Savannah Past Midnight (12 page)

Staring at the mended fence I lash out, “Bastard
wolves, let’s see you fuckers try to get at the cattle through
this!”

After what seems like forever, my teeth stop
chattering, and that’s when the panic sets in because my right hand
is still numb and deathly white.

“Fuck!”

I flip on the overhead light and whip the glove off
my left hand to compare them. The right one definitely looks
different, ghostly, but it’s the loss of feeling that makes my
stomach twist and clench.

I unfasten my coat and shove the injured hand into
the center of my Carhartt, doing my best to warm it against my
flannel shirt as I use my good hand to drive back to the house. It
seems to take forever because the drifts have become deeper. Even
with four wheel drive I’ve spun out a few times.

The old man is watching the news and before I have
one boot in the front door he asks without looking at me, “Repair
done?”

“Yup. Think I might have a problem though.”

In open annoyance he mutes the TV and stares over at
me. Without saying a word, he’s letting me know he expects me to
start talking. The caring type he’s not.

“Glove got snagged up on the wire. Had to work
without it for a while. Think I might have frostbite.”

He shakes his head and growls, “Then drive your butt
to the hospital, boy. I’m sure as hell not gonna take you. Next
time I step foot in that place is when the meat wagon comes for
me.”

I stare blankly as he looks away and clicks the sound
back on.

Standing silently in the corner near the kitchen,
Alice says in a small voice, “I’ll drive you, Colton. Just let me
get my coat.”

As the last word leaves her lips my father states
matter-of-factly, “No, you won’t, Alice. Your tail is staying put
right here where it belongs.”

I turn on my heel and head back out into the storm,
wondering why I even bothered to come into the house to begin with.
In that moment I’ve come to realize that he’s never gonna change
his nature. Not ever.

The doctor scribbles a few notes after the
examination and I’m on edge with what he has to tell me.

“Well son, looks like you got lucky. It’s my
assessment that you have suffered only first degree frostbite on
your right hand. The fact that the skin was exposed in the current
wind chill and wasn’t severely damaged amazes me. We are going to
wrap it to allow it to heal properly and I would like you to stay
here under observation for the next forty-eight hours. I’ll send
the nurse in to take care of everything. Do you have any questions
for me or is there anyone we can call for you?”

“No, sir. I’m not gonna lose any fingers, am I?”

“No. As far as I can determine, everything is going
to heal. The trauma was limited to the surface of the skin only. So
long as you follow the treatment instructions and do not re-expose
or injure the hand then the skin will return to normal. It might
take up to a week for full sensation to return but you should not
have any permanent nerve damage.”

I nod at the silver-haired doctor and he starts to
leave the room. When he’s a few feet from the door I call out, “Hey
Doc, one last thing.”

Glancing down to check his pager that has just gone
off he asks, “Yes?”

“Passed by an Army recruiting office on the drive
into town. Do you know what time they open?”

“I’m not certain but one of the nurses can bring in a
phone book for you.” She straightens his glasses and asks
curiously, “Why?”

“ ’Cause when I check out of here that’s my next
stop.”

He stares at me and nods before saying, “Well, you
seem to just meet the age requirement so I’d have to say that’s an
admirable decision.”

He’s gone before I can respond.

Alone in the sterile room, I stare out the second
floor window at the endless swirling snow, wondering why the fuck
my mother didn’t take us with her when she left him for that bull
rider so long ago. Had she owned up and done the right thing, my
sister might very well be alive and I’d certainly be in a hell of a
lot better shape than I am now. After tonight, I know that if I
stick around he’ll all but take my soul away with his relentless
demands and indifference.

Nope, time to go the solo route
. My eyes slide
shut and I will myself to rest up for the unknown.

T
he sweet scent of magnolias
and jasmine permeates the humid air as I step out of my three-story
stucco home, nestled between two other elegant ones very similar in
style. The night is tranquil, and aside from an unfamiliar van that
is parked about a hundred yards away, everything seems quite
normal.

