The Hollow Moon (Downworlder Series, #2)

Chapter Two: The Rat's Hole

This was the only way, I thought to myself as I tracked back towards the mongrel who had pulled me from the garbage. I had walked away too soon, a little extra thought about my situation had me realizing I should have stuck beside her despite my urge to tear out her throat every time she spoke.

The mongrel would provide me with the cover that I needed to lick my wounds and plan my next move in safety. If I stayed out in the open right now I was sure someone would recognize me and hand me over to Octavia or worse, the fucking dragon lady who had laid waste to my territory just like the little mouse had said. I would deal with the two of them eventually but I would need more than I had currently to do that.

I sniffed at the air in annoyance as I shuffled along, my body longing to rest.

A couple of regbloods looked in my direction as I turned down another alley, the fire from their garbage can casting shadows over their face. They were looking at me the way I looked at mongrels, easy pickings. Except I was anything but. I felt my wolf churn with excitement, helping to ease the tiredness of my battered bones. He had been craving blood since he had been denied the killing of not one, but two mongrels now in the past twenty four hours.

I would satisfy his hunger and mine, then I would find the mongrel's hideout. Hell, maybe killing a couple of these rats now would help keep me from killing the irritating little mongrel tonight. Flapping butterfly wings and all that.

The idiot closest to me was the first and only to make the mistake of challenging me. He gave a growl as he rushed me. I let him come, smiling to myself, knowing I was going to enjoy what was coming a lot more than him.

Before the rat could react I had him pinned to the wall by his throat. Menace and dominance dripping off of me, causing his eyes to widen and the sour stench of fear to clog my nose. This was the familiar reaction that I had been longing for. I snarled at him, flashing my elongated canines. He had thought I was easy prey. He obviously never heard the one about not judging a book by it's cover. I may have looked and felt like shit, but I was far from weak.

"It takes a thousand pounds of torque to snap a neck. Last time I made only nine hundred. Botched it and the guy was a vegetable. Had to finish him off the regular way. Slowly slicing his body from groin to throat." My sharp claw cut the idiot's shirt open as I trailed the line from his belt buckle to neck. "I then removed his organs. Made quite the art piece with him." I shivered with delight at the memory.

"Now, I pose a question for you. Should I aim to go for the thousand pounds of torque I require to snap your neck or will you get on your on your knees and grovel for me to spare your life?" I asked pleasantly as I let him go. He looked pale as he came over and blinked at me rapidly. "I said on your knees!" I kicked the man in his knee, sending him sprawling on the ground in front of me.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He scrambled to his knees and shuffled towards me, "I'm so sorry. Never happen again! I promise." The rest of his friends had retreated into their holes. Sensing a more dangerous predator was in their territory. Smart animals.

I stared down at him, my wolf chomping at the bit for the blood he knew I would give him. I liked my games, the beast put up with them even though he didn't care for them. He was much more straight-forward in his tactics, "You're pathetic cries for mercy have moved me..." He seemed to relax. I stepped around him, smiling to myself.

This rat wasn't anything special. People should really have been thanking me for all the trouble I had been going through to rid the world of it's filth. I stood behind him, grinning. I reached for him quickly, enjoying the sickening crack of his neck, "Looks like I do have enough torque."

I staggered off in the direction of the mongrel's scent, she must have lived close by because the scent hung heavier in the air. I turned onto a main street, walking past a couple of prostitutes on the corner, the smell of chemicals clinging to them. I showed them my teeth and that seemed to be enough to keep them from bothering me as I hauled myself up a small stoop and into a rundown looking apartment building.