4 comments/ 13345 views/ 12 favorites Lunar Dance Ch. 05 By: sensanin Hello Readers! Alright! A few things: 1) I found an Editor! Yeah! Thx bonesvamp! 2) I submitted all four chapters at once. Which wasn't the smartest thing, I know. Which is also why I couldn't do anything about making chapter 2, 3, or 4 longer. 3) I've been cutting the chapters in half, to try to make them shorter because I thought they were too long. I will stop that now. And so far you have read about 30 pages on google docs! :D Ok so without further ado, here is the edited version on Lunar Dance chapter 5! Thanks for reading! Remember to vote and comment! Sensanin ________________________ Run Red, Run The Wolf's out to have some fun He's got your name He's out to stake his claim So Run Red, Run Jozlyn didn't stop running until she was in her bedroom with the door firmly locked. She knew her parents weren't home, and she was happy for the fact, because she was having a major melt down. I just physically assaulted a prince! She screamed in her head, sliding down her bedroom door to the floor. She buried her head in her hands, and tried to figure out what she was going to do. What was there to do except- wait! Her mind came to a screeching halt. "I fucked him!" She screamed. She covered her mouth when she realized her last comment had not been in her head. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, played over and over in her head as she slowly rocked back and forth, shaking her head, trying to deny the events of the past 24 hours. She was confused, rocked to her very core, and, as she came to realize, no longer a virgin. Jozlyn had played by the rules. She had gotten A's or B's in classes, never skipped school, never did drugs. Well, except that one time she had tried pot, but then found it tasted awful. But she had played by the rules! She had done everything right! And yet she was screwed. She had heard the legend that surrounded the royal family. Some bullshit about a curse that turned them into werewolves, but, of course, that was bogus. Crap. Bullshit. Except that the prince had been wandering in the woods when he saw her, and he hadn't looked exactly 100% human at the time. He had looked wild, untamed, more fantasy than reality. Jozlyn's mind was fracturing, slowly spinning out of control. She was trying to rationalize everything, yet falling short, and then fixing the patches with fantasy and gossip. Jozlyn knew this but could do nothing to stop it. Wait, she screamed in her head, I'm stronger than this! Jozlyn was strong, but there are some times in life when strength doesn't really help a situation. No amount of mental strength or physical strength could help her, and she was beginning to realize her life was about to drastically change. _______________________ Kayla stared as the car drove away. She had just been dismissed. Some girls tried to follow the luxury car, while others stood with pouting lips and watery eyes. "We need to talk." Matt said quietly behind her. Kayla couldn't feel his warmth, and she wondered where it had all gone. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned to face him. The look on his face nearly had her in tears. Matt looked dejected, sad, and adrift. She, had put that look on his face and she was at a loss for what to do. Kayla quickly looked to the ground, having grown a sudden fascination with her sneakers. "Yeah," Kayla began, pausing to take an unsteady breath in, "we do." The walk back to Matt's house was quiet, neither Matt nor Kayla so much as looking at each other. Kayla was in deep thought about how she was going to explain her outburst to Matt, while Matt was contemplating if Kayla was really the right woman for him. They reached the front of Matt's house, a cheery yellow three story home, with dark green shutters and a beautiful dark oak door, nestled in a cul-de-sac. Kayla had always loved the house, because it had reminded her of her own home growing up. Her childhood home had been a town house in the heart of Chicago. It, too, had had cheery yellow walls with green shutters. She always felt at home in Matt's house, with his family. It was as though the universe had made a colossal mistake, and she should have been born into Matt's family, instead of her own broken home. Instead of going through the front door, Matt led them around the house and down into the basement. Kayla sighed internally. The basement was more or less their domain. They always hung out in the basement, always had the best make out sessions, and always had the most profound discussions. But at the moment, Kayla dreaded going down into the basement. As the door shut with a soft snick, Matt went across the room to turn on the light. "You want something to drink or-" he began, but was never able to finish. Kayla pushed him against the wall and ground her mouth against his, pushing her breasts against his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. She could lie to