Vampires Among Us [Vampires Among Us 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

werewolves. Maybe they were already in the woods and heard me being attacked. We simply don’t know. The other thing that remains a mystery is how I came to having the ability to change into any given animal, not just one. Even the legends of my people state that these special magical beings can only change into one certain animal. Charles has never known another vampire that can do what I can. Sure, we have run across others occasionally that are what humans refer to as “shapeshifters” but the ones we have come across can only change into one certain type of animal. Somehow, I have the ability to concentrate on the animal I want to become, and my body shifts into that animal form.
    Charles has a theory that since I was attacked by a vampire, and was in the middle of the change when I came into contact with the werewolves, that the two blood types were mixed into my system. His theory is that the vampire blood actually helped with the process of changing into multiple animals, giving me unique abilities.”
    Kevin stopped for a moment, allowing Erica to absorb all the information he had thrown at her. After a moment of silence, he continued.
    “Remember what Charles stated earlier about two vampires not being able to reproduce? Well, that’s what happened with him and Rosetta. Rosetta was already a vampire when they met, so she was unable to have children of her own. I became their first adopted son. Then, one by one, each of my sisters were found, all newly turned and just left to cope on their own, and Rosetta and Charles took each of us in. So, that’s how we became one big happy family.”
    Erica found herself fascinated with his animal abilities and wanted to know more. “So, you have the ability to take on any animal form you want, just by concentrating on it?” she inquired. After all, she had been married to a vampire for the last four years, so processing the fact that Kevin and his family were vampires was not a big deal. But, a vampire that could change into an animal, now that was fascinating!
    “Yes, I can easily take on the shape and values of any animal I want,” Kevin replied. “Some of the ones that I’ve used often now come easy for me, requiring very little concentration on my part.”
    “What all does the VCTF do? How long have you been running it?” Erica continued.
    “Charles placed me in command of it about thirty-five years ago. Once I had adjusted to the idea that I was a vampire, I wanted to do something good with it. Many humans conjure up imaginary fears when they hear the word “vampire.” The truth is most of us desire to live as normal of a life as possible. We were all humans at one point and time, and none of us can help what we have become. Charles put me on the right path that included a college education and then extensive training after that. I worked under him for a while until he decided I was truly ready to be handed the reins.” He paused for a second, and then continued, “As far as what we do, it would be a shorter list to tell you what we don’t do. Of course our top priority is to maintain peace throughout our society, which really isn’t much of a job. Only once in a while someone gets out of hand. Most of the time, it either involves a rogue vampire that is clueless to the rules, or one of our own, who gets intoxicated and starts problems. We do more work for the local, state, and federal government than anything else. We are called in when a situation is out of control, or top secrecy is needed. We have been called in on gang wars, drug runs, missing children, and high-profile murder investigations. We also do security work for dignitaries and high-ranking government officials.”
    Erica glanced down at his hand, and noticed the crest symbol on his ring. “That is a really cool ring. Does it represent anything significant?”
    Kevin looked down at the ring on his finger and smiled. “Each senior member of the VCTF has one just like it. After all the training is completed, each member must go through a year trial period, just to make certain they are up to the challenges that come with the position. After that trial period, you are given a ring and a motorcycle, and become an official member of the VCTF team.
    “Each symbol holds a different meaning. The griffin stands for valor, death-defying bravery, and vigilance.” Kevin took the ring off of his finger and began to show Erica the very small symbols on the shield. “The shield itself