“AND the rings? Did you pick up the rings?” she continued.
“Yes, Mother. I already have the rings. I actually picked them up yesterday from the jeweler"s. Please stop worrying. Everything will be fine.” He tried to soothe his mother"s nerves.
It was the last thing we needed to do, upset Charlotte. Daniel"s overly anxious mother was in a dither. The woman had the tendency to stress over everything and anything, regardless whether it was a good event or bad.
Charlotte sat back in her chair and blankly stared at Daniel. She took a quick breath then pursed her lips together. Her disapproval of Daniel"s behavior was apparent.
“Daniel, exactly what is it that you fear?” Charlotte asked without blinking an eye.
Daniel"s hand immediately went to his head. His fingers combed through the black locks of hair. Nervously, he leaned forward to the table and looked to his mother. A mother knows her child.
“I am concerned about this vampire thing. Richard seems to have targeted Julie as his new quest,” Daniel rambled out.
“Is this what you feel, or what you know?” Charlotte leaned forward placing her arms on top of the table.
“It is a knowing. I know he is not going to stop until he has her in his grip.”
“Daniel, don"t you think I have a say in this?”
“Julie, what little we know of vampires is not good. I don"t trust them.” He pushed the chair back from the table and abruptly stood to his feet. “Not even Casey at this point.”
“Daniel!” Charlotte snapped. “I may not approve of Casey"s choice or what she"s done. BUT,” she paused, collecting her thoughts. “She is still your sister and my daughter!”
Daniel turned around, pivoting on his right foot. “SHE IS A VAMPIRE!” He growled.
Chills ran down my spine. I didn"t know what to say in Casey"s defense. She was still my best friend. At least, I hoped she would be after her going vamp. I couldn"t see Casey as a bloodthirsty creature running around draining perfect strangers of their blood. From what I knew of Nathaniel, he appeared human enough, at least for a vampire.
“Daniel, the love Nathaniel showed toward Casey was more than what some humans show toward one another. Maybe they are not all as bad as you fear.” I tried to be reasonable.
Daniel"s gaze shifted toward me. “It is not all of them I"m worried about, Julie.”
“Then give it a rest,” I started with a sigh. “Daniel, I love you. Shouldn"t that count for something?”
“I am afraid we both are going to see how far our love will be tested.” He took a deep breath and turned around toward the kitchen sink. “But I will be damned if I lose you to that thing.” He growled quietly.
“Charlotte.” I tried to change the subject. “The gathering is tomorrow night?”
Charlotte nodded slowly, “Yes.”
“All right. Well, I guess we"ll be going now. We"ll see you tonight if we find anything,” I spoke softly as I pushed away from the table.
Maybe Daniel would have a different prospective tonight after a good run. He desperately needed to let go of those thoughts about Richard. It probably wouldn"t be a bad idea for me either. A good werewolf fight might do me good. I needed to release this anxiety I was feeling over the wedding as well.
Daniel placed his cup in the kitchen sink and turned to meet his mother"s arms. I couldn"t help but admire his love for his mother. The tall handsome man leaned down to his mother and gave her a loving embrace. Then, Charlotte turned toward me with open arms.
“Please be careful tonight.” She spoke with the same motherly tone as I always remembered.
“We will,” Daniel announced as he placed his hand on the small of my back.
We left the house, heading back to our home. Daniel glanced at me several times as I fidgeted in the car seat. Daniel"s apparent irritation with the vampires made me more anxious than I needed to be. Thoughts of Richard attacking me, as well as the possibility of seducing me, ran wildly through his mind. What could I say to him? I wished there was something I could say that would change his mind and conquer his fears once and for all.
“Do you think there are any werewolves in the forest?” I tried to distract his unnerving and unending thoughts of how to kill Richard.
“I am not sure.” His eyes remained on the road. “Why do you ask?”
“I was just thinking it might do us both good to have a little action tonight.” I tried to make it as humorous as I could.
