for love and blood

a coming of age story about a werewolf

* * * * * *

Chapter 1 Enter the shadow

The clearing was softly illuminated by only the faintest of the silvery essence of the moon's light. It out lined the ferns and tall-pines, the forests main inhabitant. The ground was of a strange soft white sand seemed to glow silver in the bright moonlight. Small sprigs of grass grew in islands around the clearing making dark patches in the gossamer sand.

The quiet of the woods was broken only by the breeze that lightly lent a quiet rustle to the large ferns. No animal stirred in the wood. It seemed that all stood still waiting for some force to move through, Or the opening of the skies and the flood of a thunder promised storm. But no such treated the skies this night. It was another force of nature that caused the unnatural ease of the forest.

A large dark furred shape slowly moved from the edge of the clearing. It was the size of a large bear. It moved with a cats like grace almost upright. The beast moved slowly around the edge of the clearing testing the air with its tunnel size nostrils. Its large yellow eyes soaking in all the moonlight allowing it to see every blade of grass. It’s senses swept the clear ground looking for traces of some thing. Finding no danger its stance slowly changed from that of hunter to that of prey. The beast began looking to the woods for signs of attack drawing slowly to the center of the clearing.

* * * * * *

Anne felt a brief sense of relief she had finally lost her pursuers. Who where they? What did they want? She was more confused now than when she had went to the meeting earlier. At least then she had some sense of a purpose. Now it was just survive. She hoped Rick was OK. The last thing she saw was one of those things jumping over his truck and had him by the neck.

Anne moved slowly across the clearing her large muscles bunched and moved under her fur making her monster like form seem to flow with the shadows that kept her hidden. She tested the wind again sniffing the light breezes. Ann tasted no danger just that of her own fear, a near by doe and her fawn, and the coming mornings dew. They had not followed her.

If you would have told her a year ago that she would be in a situation like this she would have laughed and called you crazy but now. Now she was up the creek with out a paddle. It had started out as a nightmare. On her prom night she and David Fresher had gone up to make out point. She had thought she loved him. She had been so crazed with excitement when he had asked her to go with him. Her friends where telling her she was so lucky. Anne snorted. The doe and her fawn froze. She had let him feel her. She thought it would be OK David was a nice boy. Anne felt her hackles rise. The deer bolted sensing her anger.

Anne stopped. She remembered what the old Indian medicine woman had taught her. slow rhythmic breathing. Ann calmed down she couldn't let the rage take her not now later but not now. David had paid and he knew better now. She had to stay in the now not the then. Her mind fished for some idea. She could try running back to the city it was only ten, fifteen miles away. She could easily make the in this shape. Even better as a wolf.

"Snap"

Anne froze. It had come from behind her. She spun. Six years of cheer leading had come in handy in her new life. White sand sprayed as she moved in one fluid motion to face the opposite direction. Her hackles where up, teeth bared, and ready to fight. Her eyes picked out three shapes in the shadows. They moved slowly at the edge of the clearing. They had matted black fur almost like an oil slick as it shone in the moonlight. They moved side ways exposing the most of their bodies to appear larger. She had to almost laugh they where half her size and all where males. A half growl chuckle rose from her.

"You a******s come for a fight! I’ll give you one." came a deep growl from Anne that would have given children nightmares.

There was a type of barking laugh from the males. They didn't seem to take her seriously. Red began to creep over her vision. By God she would kill them one by one or all at once.

"Snap"

S**t! That was from behind her! They got behind her! Anne moved to run but they where on her she felt one come from behind as claws raked her exposed flank. A shooting pain passed through her body.

"Bustards!" Anne roared rising to her greatest form ten feet of muscle and fur. Teeth and claws the furry of nightmares unleashed. She swung her claws as one of them leaped through the air. Her claws connected with a wet ripping sound punctuated by a pitiful yelp as the male hit the ground. Its fluids flowed staining the earth. The other five began to fan out flanking her.

"Come sister we have no wish to kill you." came the greasy voice from the closing circle. "We wish only that you join us. You are still young. You can learn our ways."

"I will die before I follow you demon spawn!" Ann’s deep voice boomed out. She tried to keep them all in her sight as they closed in. but her vision was beginning to blur and she felt dizzy. The claw must have be poisoned. She felt her strength fading.

~No. Sister do not fear you do not leave for the hunting grounds this night.~

Anne looked around. A voice. But where? Did they hear it? Was it the poison?

