Fan Fiction ❯ Alex Night: Vampire Hunter Extrodinare ❯ The Seal of Day Saga: Chapter Two: Unlikely Ally ( Chapter 3 )

Seal of Day Saga

Chapter Two: Unlikely Ally

By: Jennifer L. Bratcher

Author's Notes: Even though the story started as an "Alex Night: Vampire Hunter Extrodinare" story it's going to shift. Sure, Alex is still going to be in it, but this other character is going to be a huge part in this saga.

This isn't good, she thought with a sense of exhaustion. The vampiress stood there, her long burgundy hair flying around her and Father Maxwell still hadn't emerged from St. Helen's Church. The vampire sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets, one of her pale hands brushing against the Seal of Day.

She could feel it's power against her skin and its temptation. She wanted it destroyed, but only a very powerful magic user could do that, most likely a Fey, and she had to find one that would be willing to do so first. Vampires didn't belong out in the daylight with humans. She knew that all too well.

She sighed and stood to ring the bell again. The gate lurched open and the elderly priest strode out of the church. His brilliant blue eyes blinked as he looked her over and a smile spread across his weathered features. His priest's robes billowed out behind him as he walked over to her.

"Ah, Minerva, lassie, what brings you back here?" he asked her with a wide smile. Minerva looked down at the rosary and cross he was wearing and instinctively took a step back. Even at this distance it was painful to be around.

She dug out the Seal and brought it up so that the street lights could catch it. It glimmered like a captive sun in the light and the old priest gasped. His Irish lilt deepened as he exclaimed, "You found it, lass! Saint George, you got it."

Minerva said, "And hide this in the church, preferably under the Holy Water basin."

The old Irish priest nodded as he took it from her. He said, "I canna believe that I'm trusting a vampire."

"I didn't wanna be like this," Minerva said lightly, looking away from the priest's probing gaze.

Father Maxwell looked sympathetic and Minerva had to look away from his pitting glance. He sighed, "No, my darling, dark girl, you're on the right side, just on the wrong side of being and that is something you cannot change."

"But I'll do my damnest to help those so they won't end up like me," Minerva said tensely as she looked at the priest.

He took the Seal away from her and studied it. He said, "It's beautiful. Hard to believe that something so beautiful and simple could be so dangerous."

"Hard to believe that I'm afraid of those beads around your neck," Minerva replied with her normal wiry humor. She crossed her arms and looked around. Her thoughts strayed to Alex Night. She wondered if those vampires had gotten a hold of the halfling yet.

Sure, Alex was deadly and had raw talent, but she was going to get over her head. It had almost killed Minerva to break into the Destroyer's stronghold and steal that damned gem. And Minerva wasn't your average vampire.

She didn't play by the rules. She used guns and other weapons that most vampires shunned. As her teacher, Forest, told her, "There's always going to be someone better, stronger, and faster. You've just gotta be smarter." She had worked with Fey on several occasions, respecting their views and laws. And the biggest rule breaker, she worked with the Catholic Church's sect of vampire hunters and paladins.

Speaking of which . . .

She looked at the priest and said, "I know you all have your whole big group of vampire and demon hunters. I'd suggest getting in touch with your baddest bad ass and getting their ass down here. I hate to admit it, but I think I'm over my head."

"What do you mean, Minerva?" the priest asked.

Minerva turned away from him, wishing that she hadn't lost her gun during the escape from the Destroyer's compound. She stuffed her hands into her jeans and answered, "I'm in over my head, and it's just getting started."

"Do you think that?" he asked her.

She started to walk away, nodding slightly. She called back, "I know so."

******

Minerva sighed as she let the sleeping whore fall to the ground. She licked her lips clean of any left over blood and looked down. The woman, despite the fact that men payed to have sex with her, was attracted to other women, and found Minerva very alluring. Minerva had grown up in the sixteys and homosexualy didn't bother her that much. And if a hooker found her attractive, well, didn't it make it easier for her to feed?

