man,” he said with pride. “We’re called Specius Vampirata. The humans call us ‘vampires.’
Melina let out a shriek of fear as Raya leaped in front of Petra: all of which happened as Cilla stood transfixed next to the couch in complete confusion.
“What’s a vampire?” she asked.
“We feed on blood and we don’t die, for the short version. I have no more energy,” Joseph said apologetically.
“Damn bloodsuckers,” Raya spat. “I thought your kind was long gone.”
“We harm no one,” Joseph said. “We only feed on each other. I’d have thought your kind would know that.”
“That’s not always true! I had a friend killed by a vampire,” Raya said with fury.
“Must have been at birth, then. The only time we can feed on humans.”
“Excuse me,” Cilla said. “How much blood do you need?”
“About half a cup,” Joseph said, and it was apparent he’d said all he was able to. He fell all the way onto his back and closed his eyes.
Cilla sighed. “All right. What do I do?”
“No,” Joseph whispered. “Not like this. Not unwillingly. It’s special between us, the act of feeding. It should never be done with an unwilling participant.”
“You don’t look too good, though,” she said.
“I’m not, but that doesn’t matter,” he said.
“Yes, it does. Come on, tell me. I don’t mind. I can’t stand the thought of not helping someone who’s as sick as you.” She went and sat on the edge of the couch. “Here I am. Go ahead.”
He wheezed a laugh. “Never have I had such a welcoming offer! If you’re certain, then please hold your wrist to my lips. I’m afraid I can’t move, myself.”
Cilla obligingly held out her wrist to the old man’s dried-up lips. He lifted his head slightly, opened his mouth and bit. She squeaked, but then fell silent, her eyes widening.
For several moments, the room was completely silent as the old man fed. Cilla noticed first. “Holy shit, look at him!”
Petra stood and moved around the girl to get a better look.
“This is impossible,” she whispered, in shock.
The old man wasn’t old anymore – not by a long shot.
Chapter Seven
Melina’s living room was a scene of absolute bedlam. Raya was shouting in disbelief, Petra was nearly on top of Joseph, poking and prodding his muscled chest. Cilla was crying with delight, while Joseph himself just stood in the midst of it all and grinned.
Raya’s phone rang. Instinctively, he patted down his pockets, but of course, he didn’t find it. He looked down in dismay at the borrowed clothes that he wore and wondered where the ringing was coming from. Suddenly, Cilla snapped out of her bewilderment and dug into her pocket, producing the instrument and handing it to him apologetically.
He pressed the green button, put the instrument to his ear and listened. He grunted and hung up.
“Shit. A friend of mine in the customs department at La Guardia Airport says that a bunch of known Rats flew in three days ago. Four of their lead guys arrived Friday. USCIS lost track of them; no one knows where any of them are at the moment.”
“What are Rats?” Petra wondered.
“A bad pack out of Europe,” Raya informed her. “Not a normal pack, either. It ranges from twenty members to over a hundred.” At her puzzled glance, he added, “Normal packs have eight members.”
“What do you mean by ‘bad’?” Melina wondered.
“Mercenaries. They sell their services to kill and rob, for starters.”
“You think they’re coming after your pack?” Melina asked.
“Actually, I have no doubt about that.”
“But why? If they’re so large, and your pack has the required 8 members… I don’t get it.”
Raya cleared his throat.
“Well, that’s true about Pack Lupein, my pack. But there’s another consideration. I am the Trans-Alpha: I rule over all of wolfdom. All packs.”
“Didn’t know I was in the presence of royalty,” Melina cracked.
“Which explains why you haven’t
Melina let out a shriek of fear as Raya leaped in front of Petra: all of which happened as Cilla stood transfixed next to the couch in complete confusion.
“What’s a vampire?” she asked.
“We feed on blood and we don’t die, for the short version. I have no more energy,” Joseph said apologetically.
“Damn bloodsuckers,” Raya spat. “I thought your kind was long gone.”
“We harm no one,” Joseph said. “We only feed on each other. I’d have thought your kind would know that.”
“That’s not always true! I had a friend killed by a vampire,” Raya said with fury.
“Must have been at birth, then. The only time we can feed on humans.”
“Excuse me,” Cilla said. “How much blood do you need?”
“About half a cup,” Joseph said, and it was apparent he’d said all he was able to. He fell all the way onto his back and closed his eyes.
Cilla sighed. “All right. What do I do?”
“No,” Joseph whispered. “Not like this. Not unwillingly. It’s special between us, the act of feeding. It should never be done with an unwilling participant.”
“You don’t look too good, though,” she said.
“I’m not, but that doesn’t matter,” he said.
“Yes, it does. Come on, tell me. I don’t mind. I can’t stand the thought of not helping someone who’s as sick as you.” She went and sat on the edge of the couch. “Here I am. Go ahead.”
He wheezed a laugh. “Never have I had such a welcoming offer! If you’re certain, then please hold your wrist to my lips. I’m afraid I can’t move, myself.”
Cilla obligingly held out her wrist to the old man’s dried-up lips. He lifted his head slightly, opened his mouth and bit. She squeaked, but then fell silent, her eyes widening.
For several moments, the room was completely silent as the old man fed. Cilla noticed first. “Holy shit, look at him!”
Petra stood and moved around the girl to get a better look.
“This is impossible,” she whispered, in shock.
The old man wasn’t old anymore – not by a long shot.
Chapter Seven
Melina’s living room was a scene of absolute bedlam. Raya was shouting in disbelief, Petra was nearly on top of Joseph, poking and prodding his muscled chest. Cilla was crying with delight, while Joseph himself just stood in the midst of it all and grinned.
Raya’s phone rang. Instinctively, he patted down his pockets, but of course, he didn’t find it. He looked down in dismay at the borrowed clothes that he wore and wondered where the ringing was coming from. Suddenly, Cilla snapped out of her bewilderment and dug into her pocket, producing the instrument and handing it to him apologetically.
He pressed the green button, put the instrument to his ear and listened. He grunted and hung up.
“Shit. A friend of mine in the customs department at La Guardia Airport says that a bunch of known Rats flew in three days ago. Four of their lead guys arrived Friday. USCIS lost track of them; no one knows where any of them are at the moment.”
“What are Rats?” Petra wondered.
“A bad pack out of Europe,” Raya informed her. “Not a normal pack, either. It ranges from twenty members to over a hundred.” At her puzzled glance, he added, “Normal packs have eight members.”
“What do you mean by ‘bad’?” Melina wondered.
“Mercenaries. They sell their services to kill and rob, for starters.”
“You think they’re coming after your pack?” Melina asked.
“Actually, I have no doubt about that.”
“But why? If they’re so large, and your pack has the required 8 members… I don’t get it.”
Raya cleared his throat.
“Well, that’s true about Pack Lupein, my pack. But there’s another consideration. I am the Trans-Alpha: I rule over all of wolfdom. All packs.”
“Didn’t know I was in the presence of royalty,” Melina cracked.
“Which explains why you haven’t
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