"Now she is weak . ” the black male whispered

Anne bellowed and summoned all her rage. Her body sang with vengeance and death. She propelled herself forward claws slashing the air. She aimed at the closest black monster she could see. Her cry filled the night causing the males to retreat but not fast enough. Her prey was too slow as she thundered down on him. Her claws sank into his flesh ripping with mountain like force. He tumbled through the air as she propelled her self forward breaking their circle. The male flew into the trees and landed in the darkness. Anne turned on them her front foreleg crumbling as her strength failed.

As she fell she covered her belly. The males saw the defensive move and barked their laugh again. She knew from the stories what would happen they would take her child and corrupt it. She tried to muster her protective instincts but felt the toxin in her blood dragging her down. They closed in once again.

A light filled the clearing. It was soft like moonlight but with a golden glow. Anne thought it was the toxin finally killing her. At least they wouldn’t have her child. Over her stepped a man.

He wore a long black coat open in the front to show an expensive suit. He was a handsome man with refined old-world features. He must be the angle of death Anne thought no one goes into the woods dressed like that. The man didn’t look at her only stared at the males that closed in on them.

“This is my kill stand down cur or taste my flame!” the man said brandishing his hand at them. Anne saw that it held fire. The man held a naked embers in his palm!

“ You have no claim to thi…” the leader began but never finished. Golden flame leapt from the man's hand into the speakers mouth. The male’s eyes grew large his pack mates jumped away as he exploded in golden flames from the inside out. The monster left nothing but charred bits of foul smelling hide as a testament.

His pack mates began to pad slowly backwards heads down bodies raised in attack stance. Only one male dared to leapt forward in an attack. Just as before the man dispatched with him in a fiery inferno. At that the rest turned and fled into the night. Anne could see their tails between their hind legs. It made her chuckle.

The man turned and bent, Anne looked at him. He looked like any other norm she had ever seen. Especially males. They where all too small, weak, and fragile to be any good. She was like him once but never again. She was the nights furry just.

“ You will die.” The man said. Staring at Anne She tried to growl a warning but her body betrayed her. She barley had the strength to breath as the toxin sang in her blood. The man reached at his belt drawing a large knife from its sheath. It flashed in the golden glow of his unnatural fire.

“ I will help you end it.” The man said. As Ann’s vision faded to black.

* * * * * *

Anne stood in front of her grandmother’s mirror turning round and round. She was a beautiful five foot four with lovely auburn hair. She had her mothers light brown eyes and her father’s scene of grace. She was a very popular girl in school and had just broken up with her old boy friend Gilley Jones who decided to take Andrea Norse to the prom.

Anne loved the dress that her mother had made for her. it was all light purple her favorite color, and the flowered lace trim. it made her look so much taller. She had her hair up in a beautiful bun done with baby’s breath and pearls. It had taken her mother an hour to get it right but Anne loved her for it. The whole effect seemed to make her glow.

Her mother sat on the bed looking at her daughter as she admired her self in the mirror. Her mother had just about killed herself trying to get all the work done before tonight. Tears shone in the corners of her eyes as she watched Anne . She didn’t had a prom of her own so she was determined her daughter would have one to make up for the lack of hers. She had taken up extra jobs doing Ms. Swans sewing, delivering grocers for her husband, and Captain Granger’s laundry. All for the sake of her daughter. This would be her only chance since she had no other children.

“Ann are you ready?” her father called from the living room. He had been forbidden to spy on them till she was ready.

“Don’t see what the big deal is.” He had said earlier when he was forcibly ejected. To be honest he was as nervous as his daughter. He had worked extra hours at the store to help save money for just this day, but he and Claudia where good parents not rich but good.

Anne entered the living room like a royal princess. Her father beamed at her. his smile made her giggle.

“Let me get the camera” her father said as Anne twirled for him.

“ Oh yes hurry before David gets here, then we can get them together!” her mother said trying to fix Ann’s hair even though it was fine. Anne smiled and let her mother fuss over her. Her father took pictures and Anne smiled the whole time.

The doorbell rang her mother jumped to answer it. David stood there waiting in a white tuxedo smiling broadly at Ann’s mother. He was the star quarter back for Lincoln high. A lean six-foot he was the heartthrob of the whole school. They all loved to sit on the sidelines and watch him practice his hair whipping as he took off his helmet. Anne still couldn’t believe her luck, she was the one he wanted to go to the prom with. It made her feel giddy inside.

“Ms. Brooks, Mr. Brooks is Anne ready?” he asked in his low voice. Following it up with another heart melting smile.

Ann’s father smiled back “yes she is son. Why don’t you come in her mother wants to take some pictures.”