herself, and say she didn't love him. She could put on a brave front when he broke her heart. But she didn't want to do any of that, she wanted to go back to how it was before; before he told her he loved her and before she had run away. But, the past couldn't be rewritten, so she would follow after her friend. Jozlyn had acted on instinct, and so would Kayla. She pushed harder, shoving her tongue into Matt's mouth, not knowing exactly what she was doing. Matt had always initiated their kiss. Matt was stunned as he felt Kayla's warm lips press against his own, and her tongue invade his mouth. No, damn it! His mind screamed. I have to talk to her. I have to... But his mind was growing sluggish, as the lower half of his body took over. Matt flipped her, pinning her against the wall, raising her legs to wrap them around his waist. He pressed a little closer, her feminine heat enveloping him. He groaned and pulled back, breathing hard, hands fisted in Kayla's shirt, while hers were trapped around his neck. "Tell me to stop" Matt breathed against her lips. Kayla looked into his eyes, a sad watery smile playing on her lips. "I can't" she whispered, bringing him back down into her heat. He tried to resist, tried to persevere, but it was all too much. He grabbed her hair, angling her head to receive his kiss. Matt plundered Kayla's mouth with a single-minded obsession. He sucked her tongue, nibbled her lower lip, and sucked the air right from her lungs. She wrenched her mouth away, and gulped in air. He trailer fiery kisses down her neck, lightly suckling. Matts hands abandoned Kayla's hair, and pulled at her shirt. He yanked it over her head, then quickly reached around and unclasped her bra. He threw the clothes somewhere into the dark, and he heard a gentle thud. Kayla's breasts poured into his hands and he heard her suck in a gasp. Fuck me! His mind screamed. He lifted her higher and latched onto a nipple, suckling and pulling, swirling his tongue across the tight bud. She moaned, gasped and rubbed that enticing lower half of her body against his painful erection. Matt grabbed her waist, lifting her away from the wall and against him. He searched blindly for the couch, until he stumbled into it. He put her down and yanked off his shirt. Quickly he undressed, before he grabbed Kayla and kissed her full lips once again. She moaned as her nipples made contact with his slightly hairy chest. Her hands trailed down his shoulders to his chest as he continued to take her mouth. Her hand wrapped around his penis, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He reared back and groaned, gently biting her ear lobe. "You'll pay for that." he reached down and yanked off her skirt, painties, and shoes. She was as naked as a babe, and even though he couldn't see her, never having made it to the light switch, that merely heightened the pleasure. He let his hands lightly trail her thighs, until he felt them shake under his hands. He reached back up to her stomach. Slowly, he bent down and kissed her flat stomach, swirling his tongue. He let his hands guide his mouth until he found his prize. He parted her thighs, and kissed the top of her curls. Kayla bucked, trying to shift out of Matt's grasp. "Matt!" Kayla pleaded desperately, not knowing if she wanted him to stop or continue. "Shhhh." he soothed, liberally running his tongue down her core. Kayla arched into his mouth and screamed, grabbing the nearest pillow and stuffing it over her face. Matt chuckled wickedly before he attacked her clit. She was moaning, thrashing and screaming incoherently, as he fucked her with his tongue. She forgot about trying to keep quiet and reached down for his shoulders, the pillow falling silently to the floor. "Fuck, Matt! It's... sooo fucking good! Ha-harder! Harder! I'm. Oh god...I'm... coming!" Kayla wailed throwing her head back, thrusting her hips, and shaking uncontrollably. He devoured the flood of juices that came with her orgasm, licking and sucking until she calmed down. Then, he started again. He licked, sucked, and nibbled until her thighs began to shake again. Slowly, he inserted one finger into her, thrusting in and out; then he added another, then another, until he had three fingers inside of her. She humped his hand, shaking her head left and right, moaning and begging for release. He could tell when she was close, and he quickly removed his fingers, replacing them with his penis. He quickly thrust into her, but stopped. She was still thrashing, but he knew, he was about to hurt her. He leaned down and levered himself on his elbows. He couldn't see her expression but he could hear her sharp intake of breath. "I'm sorry. I love you." The words tumbled out as he pierced through her hymen. Kayla was in a world of sensation; everything Matt did made an erotic melody fall from her lips. She was so far gone; she barely realized when he withdrew his fingers. She felt his breath of her cheek, a quick rush of