Seduced by Crimson (19 page)

The werewolf leader reached out her hands. "And he will be loved. You cannot doubt that." She glanced significantly around to where the crowd was clearly ready to go to battle for the child. Whatever this red-claw prophecy meant, it was important to them. They would not hurt the boy.

"Xiao Fei…" Patrick began.

"Okay, okay." She dipped her head and pressed a tender kiss to the cub's furry face. He was growing sleepy now, his belly well filled. He licked her face, then closed his eyes. She passed him to Alpha Keeli, who handed her to the waiting woman.

"Now…" Keeli began, but the distant sound of howls rumbled into the room. Everyone lifted their heads to listen. "I have to go. Wait in my chambers. I'll be there as soon as I can." As she turned and rushed off, the crowd parted quickly and respectfully for her.

The sentry who'd led them here turned to lead them away. For a moment Patrick didn't think Xiao Fei would follow; her eyes were still on the young cub. But in the end, good sense returned. She straightened and looked at their guide. "Let's go."

He nodded. They began to move through the tunnels again. The people gave way before them, and Patrick could hear the whispers as they passed. All were telling the story of the were-cub with the bloodred paws. He extended his hand to caress Xiao Fei's shoulder. The stroke was meant to be supportive—loving, even—but she shoved him away.

"You think you know me," she practically spat. "But you don't understand."

He let his hand fall away, strangely hurt by her words.

The pain was leagues out of proportion to the situation, and he could not fathom the reason. Still, his hurt made him lash out. "Then explain it to me, Xiao Fei. Tell me what you're thinking."

They were wending their way down a deserted corridor, so there was ample room for her to turn and glare at him. "I'm thinking that you're a demon—and that perhaps I ought to have this nice sentry here kill you."

Patrick stared, his mind freezing up. What the hell was she thinking?

Unfortunately, the werewolf sentry felt no such confusion. He made a neat spin and shifted to wolf form; then he attacked.

From the
San Bernardino Gazette—
September 25,1989.

BIRTHDAY MURDER

By
Sam Smith

A local teen's birthday party turned to disaster last night when a werewolf lost control and attacked partygoers, killing Lisa Wilson, sixteen. The werewolf in question, Thomas Ericson, seventeen, was also killed when struck repeatedly with a shovel and beheaded.

"
I always thought there was something strange about Tommy," said entertainer Jason the Dark Lord, who killed the rampaging wolf"
.I
had to do it. He was eating Lisa."

All the surviving teens have been tested for lycanthropy. Currently, there is no sign of infection.

According to witnesses, Jason the Dark Lord was just starting his grand finale when Ericson began howling.

"We just thought it was funny at first "a partygoer said. "Part of the show. But then he really changed and started attacking. Then he was on top of Lisa. She didn't even have the chance to scream, and Jason was swinging that shovel. We were all really freaked out."

Doctors say that adolescence is when many natural-born werewolves first experience the change. "It's not unusual for a teenager to lose control of the wolf," said expert Dr. Stephen Wauters. "That puts regular teens in danger
—
especially at parties where drugs or alcohol sometimes weaken normal controls
."

Police found no evidence of illegal substances, but are still investigating.

"We've never seen an unprovoked werewolf attack weeks away from a full moon before" said Police Chief Stanley Goldberg. "But rest assured, we are doing everything to keep our children safe."

Such measures include a new list of proposed restrictions on all werewolves. See "City Council" sidebar, page two.

"Don't fight, Patrick! Surrender!" Xiao Fei couldn't contain her alarm. She hadn't expected the sentry to react like this. But he had, and now Patrick was on his back beneath the onslaught. Xiao Fei bit her lip, wondering if she should interfere. Patrick was a demon, or possessed by one—she was sure of that—but he was also a nice guy.

No wonder people were seduced into trafficking with demons. She'd never understood before exactly why anyone would open a gate to the demon realm. Why would anyone bargain with total evil?

Well, now she understood. Because demons could be gorgeous and seductive and have really great smiles. They could touch one with reverence. They could kiss with skill. And a huge part of her was already seduced.

Thank God she'd noticed him clutch that necklace in the tunnel. Thank heaven she'd recognized the shape outlined by his T-shirt. And thank Buddha she'd seen the evil one in Cambodia wielding the very same artifact. She knew how destructive the amulet was, how it could corrupt the weilder and terrify an entire country.
She knew
. So she had to gather the strength to destroy it, even if her heart was already in agony at risking Patrick's life. If only he would stay still, so she could get the amulet off of him. Then she could destroy it without hurting him.

