He moved easily, quickly in the shadows, black hair brushing his shoulders as he crept across the roof of the abandoned warehouse. The moon was full and the gathering would have been going on. He could feel the power of the old ones and even his old pack, the traitors, the false pretenders to the crown of all shifters. They couldn't feel him because he'd seen to it. With an easy grace, he leapt from one building to another, his body covering the alley below like some flying shadow. Around him stretched a boundless array of possible escapes, if he'd been in the mood to run. The old docks district, riverfront, held a plethora of abandoned buildings with warehouses and gutted factories lining the waterfront under the oppressive shadow of the Casino district, which laid just across the river. He glanced at the vampire haven and it's casinos with narrowed, amber eyes. They would have their day as well, but first, Ian and his pack would pay. There were more pressing matters immediately, h
It wasn't until he came back from taking the longest piss of his life that David Carson noticed his son was nowhere in sight. He listened for a minute, straining to here the slightest twig break or rustling of a bush. The forest was quiet and strangely devoid of any animal sounds today, calm and sedated. He buttoned his fly and stepped back into the clearing, his heavy black boots kicking up saw dust. He frowned and looked down the twisted, uneven path wrought from the thick brush."Michael?" he shouted.Only his echo bouncing between the trees into the distance replied.David wiped his dark brow with the back of his large hand and walked down the trail to his Dodge Ram truck. Maybe the boy had gone back for a soda? He hoped so. The forest carried the sounds of his progress as he navigated the overgrown trail, his obsidian black eyes scanning the infinite woods as he went. The fresh unbroken evergreen brush and pine trees greeted him as he reached the red truck.
Percival’s Master’s POVMillennia after the dawn of life, the old gods enlightened the apes. The creation of man heralded celebrations throughout the cosmos. But not all were so pleased. Amidst the celebrations of the old gods, a newer emerged. With the capacity for morality, there was the capacity for evil and a dark god was born. When the first of mankind, crept into the safety of caves to weather the storm of foul creatures... I crawled up from the depths. Slating my eternal thirst on the blood of first man... I taught them a new meaning of fear.In the centuries to come, man learned to spread themselves thin. Eventually forming tribes. But I... I roamed alone. Crying out in loneliness, the dark god heard my wish. At first, I thought it my curse. A young human man managed to injure me in a scuffle. While injuries weren't unheard of, never before had I been injured during feeding. Fleeing for my life, my prey was left breathing. The following evening, I s
Beauty’s POVI was born, the youngest and only sister of seven brothers. While mother wanted me to knit and cook, my father taught me the art of being a merchant. But my seven brothers taught me to wrestle. Even now, I treasured the memories of my brothers. Many a split lip had come from their teasing, but none dared strike back in anger... I was the baby, the girl, and while I learned to be rough, they learned to protect.On the eve of my 15th birthday, I was being dressed by my mother. Father had found me a husband. The son of a business rival. I'd never met him, but we'd exchanged letters and I wasn't against this union. He seemed kind enough if a bit boring. Our families would gain wealth and power from our union. That was enough for me. Even if the idea of motherhood scared me.The sound of an approaching carriage, had my mother wrap me in her arms. This was the final time she'd see me, maybe for many years. We could exchange letters, but until my new
Sabrina leaned forward and looked down into the foaming water. Just a little farther and she could topple so easily into the water, let it pull her under. Just... let go. Far below, the waves crashed so loud it was like constant thunder.Nobody to miss me. If I died out here, someone would eventually come looking, not because I mattered to them but because I'd stopped doing my job.Sabrina sat down and pulled her standard issue Park Ranger jacket tighter around her, sinking her chin into the neck opening and pulling her hat brim low to block the setting sun. The cold of the rock quickly penetrated the seat of her pants but she needed to sit, if only for a few minutes. Just long enough to breathe in the marine salt.The sun heated her dark jacket but it didn't warm her much. She was tired; tired of being alone but, more than that, tired of being lonely. That was the way it had been most of her life, in one way or another. As a true witch, the need to hid
Sabrina could hear banging on the outer door as she groggily woke the next morning. A grey pre-dawn light filtered through the windows.Shit. What time was it? A quick glance at her clock on the mantel showed seven am. Who the heck would be here this early?She hurriedly slipped out of bed, grabbed her uniform pants from the laundry basket and pulled them on, grabbing her shirt and buttoning it as she headed to the door. She wrenched open the door, expecting to find some camper with an emergency and instead found another ranger on her doorstep.Her eyes focused on his, so dark they were almost black, then expanded to take in the tan of his face and the very dark brown hair that he ruffled up with one hand when he took his hat off. She put a hand up self-consciously to tuck her black hair behind her ear."Sabrina Young?" She nodded and he continued. "I'm Ranger Keegan. I've been assigned to this outpost with you."Sabrina just looked at him in daze
Camilla knew that she had to do something. Otherwise these bastards were never going to let her leave from this rotten place. But now she was extremely strong and agile, so no one dared to come close to her. And even after so much of trying the only thing that she had been able to do was, make them put iron bars outside her room and then electrocute them.So every time she broke down the door and tried to do something she was zapped with electricity every single time. Thank heavens that there was a werewolf inside her body, or else the thing that would have happened if it was her human body then it would have been unspeakable.Master had used the cattle prod on her one day and considered that she would be weak and had bound her in silver. He had also tied her up with wolfsbane vines as an extra form of protection but some things happen in nature which have absolutely no reason to be happening. And something like that did come to be known about Camilla as well.W
Sabrina eagerly brushed back a stray black lock, she couldn't help but smile as the spell took effect, the waters in the silver fountain clearing as her spell worked its... well, magic. Sabrina knew she should feel guilty, and she did! She was spying on Élise! Her loving, doting girlfriend of two years.But her curiosity was becoming far too much. Élise had told her she would be out for the day. Heading into the town and seeing to a few errands. Sabrina had noticed that Élise had seemed nervous and even maybe a little flustered, and Sabrina's birthday was coming up...Sabrina wanted to know what Élise would get her.Could anyone blame her for casting the spell?Seconds ticked by, and, slowly, the water cleared. Revealing the tall, firm outline of Élise... and someone else...The water cleared more and what Sabrina saw broke her heart.Sabrina couldn't believe what she was seeing. But the crystal clear water
The wind was blunted to a chill breeze as it seeped between the great trunks of the forest's depths. Torch light glinted off icicles that hung from the leafless branches arching over the procession of cloaked figures. Evergreen boughs bent beneath the weight of snow that nearly glowed as the trail of people marched into the heart of the forest, mistletoe wreathed around their heads.The first among them, a middle aged woman, beat down the path through the snow with sturdy determination. With each footfall, the trek was that much easier for those that followed, and easier still for those behind them. At the rear, an aging woman holding herself up with a stick was able to follow without difficult save what pain the years and five children had brought to her knees and hips.Those few creatures still awake during this time watched with curiosity as the humans trekked deeper, leaving behind the comfort and warmth of their homes. Young Riona though coul