Wolf Heart: Moon Born book 1

by Dallas Jessica Owen

  The words were a command and she obeyed before she could think a dismissal by someone greater than she. Whether it was because she was worthy or unworthy she did not know but she slunk into the undergrowth slowly, away from the sorceress and her frightening power but thinking more like herself with every step.

  Let my mind grow to understand the magic? Does this gift change my mind as well as my body then? She did not understand what the sorceress meant but already she was seeing the forest differently. At the edge of her hearing, she could hear whispering, a curious sound that matched no person she had ever heard. It was like the wind caressing her skin, a lover blowing in her ear and Alice stopped straining to hear.

  The whispering became louder but did not become words. Still, she understood and Alice sat her heart beating fast as she listened to the forest itself. The trees, the plants, they spoke their own language, one she now could hear if not understand. Understanding will come later, she heard the words from the trees and raising her head she howled, an expression of the joy she felt.

  Turning she began to trot. She no longer ran but continued moving towards the village as slowly as she dared. Every step her mind seemed to change, encompassing everything she experienced and accepting it easily. She began to understand the language of trees and forest animals. She felt her blood singing under the moonlight and began to run once more.

  Eventually, her nose poked from the undergrowth and she looked out from between the trees at the village of her birth. Even from that distance, she could smell her target, the man who had murdered her father in front of her. It merged with other smells, the weaving of drunken men and the suffering of those who had fallen to the plague. Then she smelt the blood-rich coppery smell of her father and she blinked back tears.

  Raising her head she howled, a sound of pure loss that rang out and she heard the guards at the gate whispering, smelt their fear on the air. I could kill them easily, her front paw took a step forward and she slunk across the ground quickly. She could feel her blood stirring within and her heart screamed for her to kill as the fear became stronger the closer she got to the gate.

  No, they did nothing to me that is worth killing them for. She could feel the hair on her neck raise and her mouth watered as saliva dripped from long white teeth. A low rumbling started in her chest and Alice clamped her jaws shut in an effort to control it. They did nothing to stop any of it though did they? Her voice whispered in her head, dark and seductive. They deserve whatever happens this night.

  I am not a beast and I will not give in to the animal. Alice stood, her wolf body shaking next to the wooden wall that surrounded the village. Her heart pounded, strong and fierce and filled with a bloodlust that shook her to her core. I am a healer, she thought, and then in desperation Sasha help me!

  Keeping close to the wooden wall and the darkness it provided Alice’s wolf body trembled as she fought the urge to kill the two guards at the village entrance. She took a step closer to them and their fear was like a perfume in the air beckoning her onwards. No! She screamed and it came out a soft whine.

  “There’s something out there, I can hear it.” The guard spoke and Alice stayed in the shadows, her eyes locked on the guards. “Should we tell someone?”

  Think of my light, she thought and her mind swelled with the feeling of Sasha in her arms, the taste of her lips and she felt her desire to kill diminish. Panting silently she slowly backed away from the gate guards, felt her body tremble from the effort but ignored it.

  “For fuck’s sake get yourself together. You’re just jumpy. It’s that damn forest and this Walker brought plague. The sooner we get rid of both of them the better.” Keeping her jaws clamped shut Alice turned and followed the wall until she found the hole the villagers used when they didn’t want to be seen. Sniffing she smelt nothing close and with a heave, she pushed herself through.

  From the undergrowth, two green eyes watched her go through the hole in the wooden wall. They waited a moment and then a shadow crossed the ground to follow, only a streak of moonlight a sign that something was there.

  Chapter 28

  On the other side of the village wall, the scent of illness was thick on the air. It drifted lazily across her vision, dark green and brown like a bruise on the world. One sniff and it overwhelmed her senses and she felt her stomach roll. I have to concentrate she admonished herself and carefully she padded silently towards the nearest cabin and peered around carefully.

  The plague scent was everywhere she saw. She could not see one dwelling that did not seem to have the scent and she shook her head. This village will be dead soon. Those that escape the plague will not want to stay, not when so many ghosts will exist here. Then she took another sniff, seeking out Aiden’s scent. It was easy to find for it permeated the village, almost as foul as the illness it floated beside. Red and angry it filled her and she breathed it in, letting anger fill her nose.

  Then sadness hit her as she smelt Aiden’s trail leading to the only home she had really known. Quietly, all her senses alert she walked through the village. It was quiet in the night, deathly quiet and she knew more villagers would be dying tonight but not by her hand. Everywhere she looked she saw memories of her life in the village.

  The large church with its domed glass top, made so they could see the Celestials though it loomed large enough that she could see it easily. Fear scent mixed with illness surrounded it and Alice made sure to give it a wide berth. Prayer to gods that will not answer will not ease your suffering she thought and then stopped, shaking.

  I remember the change. Someone came to me and told me I would help them undo a mistake. Who was that? The images she had seen, the things she had felt during her change were hazy. I have to remember she thought urgently but could not.

  Unsettled by her thoughts she began walking away and moving carefully Alice padded across the empty village and found her way to her home. The smell of blood and death was strong in the air, as was Aiden’s scent and gently, she pushed open the door with her head. The scent only got worse and she felt her heart break as her eyes took in the scene.

