Winston hated travelling by ship, it took far too long and brought back too many painful memories of a life now gone. He lay back on his bed and sighed, the journey was taking longer than he thought and he was becoming bored. He picked at a hole in his jeans and watched his werewolf as she slept and then he triumphantly laughed out loud. His plan had actually worked; all those years of planning and waiting had finally paid off. She was not even his first choice, he’d wanted a male but when Mae had presented him to him he could not believe it and he knew he just had to have her.
He laughed again when he remembered Max’s agonised howl when he realised he could not reach her and he wondered if he was still in pain now. He probably was and that thought pleased him immensely.
He thought about the carnage he could now cause and he had quite a few vampires on his hit list, including his maker but he was going to leave him until last. He wanted to make him suffer just as he had been made to suffer. His loud laughter woke Racheal from her slumber but she darted her eyes to the floor when Winston looked at her.
“I’d let you turn back into your human form but unfortunately your travel papers state you are a wolf and I don’t need any further complications, these past two weeks have brought more than enough.”
Rachael just stared back at him through the holes of the box he was keeping her in and snarled.
Winston kicked the box hard in response and warned her to keep quiet. Secretly though he was worried, it had been five days since she had drank his blood and he knew it was leaving her system. He also knew that if that happened he would no longer be able to control her and he knew what the consequences would be.
The past five days had been a never ending nightmare for Rachael, her nightmare and a nightmare she believed was never going to end. She could sense Winston was becoming tetchy, in all his careful planning, he had not taken into consideration the length of the journey from England to New York and he had not considered how he was going to feed. Rachael was frightened, she hated being on the water and she hated being with him especially as she could sense he was hungry.
They were on board a tanker vessel and due to the strict laws of the shipping industry today there was no vermin on-board and no stowaways either. The ship was also manned with only twenty-four men, so he could not even feed from any of them as any absence would be immediately noticed and he knew from overheard conversations they still had four days until they reached the US.
The crew were becoming increasingly cautious about the stranger travelling on-board especially due to his changing appearance. He appeared to become paler as each day passed; his eyes were no longer green but looked black. His cheeks were sunken and his lips were blue and his refusal to eat anything, made them even more suspicious but no-one dared approach him.
Two days later Winston’s state had become even worse, he was sweating and shaking and his eyes almost looked as if they had sunken back into his head. He left his cabin and began to watch the crew as they worked, he was figuring out which crew member would not be immediately missed.
He studied the watch book, learnt the shift patterns and who worked with who and the location. On the eighth day of their journey, knowing they had approximately two days left, he decided the timing was right and he decided who he was going to take.
Winston watched Rachael as she began to circle the box she was in and he knew when she started to whimper and bang her body against the sides, he had to get his blood into her system and fast. The only safe way he could think to do it was to inject her with it. He stalked his way through the galleys until he came upon the medical room and then he waited for his prey, he always checked the medical room at the end of his shift.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” a voice said from behind him as Winston emptied the contents of the medical cabinet onto the floor.
“I need a syringe,” Winston replied back, he smiled as his timing in entering the medical room had been perfect.
“You an addict or something?”
Winston laughed as he turned to face the young boy that was standing behind him. “You could say I am both”
His deathly appearance made the boy take several steps backwards. “I knew you were an addict, you know everyone is suspicious of you. You can’t bring drugs on board.”
“Oh, I am not on any drugs although you could describe what I need as my drug and you are going to give me what I need. Your name is Victor and I know you have just finished your watch and you won’t be missed for several hours.” Winston stepped forward and barred his sharp teeth at the now terrified boy.
“What do you need from me?”
“Blood.” He laughed back.
“What in hell’s name are you?” the boy stammered at him.
Winston walked forward, “what do I look like?”
Victor never got a chance to answer as within seconds Winston had grabbed him by his throat and sank his teeth into his neck. Winston moaned when the blood slid down his throat, relieving days of frustration, hunger and pain. Winston was so hungry he tore at the boys neck allowing the blood to gush out, normally he would not feed this way because he liked to play with his prey. He liked to get high on the smell of fear and watch their expression when they finally realised they were going to die but today he was too hungry for that so fortunately for the boy his ordeal was over in seconds.
When he had finished feeding he put the body in a locker, washed the blood from his hands and face in the sink and then calmly walked out of the medical room with the syringe in his hand. He passed two other crew members on the way back to his cabin but as the blood was not visible on his black t-shirt they just walked by and he smiled to himself as he entered his room.