words, and then sharp pain. She immediately seized up. She tried to breathe through the pain, as Matt remained still within her. Kayla flexed her inner muscles, trying to dislodge him, but instead drawing him further in. She felt his chest brush her nipples and heard his low groan. "Kayla honey, relax." He soothed, Drawing his hand to her shoulders and massaging gentle circles into her flesh. She tried, she really tried, but all she wanted was him out of her. Matt could tell Kayla was withdrawing from him, and so he acted on instinct. He kissed her face blindly in the dark, before he captured her lips. He plundered her mouth ruthlessly until she began to relax, began to kiss him back. He winced internally, then drew back slightly and thrust in again. Kayla felt him go deeper, the pain was starting to subside and she tentatively moved her hips. He sank in another inch, then another, until he was sunk in to the hilt. He drew back from the kiss, waiting, talking a deep breath. "Now honey," he paused, letting the reality of Kayla's situation sink in, "let's begin." When someone is deprived of one of their senses, the others become sharper to pick up the slack. Both Kayla and Matt were deprived of their sight, which meant their other four senses were heightened to an almost painful degree. Kayla felt every glide of Matt's penis within her, every vein on his length. She felt his finger tips bite into her hips, and his tongue tease her nipples into hard peaks. She tasted the sweat of his skin as she bit down on his shoulder to keep from screaming. She smelled the musky scent of sex, which perfumed the basement in a haze. But what she would remember the most, were the sounds. She heard Matt's muted groans, his gasps when she clenched her inner muscles. She heard the slapping and sucking sounds as he thrust into her, their hips coming together, grinding into each other. Matt, felt Kayla's teeth on his skin, her nails digging into his back when he hit a spot inside her just right. He smelled jasmine and water lilies, as he sunk his nose into her hair, breathing in her unique perfume. He heard her soft cries, breathy moans, and pleas of fulfillment every time he thrust into her, or teased her with the swift glide of his penis. But what Matt would remember most was the taste, the taste of Kayla when she came into his mouth; when she let go of all her inhibitions and became his woman. Matt's pleasure drenched mind clutched those two words, my woman. They whispered across his mind. "Mine." Matt ground out in between clenched teeth, not entirely realizing he had spoken. "Yes! God yes!" Kayla whispered as his slow glides intensified into fast thrusts. They were both near the edge, both ready to tumble head long into their orgasms, but Matt needed to hear her say it. "You're mine! Say it!" he bit out, pushing deep and grinding his hips into hers, his fingers biting into her flesh. Kayla was too far gone, too far out to sea, with the wave coming to take her down. She wasn't concerned about self preservation, she needed release! "Yes! I'm yours!" she screamed as he finally relented and gave her the fast thrusts she needed to push her over the edge. Her nails bit into his shoulders, her muscles locked, she screamed, and then she came. He felt her clench rhythmically on his penis, and he bit his lip bloody before he thrust hard, shouted, and came inside of her. __________________________ Jozlyn woke with a start. Fuck! She groaned mentally when she moved the tiniest bit and every muscle screamed out. She was still sitting on the floor with her back against the door, in the exact same position she had been in for god only knows how many hours. She looked across her bedroom. It was nearly dark, but the street lights had come on, casting an eerie fluorescent glow about her room. She rolled over and came up, hearing something crack and pop. She rotated her neck and shoulders and bent her knees, before searching blindly on the wall for the light switch. She found the cool plastic, and flicked the switch on. Her room was immediately bright and blinding. She blinked a few times and brought the room into focus. Jozlyn had had the exact same bedroom since she was 13; bright periwinkle purple, with posters of the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC decorating the walls. She had a dresser, desk, nightstand, and bed all in the same beige color. The furniture had been her grandmothers, and had been passed down to her mother and then herself. She had a full size bed with soft black cotton sheets, and a deep purple comforter. She walked across her hard wood floors, and fell onto her bed. She laid there for a moment before rolling over and reaching for her digital clock. It was 8:17 pm, and so far she hadn't solved anything. She dropped her clock back on her nightstand and rolled over. I've stepped on a prince's foot, run home, had a panic attack, and, let's not forget, fucked a royal. She groaned internally