But Patrick wouldn't lie still. He was struggling with the werewolf, who'd immediately gone for his throat. And worse, other werewolves were coming, drawn by the sound of the commotion. The sentry was on top, half-changed, snarling muzzle directly above Patrick's face. Patrick held him off with his arms, but his strength was failing. The werewolf's front claws dug into Patrick's shoulders.

Patrick kicked, knocking his attacker off, but not far enough. The werewolf had amazing reflexes. He landed on his feet and immediately sprang back. Patrick didn't have enough time to recover. Soon they were both rolling on the floor again.

Xiao Fei closed her eyes. The grunts, the cries—hell, the smells of blood and sweat—were too much, too familiar. Memory and reality began to merge. Her sisters were dying! The demons were attacking! The gate was moving—shrinking or growing or simply pulsing, she didn't know. It was all so confusing. She felt something impact her knees: the hard floor. She'd fallen to her knees. She was losing her sanity big-time. She had to stay here, in the present. She was in the United States, not Cambodia. She was an adult in Crimson City, not a terrified child half-buried in blood and mud. And if she didn't want a repeat of what had happened in her home country, then she had damn well better get a grip.

She opened her eyes and glared at the snarling mass of rolling fur and man. She counted two werewolves now on Patrick, more all around. She needed to gain control of the situation, and fast.

"Your alpha will want to question him," she cried. "Don't kill him." Then Xiao Fei forced herself to rise. "Don't kill him!"

The werewolves didn't seem to hear. Blood and fear poisoned the air. Xiao Fei waded into the melee, kicking at the werewolves. She hauled them back. One turned its dripping, snarling muzzle her way and she beat it aside. Or she tried. Instead; it locked its jaws on her right arm. Right over the tattooed tears.

"Xiao Fei!" Patrick screamed, but not nearly as loud as she herself. The pain and the werewolf's weight knocked her to the floor. And then there came another loud howl. From her attacker. He ripped his jaws away. Her blood sprayed over everything.

"Stop!" she screamed. "Don't kill him! Your alpha needs to question him." She had enough presence of mind to see one of the nearby wolves nod. He understood the importance of interrogation. Then she closed her eyes and focused on breathing. She had to calm herself or she'd bleed out from her wound. The gashes were deep, and her blood flowed too easily. Some of her sisters had died from less.

Breathe. Calm. Close the wound
She managed it, despite the continued howling. The growls and grunts of the fight. Even a muffled thud next to her.

Her blood clotted. Her wounds closed. She opened her eyes.

Patrick was facedown on the floor. His clothing was torn and bloody, and his jaw was bleeding from a deep slash. Two werewolves in human form pinned him to the floor, one of whom seemed to take great pleasure in wrenching Patrick's arm behind his back. But what Xiao Fei saw most was the burning accusation in Patrick's un-blacked eye. He focused on her, and the hurt she saw there chilled her blood with guilt.

Everyone else, however, was staring at the werewolf who had bitten her. He'd turned more human as he rolled on the floor, foaming spittle coming from his twisted mouth. Someone jerked Xiao Fei around. It was one of the other sentries from before. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

She had no answer, her mind still too full to formulate words. Her eyes were on the writhing half wolf as he finally shifted fully into an agonized young man clutching his face.

"What did you do?" the sentry growled again. He shook her a bit to get her attention.

She sighed. "My blood. It's poisonous to your kind."

A murmur of horror ran through the crowd. The sentry tightened his grip on Xiao Fei's arm. "Is he going to die?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"No," came a muffled voice from the floor. Patrick. "He didn't get enough—"

"Shut up, demon!" growled one of the werewolves, grinding a heel into Patrick's back.

"Not… demon." Patrick's voice was a half grunt, but everyone understood.

"Let him speak!" ordered the sentry.

Patrick's captor eased off enough for him to speak. "I'm not a demon." He glared at Xiao Fei. "And your werewolf friend isn't going to die from that blood. He didn't get enough. He'll probably just feel weak for a while." Sure enough, the young wolf on the floor was quieting. His body still trembled, but the spasms were easing, and he was able to roll into a tight, whimpering ball. "Use your senses," Patrick continued from the floor. "All of you! Do I feel like a demon to you?"

Confused murmurs ran through the crowd. Xiao Fei needed to speak. She had to explain. If nothing else, she had to get the amulet from Patrick. But the words didn't form. He was right; he didn't feel like a demon. But then, she knew there were different types of demons. Maybe some of them felt normal. And he did have the amulet, which meant he had to be a demon. But…