  Her father still lay where he had fallen, a look of peace now on his face. Blood had dried into the wooden boards staining it red with his murder. Touching his face with her nose, she smelt nothing but death and raising her head she howled her grief. She heard alarm throughout the village and did not care. Over and over again she howled until her throat could take no more. Then pushing herself through the door once more, she concentrated on Aiden, the urge to get her vengeance stronger than ever.

  As she followed Aiden’s trail she heard whispered words coming from the cabins around her. She did not need to hear their words to know what they felt, for their scent told her all she needed to know. They were afraid. They were afraid of the plague, afraid of Aiden, afraid of the night. To live in so much fear was a terrible thing and she smelt it all knowing that no one would come to aid the son of the headman when she had him in her jaws.

  His scent trail led her throughout the village. Every step she took she smelt his arrogance, his anger, and insanity and it made her rage build. Her heart thudded like the beating of a drum within her chest and she felt her jaws hunger for his neck. Then she saw him, standing alone by his cabin with his back turned to her. He whistled, cheerily and she began to move.

  Sneaking up on him she slinked low across the darkness, her light amber coat grey in the shadows. His stink filled the air, his form promising pain and a release for her. Wait, she thought, why is he out here. He must have heard my howl. Still, she moved, unable to stop herself as her hackles raised and her jaws opened.

  “I know you're there. I can feel you making the hairs the back of my neck rise.” He turned and she saw him fully. Dressed in hard wearing leather in a bastard imitation of her new family he sneered at her. She could smell no fear on him, only impossible confidence and arrogance that came from the crossbow that he held in his hands.

  “I knew you would come for me,” Aiden spoke to
her, his mouth forming a grin that made her want to rip his face off. The crossbow in his hands pointed at her steadily as he spoke. “As soon as I heard you howling I knew it would be you.” She growled and he laughed, laughed at her like she was a puppy. “Is that all you have Alice? A growl for the man that took everything you loved?”

  No, you have not taken everything I love you bastard. The muscles bunched under her skin. She wanted to leap, to attack and kill him but she couldn’t move, couldn’t attack with the crossbow pointed to steadily at her.

  “Oh yes, I know it is you, Alice. Look at how far you have fallen. You have sold your soul to the Undergods for a chance of revenge. Now you will travel as a Walker, not trusted anywhere, not accepted anywhere in this land.” He laughed and it was joyful. “You are nothing now Alice, nothing but a whore for any Walker that wants you.”

  I wanted to kill you for my father she thought as she growled, unable to keep her anger under check. Now I want to kill you to ease the wound on this world that you create.

  He sighed as her eyes stared into his. “Growl all you want my little bitch but look at what you have lost. Together, we could have ruled this village and made it into something great. Instead, you shunned me and for who? Some Walker bitch. Do you even know how disgusting that is Alice? Now you have no father and that is on your head. You know that right? All you had to do is say yes, and now look at all you have lost.”

  Anger, white-hot and burning filled her and she took a step forward. “Ah, are we getting angry Alice? You always thought you were so much better than all of us, didn’t you? Ever since your father took you into that cursed forest and you came back with tales of your wolf friend you thought you were special. You had to be controlled Alice before you taught the other woman that they were anything other than what they are. And if you needed to be beaten down then so be it. That is a small evil compared to the evil you could do. Changing how we have done things for generations.”

  No, I won’t let you control me or anyone else anymore. Her legs bunched underneath her and she leaped but Aiden had seen her move and was ready for her. He moved to one side, lashed out with his foot and Alice felt it hit her ribs. Heavy as she was, strong as she was his kick hurt and she hit the ground with a whine.

  “My father is dead as well Alice. Everyone thinks he died of this plague but I had to get rid of him. He wanted to report me to the priest for what I had done but I couldn’t let him. Now I am headman and the whole village is mine. Do you know what I am going to do after killing you? I am going to burn your forest and your precious Walkers to the ground.” He sneered at her and she shakily got to her feet.

  Staring into his eyes she saw they were full of hate, red with evil and she growled once more. “Time to die, Alice,” he whispered and his finger twitched on the crossbow trigger. Alice saw the bolt leave the crossbow. Everything moving in slow motion she started to move, knew that she would not be in time and closed her eyes expecting to feel the burning pain of death. Father, forgive me she thought quickly followed by, I am sorry Sasha. I wish I could have come back to you.

  Something heavy hit her, pushed her to one side and she felt the burning pain of the crossbow bolt as it scoured her skin. A long red line of pain erupted along her side but she could still move, and opening her eyes she saw another there with her, one with a coat as dark as her purpose and a splash of moonlight as bright as the light of her love.

  Green eyes stared into hers and she stared back, unflinching. Slowly she felt Sasha rub her head against hers and she wanted to howl with joy. Then as one, they turned, their eyes gazing at the young man who had killed her father and who had tried to kill her.

  “No,” he whispered and backed away from the pair of wolves. “How dare you come into my village! It is mine!” The scent of fear was now thick, pungent and as he moved, they followed. Splitting apart they flowed around him, one on either side and together they watched as his hands trembled.