Winston had to use the main vein in his neck to extract his blood as his inner elbow improved quite impossible on his own and once the syringe was full he swiftly injected Rachael in her thigh and laughed when she yelped in response. He repeated this process several times until he was convinced it was enough.
“Are you ready to cause some carnage sweetheart? That feed has only made me want more, I need more blood.” He said as he released the latch on the box.
Even though the urge to attack him was the first thought to enter her mind she could only follow behind him as he made his way onto the bridge.
Winston stood cockily at the ship’s Captains side.
“You don’t have authorization to be up here, Sir. You will have to stay in your cabin or go to the rec room.”
“I don’t need your permission; I will go anywhere I want to on this ship. How long will it be until we reach the states?”
“Around two days and you do need to leave the bridge.”
“How many men do you need to run this ship?” Winston replied ignoring his order.
The Captain gave Winston a puzzled look, “At least twenty.”
“Then you need to speed her up.”
“Why?”
“Because I am effing starving and I can’t run this ship on my own.”
The captain stared back at the weird stranger standing in front of him. He could see that his appearance had again changed, he looked healthier but he could not fathom how or why he was on board. It was not allowed to carry unauthorised people especially animals and he was an experienced Captain. He did remember a strange pale kid speaking to him in the port but he could not remember what he had said, he could only remember saying yes and signing papers.
He was not going to stand for this.
“I need permission from the charters to change speed, now go back to your room.”
Winston smiled and shook his head.
“You need to do as I say or I will have you locked in a room and arrested when we reach America.”
Winston put his fist into his mouth and faked coughed. Events were now taking a turn for the worst and he had aroused suspicion but at least he had started to have some fun and so he thought to hell with Jeremiahs plan to stay unnoticed. He was going to put his control over Rachael to the test but first he was going to eat again and this time he was going to do it slowly.
Winston wanted to scare him, he loved the smell of fear and he needed to smell it so badly because he missed it.
He clicked his fingers as the Captain picked up the radio and began to call for assistance. “Rach, take him down but don’t kill him, we need him.”
The Captains eyes widened in horror as the dog in the room pounced on him and as she knocked him to the ground the receiver fell out of his hands. Now as he viewed it up close he realised this was not a dog at all, this was a wolf. He started to cough as its large paws pressed into his chest and its hind legs pressed into his thighs pinning him in place.
He closed his eyes in fear as the wolf snarled and snapped just inches from his face, spit dribbled from its mouth and felt warm as it rolled down his cheek. “Call it off me, you said you needed me.” He pleaded.
“When I call her off, you will speed up this ship. Do you understand me?”
The Captain started to sob and he could only back nod in response.
Winston bent down and patted Rachael as she came to stand beside him, “Good girl,” he remarked as he watched the Captain closely who was still lying sobbing on the floor.
The Captain looked over to Winston and gasped in shock at his deathly appearance, his eyes had once again turned black, his skin was so transparent he could see every vein and muscle movement in his arms even though they were heavily tattooed. His lips curled into such a grimace revealing sharp white teeth and as they made eye contact the Captain scuttled backwards, eager to put as much distance as possible between them.
“Do I scare you?” He teased.
The Captain grabbed at the crucifix that was around his neck and silently began to pray.
“Now that is perfect timing,” Winston remarked as a cadet walked onto the bridge to report for the start of his shift. He swiftly moved until he was holding the cadet by his neck and pressed the cadets back into his chest and snarled. “Now this is up to you Capt, you can speed up this ship I can feed only from this boy and feel moderately satisfied for the next day or I drain one of your crew every six hours and feel fully satisfied because I know we have enough men to last.”
The Captain shook his head, he could not believe what he was seeing or hearing. He squeezed his eyes closed but the scene was still the same when he opened them, “this can’t be real, this can’t be real, devils don’t exist,” he whispered over and over again.
“You don’t believe that devils walk the earth and yet you believe in that crucifix around your neck has some kind of power. Why would you believe in such an ancient symbol if you do not believe evil exists?”
“Get back demon.” He said as he held the crucifix towards Winston thinking it would in some way help him.
Winston laughed “I am not a demon, although I have bedded I few, I am a vampire and I am bloody hungry vampire at that.”
