Emerald Moon

by Deanna Kinney

“Goodnight Em. Sleep well.”

  She has no idea how she was going to sleep well with him lying so close.

  Hours later, she finally drifted off to sleep.

  “Tisha?” she called expecting to see her mother step into the meadow just like all the times before. To her surprise, it was Ren who stepped out of the trees and into the flower-filled meadow.

  “Ren? But how are you here?”

  “I have no idea,” he said approaching her.

  He stopped just inches from her, peering down at her as if seeing her for the first time. The intensity of his gaze took her breath away. His amber eyes were almost glowing. His golden hair was loose and falling into his face. She reached up and brushed it aside, enjoying the magnificence of his sculpted face. She studied every inch, and she knew he was doing the same.

  “Bheir thu m ’anail air falbh,” he whispered.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you take my breath away.”

  He leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers. It wasn’t a kiss filled with passion. It was a sweet kiss that said much more than that.

  He pulled her into his arms and held her there, his head resting on top of hers.

  “Ren, I…”

  “Shhh.”

  He continued to hold her close, neither of them speaking, for quite some time.

  Emerald woke, her heart filled with a comfort she couldn’t explain. She sat up and turned to see that Ren was also sitting up. Their eyes met and she knew instantly that something was wrong. His eyes were wide as if in shock.

  “Ren, what is it?” she asked, feeling alarmed.

  “I was there, Em. In your dream. I was actually there.”

  “But how?” Then she glanced down to see that she had a hold of Ren’s hand.

  “I pulled you into my dream,” she said almost in a daze.

  He smiled, and it was a huge smile for Ren. “Yes, you did. And now I know how we’re going to break the curse and keep you alive at the same time.”

  ~21~

  They packed quickly and loaded the Hummer. “But aren’t you gonna tell me how we’re gonna keep me from dying?” Emerald asked, trying to keep up with his pace.

  “I’ll tell all of you once we’re on our way. We have to hurry.”

  Sissy had packed them breakfast to go, and once they were all in the vehicle and on their way, Ren began. He first explained to the brothers about how Emerald had pulled him into her dream. “So, no human can survive a bite from both a vampire and a werewolf, but I’m a fae. I can survive.”

  “Ren,” Emerald tried to protest, but he stopped her.

  “Wait. Hear me out. We’ll have a werewolf and a vampire bite me. Before I complete the change fully, I’ll feed from Em and immediately the curse will be broken.”

  “Okay, that might work,” Riggs added, “but what about the Em not dying part? If you bite her after being bitten by both creatures, she’s as good as dead.”

  “Well, this is the good part. This will all happen inside her dream. She’ll go to sleep, pull me into her dream, I’ll bite her, and then we’ll have someone wake her. Then we’ll both be fine, and the curse will be broken.”

  “I have a question,”’ Ricky added, literally raising his hand in the air. “That all sounds good, but won’t you still be some sort of a demonic creature no one has ever seen. You could literally rip everyone’s head off you come into contact with, including Em.”

  Ren turned to Emerald. “You need to tell them now.”

  “Tell us what?” Riggs asked.

  She took a deep breath just hoping they would take it well and not turn on them. If she and Ren wondered about their loyalty, they were about to find out where it lied.

  “Once the curse is broken, there will be no more vampires and werewolves. You all turn back into humans, or in Ren’s case, a fae.”

  There was silence.

  They waited…and waited.

  It was almost a minute later when the brothers had finally processed the news.

  They both let out deep sighs. “Okay. Well, that’s not really a bad thing,” Riggs said.

  “Yeah,” Ricky added. “We could actually visit our family. We’ve been away for so long.”

  They both smiled. “Okay, this could be a good thing. We’re in. Just tell us what to do.”

  Emerald was relieved. She had truly begun to care about the brothers and saying goodbye to them wasn’t something she was ready to do.

  Ren too appeared relieved.

