Vampocalypse (old first draft)

Chapter Twenty-six

A/N Chapter dedicated to BravadoFakingGlory, who made the awesome cover in the media section. Thanks again, ^_^

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"I smelled you coming. Your fear, it smells like," Gus gave a big sniff and rolled his eyes, "Like fresh cinnamon buns and sweat."

His simile made no sense to me, but his presence shocked me. I felt all of the blood drain from my face. I had been so sure that the room was empty. He stepped closer. Leon gasped and made to move, but couldn't. I didn't think, I just stood in front of him.

"Wish that bastard would die already," Gus complained, snarling at his brother.

I didn't dare ask him why he hadn't just finished him off then. I settled for, 'Why did you do this?" instead.

"Why?" His lips spread wide, showing his gnarly teeth. "Miss him already?" he mocked.

"He's your brother..." I said incredulously. Tears were stinging my eyes.

"So. Think I'm just gonna keep letting him get all the goodies?" he said. "The best house. The best women. All the power. Your magic. Did you give him any of it?"

"I can't!" I shouted.

"I didn't expect you to give it willingly," he grumbled.

He groaned and I could see the muscles in his arms rippling. It was like an ocean's waves beneath his skin, it went across his bare chest and all the way up to his face. I knew what that meant. He was about to become the monster I'd seen on the television programs. The terrifying and savage creature that would rip me and chew me into little Harper pieces. For something he would never obtain anyway. The last Spellbinder would die, and the magic would die with me.

The forgotten sword was on the floor behind me. No way I'd reach it before he was on me. This was it. Everything had built up to this. Escaping self-serving, cold hearted Superior Vamps, almost being devoured by numerous Deaders, falling in love...everything I'd done, had only lead me here for it to all end for the most ridiculous, the most selfish reason.

"I'm going to enjoy this. I know your magic won't work against me, 'cus I ain't dead," he snarled. "You can't do nothing-"

"But I can."

My stomach flipped at the sound of the new voice. Hector. I could have collapsed from the relief, but instead I knelt beside Leon. Hector could handle himself, but Leon was gasping in short, weak breaths.

"No-no-no, don't die. We'll help you, just hold on," I whispered.

"Who the hell are you?" Gus demanded.

"You can call me death," Hector said.

I hoped Hector's threat sent shivers down Gus' spine the way it did mine. Whether it did or not, I wouldn't know. Gus growled, the ripples going faster under his skin, then bigger. My eyes grew wide as his muscles started to bulk and fur sprouted along his exposed skin. He was now a full werewolf.

I would have screamed had I not been so shocked to see such a thing in real life.

The werewolf growled at Hector, and Hector let out a sharp, chilling hiss. His fangs snapped out menacingly. All the kindness and humor I had come to expect to see when I looked at him had abandoned him. His fine features were twisted into something dark and unimaginably disturbing. My instincts were torn between my trust for him and a new fear at the creature he actually was. I rebuked the fear. There was no reason to be afraid of Hector. He would never hurt me...I was sure of it.

Gus took a huge swipe at Hector, but Hector jumped back just in time and took his own swing. Hector's punch landed on the Gus' snout, causing Gus to yelp painfully. But he quickly recovered and grabbed Hector's arm, flinging him into the wall hard enough for pieces of the wall to crumble and sprinkle dust everywhere. Hector hit the ground.

Gus came at me, fury swirling in his canine eyes. I winced, then heard a collision. When I opened my eyes again Hector was on top of Gus, pushing the werewolf down by his throat. Gus was still snapping and snarling at Hector viciously.

Beside me, Leon moaned again. There was more blood. It had stopped flowing and began to seep from his grave wound. He was panting and whimpering.

"Just a while longer," I begged. How do I know Hector can help? I asked myself. There was no explanation. None I could make sense of.

I glanced again at the fight. Now Gus was over Hector, trying his best to tear a big chunk out of his neck. Hector didn't look afraid. He looked amused, and for some reason, it frustrated me.

Leon groaned again.

"Oh, this is taking forever!" I said at the fighting twosome.

I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the sword. In one swift movement, shoved it straight through Gus' upper back. I was both surprised and relieved at how easy it sliced through him. It was like shoving a stick through sand; his skin and muscle just shifted to allow the sword's entrance. I released the sword with shocked gasp, cupping my mouth with my hand, my eyes wide.

Gus let out a agonizing howl -- one that pierced my very soul -- then fell on Hector with all his weight. Hector, too, cried out, but I didn't know why. I was the one that had just killed someone. I meant to only wound and distract him, but the blade had just slid straight through. I'd just taken his life away as simple as tossing crumbled paper in the trash can. As though I had no other choice. As if I had the right... True, he was trying to kill us, but there were other ways to handle the situation. There had to be other ways-

"I'm-I'm sorry," I said, and the words came out in a whisper.

Leon's panting was becoming faster, jogging me back to the task at hand; to the reason why I acted so hastily. He was in so much pain. He was dying. I knew needed Hector.

I rushed over to help get Gus off of Hector. We rolled him to the side, and I noticed The mid-torso of Hector's shirt was soaked in blood. The sight gave me pause. Had Gus bled through? To my horror, the sword was sticking out about four or five inches through the front of Gus' chest. That meant-

"It's okay. I'm okay," Hector said quickly, before I could reach maximum panic. "Good thing that sword wasn't crafted out of wood. It's silver. That only works on," he nodded toward the dead werewolf. "I'll heal in a few minutes."

"Oh, thank God," I said, blowing out my anxiety and letting relief fill me. "Come on. Leon needs some of your blood."

"Are you off your rocker? I can't turn a werewolf-"

"No, no. It won't turn him," I said. "Come on, or he's going to die."

"But my blood will finish killing him. . ."

"It won't. Trust me."

Hector's brows drew together in bewilderment. "Okay..."