Blood of The Beast

xii

Scylla:

    It's somewhere between midday and three in the afternoon. I can feel it. Where ever it is we are it has to be a cave. Somewhere hidden deep within a mountain. I hadn't noticed when we had entered it when we came in, but I sure as hell know this isn't the outside world. It doesn't help that there aren't any clocks or that my phone isn't functional in here. 

    The hellhounds are on the move prowling around scavenging for something to eat. I stood on the balcony looking down at the dead grounds of their home. This is the perfect hideout. The perfect place to hide someone that holds your world in their very existence. 

    "Is she really worth all this trouble? She'd still die in the end," I looked behind me to see Alastair reach for me.

    "It isn't for Nana," I said turning my attention back to the darkness. "If that's what you're thinking. Nana. Nana is what I gave up for this,"

    His arms wrapped around me pressing his body against mine. He's calm. We're calm. No traces of the hunger he had felt last night. I turned to see him. He's blind out here yet he risked not knowing what was out here to come talk to me. I took his hand and led him back inside closing the balcony doors.

    It amazed me that they didn't guard against the hellhounds. So as long as the lights remained on those things wouldn't come in. Out there, those who can't see in the dark wouldn't be able to see me wave my hand an inch from their face. How had this Mansion ended up in a godforsaken place like this?

    "If not Nana then who?" he asked when we enter the family room.

    "My dad has been alone from the moment my mother died. He's given up a lot and kept his attention on me. He's done so much. Sacrificed a lot more than he leads on. I want to give him something back. I've killed a lot of people for less meaningless reasons. Why not do it to give the King in my life his Queen back?"

    He didn't say anything after that. No more questions. The heat in my body was starting to warm up again. Whatever is coming it's on its way. We aren't going to it. It's coming to us. She felt it too. Allison brought in the armored crates we usually needed. She brought them up to my room without knocking. I had been waiting for her. Alastair stared without saying a single word.

    "I can rewire these five," she said patting five small boxes after sitting on my bed. She's calm now that she has something to do.

    "What's this?" Alastair asked. She flinched away from him.

    "Night vision goggles. These won't work in this kind of darkness. She's going to rewire them so they can pick up on cold radiation coming off those things," she answered without meeting his gaze.

    "Why won't these work?" he asked opening up a box and taking a pair of goggles out.

    "Because these are based on heat. The only ones who are warm here are us two," I informed him while pulling my faux leather pants up. 

    "Why are you changing?" he asked putting them back. I grabbed the glass of water he had been drinking.

    The small amount of water in it began to bubble and then boil. He looked at me confused and then it snapped in place for him. My body is making sure I'm at peak condition for the fight to come. He walked out to tell the others what was happening.

    I checked the cases for my usual weapons before I put on my holster and then my jacket. I took over and watched as Allison changed into her fitted spandex outfit. I want to comment on the fact that Killian had gotten her the Captain Marvel outfit printed on it. I ignored it for now. I finished the equipment upgrade while Allison finished getting ready. Alastair, his brother, and his wayward parents walked in closing the door behind them.

    "Test them," Allison instructed. I took one and tossed at Alastair.

    "I didn't want you to see them, but we aren't going to have much of a choice," he put them on. I felt the hostility that instantly came over him when he looked out of the window.

    I had been so distracted when we had entered this place that I didn't even realize the change in our surroundings. My eyes caught the movements of these things before my eyes adjusted to this darkness. They're grotesque. 

    This is what becomes of the ugliest souls man spits out. Things are so filthy that hell itself didn't want them. Disfigured beings, their once possibly beautiful bodies hunched over. Their skin changed into what looks as if they had survived a tour of the deepest hottest pits of hell. Those eyes are glowing bright crimson. No indication of intelligence, just the pure animalistic instinct to keep surviving no matter the cost. 

    From the corner of my eyes, I can see the small movements in the distance.  I told him to go back in squatting down to see through the bars of the balcony. The hellhounds are moving away hiding at the sight of something foreign on their grounds. 

    "Allison," her eyes snapped to me. "Napad Nacin,"

    Her body twitched as the glaze of her beast took control. Her heartbeat steadied as I walked over to her and finished putting the extra ammunition on her belt. I'm going to have to talk to Killian about this. I handed everyone here the goggles.

    "What's going on" Ketea asked.

    "The Order is here,"

    "No, that's not possible no one knows about this place. No one is crazy enough to come here," Agathos growled going to the window. I doubt he can see in this darkness.

    "We're aren't taking anyone with us, Prince Malacoda. This stays exclusively to us," I didn't leave any room for him to argue.

    "Genevieve," Ketea countered. "I have to go get her,"

    "No," I tried to stop her but she was gone in a flash. Got damned vampires.

    "Why not?" Agathos asked.

    "I think it was her that made the call," I revealed.

    "Not possible she's Ketea's kin,"

    "Does she know you're mated?" his glare was more than enough for me. "Then you don't trust her as much as you think you do,"

    "What do you mean we have to go?" Genevieve's voice came from the other side of the door.

