Soul Bound

Boarders

Carrigan studied the unconscious woman that lay sprawled at his feet.

It was obvious that the woman wasn't a hiker gone astray. Except for an oversized black T-shirt that was barely hanging onto her body - the seams ripped at one of the shoulders - she was naked. Her pale skin was marred with cuts, bruises and blood, and the soles of her feet was covered in mud. Right now she looked nothing like the photo the police had sent out in search for her.

"Carrigan, do you want us to move her?"

Boston broke him out of his contemplation and he shook his head shortly. Not yet at least. This wasn't exactly what he had expected when the night patrol had radioed in for him to come to them. But he guessed that it explained the presence of a Danvil.

His fangs had dropped when the woman had collided with him, the whites of her eyes showing fully like that of a spooked horse. The scent of her blood had enticed his hunger. But at the moment the woman was less important than the one pursuing her.

He could hear the branches snapping and the fast beat of the pursuer's feet against the ground. It wouldn't be long now even if he was amazed by how slow the pursuer was moving. It wasn't like he didn't have better things to do.

The moment the pursuer broke into the clearing the tension ricocheted. He could sense how the four vampires from his patrol got into position behind him, hands at silver stakes. Daniel Danvil stopped dead in his tracks and Carrigan had to hold back a smirk that wanted to form on his lips. The young vampire had deep grooves across his chest that was healing slowly, causing him to pant.

Well done human.

A new interest in the woman made him want to study her anew but he pushed that to the side to be able to stare Daniel down.

"What would your maker say if he knew of yet another transgression?"

Daniel frowned at him before moving an increment closer. Carrigan felt a spike of adrenaline rush through his system as he moved his feet into a fighting stance.

"You'll be dead before you hit the ground."

His quiet words made Daniel freeze before him and take a step back. He did let a smile touch his lips then briefly. The young ones were so easy to intimidate.

"I found her well within our boarders. She's mine."

The edge to Daniel's voice picked his curiosity. How long had he been feeding on this woman to reach that state of possessiveness?

"You may have found her there but look at where we are standing now."

The boarders between the Moores and the Danvils were clearly marked out, silver stakes embedded into the hard ground. Dividing hunting territory between two covens that had fought almost to each other's extinction 100 years back. Whenever he got close he could feel the silver repelling him from the grounds and he knew that they were far from that boarder now.

"She's still mine to take. Those are my marks on her. So if you just step aside I'll grab her and make my way back and you won't need to bother with all this."

For a second he thought over the consequences that would come from him snapping Daniel's neck. It would be swift, over in a few seconds, as he would get close enough and his hands would do the rest. The young vampire wouldn't have time to react but would be in excruciating pain until the vertebrae moved back into the right position. He suspected though that the head of the Danvil clan would be less than approving.

If you only knew, he thought as he studied the grin Daniel had plastered on his face.

"And why would we do that?"

"Why?" The easy-going smile slipped off Daniel's face, leaving him with a scowl. "I just told you that she's mine. I've marked her."

Carrigan's laugh sounded thunderous in the midst of the rain falling around them in the otherwise silent woods. "Just because you have stuck your c**k in her doesn't mark her as yours. It just shows a poor lack of respect."

Daniel's fangs dropped, a hissing sound filling the clearing. Before the next heart beat Carrigan had him lifted against a tree, his nails digging into the young vampire's throat. He allowed his own fangs to show as he bore his gaze into blue eyes that was widened at him, revealing both Daniel's panic and fear lurking underneath the surface. He smiled at him.

"I could crush your windpipe if I wanted. Then at least I wouldn't have to listen to this whining anymore. But I want to be rid of you so I will give you a choice now. You either leave or I will give a reward to whoever of my men makes your death the most painful."

Even if vampires technically didn't need to breathe to stay alive, it was ingrained in their system to do so. As he held Daniel lifted, he could see how the other slowly turned a dark shade of puce while his eyes were darting around all over the place. With a flick of his wrist he threw Daniel to the side and turned around, ignoring the coughing that followed.

Carrigan approached the woman again, this time kneeling beside her. His body was kept rigid and ready to spring up again as he could feel the waves of hatred hitting him from the younger vampire that was still lingering.

I guess he wants to taste the bite of silver.

Carrigan made eye contact with Boston who nodded subtly back at him. He returned his eyes to the woman that seemed even paler than she had before, her breathing more shallow than it should be. He frowned. His options were pretty limited.

It was with some satisfaction that he heard the commotion behind him. A short yelp before the noises of someone violently crashing through the woods, the noises growing more distant for each second. His lips twitched at the corners.

Good to finally be rid off that nuisance.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved his pocket knife. With a small flick of the button the smooth blade popped out. Without hesitation he lay the blade against the skin of his wrist and made a deep cut before pressing it against the woman's mouth, smearing her lips with blood in the process. When those hands came up to hold his wrist and he those lips moved against his wrist, he knew that it had been successful.

Something rushed through him when those eyes popped open, showing him irises of a deep chocolate brown.

That's interesting.

He saw the moment the cloudiness was replaced with realization. His wrist was thrown away, some droplets of blood flying over her wrecked T-shirt, while she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. Quickly he pressed his palm to the center of her chest, applying some pressure to keep her down.

The vampire blood would give her a temporary boost and if he wasn't totally wrong, it was what had made her escape from Daniel Danvil possible. He could already feel her muscles tensing under his palm.

"Easy. We'll take care of you."

He motioned for Boston and the others to approach with his free hand.

"I will let you up now. You will not run away."

He bore his eyes into hers, forcing her to break eye contact before he lifted his palm. As he had expected she jumped up only to be caught by Boston and the rest of the patrol.

The rain was still beating down around them and he watched as the water cleaned out the wound on his wrist that was already closing. Slowly he got up before he looked at the woman again.

She was slumped between the arms and one of the other patrol. Her hair was plastered to her face that was turned down.

"Let's go."

Without waiting for a response he set off in the way that they had come, a smile ghosting over his lips. This had been a rewarding night.