The cadet screamed as Winston sliced open his neck with his incisors and he began to kick and buck as his blood was sucked from his body. Even though Winston wanted to savour this feed he was too hungry and his victim was dead within minutes. The Captain jumped up as his lifeless body hit the floor and pushed the ship into full speed. Winston shook his head as he could still hear him whispering prayers, however his attention was quickly diverted to a whimpering Rachael and he cocked his head to the side as he listened to the sounds that she made.
He smiled as he watched her, “but of course, you must be hungry. Eat if you want to sweetheart, he’s dead anyway.”
Rachael was not hungry; she was ravenous and all she could smell was his blood mixed with his fear so she padded over to the body as Winston watched with delight.
She tore at his overalls with her teeth, using her paws to help rip at the material until his stomach was exposed; she licked at it a few times and then bit down hard on the fleshiest part and began to roughly shake her head as her instincts quickly took over. The skin tore apart as if it was paper and she inwardly moaned as his intestines spilled out on to the floor and as they did she devoured them.
Her behaviour then changed and became frenzied as a large gaping hole appeared were his intestines used to be, exposing the rest of his organs. She pushed her snout feverishly inside and lapped up the contents of his stomach and its lining along with it. She snapped at his bones to reach his kidneys, then her snout went up inside his ribcage were she ate first his liver and then his heart.
Even the sound of the Capt spewing up his guts in the corner did not deter her as she ate but as she licked at the remnants around her she was distracted by loud clapping, which came from Winston. She looked up at him, blood still dripping from her teeth and she snarled.
“That was frigging amazing; you are a naughty little wolf after all.” He said as he stroked her fur not caring that she was covered in blood. “Sound the alarm Capt and get the rest of your crew in here.”
An hour later the rest of the crew were also on the bridge, well the now remaining ten, including the Capt as Winston had not fed for so long he had gone into a feeding frenzy. He would normally feed twice a day and these past eight days had been torture. He hated the vampires that tried to fight the blood lust, like that idiot Chester. He was one vampire that was certainly on his ‘to off’ list.
The crew were forced to kneel with their hands tied around their backs blindfolded and most were crying.
Winston was now a little blood high and had also begun helping himself to the cooking wine and the Captains secret supply of brandy as if he was celebrating.
Three hours later only three crew members were left, Rachael watched Winston as he madly danced around the bridge kicking bodies to side that got in his way.
“We’ve been ordered to stay at anchorage on arrival,” the Captain informed him as we neared America.
Winston just shrugged.
“You understand that they know something is wrong, we increased speed without permission and we have ignored all contact.”
“I am vampire; do honestly think that I care?”
“The authorities will shoot that wolf on sight. You can’t bring animals into the states that have not been through quarantine first and after what you’ve done here, you will probably be shot on sight as well.
Winston contemplated the captain’s words, he was right about Rachael.
He took out his phone smiled as he spoke, “are you here brother, ok then get them to allow the ship access alongside. I’ve got a bit of problem here.”
An hour later a voice sounded over the radio ordering the ship to proceed alongside. Winston clapped his hands as the port lights twinkling in the distance came closer. He grabbed the Captain, “you will allow me to disembark first. You will forget we were on board, in fact you can’t even see us right now. Do you understand me?”
Winston snapped the necks of the three remaining crew members, “can’t have any witnesses babes and unfortunately I am actually full,” he said to Rachael.
As Winston walked down the gangway with Rachael padding behind him, he raised in hands in triumph as he spied his brother waiting for him. He easily walked through customs as his brother had been able to compel most of them. They back slapped each other as they met.
Winston bent down to Rachael and ruffled the thick hair on her neck, “This is my brother Jay, be nice to him.”
Jay bent down and peered at her, “you said she was a werewolf, just looks like regular a wolf to me. You telling me porky pies again, brother. I bet you just went out and bought a wolf.”
Winston snarled back at him, sometimes he hated his brother. He was always trying to play down his achievements.
Jay laughed at his brothers reaction, “The car is this way but you’ll have to put it in the boot I don’t want dog hair on my leather seats.
“Its name is Rachael.” Winston snapped.
His brother just raised his eyebrows in response.
After some time the car stopped, the boot opened and Winston ordered Rachael outside. They had stopped in front of a large wooden house, which stood alone in the middle of nowhere. Rachael could only follow them as they walked inside. The place was old and smelt musty just like a window had never ever been opened and she could also smell blood, sweat and fear.
“I am just going for a little bite to eat,” Jay remarked as he opened a door and disappeared down the stairs.
“This way,” Winston remarked as he began to walk.
She followed him to the back of the house until they were stood in a small, sparsely furnished room.
