Moon Struck

by Ben Alderson

  This time, he listens and works hard to stand alone. I take his arm and wrap it around my shoulders. It’s impossible not to notice the bruises and cuts across his skin.” He leans his weight against me as we walk. Just as they did for the supreme, the vampires part for us both to leave. Not a single one stands in our way. Even though I think we may be in the clear, I keep my magical shield around us both.

  Gone is the darkness, back into its cage within. It curls in on itself, resting yet again.

  I don’t stop walking until the night air brushes against my skin. I feel it blow away the awful club stench from my skin. Instinctively, my feet keep moving until the club is far behind us. Only when the club is but a distant memory do we stop and rest.

  “Why did you do that?” I shout, pacing before Chad, who sags against the wall of a closed shop on Main Street. “Do you know what this means? Every single supernatural in that club just saw us there, saw us leave the supreme’s office. They could tell someone! They—they could—”

  “For you,” he mumbles, chin to chest. His eyes are closed, and his breath is labored. “I did it for you.”

  “Well, perhaps I didn’t need you to save me!” I yell. I want him to look at me. I want him to understand how serious this is.

  Chad slowly raises his face to mine, opening his eyes only a sliver. “If I didn’t step in, they would have hurt you, and I couldn’t let them touch you a moment longer.”

  “I was waiting for the right moment. I could have dealt with it and then we would have all left without making such a scene.” I take his hands in mine and raise them into the dull light of the street lamp. “You’ve hurt yourself.”

  He looks down as well, eyes scanning over the red and blue marks around his knuckles. “They will heal.”

  “That’s not the point. You’d never be hurt in the first place if—”

  “If what?” he interrupts, fire in his voice. “If I let you unleash your magic across a room of vampires? If I let you expose yourself and your power? Do you know what my kind would do with that knowledge? Do you know how they could use that against you?”

  “I—” I nibble my bottom lip, unable to give him an excuse. The supreme watched, not once stopping us as we attacked her kind. Did she want to see what I could do? Was she testing me for whatever task she calls on me for?

  “I know you can protect yourself, but in this case, I needed to do it for you.”

  I sigh a heavy breath that causes the hairs on my arms to stand on end. Looking to the moon, I decide it must be well into the early morning by now. I wish we were both safe in our beds, not arguing on an empty Hillcrest street.

  “You don’t understand,” he says. “When non-vampires go into that club, they are going there for one reason only.”

  “What reason?” I ask.

  “They go for the thrill of being fed on. Those vampires back there thought that’s what you were. That’s why they reacted the way they did.”

  Although the thought makes me sick, he does make sense. “Blood slave… One of them called me that.”

  Chad pulls a face, which is full of knowing, before flashing a sympathetic smile. “So you understand why I had to intervene?”

  I ignore him. “We need to get you home, Chad. You’ve been drinking and you’re wounded.”

  He shakes his head, the balls of his cheeks growing red. “That too will pass.”

  “That’s great, but you can’t even keep yourself upright without that wall. And… and I want to go home.”

  I don’t. That is a lie. But it is better than staying outside after what just happened. The vampires could come back for a second round the moment their bruised egos are too hard to ignore.

  “I’m sorry,” Chad whispers. His stare is thrilling. Not for a single moment does he drop his attention from me.

  I shake my head, wanting nothing more than to put this behind us. “Can we just go?”

  “Can you help me?” The corner of his lip turns up into a wicked grin.

  “Fine,” I sigh, moving close to him. As I wrap my arm around him, his own hand reaches out for me. It clings onto my wrist and gently pulls me close.

  Then his lips are on mine.

  I feel his arms wrap around the base of my back and pull me close so our bodies are locked together. In that moment, I forget everything. I melt into his kiss, losing control of my body.

  He holds me up as he guides me into a more favorable position. My body ignites, ridding me of the night chill. His tongue slithers against mine, flicking and teasing. A moan escapes, urging his kiss to deepen. Time becomes a distant memory as he holds me close, his every movement clouding my mind.

