Page 64 of Wolfgang

Unfortunately, even as quiet as they were, vampire hearing was apparently no fucking joke, because the kid took notice of their words, startling up from his crouched position.

For one long second, he stood there, staring at Eric, right in his eyes. Then he looked to Jamie. Back to Eric…

And then he bolted.

Eric sped through the forest, the trees a blur all around him. He was fast now—light-years faster than he’d ever been in his short stint on the track-and-field team in college—which was theoretically helpful. But really, speed was useless when he didn’t know where he was going. It was like the kid had disappeared into thin air, and now Eric and Jamie were just tearing through pine trees without purpose.

When they paused to catch their bearings, Jamie looked around doubtfully. “Maybe we should split up?”

Eric tried to control his panting, unsure why his vampire body even insisted on it. “Isn’t that how people meet their bad ends in all the horror movies?”

Jamie’s eye roll was sassy as fuck. “Dude. He’s a kid. I think we’ll survive.”

Eric hesitated, just for a moment. He knew what Wolfe would want—he’d want Eric to have the extra protection. He’d want him unharmed and with plenty of backup.

But wasn’t it more important to not lose this kid? What if they never got another chance like this?

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, we can split up.”

So they did. Jamie went east. Eric went west.

He went deeper than he’d ever cared to explore in these woods—deep enough that he’d worry about finding his way back, if not for the fact that he’d learned how to use the sun to gauge cardinal directions in the Eagle Scouts his mother had made him join. Something about making him competitive for prep school.

The run wasn’t exactly pleasant. The pine smelled good and all, but the winter sun had melted the snow enough to make everything a muddy mess. And maybe it still could have had some sort of scraggly charm if Eric weren’t so fucking frustrated.

Where had this kidgone?

He stopped in a small clearing, one where the melted snow had made the world’s tiniest pond. Once again, he asked himself the question: Where would he have gone as a kid? Unfortunately, the truth was he’d probably have run far, far away and never come back. If the kid had been traumatized by some vampire and then saw two more of them stalking him in a park? He’d be wise to be long gone.

God, Eric had fucked it all up, hadn’t he? He’d ruined it. He should go back to the playground, let Wolfe take him home. Stop trying to be of use when he was inherently useless.

The telltale snap of a twig had Eric whirling around only to see more of nothing all around him. Definitely horror movie vibes.

When he turned back, the kid was there.

He was standing unbelievably still, across the tiny pond, maybe five feet back from the edge. Eric had probably gauged his age about right, maybe somewhere around ten years old. He was filthy up close. Had he been that filthy at the hospital? He had dirt smudging his face, his clothes, his hands—one of which was holding the limp body of a squirrel.

Eric’s stomach churned. Jesus, had he drained the thing? Was it like Jay had said: the kid could eat animalandpeople blood? Some sort of vampire omnivore?

“Hi there.” Eric winced at the sound of his own voice. Was that really the best he could do?

He at least knew well enough not to step closer, not when the kid looked ready to bolt again at any second, his small, wiry frame tense as hell.

The kid pushed back a matted lock of dark hair with his free hand. “Smell like him.”

His small voice was surprisingly hoarse, like he hadn’t spoken for a very long time. And from the way he said the word “him,” it didn’t sound like a compliment.

Still, it was some sort of jumping off point, at least.

“What does, um,hesmell like?” Eric asked.

“Old pennies.”

Of course. The coppery, metallic vampire scent.

“You mean the person who did this to you?” Eric clarified. At the kid’s small nod, he explained, “We all smell like that. All…vampires…do.”

The kid shook his head. “I don’t.”

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