Midnight of the Dead Earth

Two

Michael grit his teeth as the tall, massively muscled werewolf paced near the tent of his now dead ally, Leopold. His hair fell down in a grey wave from his head, mixed with twigs and tangled beyond repair, his eyes glowing a sullen red. He wore simple, rough clothes, a battered shirt and pants that were easily shed in the change.

“What do you think she’ll do, Mike?” the tawny redheaded were-cat said with a smirk, her stance and tone bold and disrespectful. She wore even less than he did, just a simple bikini bottom and a tube top.

“Michael,” he corrected coldly, fighting the urge to strike off her head with one blow of his powerful arm. He might be able to kill her, but then her followers among the were-cats would turn on his wolves, and there was no telling how that fight might end. “Kitty,” he added coldly.

“It’s Catherine.” she relented with a slight nod, “Michael, then. Well?”

“She’ll try to hit someone in the city,” Michael predicted, “maybe someone high ranking enough to hurt them.”

Catherine narrowed her eyes as she reminded him, “The city’s defenses were able to stop your dear Leopold cold.”

With a great deal of reluctance Michael conceded, “I think she is a high born vampire, much stronger than he was.” Grimly and even less willingly he added, “Leopold could not entrance me, but this Butcher did.”

Catherine paused, her eyes widening a bit. “That strong?” she asked as her lips curled up in a mocking smile, “Or are you that weak?”

Michael’s body began to shift as he spun around, fur sprouting on his pulsing arms while grabbing for her as he growled, “Do not mock me!”

With the speed and slipperiness of her kind Catherine shifted, black fur sprouting over her body as she ducked beneath his blow and raked across his belly with her white claws. He made a choked sound of pain as she raked deep into his guts, blood splattering on the dirty ground. With inhuman speed she kicked him in the face, her feet’s claws fully extended as she raked across his eyes, blinding him.

“Arwwooo!” Michael made a incoherent sound of pain as he grabbed at his face reflexedly, sharp battle instincts overrode by his great pain.

With a barely audible growl Catherine lunged, her mouth spread wide as her face changed to a more panther like muzzle. Her fangs dug deep into his furred throat, shaking her head with powerful muscles as she clamped down and tore at his flesh.

A gurgling noise was all the cry Michael could make as he staggered backward, appealing to the were’s around him with his eyes. But the looks he got in return were dismissive, his fellows having seen him lose face against the vampiress. Maybe if he had done something immediately to prove to them he was still strong it might have saved him, but now....

Refusing to give him a chance to heal or recover Catherine leapt on him, her body now mostly that of a panther. She ripped into his chest as she pit and tore, splattering inhuman blood to the dirt. His struggles grew weaker and weaker as she dug into rapidly healing flesh, tearing at vital organs his body tried to heal.

With a wet snap the rib cage broke and Catherine tore free his heart, clamping down on it as blood gushed across her body. With that final indignity Michael collapsed, his body shifting back to it’s human state as he lay there in the dirt.

Catherine shuddered as she changed, blood dripping down her body as she rose to face the other weres, all gathered around the battle in a rough circle. “I did not kill him because he was my enemy,” she announced ritualistically as the blood splattered naked woman faced them, “I killed him because he was weak.”

There were nods and thoughtful looks of agreement as the weres looked at the bloody corpse of their former leader. A were-bear frowned as the dark brown haired mountain man type looked around them as he asked, “So who will lead us now?”

“How about Archer?” Catherine offered that suggestion confidently, already feeling certain what the answer would be.

The big were-bear Archer snorted in amusement as he shook his head, “Oh no, you’re not sticking me with that job.” He looked around challengingly, “Catherine has clearly proven her strength, let her rule.”

There was some debate, but nothing serious as the leaders of the different weres declared Catherine their leader. Looking more brave than he had earlier that night the leader of the were-rats stepped forward as he asked, “What do we do now, ma’am?”

“We obey orders,” mentally adding ‘for now’ as Catherine continued, “I have no wish to be seen opposing our dark queen or her local regent.” Hearing the sound of bat wings in the distance she ordered, “Back to your stations! Make sure the defenses stand ready.”

“Well done,” the were-bear lingered, Archer giving her a amused glance. “Did you know I’d turn the job down?”

“I thought it was likely,” Catherine answered honestly, “besides, if you did take it I could have overthrown you in a year or two.”

