Thought. Licked wound, pressing deep with tongue, until all blood was gone. Stake was still there. Rose on haunches and pressed jaw to Edmund belly. Gripped stake in killing teeth. Pulled stake. Dead flesh made sucking sound, as if trying to hold stake. Stake came free and Beastbacked away, teeth in wood. Stake had Edmund blood on it.Good blood.Sat and held bloody stake in paws, licked. Was good. Beast shivered and was no longer cold. Licked all blood off stake.
Looked up at new smell of vampires. Shadows walked and stopped at opening between human-dead-place-buildings. Knew shadows of vampires. Snarled.My stake!
“Allors,”Leo said.“Jusqu’à present. Je ne le crois pas.”
“Is that a stake?” Grégoire asked, pointing killing claw, what Jane called sword, at Beast.
Beast snarled again and let stake fall. But did not attack vampires. Felt good. Felt warm.
“Indeed it is,” Leo said. “Was she eating him?”
Grégoire waved tip of sword at Beast and walked nearer.
Beast showed killing teeth. Growled. But vampire was not afraid. Laughed at Beast. Was bigger predator. Pressed Beast belly to ground. Beast backed slowly into darkness. Stayed down, smelling blood. Was blood on paws and pelt. When vampires did not follow, Beast stopped. Groomed paws with tongue. Was good blood. Beast felt warmer and warmer.
Watched as small, paler vampire knelt at side of Edmund, dead vampire. Deader vampire. Beast chuffed with amusement.Deader vampire.
“This shall be an interesting story, no doubt,” said Grégoire.
Beast chuffed again. Felt good. Liked good vampire blood. Wanted more.
“We need to feed him, my friend.”
“His master should feed him.”
“His master is a puma.” Grégoire made sound like laughter. “I fear she is more inclined to eat him than to save him.”
Good vampire blood. Dead vampire meat.
Jane came awake inside Beast, beta to Beast’s alpha.Holy crap,Jane thought.Are you... drunk?
Am warm. Can eat vampire meat?
No!
Snarled.Jane is not good to Beast. Will not let Beast hunt cow in Edmund car. Will not let Beast eat Edmund.
What? Never mind. Back away.
Beast snorted in disgust. Backed deep into darker shadows.
“Merci, Jane,” Leo said.
Not Jane. Beast. Like vampire blood. Made Beast warm.
You were cold?
Was sick.
Jane went silent, thinking hard human thoughts. Beast did not listen. Jane was beta.
Leo dropped to knees beside Edmund. Held out wrist to Grégoire sword. Small pale vampire flicked point of steel over Leo skin in fast, killing strike with steel killing-claw. But cut only wrist. Sword pointed back at Beast. Good smell of vampire blood filled small space. Leo dribbled blood into Edmund mouth. Dribbled blood over stake wound. Smeared blood onto wound with fingers and stuck finger into wound.
Mosquitoes flew into space between small human-dead-places. Bats flew in. Leo made Grégoire cut wrist again and fed Edmund. Beast wanted to taste Leo blood, but Grégoire sword was pointed at Beast. Big steel killing claw. Was good hunter.
I don’t have my gobag,Jane thought.
Beast sent Jane vision of Jane waking up in mud, smell of catfish all over her.