  “I don’t want to do this, Ren,” Emerald said, taking his hand in hers. “It’s too dangerous for you. We have no idea what will happen to you once you’re bitten by both creatures. Like Ricky said, it could turn you into something very scary or it could kill you.”

  “I won’t turn right away. It will take some time. We’ll use that time to our advantage. Once the curse is broken, I’ll return to my normal self. As long as you don’t die in the dream, you’ll be fine once you’re awake.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out. You’ll see.”

  “So,” Riggs asked, “where are we going now?”

  “We’re going back to the Chatwin Facility. If the vampires track us there, the werewolves can protect us and give us the time we need. I’ve already contacted Jake. They’re ready to do whatever it takes to help us. The main thing is that no one mentions the part about them returning to humans once the curse is broken. We don’t know how they’ll react. We certainly don’t need anyone turning on us. Agreed?”

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  * * * * * *

  Tobias entered the room. Darian was sitting behind his desk, his expression unreadable.

  “I’m glad to see you’ve healed nicely,” Darian said without looking up.

  “Yes, thank you, sir.”

  “Do you have news?”

  “Yes. We’ve had contact with the others.”

  Darian’s head perked up. “Good. Tell me, are they dead?”

  “No, but we’ve tracked them. They were staying in a hotel. Then we tracked them to a bed and breakfast. They left early in the morning and it seems they have turned around.”

  Darian stood and began pacing. “Hmm, they’ve turned around.” His expression lightened. “They’re heading back to the Chatwin Pack. Of course. Very clever. Call the guys back and tell them to go to the location of the Chatwin Pack. Tell them you and I will meet them there, and we’ll bring more with us.” He smiled and approached Tobias, slapping him on the back. “Those two are going to die before this day is up, and I want to be there to see it for myself.”

  ~22~

  Back at the Chatwin Facility, Ren met with Jake to make the arrangements. He had informed Jake of their plans to break the curse. Jake and his pack were fully on board.

  “Just tell me what you need, and we’ll make it happen,” Jake said.

  “Great. We need a room with no windows.”

  “No problem. We have a basement.”

  “That will work perfectly. Also, we need to capture a vampire. I need him alive.”

  Jake laughed. “As it turns out, we captured two of them for interrogation. We’re holding them in a cell in the basement.”

  Ren couldn’t believe his luck. “That’s perfect. That will save us some time. Great, Jake.”

  Jake turned to leave.

  “Oh, Jake,” Ren said, stopping him. “Thank you. I really appreciate your help.”

  Jake smiled. “No need to thank me. I remember a time when you didn’t even hesitate to come to our aid when the Morelli Coven attacked us back in ‘09.”

  “Well, you know I’ve always sided with the werewolves in this war. You at least fight to protect your families and land. The vampires only fight for power and for the love of the kill.”

  “Yes, though it seems there are some of us werewolves who have allowed their judgement to be clouded by greed.”

  “You’re talking about Blake Dandridge.”

  “Yes. I suspec
ted it was him that gave up our location to the vamps, but I had held out hope. It grieves me that I was right after all. I considered him a brother.”

  Ren nodded. “Yeah. I really liked him too.”

  “I’ll take you to the basement when you’re ready.”

  “I’ll be right back with the others.”

  Back in the same bedroom he and Emerald shared when they were visiting before, Ren gathered the others and they followed Jake to the basement. They quickly spotted the cell where the two vampires were being held. By the looks of them it appeared they had already suffered several rounds of interrogations.

  “Okay,” Emerald began. “Let’s go over the plan one more time.”

  “First,” Ren added, “I need you to take this.” He handed her a pill.

  He knew she recognized it from before. It was the same pill she had taken after her attack. It put her to sleep. “’What is this for?”

  “You’ll need it to help you fall asleep.”

  “But what if it keeps me from waking up when I need to?”

  “It won’t knock you out. It just makes you groggy so you can fall asleep.”

  “I-I’m not so sure I like this idea,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Well, unless you feel like you can fall asleep easily when I’m lying beside you, writhing in pain...”