She implanted a suggestion in the woman's head that she had never seen her and that she had passed out due to the fact that her blood sugar was low. Diabetes was the disease that was all the "rage" now and a lot of people had been going on low-carb diets to watch their weights. So, the thought, even though biologically improbable with that woman, was one that she could wrap her uneducated mind around and so could her friends.

She walked back into St. Louis, the popular site for the Laurell K. Hamilton books (1), to get back to hotel, take a nice hot shower, and go back to bed for the day. That sounded really good to her as she walked down the Tenderloin district. She passed by a gay bar and blinked when she faintly caught the smell of hijuan.

Hijuan was an Asian potion that would knock out anything Fey or tied to it, like a Lupine. Minerva rolled her eyes as she thought about Alex Night. They had her and now Minerva had to protect her.

"Dammit," she hissed as she took off running toward the scent. She leaped over a fence, clearing the six-foot chain length like it wasn't even there. She could see the six vampires carrying a young woman with a fall of raven hair. She would recognize that body suit anywhere.

They were carrying Alex Night away. She swung up to a fire escape and took a leap. She somersaulted through the air and landed squarely in front of the six vampires. She was unarmed and outnumbered, but hey, sometimes the odds had to be against her.

"Man, this looks supscious. Six grown men carrying around a teenage girl. Who's unconscious by the way. Are you three looking for rape charges or what?" she quipped as she placed her hand on her hip. Then she took a stance for battle.

******

"Your Eminence, this is very important. A vampire left me in charge of the Seal of Day, telling me to hide it in my church," Father Maxwell proclaimed as his hands twisted nervously through his rosary. The church was dark and quiet, as most churches were around 10:00 P.M. on Tuesday, but it was still unnerving none the less.

The Cardinal St. John frowned on the vidscreen as he looked at the vibrant gem. St. John was a former paladin turned into a Cardinal after he lost his left eye with a battle against a very crafty vampire who bore a cross shaped burn on his face. He was now in charge of training other vampire hunters and paladins as well as the few "blessed" out there with abilities beyond normal humans. Blessed by God as if it were.

St. John spoke in a faint Russian accent. His had been black peppered with gray and his one good eye was a bright, pale blue. His left eye was covered with a black eyepatch, giving him a roguish look. He said, "Why did she give you it?"

"It was Minerva Celestine, M' Lord," he replied as of an answer.

St. John stroked his rough chin as he mused, "Ah, the vampire who doesn't like her situation."

"Yes, and she's worked with us before and she suggested that we call in whatever we can. I trust the girl," Maxwell pleaded.

St. John laughed and it frightened Father Maxwell. The old Irish priest crossed himself and slunk back away from the computer. "She's a vampire, Father. She's not the seventeen-year-old girl who you use to watch read during Mass. She's not the same girl who listened to the Beatles and the Doors before she was changed. She's an unholy creature who drains blood, nothing more, nothing less."

Maxwell's jaw clenched in anger as he looked at the Cardinal. He replied, "She mentioned the Circle, mainly the Destroyer. I think you should send help."

"Fine, I'll send the one who could easily handle all of this," the Cardinal said mildly.

Maxwell paled as he looked at St. John's face over the screen. "You don't mean," he began.

"The Angel of Death," St. John finished with a superior grin. "The Angel of Death."

******

"Amen!" he shouted. A burst of flames reached up and engulfed the lesser, cloven hoofed demon, dragging him back under into Hell. The teenage boy put his cross and Bible away in a duffel bag and turned to look around.

The wooded clearing had been singed to almost nothing except a few burnt husks and the two virgins were still clinging each other. He ran his fingers through his short, chestnut hair and peered out of his long bangs as he watched them. He smiled and stated, "You ladies are okay. The big, bad demon is all gone and stuff."

He gave them a cheerful wave as he started to walk away. He didn't like dealing with demons, at least, higher ones. Lesser demons were okay, but the higher ones, the fallen angels, took more than a simple prayer to banish back to Hell or kill. He didn't like killing anyway, but he really didn't have much of a choice.