I’ve replayed my last encounter with Colton countless
times in my head. I never knew how profound an impact one person
could have on another in such a short period of time. The fact that
what we have together is rare is beginning to really sink in, and
I’ve decided the best thing to do is take it step by step. Earlier
tonight I made a trip over to The Fresh Market on Abercorn Street.
I want to cook for him and hope that after a long shift he’ll be
hungry. I smile in anticipation of what he’ll think of my house. I
hope he likes my taste. The décor is not far off from the subdued
tones and classical styling of his own pad. I was going to text him
that I’m heading his way now, but we’ve already agreed that I’ll
pick him after his shift so it isn’t necessary. Besides, I like the
anticipation factor.

My fingers reach out for the handle of my car when
the first violent blow comes from behind, so unexpected, rapid, and
forceful that I’m launched forward over the hood of my Audi,
slamming hard against the iron gate that leads to my home. The
precision and force of the attack could only have come from a
single source—vampire.

The instant my body hits the ground I put aside any
pain and go straight into survival mode, flipping upright onto my
feet. Then I hear an unfamiliar voice say, “Get the wolf! I’ll
force her into the back garden. Remember, he said it has to look
like it took her down, not us.”

I’m livid, thinking,
Just you try me,
fuckers
.

I hold still and wait for the battle to begin. All my
training flashes through my mind as I catch sight of the back of
the van opening up. Immediately I scent the wolf that is led over
on a heavy chain by an unknown vampire. I should trace, but I know
that if I do they’ll keep hunting me and I’ll never have the
answers as to why I’m being stalked and threatened. No, I’ll take
them down in this order: vampire number one first, wolf second, and
finally, vamp number two— that is, after I extract intel from him
about why I’m being targeted.

In the blink of an eye the vampire traces in front of
me. His hand reaches out to grab hold of my neck, but I drop low
and take his legs out in a blur of speed. He goes for my ankle and
traces us both to the walled back garden where the other vampire
and the huge animal are already waiting for us.

Play it smart and tactical, Cosette. Fear has no
place in scenarios such as this one
.

The vamp on my ankle has just let go and is now
upright, about to leap onto me, when I disappear, tracing behind
him to get his neck in a chokehold. He hisses violently and flips
me up and over his back, which shakes loose my grip. Instinct takes
over and I simply react, kicking him hard in the chest. My kick
sends him flying back against a gurgling fountain that is quickly
demolished. I’m doing my best to keep the other vamp and the animal
in my line of sight, just in case they decide to join in the fun.
The wolf is snarling uncontrollably and seems to be working itself
in a frenzy to get at me. I charge headlong at the injured vampire,
and before he can put up much of a fight to push me away, I go for
his neck, biting savagely over and over again until I nearly take
his head off. That will come later.

I turn back to the wolf and the second highly
pissed-off vampire, who sneers, “You’ll pay for that, you stupid
cunt.”

I shrug. “Not my fault that your amateur buddy
couldn’t hold his own, now is it?” He glares at me as I continue in
a bored tone, “Well, what are you waiting for? Come collect, big
talker, and know that I’ll find out exactly who sent you. Trust me,
you’re not going to like how I play.”

Both our heads whip to the right as a neighbor shouts
from an open window directly across the dark street, “Hey! What the
fuck? It’s after two in the morning! Shut your damn dog up or I’m
callin’ the cops
and
animal control, assholes!”

The vamp sneers cruelly and with cold eyes never
leaving mine, he reaches down to unclip the beast from its thick
chain. It’s salivating hard as it lunges straight for me like
Stephen King’s Cujo. I flash to the side and punch it in the head
as it passes by, hardly fazing it. I do my best to take down the
wolf first but the second vamp is tracing all around me, doing his
best to disorient me as I fight. The first vamp is long gone,
leaving only a pool of blood in his wake. He must have taken off
after I ripped into him. I’m surprised he was still able to trace,
but there’s no time to dwell on him.

