by John Hansen
“You wouldn’t dare.”
She raised an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips, “Want to test that theory?”
They glared at each other, the air between them crackling with electricity. Nickolai was the first one to look away, “Fine,” he mumbled. Elita smiled in triumph for a few moments, savoring her victory.
“Did they tell you everything?” Nickolai asked, his voice tight.
She shook her head, “Not really. They told me a bit about the Courts, and what a changeling is, then they told me the story about my mom. I think I knew it then, but I didn’t want to believe it. Not until they told me that my mom was the changeling, then I remembered something from a few years ago. My mom was pregnant with my brother, and she was telling my dad she didn’t want to say goodbye to me” Elita’s voice cracked, her heart was heavy as she relived the memory again. “She’s going to be so sad when I don’t come home,” Elita covered her face with her hands, “God, why does she have to get hurt like this?”
“Elita, I’m…I’m so sorry for the pain this is going to cause you and your parents. If it helps at all, I was only a boy when she was sent away as a changeling, so I had no say in what they did to her.”
Elita pulled her hands away to look at Nickolai, “Then why is it that you’ve been waiting for me if you didn’t even know my mom?”
Nickolai took a deep breath before he explained, “It was destined that the first daughter born from Maeve would be blooded to the next King of the Unseelie Court. And the second daughter born would be blooded to the next King of the Seelie Court.”
“Blooded?”
He gave a small smile, “Think of it as being soul mates. At birth our people are blooded to another, whether they are born yet or not. They aren’t complete until they find that person, it’s as if a piece of them is missing. They search everywhere to fill the void, every relationship they try to get into fails for some reason or another, making the hole in them wider and wider, until all together they get consumed by grief and lose all hope.” Nickolai’s voice was somber, his eyes misty and faraway.
Elita knew all too well those feelings, since she herself had felt those for 22 years. Never knowing when the ache in her heart would stop, when her soul would finally feel whole again. “Is that how you felt without me, Nickolai?” she whispered.
“Every day of my life, Elita.”
She stopped breathing as she saw the raw pain in his haunted eyes. They looked as if he had seen years of sadness, completely devoid of happiness and hope.
“I’m sorry,” she told him.
Nickolai shook his head, “Never apologize to me for this, you have done nothing to wrong me, Elita. It is I who should be apologizing to you.”
She cocked her head, “For what?”
He barked out a laugh, “For what? Well let’s see, you woke up in a dank cell, heard the sounds of someone being put to death and got thrown into a wall. Should I not apologize for that?”
“Since it doesn’t matter right now, then no.”
“It doesn’t matter that I did all that to you?”
“No, because you didn’t do anything to me. That man put me in a cell, he killed that person and he threw me into a wall.”
“But I allowed all that to happen, I should’ve had you sent to my room, where none of that would have happened to you.”
Elita sighed, “Alright, fine. I accept your apology, are you happy?” she began to drum her fingers on her hip in annoyance.
“No,” he answered.
She threw her hands up in exasperation, “Why!”
“Because you’re not,” he said simply. He took a few steps towards her until he was mere inches away, his pale blue eyes seared into hers as he spoke, “Why are you unhappy?”
Elita tried to look away from him, but the way he was looking at her, the protectiveness radiating from him, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She’d never had a man genuinely care about what she was feeling; they’d only said what she wanted to hear so they could get her into bed. And every time she fell for it like a fool, playing into their lies, their pseudo concern, forcing herself to believe they cared. But with Nickolai, he seems to actually care about how she’s feeling. His distress for her when he thought she had been hurt, the protectiveness that seems to be radiating out of him. It all just seems too good to be true, no man has ever cared for her.
“This isn’t real,” she murmured, “you can’t care about me. You don’t even know me. You just can’t.”