He dusted ash off of his black T-shirts and jeans as he made it back to his Ninja. He turned on the ignition when his digital phone began to ring. He cursed in both Latin and Gaelic as he dug it from his pockets. He opened it and answered, "Hello."

"Ah, Chris, we need you in St. Louis," St. John's familiar voice called to him.

Chris nodded and replied, "Gotcha. Be there in four hours."

******

It felt like there was a KoRn concert going on in Alex's head. She groaned and rolled over, surprised at the surface's soft, cushiness. She pushed her black hair from her face as she managed to sit back up.

She licked her dry lips and was surprised to see a glass of water held out in front of her. She took it and sniffed it. Satisfied that it had no toxin or poisons in it, she gulped it all down. "Not to fast or I'll be having to clean up barf," the redhead vampire's sardonic voice chided.

Alex snarled as the grogginess cleared from her head as she rose from the bed. She was in some decent hotel room with a vampire. The vampire was leaning in a chair against the vanity, the mirror not catching her refection but casting Alex's perfectly. The redhead twirled a strand of her hair.

"The Seal's in a church, if you're interested," she stated calmly.

Alex laughed. She may not believe in God, but she knew that a vampire could not tread holy ground like a church or shrine. She snorted, "So, how did you get it in there? Used a stick to glide it in there or what?"

"Actually, I asked a priest to hide it for me," she replied with a smile.

Alex rubbed the back of her sore neck and looked around for her crossbow. She frowned when she noticed that it was propped against the same chair that the vampire was sitting at. The vampire smirked when she watched Alex look for her bow. She said, "Do you think that I'm really going to let you have your weapon so you can kill me? Nope. I'm not stupid."

"You saved me so I guess your fooling me," Alex snapped back as she leaned against the bed.

The redhead's bright green eyes flashed as she watched Alex. "Are you calling me an idiot?"

"No, a dumb, dead vamp bitch," Alex hissed as she launched herself at her crossbow. The vampire stood up smoothly and grabbed it, holding it securely in her hands as she aimed it at Alex. Alex smirked and tried to kick it out of her hands, but the vampire was up on the vanity in an eye blink.

The vampire smiled and said, "My name's Minerva Celestine. Now that we've been properly introduced, let's see if we can work together."

"Well, Minerva, I don't work with leeches. So give me my fucking crossbow and I'll let you live," Alex snarled, wanting her weapon back desperately.

Minerva held the crossbow with ease as she smiled down at Alex, that long hair hanging in her face. What she said next surprised Alex.

"Try and take it from me, half-breed."

Alex chuckled as she looked at Minerva. She smiled as she replied, "Oh, I was wishing you'd say that."

"Well, wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one gets filled first," Minerva stated sagely.

Alex grinned and thought, I'm just going to kill this bitch and be done with it. The Seal's safe in a church so I don't need her anymore. She flipped to the vanity and tried to throw a roundhouse kick at the vampire's lovely face, but Minerva easily dodged the blow, sliding under the vanity and grabbing Alex's legs.

With a sharp tug, Alex was pulled to the ground. She found herself falling hard, the floor cracking against her ribs and back. She grunted in pain as she rolled back up to her feet, only to see Minerva waving the crossbow in front of her invitingly. She snarled viciously as she threw her body into a drop kick.

Minerva danced out of the way, only catching Alex's leg. The vampire smiled as she held Alex's leg above her head. She was surprised when Minerva flipped her to the bed, smiling in a way that made Alex want to smack that look off of her face.

She snarled and swung her legs around in a spinning motion. She smirked as her boot caught the vampire's pretty face, sending her back. She pushed herself off of the bed and landed in a crouching position. Minerva righted herself as Alex threw another punch. She used the crossbow to deflect the blow and shove Alex away.

Alex tumbled into a chair and Minerva tossed the crossbow on the bed. She motioned Alex closer with a long, manicured finger. Alex stood up from the chair and growled deep in her throat. They charged each other at once, Alex throwing punches and kicks with Minerva easily blocking them.

