Shifters

Chapter 17

Jared saw them before they even hit the gates. He saw what was following them.  He also knew they were running for their lives.

As he ran for the gates he shifted effortlessly and ran at full speed. He knew the gates would be open enough for him to bound through by the time he got there. The other shifter was backed against the man she carried as he lay on the ground against the guard’s post. She was growling and snarling fiercely as the two shifters reached her first. They were caught in a vicious battle, he saw her grabbing on to the neck of one as the second latched on to one of her legs. But she didn’t stop. She didn’t even seem to notice the second all her concentration was on the one she was sinking her teeth into.

The gate opened just as he reached it and he leapt through and into the fight. He hit the one attached to the shifters leg and plowed it into the ground. It was unconscious so he turned and noticed she had ripped the throat out of the one that had attacked her. She was snarling viciously at the oncoming vampires.

They were massive ones. Not the regular tall and lanky ones he had always seen.  Huge, hulking men as big as football players with muscles rippling as they ran towards the shifter. He knew they’d rip her apart. There were too many for her to fight at once. But she stood her ground between the man laying at guard post struggling to stand and the attackers. 

He shifted and barked out the orders, “Target those vampires and take them out!” He shifted back again.

He turned and lunged at the closest one to him while he saw her attack the one right behind him.  The two in back had dropped and he knew his men had killed them. The vampire he had was punching him. One after another, the blows felt like someone was swinging a sledge hammer.  He snarled and turned as the vampires arm came down. He grabbed on and bit as hard as he could. He felt the bones and he yanked back knocking him off his feet. The vampires screamed with rage, but he was face down. Jared leapt on to his back and grabbed a hold of the neck and ripped it apart. The head of the vampire lolled to the side of its body. He knew it wasn’t dead but it would be down for a while.

Karra was caught in a blood lust of rage and fury. She fought the massive vampire with everything but she was losing. She was weak after so much time running. No rest, little food it took its toll on her. She sensed Petro behind her trying to rise but he couldn’t.  Safe , safe she had to keep them both safe.  The vampire cocked his arm back and knocked it into the side of her neck. It caught her shoulder and sent her flying back. She couldn’t catch her breathe. He advanced on her and she struggled to her feet.

She would not let him take them back!! She wouldn’t! Petro has risked everything to help her survive. They were partners now, she would not let anything happen. She stood and wobbled a bit. She didn’t think she had any strength left, but she was going down fighting.  At that moment the big black shifter she thought she saw earlier knocked the vampire to the ground. He hadn’t gotten a good shot so his teeth were latched on to its side. The massive vampire howled with rage and paid no mind to the shifter ripping its side out. He charged forward towards the two he was sent to bring back.

Jared yanked and ripped and the god damn thing just kept on going. He fell back with a good chunk of that thing still in his mouth and he spit it out and lunged again knocking it to the ground. This time he had a good hold on its arm. All of a sudden it fell. It just dropped.  He didn’t let go of the arm but looked up. It had a shot right between its eyes and he knew his sharpshooters had taken it out. He let go and turned towards the shifter and the man she was carrying.

 Only she had collapsed near it with her head in his lap. And he wasn’t a man, he was a vampire.