Christmas Fights

Fangtasia was closed on Christmas Night. Something Pam was profoundly grateful for. As a vampire, she didn’t celebrate Christmas. She wasn’t even sure she believed in a God made in the image of humans. Still, as a human she’d been raised Christian and years of hiding in an Episcopal boarding school had rekindled the sense of comfort she found in the familiar forms.

Tonight she had eschewed electricity except for the Christmas carols playing on Eric’s elaborate and excellent sound system. She’d lit a couple of candles not for light, she could see perfectly well, but for the honey scent of beeswax that wrapped around her like a robe. Pam hadn’t bothered getting dressed. Eric was off somewhere on vampire business and she was enjoying a quiet night curled up on the sofa beneath a patchwork quilt he wouldn’t recognize though some of the fabrics ought to seem familiar. A soft smile, more human than vampire, curled her lips as she stroked each one, recalling its history. It was a good thing that Eric couldn’t see her. He wouldn’t approve of the sentimentality. But what was this silly season for if not sentimentality?

Pam still couldn’t believe she was back with her Maker. Some of their nights together were more like a dream than a reality she ever expected to experience again. Even after the better part of a year she kept expecting the other shoe to drop and bring this all to an end. At least now she knew what was literally hanging over their heads like a sword of Damocles. She also knew why he had Called her back to him and insisted she move in to his house. Vampires were going to make their existence known to the world. The only questions were when and what the world, especially humans, would do about it. The possibilities made Pam shiver enough that she didn’t realize at first that Eric was Calling her.

His Call grew more insistent and was laced with something else as she became aware of it. Not pausing to analyze it, Pam shot out the back door like an arrow sprung from a bow. Her target was her Maker and she followed his Call unerringly through the night. As though he knew she was on her way, his pull lessened. At least, that’s what she hoped happened and his attention turned to a more immediate threat.

Ambush!

The word leapt into Pam’s mind followed by a surge of cold fury, both hers and his. She didn’t care who had set him up or why. All that mattered to Pam was how many she could kill for daring to try to trap him.

Reaching the clearing where his Corvette had been stopped by fallen trees and power lines, Pam launched herself at a Were trying to flank Eric. The unexpected impact knocked the wolf off all four of its feet. Pam snapped its neck as they rolled and kept right on going, taking down another wolf in the process. The second wolf had a few seconds of warning and managed  to sink his teeth into her shoulder. With her other hand Pam reached behind her, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and flipped him to where she could fight him more effectively. He tried to twist free, tearing at the flesh of her shoulder. Pam didn’t let go. Instead she met him bite for bite, burying her face and fangs in the soft fur until everything was soaked in blood. Dropping the carcass, Pam turned to look for Eric and her next target.

Eric was grappling with a large male while an almost equally large female swinging a chain circled them looking for an opening. Pam couldn’t tell for certain whether the chain was silver or not but the fact that Eric was striving to keep the  male between them argued that it was. Pam was about to attack the female when something landed on her from above driving her into the ground.

This Were was still in human form, probably because he was young and the moon wasn’t full. That might have given Pam the advantage had he not been wearing silver studded gloves. Though small, he knew what he was doing. He locked his legs around her waist, the silver buckles on his boots bit through the thin fabric of her nightgown. Pam ignored that small pain being more interested in avoiding the hands reaching for her face and eyes. Fortunately the size difference meant his aim was off. His grasp was painful but not debilitating. Twisting and turning as only a vampire could, Pam bounced around the clearing slamming both of them into every solid surface she could. The sounds of bones snapping was intensely satisfying.

At some point Pam and her assailant collided with the female, knocking her off-balance. Her chain coiled around Pam’s legs but either the silver content was not high or the volume of fabric of her nightgown or both protected her. It didn’t slow her momentum although it did bring all three of them to the ground. Pam’s next roll brought the Were on her back’s head into contact with a rock. Unfortunately, his hands still grasped her hair. Pam hissed when Eric peeled him off her, the burn in her scalp informing her that he took at least two fists full of hair with him.

Eric didn’t waste time on questions. Neither did Pam as he scooped her up and headed for the Corvette. She noted two, no, three bodies turning to ash beside the now human bodies of the Weres she had taken out. The little one must have been a vampire. No wonder she hadn’t been able to dislodge him. Eric still had  her in his arms when he slid behind the wheel. Pam crawled into the passenger seat while he started the car and got it turned around. Only when they were speeding back the way he had come did Pam realize there was holiday music playing on the radio. She couldn’t help laughing. A good fight was the best Christmas gift he could have given her.