"I'm getting tired of playing pussy foot," Minerva stated as she caught Alex's arm. Alex blinked as the vampire held her arm. She twisted Alex's arm around sharply, snapping the bone.

Alex cried out in pain, high and sharp, like a little girl, as Minerva let her go. Her left arm was ablaze with sharp pain as the bone started to reform itself, growing tissue back. She cradled her bad arm as Minerva looked down at her with her brilliant, shining green eyes. She placed her hands on her slender hips and bent down to Alex's level.

She snapped, "You have no idea what you are dealing with."

"You're just a vampire who got lucky," Alex growled up at her.

Minerva inched closer, their faces inches away from one another, her green eyes blazing. She sneered, "I'm nice compared to the Destroyer and his flunkies. They would have ripped you in half by now or worse."

"What could be worse?" Alex snickered, "Biting me?"

Minerva's eyes hardened as her tone darkened. "They'd do things to you that would make you welcome rape. They would hurt you till you cry out then hurt you even worse so you are begging for the previous pain because it hurt less. They enjoy suffering of any kind and carnage as well. They don't care. They're not like any vampire that you've ever faced, Alex Night. And I don't care if you're an heir to the Lupine Alpha throne or not."

"Talking from personal experience?" Alex asked with a dark grin as she straitened out her still healing arm. The bone was almost sealed and she would have full, painless usage within moments. She stood up and Minerva backed away from her.

Minerva said, "Just because I hid it in a church doesn't mean it's safe. I need to get a spell caster to destroy it, then it will be safe."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked as she stretched her sore muscles. The vampire was good; she'd have to admit that in her mind, but not aloud to the vamp.

Minerva pushed strands of her hair away from her face. She said, "Because it would be Hell on Earth if you didn't. Some of the world's most vicious vampires would have the ability to walk out in daylight and it'll be Ugly Death Come to Play."

"Been there, done that, can stop it," Alex replied, remembering some of her first vamp kills.

Minerva chuckled and answered, "This isn't some haunted house in Louisville, Alex where your cousin can go back your ass up. This is bad and it's nasty and it's going to kill a lot of people if I don't stop it."

"Whatever," Alex retorted as she brushed her hair from her face.

The blow caught Alex unaware. It sent her crashing to the ground once again, her healing arm a blaze with agony. She snarled and grabbed at Minerva with her good arm. Minerva grabbed her hand and yanked her off the ground.

They were face to face, Alex's snarling features to Minerva's deathly calm countenance. Minerva threw her against the wall with a flick of her wrist. She walked over to Alex and dropped her crossbow right in front of her.

Alex smirked as she picked up the crossbow and pointed it at Minerva. She froze when Minerva simply pointed a .45 semiautomatic at her head. Minerva stated, "You couldn't beat me. You don't have a snowball's chance in Hell to beat them."

Alex glared as Minerva's expression softened and a grin spread across her face. She lowered the gun to the vanity and held out her hand to Alex. Alex grudgingly took it and the vampire pulled it up. She smiled as she stated, "But together, Alex, we may have a snowball's chance in Purgatory."

I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm joining forces with a vampire. A vampire that uses semiautomatic pistols no less. I've never heard of a vamp using a gun much less seen one. They are pretty arrogant at their own abilities, not like this chick.

I've gotta admit that this chick is kinda cool, for a vamp. She's explained to me how this vamp, the Destroyer (catchy name, if you like anime) uses werewolves to due his bidding. The church thing was a momentary setback for him. As for finding another virgin, Minerva shrugged and told me that it was no problem.

I think the worse thing is, that I respect her and that's making me kind of like her. I'm afraid that I might forget what she is and who I am. I must always remember that because . . .

Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

"So, I'm going into the church and getting the gem out?" Alex asked.

Minerva sighed as she twisted up her hair in a top knot and secured it with a couple of chop sticks. The half breed was as stubborn as hell and hard headed to boot. The vampire smoothed out the green halter top and leather miniskirt that she was wearing as she looked at Alex.

