Eternal War Rising to the South: The Beynok Vampire Series Read Free Page A

rarely in confrontation and are never purposely placed in a battle.
    We drove the scout’s Suburban away, sitting in our usual positions, with Nickolai driving, me as the front passenger, and the other three in the back. We left the scout to watch over the helicopter.
    It was strange to hear of a pack of werewolves choosing an abandoned warehouse for a den. Usually they liked places out of the city. We just needed to get through this mission, and I’d ask Vladimir all the questions I had afterwards.
    The navigation system guided us, and we pulled up about a block away from the two-story warehouse. Windows lined the first and second floors, but they were heavily tinted, so we couldn’t see in. Graffiti covered most of the first story bricks and windows. As we got closer, I opened myself up to the entire warehouse, placing the locations of the werewolves. “There are eight in there, four on the first floor near the front door, three on the second floor spread out. The other is in there; I just can’t place its location.”
    We reached the large steel slab front door. I knew our presence would be known once we tried to open it, so I placed my hand on the door to make sure my readings were correct and tried to find the eighth werewolf before we entered. I got him. He was on the wall between the first and second floor above the door. It was as if they knew we were coming. Either way, they were going to die. I pointed to Yuri and Ambrose to slide the door back.
    I rushed in first, placing the werewolves I could see. The one above the door was mine because I had no time to tell the others where it was once I had placed it. I ran far enough in to turn and have a running distance back toward the front wall in the direction of that werewolf, but I ran back down another path, giving the others room to rush in and start their own battles.
    Four or so feet away from the front wall, I threw my body into the air and kicked the werewolf in the face. She had been distracted by my team coming through the door. I could read her so clearly; she was waiting for the first vulnerable-looking one to come through to attack. When my boot connected with her face, it threw her off the wall. During my descent to the ground, I pulled my swords from their sheaths. I landed first, and she was falling with her back to me, so she couldn’t see me. As she fell past me, I sliced her head clean off her body. By rule of thumb, decapitation was the best way to permanently take out most of the creatures we fought.
    Nickolai looked as if he had just taken one out himself. Yuri, Ambrose, and Nadia had the remaining three on the first floor, leaving the three on the second floor to Nickolai and me. They were already climbing down the walls from the second floor by the time I was done with my count and placement of my team. Nickolai and I took our fighting positions. I like to crouch since I am only 5’5,” but he takes a more traditional stance with his guns in hand and a look on his face that says, “Come and get me.” It’s kind of funny. He uses a machete for close personal combat.
    I took the first one out quickly as it came down the wall. Nickolai took the next one coming down to fight, and I waited for the last one to hit the floor. The loud snarls and gunfire I heard made me scan for the others. Nadia and Yuri had just finished their fight, but it looked like Ambrose was in trouble. He had been slung through the air into the cinder block wall. Lucky for Ambrose, Nadia and Yuri saw this, too, and rushed over to his aid.
    A huge paw backhanded me in the face, knocking me into the air and on the ground a few feet away. I had lost my guard during my scan of the others. Before I could regain my strength and push myself back to my feet, the werewolf was on top of me. Its mouth came at me in a fast plunge to my face, and it barely missed. I slid both swords upward into its belly and kicked it off me. I sprang to my feet with force, swords in hand ready for a