I alter my path home to take me past a nearby creek. I stop by the stream and let my body become immaterial as I focus on separating my body and clothing from the remaining blood that covers it. I lay down in the water without making a single ripple and let the stream wash away the remaining red dust. Vampires are shit at tracking, but wolves are another story. If they bring in a werewolf to find me, it could be troublesome. Getting rid of the blood should help, but the stream will help more. Wolves have trouble tracking over bodies of water. I stand back up. I’m still dry, but the blood is all gone. Just to be on the safe side, I remain intangible and I walk up the stream bed for a good fifteen minutes before exiting on the opposite bank and heading home.
When I climb back through my bedroom window it’s half past eight. I change into comfortable clothes. My mom and dad are out in the living room watching some alien conspiracy documentary. My mom is crazy as shit and believes every word of it, but I suppose there are worse things she could be interested in, like reality television. My dad is a research biologist and is currently arguing with her over whether or not the sources used in the show are credible.
In each of their lower abdomens is a tiny white light. Hardly any energy passes through their bodies. Human. Nobody in my family knows about me. That’s a big part of the reason why I’m so concerned with covering my tracks. Naturally, I don’t want to get caught, but I couldn’t bear it if my family ended up suffering because of my activities. I want to keep them as far away from the supernatural as possible. Putting an end to the recruitment will be a big step towards that.
I’m still feeling all warm and comfortable from all the energy that I absorbed, so I head to bed. I still need to sleep, after all. I fall asleep to the sound of sirens. Seems like tomorrow will be interesting.
By the time that I arrive at school, the news has already spread. One of our students, a vampire, was murdered last night along with a large portion of her clan. Rumors run rampant, and it seems like nobody knows exactly what happened. Students are permitted to skip class if they want to attend grief counseling, but most students don’t know how to react. Many didn’t even realize that Savannah wasn’t human. Should they be sad that one of their classmates was butchered, or relieved that a potential predator was removed from their surroundings.
During third period calculus class, my phone starts to vibrate silently and I excuse myself from the room. I check the caller ID. Sure enough. It’s him.
“‘Keep your numbers down or we’ll do it for you. There is only one punishment for forgetting the old ways.’ -Ossian,” a deep, lazy voice rings out, quoting yesterday’s message that I left for the Waverly Clan.
“Who said you could call this number? It’s the middle of the day,” I demand.
“Who said you could slaughter a mansion full of vampires and issue a declaration of war on the behalf of the organization?” the voice asks in return.
“I was personally invited to join them, Fionn. It couldn’t be helped,” I explain.
“I see, I see,” he continues. “I guess I can’t fault you if they provoke you directly. At the very least, it got you to take action for the first time in two years, so I guess I should be thankful.”
“You’re surprisingly accepting of this,” I assert. “I thought you’d be a little more angry.”
“Well that depends. Was this a one time deal or are you back for good? I can’t have you showing up out of nowhere and disappearing again, and I don’t have the time right now to take on your role as well as my own. You understand this right? You signed your old name on that wall. That’s put a lot of powerful people on edge. You need to stick around this time to see things through,” he exhorts.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m sick of this recruitment bullshit. Let’s put an end to it,” I affirm.
“You know if you had stuck around properly last time, this might have been avoided completely,” he says in an admonishing tone.
“Nope. Not completely. That damn sports star still made a damn fool of himself and outed his race to the world. The only way we could have prevented that is by being so terrifying that he’d rather kill himself than tell the truth, and that’s not my job. That’s a job for the higher ups like you. Besides, that was in a completely different region. Not my territory.” I protest.
“Maybe so,” he concedes. “But this region could have been far more controlled if we had an Executor on hand.”
“Couldn’t you have done something about it?” I ask.
“What gives you the idea that I have all this time for field work?” he asks in return. “You know I have other responsibilities. Besides, I have been acting. You were our only rank III in this region. Before the hiatus, I had been playing the role of three rank IVs so that people didn’t suspect how meager our numbers are on top of my rank II management duties.”