Alex was still sitting on her bed, her long black hair falling around her like a pelt, that untrusting look in her blue eyes. Minerva zipped up her boots and made sure that the zipper was well hidden. She asked, "How do I look?"

"Like a trashy slut from a teen magazine," Alex answered truthfully.

Minerva sighed. Alex, despite all of her talents and insults, had no style. She was all fists, kicks, shape shifting, crossbowed fury. Hell, she even used a crossbow, one of the most dated weapons for hunting vampires out there. She might as well be using a cross and stake to do her hunting.

Minerva explained, "I'm going to a rave."

"Oh, I thought we were going to destroy this jewel and kick this vampire's ass. Not go to a party," Alex argued.

Minerva sighed as she looked at Alex. She stated, "I'm going to the rave to get information, okay. If I can find a witch who can destroy this, then I'll be happy. To find a witch, I need to get information on the witches. To do that I need to go where there will be a lot of people. Witches, Fey, and vampires like raves. They like the energy that the humans give off. Don't you know anything?"

Then she looked down at her outfit and shook her head. If she was going to a party or out clubbing, it would have been fine, but for a rave, no. She opened up her suitcase and pulled out a pair of black jeans. She stated, "I'm going to a rave, not a party. There's a big difference."

"Yeah, what?" Alex asked sarcastically.

Minerva took off her boots and changed into her jeans as she answered, "Well, drugs for one thing. Sure, a lot of parties have kegs, but ruffies and stuff are very common there, and I'm not even going to go into heroine usage."

"I thought vamps couldn't get high," Alex hissed.

I'm really getting tired of her "I hate vampires" bullshit, Minerva thought as she buttoned up her fly. She slid into her boots and replied, "No, but it shure as hell taints the blood. Makes it taste like shit."

"Speaking from personal experience?" Alex asked as she shifted positions on the bed.

Minerva sighed and answered, "Yes. Happy? I drink blood. I prey upon the weak and useless. I have fangs, fear crosses, daylight, silver, wooden stakes, and my eyes sometimes turn red. I'm not going to get any older and I don't have a pulse or blood pressure. Anything else you wanna bitch about before we leave?"

Alex smirked as she asked, "So you're a monster."

Minerva clinched her teeth and her fist as she slid a knife into one boot and made sure that the gun was concealed, which was not an easy feat when wearing skin tight denim. She grunted, "Not by choice."

I pissed her off at the hotel. So what? Okay, maybe I was out of line and venting, but I thought I was right about it. She does business much more differently than I do. I'm use to going in, kicking ass, taking names, and then going home.

Not this covert seeking for information shit. Sure, there's David who gives people occasional tips, but he does that to most vampire hunters, except the ones hired by the Catholic church. They think David's a demon or some shit.

She did hide the Seal in a church, something that I would have never thought of. And she could have kicked my ass but didn't. As I mentioned before, I like her, and if she wasn't a vampire I wouldn't mind having her for a friend.

Is this getting to me? Me actually wanting a friend? Wanting to get close and not be a super hero? Damn, maybe I just need to find the bastard that killed my parents and stop there.

Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

"Oh, I'll go to a rave while I stick the half breed at the church," Alex grumbled as she

leaned against the stone wall. She was standing in front of this damned church waiting for Minerva to get back from her rave and protecting the gem incase a group of werewolves decided to make nice for their vampire leaders. She grunted and blew her hair out of her face as she looked around.

There was nothing except the castle-like church. She had to admit that the building was pretty cool, even though she didn't believe the fact that there was a God. She sighed as she started to pace around the church, getting a feel for it and groping out with her senses. There was one human in there, probably the priest, and nothing else.

She sighed as she looked through the gates. She shrugged to herself and sat down on the cold ground. No one was going to attack a church, that's for damn sure.

******

Minerva sighed as she looked around the rave. The cheep lasers were cutting through the darkness in a blur or pink, crimson, violet, blue, and green lights. One guy beside her was moaning and holding a hand to the blackening eye that she had gave him for trying to grope her.