  When we finally pull back, we are both breathless. His lips, and the space around us, are red. I lift a finger to my mouth and sense its quiver. I swipe my tongue across the plump skin, and it tastes like blood. Even though it should, it does not repulse me.

  “Well, I didn’t expect that,” I whisper.

  “You should never know what to expect when you’re with me.”

  His reply is warm, like the crackling of a fire. His tone alone makes me lean into him again, straining my neck up to show that I want—no, need—another.

  “Shall we take this home?” he questions.

  I part my lips and nod, eyes flickering between both of his.

  A sharp tug in my stomach snatches my breath away. I stumble, hand clapping to my stomach to still the pain. I shriek.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Chad asks, leaning down toward me to get a better look. Confusion is etched across his perfect face.

  The dark coil of power springs again, kicking my innards. I sense it trying to tell me something, but for once, its mocking voice is silent. Even so, it’s warning me. I can tell.

  “I don’t know,” I hack out, head spinning from the sudden discomfort.

  Chad wraps his arm around me, leading me away from the wall and in the direction of his home. He mumbles something, but I can’t hear him anymore. All I know is the burning sensation in the pit of my gut is growing stronger with each step we take.

  I wince, trying to make sense of the pain the darkness causes. Is it angry with me for not listening to it at the club? I wait for the darkness to respond to my silent question, but it is silent.

  Maybe this isn’t the darkness’s doing? Maybe it’s as confused and scared as I am? Even the air around me tingles with knowing. It’s as if the elements hide a secret from me.

  The next rush of pain has me nearly keeled over, but this time, it’s different. It feels different. With the pain comes the flash of a familiar face in my mind’s eye. I’ve been waiting for this very sign for days.

  It’s Savi.

  I sense Savi.

  Savi

  I force open the doors that lead to the basement, where I’ve been trapped for days. My entourage follows closely behind me. The room is empty. In fact, the entire building, usually bustling with noise, has fallen silent. It’s an eerie quiet—one where I’m left wondering if I’m actually still trapped in my cage, unconscious, in the throes of death’s embrace.

  I struggle to breathe, to move, to lead the wolf pack toward freedom. I lean against a wolf, the heat of its coat sending shivers down my spine. I wish to tell them it’ll be okay, that we’ll make it out of here, but I cannot find the strength or will power to lie. Because the truth is, this is only the beginning. Even if we do make it home, they will come for us.

  Made of wood stained so dark it’s almost black, the doors to the room’s sole exit are open. The closer I walk toward them, the more they tower over me. I glance back, my gaze settling on the half-dozen or so wolves escorting me from the building. I swallow hard, telling myself that everything will be okay. Wolves and vampires are hardly friendly, but we fought side by side back there. That has to count for something, right?

  I glance down, eying the trail of blood I’m leaving behind. With my body’s healing responses stalled, I’m bleeding out. I know I haven’t the strength to run if more
hunters are waiting beyond our exit.

  Outside, I breathe deeply, welcoming the moon’s rays on my skin. Briefly, I close my eyes, feeling rejuvenated by her. I know it’s a lie. The moon couldn’t possibly give a vampire strength. Sure, we appreciate darkness, but our love affair with the moon typically ends there.

  The sensation is subtle as it tickles my nose. I open my eyes, running my tongue over my dry, cracked lips. I smell… home. I smell the fields of wolfsbane, the coffee at Crest, and the strong aroma that always permeates from George’s house. It fills the air and blankets me in a comfortable bliss. I don’t know where we are, but I know I’m not far from Hillcrest.

  “Wolfsbane Forest,” I whisper, smiling. Behind me, a wolf nudges me forward, as if he were ushering me to move faster, but I am distracted by the vision of beauty before my eyes.

  A lively, lush forest surrounds us—a place I was sure I’d never again see or visit. I’m sure this is the very same forest that surrounds my home town. I spent years running through these woods. I know its sounds, its smells. Inhaling deeply, I smell the scent of the wolfsbane that grows rampant. Wolfsbane Forest is the only nearby place to find the wild plant.

