Chapter 3: In a Cage

Chapter 3: In a Cage

Awakening came slowly. For a long time it was only the feeling of hunger. That she must feed was the only thought her mind could form. Then she slowly remembered. The twilight, the helpless wino and then the net thrown over her.

The werewolves!

There is very little in the world that a vampire fears. Certainly not the stupid, puny humans. Maybe a few wild animals, for a bear or tiger could rip apart a vampire as easily as it could a human. Yet, a strong vampire could sometimes face down a wild animal. But there was one other creature that would not bend to the vampire willpower. Another hunter and creature of the night: a werewolf.

She opened her eyes. It was dark. But she could sense that she was inside a room, not outdoors any longer. There was no net over her, only something soft beneath her body. Slowly her hand came up to her head. There was a sickening headache and a sour taste in her mouth, but her thoughts were focusing as her mind cleared of the chemicals. Her head turned slowly. Only the tiniest hint of light filled the room, not enough for a human to see a thing, but more than enough for a vampire. She was on a bed. To her right was a wall. There seemed to be a fireplace in it but with no flame. Beyond the end of her bed she could make out vertical lines. For a few seconds she was puzzled by them. Then the realization came. There were bars! Steel bars. She was in a cage, a prison cell!

Anger flooded over her. How dare they! Blood would flow over this mistreatment! A hiss escaped her lips, a vampire equivalent to a snarl. She lifted herself suddenly but almost fell back from the dizziness. When it passed, she repeated the move but slowly. When she swung her feet over the edge of the bed, she discovered another surprise.

There was a tinkling sound and she looked down to find her right ankle encircled by a metal band. Attached to that band was a chain. Her eyes followed the chain a few feet to a ring set in the floor. There was a padlock securing the chain to the ring.

The hiss was louder as she dug her sharp nails into the bedding. She would have lashed out in anger but there was no one in the cell to lash at.

Anger dominated her thoughts. Sometime very soon, she promised herself, she was going to rip out the throat of a werewolf and watch his blood and life spurt out of his body. And she would enjoy it. That promise did not help appease the hunger and blood lust still gnawing at her insides, but it nevertheless made her feel a little better.

There was the noise of a door opening slowly. Even before the man entered the room, she could sense his presence. He was unmistakably a werewolf. And not just any werewolf; the essence was strong, an Alpha male! She hissed again.

He entered the room. For a few moments he just stood there, looking in her direction. She had no doubt that even with the dim light he could see her, just as she could see him. Were they not both creatures of the night?

Without a word, he crossed the few steps to the bars that made up her cage. A section was hinged and when he unlocked the padlock, swung open. She measured the distance carefully and would have lunged for his throat had he been but a foot closer. Leaving the cell door open, he went to the fireplace. On the mantle there were two candles. He lit both, casting a faint but warm golden glow over the room. The flickering candlelight also made a pattern of dark lines on the far wall where the shadows of the bars danced.

In the light, she could see him better. He was tall. His broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist. He wore only a pair of slacks and a polo shirt that left his arms bare. She could see how well muscled they were. But what held her attention were his eyes. In the candlelight they held the faintest red glow, characteristic of werewolves. They also held power: sheer, undeniable, animal power.

“Let me go,” she said when he did not seem inclined to begin the conversation.

“No,” was his simple reply.

“Do you know who I am?”

“You are Ardella, sister of Marcus, Lord of the Vampires. At least, those in this part of the country.”

“Then you know what a big mistake you have made. My brother will not take kindly to your kidnapping me. Nor will others of my kind.”

“They do not know where you are. Nor will they. This place is well hidden.”

His voice was deep and resonant. He spoke with calm assuredness, projecting the feeling that he did not fear this princess of vampires. Or any vampire, for that matter.

“The truce between vampires and werewolves has always been shaky,” she told him. “This will shatter that truce. It will be war again between our two races.”

“I think not.”

“Are you a fool as well as a kidnapper? How can you say that?”

“Your brother will not know that it was us who took you until we are ready for him to know. You are a pawn in a struggle that goes back thousands of years.” He paused. “Surely you know that changes are coming.”

She did not reply. The inner hunger was distracting. She could feel the blood pumping through his veins, and it called to her. She would happily sink her fangs into his neck and drink deeply. But he was a werewolf and, as such, immune to her hypnotic powers. And his wolf strength was more than a match for her. She could not overpower him. Certainly not if he changed into his wolf form.