There were only a werewolf and a witch in the entire mass of people. And the witch wasn't even that powerful of a one, just a chick practicing Wicca because she felt lonely and distanced to the world. She didn't have any real power to speak of and was too afraid to talk to Minerva because she, "Carried an aura of death around her."

She crossed her arms and smirked to herself when Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" blared on the speakers. She always thought of Forest when she heard this song for some strange reason. Maybe the beginning line of, "What is this seductive creature with an insatiable lust for the dead?" Or maybe the lyrics themselves? Hell, it just reminded her of Forest.

She walked around and smiled. There was one. Another vampire. She focused to pinpoint the source of energy and scanned the crowd. Standing against an unstable wooden post was a tall, dark, and considerably young vampire smoking a cigarette there.

She strode over to him. Judging from his power, she could swat him like a fly. She thrust her arm with no holding back in front of him, slamming into and splintering the board. He spun around to face her, then he looked her over, tight jeans, shimmering green halter top, long burgundy hair and light, bright green eyes.

She could tell from the grin slowly spreading across his features and the shining of his brown eyes that he liked what he saw. He ran his fingers through his stylishly unruly dark hair as he smiled at her. "So, baby, like what you see?" he asked.

Minerva smirked and pressed harder on the board. She answered, "Not really."

"Well, baby, you don't know what your playing with," he said with a smile as he flashed his fangs at her as his eyes bled to crimson.

Minerva chuckled as she slammed her other hand into the board, causing it to shake. She pressed closer, not giving the other vampire any room to escape. She leaned in and sniffed him. "You've fed. Recently."

"Yeah, so?" he asked with a sly grin.

Minerva smirked and answered, "Well, I could turn you into the cops for illegal feeding or I could hand you over to a vampire hunter."

"Whatever," he quipped as he grabbed her wrists. She almost laughed when his will tried to wrap around hers. She let out the tiniest bit of pressure and power, sending him shattering out of her mind as his nose trickled blood.

She smirked as she said, "I was intuitive as a human. I'm damned good at psychic war fair."

"What do you want, bitch?" he hissed between clinched fangs.

She smirked and said, "Witches, know of any?"

"That Wanna-Be Wicca over there and why the hell are you asking?" he replied.

She smiled and answered, "Because I'm about to ruin the plans of the Destroyer."

"You're the redheaded bitch!" he snapped in recognition. Then she felt the siren's call of his mind to his fellow vampires. She punched him hard enough to break his nose.

He looked at her as she snapped, "Do that again and I'll rip your bloody head off with my bare hands."

"Traitorous bitch. I will tell you nothing," he snarled at her, his eyes glowing in the dim light.

Minerva sighed. She didn't want to have to resort to this but . . . She drew her knife from her boot and shoved it directly into his thigh, right beside the groin. He hissed in pain as she twisted the blade. "I know you're new, so I'll tell you this fun fact about our kind: We can regenerate limbs over and over again, but its gonna hurt like hell when I cut off your balls over and over again. Got it?"

He snarled as he looked down at her hand and the knife. He laughed, "We've got werewolves running the city, bitch, looking for the Seal. Kill me and more will come. They've probably already found it and the Lupine whore that you've teamed up with. You've lost, traitor, and there's nothing you can do about it."

She froze for an instant. Werewolves, especially with the right talismans, could find the Seal and Alex. They could smell it. Alex, not armed for werewolves, would give a good fight, but eventually get her ass kicked. Then there was Father Maxwell. She shoved the blade up, strait into one of his vitals. Blood bubbled at his lips before he gagged and passed out.

She took the blade out and wiped the blood off on his shirt. "Prick," she snapped with a disapproving frown as she walked away from him. He would be healed soon, she knew, so she had to get back to Alex as quickly as she could. Cursing softly, she ran out of the rave, breaking a few hands and arms of guys and girls trying to grope her as she went.

Unknown to her, the Wanna-Be-Wicca picked up a cell phone and dialed a number. After a beat she said, "Tratior's on the run. Bait knocked cold due to fact she stabbed him in the nads. Good night and good luck."