checking off with her fingers, the few things that had made her life go from 0-60 mph in less than 24 hours. She put her hands down and stared up at the ceiling, looking at a poster of the young Justin Timberlake posing with his band mates. She tried to remember what had awakened her. A clear vision of a jet black wolf suddenly appeared in her mind. It had gold eyes and was at least twice the size of any normal wolf. The vision of the wolf was so clear in her mind, so detailed, that she could see something glinting around the wolf's neck. Something that looked familiar. She could almost recall it, almost remem-. "Jozlyn! Come down for dinner; I know you're up there!" her mother's voice called. Jozlyn lost the vision, and was once again staring at Justin Timberlake. She levered herself up, and began to make her way downstairs. A wolf? She thought. It had been so sudden, so unexpected. Why am I thinking about wolves? She shook her head, and nearly missed the last step as she walked past the family room and into the kitchen/dining area. It was a flamingo pink color, completely at odds with the rest of the very neutral colored house. Her parents had let her pick out the color when she was four, and she had chosen the color to match her pink dress. The rest of the kitchen was dark wood, from the cabinets to the polished dinning room table, the only other color being the grey marble counter top. Jozlyn's mother was dishing up the mystery dinner, and her father was at the table on his iPhone. She smiled to her mother and waved to her father, both smiled backwa at her. She sat down at the table, and looked up to see the back door. A door was all that separated her from her nice, warm home; from her parents, and her bed, and her steel bat. Jozlyn shook her head, continuing to stare at the door. A door was her demarcation line, it separated her from safety, from sanity, and from her virginity, all three were now-"Jozlyn!" her mother yelled, making Jozlyn jump up in her seat. She turned sharply to her mother and yelled back, "What?!" her mother was a bit taken back, of course that lasted for maybe 3 seconds. "Jozlyn Sabrina Phillips, how dare-" her mother began, but her tirade was cut off by Jozlyn's father, his cool, calming voice bringing the fire in the room down to a simmer. "Come now ladies, let's sit and try to have a good family meal. Blair honey, pass the mashed potatoes." He nodded to the dish beside my mom, as mom took her seat. She looked at him, and her face began to turn scarlet. "It's chicken, Richard." She said quietly. Jozlyn looked at the mystery dish, and couldn't quite believe it was chicken or mashed potatoes. She looked at her parents and saw the confused look on her father's face. "Oh! well um... pass the chicken." Her parents again stared at each other for a long moment, before her mother got up and left the table, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Her father sighed dramatically hearing their bedroom door slam shut. He grabbed his fork and poked hesitantly at the mystery dish. When it jiggled like Jello he decided to order pizza. "Here's 20 bucks. Don't order anything with chicken. I'm going to go check on Blair." Hesaid getting up and leaving the kitchen. Jozlyn was in tears because she had been laughing so hard. She knew her mom couldn't cook, the whole neighborhood knew it, and yet she still tried. Jozlyn picked up the dish and put the contents in the trash. Watching it slide down the plate and land with a thud in the bin. She grabbed the cordless from off the counter, dialed the pizza place and then left the kitchen and went into the family room to wait for dinner. For a few hours, Jozlyn forgot about her troubles. She forgot about the prince and her predicament. She just watched some TV and ate pizza. But, as Jozlyn was about to find out, you can only ignore something for so long. She yawned and covered her mouth, staring at the flickering TV screen but not really watching anything. She looked for the time on the show, 11:07 pm. Stretching, she reached for the remote and pressed the off button. As she ran her hands through her hair and got up from the couch, she turned and grabbed the pizza box from the coffee table. Her dad had come down and grabbed a slice, watching one episode of Family Guy with her before claiming exhaustion and going upstairs to sleep. She carried what was left of the pizza into the dim kitchen, and popped it into the refrigerator. Tiredly, she leaned against the counter for a second, her eyes straying once again to the back door, and she saw something move. Jozlyn froze as she stared into the darkness from her kitchen. The dimness in the kitchen, the only light being what came from the microwave and oven timers, making it easy to see outside. She slowly moved closer to the door, and peaked out into the darkness. Not seeing anything at first, she flipped on the outside light. Still nothing. She was about to turn off the light