Rose

Chapter 2. The Message

I practically kick down my own front door. Thank goodness as an unmatched male my cabin is on the edge of the settlement, not far from the main track.

I've seen no one, no one to ask why I'm carrying an almost dead vampire in my arms.

Eyes watering with the acid smell of her I lay her on my couch. Within seconds Pops and James burst in. Pops already on alert, he must have smelt her from outside.

"Vampire attack! Son? Did you get the bastards?"

"Not quite" I say looking up. "over here!" breathing heavily in full preparation to fight, Pops approaches the couch.

"Damn!!! I've never seen one like that! James! Is it sick?"

James tentatively peers over the couch

"I don't know" he says, shrugging, "I've never seen one before!"

For a few seconds we all stare at her. Her chest fluttering with her laboured breaths.

"King, Alpha, message" she gasps. Weaker and more drunk sounding than before.

Pops eyes her suspiciously.

"I am Alpha, what is your message?"

At this her eyes flutter, they are a deep amber colour. Like the expensive Scottish whisky Pops has. She smiles faintly and using what seems like all her energy she rolls off the couch. Landing on all fours on the floor. Panting she slowly settles until she lies folded over herself. Her backside resting on her heals. Her forehead touching the floor just in front of her knees. Slowly she reached her right hand out and grips Pop's ankle.

Pops freezes. His eyes glaze over, he looks like he's concentrating deeply. A frown forms and his glazed eyes narrow.

*looking through her eyes, he's kneeling to the side of a big room. Seated in the room are a number of vampires and wolves, in human form.

They are discussing an attack.

"Once we win, you can have all the adults, a voice says" Pops thinks he knows that voice, the girl hasn't focused on the speaker yet.

"We'll keep the girl children, train them young to please us! I have 2 I'm training now!" a nasty laugh.

This time the girl snapped in shock to see the speaker. Pops recoiled, his second son Sy sits there laughing. "the younger they start the better, got maybe 10 years before these can breed though, we'll need to keep a few older ones for that!" a scruffy wolf sniggers "much pleasures can be gained from even the youngest whelp!" he says.

The vampires look disgusted. "And after the battle?"

Sy nods "every few years come back" he laughs "we’ll have surplus boys for you to feast on!"

The vampire smiles.

Pops blinks. A male vampire is looking right at him. He's kneeling in a room full of vampires. They all kneel in a circle. A female is speaking.

"I didn't agree to that! Young lives are sacred! The things they are saying is disgusting! He's saying he's already abusing children! I will not stand for this!"

Other vampires murmur as well.

"We need to warn this pack!" says an English vampire.

The one looking directly at him grips the face of the girl he seeing through.

"Rose, you are the weakest, go find this pack. Show this to the king, the attack is planned for May full moon, 2 days away. WOLF King" he almost shouts. "The girl has a phone, call me! Feed her intravenous blood. But only your oldest and weakest wolf only. The wolf blood will make her stronger. But will tie her to the wolf it is from. Forever. I warn you king. Do not giver her blood by mouth and not strong wolf blood.

Call me! "

The girl's fingers slip from Pop's ankle. He blinks and shakes his head. He walks to my kitchen and vomits into the sink. The girl lies unresponsive on the floor. Still folded up but now somehow slumped sideways as well.

Pops washes his mouth with water from the faucet. Swilling his mouth clean. He spits water down the sink.

James and I stand silent. The vampire doesn't even seem to draw breath.

Pops looks at us, "Dar, I need you to give the girl blood! James get a kit, intravenous, directly."

James stutters "How much?" Pops blinks "a couple of units!? Will that weaken Dar?" James shakes his head.

"Good! Do it!"

James scrambles to start the transfusion. I don't question it. Something that girl did when she touched Pop's ankle gave him the message.

"where is her phone?" Pops asks. I reach forward and pat the girl's jacket. Pulling out an old-fashioned clamshell phone. There is only 1 number in its memory. Pops opens the phone and presses call.

He doesn't introduce himself "I got your message! Can I trust you?" a voice squawks at the other end of the line. Pops listens for a while, agreed to something for a couple of hours time. Closes the girl's phone and pockets it. Taping his Bluetooth he calls his Beta, Wayland, ordering him and four of his strongest fighters to meet him at the den. Pops strides out, still talking to Wayland.

James and I decide the best place for the transfusion is on my bed. I carry the vampire to my room and rest her on the left side of the covers. Adjusting pillows until she looks comfortable. I settle down beside her, James inserts the line and gives me a rubber ball to keep squeezing. The blood flows directly from my arm into hers. James has his stethoscope pressed to my elbow, just above the line. He's counting.

I watch the girl, it’s almost imperceptible at first. Slowly her skin starts to fill out, her body almost inflates. I find myself staring at her breasts as they slowly plump up, fulling her top. Her hair starts to slowly gather lustre and body. Within minutes her skin has a beautiful creamy complexion, her eyelashes resting on her cheek. Her breathing is stabilised and measured. I'm fascinated watching her.

James suddenly pulls the needle from her arm and, more gently, removes it from mine. I dutifully hold the little cotton ball over the spot but being a wolf, I heal remarkably quickly.

I hear Wayland's truck take off at speed, gravel kicking up as he and his team go somewhere.

James and I watch the vampire, after 10 minutes I notice something, I can't smell the acid any more. James confirms he can't smell it either. In fact, she doesn't seem to smell of anything anymore. I don't know if we got used to it or what. But it's certainly no longer making my eyes water and my nose feel burnt!

The vampire starts to wake. James is on full alert but somehow, I know she won't do anything. In fact, she hic-coughs. Then she starts to gag and dry heaves. Retching without bringing anything up she rolls onto her side away from me. Almost hanging over the bed. James grabs a plant pot to hold under her but she doesn't throw up.

After a minute or two she calms. Still gagging she looks round my room, sees us both and instantly rolls onto the floor. Again, taking up the curled pose she used for Pops. Her forehead again touching the floor, only this time her hands are over her mouth.

James and I exchanged glances. Now what? Eventually I call Pops and tell him she's awake. He tells me to bring her to the den. Bring James too.

I tell James and then crouch down by the vampire. I try to look at her but she's still occasionally gagging into her hands and won't look up. I explain we have to go together. The apha commands. This gets her attention and she stands up. No, she somehow unfolds in one beautiful, graceful, fluid motion. Like chiffon being dropped but in reverse. She unfolds and rises at the same time. It's probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen.