Samantha's hand felt numb, her hold on Daniel's so tight that her knuckles turned white. The thundering footsteps of the incoming vampires were matching the rhythm of her thumping heart. Through the mirage of the warm earth and cold air, Samantha squinted her eyes to identify the individual figures up ahead.
The cloud of dust surrounding the vampires settled, as they came to a halt a few feet away from Samantha and Daniel. She suppressed the urge to cover her nose, the putrid smell of death much closer this time.
About ten old, turned vampires were crouching in a semi-circle in front of the vampire group, in full defense mode. Their crimson eyes looked hollow, as if no soul resided underneath. Bluish-green veins riddled their deathly pale skin, surrounding their eyes, giving them ghoulish looks. Bits of skin were peeling off their cheeks, exposing the rotting flesh underneath.
Now I know how the zombie myth came about, Samantha thought, disgusted. These guys must be quite old, nearing the end of their short life span as turned vampires. The ones who attacked me in the city were quite young in comparison.
Daniel tightened his grip on Samantha's hand, a short reminder to keep her reactions contained. Samantha was thankful for his warning, as she was barely able to contain her disgust. Her horror on the appalling appearance and smell of the turned vampires made her forget her fear of the unknown for a little while.
Behind the turned vampires, five pure vampires stood. The stark contrast of their appearances were apparent; the turned vampires didn't look or smell anything like the pure vampires - they stood tall, with silent grace and deathly calm demeanor that brought chills to Samantha's spine. Their smooth, alabaster skin belied their age, their young features masking the mysterious power beneath those piercing red eyes. Samantha's instincts told her that at least two of these pure vampires were a few centuries old.
As if under a silent command, at least twenty wolves emerged from the cover of the forest trees, moving closer to stand behind Daniel. Samantha unconsciously let out a sigh of relief, knowing that they had the upper hand should the vampires decide to attack.
The turned vampires growled and screeched, itching for a fight. A dark haired, pure vampire at the center raised his hand. One of the pure vampires beside him then brandished a whip: the crackling sound of the whip slicing the air made some of the turned vampires whimper, fully subdued.
The dark haired vampire stepped forward, with two others stepping up to stay at his sides. They moved forward, beyond the turned vampires, and stood directly in front of Daniel and Samantha.
In response, Darren's brown wolf stepped forward to stand on Daniel's other side.
He must be representing Alpha Damien and the West Grove Pack.. I hope Daniel's brother get here soon. Their village is almost an hour away from the homebase, Samantha worried.
The dark haired pure vampire, their apparent leader, lifted the corner of his lip in a malicious smile. He smelled of flowers and candles, oddly reminding Samantha of funerals. His hair was slicked back, framing his pointed, patrician features. He blinked his crimson eyes away, and they were replaced by green orbs; they seemed to be glowing from within. "Daniel, I presume?" He directed toward Daniel, raising a brow.
"Alpha Daniel of the Redwood Pack," Daniel responded. His position may not be official, but stating otherwise might affect their leverage in the discussion. "A representative of the Alpha of the West Grove pack is here as well."
"I am Amadeus, head of the House Castor. I would say it was a pleasure meeting you.. but that would be a blatant lie," he inflected slowly, quietly assessing the wolves in front of him. He had such an imposing figure, as he stood a few inches taller than Daniel.
"What brings you in our territory, Amadeus?" Daniel asked, too impatient to exchange pleasantries.
Amadeus narrowed his eyes toward Daniel. "My only son was murdered by one of your kind. I demand retribution." He spat.
"Your kind slaughtered dozens of ours - warriors, children, men and women alike. I believe we are the ones in need of retribution."
"Do you think the lives of your primitive wolves could compare to the life of the heir of House Castor?" Amadeus seethed.
Darren and Daniel growled, as the turned vampires snapped their teeth and screeched in return. The wolves behind Samantha stayed quiet and disciplined, never breaking rank, despite their anger.
"You have three days, Alpha," Amadeus spat mockingly. "If you cannot present to me the murderer you are harboring in your ranks, the vampires of North America will descend upon your precious packs. You will be annihilated.
"Do not underestimate my power, wolf. You only have a few mature wolves at your disposal; a hundred at most, with your packs combined. I have a thousand vampires behind me, most of us pure and immortal. Need I remind you that you wolves are mere mortals?" He raised a brow.
Daniel tried to interrupt, but Amadeus continued. "You only have until midnight of the third day. If you cannot give me my son's murderer, you will all perish. We will hunt you down."
With that, Amadeus pulled back, withdrew his men, and without much ado, left the area.
The wolves were left standing at their wake, unsure how to proceed. Amadeus' ultimatum was a hard one - they had no idea who the murderer was, and yet they knew that the packs would never stand a chance against a vampire army.
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A/N: I apologize for the long wait, life got in the way. I updated just the first part of this chapter, the rest will be posted as soon as I possibly can.
The media shows Amedeus' photo. Special thanks to CocoNichole who suggested the chapter title. :)
Quick question: What do you think of Amadeus?
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Into the Woods: The Wolves of Redwood Pack
Fantasy"Grayish-black smoke fills her vision, and the red eyes staring at her turn gray with the pupils rimmed black. As silver flecks appear on them, Sam recognizes the eyes of her gray-eyed phantom. Sam desperately tries to look away but she couldn't. Th...