He took her face between his frigid hands, a fire igniting behind his irises. “You better listen to me Elita, and listen well. I may have never met you before today, but I do care about you. My soul has yearned for you for years, to have you in my arms, to hold you, to finally become whole again. All these years that I have been blooded with you, but couldn’t be with you, were like hell. I could watch you from afar, but could never approach you. I watched as you grew from a lovely young girl, into the beautiful woman you are today. I may not have been there for you when you wept, or when you got hurt, but I promise that if you let me, I will be there for you for every day of forever. I will never let anyone hurt you, I will never let you cry out of sadness, I will heal every wound you have endure and will ever endure. Never say I don’t care about you ever again. I may be the King of the Unseelie Court, but that does not mean I am incapable of loving.”
“You aren’t saying that you-”
“Yes, I am. I love you, Elita. I loved you back then, I love you right now. I always have, and I promise I always will.”
Elita struggled to breathe as he told her he loved her. Her legs felt as if they would give away at any moment, she reached up and gripped his shirt, her nails digging into the fabric, to steady herself. Her breath came out in short bursts, her chest shuddering, trying to draw in oxygen. She was about to tell him she knew he was lying when she remembered what she said earlier; faeries can’t lie. Lifting her shaking hand she set it on his cheek, feeling cool skin, as she looked into his eyes.
“Don’t break my heart, Nickolai, I can’t handle much more pain before I am broken beyond repair,” she breathed.
Nickolai caressed the top of her cheek with thumb, his expression sincere, “I would never hurt you, Elita, and those who have hurt you in the past are going to realize later in life that they let go of the most perfect woman anyone could ask for.”
Tears flooded down Elita’s face at his words, her heart beating so loudly she swore he could hear it. “Kiss me, Nickolai. Make me forget the past.”
He dipped his head down and captured her lips with his own. Elita heard herself moan at the taste of him, it was like snow and fire. Her entire body became alive, reacting to each touch, eliciting shivers from her. She reached up and tangled her hands into his hair, marveling at how soft it was.
Nickolai traced the tip of his tongue along the shape of her lips, asking for entrance. Elita gladly opened her mouth, allowing their tongues to dance together. He deepened the kiss, exploring every inch of her mouth as she explored him - he tasted of ice and passion. Nickolai snaked an arm around her waist, pressing her into him. Elita could feel his muscles beneath his thin shirt, hard and toned. She pulled her hands out of his hair and she tugged at his shirt until she ripped it up the middle. Elita splayed her hands across his abs, feeling them contract and shudder beneath her touch. She let her hands roam over his torso, not leaving any section of skin untouched.
Reaching around to his back she trailed the tip of her nail lightly down his spine, smiling when she felt him shiver. Elita pulled back from his slightly to look into his translucent eyes, she felt fire burn within her as they locked gazes, staring at each other with such passion. Nickolai bent down and scooped her up into his arms, never breaking their eye contact. He laid her on the silken sheets gently; he hiked up the skirt of her dress so he could lie between her legs. Elita’s skin sizzled as he put his entire weight atop her. Her head spun as she felt every inch of his body on hers. She wrapped he
r arm around his neck and pulled him down to her.
She kissed him lightly on the jaw, trailing kisses along neck, nipping at the skin every few kisses. Bringing her face back to his she grabbed his bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling and pulling gently at it. Elita heard a deep groan rumble in his chest, she felt his hand tighten around her as he traced the outline of her waist and hip and further down where he cupped her backside, squeezing it roughly. Elita let out a gasp and arched her back, eliminating the little space that was left between them. She pressed her lips into his fiercely and wrapped her legs around his narrow waist, delighting in the feel of him on every inch of her body.
She could feel herself getting lost in him, in his kisses and touches. She had never felt anything like this in her life. Elita had never felt this whole in her entire life, or this happy. With each kiss she felt her wounds repair themselves, each scar start to fade little by little. Nothing seemed to matter then, not that she would never see her family again, or that the Seelie Court would take her sister in a few short years, or even that her mother would lose another daughter to the fae. All that mattered was the moment she was in now, with Nickolai. She waited 22 years to find him and she was never going to let go, she was going to hold on to him with both hands. Elita had finally learned the true reason for existing, to love and be loved, for there is truly nothing better.