“No problem.” David said shaking her fathers hand as he walked in

“Good firm grip son.” Her father said with a smile” Doing well this year, heard you stomped the panthers last week,”

“Well sir two more games and we go to the play offs.” David replied

“Father!” Anne prompted

“Come on kids,” said Ann’s father as they linked arms and stood against the wall. Anne was nervous and she hoped it didn’t show. She loved the feel of his arm in hers so strong and thick she leaned up against him as her father took pictures. Anne felt butter flies moving around her stomach.

“Well we better go if I’m gonna get Anne back in time.” David said after Ann’s father had finished off his second roll of film.

“Yes. Yes. Let them get going other wise they’ll be late.” Ann’s mother scolded.

Both of her parents followed them out on to the porch and stood hand in hand as their daughter was escorted down the walk to David’s car. He opened the door for her and helped her with her dress. Both of her parents waved good-bye and Anne waved back. David ran around to the other side and climbed in.

"ready?" he asked smiling at her in a way that made her heart flutter.

"yes." she smiled back.

Davids little red sports car started up and began to growl down the street. as it passed the corned of maple and green. neither of them saw the man standing in the shadow of the tree on the street corner.

* * * * * *

Chapter 2: wolfs moon

“ I said NO David!” Anne screamed as she tried to push him off her once more. The inside of his car seem to have suddenly become much smaller.

They had gone to the prom. It had been beautiful. The school had rented a dance hall with lights that looked like stars on the ceiling and paper trees that seem to blow in the breeze. The hall was filled with beautiful people who danced and moved about. Anne felt several sets of eyes on her as she and David moved about the dance floor. They danced twice and then she dance with Edger flener who was a fresh man and kind of a nerd, and He kept stepping on her feet. She then found it imposable to get a dance with David. He was dancing with Christina Smith. She spent the next hour being a wallflower. She didn’t come here to drink punch and watch David have fun. She was furious.

During a break when the band was setting up for another set she found David and told him that she was ready to go. He acted so offended. He was having fun and was not ready to leave yet, and told her to go find some thing to do. Her reply was that he had brought her and she was ready to go so he had to take her home. He rolled his eyes and agreed to take her home. Instead they had driven to make out point. She said once again that she wanted to go home when he killed the engine.

“Come on we can get friendly,” he had said. So they had kissed and she let him feel her up. Then he had tried to take it farther she had said no but he did not stop. She had screamed but there were no other cars nearby. He had come over to the passenger seat and pressed him self down on her using his weight to keep control of her. She had tried to hit him but it was no good. She cried and pleaded with him to get off of her. He had laughed and said she was spoiling his fun. He slobbered over her like some vial beast. His laughter and the pain as he violated her where like knives in her heart.

Ann’s cries and pleads where loud and carried far. the moon was full as it shone down from the sky making the red sports car look like fresh blood. The car had shook violently as the screams escalated. From the nearby beer can littered bushes a man watched and waited.

With a final grunt David finished his act. He beamed down at Anne as tears trailed from her eyes and she quietly sobbed. Her dress was ripped and her hair was a mess.

“They where right you where easy” David smirked as he hovered over her.

Ann’s eye’s shot open. Some thing in her head had popped. She could not explain it. It had felt physical. It was like a door was suddenly open. Her body seemed to sing with twitchy energy. A growl began to escape through her gritted teeth as her nails dug into the seat covers leaving long marks as it ripped. Her head was down her teeth bared.

“What? don’t go getting all huffy on me didn’t you know that’s why I invited you to the prom.” David said the sweat on his face dripping. “ Its not like we are going out. “ he then noticed the ripped seat. ”Hey b***h my seats!”

A growl like that of an animal escaped from Anne A growl that was not human. Her arms shot forward and slammed into David’s chest all the air left his lungs. It pushed him back into the windshield sending spider web like cracks across the surface of the glass. David screamed, as she looked up at him her eyes casting a golden glow in the moonlight. He fumbled for the door handle as her arms snaked out and her nails racked his torso. Finally pulling the handle he fell backward out of the car and crawled across the ground. Noises came from the car like snarling and growing that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He let out a long swear trying to make sense of what was going on as he frantic crawled away from the car. As he stared at the car and listen to the sound coming from inside he realized that there was someone else here too.

David peered to his left there stood a man in a black raincoat. Underneath it was an expensive looking blue suit. The man’s hair was tossed in the small breeze that was out this night, and sent his fine dark hair blowing across his shoulders. David gaped at the stranger as the man looked at him. A single thought coalesced in David’s brain. “That guys wearing shades.”