  But how could I be so close to home and never rescued? How could Chad not sense me? How could George’s magic not lead him here?

  I stumble through the gates of the compound, and the moment I cross the threshold to freedom, I glance back. What was once a lively, technologically advanced building is now a crumbling factory. Confused, I turn to fully face the building that held me captive all this time.

  I stand at the far edge of Wolfsbane Forest, a place I dared never to fully explore for fear of being too far from home on werewolf land, and see… nothing. This is the perfect place to abduct, torture, and kill supernaturals. Even their magical façade has me turning away. If I were simply a passerby, I’d think this place was abandoned for years. Something pulls inside me. The urge to turn back, to go inside, to investigate, is gone. This place steals lives and manipulates emotions.

  I stare at the multi-story building. Most of the windows are broken, and the front door is supported by only one hinge. A strong gust will surely knock it down. Even the nature that surrounds it—the grass, brush, and trees—look dead. Nothing about this place appeals to me. I try to take a step forward, to once again cross the threshold of the gate, but something stops me. A nagging sensation inside me tells me to turn back, to walk away, and to leave this place. If I wasn’t sure I’d just left a fully functional building, I would listen to this gut instinct.

  A wolf’s growl brings me back to reality. I spin around, nearly losing my balance as I expect to find another hunter. Instead, I see the group of wolves staring at me, silently begging me to follow them. And I do. Because what other choice do I have?

  The walk back toward Hillcrest is long, daunting, and utterly exhausting. When the trails are too wild, I find myself needing the support of the wolves, who, strangely, don’t seem to mind a vampire hanging on their overgrown fur.

  The closer I am to Hillcrest, the more I ache to be home. I wish for Chad’s embrace, for George’s smile. I wish for my refrigerator stocked full of blood bags and my soft, warm bed. I wish for the security of a locked door and George’s magic spells.

  But I know they are not taking me home.

  They lost pack members in the fight to escape, and even now, those who remain are wounded. No one escaped unscathed.

  Hours seem to pass before we reach their home. A small community of small, identical, log cabin-style homes is situated deep within Wolfsbane Forest. The wolves live their lives here, rarely venturing into Hillcrest town. Their young grow up in this community, staying far from the witches and vampires. In a way, the wolves very much are outcasts, but it’s their savage nature that dooms them to a life of solitude. Sure, they—usually—follow the treaty, but it’s far easier for a wolf to break the rules than a witch.

  The cabins form a circle around the center of the community. A large fire pit is situated at their center. In a way, the setup reminds of a witch’s circle or a coven ritual. I wonder if the wolves ever drew the same connection.

  Nestled beside a house, almost hidden to the point where I nearly miss it, is a large cage made of the same logs that form the cabin homes. It’s empty, but I can’t help wondering who—or what—is usually kept there. A shiver runs its course through my body at the thought of being locked up… again.

  No one dares visit here without an invitation from the alpha. With an escort of a half-dozen wolves bringing me here, I suppose I have one.

  “Hello, Savannah,” the alpha croons. His voice is cool, calm, and oddly soothing. “We meet again.”

  Not realizing I was using the wolf’s strength as much as I was and not wanting to look weak, I push myself off the wolf that had been supporting me through the forest. I try to stand tall, but the straighter I stand, the harder it is to withstand the gut-wrenching pains enveloping my entire body.

  As he approaches me with caution, I assess the situation. I could flee, but am I in any real danger here? The last time we met, we were in a fight to the death over the loss of his brother. George and I are responsible for that death, and the treaty says a life for a life. Supernaturals live by that code, but for some reason, the alpha seems… different.

