Snow Blood: Episode 6 ~ Kane EXCERPT

The Excerpt:

EPISODE Six
Kane

Scrawny pulled me by my collar from the oozing pile. I opened my eyes long enough to see into the depths of his.

If I cannot lead, then I will follow you. The one who has bested me is my master.

Selene's hands were soft on my head. "Stay still, Snow. Stay with us. Hang in there." She had a concerned tone to her voice.

I felt Brogio's strong hands on me as he silently pulled the sword from my side. The pain sliced through every nerve ending; blood spurted from my open wound. I could feel my body changing from demon to dog, making the pain even worse.

Scrawny moved closer and growled a warning.

I fought to stay conscious and reassure my fledgling child by invading his thoughts. It is all right. They are my pack. He is my master. They are trying to heal me.

I could see the battlefield from where I lay. Kane, who had continued to fight from the air above us, landed nearby and morphed back into human form. Realization spread across his face when he saw me on the ground. He dashed to me in a heartbeat. Examining me thoroughly, he bent and licked the inside and the outside of my gaping wound. The gush of blood ceased. The pain slowly calmed.

Brogio bit his wrist and force-fed me his blood. He lifted me from the ground, gently wrapped me in his arms, and carried me to the house, some one hundred yards away.

The screams from Apollo's dying army swirled around me. I felt myself fading into slumber. With my last thought before the darkness took me, I commanded Scrawny to obey Brogio until I returned. If I returned ...
*****
Selene's hand rested on my leg as she slept beside me. Light streamed through her bedroom window. I wondered how long I had gone into the darkness. Raising my head, I sniffed my shoulder and nibbled at my side where the wound had now disappeared. Not even a scar where Apollo's sword had pierced my flesh. Six pairs of golden eyes peered at me from the foot of the bed.

How long have I ...

Scrawny silently spoke to me. Two days, my Alpha. We have been by your side, as has the silver woman. His eyes shrewdly accessed Selene. You healed. We all healed. Are we invincible?

We can die, my children, but only by fire, or a wooden stake, or silver bullet through the heart. The stake must be made from a magical tree. I stood up on the bed and shook off sleep. Selene breathed softly and remained in slumber.

We are hungry. Their six voices sounded like petulant children cueing me to teach them what I knew. I tentatively climbed down from the bed. Cautious steps around the room assured me I was sound. My coven surrounded me, playfully nipping and wrestling with me on the floor. Then, I jumped up and ran out the door.

I'm feeling like myself again. Getting hungry too. Let's go hunting!

We hit the woods in our natural form and stalked our animal prey. I watched with pride as my young neophytes used the technique I had taught them to trap and take the blood from their prey. Scrawny, though not participating in my first lesson, appeared to have learned well from afar.

After gorging on wild boar, we sprawled under several large trees, and my mind turned to naming them.

I looked at Scrawny.

He snorted. I already know. Scrawny. Not much of a name, but so it is.

I barked my approval.

Next, my eyes fell on the large black wolf that I had thought would be their leader. His yellow eyes watched me expectantly. I shall call you "Chase." You appear to always be after something!

Chase sat up and barked. He fell over backwards and scratched his back on the acorns, leaves and branches underneath him.

I moved on to my lanky, tall, dark brown child. One ear always seemed to flop over when he relaxed, giving him a playful appearance. Before I could give him a name, he dashed and scooted around the trees, in and out. Then, he turned and chased his tail. Joker! I want to be Joker!

I barked my approval. So it shall be, Joker.

My large light brown wolf lay at the perimeter of our resting place. He reminded me of a guardian. You will be called Gaspar.

He turned to me and bowed his head in acceptance. I sensed he would be a valuable part of our pack.

One gray wolf lay nonchalantly asleep on the forest floor in a blood coma. I willed him to look at me. Shall I call you Sleeper?

Sleeper? No! I am like thunder in battle! Do you not remember?

I thought for a moment. Ah, yes. Then, you are Thor.

Thor jumped to his feet and went crashing through the woods, making enough noise to scare off any prey that might have been available.

Enough, Thor! I get it!

That left the final wolf. His multi-colored coat had highlights of black, brown, gray and even white fur. He was large and magnificent. The oldest of the pack, he was wise and had to have been a pack leader at one time. He sat back on his haunches and stared into my eyes. I answered him. You are Fergus.

Yes, you are wise.

So, Scrawny, Chase, Joker, Gaspar, Thor and Fergus – my progeny.

They all looked at me expectantly. You are our pack master. We are yours to command.

I thought it a heavy burden, indeed.
*****
We returned to the front of the house as darkness fell, just in time to see the vampire covens preparing to leave. The coven leaders mulled around Brogio and Kane. Hundreds of remaining bats hovered in the surrounding trees. The air smelled of their sadness at the loss of hundreds of their brethren. I could only imagine how each coven master suffered during the days I lay unconscious and healing at the loss of their progeny who had suffered the true death. Young as my children were to me, I could not bear the thought of losing even one of them.

Leander stopped squarely in front of Brogio and searched his Alpha's eyes. "Are you sure, Master, that you do not want us to all stay a few days more?" A blonde lock of hair fell over one eye.

"No, Apollo is immortal, but he knows now that Selene stood by me in battle against him. I sense that it will be some time before he returns to torture us again."

Leslie, Ian, Joseph and Alexander joined them. "We are hesitant to leave," Ian added. He threw a long slender arm around Leslie's waist and pulled her close to him.

Joseph stood back a bit, doing cartwheels around Alexander who laughed at the boy vampire's antics. Kane lingered around a tall red head, one of Leslie's coven. He leered at her with obvious intentions to mate her at the next opportunity.

"Snow Blood and his coven will take up guard during the day. Nothing that you could do in the sunlight anyway. Go home and take my undying appreciation for all that each of you has given to me."

He motioned to the two men who had driven us here so many weeks ago. They stood aside holding a cart that contained numerous bottles of wine. They moved forward, and Brogio handed several bottles to each coven leader. "Take these. They are the most treasured of my vintage. Salute those we have lost as you drink it, and think of my undying love for each of you."

Leslie grinned and pointed at Brogio "I think he wants us gone so that he can bed the silver one without interruption." Her fingers tip-toed up Ian's broad chest.

"Be gone, all of you!" Brogio smiled and waved his hand in the air.

The bats that lined the trees rose in the air and flew away. Folding their wine bottles inside their long coats, each coven leader turned and left a blurred trail behind them as they moved at vampire speed away from us. Brogio and Kane stood looking after them for a moment.

I sat staring at my Alpha, my thoughts lingering on Leslie's words.

Brogio turned to me with a questioning stare. "Do you have something to say, Snow Blood?"

I sat back on my haunches. I think it is time to make Selene your mate. Don't you?

He scowled at me, frustration oozing from his every pore, like blood dripping deliciously from an open vein. "Mind your own business, vamp dog!"

I took up a momentary flea chase on my left paw, ignoring his withering stare.

Kane, surmising my taunt from Brogio's outburst, sputtered with laughter and wandered off into the house.

My coven will rest now during the dark hours. I led my pack into the house, and we all took up the beds that had been installed for us. Each of my coven selected one of the beds placed around the den near mine. I was at once asleep, but dreams filled with Artemis' oily voice plagued me. "Soon, Snow Blood. We have a deal. Soon you will be mine."

 Snow Blood

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