The Monster Among Us

Willow.

“It’s Vlad.” Lennard said.

Everyone turned toward the man standing near the entrance to the hall.

Vlad was one of the college instructors. He occasionally taught advanced combat theory to the younger wolves. He was a quiet and reserved man so I was shocked that a responsible college instructor could do such a thing.

Or maybe Lennard was lying. But why would he lie to save me when I’d never said more than a simple “hi” to him?

Vlad slowly looked at Lennard. After a few seconds, he laughed the way evil villains do. “Hahahaha!”

Everyone stared in shock. While he was still laughing, he lifted his head and opened his mouth. Two long fangs slid past his lips. Some she wolves screamed and everyone ran away from him.

Vlad’s eyes suddenly glowed red.

“A vampire!”

Vlad was not just a vampire but a red eyed vampire, the worst of the vampires.

“Get away from him!”

A bite from a red-eyed vampire wasn’t like an ordinary vampire bite. This one could kill a werewolf. The guards immediately surrounded Vlad.

“Vlad!” the Alpha’s guard shouted. “Get on your knees!”

Vlad only smiled as three guards lunged at him. He moved faster than my eyes could follow and even the guards couldn’t keep up with him. He seized one guard by the neck and sank his fangs into him.

As the guard screamed, the others froze and hesitated. Vlad didn’t waste this chance. He threw the injured guard aside and ran toward the nearest exit in super speed. Some guards chased after him but it was clear they wouldn’t be successful.

After he left, he hall descended into chaos. Everyone was afraid there might be more vampires among us. The guards let go of me as people ran in every direction.

Someone even screamed that there were more vampires. Meanwhile the Alpha didn’t even look for me, he had already take Liviana away for safety. Of course. His future Luna came first.

I was slightly happy that there celebration had turned into a nightmare for everyone. Karma had visited early.

I looked around and saw that Lennard was just standing there, unsure of where to go. His cane had fallen and no one bothered to pick it for him. I went towards him.

“Where are you going?” I asked. “I’ll help you”

He turned toward my voice.

“My apartment but you don’t have take me. I can go alone like I always do. I’m used to the way now.”

I picked up his cane and handed it to him. “You outed Vlad. What if he attacks you? Let’s go.”

I offered my hand and he took it. By now the hall was almost empty.

“Why don’t you come live with me,” he said.

I blinked. “What?”

He smiled. “Don’t worry I won’t harm you”

“I don’t know you.”

“And I barely know you.”

“Then why would you invite me?”

“Because my apartment needs someone to take care of it but its okay if you don’t want to live with me.”

“You need a housekeeper?”

“Not exactly. Just a friend who can help me keep things in order and maybe guide me to a few places once in a while.”

I shook my head. “No. I can’t.”

He was quiet for a while.

“Do you have somewhere else to go?” he asked after a few seconds. “I know you sneak into the laundry room when you think everyone’s sleeping and sleep there. They didn’t give you a room at the pack house because they think you still live with your Forster parents but then those ones don’t want to see you. Do you really want to continue living like that?”

“How do you know that?”

“I heard people talking.”

I stared at him. He was now looking down.

“I need someone to care for the place. You need somewhere to sleep. I thought it would work for you.”

I thought about it. Cold nights in the laundry room or warm nights in Lennard’s apartment? Lennard always seemed nice and shy, harmless.

“Fine.”

His smile widened. “Are you sure?”

I hurried back to the pack house kitchen and grabbed my backpack which has everything I owned in life. It was so old that nobody ever bothered to even steal or open.

I returned to the hall to find Lennard and we left. We had barely reached the outer grounds when he stopped. “Wait.”

I almost walked into him.

“What?”

He turned his head toward the trees. “Someone is there.”

My heart began pounding. I listened but I heard nothing. Then a branch snapped and four figures wearing black clothes and masks stepped

One of them looked at me. “You!

“Give us the girl.”

Lennard stepped in front of me. “She isn’t going anywhere.”

The assassin laughed.

“No.”

The assassin struck him and the weak man crashed into the ground, his glasses and cane falling as well.

“Stop!”

I rushed toward him but the assassin grabbed my arm.

Suddenly, I felt something snap inside me. My bones began twisting as sharp pain spread through my body. I screamed, dropping to my knees. The assassins stepped back as claws grew from my nails. From nowhere, I could now hear everything a little too clearly. Within a few seconds, the shift completed.

Then I lunged at the first assassin. I don’t remember how it really happened but after a few seconds, I had shifted back to human form and two bloodied bodies lay on the ground.

“How?” I stared at my blood stained fingers. I was wolfless. How did I shift and kill those assassins?

Lennard slowly sat up and turned his unfocused eyes toward me. He looked stunned.

“You shifted and took down those men” he said. Even I was shocked. ”You are not wolfless.”

“Oh, God.” I remembered I was naked. I quickly grabbed my backpack and pulled out a gray dress’s..

Lennard was now tapping the ground for his spectacles. He found them and put them on.

If I Lennard could see, I would have run to the woods to hide my nakedness. But since he was blind, I took my time putting on my dress and panties.

“Are you dressed?” he asked.

“Yes.”

I picked up my backpack and walked toward him. Then I stopped, frowning.

“How did you know I was changing?”