Three days.

It’s been three days since they’ve locked me up in this steel-enforced cage of theirs. I appreciate the effort. No, really. But if I wanted, I could come out and murder each in their sleep. This cage had only given me time to practice with my strength and powers and yes I was hungry. They were late with dinner. I no longer ate regular food. That had been prohibited from me. Instead, I was on a blood diet and ate whatever soul they gave me to eat that day. It only strengthened me more, the blood. I could eat regular food just fine, but as no one knew what I was, I was given a Houl’s diet. It was enough to sustain me for now.

I touched my wound and smirked. Each time I drank blood it healed more. By now I was staring at new skin. It was still tender to the touch, but it was almost completely healed. I’d also gained a teeny bit of height and muscle certainly nothing to cry home about but everything helped right now. The sound of footsteps on the paved hallway. Clack, Clack, Clack! I knew them anywhere. Cherise, the woman who had spoken to me before, three days ago, was bringing me a snack. Finally!

She opened the gate from the top and honestly, I could jump that. It wasn’t far. She slid the tied human through the feeding hole and left when they dropped.

“OOF!” cried a familiar voice. I undid the mask and sighed both in relief and frustration. I couldn’t eat this human.

“Please don’t eat me!” cried Donny scootching across the floor like an inchworm and trying to undo the rope that bound him like a hog. I raked my hair back and noticed its length. Seemed it had done a bit of growing too. I approached the boy who was quaking in fear and decided to play with my decidedly undinner.

“Why not?” I cackled hiding in the shadows.

Donny cried big fat alligator tears. “I-I c-can f-free y-you? Y-yeah I-I can f-free y-you and you c-can e-eat everyone t-then.”

I perked up and grinned showing some fang. “Even the kids?”

“T-There a-aren’t any l-left after the H-Houl a-attack.”

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I tisked. “That’s too bad. No deal.” I came closer and Donny growled.

“Well you’ll have to EAT someone else ’cause this bad boy is getting outta here!” he said whacking me with something and laying me flat.

I laughed. “Cool it hotshot or I won’t let you fly my ship again.”

Donny straightened and shone a light my way. It had been a flashlight that had hit me.

“Matt?”

I stood, rubbing the bump on my head. “The one and only. Boy, you’ve got an arm.”

“Matt!” he yelled rushing me and knocking us both on our behinds. He blubbered in my arms as I held him and I rolled my eyes.

“Donny, come on,” I muttered trying to pry the leech from me.

“You are starting to look tempting to me and I’m hungry,” I said. Quick as a flash Donny was on his feet staring down at me.

“You’ll eat a friend?”

“If you annoy me enough,” I said standing again and flicking my hair.

“Haha oh screw you, Matt,” he said watching me warily as I stood and approached the dark corner. I glanced at the emaciated cadaver of the young male they had given me earlier. They were all young and I wondered why. The faster I got Donny free, the faster we could find Andromeda, and flee this wretched place. I was still hungry. I smirked. Well, I knew how to get some food I just hoped poor Donny could withstand this.

My guard was near. I threw the emancipated cadaver at the steel bars. Bang! Bang! Bang! I smashed the dead again and again against the bars their hollow bones ringing like bells. Donny jumped a foot in the air and I made the quiet sign and told him to hide in the shadows. I didn’t tell him he would meet Cal and James tho and hoped he was quiet enough. Sam was about to join them.

“What do you want, Houl?” came the soft tenor of my guard. It was a shame I had to eat. He was a nice guy all things given.

I quirked my finger in a come hither gesture and smiled pointing at the entrance to my cage. The moron locked in my Houlish trance, opened the door and I slipped a hand to his throat dragging his compliant ass down to me. I stared at his cloudy eyes and sighed before reeling back and piercing his neck with my incisors. It was all routine now. I quickly fed, watching as his form emaciated quickly into that of an old geezer. From the shadows, I heard someone throwing up and I rolled my eyes. I dropped the corpse and licked off the blood from my lips.

“Mmm, someone does recreational therapy,” I muttered turning to Donny who was shaking in terror.

“I won’t eat you, Donny. Let’s go,” I said pointing to the open cage door. I could jump it. Donny couldn’t. Before he could scream I picked him up in a rucksack carry and jumped through the cage entrance squatting as I touched the cave door and shut it behind me. I leveled Donny to the floor who was quacking in my arms.

“Oh for Pete’s sake I said I won’t eat you,” I said grumbling as Donny struggled to stay standing.

“Y-You ATE t-that g-guard!”

“We needed to escape and I was hungry. He seemed like a good candidate at the time.”

“I-I s-saw! Y-You e-enjoyed t-that!”

I turned to him. “Would you enjoy food when you are hungry?”

He nodded.

“Then?” I gestured to me. “I’m being treated like a monster for eating a different diet. Besides that’s all I’m being fed right now. Food has been absent for three days. Treat me like a monster and I shall be your worst nightmare. Now where is Andromeda?”

Donny’s eyes darkened. “The leader has her. She’s been trying to charm her all this time to join, but Andy isn’t impressed. She wants to find your remains….” He glanced at me. “Except you aren’t dead.”

“No, I’m not. Donny? You haven’t seen a real monster yet,” I said smirking as we walked further into the cave system. I couldn’t wait to hold Andromeda again, but would she see a monster or a man? A very pissed-off man?