A Full Wolf Moon
by
L.D. Ricard
Unknowingly being watched, the pack ran gracefully following their leader. The snow was deep in places, but the full moon shining down made everything beautiful. The creature watching them felt the hunger rising in itself. As they hit the property line they stood as one…on two legs. Looking towards their leader, they went to dress and have dinner. No kill tonight. The run had been purely for fun. As they went into the house, Pauli, a green eyed, redheaded beauty, noticed someone was missing.
“Jonas, where is Michael?” She asked the leader.
“I don’t know. Maybe he came back in early. I’ll go up to your room and check.”
At that time they heard screams coming from the forest. They sounded so inhuman; they couldn’t tell what it was. Pauli made a move to for the door. Jonas grabbed her arm.
“No, not tonight. We’ll go as a pack tomorrow. We have no clue what’s out there.
“But Michael could be out there injured or worse.” He was her mate.
“I know sweetheart, but I can’t risk the pack for one. I thought I caught a strange odor of death, but really didn’t give it much thought.”
“Jonas, we are twenty five strong. What could be out there that could touch us?”
“We will see in the morning what there is to see. That is my final word on the matter. Now little one, go get something to eat and get some rest.” With that Jonas turned and walked into his study. Glad she couldn’t see the worry on his face.
Jonas sat at his desk thinking. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to bring the pack to Ontario for the reunion. They could have met at his ranch in Montana. They had many times before. He thought a change of scenery would be good for everyone and being the dead of winter, this place had been cheap to rent. He had heard stories of course. Of a creature who thrived here in the winters. The Cree were full of Folklore and Legends. Hell even in Montana he’d heard some. Well nothing to do about it until the morning. With a sigh, he turned off his desk lamp and went up to bed.
The morning dawned with a sun so bright it was blinding with the snow. Jonas had ten of his pack with him. The others had no clue what was going on and he could see no point of alarming them. Pauli of course was right by his side. They would be cross-country skiing. He wanted no chance of being spotted by others out skiing or by low flying planes. They were a motley crew in their wolf forms, belonging to no breed of wolf known to science.
They headed out in the direction he and Pauli had heard the screams coming from. Steven looked ready to kick ass. He was a hot head at best, which made his human job as a bouncer at a club in New York perfect for him. They all looked grim faced as they skied through the woods. Michael hadn’t returned last night and for him to leave Pauli was unthinkable.
About a mile from the main house, they found Michael. Or what was left of him. In human form he was six foot six. As a wolf he was magnificent. A very large black wolf with ice blue eyes. A gift from his Celtic roots. There wasn’t much left of him and most of him had been devoured. Pauli fell to her knees, making a keening wail that broke the hearts of the others. Wolves mate for life and for Pauli there would never be another. Jonas assigned Steven and a pack member to clean up the remains. He gently led Pauli and the rest away.
About and hour later Jonas came down stairs after sedating Pauli and putting her to bed. The others were in the den wanting answers. He wasn’t sure how to explain. Steven stepped over to him and asked the question everyone was thinking.
“Jonas, what could have done that to Michael? As a wolf he weighed at least two hundred and fifty pounds and was in fine physical shape.”
“Please everyone sit. I’ve given this a lot of thought since last night. The Cree have a legend about a creature. It has many names, depending on the tribe. Most commonly it is known as a Wiliko. The Algonquin call it a Windigo. It’s a solitary cannibalistic spirit. The stories vary, so it’s hard to know what’s fact or fiction. Some say it can take on human form to get its prey. Others say it can blend in so you can’t see it. About the only thing they agree on is that every time it feeds it gets bigger. Supposedly it lies dormant for periods of time.”
Steven, ever the hot head fisted his hands, “If you knew this how could you bring us here? To risk even any of the pack?”
