He caught her at the edge of town, feeding.
Disgust clawed at his stomach as he watched her devour the tiny bundle, teeth ripping at flesh, blood flowing from the corners of her mouth. How could he have allowed this to happen? Stopping to rest during the long chase, he'd taken his eyes off her for only the briefest matter of time; time enough for her to procure a baby.
Self-hatred coursed through his body. Somewhere an innocent mother was catatonic, collapsing in horror beside an empty bassinette; and all because he'd given in to human weakness, allowing himself to recoup because the chase had become more exciting than the kill.
No longer.
Soundlessly he withdrew the wooden stake from his belt, not needing to weigh it in his hands, not needing to adjust his grip because the stake was a