  “I’ll kill you all.” His voice rose in pitch, becoming filled with panic. “I‘ll see you dead. Your all evil.” The bolt he was trying to load into his crossbow fell to the ground as his hands shook and he looked down, a look of terror on his face. Dropping to his knees he tried to scrabble for the bolt and looking up he saw their eyes an opened his mouth to scream, “Guards!”

  Two wolves, one dark like night and one light like the sun fell upon him. The night became loud with the sound of pain and rage but not one villager came out of their cabins to help, not one guard came to his call. Finally, with a bite of her powerful jaws, Alice grabbed Aiden by the neck and shook, felt the bones break underneath her and dropping him she raised her head with a howl of triumph.

  Dropping her head she stared at Sasha who stared back. Are you ready to come home? She heard Sasha’s voice in her head, and went to her, rubbing her bloody muzzle against the dark fur of her partner. Nodding slowly she saw those green eyes soften and then she heard Sasha once more. I should have been here for you. I am sorry.

  The light she felt in her heart exploded and together they turned and ran, flowing through the village towards the wall. Squeezing through its small space they crossed the grassy ground, side by side until they reached the tree line. There they stopped for a moment, and the bright wolf took one last look behind her, before they disappeared into the forest, together.

  Excerpt from Banshee

  “What do you mean you’re selling the business? Are you mad? After all the luck you had starting it in the first place. You can’t be stupid enough to think you could start another business that would be so successful so what will you do when you’ve sold this one?” Mary stood silently as Steven threw his questions at her like knives. “Seriously have you even thought this through? I mean what on earth could be your reasoning here?”

  Her five foot six frame stood still and she felt herself retreating inwards under his thunderous words. She felt like a little girl, she always did when Steven got into full flow. It did not matter that her blond hair was cut and styled by the most fashionable of artists. It did not matter that she wore clothes she hated because he thought they looked good on her. It did not matter that she gave in to every sexual advance he made, every sexual act he forced upon her in an effort to make him happy. It did not matter that the perfume she wore was expensive and filled the space with notes that danced. No, under Steven’s fell gaze she became small again and always had.

  His strength is partly what had drawn her to him. She knew that. That sheer arrogant power that he seemed to possess as his piercing blue eyes caught hers and seemed to pin her to the wall. The strength of his body as it pinned her to the bed as they strained against each other. It was raw, magnetic and she had found, difficult to defend against.

  When they first met four years ago at a party thrown by the law firm she held on retainer for their wealthy clients she knew he was going to be the one that made her life complete. The way he weaved through the crowd, a shark amongst fish, and the way he made a beeline for her when he caught her eye. Then that very night the way he bent her over his desk against all precaution and sanity. She knew she could never say no to him. She had never considered he would say no to her.

  “But Steven, I’ve been offered a very good price for the company and I’m only thirty. I’m still young enough to enjoy the money. You know I never really enjoyed designing clothes. I only started to do it because I knew I had to do something and I couldn’t paint worth a damn.” She tried to look at him, tried to stand up for herself but all she could do was look at the floor his arguments already making her head swirl in disarray.

  Painting had been her passion. After her mother’s passing, it was the way she coped with the world, the way she expressed her feelings. It was her lifeline. She went to school and then university, gained her degree in art and her teachers all thought she had real skill. If only the most important person in her life did.

  Her father was a dour man after her mother died. She suspected he had always been so for when she brough
t her paintings to him in expectation of praise he would scowl and shake his head. “Mary,” he would sigh “Paintings do not pay the bills. You need to concentrate on something more practical.” So she had ditched the painting and went to work in offices. Paperwork and bland phone calls became her life and soon she found it was a life that was slowly killing her.

  If it wasn’t for her accidentally bumping into an old university friend she would still be in those offices. Paperwork and phone calls, office politics and bitchiness destroying what was left of her self-esteem until out of quiet and unheard desperation she would walk out in front of a bus and that would be that.

  But that accidental meeting had reminded Mary that she had a creative side. She had designed clothes for a couple of friends at university and when her friend remarked that she thought that would be what Mary would be doing it lodged an idea. An idea that grew and would not leave and a month later she was designing clothes for her own small online design business. Surprisingly it had taken off.

  She looked at Steven as he drained his scotch and shook his head. He never quite managed to drop his lawyer persona whenever they argued and she often found herself backing down just to end the argument. Sighing loudly into the room like a victim he muttered “Deborah warned me about this but I didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe you would be so stupid.” He moved over to the glitzy bar he had installed in his flat, almost stalking it in his movements, and poured himself another large scotch. She watched as he sipped it. His blue eyes never left hers as he waited for her to speak and make the next move.

  “When did you speak to Deborah?” Dark lines crossed her forehead as shadows crept into the poorly lit flat. “Why did you speak to Deborah?” As far as she knew there was no reason for Steven, her Steven to talk to her personal assistant. He made it clear she was not to go anywhere without telling him beforehand and had to tell him about the meetings she was going to and give a rundown of her day when she saw him at night.