The Queen's Shadow

A madman's determination.

I found my thoughts were interrupted as we were right behind them, I know they caught a whiff of us even with all the rain our smell still stuck out. If they hadn't this would be their grave, to lycanthrope we smelled like iron. There were five of them, I armed my silver-coated ax, it had a wooden handle and was made specifically for hacking. Before I could even swing I heard a gunshot, I felt the heat in my back. I felt the bullet ripping through me, I turned it was James. I was shot in the back. 'About time.' I heard one of the voices it was a man. I forced myself to remain conscious, it happened unexpectedly. The bullet passed right through me though, it just barely missed my heart. I don't know if silver bullets are strong enough to kill us, I do know it's strong enough to stop regeneration for a short time. 'Don't pass out yet Charles.' I heard James's voice I still couldn't believe it was him, I still can't believe he would do this. We had been partners for close to five years, how could he? " You...son of a bitch." I struggled to even speak those words. Lycan that had been waiting at the door turned around. He then put his finger through his mouth as he shushed me. 'We don't want you to wake the family.'

To have this many lycanthropes at this location means two things, 1 they weren't full-blooded werewolves they were hybrids, and two they can't control their change. The moon had not shown itself yet, I had plenty of time. I didn't think I would have to use this, but it was my only choice. I neglected to share this with anyone, especially since it was illegal. I made a silver bomb, it took some time and it took years I genuinely thought I was never going to use it. I'm surprised Charles never noticed. I just needed the distraction, with everything I had I smashed the ax into James's face. I took advantage of the stun factor, it wasn't enough to kill him. It wasn't supposed to, it was only supposed to stun him. I then put the ax through a Lycan's head, and James dropped his gun.

I had little time to react, even with our speed Lycans also got stronger, especially with a full moon. I was kicked in the stomach, I returned the favor with a shot in the stomach. I took one of them down, right before the gun was knocked out of my hand. The other two started punching me, I didn't have time to hold back. With everything I had, I use my telekinesis to push them away. I had recently discovered I could do it, but I still got a massive headache from it.

There was no time to waste, I made it to the car. I felt blood dripping from my nose, I look for the bag and I noticed it was gone. My eyes widened in horror, he had known. I didn't have much time, the moon began to illuminate their bodies and faces. I could see them clearly at night but now if they turned and someone saw, we would have to persuade them. Then the baron would have to get involved, he is not a fan of human affairs. A bullet then flew right past me, and one of the Lycans tried to shoot me in the missed.

The window cracked, I guess I was taking them head-on. There were four left, including James. The Lycans began to transform, they were as big as dire wolves and ravenous as fuck. I didn't have time to wait, my body had already started healing even though I wasn't at 100%. "Where is the bomb, James?" He smiled, fuck I said under my breath. They were trying to pin this on me, so long as no one interferes that bomb will go off.

His face at already partially healed, I should have gone for the heart. I look back at the car and realized he never took the vampire stakes out, I grabbed one of them and armed myself. They were already done changing, I couldn't find an opening to attack them not that I would have one. This was going to be a fight that I might die in, I lunged at James. He had one of the axes in his hand, I had lost sight of mine.

James was still relatively young, he was turned about 20 years ago. I was turned 30 years ago, despite my past my master a glorious woman saved me. Aiyana, please guide me. With everything I had I ran straight towards James, he made the mistake of throwing the ax. I had dodged as he was going straight for the head, the ax had whizzed past my face and took a piece of my cheek and ear off. He covered his heart with his hand, with everything I had I rammed it straight through. I missed his heart, that was my intention. I saw my gun on the ground and I picked it up, the Wolves had been watching me. They didn't attack me because wolves like to fight on their own, I know I would have to deal with all three of them. I didn't have much time, the average ETA for the police was about 15 minutes. If I didn't dispatch them quickly, I would have a lot more to deal with than just wolves.

One of the Lycans immediately lunged, he went straight for my gun. I dodged in the nick of time, he was just the distraction. The other two jumped right after him, and I felt my arm getting mauled. The nerve endings getting shredded because of how sharp their teeth were, and I felt the pain shooting through my body. I saw the other one launch himself at me, I pulled in the other direction. He can keep the arm I need my head on my shoulders.

I fell on something hard, it was the ax that was next to the man I disemboweled. He had bled out, that was good. With one less hindrance, they turned around snarling their black fur shining in the moonlight. I was down an arm and surrounded. I had you killed him with the gun, time was ticking fast. The only problem is is they stood between me and the damned gun. I then turned my back, I had to take my time. I started walking away, I was already weak. This should be easy for them, the first one started running. His death lunge went straight for the head, I waited patiently.

When I heard his pounce, I dodged out of the way. With one fell swoop with everything I had in my left arm, I took his head. The Lycan had collapsed right beside me, the body and head shifting back to human. I was still outnumbered, they both growled at me, and this time they both charged me. I jumped past both of them, and I turned to grab the gun. I didn't have much time, their fur was thick but the bullets would penetrate. If these were full-blooded werewolves, I would have been ripped apart by now. Most werewolves did not mind playing with their food, as long as they put up a fight. Otherwise, they would just kill you, but not before ripping you apart.

Had they decided to follow the orders given to them, I would be dead and so would everyone in that house. They started running right at me, this time they used more tactics. One circled while the other one ran straight for me, it was effective. I then used my vampiric speed, I could make the gunfire many times over its rate of fire. The only problem was, I was less accurate. As a vampire the older you get the faster you move, eventually guns would be useless against Elder vampires. It worked perfectly against vampires my age but anyone older than 50 or 60 years old would easily just dodge the bullets. We saw things many times faster but also at the same rate human could see. As I fired, I focused on the head. He collapsed right next to me, the other one had already lunged at me but I was prepared.

My footing allowed me to be only a few feet away from James, I moved to the side as he lunged directly at him. James was already wounded, and the fact that I slowed him down by stabbing him in the chest made him careful about pulling that stake out. He knew if he pulled too quickly, he could hit his heart which would mean instant death for him. The one weakness about us was our hearts, any moderate damage was enough to put us down. You didn't have any moderate damage was enough to put us down.

As the wolf came down, he landed directly on James. Within that moment I reloaded and finished them both. James was a puddle of blood by then, and they all reverted to their human forms.

I limped to the house as fast as I could, I made it in a nick of time and ran straight to their house. The neighborhood had already been woken up by the Carnage outside, I was severely wounded and this was about to get more complicated. I heard the chaos of their Heartbeats. I then jumped on the bomb and then close my eyes. There was an explosion, my body was flown straight up to the wall, the silver rip straight through me and it ripped through everything else. From then when I blacked out.

End of chapter: A Madman's Determination.