Jonathan

The calm of the empty gym engulfs me as the door swings shut. The heavy scent of patchouli fills my head, effectively closing my sensitive nose down. This must be where Vikram spent most of the past day. Can I do this? Can I try and calm the longings I feel for Vivian with a little peaceful chanting and meditation?

A snort escapes me before I reach the eternal flame positioned on the far side of the room. Centuries of monks and entire nations do this-it can't be too hard, right?

I settle cross-legged at the edge of the exercise mat in front of the flickering lick of fire. The view out the windows of the snowy grotto enhances the feeling of isolation amidst the bustle of the hotel. I search in vain for some posted directions or such; Vivian has a penchant for writing exact instructions down for every piece of equipment on the property.

I find nothing and assume this meditating gig has somehow escaped her meticulous cataloging of data. Closing my eyes, I focus on my breathing. The luscious image of Vivian fills my thoughts and I steer them away to something more base. The green forest leaps front and center, the memory of lush earth and wild plant growth swirls through my mind.

Running through the woods with my pack encompasses my entire being. The stray hint of a buck, the musk of a bear, smaller vermin crisscrossing the trails.... The sheer joy of running full tilt into a setting sun with the knowledge we have all night ahead of us, wraps around my heart and elevates it from the stress of this week.

My pulse slows and a sense of peace fills me.

Huh, if this is all meditating is about then I can do it at home. Must be my greater mind ability combined with the wolf making me a natural. I chuckle before realizing this is probably not what true meditating is. How in the hell do you turn your mind off? Where is my happy, woodsy feeling of a moment ago?

Smooth hands latch onto my neck from behind and I'm pulled roughly against a cooler body. Instinct kicks in and I twist to the side, narrowly missing the open maw aimed at my throat.

"The pup wants to play, does he?" The words rasp past saliva-tipped fangs. Vikram absent-mindedly wipes his chin with the back of a hand while stalking toward me.

The small Indian man has the strength of the undead behind him, and judging by the glint in his eye, I'd say a new addiction to Were-blood to contend with as well.

"Hold on there, little buddy," I say with my palms out in a halting gesture. "You know who I am, right?" He doesn't seem to register my words and lunges to grab me.

Air whisks by as I shift to the left, throwing my weight forward into a roll. Coming out of the move, I turn to face the vampire. His expression looks like no one is home.

"Dude, if you're hungry let's get you some blood in the kitchen. I'm Vivian's servant and she doesn't share, trust me." I don't include that I'd sooner rip his throat out than let him feed from me-no need to be rude.

His perfect, bronzed features transform as he closes his dark eyes slightly and inhales deep. An eerie calmness descends over him for a moment and it looks like he's snapping out of the crazy haze he's in.

I take a deep breath and relax my stance a bit. Holy shit, that was close. I can't believe I've had to fend off two Were-blood loony vamps in less than twenty-four hours.

Vikram's eyes snap open and he dives through the air at my legs. The skin pulls back from his once-calm visage and his mouth drops open in a deadly hiss. I lash out with one booted foot and clip him mid-air, sending him off track and crashing into some gym equipment.

The old vampire rights himself and locks eyes on my throat. "You smell good, wolf. I can't resist." He stalks closer and I move to my right, putting the Universal machine between us.

"It's the blood addiction, man. You're not yourself. Shake it off!"

He ignores me, charging with his head down. I dart to the right, but he reaches out with one hand and grabs my plaid shirt. A loud rip sounds through the gym as the material gives under the force. Nails rake my side and the smell of werewolf blood fills the room.

Diving to the ground, I slide under a weight bench and come up near the dumbbell stand. I grab a ten-pounder and spin around, anticipating the frenzied vampire will be right behind me. The force of my turn gathers momentum and the weight slams the slight figure in the shoulder, sending a sickening crunch of bone through the air.

Vikram hunches to the side and uses his right hand to push the injured shoulder back into place. "You'll pay for that, dog. I'll drain you while you live, squirming beneath me as you beg for your life."

