Boris and the Vampire (Legends of Pinewood 2)

If You Take a Vampire Hunting

Then we reached the cliffs. I knew this place well. It's where groups of wolves lived. And that was when I realized what prey he was going for. 

I had joked about Etienne not being able to do anything stealthily with those obnoxious running pants, but he was expertly keeping himself out of sight.

Etienne circled the animals from the shadows and singled out the biggest wolf. The leader. He climbed up a tree so silently that even I barely heard a sound, and moved himself into position. When the wolf passed under him, he launched himself on top of the beast, quick like a diving hawk.

The wolf didn't stand a chance.

Etienne's fangs were buried deep into a vein the moment he landed, draining the animal's strength rapidly and immediately. Panicked yips filled the clearing as the other wolves scattered, startled by the attack that came from nowhere. The alpha wolf made some feeble attempts to get away, but quickly went limp as his blood was being drained.

These wolves had young pups. If one of the alpha couple was killed, it'd possibly kill all of them. I took a step forward, growling at Etienne in warning.

He looked at me, fangs still biting into the wolf's flesh. But after a few seconds, he released his hold and retreated. The wolf was still alive, and judging by the way he jumped up and fled the moment he was released, would survive the vampire's feast.

A little trail of blood dribbled down the corner of Etienne's mouth as he reached my side. He dragged his thumb up his chin to his lips with a grin and sucked the last bit of the wolf's blood into his mouth. He'd enjoyed this, and a shudder went down my spine.

"I've had my fill, wolf," Etienne said. "We can go back now."

I was all too happy to oblige. 

The run back was quiet and quick, and I changed back to my human form the moment we reached the spot in the woods where I'd left my clothing.

Shifting back was about as pleasant as shifting to my wolf form, which was not at all. I was also fighting my instincts now, which told me to stay in my more powerful form around the threat. The vampire. 

It was too dangerous to stay this way around the townsfolk, however. Especially in my house. I couldn't risk one of the humans finding a gigantic wolf and a stranger inside, should anyone decide to visit. Surprise visits happened in a small town like this—even in the middle of the night. I was the handyman they called  when there was an emergency inside the house, after all. Like a water pipe bursting.

I had to push myself hard, but eventually I managed to shift back to my human form.

Etienne looked at me, visibly amused by my transformation struggles. "Now that you can talk again, tell me honestly: am I a better hunter than you are?"

"Nobody is a better hunter than a werewolf," I replied curtly.

Etienne tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure? You seemed awfully sentimental about that one wolf. Have you ever even killed, wolf? You buy your meat at the butcher, don't you?"

I clacked my tongue. "We take care to not kill an entire family of wolves needlessly when we need to kill. We only take what we need. A concept you're perhaps unfamiliar with, vampire."

"Kill the alphas, kill the pack," Etienne mused. "Good to know. But that wan't my intention at all. I only chose that wolf because it reminded me of you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that a threat, vampire?"

"Absolutely not," Etienne said, pressing a hand to his chest and faking an innocent expression. "On the contrary. It's a compliment."

I crossed my arms. "I'm very flattered," I said flatly. "As long as we're clear that you're never going to drink my blood. Nor that of another werewolf's or human's. This is also not making me any more inclined to trust you or let you close to any of the townsfolk."

Etienne sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're no fun. Yes, big protector, I know I'm not going to get any person's blood. You already said that."

We walked back to my house. Once inside, Etienne walked to the couch, almost sat down, and then seemed to remember werewolves had cooties. He went back to his chair with the handkerchief, perching there instead.

I watched the entire show, wondering just how long the vampire planned to keep the theatrics up. I could let the puppies use his handkerchief as a chew toy just to see how he'd react. I had to keep things fun for myself some way while unwillingly sharing my house with a snooty vampire.

"You're staying up then?" I asked.

"I can't go outside during the sunlight, so yes, I will be staying up," Etienne replied in a condescending tone. "Don't worry, I'm not going to bother any of your precious townsfolk. I just ate. I'll be reading." He looked around and his eyes fell on the bookcase, which was full of picture books for the puppies. "If you can even read and own some books, that is."

"Check the carton boxes beside the bookcase," I said. "But careful. The books are utterly contaminated with werewolf germs as I read them all. And do get some sleep. I'm expecting you to stay with me tomorrow morning. I'm a handyman and my work is in my shed. You will not need to go out."

"Work with my hands?" Etienne looked horrified as he held up his hands. "With these nails?"

"Your precious nails are safe. I'm not letting you touch my work—I just want you where I can see you."

That wasn't my only motive, however. If Etienne wasn't lying and liked the scent of my blood... I now had some ideas to end this bullshit about a vampire in Pinewood town tomorrow. 

***

Author's note: Hi dear reader!! 

Any thoughts so far about the characters, dynamic, and the set-up? Is it enjoyable or are you not really getting into it (yet)? 

Was anything in the first few parts confusing? 

I'm looking for feedback in early stages because if it's not hitting the mark I can still change things. I'd love to hear from you! c: