Kierra

Once everything's in, including the little monster, I take a look around, both eyes and nose going to work. Pretty useless though, there are so many smells competing with each other that distinguishing is not something I can do, not this early on in my noobness.

I get into the jeep and off we go. I swear every light we have to go through turns red just as we get to it. Of course. Bastion enlightens me on everything Lily has taught him of horses, and that she offered to teach him to ride. Ha, I knew it. I think it's a good thing and tell him so.

Pulling into my dirt road driveway, it dips harshly. Shit, pothole? Just what I need. Ignoring it for now, I keep going. Sure enough, Asher comes from around the house. We were at the store for at least an hour.

I jump out real quick and make sure I didn't ruin the tire. Soon as I get to the rear of the vehicle, I go flying back, jaw exploding in pain. I'm stopped against a tree, stars flying through my vision. I shake my head hard and look up, and who do I see but the lame-ass Vamp from the store.

"Asher, keep Bastion safe, I seem to have brought home a bug."

Twisting my head to the opposite side it had gone flying in, I pop my neck, then look back to the man. His eyes glow in reflection, face twisted as he pulls back his lips. They go back pretty far, stretching his skin to the very max. Can we say eww?

Hisses come from him as he stalks closer. Have to hope Asher went to the boy since I can't take my eyes away from my opponent. Strength pours into me as I do a half shift, it coming much faster than a full change.

"Once I get rid of you for him, he will recognize me as an equal. Don't look quite like the description, but the address proves it's you. Your showing up when you did just saved me some hassle."

Um, what? Crazy Vampire spout what now?

Not the time to ask as he lunges at me, so I go forward and meet him. Grabbing ahold of him and throwing him into the tree that had caught me, his long nails cut into my arms as I start slicing at him. Swiping over and over before he finally lunges at me again, doing one of those football tackle type things.

A hard shoulder collides painfully into my gut, breath escaping from me in a whoosh. Only instead of going down, he lifts me higher. Hands dig painfully into my waist before throwing me away from him to land against the side of my jeep hard, my back hits the top edge and rocks the whole thing. I grab a hold of it, then push off with my feet, flying back at him.

He catches me again, but I take him to the ground. Not counting on how hard I would hit him, my arms are displaced. Right arm going over his face as I try to adjust my position proves to be a bad idea.

Sharp fangs sink into my inner forearm. My scream of anger echoes through the trees, it's a wonder my neighbors haven't called the police on me yet. Seriously.

When you have Werewolf claws extending from your hands, there is no making a fist. You don't punch when you have claws unless you want to break or seriously damage your own hands. My left-hand's claws rake down his face in an attempt to get him to let go.

His legs come from under, kicking up hard. I go up and over his head as he flips me, fangs getting yanked from my arm and ripping out a chunk of skin. My blood roars through me, my body and emotions finally finding an outlet.

Landing on my back, the breath once again leaves my lungs harshly. I start smiling though, licking blood from my mouth as I roll over, pulling split lips back from my own sharpened teeth as I growl. My hands press against the ground, the toes of my boots and knees dig in to the dirt as I look at him. He's on his feet and stalking. Long hair surrounding my face hides my view, but I can smell him just fine.

With my head buzzing with adrenaline, I don't even know he's spouting words. I hear a curse now and then, but otherwise, it's all gibberish as I'm too hyped up. Claws dig deep into the ground before I launch myself at him. Too busy talking, he isn't braced for it.

Long claws sink into the guy's soft belly, already covered in blood and a tattered shirt, he hollers out in anger and pain. Elation sparks bright comets through me, I'm high on battle-lust. Swiping at him over and over as I drive him backwards towards my car, his arms flail as he tries blocking my blows.

He's successful with quite a few, but that doesn't save the skin he's using to protect other skin. Blood flies through the night air as I shred flesh from pale arms. Jumping back when I'm a foot from my jeep, I use his move from earlier. Shoulder going low as I rush into him, using all my weight to throw him into it.

Getting a better feel for how much strength I have to work with as he rocks my car, he falls to his knees for only a moment before he's on me again. Brutal punches sink into the sides of my body, I backpedal as I feel my ribs breaking, all it does though is skyrocket my lust. I'm literally laughing in his face, which only pisses him off. One hard punch goes directly into my stomach, another flying down from above connects with my jaw.

Even trying to block with my own arms, he still lands blows. I howl as I jump into him, wrapping my body around his, my teeth clamp down hard. With his height and my jumping into him, my fangs go into the side of his breastbone. Sinking through lean muscle and ripping away as I pull my head back.

My arms are under his, around his back, sinking claws into either side of his spine. Legs try entwining with his while blows rain down on me, but I hardly feel them. Who says being thick isn't a good thing? Bloodied canines sink in again, ripping through soft tissues.

I'm knocked away as an elbow crashes into my ear. He hooks a foot behind my one braced leg, pulls, and follows me down once more. My snarls hang in the air with his yelling.