Suddenly I’m hit brutally on the side of my head by
the swiftly tracing vampire. The blow brings me to my knees for a
moment as I trace to the far corner of the courtyard to get myself
together. Unfortunately the wolf is already waiting there, only two
feet away. I don’t have time to pull back a fist. All I can do is
hold the thing by its neck as it lunges for me, its powerful jaws
snapping away as it gets closer to my face.

To hell with this!

Using all my strength, I toss it forcefully to the
side, which will buy me the time I need to reposition myself and
take it down. The moment I release the wolf it lands on all fours
and spins back around, already coming at me. I’m bracing for impact
when I lose sight of the other vampire. Panic grips me as the wolf
leaps, and in a split second I’m shoved forward by the sneaky
vampire who has traced behind me. My raised hands aren’t enough to
stop it as the beast’s teeth rip into the side of my neck with the
power of an electric chain saw. I scream in agony at the possibly
lethal bite. It’s crazed as it unleashes on me, mauling me
repeatedly in the chest and neck as the vampire holds me down by
the arm, preventing me from tracing away. At this point I’m trying
desperately to just get it off of me. Its weight is tremendous as
it presses me against the damp grass.

Suddenly the strobe of a flashlight swings in our
direction. “Savannah Police! Don’t move!”

The vampire hisses in black rage, “Next time there
won’t be anyone around to save you, Cosette!”

And with that he takes off with the wolf,
disappearing over the back wall into the cloak of night. I choke
out a cry of desperation, knowing that the wounds are going to be
fatal if I don’t get help immediately. The lights of the police
officer are closing in and I hear the latch of my gate click open.
He’s only thirty feet away when I clasp my shredded neck and will
my body into stillness, using the last of my energy reserves to
trace to the safest place I know—Severin’s. I only hope that
someone is there to help me.

“Hey … someone here? Ambrose? That you?”

I know that deep bass voice; it belongs to Case. With
my throat nearly carved away I can’t respond. Lying prone on my
back in their dark kitchen I do the only thing I can do—I smack my
free palm frantically against the hardwood floor and hope to God
that suspicion gets the best of him and he comes in to investigate.
My vision is dimming, but I can make out his imposing frame as he
rounds the corner a second before the recessed lights flick on
overhead, causing me to squint.

“What the fuck ….”

He speaks in a stunned whisper. Suddenly his
instincts override the shock and in a flash, he’s kneeling down by
my side, uncertain of where to start because I’m so wrecked.

He says in a rush, “Gonna text Severin. Two seconds,
Cosette. Hold tight for me, girl.”

I’m trembling hard from the massive blood loss as I
watch him whip out his cell, his thick fingers flying across the
glowing blue screen. Setting the phone to the side he wastes no
time ripping into his own wrist, and his warm blood immediately
begins to fall in fat plops on my cheeks as he positions the wound
against my mouth. The only thought that keeps echoing in my head
is,
Please, please let my throat work enough to take in his
blood
.
If not, I’m doomed
.

His rich blood fills my mouth but I can’t seem to
swallow. Wide with panic, my eyes fly to his. He seems to
understand the problem and carefully slides his dark tattooed arm
beneath my shoulders to prop me up.

I nearly weep when I feel the first healing trickle
slide down the remnants of my ravaged throat. Even that miniscule
amount begins to work its magic as my body jolts hard in his arms.
It’s like someone just hit me with a defibrillator. More blood
slides down and my body responds greedily, going straight to work
on the damage.

“Better?” he rumbles.

Still unable to speak, I do my best to answer with my
eyes.

“All right. Just relax and drink.”

A female voice calls out from the hallway, “Baby, the
movie’s about to start. What’s the hold up?”

She rounds the corner and I watch her hands fly up to
her lips at the carnage. Her eyes are wide and questioning as they
meet Case’s.

He speaks quickly in a controlled voice, “Severin’s
niece, Cosette. He’s on his way. Go get us some towels, Kiana.”

The unfamiliar brunette turns and races back the way
she came as I focus on getting as much of his healing blood as
possible into my body.