Page 74 of Magic and Muffins

Several heads whipped our direction, and all I saw was a sea of black eyes. I grabbed onto Vena’s shirt as she stood in front of me with her tiny, backup blade ready.

Suddenly, the main door burst open, and more people rushed in. The familiar faces of Shepard’s men almost made me cry. They moved fast, peeling off their clothes and shifting into wolves as they began their attack. The other people who rushed in didn't shift but moved just as lethally as the werewolves. They beheaded vampires faster than I thought humanly possible, but not with the blurred speed of an otherworlder.

Then Cross was in front of us, his fangs out as he grasped a vampire by his neck and tossed him like he was a wet towel into the fray. He spun around and grabbed me.

“Where are you hurt?” he asked.

Vena pointed to my neck as she stuck to the wall beside me.

Cross’ mouth was on my skin a moment later, suctioning softly. I wrapped my arms around him and melted into the safety of his embrace as he lightly fed and closed the wound.

“I might kill Hugh later,” he whispered as he hugged me tightly to his chest. “I’m sorry we weren’t here sooner.”

Wrapped in his arms, I didn’t witness the carnage in the room, but I heard it. People’s dying screams echoed around us, and then everything went quiet.

“If you’re human, please stand,” Hugh said.

Cross released me, and we turned to take in what was happening.

As some of the survivors stood, another group of people filtered in. They carried blankets and medical kits and began walking among the bodies scattered on the floor, checking for pulses. Some bodies were headless. Some were heartless. Between them, people were crying and crouched low, covering their heads. The ball cap guy wasn’t one of the survivors. His lifeless eyes stared up at the cobwebbed ceiling.

The angry woman was there, though. She slowly stood with several others. She didn’t look so angry anymore. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear.

“What was that?” she asked in a shaking voice.

“The feeding frenzy you just witnessed, or the werewolves who stopped the vampires from killing more of you?” Cross asked.

“I don’t know,” she burst into tears.

Cross sighed and turned her toward one of the medical people. They were sorting everyone out, dealing with those who were bleeding and giving blankets to those who were falling into shock.

Hugh spoke above the noise. “We can provide medical treatment at no cost to you. You can also refuse treatment. The right is yours. However, everyone must give their statement regarding what happened here once we move you to a safe environment. Please bear with us until then.”

The medical people treated the survivors one by one and escorted them from the scene. Anchor and Shepard joined us as they tugged back on their clothes.

“Are you all right?” Shepard asked.

“Fine.”

“I’m fine too,” Vena said. “Where’s ‘my good job, Vena’ for keeping Everly safe.”

“Good job, Vena,” Cross said as Shepard’s gaze swept over me.

Hugh called Shepard’s name.

“I have her,” Cross said. “Go.”

Shepard gave me one last longing, regret-filled look and jogged away.

A small group of men and women who had infiltrated with the wolves returned. I wasn’t sure where they had gone or who they were. They didn’t wear the DOS uniforms, yet they had swiftly mowed down vampires. I would have suspected they were undercover DOS agents, but they had a unique vibe, almost like they didn’t belong…yet did.

“Who are they?” I asked, pointing to the group.

“Vampire Hunters,” Cross said.

Vena’s expression filled with awe. “They’re here? I want to talk to them.”

She grabbed Anchor’s arm and pulled him over. We followed them across the room, hearing one hunter say, “We cleared the building. There were only a few hanging behind.”

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