Archer laughed, “You’d try.” With that he ambled off, leaving Catherine withe the cooling corpse and blood splattering her mostly bare body.

‘Better get clean before Butcher returns,’ Catherine thought as she grabbed the body by a torn shoulder and dragged him through the camp. Doing so served two purposes, practically dealing with the mess as well as showing everyone there was someone new running the town.

Out near the edge of camp a group of penned up ghouls made weak, moaning sounds as they saw the bloody body. Like zombies they hungered for flesh, but ghould were faster and stronger than their rotting cousins. They strained against the wire mindlessly, their intact but dead flesh ripping free as they hungered for blood and flesh.

With a soft grunt of effort Catherine hefted the body, then threw it over the wire and down into the midst of the ghouls. With a mindless cry of hunger the shambling beasts fell on Michael, ripping and tearing as they stuffed great chunks of red meat into their mouths. Catherine watched as the head was fought over then cracked open to be consumed, the victors scooping out the brains like some rare delicacy.

“Was that truly a wise move?” the voice asked. Catherine swiftly turned around to see Rachel Butcher watching her with a expression of thoughtful amusement, “You might give them a taste for wolf,”

Catherine faced her but was careful not to meet her eyes as she answered dryly, “I can’t say that prospect would bother me too much.”

“The rivalry between wolf and cat remains?” Rachel asked.

“It will remain till one of us is dead,” Catherine answered honestly.

Rachel smiled at her suddenly, her fangs glinting in the moonlight as she said, “A good answer. If you had lied and said some garbage to me about mending species tensions I’d never have trusted you.”

Catherine smiled back, “And I doubt you trust me yet, too. You couldn’t have risen as far as you have if you trusted new subordinates that quickly.”

“True enough,” Rachel conceded. In the background they could hear the ghouls snapping werewolf’s bones to suck the jelly-like marrow out. “Let’s say, I distrust you less than I do the others,” she said.

“Fair enough,” Catherine gave a small bow.

As Catherine bowed she could feel Rachel’s eyes follow her body, the vampire watching her blood splattered nudity intently. “You haven’t washed the blood away,” Rachel murmured, “could I help you... clean up?”

Catherine hesitated, knowing what even a accidental bite could do to her. But this ws also a great opportunity to win favor with the queen’s representative. “I would be honored,” she said, making the decision in a instant.

Rachel’s eyes seemed to light up with a unholy hunger as she purred, “Thank you.”

Without another word Rachel dissolved into a whirlwind of bats, sweeping towards Catherine in a instant. She cried out as the first rasping tongue cleaned her flesh, then moaned as it felt like hundreds of mouths moved over her skin. The feeling was intently sensual, a overwhelming feeling of being touched all over at the same time.

“Ah!” Catherine couldn’t help release a soft cry of pleasure as her nerves were gently caressed, the sensitive nipples, the small of her back and even her cunt lips all being stroked and tasted at the same time. Just before her legs gave way or she gushed fluids from a inappropriate place the bats swirled away, leaving her breathless and blood free.

Rachel seemed to reform out of the night, her long black hair shimmering down her back like a cape. “Did you enjoy that?” she purred softly, “I did, too. Werewolf blood, in fact the blood of any were, is a delicacy to vampires.”

Catherine felt a surge of fear, one she forcefully clamped down on. “You didn’t bite me, did you?” she had to ask, knowing that a vampire’s bite was eventual poison to a were.

“No, I didn’t,” Rachel flashed a smile, “but I was tempted. Your scent underneath the blood... was mouth watering.”

Before Catherine could try to form a response to that rather strange compliment Rachel turned to walk away, her ivory skinned hips swaying slightly as she walked. Feeling her heart beating a little faster Catherine called, “Do you want me to send some clothes to your tent?”

Rachel’s laugh was heard as she seemed to disappear into the darkness, “I’m certain I can manage. See you later....”

Despite Catherine’s excellent night vision she could see no sign of Rachel, so she took a moment to let the last pleasurable quivers pass through her body. With a ability like that Rachel had risen even higher in Catherine’s opinion as either a threat or a ally. Which one she would be, of course, was yet to be determined.

‘I’m going to need to keep a even closer eye on her than I thought,’ Catherine thought as she started back to the cat’s section of the camp, ‘and warn the others to be careful too.’

To be continued.....