******

Alex was dozing. She was board and there was nothing better to do. There was no immediate danger and her body was still fighting off the effects of the powder used to knock her out. Her head was resting against the cool stone wall as her body was curled protectively around the crossbow.

A human would have had to move a hundred times if they had been in that same position, but Alex wasn't fully human so she dosed soundly. She faintly heard something coming closer and opened her eyes. She stood up, stretching the taunt muscles as she looked around.

Seven figures moving in the dark. She shifted her vision to the infrared spectrum to confirm her suspicions before shifting to the simple grayscale that took in more light and more detail than the vision she used for everyday purposes. She watched as they lurked closer, caution and a predatory nature evident in every movement.

She sniffed them and frowned. It was a familiar scent, but one that she couldn't put her fingers on. They were alive, she knew that, and they weren't human and they weren't Fey. They had to be werewolves.

"Oh, shit," she grumbled as she put down her crossbow. She only used wooden bolts for vampires. Nervously, she licked her lips and thought, I can handle this. I'm cool. I can do this. She took a stance, even though she was outnumbered and outgunned.

Still, she was a Lupine and they were werewolves, lesser, base creatures as Brandon was fond of saying. Even though she kept hearing his voice in the back of her brain, the human part of her, the part that she liked to ignore except when she wanted to be petty or greedy, was trying to get her to flee, to run, to hide in fear. The more feral part of her was telling her to protect what was hers, which was in the church.

The werewolves split into two groups, a tactic she knew very well from some dark part of her brain. The Lupine half of her was telling her all sorts of things, how they would react, how she should counter it while the human half was screaming at her to run. A third voice chorused in with the human and Lupine, this one more clear and pure, thoughtful, as if it was taking the thoughts and feelings of each side and creating some sort of compromise.

Or maybe it was the hero being born inside of her, developing within her, the part blossoming that finds even the vampire likeable?

She shrugged it off, focusing on everything but nothing. She heard the first howl and grimaced. A wolf came running at the gates, and Alex recognized the form. He was about to jump the heavy iron fence. Alex rushed at it, wrapping her arms around its neck and sending it off balance.

Until he decided to sink his teeth into her.

She cried out as her shoulder was shattered as the werewolf worried at it with his teeth. She knew her bite had a lot of power, and now she knew what every vampire felt when she bit them. She felt the crushing, sharp pain as the wolf bit, then suddenly, it jerked up, sending a good chunk of her flesh up with it. She screamed in pain as the flesh and muscle was ripped from her body in a bloody mass.

She punched the wolf hard in the mussel and growled back. She shifted quickly, attacking with all she had, going right for the throat. Blood rushed hotly into her mouth as she over powered the other wolf. She let him go and turned to another wolf trying to bite her ass.

She shifted back to her human form quickly and gave the wolf a snap kick right as its jaws were about to sink on her hamstring. She took a quick gasping breath as her shoulder blazed with pain. Blood was running in dark scarlet rivers down her arm and pooling on the concrete.

The wolf's throat she ripped out stood up and licked his jaws as he shifted. So did the other six, surrounding her. Her heart pounded wildly as six clawed and snarling man-wolves fixed their hungry eyes on her. She took off running, sliding her slender body into the bars and running toward the church.

"Father, get out!" she shouted as she managed to run to the front door, wildly clutching her bleeding shoulder. The church door opened and an elderly man stepped out and gasped when he saw Alex and the six werewolves who leapt over the iron fence with ease.

"Holy Mother of God!" the priest gasped in a thick Irish accent.

She turned around to face the werewolves and shouted, "Father, get into the church and get the Seal of Day. Then get your ass out!"

She didn't hear his reply because a female werewolf slammed her fist into Alex's face. Before Alex could counter, the werewolf easily lifted her off the ground by her throat. She gasped for air as she struggled with the werewolf. One of the werewolves laughed as it bit into Alex's thigh.

Alex screamed in agony as blood rushed out. They were starting to feed on her, eating her. Blood was rushing out considerably before the wounds could heal. The female werewolf dropped her and Alex groaned, drawing herself into a ball. She watched with dismay as one of the wolves started into the church.

