The Venatrix

Chapter Four

After seven days on the road, I was ready to rip my hair out. I have had to sleep in some areas that could have put me at risk for bursting into flames. I am extremely thirsty. All I hear is this girl's pulse and the sound of the blood rushing through her veins. Thankfully she talks a lot. It's a great distraction. 

"Oh! I haven't told you about my brother's greatest romance." The kid suddenly says. I arch an eyebrow at her, but she clearly can't see it due to the mask. I have no clue because she would bring that up but it's different from the stories about school and dolls. I glanced outside of the small opening that our log provided and saw that it was still bright outside. Probably around lunch time. Well, we have roughly eight hours to kill. Another story won't kill me.

"They met in high school. He said the moment that he saw her he knew she was meant to be his. He said she was so pretty but was always alone. He said he wanted to talk to her, and he wanted to approach her but when he learned she was from a rival pack he didn't. He was scared that her family would punish her if they found out she had been seen around him. Eventually he decided that he was willing to risk it." She starts. Her eyes sparkle with excitement and adoration. 

"What made him decide to tell you this story?" I ask letting my curiosity get the best of me. 

"I'm eight but I've had some crushes and he told me I shouldn't be with anyone unless it was someone very special." She explains. I shrug my shoulders indicating that I understand but am indifferent.  It's not uncommon for packs to intermingle. 

"Anyway, when he did finally approach her, he said that he knew she felt the same. They started doing everything at school together. They started sneaking around on neutral territory so they could spend more time together. He said eventually her dad found out and the next day that she came to school she had been hurt. Then eventually she disappeared." She said with a sorrowful look on her face. 

"Well did he ever find her?" I asked. 

"I don't think so. Vampire attacks started happening. Wolves started going missing and eventually every pack had a missing persons board. I know that she's on ours even though she isn't one of us. It makes me sad for him." She says.

I fiddle with my mask, making sure it's still firmly in place and that my suit still covers my hair. On the off set, I accidently got a whiff of her scent. 

"How many times has your pack been attacked?" I ask. 

"Hmm, I've been present for five, but they started right after my brother turned seventeen and that was six years ago." She said, cocking her head to the side. You could just see the gears turning in her little head. 

If she's seen five and she's only eight that means, there could have been ten or more. Why would a group of vampires attack a pack so much? Are they harboring humans? I mean that would be a logical explanation. Most vampires wouldn't target wolves for blood. Animal blood is an acquired taste. Do they have someone who has been gifted with some type of power? I mean it's rare, but it could happen. It just doesn't make sense. 

"Can you help us with the vampire problem?" She asks. I felt myself tense up. It's a loaded question. If I say no, I'm a heartless bitch. If I say yes, then I put myself at risk for being discovered. My aching throat reminds me how bad of an idea that could be. 

"My main priority is getting you home." I say brushing off her question. 

"Yeah, I'm ready to take a shower and eat some real food." She says pulling at her tangled, matted blonde hair. Then wipes at her dirt smeared face. 

Trust me she isn't the only person who wants to get some type of shower and eat some real food. A drop of ant blood sounds great now. 

"I told you traveling with me wasn't easy." I say with an edge of frustration. 

"I know and I am grateful for your help." She said, flashing me a bright smile. 

"Anyway, was that the end of your story? It seemed kind of vague." I ask. 

"Oh, no there is a lot more to the story but If you want to hear the rest you'll just have to stick around." She says sticking her tongue out at me. 

"You're a little shit you know that? Look, try to get some sleep, we have to travel tonight." I ordered. I hear a low growling sound but after a few minutes she does lay down.

I don't know what I am going to do. It's too bright outside for me to go hunting. If I try to really hunt at night, I risk exposing myself or risk her safety. I need to get her back home and make a run for it. I need to put as much distance between society and myself as possible. I don't do well around humans. Werewolves are our mortal enemies. I'm known for killing my own kind. 

Isolation is the only life that I know anymore, and I don't plan to give that up any time soon.