and head to bed when something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, in the forest she saw a pair of golden eyes watching her. She stared into the dark forest for a long while as, from out of the forest came a jet black wolf, the biggest she'd ever seen, with beautiful golden eyes. Lunar Dance Ch. 05 _______________________ Demir stared at Jozlyn from the forest. She was so lovely. She had changed her clothing, he noticed, into a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. Not the night gown she had worn the night before. He smiled internally, it was dirty anyway. Demir had woken with a start a little after seven in the morning, his wolf clawing to get out. His need to see Jozlyn had been too great to resist. So this is the mating pull? He mused. It feels like hell. He couldn't leash his wolf, so he did the next best thing, he headed for the forest. He snuck out, yet again, and headed for the tree line. Once he was out of sight, his wolf charged forward and he shifted. He ran until he neared her house. Once there, he crouched low just out of sight on the other side if the creek. Looking across the expanse of lawn to the back of the house, he spotted two people in the brightly lit kitchen. Jozlyn's mother was stirring something on the stove , and her father was sitting at the dining room table. Jozlyn had been nowhere in sight. Jozlyn's mother had chestnut brown hair that reached to her waist in waves. She was slim, about five foot eight, and most likely worked out. She The man at the table, her father, had thick red hair, that came down to the back of his neck. He was a well built man, thick with muscle. Demir couldn't tell how tall he was, but he estimated him to be fairly tall. He watched the discourse between the couple, though he couldn't hear what they were saying. The woman nodded her head at the man then turned and walked to the other room, letting out a call that was hard to miss. "Jozlyn! Come down for dinner; I know you're up there!" Demir winced, and let out a low whine. Damn the woman had some lungs! Within a moment or two, he saw Jozlyn rush into the kitchen. She took her place at the table, her mother carrying a dish and going to sit beside her. A few words were exchanged, before her mother rose and left the room. The man trailed after her, and Jozlyn was left alone. She's beautiful, he thought as he stared, his wolf relaxing a little at seeing her. They watched her go about the kitchen before heading into the other room. He didn't feel easy leaving his mate alone, and so lay down in a comfortable position, having concluded he'd be spending the night. Dosing lightly a while later, a light brought him to full alert. Looking, he titled his head up and watched Jozlyn in the kitchen. His wolf perked up at seeing her, and he waged his tail a little. He saw her look out into the forest, and pass over his hiding place, her eyes looking out into the forest, and he willed her to see him. He wanted her to know he was there, watching her, protecting her, even if she didn't understand. Suddenly she straightened and pinned his gaze, emerald eyes clashed with gold. Slowly, as if part of the night, Demir emerged from the forest, just visible for her, but close enough to the woods should he need to run. He watched her eyes widen, and saw her move closer to the door. A curious reaction seeing as he was a wolf. He wondered fleetingly why she wasn't running away. He watched as she pushed open the door and took a tentative step outside. When he slowly lay down on his stomach, signaling he meant her no harm, she took another step, and then another. She walked to the edge of the creek, leaving her back door wide open. Slowly, she knelt on the ground and stared at him. She didn't react at all like he thought a normal woman should. Yes there was a trace of fear on her face, but also a trace of something else, perhaps confusion. They stared at each other for a long moment, both trying to figure the other out. Demir made the first move, slowly, as not to startle her, he rose up and gracefully leap over the creek, moving forward to lay a few feet from her. Demir waited for Jozlyn to make the next move. ____________________ Jozlyn watched the wolf jump effortlessly over the creek, and lay down only a few feet away. She had seen the flicker of intelligence in the wolf's golden eyes, and didn't quite know what to make of it. The more she stared the more certain she became that this was the wolf from her vision. They looked identical, except she couldn't tell if this one wore something around it's neck. She took a deep breath, suspended her sanity, and reached out to pet the wolf's fur. It leaned into her caress and whined softly as she slowly stroked the soft black coat. Slowly, the wolf crawled forward until its head was in her lap. She continued to stroke its fur, deciding when it swished its tail and flashed a hint of genitals showed, that it was male. "Such a good boy," she