Queen of Darkness

Chapter 23 - Part of the pack

Chapter 23 - Part of the pack

I vaguely recalled my dream where someone encouraged me to take a drink and keep drinking. I didn't focus much on the person per-say or on the act of forcing myself to drink, but the taste of blood was very real.

I woke, feeling slightly better only to realise that it was in fact no dream because I could still taste the blood on my lips.

Morning was breaking and I was lying next to a camp fire that had been burning for some time because there were only a few glowing Amber's left smouldering.

As I looked around I saw Joshua sleeping on the ground on the opposite side of the fire, and Shadow was sitting on a log near me.

Of cause they wouldn't just let me be, what was I thinking? He was too bloody stubborn for that.

Shadow: "How are you feeling?"

Me: "I'm fine,... why did you follow me? "

Shadow: "You are in no state to run off. But I have to give it to you vampire, even injured you made good distance and left minimal tracks. It took us a good 6 hours to find you."

I guess coming from a werewolf that was supposed to be some kind of compliment but I didn't really care.

Me: "Who's blood did you give me?"

Shadow: "Mine... and Joshua's, but don't worry you didn't bite anyone against their will. We cut ourselves and collected the blood in a cup, I had to basically force it down your throat because you didn't want to drink."

Me: "What about your werewolf rules, no giving blood to a vampire?"

Shadow: "You never bit either of us, or any unwilling human, so technically there's no proof we gave you blood"

Me: "I don't understand your willingness or should I say eagerness to save me"

Shadow: "I don't think I understand it myself, to be honest. There's just something about you... I don't know what it is."

We fell silent for a while, before I decided to take the opportunity to learn more about him.

Me: "Why do the call you Shadow?... It's a strange name to have."

Shadow: "Because that's how I move, like a shadow... The enemy doesn't see me coming.

Some of us are given nick names that expresses our wolf side, it's an extension of one's personality, and it normally gets given to us by the pack leader after we return from our first battle.

It also depends on the person, some werewolves don't have that something special that jumps out at you when you see then, some just choose not to use nicknames. Because I'm the alpha and want to keep up tradition I stuck with the nickname my father gave me."

Me: "What about Joshua, does he have a nickname?"

Shadow: "No... Josh is just... Josh."

Me: "I've heard some people calling Mary 'Wildflower', I take it that's her name? She's always around you, is she your wife or something?"

Shadow gave an amused snort "Oh hell no! She is exactly like her name states, she may be pretty as a flower but she's a wild one. I feel sorry for the wolf that thinks he can tame that one.

I'm aware she may be harboring some feelings towards me but I've made it ample clear to her I'm not interested"

I was feeling stronger and healthier but Shadow didn't want to return to the estate just yet. He figured that I would need their blood a few more times, before I was strong enough and they couldn't be seen cutting them self to provide me with blood and therefore decided we camp out for two more days.