Daniel glanced at me with a discerning look. “Julie, I seriously doubt the werewolves will take my mind off those vampires.”
“Those vampires helped save Casey.” I shot out.
“Yes, and I think she would have been better off a werewolf instead of one of them!” His voice rose.
“I don"t think so.” I mumbled. “But whatever you decide, you already know I"m on your side.”
Daniel resisted the temptation to argue with me concerning the vampires. His mind was firmly set against Richard. It wasn"t the whole vampire thing that was driving him to the edge; it was just Richard.
My love was for one man and that man was Daniel Maxwell. I was satisfied for the moment that he knew how much I loved him. Whatever fate had in store for the both of us, we would handle it together. Fight if we must. I believed our love was strong enough to handle any circumstances fate threw at us.
CHAPTER THREE
The illuminating light of the full moon penetrated the dark recesses of the forest.
Daniel and I made our way through the thick brush and trees. It was already October, and fall was my favorite time of the year. I loved the cooler weather. The smell of the autumn air lingered in my senses. The red, gold and brown leaves covered the floor of the forest. They moved slightly, floating up around us as we breezed through the woods.
Daniel and I had managed to leave a little earlier than expected for our run. It was primarily my fault, as I couldn"t stand to watch Daniel pace back and forth through the house. We needed to get out, and I knew the run would do us both some good.
As I moved through the forest, I was exhilarated by all the new scents. We were hunting for werewolves, but it was easy for me to become distracted. Each new scent brought on my investigative wolf nature. I couldn"t help from stopping a couple of times to investigate the scent of a squirrel.
As my fascination increased, Daniel"s irritation became stronger. I had finally trailed the squirrel"s scent to a tree, where up above I notice its nest. I circled the tree a couple of times. Daniel stopped ahead on the trail, turned and then trotted back toward me. He gave me a couple of short disappointed snorts. My eyes were wide as I showed him my new and exciting find. Promptly, he moved toward me, giving me a nudge, meaning for us to move on.
I glanced back to the tree one more time before I left. Maybe another day, I would make a run by myself. Investigate these scents more carefully. Tonight was more in nature - werewolves.
Our victory only a few short months ago ended the threat of danger to the nearby humans, or so we thought. However, recent news reports still had people turning up missing.
Those few short months ago, my life changed dramatically. My father"s death left me with more than just his financial inheritance. He left me with a secret I soon uncovered. I was a Lycan. A wolf shape-shifter, left here by an ancient tribe of Indians over a thousand years ago. Never would I have believed my life would have changed so much. To kill or be killed was the objective of my existence.
Among the other mysteries, I had discovered werewolves and vampires. My first battle against the werewolves ended in a victory. That was the same night we met the vampires. It was the same night we discovered the vampires were very skilled and experienced in killing the same stinky creatures. Richard was especially flawless in his killing techniques.
Richard MacArthur, Nathaniel"s older brother, was the most inhumanly beautiful creation I had ever seen. His seduction methods as a vampire were as flawless as his killing methods. I soon realized Daniel had a right to be con
cerned. Richard"s attention fell upon me. He saved my life that night, allowing me, in return, to save Daniel"s life. It was a battle I will never forget. Still, I knew there were more battles to come. It was only a matter of time before more werewolves would come into the area.
Daniel Maxwell, my love, stole my heart. The tall, dark and handsome man drew me in like a magnet. He contained the true heart of a Lycan within his body. I discovered how rapidly Lycans love. And his love for me was binding. Our love was deep and impenetrable. Our love protected us from our over-heated passions, a danger I swiftly learned we had to endure. I suppose this was the reason Casey fell in love with Nathaniel so easily. She left with him to become a vampire, to spend the rest of her immortal life with the one she loved. It was a nightmare her family would not soon forget.
The passions between Daniel and I could so easily turn into rage. It was one of the many side effects of being a Lycan. An animalistic desire could take over, causing a life threatening moment. Daniel and I had managed to overcome this rage so far. We discovered our love was stronger. The unconditional love you would die for. We pushed Fate to the limit that night, overcoming battles as well as the obstacles of our love.