crooned to the wolf. His head took up the majority of her lap, and his body could well over power hers, but she felt safe. Strange since I'm with a wolf, she thought. As she continued to pet his glossy coat, something caught on her fingers. Feeling metal, she followed the chain around his neck, wondering if it was a collar. A collar might explain why the wolf was so friendly. As the wolf turned its head she grasped a large pendent of sorts. Raising the object in her hand as she continued to calmly stroke soft fur, she turned the ornament over in her palm. _____________________ Far above Demir and Jozlyn; a goddess smiled, a god balled his fists, and a chain of events was set in motion. Lunar Dance Ch. 06 Hello Everyone, Ok so I edited this chapter, Hopefully there are a lot less errors. -S *** Part 1 Action: an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity. Nyyrikki, god of the hunt, sat on his golden throne, staring into a glittering, golden, bowl of sand. He rose suddenly, picked up the bowl and cast the glittering sand into the air. It froze, sparking in midair, glimmering brilliantly, like diamonds. The room was silent; from the high ceilings with work depicting Nyrikki's hunts, to the white and gold veined marble floors, currently occupied by dozens of onlookers. None dared make a sound, none dared to move; the very air running through the golden palace ceased its flow. Slowly, the sand began to move, forming figures in the air. Nyyrikki stared at the forms floating in the air, depicted in the golden sand. A woman and a wolf stood together, side by side. The woman wore a light dress, and had long hair curled to her back. She was tall, with her hand resting on the wolf's shoulder. The wolf was at least three times the normal size of any normal wolf; it came to stand at the woman's breasts. It had a thick sleek coat, and was standing on all fours. He couldn't make out much more, as the sand once again shifted and changed. Now it showed a woman and a man standing, facing each other. The woman was completely covered and wore a veil over her head. She was tall, reaching the mans shoulders; she had a full figure, with lush curves. The man was tall and heavily muscled, with flowing hair down his back, and a hunting bow and quiver of arrows strapped to his back. He wore a pair of boots, pants, and a single cuff high up, on his bicep. Nyyrikki flexed his biceps, feeling the cool metal expand. Smiling he flicked his wrist and cast the sand out of his home and onto the wind. Carried within the sand was a message for a goddess, whom he would be seeing very soon. The name Tabiti whispered across his mind, and had him instantly hard. So it begins; Nyyrikki thought, turning and taking his golden throne once again. Casting his gaze across the room, he smiled as the people lowered their heads respectfully. He was power, eternity, life and death, and the beings surround him knew that. Nyyrikki smiled darkly and raised his hands, encompassing the room. In a booming voice, he announced "It begins!" _______________________ Jozlyn stared at the pendent a moment, trying to make out the intricate work. The pendant was made out of some type of green stone. The stone itself was a mix of different greens, the type you might find walking through a forest. Carved into the heart of the stone was a woman; she had a veil over her face, and had a falcon on her right arm. There was a large space next to her, that looked like another animal should have been there, yet there was none. Jozlyn puzzled over the pendent a moment, forgetting to pet her wolf. Running her thumb over the woman on the pendent, Jozlyn felt a strange pull. Jozlyn started to turn the pendent over when the wolf suddenly moved his head from her lap; she immediately released the pendent, and watched as the wolf stood up on all fours, his ears perked up and twitching. Jozlyn heard the distant call of another wolf. The howl sounded lonely and distraught, which confused Jozlyn. I guess wolves can be scared too; Jozlyn thought with a mental shrug. The wolf beside her answered the call with a howl of his own, something like be right there, in wolf. The wolf turned to her, golden eyes once again locked on emerald ones, as though they were trying to impart an important message on her. Turing suddenly, the wolf sleekly jumped over the creek, taking off at a run through the forest. She watched him until she couldn't separate his form from the forests piecing black darkness. Jozlyn sat there for a few minutes, realizing just how sublime her last 10 minutes had been. She rose slowly, feeling her muscles tighten from being on her knees for so long, with a boulder-of-a-wolf head on her lap. Making her way across the soft lawn to her back kitchen door, Jozlyn noticed a peculiar thing about herself; she was calm. Perhaps more than that, she felt balanced, as if everything was falling into place, as if meeting a wolf was more than normal, it was to