I whistle in appreciation. “Sounds like you were busy.”
“No kidding,” he says in an annoyed tone. “You’ve got some making up to do.”
“I know,” I say seriously. “I’m here to help.”
“Good!” he exclaims. “We begin today!” Typical Fionn. I guess there’s no rest for the wicked. “Ever since last night, the various supernatural powers in the city have been trying to decide what to do about the recruitment. Do they concede to the authority of the Wraiths, or do they try to amass enough power to usurp us? The witches aren’t an issue. They’ve been obeying the old ways from the start anyways. They’re probably laughing while they watch the others scramble. The vampires are definitely shaken. The Waverly clan is pissed and they want revenge, but the others are putting a temporary hold on any recruitment while they assess the situation. The werewolves are responding exactly as you’d imagine. Apparently, this is the Era of the Wolf! It’s time for them to rise up and become the overlords of the supernatural realm and wrest control away from the Wraiths. They’re boosting their recruitment by tenfold. Previously they had only been accepting those with exceptional athletic abilities and loyalty. Many of these are either street thugs, or talented athletes from different athletic organizations around town. Now they’re set on converting entire gangs and organizations. Naturally, this can’t be allowed. Starting this afternoon, the Alphas of the two different packs in town are going to start making a pilgrimages to the different teams where they hold presence, and convert as many as possible.”
I can see where he’s heading. In order for a human to become a werewolf, they need to accept a wound from an Alpha and then make a vow of loyalty. This means that werewolves can be created without the consent of the human. As long as they’re attacked by an alpha they can be pressured into making a vow, especially if people they’re already familiar with are already part of the pack. If we take out the Alpha though, that won’t be possible. In the event that an Alpha is killed, a new Alpha is picked through a sort of popularity contest. However though, this popularity contest often involves lengthy, bloody, and often fatal battles between opposing factions.
These kind of power struggles can last months or even years. If both Alphas are killed at the same time, things might become even more intense as wolves from different packs start to mix. At the very least, until a new Alpha is chosen, it’ll put an immediate stop to recruitment. It’s a good plan.
“So am I taking them both, or are we splitting the work,” I ask.
“Splitting,” Fionn explains. “I want them both killed simultaneously so there’s no danger of one pack’s disorder alerting the other.”
“Sounds good. I have school now though, and all my equipment is at home. When and where are we doing this?” I ask.
“That’s fine,” he says. “I don’t have the schedule yet, but they won’t be able to get any of the teams together until later. Most adult teams won’t meet until after work. The soonest they’ll be able to start is by going around to the different high schools under their control after school. You should have plenty of time to run home and grab your gear. Do you know which pack’s territory your school is in?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I respond. “It’s Gremor’s pack.”
“Okay.” he says, pausing to think. “Let’s do things this way. I’ll drop off your gear in your locker at school. Don’t worry I’ll do it discretely. I’ll even bring your old uniform so we can do this officially. I’ll message you the schedule as soon as I get it. Gremor Pack’s Alpha will probably be closest to you so I’ll let you take care of that. Head to their first location immediately once you get out of school. I’ll go after Yates’ pack. Don’t forget that this isn’t a battle you can win with strength. You’re gonna have to think this one through.”
“I know, I know. I’m not that rusty,” I chide.
“I’m not calling you rusty. This is the first time you’ve gone after an Alpha. They’re not like the rest. Although their regeneration is pretty negligible when exposed to silver, their bones are like steel. Breaking through the ribs to get to the core in their heart is easier said than done, and you’ve gotta do it quickly. I don’t want this to be a fight with the entire pack. I want an assassination. Nice and clean. Don’t draw this out,” Fionn urged.
“I’m already forming a plan,” I insist. “I know better than to underestimate the Alpha, especially when you’re this serious.” If the Alpha’s bones are strong as steel, and I don’t have time to chip away at it, there’s really only one way to go about this. It shouldn’t be too difficult.