******

Minerva had her .45 drawn and aimed. The first werewolf trying to eat Alex dropped with the loud gunshot. She leapt over the heavy iron gate, landed, and was up again, running toward Alex.

She shot another werewolf before one werewolf walked out of the church, holding Father Maxwell in his, definitely a he by the genitalia easily visible, furry arms. He growled, "Drop the gun bitch and we'll let the old man live."

Minerva frowned when she saw the Seal in the werewolf's other hand. Another werewolf raised his clawed hands to the old priest. "Fuck you," Minerva snapped as she slid her gun away from her.

"Grab her," the Alpha growled. Minerva tensed up when she smelled the foul breath of the two werewolves who took a hold of her, each holding an arm, leaving both of her legs free. "Bring the little slut to me," he growled.

Minerva rolled her eyes skyward as they carried her to the Alpha male. He gently traced her face with a clawed finger. His glowing amber eyes glinted in the darkness as the Father began to pray. The prayer itself hurt her ears, her actually.

Minerva flinched at the slight, burning sensation and she wasn't that close to Maxwell. Faith itself hurt, but when someone truly faithful, like a priest who wasn't corrupt, was worse than a cross at contact. The werewolf laughed at her discomfort and Alex looked up at her with dull blue eyes in a blood streaked face.

"You lost, bitch," the Alpha growled as he held out the Seal in front of her face.

Alex shouted, "Minerva, get the fucking gem away from these . . ." Her plea was cut off by a sharp back hand that sent her reeling. She pushed herself up on her hands and looked at Minerva.

"Think about it and your priest will die," the Alpha said in its grutial voice as he looked at Maxwell.

Maxwell looked at her and pleaded, "Minerva, lass, doesn't listen to them. I'm not important."

"Kill me, rape me, whatever, just let them go. They're not willingly involved into this," Minerva stated, looking the werewolf dead in his hungry eyes.

The Alpha laughed and replied, "You little bitch, you don't get it? You're not in any position to bargain. We'll do what we want to you and there's nothing you can do about it. In fact." He made a sharp gesture to the werewolf holding the priest.

She watched in horror as the clawed hand made a clean swipe across the white collar. Blood spilled out in a fragrant rush down his robes as his eyes rolled back in his head. She gasped as they dropped his dead body to the ground and looked away not in revolution of his death, but in herself. Despite he was a kindly old priest, she couldn't ignore the fresh blood pooling on the ground. Still, it was too late to drink it. He was dead. It would be toxic to her.

"You lost, little bitch, now we're going to have some fun with you and your little freak friend and there's nothing you can do about it," the Alpha whispered as he sniffed her throat and took a tiny lick of her cheek.

She cringed in disgust and hissed, "Get on with it already, I can't stand your stench." The back hand was enough to break her jaw, but she kept looking dead at him. She lost, but she wasn't going to give the bastards the satisfaction of surrender.

The werewolves chuckled as they lifted up Alex. Minerva gave her a look. She was a bleeding mess too and she doubted that the half breed had been hurt that bad before. Alex groaned as they threw her to the ground on her back. The Alpha loomed before the girl and looked at Minerva. He hungrily licked his snout and started to bend down to Alex.

Except for the silver-tipped arrow that struck the ground between them that stopped the wolf. "The hell?" the werewolf snarled as all eyes turned to where the arrow had flown in. Minerva tilted her head to look back too.

Then she smiled.

The guy was average height with broad shoulders and a flapping, black leather duster. His long chestnut bangs fell into brilliant violet eyes and his long, pointed ears poked up from his cropped hair. He put away the bow and drew out a long, curved blade. A scythe, Minerva realized. He was carrying a scythe.

"Not exactly," the teen drawled as he spun the scythe in a graceful arch, "but the Angel of Death has come to take you all to Hell!"

To Be Continued!

(1) Yes, this is my homage to Laurell K. Hamilton, the master of Anita Blake and the non-traditonal vampire hunter. I bow to her and Anita in all of their glory.