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

saw Reginald pushing himself from the ground. One arms hung to the side, dislocated and broken from the impact before. Blood and vomit dripped down the front of Reginald's face onto his shirt and the ground below. His breaths came in ragged gasps with each sounding like it might be his last. He would have looked dead except for his eyes. In the darkness, his angry gaze seemed to shine brighter than the campfire. "I still won't let you touch her!" he screamed.
    The man simply shook his head. "You will not stop me," he said simply. In a flash he was standing before Reginald again. His arm darted out and grabbed him by the throat. "Why do you intend to prolong your suffering?"
    "I would prolong it for eternity, to keep you away," Reginald said, gathering all of his strength. He reached forward with all his energy and landed a punch directly on the man's chin with a loud crunch. The man's head was pushed back by just a fraction from the impact. The pain from Reginald's broken hand brought forth a rage that he had kept hidden his entire life. He punched the man again even harder, feeling more bones break. With each attack, he felt more pain, which made each attack even harder. Reginald screamed into the night as his fist kept grinding against the man's face, until he was barely hanging onto his life.
    "Are you done?" the man asked as Reginald's arm had fallen back to his side. He reached up and wiped a small speck of blood from his chin. Licking the blood up, he said, "You are not as weak as I had believed, but you are now about to die."
    Reginald felt tears begin run from his eyes. "This isn't fair."
    "Who said that this world is fair, weakling human," the man said. "You were put here to die, and that is what your purpose shall be. Now fulfill it."
    'This is how it ends,' Reginald thought. 'Somehow I do not feel as surprised as I should be.'
    As he felt the man's hand flinch to crush his throat, he saw the woman appear beside them and grab the man's arm. Despite his stern demeanor, the man seemed genuinely surprised. "What is it, Madeline?"
    "Perhaps we should approach this one differently," she said.
    "How so?"
    "Do you remember us speaking of bringing in another soul?"
    The man's face twitched. "I remember you speaking of it. I listened to each word."
    The woman frowned. "You seemed as if you agreed. You were acting?"
    "I did the duty of your mate, to ensure your happiness."
    "Saying you agree was supposed to ensure my happiness?"
    "Yes."
    The woman's face became stern. From Reginald's blurred eyesight, she appeared more frightening than the man holding his throat. "For being insincere, there will be consequences."
    "Yes, my dear mate."
    "If you wish to lessen those consequences, there is one thing you can do."
    The man's eyes twitched disapprovingly towards Reginald, but he simply said, "Yes, dear."
    Madeline took Reginald's chin and raised his head so she could stare into his eyes. "He reminds me of my dear brother who gave his life trying to save me so long ago. I've wondered many times how things would have changed if he somehow succeeded." Smiling she let go. "I do not regret anything, but let us let this man save the woman that he loves. He will pay a heavy price in her stead."
    The man sighed. "Let it be so."
    Reginald smiled weakly. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Madeline. Thanks."
    The woman's smile deepened. "That is such a formal way to address me. Please, just call me Mother."
    Reginald coughed weakly. "What?"
    A silence hung between the three for a moment. As Reginald opened his mouth to ask for clarity, the two vampires bit into either side of his neck. He felt his scream die in his throat as his life slowly melted away.
     
    Reginald sat up screaming. Feeling groggy, he reached up and felt of his neck. He was relieved to feel nothing out of place.
    He felt a hand soothingly rub his shoulder. "You seemed to be dreaming quite fitfully," a calm, feminine voice said.
    "Oh, Mother, I had the worst dream," he said, reaching