“They supposedly live in Montana as well. We’ve never had any problems there. I wasn’t sure they even existed. I should have known better, after all we don’t exist either.”
Mona, the smallest and ever the peacemaker of the pack, stepped in between the two men. She laid a hand on each of their chests. “Gentleman, what’s done is done. We can’t bring Michael back. Now do we leave or stay and try to bring down this creature?”
“I’ve given this some thought,” Jonas wondered how they would react to his decision. “I think the oldest of us should stay. The newest and youngest should go to the Montana ranch. If we don’t succeed in killing this creature and it gets us, the pack would go on.”
There was some muttering around the room. It was clear that what Jonas said made sense, but even so, all wanted revenge on the creature. Always thinking and never one to question Jonas, Mona spoke up. “Who would lead the Montana pack?”
“I’ve given that a great deal of thought as well. I honestly think you should Mona. You keep your cool in tough situations and those who leave will obey you. If anything happens to me, you could always take a vote if you don’t want to be leader.”
“I will do my best to hold everything together and I know you’ll come back to us.”
In a few short hours all but seven had left. No amount of pleading could get Pauli to leave. She wanted her revenge or would die trying. All that remained was Jonas, Steven, Margo, Allen, Tanner and of course Pauli. Jonas ordered them all to get some rest. They would head out as soon as the moon was up. Jonas went back to the den to do more research on the Wiliko. He had a bad feeling they were going to need all the help they could get. By the time the moon had started to rise he had what you could loosely call a handbook on fighting Wilikos.
As they wouldn’t be hunting for food they feasted before hand. Jonas gave them a short version of what he learned.
“As I said this is a cannibal, so even in wolf form it’s going to know we’re human. There’s so much has been lost through the years and different tribes have different
versions. Another thing they all they seem to agree on is this thing stinks. I noticed a foul smell last night, but didn’t give it much thought.” He silently wondered if he had if Michael would still be alive.
“When out there keep your noses
going at all times. Look for something in your perpetual vision. That’s another way it can get you, supposedly. If we run into a human take a good sniff. And we stay together at all times.” This last statement was directed at Steven and they all knew it.
“Ok, let’s head out. Remember everything I said.”
They changed into wolf form. In their world most people don’t even know they’re wolves until they are in their twenties. The older wolves could sense one and try to stay close when they have their first change. It wasn’t something they could control and you just can’t walk up to someone and say, “Just to let you know your going to become a wolf sometime in the next few months.” They’d run like hell from you. So you watch and wait.
They ran cautiously through the forest and fields. As they past the spot where they found Michael, they all noticed no tracks other than Michaels. It gave them a moment’s pause as to how they were going to track something that didn’t leave tracks. They would have to rely on their noses.
As they ran side by side a horrible smell reached them. It had to be the Wiliko. They turned to the smell. Steven tried to pass Jonas and was snarled at. Jonas didn’t want any heroics and Steven always thought he should lead the pack.
They came to a small clearing where the smell was very strong. It smelled like a three-day road kill in ninety-degree weather. They all stood very still. They knew something was there but couldn’t sense where. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye Steven spotted a movement. He didn’t turn his head and watched, as a very large creature seemed to appear. None of the others seemed to notice. It was tall with its skin pulled tautly across its bone to the point of emaciation. What lips it had were bloody and its teeth were pointed fangs. The creature’s eyes glowed an eerie red.
Just as Steven was thinking he could take down this sickly looking thing, Allen took a step toward it. Steven knew Allen didn’t see it. Before he could growl out a warning, the thing was on Allen. Now they all could see it. Allen never had a prayer. The Wiliko had him by the scruff of his neck and with one swipe of its razor sharp claws, had Allen’s internal organs falling on to the snow. At first stunned, the pack froze. Then leaped into action. Steven was quickly knocked back and out. Tanner tried to get behind it for an attack, but the creature seemed to be everywhere at once. Pauli managed to get a good grip on the arm not holding Allen off the ground. The creature was defending his kill and was not going to part with it.