Page 126 of Fangs and Fudge

The wolves fought fiercely as they tore into the vampires, but the sheer number threatened to overwhelm them. Wolves dropped to the ground along with vampires. The dirt floor soaked up blood by the gallons, but even it couldn’t keep up, and soon, puddles formed.

Doc defended against two vampires who attacked our corner. His back was ripped to shreds by one vampire as he tore out the throat of another. He tossed the vampire to the ground and twisted, clawing through the other vampire’s chest.

Sierra peered around Doc to stare into the chaos of the main space.

“What are you doing?” I pulled her back. “Stay close.”

She looked at me. “I think I saw my old master.”

Vena and I looked at each other. “Master?” we said at the same time.

“You mean the cat guy?” Vena asked, glomming onto Sierra. “Where is he?”

Sierra pointed to a black cat that was scaling the rafters.

“He’s going to escape,” Vena said.

I wasn’t so sure he wanted to escape. The way he paused as he looked down at the fight made me suspect he was waiting for something.

The cat moved a little farther and looked down again. My gaze followed his and landed on Shepard.

I realized his target was Shepard.

“Time to hunt a cat,” Vena said, edging around Doc and the vampires he was fighting.

“We’re not going out there,” I said. “We’ll get killed.”

“But we have to–”

“Vena, stop. The wolves will take care of him.”

“They didn’t even notice him.” Vena pointed to Shepard, who was fending off three vampires. “Do you really think Shepard can–”

We watched the cat on the rafter above transform into Master. He was completely naked except for the cat ears on his head.

Vena cursed. “He’s going to jump on Shepard.”

She pushed into the fray, and like the loyal idiot I was, I followed.

We’re dead, I thought to myself as we dodged and weaved through pairs that fought too fast to track. I tried not to think about the warm liquid that splashed into my shoes and saturated my socks as we jumped over bodies.

Vena veered to the side as two vampires attacked a wolf.

“If we get to him, maybe we can stop this fight,” she said.

Master looked at us then. A grin grew from ear to ear as he leaped down, his nakedness coming flush up against me.

“Just the little human I need,” he said, the hard band of his arm tightening around my waist.

I heard the sizzle from my charm a second before the acrid burnt smell filled my nose. It didn’t stop the master, though. His head darted down to the puncture wounds on my throat from MC’s claws.

“Shepard!” Vena yelled as I gasped.

The master’s tongue licked the skin, and I felt his mouth open wide. I pushed at his chest in panic as Vena swore and tried beating him off me.

A wild snarl erupted next to me as the vampire was ripped away. I glimpsed him flying backward, a smirk on his face, before the view was blocked by the broad expanse of Shepard’s back.

He stood in front of me, taller than before, with his back covered by golden fur. He swiped out his hand superfast at the master, who spun just out of reach in front of him.

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