The fight is brutal, violent... but you didn't come here to kill some vampires. You came here to save the kids and Minjo. You break away from the pack, dodge around the fight, and race towards the truck.
"We're here!" you hear Minjo yell. "Alek! We're here!"
"I got you," you yell back as you reach the truck's door and yank at the handle. It's locked. Fucking duh.
The lock is large, clunky, and way too sturdy to use your claws on.
"Gideon Mercer?"
"Yes. It's me."
"They took Nik. They realised he wasn't a werewolf and they took him."
"What? When? Where?"
"Only a minute ago. He's at the butcher. Please..."
"I'll get him," you promise. "Just..." you turn to look at your pack just in time to see Marco bite off the head of a vampire. The other three are still standing, including the two with silver. But with one down you have no doubt your pack will be able to handle it.
You have to save Nik.
"I'll be right back," you promise Minjo through the truck door. "The pack is here. They'll get you out soon."
"Okay. Thank you. Please. Hurry."
You have no intention of doing anything else.
You turn, weave through the battlefield, and sprint back into the shop.
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The butcher counter is at the very back of the store. A sleek but sinister pocket of space filled with knives, weights, and plastic wrapped meat.
"Nik!"
No answer.
You take a deep breath... and smell him. His scent is small, human, and smothered by the reek of blood, bleach, and vampire, but there.
"Okay, Nik. I'm coming."
You're still sore, the wound in your chest twinging with every movement. You bite back your discomfort and clamber stiffly over the counter. You find him instantly, bound, gagged, and hidden from the customers under the counter, but alive.
Thank God.
He looks up at you with wide, teary eyes.
"Oh. Nik," you pull the gag out of his mouth and lift him up into a sitting position. "Are you okay? It's okay. We're here now. We got you."
"I... I think they're going to eat me," he squeaks. You're reminded in that moment how painfully young he is. Three. He's only three. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be subjected to this.
"No," you start cutting his bonds away with your claws. "No one is going to eat you. You're safe. The pack's here."
"I'm not a werewolf. They said I wasn't."
"I know. It's okay."
"I... I wish I was a werewolf."
"Shh. It's okay." You finish cutting him free and rub his wrists and ankles. Fuck, he's cold.
"Gideon Mercer?"
"Yes?"
"I peed."
"Yeah, buddy, I can smell that. It's okay. I'd probably have pissed myself too. Don't you worry about it. The pack's here, and we're not going to let any vampire near you again."
His cheeks are blotchy and streaked with tears. You realise he's not walking anywhere right now. You pick up him, heedless of the mess, and clamber back over the counter out of the butcher. You wish you had gasoline. You'd burn it down if you could.
Fucking vampires. Fucking monsters.
You're heading towards the front door, back towards the cars, when it happens.
Fuck!
Stop them!
nononononononoNoNoNONONO!
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