be expected and accepted. Jozlyn reached her door, and entered the house, turning the lock shut behind her. Climbing the stairs, Jozlyn entered her bedroom and immediately collapsed into her bed. Jozlyn didn't stop at the bathroom, nor did she change her clothes. Snuggling down into her black sheets, Jozlyn let her lids fall and sleep claim her. ______________________ Kayla woke up slowly; she gave her body a full stretch, a nice long yawn, and popped one eye open, then the other. Feeling a warm hand slide across her stomach, and reach up to cup her breast., Kayla let out a low moan, and bit her swollen bottom lip. It took Kayla's mind a moment to realize what was happening, and what had happened the night before. Shit! She thought before she pursed her lips, realizing she had said it out loud. Her body began to stiffen, as she realized how much of an idiot she had been. "Don't." That one word; said in a low, tortured voice stopped her retreat, if only for a heartbeat. Kayla let her eyes slide closed another minute, reveling in all that was Matt. But Kayla was more pragmatic than that; she knew she had to get up, that was a must. Kayla also knew that Matt's parents had most likely heard them, that her aunt was near to having a heart attack from her not coming home yesterday. Yet, the knowledge that scared her the most was that she could, potentially be pregnant. Calm; she coached herself, be calm. Very slowly, as if Matt was a wild animal she didn't want to spook, she removed herself from his arms. Warm arms; Kayla thought silently. Warm loving arm, that had keep me safe. Kayla searched blindly in the dark for her clothes. Mainly because there were no windows in his basement, and she was not willing to turn on the lights. Dressing quickly and silently, Kayla was conscious of Matt's gaze trailing her even in the dark. Heavy silence reigned, and with each moment that passed, a deep sense of guilt and fear lodged in her throat. Kayla finished dressing and felt blindly for the doorknob to the outside. The knob felt heavy and cold in her sweaty palm. What to say? Kayla thought frantically, praying that Matt would break the silence, yet knowing he wouldn't give her that luxury. Her heart was faster than her mind, and she blurted out, rather loudly. " I'm in love with you too Matt!" Mortified, Kayla yanked the door open and escaped to the sunny outside world, running far away from the dark basement, that reeked of sex. Matt heard the door slam shut. Slowly he levered himself up and stared into the once again dark room. The brief burst of light and warmth were gone, along with Kayla. Matt's mind remained completely blank for a moment, his brain trying to understand what had just happened. He briefly recounted all that had happened in the last 48 or so hours, and how his relationship had taken a tailspin. Is she fucking kidding me? What is she PMSing? He thought a bit hysterically, following it up with laughter. Matt realized he probably shouldn't have been laughing. Maybe I should have chased after her; Matt thought running a hand over his shaved head. Maybe I should apologize? He grimaced internally. Bottom line was, she loved him, he loved her, and the sex- God the sex! Matt thought, shaking his head in disbelief. Matt rose slowly from the couch, feeling around in the dark for his clothes. Finding his pants, he tugged them on, and walked over to the door, with a satisfied, smug smile on his face. He grasped the handle and tugged in open, not really needing the light to know where everything was, now that his mind wasn't on Kayla's soft curves. Matt came to realize Kayla might be a little insane, a bit nosy, and afraid of the slightest confrontation, but she was his. Point blank. Matt's smile turned feral as he walked up the stairs, past his family eating breakfast in the dining room. His mother gasped, as she nearly spilled the juice she was pouring. His fathers hands shook as he held his newspaper. Matt walked past his siblings knowing smiles, and murmured remarks about the 'noises' they heard last night. Padding silently up the stared to the third floor, he entered the bathroom and removed his remaining pants. Matt climbed in the shower, turned on the shower head, and let the hot spray run over his body. He felt a little sad to be washing Kayla's scent off of him, but as he lifted his face to the pulsating water he was already thinking of ways to have her scent on him again. _________________ Part 2 Consequence: Something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition. The message came while Tabiti was in the nursery, playing with her son Nar. Tabiti had been teaching him how to tend the earth, when a sand storm sweep through her forest. The animals scattered, the trees danced hysterically, and her son because to cry big fat tears, as the sands whipped through the air with destructive power. Raising herself from the forest floor, Tabiti calmly slashed her hand through the