  She sighed. “Okay, good point.”

  He handed her a bottle of water and she popped the pill in her mouth and swallowed it.

  “It’ll take a few minutes to kick in. That gives us some time to prep me.” He turned to Riggs and Ricky. “Okay, so the plan is for me to go into this cell and get one of these vamps to bite me. Then I’ll need one of you to bite me.”

  “Ooh, I’ll do it. Pick me!” Ricky said, raising his hand in eagerness. “I will be gentler than Riggs.”

  Riggs gave him a stern glare.

  “Okay, fine. Ricky will then shift and bite me. Then I’ll lay down here beside Em. Once she’s asleep, she’ll pull me into her dream. Now, it’s both of your jobs to keep a close eye on Em. If she begins to show any signs of distress, I want you to wake her up. That most likely means I’m biting her. Now, listen carefully,” he said peering intently at both men. “It is vital that you wake her up. Do whatever you have to do to make sure she wakes up. In the dream, she’ll be injured. If she dies in her dream then she’ll die in reality. Do you both understand?”

  Both men nodded.

  “Okay, Let’s get this started.” Ren began to walk toward the cell.

  Emerald grabbed his arm, turning him to face her. “I don’t want you to do this. It’s too risky. What if something goes wrong?”

  He peered down into her worried green eyes and his heart melted. He thought about what they were about to do, and he wanted to run. He wanted to take her and run away, leaving everything behind, but there was nowhere he could take her that she would be safe. They had to do this. “Nothing will go wrong. This is going to work. Trust me.”

  “I do trust you, but—”

  “No buts. Everything is going to be fine. I promise.” He didn’t want to tell her that he too feared for her safety, and that he feared he would fail to bring her out of this alive. It was his job to protect her, but what if he was her greatest threat? He smiled down at her, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You mean so much to me, Em. I-I won’t lose you.” He touched his hand to her face, and she melted into his touch. “Just remember, it’s vital that I bite you before the change is complete, while I’m still myself. Once the change is complete, I have no idea if I’ll have any control or whether or not I’ll even still be me.”

  “I understand.”

  He pulled her into an embrace, holding her tight against him. “It’ll be fine, Em. It will.” He kissed the top of her head and released her, even though it broke his heart to do so. “Riggs,” he said turning to him, “I’ll need your help. I need you to hold off one of the vampires while I get the other one to bite me.”

  “Let’s do it,” Riggs said, seemingly eager to tussle with the vamp.

  ~23~

  Emerald’s heart was beating out of her chest as Ren and Riggs unlocked the cell door and stepped inside. Riggs quickly went to one of the vampires and pressed him against the wall, holding him there. It didn’t seem all that difficult. The vampires appeared weak. Ren had no trouble getting the other vampire to latch onto his neck and bite. He let out a low growl as the fangs sank deeper into his flesh.

  “Okay, that’s enough!” she shouted into the cell.

  Ren shoved the vampire and it collapsed to the floor, but it had a devilish grin. “The blood of a fae. Now that’s something of a treat,” the vampire snarked, licking its lips.

  The two men exited the cell, shutting and locking it behind them.

  “Okay, Ricky,” Ren said, his voice weakening, “It’s your turn.”

  Emerald, feeling slightly anxious, backed up as Ricky took off his shirt and shifted into his wolf form. For a young man who was cute and boyish looking, he was a terrifying werewolf. He bit Ren then, but it was surprisingly gentle. Emerald didn’t know what she was actually expecting but it wasn’t the slow careful bite you would suspect from such a dangerous creature.

  “Was that okay, boss?” Ricky asked Ren as he shifted back into his human form.

  “You did good, Ricky. Thanks.”

  Ren stumbled. “Help him,” Emerald called, grabbing Ren around the waist.

  Riggs took hold of him from the opposite side and together they helped him into the adjoining room with a bed. They laid him down on the bed, and Ren grabbed her arm.

  “Lay down with me,” he mumbled.