Lashing out with my fists, I land a series of blows to his head and torso. The vampire takes it, cackling the whole time. In a last-ditch effort to get past him to the door, I grab the front of his shirt and throw him bodily across the room. I don't stop to see where he lands, but dodge through the exercise machines as fast as I can for the exit to the hall.

Where is Vivian? Can she sense I'm in danger? What the fuck is up with that mind link shit? Open a door in my head? I never did learn how to do it. I mentally scream her name through my mind, not sure if I'm doing it right and not caring.

Vikram lands on my back, taking me down to the rubber mats in one fell swoop. The stink of patchouli fills my head as the sting of pain slices down my back.

"How about we try flaying this one first? Maybe I can suck the strips later to get out the last of the juicy blood."

"Vivian!" Pushing back with my hands, I gain some space off the floor and manage to roll in an attempt to dislodge the bloodsucking maniac. The space between the machines is not enough room and I wind up trapping the vampire between my back and the cables and weights of the leg press.

Hands latch around my throat as I stretch to reach one of the metal cables. "You're more trouble than I'd like, doggie. Perhaps losing some air for a bit will slow you down and let me enjoy this experience."

His hands lock around my throat. As my airwave constricts and I feel the blood pounding in my face, my hand closes over a sturdy metal cable and I wrench it loose. The room grows darker as I sling the line behind me, looping it over the crazed vampire's neck. His grip loosens on my throat and precious oxygen fills my lungs, hopefully staving off unconsciousness for a bit longer.

I close the loop by bringing the end into one hand and tug with all my strength. A wet hiss issues next to my ears right before the pressure on my neck vanishes. Nails rake the flesh on my hand as I flip over and straddle the small vampire.

"Enough, you crazy fuck!" Clasping tighter to the cable, I twist while watching his eyes bulge. "Don't make me kill you." I scream for Vivian once more in my mind. Where is she? Can she hear me at all?

A sick smile blooms on his enraged visage. Sharp fangs protrude over his bottom lip, casting a demented darkness to his once handsome face. "I've lived longer than you for a reason," he rasps. Vikram stops clawing at the cable and grabs the shredded flannel covering my chest, heaving me over his head toward the open mats in front of the windows.

The breath whooshes from my body on impact, and I hear the sound of the cable whipping back over the machine. This time, the vampire straddles me and starts beating me about the head with closed fists.

Crap! I should have popped the head off the fucker when I had the chance.

Raising my arms to cover my face and neck, the realization hits me that Vivian may not come and neither may anyone else. If I don't handle this vamp on my own I may not live much longer. I've delivered my share of ass-kicking over the years, but I've never killed a vampire on my own, nor fought with one so blinded by addiction.

The punches turn into open-handed tearing, and my forearms and chest alight with the fiery pain of deep, bleeding gashes. Blood drips, landing on my face and the man shows no signs of stopping.

Bringing my knee up, I slam it into his lower back, which throws his rhythm off. One hesitation is all I need. Another hit to his back pushes him forward a bit. I lower one hand and grab his cock and balls through his loose pants. Squeezing with every once of strength I have, I feel a stomach-churning squish in my palm, while a scream rips the air above me.

Vikram's new distraction allows me to throw him off and roll to the side. The energy burned up in this short fight combines with my blood loss to take its toll. My legs give out as I try to rise, forcing me to crawl in the direction of safety. If I can just make it to the door, I can raise an alarm by shouting for help.

Hands latch onto my sides, digging deep furrows into the already-damaged flesh. "You think any injury you dole out can stop me for long?" Without waiting for an answer, the slight man whips me across the room to slam into the wall near the door.

I slide down, stunned. Pain spreads from every part of my body as I struggle to fill my lungs with air. I can now say with utter surety I know what it feels like to be a squeaky toy for a dog.

I raise my hands in one last attempt to ward him off. "Don't do it man," I say as he stalks to my prone position. "She'll kill you." Vivian! I need you!

"Let the bitch try."