Reginald Baxter the Vigilante Vampire by J.E. Shook Read Free Book Online

friend," she said, shaking her head,
    "There is no reason to call me dimwitted," Reginald said, taking a step backwards towards the trees. "If this is the way this discussion will continue, then I will take my leave. It is far too late for these absurd games." He hoisted the musket back onto his shoulder. "Good night, strangers." He turned and started to step back into the forest. Before his foot could reach the ground again, he felt a powerful force grab the back of his shirt and jerk him backwards. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, letting the musket tumble several feet away.
    Reginald grabbed his gut as he tried to breathe in. The world seemed to spin as he struggled to focus on his surroundings. He saw a blurry shadow crouch down in front of him. As his eyesight slowly became clearer, he realized the shadow was from the woman, or at least some sort of beast that closely resembled her. Her face came closer to his, causing a wave of nausea to crash over him. The woman's face no longer appeared as welcoming as before. Now it was twisted into an angry, almost inhuman scowl. He blinked as he saw fangs protruding over her lower lip.
    "What are you?" Reginald asked, barely able to speak above a whisper.
    "We are creatures of the darkness, and we require blood," she said, her voice now almost a growl.
    "Oh," Reginald said. Then a thought dawned on him. "You did mean me earlier."
    Despite the fangs, the woman's expression softened slightly. "Yes, we did mean you."
    "This should not be real," Reginald said, trying to stay in control.
    "Oh, this is absolutely real," she said. She bent down further and smelled of Reginald's neck. "Your blood smells rich." A cold smile formed on her mouth. "And that of your mate. I can tell from her scent that she will be delicious."
    Reginald almost forgot that he was scared. "Stay away from her!"
    "Or what?" the woman asked.
    "I will stop you," he said, not realizing the absurdity of his words.
    The woman laughed. Reginald saw something move from the corner of his eye. When he saw the man standing directly beside him, he wondered if somehow he had missed him and he had been there the whole time.
    "You will stop us?" the man asked in his stern voice. Reginald noticed that the man had fangs protruding from his lips as well.
    "Yes," Reginald said, the stillness of the night finally letting him realize the meaning of his words. "I would try."
    The man folded his hands together calmly. "Try does not mean stop."
    "I would try," Reginald found himself saying again.
    They looked each other in the eyes for a moment before the man said, "Then try, human." As Reginald opened his mouth to respond, he found himself hitting a large tree several feet away with his back. He dropped down onto his knees and struggled to get his bearings. "Try," he heard the man say from beside him. Before he could move another muscle, he found himself flung facedown on the ground.
    He forced himself quickly to his feet, but felt himself falling backwards as the blood rushed to his brain. A hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him mid-fall. "Is this trying? Try harder."
    Reginald reached back and managed a weak punch on the man's abdomen. "This is failure," the man said simply. He held up his free hand and made a fist. "Your attempt is over." Reginald never saw the fist move, but he felt the massive explosion in his gut as it made contact. He found himself flying through the air towards the forest. As he crashed into the leafy ground several feet away, he felt the contents of his stomach empty out. His eyes began to lose focus as everything began to go dark.
    "He is yours," the man said, beginning to walk away. "I will not feed on his weak blood. His mate will have to sate me."
    The woman hesitated before saying, "Alright, feast well."
    As the man was about to enter the shadowy trees, Reginald screamed. The silence hung heavy in the night as if every living thing waited for what might happen next.
    The man turned and