyes. I lowered my head just in time and charged him. I closed my jaws around his forearm and bit as hard as I could. He roared and, jerking his arm, sent me soaring across the room. I landed on top of a pew, my spine hitting it hard, cracking painfully. I rolled off and hit the floor. I tried to get up, but my legs gave and I fell again. The hybrid appeared above me, standing on top of the pew, peering down on me. He smiled with relish, a grotesque gesture in his semi-human face.
I tried to move again, but my legs wouldn’t respond.
The creature dropped from the pew and caged me between his legs and arms. He lowered his snout to my ear. His throat rumbled as he inhaled deeply.
“You smell delicious,” he said in a voice that was barely human and sounded more like the rumbling of stone against stone.
Rage flared inside of me. This creature was an abomination worse than any other. Why would Bernadetta and Stephen create something like this? Why couldn’t they be content with what they had? Weren’t immortality, heightened senses and speed, and eternal health enough? Why couldn’t they let everyone live in peace?