“That’s my protege!” he proclaims. “Knock ‘em dead,” he adds, chuckling to himself. I roll my eyes. Before ending the call, I tell him about the small stash of vampire cores I have hidden in my room and ask him to take them and pawn them off to the witches. He agrees and I head back to class.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The day passes in a blur. Around noon Fionn messages me with the location. Another high school several minutes away has the honor of going first. We decide to carry out the execution at exactly 3:30. I’ll be heading over as soon as school gets out. My sister also messages me, asking if she can talk to me about something. Probably boys. I spend the rest of the day thinking through potential scenarios. My last class of the day is a mandatory study hall. I excuse myself early and head to my locker. I leave my backpack where it hangs, grab a new bag off of the bottom shelf, and go to the restroom to get changed.
Inside of the bag are my familiar spiked gloves, a pair of black siver-toed combat boots, a pair of loose charcoal grey trousers, a matching charcoal turtleneck, and a pale-grey, hooded, military-looking overcoat. On the left breast of the coat is a crest depicting an armored fist clutching olive branches with a crown atop it. On the right shoulder is an emblem of a skull atop three chevrons, indicating my rank and primary role. The sleeves of the coat ended where they met the gloves and were attached with a series of straps and buckles. I pull the turtleneck up to cover the bottom part of my face.
Looking in the mirror of the empty bathroom, almost all of my features are obscured. A few tufts of my hair stick out from the hood. Pulling back the hood for a better view, my hair evaporates into smoke and reforms in a shaggy black men’s hairstyle. Turning my torso to smoke, I flatten my already meager chest for good measure. I put the hood back up. This time, I am completely unrecognizable.
Before leaving the bathroom, I make myself not only immaterial, but invisible. As the final bell rings, I exit the building, passing directly through the mass of students.
It takes me under ten minutes to reach the target school. By the time I get there, the pack has already arrived. From snippets of conversations between the students of this school, I have gathered that the pack is gathered in the gymnasium with twenty or so student athletes.
I manage to reach the gym before the Alpha has started. It’s still only 3:28. The Alpha, Jeffrey Gremor, is standing near one wall flanked by subordinates. The crowd of students are gathered before him and surrounded by other members of the pack, including what appear to be a few students of this school. Still invisible, I circled around Gremor to stand just by his side. He is talking to the students about how joining the pack will benefit them and the unity that comes from pack life. It’s too late though. I stick my silver retainer in my mouth. It’s 3:30.
I step out in front of him, re-materializing, as I reach my arms around his massive frame. Leaping, I dig my fingers into his flesh for a firm grip and bite viciously into his neck. I barely get any energy out before the fight begins.
Gremor flails wildly, trying to detach me, but my body turns to smoke wherever he grabs. One of the lackeys to his side eyes the open target of my back. Pulling an arm back, he punches toward my spine with all of his force, not realizing the consequences. The fist passes directly through me and into the Alpha’s chest. I grin as I hear a snapping noise. Why use your own strength when you can use someone else’s? I know well enough how stupidly strong werewolves are.
The lackey reels back as he realizes what he’s done. Inside the Alpha’s body, energy rushes towards his breast to begin healing. I detach one silver-thorned hand from his side and pull it back in a blade hand. Like lightning, it strikes forward and sinks into his chest. I can feel the shattered ribs scrape against my armored wrist as I reach my fingers around his heart, slipping them between the pulsing arteries. Gremor screams. Grabbing firmly, I pull. The entire heart is ripped out of the hole in his chest. In my eyes, it shines with a brilliant golden light.
The Alpha falls to his knees as his pack mates continue to rush towards him. By the time he hits the ground though, I have already disappeared. I casually stroll out of the gymnasium, heart in hand, invisible to the countless eyes that flash around, wildly trying to catch a glimpse of me. On a wall just outside the gym, I scrawl another message before leaving.
"Good dogs should obey their masters. -Ossian"
It won't make me many friends, but that's not what I'm here for.
I repeat the same process as I did the night before and head towards a nearby stream. I cut open the heart to reveal a glowing golden gemstone embedded in the septum and remove it. It's a gorgeous core, and the energy quality is phenomenal. I’ll absorb it later unless Fionn has plans for it. Discarding the pulpy heart and eliminating the blood from my body, I cross the creek and head home.