“Shift back into your human form Rach,” Winston commanded and he watched with interest as she turned.
The transformation was swift from wolf into human; it was like watching it on fast forward. The fur disappeared first until only skin could be seen. Winston winced as her snout began to flatten and retract backwards making a half wolf, half human like face. Her hind legs began to lengthen and her paws snapped forwards until they became feet. Her head hit the floor as her front legs gave way, her paws began to split as her fingers formed and Winston actually turned away when all four of her legs snapped in unison allowing her limbs to turn back.
She stood when her transformation was completed, desperately using her arms to try and cover her naked body. Winston held his chin with his thumb and forefinger as he looked Rachael up and down. He circled her several times, running his finger over her shoulders and as he stopped in front of her he said, “quite nice, I usually like my women a bit thinner but you can work on that, can’t you Rach.”
She quickly nodded her head when he stamped his foot hard on the floor demanding a response.
“The only time you will speak is if I ask you a question, do you understand me?”
She shivered as she nodded.
“So how did it feel to eat human flesh Rach, you were like a pro on that ship. Especially when you ripped that guy apart who tried to stab me. So tell me how did it feel?”
She held her head down and whispered, “I liked it.”
“Well, now we are both killers.” He clapped his hands together, “well this is your room for now. There is a bathroom through there, wardrobe there, bed. It’s a bit basic but you have everything that you need.”
He walked to the wardrobe and pulled out her pick spotty suitcase and placed it on the bed. Rachael glared back at him but Winston smiled back.
“I thought you might need some clothes so I took some of yours, I am not made of money but if you prefer to stay naked I have no objection at all. Shower and come down stairs when you’re ready, you need to hear the rules of the house.”
When Winston left Rachael put her head into her hands and began to cry. As she entered the bathroom she gasped as she looked into the mirror, her face was smeared with blood. She quickly washed it off in the sink and she gasped again as looked back into the mirror. She’d expected to look ghostly but she didn’t, in face her skin was glowing, her hair was shiny and her lips were rose pink and they looked fuller. She thought back so the five men she had just devoured then smiled because she did not feel guilty, in fact she wanted to do it again but not under his command, she wanted to hunt with Max. Max would never believe her when she told him and then she realised she couldn’t, she probably would not see him again and she again started to cry.
Winston stretched himself out on his couch feeling very satisfied with himself, he could hear her crying but he did not care. He planned to take the next few days off, let the word spread around about what he had done and then set his plans in motion.
Rachael came down the stairs just as Jay entered the room, he pulled up the zipper on his jeans as he kicked the door closed and as he looked up at Rachael his eyes went wide. He stared at her for a few minutes before he spoke.
“Well, now I can see why you went to so much trouble to take her.” He said wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
Winston just laughed.
“She looks exactly like her,” he exclaimed. “She is a carbon copy of her, I can’t believe it.” He moved forward and grabbed Rachael’s chin, moving her head from side to side.
Winston sat up and as he walked over he said, “I know, I was just as shocked when I first saw her. Even at the age of seven I could see it.”
“Taking her was a bad idea bro, a very extremely bad idea. You know how unstable she made you.”
“That was a long time ago and I’m different now.”
Jay shook his head, “you know what they say about opening up old wounds, I thought you were over the whole thing, and she is just going to be a constant reminder.”
“No she is my key and she is going to unlock and destroy their world. No-one crosses me Jay, you know that and I am Hell bent on revenge.”
Jay shook his head, “you won’t be able to get near them.”
Winston pointed at Rachael, “true but she will, she is going to start on the outskirts of their little set up and take them out one by one. They will trust her on sight and she will draw them out like bees to their queen.”
“But when they talk to her, they are gonna realise within minutes, that’s if they don’t sniff her out within seconds first. Think.” Jay almost pleaded.
“Did you forget the hundreds of years I spent with her; I can teach Rach what she needs to know and how to act. We take their circle one by one and we pounce before they even realise what is happening. Plus we only need her to one get close for minute, wait till you see her in action.”
Winston took a lock of Rachael’s hair and twisted it around his fingers, he bent and down and whispered into her ear, “Do you want to know who you look like?”
She nodded in response, her eyes fixed on the floor; she did not like him touching her.
She flinched as he stroked her cheek, “My beloved wife Rachael, you look exactly like my cheating whore of a wife. The whore that stole my maker and my life and when I find her you are going to kill her for me; you are going to kill them both.”