chapter 3

Just when I was about to give the kid his reward he requested (to be able to pet my tail) I suddenly hear a loud bang. I immediately shift to my half form and look at the kid with a warning glance to stay put. He looked unfazed and my fur kinda stood up a little. I peek out from the cell and see that further down at the entrance was vampires that were grabbing guardians by throats. They must have grabbed back up because there were about enough of those vampires for each guard down here to have 2 to fight. Shit.

 I remember my orders to not let them get the kid and immediately turn my attention back to him after watching the guard from across us bolt down the hallway with his dagger. I soon heard a whine and a weapon drop. Dammit I didn't have enough time. I kneel down to the little boy and press a finger to my lips. He was sitting criss cross and facing me. He was still in the same position as when he was going to get his reward. I saw a slight fascination as I kept my gaze over my shoulder to the cell bars. Footsteps were approaching. I reach down and unsheathe my dagger. I turn around so my back is to the kid and I'm still kneeling. I made sure he wasn't visible past me in hopes to stall until hopefully my backup would arrive.

 A man with dark hair and a scar across his face was the first to set his crimson eyes on me. He stares me down before commanding the other cloaked vampires. 

 "Capture him. Use as much force as necessary but try not to damage the goods."

 "Sir."

 Two of them waste no time and in a second they are stopped a few feet from me. They held crappy heavy duty cuffs and a metal collar and chain that they managed to restrain and put on me after one attacked me and I had focused too much on the first one I didn't see the other that snuck up and punched me hard enough I got unbalanced. I steady myself despite the ringing in my ear and the fuzziness that filled my head. 

 I was restrained and forced on my knees next to all the other guards. They were definitely in worse shape then me…the vampires made more sound than usual but the vampires who were taking over seemed to not care. After all, they were assigned to retrieve the boy and only the boy. From the looks of it, guards too. Great. Now I'd either be struck as a feeder or be killed.

From what I could tell they seemed to be talking about something serious down the hall since with every soft response the child gave, the one who seemed like the commander frowned more but eventually only noded. The leader, a tall black haired woman looked scary again as she turned and bossed around the last few vampires who nod.

The kid walked back over to me, expression still neutral. He stopped and front of me and I heard a few growls around me from the other guards who were definitely not caring that he was a child. I look up at him cautiously, not really knowing what to expect.

He knelt down and sat on his knees in front of me. We stared at each other for an uncomfortable about of time as I hear and see that small groups of guards are being transported outside one by one. He turned to the black haired woman and she reluctantly sighed before leading me and a few others last out. The kid stuck to my side and I still wasn't sure how to feel about him. He was the enemy but yet the way he just barely held my sleeve between two fingers made it hard to just pull away. Besides, technically I was still under orders and was supposed to stay on his good side for information.

When we make it out of the staircase we are snuck out into the woods. I almost tripped on a unconscious guard that was scheduled to be on duty today. Looking at it in surprise made me unfocused for a second so I didn't notice at first that the others were led into a cage. I noticed the cramped cage and walk to it reluctantly, but then I feel a light, almost hesitant tug on my sleeve. When I look down he pointed to the carriage. Did he want me to ride in there with him?

I was not about to be stuck in a small place alone with vampires so I shook my head.

"What? If your implying I go in there then you're highly mistaken because there's no way in hell I'll be separating from my pack. Run along with your vampire friends, kid."

I know it was a dick move but I roughly tug back my arm from his grip. I could tell by the way he fidgets and looked down that he was hurt at my sudden rejection but i tried to ignore it as I followed the others to the cage.

I felt pretty bad but know that even if he is a good kid, if I'm involved with him, especially in front of both my pack members and his people, I was bound to end up getting hate for it. I knew id instantly be labeled a traitor by wolves and a suck up blood whore to vampires. For some reason both sides are ruthless no matter which team you're on. Plus I still don't know why that kids so important that the kingdom sent the dark guard for just him. As far as I'm aware no one but him was freed despite the fact all guards were either knocked out or taken. Or both since I saw a few resisting the vampires earlier and were knocked out.

I watch the kid stare at me through the bars for a bit before turning away and slowly walking to the carriage looking upset based on his frown and posture. As he walked past us to the carriage parked a bit in front of us I caught a scent on the wind. I could actually smell his scent. His natural, alive scent. I sat stunned for a minute. Even after movement around me and we began moving. Alll I could think about was that scent.

Natural scent for pretty much everyone is easily picked up by a wolves nose. That is, except for vampires. Often times vampires of all ages, wether a ne born, 100 of years old or even newly turned vampires. They all smelt more or less of the same exact things. Death. Blood. Fear...you get the picture. All vampires feed on blood and that always clings. If masks their natural scent, smothering and drowning them in the stench of death all wolves hate. The kid however....smelled of blood, yes, but very little. He smelt clean and of no death or despair. The only way that was possible was either he's a full blood who doesn't need to feed often (which would still be a very slim chance because a starved vampire almost always kills their prey and therefore the scent clings) or he uses ultenatives like animals blood or artificial.

The whole ride over the border and into their kingdom I was stuck in thought. I didn't even hardly notice the vampires whispering to each other as we passed down the streets. Who really was that boy. Why is he so important? Why, for a vampire, does he smell so clean and why does he have fully developed fangs for such a young vampire?