Tonight was a night we hunted. It was a full moon. If there were any werewolves, they would be out this night. Two people were missing, and our family feared the worse.
Usually if bodies were found, there were no threats. This time we had an idea the werewolves were involved again. The Lycan laws stated we hunt together. Hunt as wolves, searching out and killing the evil that plagued mankind.
Daniel abruptly stopped in front of me. His head went down to the ground. The sounds of the tender tips of the insides of his nose flapped as he sniffed the ground. I couldn"t help from letting out a snort. The sound actually made my own nose tickle. His head rose to meet my humorous gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly. He could tell I was having fun, but he was the serious one tonight.
Recouping my position, I raised my head and inhaled a few whiffs of air. The scent of the werewolf was not the only thing in the forest tonight. The smell of lilies and carnations lingered in the night"s air. Daniel turned his head to me. His eyes widened.
He gave a short snort. Yes, he suspected, as I did, Richard was nearby.
I gave a quick nod to Daniel. He wanted me closer to him. Quietly, I padded toward him, lightly touching my feet to the ground. Daniel glanced over my shoulder, peering deeply past me into the darkness of the trees.
Daniel was not pleased Richard"s attention was so focused on me. For that matter, neither was I. The dreams I had of Richard were unnerving. My thoughts of him were reined tightly from Daniel. This vampire had put his spell on me. However, the heart inside me belonged to Daniel. It would belong to him forever. I was a Lycan.
The wolf beside me stood perfectly still. With his ears perked forward, he listened to each and every sound in the forest. I shifted alongside of him as I carefully watched the forest for movement. I rested my head on top of his shoulders, my eyes darting through the darkness for signs of prey. It was unbelievable how much I loved Daniel.
Even as a wolf, there was so much love filling my heart for him. Daniel turned his head toward me, and I raised my head from his shoulders.
The softness of his fur touched my head as he gently rubbed his head along the side of mine. The warmth of his tongue touched the side of my face. It was a kiss in wolf form, the most wonderful feeling. I thought I could feel the warmth of love from his heart. Daniel nudged me one more time. We needed to keep moving.
Our pace quickened, as we moved closer to the great wall. The closer we came to the wall, the greater the scent of the werewolves became. The air was thick with the stench. Why were they back? Why were so many of them around the wall? It was not humans they were hunting. They were not adding to their pack. It didn"t make sense.
A twig snapped behind me and I stopped abruptly and held my breath. Holding one foot off the ground, I listened. Daniel stopped. He could feel the rush of adrenaline as it shot through me. A shiver ran up my spine. The hairs on my back stiffened. I lowered my front paw slowly down on the ground. Daniel"s lips curled over his teeth. I closed my eyes tightly, allowing my senses to take over. I could sense it. A werewolf was approaching from behind me.
Swiftly, I turned around. My head lowered as I saw the creature emerge from the thick brush. The rotten stench of the creature hit me full blast. A burst of air rumbled from my chest followed by a menacing growl. The creature was on all fours. It turned toward us. The eyes of the wiry-haired beast flamed red as balls from the pit of hell.
Those red eyes narrowed, and we were marked as its prey. Daniel moved off to the right, slowly circling the creature as it bellowed out a heated roar.
The werewolf stood before us. The human and wolf features combined. The wolf-like head and shoulders were spiked with long prickly hair that ran down its back.
The large ears flattened against its head as it roared again. It braced itself on its dog-like haunches and claw-like hands. The stinky beast circled us, contemplating our next move. Another one appeared before I had the chance to move. The second one moved alongside the first. It was much smaller. Perhaps a younger male.
I lowered my head and moved toward the second creature. Daniel was already trying to distract the two of them. The larger one circled Daniel. I was in a similar dance with the smaller one. The young werewolf was inexperienced in attack methods. It charged me, galloping at a fast pace. My lips curled over my teeth as I growled out a warning that his death would come shortly. It ignored my warnings and leapt into the air. The muscles in my hindquarters flexed, pressing my front feet down on the ground, and I pushed off to meet the wiry-haired beast.
