Kathy Love: I Only Have Fangs For You

"Really, Wilhelmina, you were ungainly when you were alive, didn't undeath help at all?"

She didn't answer, she just kept moving away. Terror making her movements jerky.

"Have you been following me all this time?"

He laughed at that, his dark eyes dancing. "Hardly."

"But-but you disguised yourself as Daniel. Went to the Society meetings. Always spoke to me."

"Actually," he stopped stalking her, "this is my disguise. Much more effective with the ladies, as you can attest to. As for seeing you again at the Society meeting, that was sheer coincidence. But I did enjoy speaking to you, making you uncomfortable even though you didn't understand why. Until now. Sadly for you."

"Why did you ask me here tonight?" Mina asked. She glanced at the door, realizing that in her fear she'd backed away from it, rather than toward it.

Donatello, or rather Daniel, followed her gaze, then smiled complacently. "Well to finally finish you off, of course. After all, I left you to die the first time, but somehow you didn't."

Her fear threatened to overwhelm her, render her unconscious, but she knew she couldn't allow that to happen. If she did, she was as good as dead. Truly dead.

"Why now? Why after all this time?" she managed to ask.

"Because you have ruined a very good thing for me. I was using the Society as my cover, you see. It was perfect. I'd kill lowly humans and see that those deaths were blamed on the Society's most dangerous preternaturals. It allowed me easy access to humans, such as Franny Millhouse's escort service, and the perfect scapegoat when I was done."

Mina frowned. "But you don't need a scapegoat since you can change your looks, no one would know it was you to begin with. You'd never get caught."

"True," he agreed. "But it's not nearly as much fun. I like killing a human, and then walking into a Society meeting and being heralded as-what is that silly name again? Oh yes, a Society's Savior. It's deliciously ironic, isn't it?"

Mina stared at this monster that could hide behind the mask of an archangel. He was like a serial killer who liked to stay at the crime scene, watching the police struggle for clues. Pure evil.

"How-how did I ruin things for you? I didn't know any of this."

"No," he agreed. "But you did start to ask questions. Enough questions that Jude began to watch me. Jackson Hallowell, of course, never would have put it together, but Jude, he has a dark soul. And your questions about the escort service got him thinking. Of course, he doesn't realize yet that I'm on to him. But I know it's only a matter of time now before I'm added to the most dangerous list. But of course, unlike the case of your lover, I am very dangerous."

"Why did you attack that woman outside of Sebastian's club?" Mina asked at the mention of Sebastian.

Daniel shrugged. "For fun. To scare you. To make sure Sebastian stays firmly planted on that most dangerous list until he and his club are destroyed." He smiled sweetly. "Just to be mean."

"Is that why you chose to attack me from the beginning? To be mean?"

"Oh no," he said sincerely. "I needed you."

"Why?"

"You were a virgin, and I need virgin blood to survive. That's what sustains a creature like me."

"What are you?" she asked.

"I am a vampire, but I'm a variant of the undead. An incubus-far more powerful than an average vampire. But to maintain that power, I must survive on the blood of virgins."

She stared at him, even surrounded by all the preternaturals that she was, this seemed almost unreal.

"But why did you cross me over if you intended me to die?" she asked.

"Because the blood is so much sweeter if I cross the victim over. And until you, I don't believe any of my other victims did survive. I left them, just like you, and they burned in the sun. Or starved. Or were killed because they'd become little more than raving lunatics."

Mina stared at him, realizing she could have easily suffered any of those fates. She'd been lucky-an odd thought given the horror she had survived.

"But why me? Why not my sisters?" She always wondered that. Since he hadn't wanted her money? Or her sexual favors?

He laughed. "Well, that is simple. They weren't virgins." Then he sobered. "Enough talk. It's time to do what I came here for. To finish what I started so long ago."

Mina watched as the handsome mask of Donatello melted away, replaced by the hideous creature who'd haunted her for so long. Jagged, razor-sharp teeth, skeletal features, glowing red eyes.

Panic filled Mina, but she tried to stay calm. As he started to stroll toward her, she darted for the door. She made it, her hand on the handle, when he caught her by the back of the neck, hurling her into the center of the room. She landed amid the chairs, fallen, breathless. She scrambled along the floor as she heard him approaching, but he easily caught her, picking her up by the throat. She gasped as he lifted her off the ground, her feet dangling several inches from the floor.

She clawed at the finger digging into her throat, but she couldn't begin to break his crushing hold. Spots started to appear before her eyes, and she struggled to stay conscious. She couldn't die. She couldn't.

Suddenly, she heard a voice that she never believed she would hear again. "Let her go, or I'll kill you."

Sebastian watched as the vampire holding Mina released her, her body crumpling to the floor. Relief flooded Sebastian as she pushed herself upright, her frightened eyes locking with his. He offered a slight smile, which she didn't return. She appeared in shock.

His eyes left her, returning to the other vampire, now seeing his handsome features, wavy hair, and charming smile.

"So you are Donatello?" Sebastian said, managing to keep his cool. "Mina, what were you thinking? He's not nearly as attractive as you said he was."

Donatello laughed, the sound loud and hoarse. Evil.

"And aren't you the heroic lover?" Donatello said with a smile. "Charging to your lady's rescue." He glanced from Sebastian to his brothers. "And bringing reinforcements, too. Isn't there a phrase that goes something like 'the more the merrier'? I would say that applies to this occasion."

"Just get away from her," Sebastian stated.

"Well, I could do that," Donatello agreed. "Or you could just come get her?"

"Don't do it," Mina cried. "He's not a normal vampire. He's an incubus."

"Oh, Wilhelmina, giving away all my secrets," Donatello lamented.

Sebastian paused at Mina's words. An incubus. How the hell did they fight that? He glanced to Rhys, who just glared at the vampire-demon. Sebastian then looked to Christian, realizing if anyone would know about something this evil it was Christian.

Christian gave Sebastian a look that didn't reassure him.

"You got nothing for me?" Sebastian asked Christian.

Christian shook his head. "Not really."

Donatello laughed again, and Sebastian decided they were just going to have to go for it. Three against one had to be some sort of odds.

Sebastian charged the vampire, both Rhys and Christian right there too. But Donatello easily threw them off, sending them flying. Sebastian hit the wall, fighting back a groan at the force of the impact, but he was on his feet again instantly. Rhys slammed into the metal door, denting it. He seemed slightly dazed, but he managed to pull himself up to his feet. Christian landed on the wooden chairs, several breaking under his weight, but like his brothers he quickly got back to his feet.

This time the brothers circled Donatello.

Donatello watched them, looking unimpressed. Sebastian wasn't heartened by that look.

"This thing is friggin' strong," Sebastian murmured to Rhys.

"And fast," Rhys agreed, not sounding any more pleased about their odds.

Sebastian sneaked a glance back to Mina. She still remained on the floor, although he noticed she seemed to have scooted back among the scattering of broken chairs.