    "I can get her out, but she isn't coming with us. I won't have anyone compromise what I need to do," he looked at me as the door was pushed open.

    "What's going on?" she asked.

    "Ketea," Agathos tried.

    "No, she's not staying here. She's mine," I growled pushing the last goggles into her arms.

    "I'm sorry, Ketea. If she slows us down or gives me any trouble. She's dead," I groaned frustrated. She's spoiled. I'm spoiled, this is going to be a problem more than I care to admit. Her eyes met mine in challenge hard and angry.

    This woman doesn't scare me in the slightest. My dominance overpowers her fifty to one. She knows it too. She wants to act like she'd be able to take what I bring to this table. I admire that, but I'd rather not show her just how close to death I can bring her. Not to mention the fact that I'd have to square up with Agathos. That would be stupid of me to attempt. My odds there are one in a million.

    Allison growled crouching low against the balcony window. I cut the lights my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room. I motioned for everyone to get behind us. Not that I needed to protect them. I need them for now. If we're getting out of here alive.

    "Here," a voice came from the other side. I shushed Allison's growling and pressed my body back. She moved away from us sitting on the floor right in the center of the room. I bent down to pick up her boots. She might need them later. I stood up pushing my body against them.

    "What is she doing?" Alastair asked.

    "Don't move a muscle," I whispered as the glass was kicked in.

    I pressed my body harder into them as she jumped up onto the ceiling. The first i***t to come through the door was pulled up by his helmet the cry was drowned by the gurgling sound of his blood. Her growl echoed in the empty room before she savagely jumped out. More cries came from outside. The sound of semi-automatic rounds itched in my ears calling me forth. My body is getting excited for the fight.

    "Go," Alastair whispered, the smile is there in the tone in his voice.

    I let her take me. The power of my wolf coursed through me as I stepped forward onto the small balcony. The growl ripped through me as the half shift took over. I jumped up on the balcony letting out a howl calling on my playmate for the first time in almost a year.

    Allison's howl returned the sound of her excitement filled me to the point where my body tingled in anticipation. I can see them at the bottom desperately trying to find what the hell is attacking them.

    I jumped down. My claws caught the top of someone's helmet. They broke through ripping their way through his head. Before his body hit the floor, I pounced on another my teeth ripping through his throat. I reached for the ninja stars on my belt. The silver burning the skin on the tips of my fingers. I aimed. The sound of the metal cutting through the vibrated in my ears just before they met their target. I turned to look up at the balcony.

    The fire in his eyes told just what it is my actions did to him. I smiled showing him the length of my canines giving him a small nod. They all melted into the shadows. The cries excited me more. Allison stood in front of me her eyes wide matching the grin on her face. 

    Those dangerous eyes of hers gleamed with excitement. I pointed out Alastair, Erebus, Ketea, Agathos, and against my better judgment Genevieve. She whined at the last one. She had wanted to kill her since yesterday. I would have let her. No one would have been able to stop me.

    When we got to Henry, she jumped into the back seat excitedly looking around. I started up the jeep. Soon after, they rushed in. The smell of blood swirled in the cabin of the jeep as I put into reverse hitting the car behind me pushing the gas down. I turned around and put it into drive as I burst through the two cars blocking us in.

    "Why didn't we take a car from the far end?" Erebus asked.

    "When I need your opinion I'll ask," I growled rolling down the windows.

    "Pretty lights." Allison giggled from the trunk.

    "I love this girl," Agathos laughed.

    Allison beamed at his appraisal. The sound of the RPGs going off made me flinch for a second I lost track of what we were doing until the blast of it kicked the excitement back into me. I let out a howl. Allison didn't respond this time.

    "What are you doing?" Alastair asked.

    "Take the wheel Allison," I demanded pushing the seatback.

    "What do you mean?" Alastair asked.

    "Drive," Allison slid under me excitedly as I pushed the door open.

    "Pretty puppies. Pretty puppies," she chanted letting out her crazy laughter.

    "Take him all the way pretty girl," I instructed before I climbed on top of the jeep. I smiled at her little squeals of happiness filled the darkness around us. "Windows up,"

    "Pretty puppies," she growled the tone of her voice feral with malice.

    I let out another howl. This time I heard her growl from the inside of the car. She kept it steady. The howl in me came out again demanding this time. They responded. The jackals all responded to the call of the alpha.

    Hellhounds weren't too different from wolves. They live in packs under the command of the strongest evil and here I'm the strongest. I let out the call of hunger. They are all starving and tonight they're going to gorge on the feast that awaits them. I tapped on the skylight of the jeep and he opened.

    "Are you insane?" he shouted as I dropped my clothes in.

    The shift started to take over. There is no humanity in the time of this feed. The wolf in me broke through taking over all of my senses. Clarity broke through as my paws reached forward adjusting to this form. The car shook when Allison jumped onto the hood of the car.

    There was no way she was going to let us take it all. I could hear him shouting telling me not to do this. Her snow-white wolf looked at me the intent clear in her eyes. I let out another howl as I looked out ahead of us. They're coming. Tonight I am the alpha.