From the car stepped a black and brown she wolf. It had a beautiful coat that seemed to shine in the moonlight. Its eyes glowed as it looked at David. It began to pad slowly forward head down the fur on its neck was bristled as a soft growl escaped from its throat. The she wolf’s sight was fixed solely on him. It was the hunter and David was the prey. The wolf was ready to leap when the man spoke.

“Nerashoo nextra veneecha.” The man said to the wolf and never looking at the boy on the ground. The wolf turned to him seeing him for the first time it stopped and stared at him. Its ears swiveled back and forth. it looked at the man as if she could not truly see him. The stranger bent down and held out a hand to the wolf.

“Kresh.” The man said softly. The wolf looked between David and the stranger as if trying to see what was more important. Then without prompting it softly padded up to the man who knelt and took it’s head in his hands.

“Mea henrda jedrexa.” The man said to the wolf. Who lay across the mans lap eyes shut as he stroked it’s fur. He and the wolf looked very peaceful. Then almost as if cued the man began to sing a song in the strange language he had spoken. His voice seemed to carry on the gentle breeze and mix with the natural sounds making a ballad that made David afraid and stunned at the same time.

“Who? I mean what? Wheres... “David stammered looking at the man.

“Boy,” the man replied, ”you are a ignorant peasant compared to this child. You should consider yourself lucky that she did not kill you. Although that would have been more entertaining.”

“What?” David asked.

With out replying the man rose from the ground and turned away. The wolf stood and followed him padding along side as if it was the most natural thing to do. They walked into the edge of the wood and were engulfed by the darkness.

David sat on the litter-strewn ground looking at the spot where the wolf and man had disappeared. His mind could not seem to comprehend what he had seen. It tried to piece together what he had witnessed. Anne had been here, where was she? She had been here now she was gone and there had been some guy a man with sunglasses a blond guy, no wait a red haired man. His brain seemed to be seeing two pictures there was Anne but the wolf. David shook his head.

* * * * * *

Anne shivered under the blanket.

I must have left the window open she thought to her self.

As she opened her eyes slowly looking around taking in her surroundings. She was in the living room the fire in the fireplace crackling and popping to it’s self. Casting a flickering light around the room that seemed to make mundane objects come to life with jerky twitchy movement. A comforter was thrown across her and she was wearing her nightgown.

“How did I get down here?” she asked the room. it did not answer her. She held her head in her hands there where fragments in her mind like splinters of glass holding shattered memories.

She sought out the strongest memory. Her dress. She remembered getting ready for the prom her mother helping her. Her hand went to her hair, which still held some of its sculpted shape. But then her memory fragmented the dance yes she remembered the dance but what about it David he had been with her. She looked around there was no sign of him either.

“This makes no sense. Where is every one?” Anne asked herself trying to think what had happen.

The memories slowly began to coalesce to make some kind of dark dream that had no feeling of being real. It was like a nightmare that you can’t quite remember after you wake up. One thing was strong in her mind she remembered David. His heavy body pressing down on her, His breath on her face, and his animal like grunts. Anne could not bring her self to believe what had happen, why her? this never happened to some one like her.

Anne sat legs pulled up to her chest and began to quietly sob to her self. The pain in her heart began to settle. Her world was changed, and it could never be the same again. She sat safe and protected in her house with her parents, while monsters like David roamed free out there. What was she to do she could not have protected her self. Maybe she got what she deserved. Why else would this be happening to her? Tear flowed down her face as silent sobs racked her body making her hitch for breath.

The door to the study cracked open letting a thin light through into the room. A shadow obscured the light as some one looked in. The light fell across the form of Anne folded up on the couch hugging her knees.

“Ann?” came her mothers voice from the door. “Anne are you awake?” her mothers voice held a bird like edge that Anne had never heard. It seemed to be like a mixture of love and fear. “Baby are you awake?”

“Yes.” She replied between chocked sobes.

© 2014 little bad puppy

Author's Note

I DARE YOU!

My Review

Would you like to review this Story?
Login | Register

Featured Review

Daniel Sala

Wow. A really powerful story, and well-written, it looks like one thing: fantasy/horror, and then another: narrative, and then the true horror appears: the pain drips off it, and then it becomes another thing which is a combination of the previous pieces/sections: a moral/something a load of dickheads who are loose in the world should understand.
This is a well-written story, believable characters and situations, full of twists and turns which keep your/the reader's interest. I assume you may extend this into a book or novella, you should, 'though it is perfect as is.