Our bodies collided in mid-air. The claws of the creature sank into my shoulders. It lost balance, dropping down to the ground with a loud thud. The edge was mine. The creature was underneath me as I snapped ferociously at its large mouth. Without warning, the rancid smelling beast"s feet slipped underneath me. A hard thump hit my stomach and the next thing I knew I was air borne.
The instinct for survival burned in my veins as I turned around the instant my feet landed firmly on the ground. The reeking creature prepared to launch another attack. A few shakes of its head, and it charged toward me at full speed. This time, I allowed the creature to pass me. I dropped my rear end, pivoting as the creature passed by. With my mouth open, I grabbed the back of its neck. My teeth closed down on flesh. The skin broke under the pressure of my jaws. Foul smelling blood poured from the wound, seeping its way into the corners of my mouth. The creature roared loudly from the pain as my venom, shot through my teeth, disoriented him. My eyes closed as I locked my jaws, sinking my teeth further into its disgusting flesh.
The large muscles tightened in my hindquarters as I balanced my body for the next move. I placed my right front paw on its shoulder, bracing my prey for the kill. I would have to make it quick, end the suffering of this evil thing. With a quick jerk, pieces of its flesh hung over my jaw. Hastily, I clasped my teeth down onto the soft skin of its neck again. This time I could feel my teeth as they smoothly cut through the flesh and bones.
The werewolf went limp. The taste was vile and disgusting, much like the smell. I turned to check on Daniel.
Daniel managed nicely to take the large one down by himself. However, not before he sustained an injury to his left shoulder. It appeared he had a rather large gash above his shoulder blade. I watched as he stood over the body of the larger werewolf, still snarling over the kill. Werewolf blood dripped from his bottom jaw as his head rose. A lowly howl of victory flowed from him. He was satisfied the creature was dead. I padded closer to Daniel to examine his wound. It was not nearly as bad as the ones we sustained in our first battle. The wound was already healing. Our hunt would be over for the night, as we couldn"t risk another attack. Even though our wounds healed rapidly, it drained us of precious energy. There would be another full moon tomorrow night. Maybe after the gathering we could h
unt again.
The bodies of the werewolves began the slow metamorphic change to their original human forms. Two young men lay before us. The younger of the two looked to be no more than eighteen years old. The authorities would claim it was an animal attack.
They never realized that these were the creatures that hungered after human blood.
I moved slowly, nudging Daniel. To my relief, he could move and we headed back through the forest. The scent of the vampire became stronger. I knew it was Richard, for whatever reason he was following us. There was still much we needed to learn of our new acquaintances.
The car was in sight. Our robes remained exactly where we left them. I exhaled slowly, allowing the transformation to take place. My body jerked forward, and I was human again. It took me a moment to gather myself. Beside me, Daniel fell forward on the ground. As I rose to my feet, I turned to him. For the most part, his wound was healing rapidly.
“Can you move?” I asked softly, and knelt down beside of him.
Daniel rolled over on his back, wincing from the pain in his shoulder. He stretched back on the ground. The muscles in his chest contracted as he inhaled a deep breath.
Show off. The stomach muscles rippled in waves as he exhaled. Daniel"s body always excited me. There was no denying my desire for him. It was just in my nature. He was my mate.
“Just give me a moment,” his husky voice growled against the pain.
“I can help you to the car. There appears to be a vampire in our midst.” My eyes darted around the dark woods.
“You noticed it too? I caught his scent earlier. Could be your boyfriend, Richard.”
Daniel"s mouth twisted into a grin.
He actually found it humorous. I couldn"t believe he would tease me with Richard.
However, I knew he was very serious when it came to Richard"s presence around me. In Daniel"s eyes, this was no joking matter.
“Oh please.” I let out with a loud snort.
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