  She touched her hand to his forehead. “You’re burning up.”

  “I’ll be fine. You need to sleep now.”

  She laid down beside him and her right hand grabbed hold of his left hand. “Riggs, I need you to tie our hands together. If I let go of his hand in the dream, I don’t know what will happen.”

  He did as she asked.

  She glanced at Ren. His eyes were rolling back in his head, he was sweating, and he was running a high fever. She tried to push the worry away. As if sensing her anxiety, Beta jumped onto the bed and curled up against her. This gesture had always soothed her in the past. She prayed it did now. She closed her eyes and rubbed Beta’s fur with the fingers of her free hand. Only moments later, she was asleep.

  * * * * * *

  “I think she’s asleep,” Ricky whispered to Riggs.

  “I think you’re right.”

  “What was that?” Ricky asked.

  Riggs appeared alarmed. They both flew into the other room and listened.

  “Uh oh. Looks like you’re in trouble,” one of the vampires taunted. “Our reinforcements have arrived.”

  Riggs’ eyes bulged. “You heard Ren. No matter what, we have to stay here and protect them.”

  “Right,” Ricky responded. “No matter what.” He could hear the fighting that had begun outside. He had faith that the werewolves would conquer the vampires. They usually did. He prayed this time would be no exception.

  * * * * * *

  Emerald was relieved to see the meadow, but this time it was different. All of the beautiful, colorful and fragrant flowers were gone. The space was bare and dead. Her heart sank, hoping it wasn’t a sign that things were going to end badly.

  “Ren!” she called.

  “I’m here,” he said, his voice but a whisper.

  She spun to see him standing hunched over, one arm gripping the other. She was alarmed at the sight of him. His golden hair was wet and hanging in his face. He was pale, with blood-red lips. His usual amber eyes were coal black.

  “Ren?”

  “We need to do this now.” His voice was but a whisper, but she could hear the urgency there.

  She took a step toward him though all the warnings were firing off in her head.

  He suddenly screamed, grabbing fists full of hair from the back of his head. His head jerked
forward and instantly his wild eyes locked on hers. His breathing became harsh and loud. It was mixed with a terrifying growl, and she had yet to hear anything remotely like it.

  “Ren?” she whispered.

  “Em,” the word was forced out almost as if the beast within had forbidden it. “Run.”

  She was shocked. He was supposed to bite her before the change was complete. If he was telling her to run then it was too late. What should she do? Her concern for him had frozen her in place.

  He stood his full height, and though he was neither vampire nor werewolf, he was the most horrifying thing she had ever seen. His menacing expression said it all. His resolve was gone. Now he wanted her blood. Drool dripped from his newly formed fangs and his black eyes were now flaming red. Praying there might still be a chance, she opened her mouth to speak words that might still reach his heart, but it was too late. He charged at her and all she could do was scream. Nothing could have prepared her for the full violence of the force. He pounced and she felt the overwhelming weight of his body on hers, knocking the breath from her lungs, but that didn’t compare to the piercing pain as his jaws clamped down on her neck. Her vision blurred as everything slowly faded to white.

  * * * * * *

  Meanwhile, back at the Chatwin Facility, the war was still raging.

  “She’s breathing heavily! What do we do?” Ricky felt panicked.

  “We have to wake her up!”

  Just as Riggs said the words, Ren began writhing and it took all Riggs’ strength to keep the two’s hands tied together.

  Beta jumped up and began growling. At the same time, the brothers heard the basement door burst open.

  “They’re here! I got them! You hold their hands!” Riggs yelled to Ricky.

  Two vampires charged into the room and Riggs shifted into his wolf form, pouncing on one of them while Beta attacked the other one.

  Ricky watched helplessly, gripping tightly to the two bound hands.

  “Em, wake up!” he began screaming.

  Another vampire charged into the room. It grabbed Ricky’s arm just as fangs sank into the vampire’s arm. Beta’s jaws were clamped down on the creature, jerking it away from Ricky.