  He walks slowly, and I consider his body language. Nothing about him feels threatening. In fact, I feel drawn to him in ways I can’t explain. He looks the same—tall, tan, shaggy black hair that falls to his shoulders. Shirtless and wearing low-rise jeans, I can admire his leanly muscled frame. Barefoot, he closes the space between us. He’s close now, so close I can touch him.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” I say. His eyes are the same golden color that graces the wolf form. We don’t know much about the wolves, but I do know the glowing golden eyes in human form are the sign of an alpha.

  “And yet, trouble follows you everywhere, Savannah.” My name rolls off his tongue, and I cringe when I realize I like the way it sounds. Something about this meeting feels different.

  Beside me, a wolf transforms from beast to man. The very same wolf that ushered me out of the building and assisted me through the deepest parts of the forest stands nude beside me. His fur now skin, his eyes now a pale blue.

  “Zane,” the man says as he bows his head to his alpha. “You should know that she fought beside us. If it weren’t for her, Avel would be dead.” He makes eye contact with me. “And she came here willingly.”

  “Thank you, Mekhi. Tend to your brother,” Zane, the alpha, says.

  Mekhi nods and trudges away. Before he’s out of earshot, I yell for him. “Mekhi!” He stops and tosses a glance over his shoulder. “Thank you.” My words are a whisper, and I’m sure he can’t hear me. But I know he understands their meaning.

  He smiles and says, “I’m glad you survived, mali volk.”

  Before I can question what he called me, he’s gone, vanishing into one of the many cabins that clutter the small clearing where the wolves call home.

  “Mali volk?” I ask Zane, assuming the alpha would understand his wolf-talk.

  He smiles. “Do you really think I’ll spill all of our secrets during our first meeting?”

  “Our first meeting?” I question.

  “You didn’t think, after our last encounter, that this would be the last time you saw me, did you?”

  I exhale slowly. “Our last encounter involved a fight to the death.”

  His smile widens. “My desires have changed. I have no interest in harming you.”

  He extends his arm, and the world seems to still as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. He’s so close I have to stare at the sky just to look into his eyes. The space is so intimate; I inhale each breath he exhales. My pulse races even though his remains strong and steady. The beats echo around me, and I crave him in ways I cannot fathom.

  His thumb traces circles across my skin until it rests in the corner of my eye. He rubs my skin there ever so slight
ly.

  “Incredible,” he whispers. “I’ve never seen… You are truly something special, mali volk.”

  I consider what he sees when he looks at me: a half-dead vampire who survived days of endless torture. But before that, I was bitten by a werewolf, killed, and brought back to life by George, who used some pretty hefty black magic to return my soul to this mortal coil. I haven’t had a moment since my rebirth to consider what this means, what happened to me. The only clear physical change is my eyes. Normally crimson red, they are now speckled with flecks of gold.

  His eyes linger far too long on me, and I know he feels the same internal pull that I feel for him. It’s similar to what I felt the moment the hunters began plunging their knives into Avel, Mekhi’s brother, back at the mysterious compound. I feel connected to them in ways I’ve never felt to anyone else before—not to my brother, my parents, or George. I wonder if this is what compulsion feels like for my victims.

  “Let’s get you home. Important people are looking for you,” he whispers, his breath hot on my skin.

  “I feel safe here.” My words escape me, as if my lips have a mind of their own. Even as I say them, I regret my honesty. Internally, I’m screaming, trying to remind myself that I very nearly died the last time I was this close to this man.

  Briefly, his eyes lower to my lips before he stumbles backward, breaking this ridiculous connection. I need to get myself together. I have places to be, family to warn, and hunters to kill.

  I walk backward until I am nearly hidden within the brush that surrounds the trees—all the while keeping my eyes on Zane. The moment I’m among the trees, I turn and run as fast as I can, which, in my weakened state, is quite laughable.

  As I head for home, for true safety, I hear a soft voice in the distance.

  “Until we meet again, lep volk.”

  George

  As if the world finally revealed all its secrets, I know it is Savi who caused the reaction within me. Whatever magic kept her hidden for so long no longer works. Did the supreme do this? Has she found her already?