Hounds in the Night

She didn't really like hunting as a pair, but for now it was necessary. She just couldn't understand why the hell they stuck her with Him. As they were walking along the amp, dark streets after a long day of rain, she couldn't help but be upset. The full moon was in four days. She just didn't need to get pissed off anytime soon, and change her form too early.Again It's only happened three times already.

"Pairs," she mumbled under her breath as she turned a corner. She couldn't smell anything, but the vampire next to her. She turned and glared at him. "You know, Wentz.
This would be easier for me ... if you weren't my partner for the night."

"Well, suck it up leopard breath, because it was my night too."

"Leopard breath!?! I should rip you a new one, fang boy; but considering you heal as fast as
I do, there's no pleasure in hurting you. And I can't kill you, Patrick would cry. I don't want that oversized teddy bear crying. Damn me and my soft heart!"

"So how did you become a leopard?" Pete questioned after a long awkward silence.

"That's like asking you how you became a vampire. I don't wish to tell. The leopard is the hardest form of Lycanthropy out there to retrieve. Use your imagination as to how I was turned!" River stopped dead in her tracks. There was a fading heart beat near them, and the sent of cold dirt was drifting in the air. She turned and faced Pete.

"You smell that?" she whispered softly.

"Better still, I can see him. He's seven yards away to your left. Rock, paper, scissors?"
River glared at him, but nodded her head. If they weren't quick the human in the four year old vampire's arms would be gone.

"Fine." The two held their fists out and quickly counted to three. River winning scissors over paper. Pete glared at her small retreating form moving slowly toward her new found prey.

"Great night for a small snack." She called out looking form the human to the vampire. He quickly let go of the man in his arms, and glared at her.

"Wish to be next?"

"Sorry but I'm no-one's pomme de sang!" She stated using her favorite term from the Laurell k. Hamilton Anita Blake series. She held out her hands palm up and watched as the slowly changed into something more animalistic and deadly. Giving the vamp in front of her a sinister smile she drew closer to him. He glared right back and began to move away from her. River made a quick movement forward that he didn't see and her right hand ripped through his chest, and made a grab to rip out his heart. Pulling her arm back the vamp quickly disintegrated into dust before her. Pete was clapping slowly behind her.

"Impressive."

"Says the Vampire with a soul!" A disembodied voice called from the shadows. Pete's face took on a sneer as he turned toward a nearby alley where the voice was coming from. River picked the Human up from the ground and glared at him, he was still dazed and under the mind spell. He'll come to in about five minutes, but from the look on Pete's hardened face, he didn't have those five minutes. She easily swung the man on her shoulder and moved him farther away from the alleyway.

"Have no fear Leopard, I wasn't going to go after the human."

"Like hell Urie, where the fuck are you?" The voice laughed as a, what would have been teenage boy stepped out of the shadows.

"Right in front of you Wentz."

"Oh can the shit what do you want?" Pete glared even harder at what River assumed was the younger of the two.

"To play of course," River mumbled to her self as she sat the man on his feet.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing," River stated in a sing song voice. Pete moved so that he could watch both River and the new comer as the glared at each other.

"River, I say you handled the last one, let me get this one." River shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the pavement indian style, now this was something she wanted to watch. Maybe It would be better than having to watch daytime television.

"I'm waiting your holiness!" she called out looking from one vampire to the other. Just then Pete moved in on the other vampire and grabbed him around the neck lifting him off of the ground. River cocked her head to the side.

"Well? Are you going to rip out his throat so ogle him?" She called out.

"I didn't make any comments on how you handled Damian, now did I?"

"Not aloud, but I know you were commentating in that head of yours." Just then the other vampire grabbed Pete's wrist and made a twisting motion. River hear the sickening crack as Pete's wrist was broken in two. He took a sharp intake of breath and shook it so hard that she heard another snap and the bones moved back into their original place.

"You know once we get back, you're still going to have to set that right?"

"Shut it Leopard I don't need your help right now!" Pete had picked the other vampire up is it began to laugh, his dark hair ruffling in the wind. River couldn't help but find this specimen attractive.

"Oh, Pete. She want's your body!" he called from above in Pete's arms. River stifled a laugh as Pete dropped him hard onto the ground and glared at him. Still laughing he rolled and away from an almost crushed face stood up to face Pete. "Why don't you go back to your little hunters and practice making one of them Bait!"

River couldn't help it anymore. That comment just some how made her want to kill him. She stood from her place and ran to the new comer. Her hands once again in their half human half animal form. She grabbed him around the neck and lifted him as high as her four foot eleven frame would let her.

"Watch the taunting dumbass!" she snarled out at him. She turned to the open street and threw the vampire she only knew as 'Urie' into the building a crossed the street. His body made a sickening crack against the stone, but took no effect on the vampire itself. He stood up from his place bowed low before her, then took off into the air.

"Fucking levitating bitches!" She called out as he moved on top of the building and began to run.

"How was the hunt?" Riley asked as soon as River and Pete walked back into the warehouse.

"Fan-fucking-tastic. I killed one. Then Pete played with another." She shrugged her shoulders and moved to go sit on the couch, propping her feet up on the table and smiling at Joe.

"Played with? What happened?" Patrick asked moving into the room and looking from River to Pete.

"Brendon," was all Pete said before making his way toward his room. Oh well the Bitch could set his own damn arm!

"FUCK!" River cocked her head to the side and stared at the door that led to where the three were currently to sleep.

"What's Raine doing?"

"She was sleeping." Riley shrugged her shoulders as they both moved to open the door leading to their room.

"Raine?" They called out Riley made to turn on the lights, but River stopped her.

Her eyes had already caught sight of Raine's form lying on the bed in the middle, but the room didn't smell right. Something was off. Making her way toward her friend's bed, her heart beat was rapid, and she was twitching. Snarling out a quick 'son of a cow,' River commanded that Riley turn on the lights.

"Raine?" She whispered softly as she began to shake her.

River's eyes changing into their yellow-green leopard form. Worry was never a good thing with her. Raine's body began to shake and twitch more and more. Concern written on their faces, and the only thing left to do was to force her awake. They tried shaking her. Hell they even dumped her glass of water on her night stand, on her face.

Nothing was working. With one thing left to do Riley nodded her head at River. River stood up straight from the floor, she tossed the covers completely off of her, and picked her up. Riley made her way into the on joined bathroom and filled the tub up with freezing cold water. Once full and Raine completely submerged in the icy water, her eyes flew open.