The claws I've sunk into his back sink deeper as I pull him closer by them and his body. They've burrowed in so far that my fingertips are brushing muscle. He's able to get a hold of me then, his Vampire teeth sinking deep into my neck.

I cry out at the agony that causes. Luckily his aim sucks and he doesn't have a hold of the right area to sever the very important vein. Not wanting to give him the chance, I shove my hands deeper into his back, grabbing at the squishies inside and pull hard.

The pulling them out part is a bit tricky as all his muscles in that area clench down hard. His screams in my neck pierce already tender eardrums. My knees come up hard into any part of his body I can reach, most hits harmless till I get the angles right.

I steadily pull out his innards, each of us racing the other. Whether he drains me of enough strength fast enough to save his insides being the goal. He's not even drinking what he draws out, he's going for a gaping wound to bleed out.

I feel him drawing back to go for the vein. His tightening muscles have to give way to the slipperiness of blood everywhere. Fangs dive in just as I release his guts from the inside of his body. My scream echoes his as my neck is set on fire.

Couldn't pull away before with his teeth hooked in for fear of ripping myself apart, when he screams at the same time as I, his jaw opens enough for them to slip mostly free of my neck. The thick vein punctured, but not torn. Not yet. I only have seconds.

A little help arrives as Asher appears over the man's head, long teeth sinking into the back of the man's neck, going far and fast enough to snap the spinal column. I let go of my handfuls of ick as the Vampire's body instantly goes limp.

"That would have been helpful, like, five minutes ago."

I berate him but send him my thanks in heavy waves.

"You looked like you were having fun, I didn't want to interrupt."

I smile, my heavy breathing harsh in my throat as everything slows down. Pushing the body off me, I sit up slowly, hand going to my neck and pressing hard to stem bleeding.

The fight itself only lasted a few minutes, but my body feels like I'd been getting beaten for hours. Breathing is painful as my lungs expand broken ribs. Floating bone pieces for days.

If I were human, nothing could be done except maybe have them removed. But I'm no longer human. Good thing that, for right this moment's injuries. I look around slowly, there's blood, everywhere. My breath catches.

"That is going to suck to clean up."

Groans come from me as I try standing, almost falling back down before Asher leans in to steady me. I grip hold of his thick fur. Claws have receded as has everything else, but have left me with the pain. Dizziness has me letting go of him, going to my hands and knees, head low as I get the world to stop spinning.

"You know, the during may be enjoyable, but the after really bites."

His low laugh sounds in my head as a warm tongue laves over my split ear. Its twinge of discomfort doesn't even register compared to everything else.

"Asher. Where's the boy?"

"On the porch. After you got thrown into the car causing it to rock, I told him to get out. He was quite frightened."

My eyes are clenched shut as I press my forehead to the cool ground. Probably not a good angle to get my neck to stop bleeding, but it will have to do for now.

"Bastion! Oh...ow ow ow ow. Don't let me do that again."

Asher snorts at me as Bastion runs over. I slowly pull the keys from my pocket and hand them blindly upwards.

"Can you take stuff in for me? I need...a moment...to not fall...on my face."

Talking was doing me no favors so I groan again. Arm falling back down to wrap around my head when the keys leave my hand. Asher's warm body leaves my side. That's fine, I need cold right now. Anything warm or hot will make me sick.

His chuckling echoes in my head before I catch his words.

"You're already on your face."

Now I know why he moved.

I can't even retaliate at the moment. I will though, just wait. I let him know that to, and all the hyena can do is laugh at me. Yep. Dead wolf a'walkin'.

I hear Bastion going back and forth a few times before I pipe back up.

"Leave the baskets, I'll get those. I think they're heavier than you are."

A raspberry is blown at me. Dead boy a'walkin' too, it seems. Apparently that was what he was after since the doors are then shut, the slam of them hurts my head. That, though, I know he doesn't do on purpose.

He goes in while I stay where I am for a few more minutes, then I slowly open my eyes. Manageable. Helps that no lights are near me. After relearning how to breathe, I can move without killing myself. The thought of the mess waiting hurts my head, the art of body-disposing is not one I took in school.

Can't Vamps be self-cleaning like in the movies? Would make things so much easier. But nope, I'm crouched right next to said body with the smell of blood heavy in the air.

Well, blood and other scents that draw me back to my first killing. I push them down, they're not needed here. I raise my head slowly, moving my whole body into an upright position. The blood is black splashes on the ground, trees...my jeep.

I sigh. My poor jeep. Neighbors popping into my head again causes a wince. They're a ways away, but sounds echo in wooded areas. Going to have to go over sometime soon and make it known that no one is getting murdered over here.

I look to the body next to me. Well...not murder when you're defending yourself, right?

Something catches my eye, but I have to blink a couple times to focus. My field of view having to expand to catch any movement instead of my eyes roaming around.

"Oh, now that's just not right..."