Toy Wolf

Chapter 4: place your bets

I was reasonably nervous the next day, hoping that Dr. Bryce would not let the fight continue. If Stefa was right, and I was the only werewolf they had, it seemed odd that they would risk my life, but maybe I was valuing my own life too highly.

Frank put handcuffs on me the moment I stepped out of my cell, leading me down the hallway. They looked like the bangles on Stefa.

"Now look here Lupus," he said sternly. "We're here to prove your worth, so don't mess this up for us. If they cut our funding then they might decide you're not worth the trouble of feeding you."

He watched my face for a moment and then scoffed. "What am I saying? It's not like you understand me."

I debated answering, but I didn't think that would prolong my freedom from the collar. Perhaps if I did as ordered without complaint, then he would have no reason to collar me again. I wasn't a dog, even if he wanted to believe so.

We walked to a large room with walls of mirrors on all sides. There were an assortment of people in the rooms, mostly men in white lab coats. A short severe woman with glasses approached us with a frown. Frank straightened his shoulders and gave her a smile.

"Dr. Bryce," he said.

"I want you to explain how this fight has any scientific merit," she said. "If you kill the only werewolf we have just to prove something to Candice, then I'm going to be quite angry."

"I'm trying to prove something to you," Frank complained. "Lupus and his blood baffles all of us at every turn. We've sent it to the best blood labs in the world and no one knows what to make of him. I don't know any more than you do why he hasn't died yet. Silver seems to hurt him, but Lupus doesn't get any sicker."

"He looks like a ragged toothpick," she complained.

"And he's not. If we can figure out what makes him work, then we will have the medical breakthrough of the millennia. I want to prove to our board that Lupus isn't a fluffy dog with a penchant for teenage girls."

Dr. Bryce sighed heavily. "Fine. I reserve the right to stop the fight at any time; he cannot be in any danger." She glanced at me one more. "He's not wearing his collar."

"Choking hazard," Frank pointed out. "And he can't shift with it on."

She nodded and walked away. Frank continued walking and I followed him.

"That worked," he chortled.

The next room had several cages with what I assumed were vampires. I had only seen Stefa since being here. They were pale and beautiful, as if the transformation somehow made them so. A couple looked at me curiously, but no one spoke. The room smelled like blood.

Through a window I could see another lab where a vampire was strapped down to a table, From here it looked like a scientist was sawing off her arm. I thought I must be mistaken, but we hurried away before I could confirm or deny.

"Here they are; look at the scrawny wolf," laughed a woman. "Goodness. This is a terrible idea."

The room had a large cage in it which had a vampire pinned to one wall. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to the world around him.

"Whatever Candice," Frank shot back with a scowl on his face. "I handcuffed him like you asked; where do I put him?"

Candice grabbed my arm and pulled me along towards the cage. She opened the door and my hands dragged me to the edge of the cage, pinning me to the wall opposite the vampire. His glazed eyes focused on me. He was wearing the same mouth guard that Stefa wore and I knew that at least I couldn't be bitten.

"We'll wait for the board to get here," Candice said, slamming the door shut. "Would you believe that more of them decided to come after your harebrained idea? People are so bloodthirsty."

"No one will die," Frank warned. "Dr. Bryce will kill the rest of us if Lupus..."

"Gets killed, I know, I know. Calm down," Candice told Frank in an irritated tone. "I'm glad they're here, don't get me wrong. It's just strange that Mr. Danube is bringing his son along too. We're not entertainment."

"Today we are," he said. "Tomorrow we can get back to science."

They laughed and left the room. I peered at the vampire, wondering if he knew Stefa. Did they get to talk together?

"What's your name?" I asked.

"None of your business," he said curtly.

And that ended the conversation before it began. I tried to stretch as well as I could, reminding myself of what Stefa had told me about vampires. They were persuasive. They were fast. They wanted blood; but not particularly mine. She said I smelled like cabbage, which was odd to be sure. The younger vampires acted more on instinct than reason. The hungrier they were, the more desperate they would be. I could understand that.

As I had stretched every muscle I could think of, the room began to fill with various men and women in suits and white lab coats. They talked amongst themselves until Candice stepped toward the cage, turning toward the crowd.

"I will turn a blind eye to the rampant betting happening if you will remind yourselves that this is about the work," she said. "Werewolves. Vampires. Once we come to terms with the idea that they are real, all that remains is learning how they work. Inside this cage, we have two of the fastest, strongest predators on the planet. And I will be the first to admit this is not quite a fair fight for the scrawny werewolf, I have been assured that looks can be deceiving."

Instead of cheering, the scientists pulled out tablets and paper, ready for note taking. There was a small group who didn't fit; the board members I assumed. A young man in the middle met my eye and looked away. I returned my attention to the vampire across from me.

Our handcuffs unlocked at the same time, and I was suddenly wearing the same cuffs Stefa wore all the time. The vampire launched at me, but I ducked, rolling out of the way. He let out a growl, preparing for his next attack. Stefa had warned me that many vampires kept their nails long and that they were strong and sharp. By the way he was flexing his fingers, I wagered that was the case here. He jumped again and I dodged him, trying to decide if I would be forced to go on the offensive. I didn't want to hurt him, but he clearly did not feel the same way.

One finger grazed my shoulder, cutting deeper than I had expected. I yelped and heard some scientists laugh. The vampire licked his finger, though I smiled when he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

I would have to shift, I decided. I'd heal in the change and I would have less exposed skin for him to pierce. The vampire swiped at me again; it was clear that the vampire didn't care if he killed me. He left another bloody mark, this time on my chest. I growled at the pain.

So I let him get close and then I shifted, pouncing on his chest with my forepaws to pin him to the floor. He hit his head on the ground with a crack and I was able to shift back into my human form to pin him more properly. It would so easy to snap his neck, I thought, nostrils flaring. But I saw the fear in the vampire's eyes that I knew was often the look in mine. We were all scared. 

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Yeah, I totally double posted a chapter. *Shame. Here you go! Thanks @zhealamarie for pointing it out.