Thomas packed his things, again. He had come back for as long as he could, but time wouldn't allow him the luxury of a long stay.

  ?This really wasn't how it was supposed to be. He had moved to this small town in northern Ontario hoping to find some peace. He thought he could be a priest and still do his duty as a Knight. Or so he thought.

  ?The Catholic order didn't require Knights to function as priests also, but the Anglicans did it differently. There were no Catholic Knights anymore, though.

  ?He was blessed with an excellent Associate Priest—the man who really should be in charge. But when the Bishop allowed Thomas to move into the Anglican order, this was his demand. He couldn't quit, but he couldn't blame the congregation either. They didn't feel he was around enough, and they were right. But his role as a Knight was secret. Only the Bishop knew. And it took priority.

  ?So he was on the road again. Off to hopefully catch up to Kim before she killed anyone. Hopefully to guide her through whatever transforming into a werewolf from a human was like—something that hadn't happened in over a thousand years, at least.

  ?The ride was long, and he wanted to rest. He leaned into the strength he had as a Knight to carry him as best as he was able, but even that had its limits. After 36 hours on the road, he had to pull into a rest stop to have something like an actual meal.

  ?It was dark when he pulled in. The truck stop was one of those nice, family-friendly ones. You couldn't miss it from the road; you probably couldn't miss it from space. Even late at night, it was busy. As he pulled in, he knew there would be work to do.

  ?Thomas stopped the car and sighed. He could already sense then. "Please not tonight, Lord. I'm weary from fighting. Not just my bones, but in my soul." He got out, not expecting his prayer to be answered.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  ?As he walked in, his eyes were drawn to them immediately. Three creatures that looked like teenagers decked out in goth apparel. Two males and a female. How young were they when they were made? he thought to himself.

  ?They were sitting close to a young family: a mother and father, and two kids. One maybe five, and one under a year old being held by his mother. He knew what would happen to them.

  The parents would die slow. The baby they would play with. All three would die. The boy they would probably leave alive after much torment, leaving the darkness in him. Sometimes they'd taunt such a victim for years, feeding off the suffering. Until eventually turning him. Probably what happened to them.

  Tonight, that little boy was running in a circle pretending to be an airplane in front of two exhausted young parents doing their best to maintain interest.

  ?"Alright, Lord," he prayed as he walked over to the table with the three teenagers.

  ?When he sat down at their table, it startled them. One almost bared her teeth. He smiled and opened his coat to reveal the silver dagger with a wooden handle in the shape of a cross. "Do you know what I am?" he murmured loud enough to be understood by their sensitive ears.

  ?"Do we care is a better question, Knight," one of the males cursed.

  ?"Look, I'm tired." Thomas practically sighed out the words. "I'm gonna give you the option to leave. Just for tonight."

  ?The other boy snorted. "As if you could take us all."

  ?"Maybe not." He shrugged. "But I'm old. You don't get to be my age as a Knight and not know how to handle yourself. So even if I die, you lose your victims. And at least one of you is coming with me."

  ?It was the girl who turned her head toward one of the entrances in sudden panic. "He brought a hound!" she snapped, loud enough to cause people to look at her.

  ?Thomas turned to look. Coming in the door was a pretty thirteen year old girl, blonde hair flowing out under a baseball cap, wearing a leather jacket too big for her. He turned back to the three youths with a smile on his face he couldn't suppress.

  They were already running for the other exit.

  ?They were already out the door at the other end of the diner. Sarah was right behind them.

  "Well that's one way of answering a prayer I guess." He said to himself as he walked behind Sarah.