Aldric didn't much care for the ability since it seemed to give him a more than unfair advantage in situations like these, as he was actually fairly strong to begin with. His whole family was, on both sides, and Aldric benefitted from the inherited power. However since he mainly hunted deer and other wildlife, he rarely felt comfortable using it against his prey.
This man, however? This werewolf who felt justified in stealing children and, Aldric imagined, would be equally involved in their subsequent abuse and torture? Aldric felt no remorse at terrifying someone like that.
The wolf in front of him seemed to stop breathing and a dark patch spread down his legs bringing the acrid stench of urine and fear.
Aldric took a step toward him, relaxed now that he was fully in control of the room. "You took innocent people from their homes. You stole children off the street, snatching them out of the hands of those tasked with watching over them. You left those very guardians bleeding on the sidewalk, and intended to help your leader sell a child to your alpha!" He roared the last words and Aldric's power surged and he heard the wolf's heart stutter and slow as it was overwhelmed by the power of the enraged vampire in front of him.
To the side, Faith gasped, and faintly he could hear Jake's voice calling for him, by name, and felt a surge of power from the cub answering his own. Outside, the wolves still fighting made various sounds of surprise as Aldric’s unleashed power and shouted words reached them: the Goldfang wolves sounded startled and nervous and his own clanmates angry and concerned that he had been pushed that far.
“And yet you dare to try to accuse me of aggression against you?” Aldric’s voice had dropped back to a reasonable level, but his fangs lent the words a sinister lisp as they deformed his mouth.
The wolf in front of him stared, unblinking, his eyes larger than could be comfortable. The full understanding of what he faced sunk into his mind now.
Aldric reached out and took the gun from unresisting fingers. "Faith, I apologize. I try not to lose my temper, as it usually ends... well. Like this. With many corpses."
And with those words, the wolf's brain simply gave up. His eyes rolled into his head and he dropped to the ground like a pile of laundry shoved to the floor.
Aldric stared at the body for a moment before turning to face Faith, hoping that he wouldn't see the same terror in her eyes now. He braced himself, his arms held loose at his sides now, holding the barrel of the gun. He felt the blood dripping out of the wounds inflicted by the first wolf, the air cool over his sticky skin. Aldric forced himself to meet Faith's eyes, and she growled at him.
"I swear to God, if you go around getting sliced up by wolves one more goddamn time, I don't know what I'm going to do but it sure as shit won't be fun for you,” she growled, and stomped up to him, yanking the ripped fabric off his chest and using it to dab at the gashes.
"Wh–" Aldric was genuinely at a loss. All his anger drained out of him so fast that he was left dizzy with it. He blinked and felt his fangs and claws recede from shock. This was… this was not a reaction he had considered. What could he possibly say to stem the tide of her rebukes?
"I swear to god, Aldric," she muttered after a moment, tugging a knot tight, having wrapped his shirt around the deepest of the gashes. "When we get back to the clan house I am going to cuff you to the goddamn bed until you're completely healed."
"You are more than a little terrifying, were you aware of that?" he finally managed.
She smirked at him. "I do okay. I'll have my meltdown later, when I have time for it. Do you know where the kids are? Or Crissy? Can your crazy vampire senses tell you that?"
Aldric nodded, and led the way down the hall at the back of the main room. They passed several bedrooms, doors half open to give clear views of the messes inside. It was obvious that the Goldfangs did not value cleanliness. Halfway down the hall, Aldric turned to the left and reached for the doorknob.
"No! Wait!" an unfamiliar voice shouted.
When the door swung open a small body slammed into his stomach, knocking the wind from him as pain surged through his body and more blood soaked the makeshift bandage.
"Uncle Aldric!" Jake cried, his small arms wrapped around Aldric's body and his voice thick with emotion that the boy struggled to contain.
"I am here, cub. Are you and Miss Kaylee unharmed?"
Jake only nodded and pressed his face into Aldric's ribs. He tried not to wince too obviously. Across the room, Faith had her arms around a blonde woman and he saw the back of a familiar small head as Kaylee was included in the hug.
"Crissy," Faith sounded like she was sobbing. "Crissy, oh god, we've been looking everywhere."
"I'm okay, Faith. Mostly just a few bumps and bruises. I'm okay. We're all okay," Crissy was murmuring.
Aldric allowed them a few moments before forcing himself to interrupt. "Ladies. I am sorry to break into this moment, but we should leave. I believe Marc and the enforcers are almost finished with their battle. Miss Latham, are you well enough to leave here or are there any injuries we should attend to first?"
Crissy Latham looked over at him then froze, blinking. "Good lord, you're asking me if I'm too injured to get out of here? What... how are you still standing? You're not one of them are you?"
“One of the Goldfang Stalkers? I am not," Aldric said.
"Mr. Aldric's the vampire