I return to the school and change back into my old clothes. Checking my mobile phone, which I had left, I see three missed calls. Two from my sister and one from Fionn. I decide to call Fionn back first. He answers and praises me earnestly. Apparently, the news of my job had already reached him. Fionn, being much stronger than me, had punched through Yates’ chest himself to grab the core. He was surprised to hear about how I had used the other werewolves in my attack. I ask him if he wants the core from my Alpha but he declines and tells me to absorb it. I stick it in my chest. It feels fantastic.
“Have you done anything with the vampire cores yet?” I ask.
“Not really,” he replies. “I contacted one of the covens though and they’re interested. They say they’ll buy as many as they can afford and that it comes down to our price. I told them they’d be 10K apiece for the average ones and 50K for the ones that you saturated with energy. They seemed pretty happy with that so we’ll see how much cash they can scrape together. I’m guessing they’ll take at least four or five of the weak ones off our hands. After that, I’ll contact the other covens.”
“Sounds good,” I say. I end the call quickly and head home. On the way back to my house, I hear bits and pieces of rumors concerning this afternoon’s assassinations from passerby. It feels nice to know what kind of an impact we’re having. I didn’t think getting back to work would be this rewarding. I mean, I’ve even gotten three new cores for myself in under 24 hours. The warmth of the new energy courses through my body with a refreshing vigor.
As I approach my house, my heart drops as I notice something and break into a sprint. There are two energy signatures in my house and they’re red. What are vampires doing inside my living room? I run around the back of my house and enter through one of the walls. I remain invisible and immaterial as I wander towards the living room, not making a sound. As the living room enters my sight, I drop to the floor. My stomach churns. How could I let this happen? How could I have been so CARELESS?!
Just like everyday, the TV is on in my living room. Just like everyday, my sister is in front of it, only this time, crimson energy dances through her body, fighting a few remaining streams of white energy as she lies unconscious on the floor. My little sister made the change.
WHY?! WHICH GROUP OF THE BASTARDS DID THIS TO MY KID SISTER? Is this what she wanted to talk to me about? Why couldn’t I have just listened to her? I was so caught up in my crusade that I didn’t even notice that the enemies were encroaching on my family. I couldn’t even make time for the one I care about the most. I’m the worst. What do I do?
A boy who looks about her age sits next to her. As he turns his head to look at her, I catch a glimpse of his face. DAMN IT! I curse loudly to myself as I recognize him. He’s a Waverly, and not just any. He’s one of the main family’s sons. He’s a trueblood vampire who was born within the race. These types are the most powerful.
Why is he here though? It can’t be because they know about me. The Waverlies must have stepped up their recruitment as well and coincidentally recruited my only younger sibling. What are the odds?
Normally I would just kill the group that recruited her, but this isn’t Savannah. This isn’t some random classmate; it’s my kid sister. I certainly can’t kill her, and killing the ones that made her this way would only hurt her. What are our parents going to think? I can’t just live normally with her either. This is the epitome of what I am trying to destroy. I can’t tolerate it. FUCK.
I can’t stay with my sister. I can’t stay in this house.
My mind swells with ideas as I try to find some way to reverse what’s been done. Is there some way that I can replace her core with a human one? No. Ten times out of ten that would kill her. Is there some way I can purify her energy? No. It would be continuously tainted by her core. What’s left? I could change her further. Change her into one of us. And what? Turn her into a butcher like me? I can’t do that either. Damn it. DAMN IT! There has to be some kind of cure…
Shit! My eyes snap open. A cure! Fionn mentioned it once in passing. He knows of a cure! I need to get to Fionn.
I quickly flee the house. My mind in shambles, I race towards Fionn’s place.
~~~
AN: This one is a little bit later than I'd have liked due to exams and such. Let me know what you think, and if you spot any errors, please let me know. Thanks for giving this a read! Any input helps.