air; effectively cutting off the destructive sand. A low chuckle wafted through the air; "Tabiti, the time has come; ready yourself." Deep and masculine, the voice rang out over the forest, making the animals hidden quake with fear and cry out in despair. Nyyrikki; the name whispered across Tabiti's mind sending molten heat coursing through her body. Nyyrikki was god of the hunt, and Tabiti knew him well; for 300 years ago, they had been lovers. But Tabiti had fled his palace in the middle of the night with her raven and her wolf, carrying with her a grave secret. Nyyrikki had chased after Tabiti, and almost succeeded in capturing her, when her wolf had stepped in. Nyyrikki had taken the animal and tortured it for a time before he had finally killed her wolf. Unable to save her guardian wolf, Tabiti had done the next best thing; before Nyyrikki could devour the soul she had sent her winds to retrieve it. Tabiti had then placed the wolf's soul in a place she knew Nyyrikki would never find it, in a human females body. The human woman's soul and the wolf's soul lived together, both starring the same body, and had developed a compromise. When night fell the wolf was allowed to roam, and by day the human had control. But in actuality the wolf could come out whenever if pleased and subdue the human soul, but the same could be said for the human. Tabiti had watched as the human and wolf had offspring and eventually died. The offspring the wolf and human had, were similar in that each one had a dual soul, that of a wolf and that of a human. Generations passed and they adopted the name werewolf. Tabiti continually watched over them, and with every new birth, she came in secret and gave the child a pendent made from her forest, to protect them. But as the years passed by, she knew that Nyyrikki would eventually discover them and want retribution once again. Both gods felt betrayed by the other, and both would do what they felt was right. But as Nyyrikki had taken her wolf, so had Tabiti taken something from him. For the secret she had carried as she had fled from Nyyrikki, was his unborn child growing in her womb. Tabiti had taken Nar, Nyyrikki's son. ______________________ Run! Run! Faster! Hmm, yeah! His wolf howled in delight. His human half was trying to keep some consciousness to look out for their mother. Demir had heard the call to come back, surprised it had come in the form of a howl and not a phone call. Demir sleekly navigated his way through the forest, a part of the night. His wolf was having so much fun, that Demir was caught off guard when a slightly smaller graying wolf charged him from out of the dense forest, hitting him cleanly in his side and throwing him a few yards away. Not one to be taken down easily, Demir gained his feet, facing off his foe with growls and bared teeth. Yet instead of a wolf, his mother stood in front of him, wrapped in a black rain coat, staring him down. Quickly her face contouring into a muzzle with large yawning jaws, she snapped a few warnings at him, before reverting back into a feminine mouth. Veronica turned her nose up at her son, disgusted with his current form. "I will not speak to you, unless you shift." She watched as the wolf let down his defenses, and sat back on his haunches, giving her a lopsided grin. Strange considering it was a wolf grinning. Why? The word whispered across Veronica's mind, startling her. Turning to glare at her son she said between clenched teeth, "Speak out loud"!, but the damn kid yipped Demir relaxed and laid down on the soft earth, ready for the inevitable tantrum that came with his mother visiting him while he was in his wolf form. "You snuck out again.", Veronica said, her voice breaking in the middle; which made him a bit more alert to her words. "You promised you would not run away again; yet you did Demir. I grow tired of having to protect you; having to explain how our son was able to get miles away in mere seconds without anyone knowing". Veronica ran a tired hand through her newly graying hair. Sitting down heavily on the ground, she pulled the jacket closer to her rapidly cooling body. Looking into the beautiful golden eyes that belonged to her son.Veronica she could narrowly get past his wolf appearance. "It is hard enough trying to protect your father from us, without you running around all the time. One of these days you will get caught, and I won't be there. It will be some poacher, and he will kill you, and skin you. Then what am I going to do? Do you even realize how much you even mean to me?" She searched his eyes pleadingly. "Your grandmother, my mother, told me that the bond between a wolf cub and it's parents far exceeds the bond between human parents. They always take care of their young. Always. The bond I have with you is the very same. We aren't human, as much as we would like to be." Veronica paused drawing in a shuddering breath and placing her fist against her chest." If anything was to happen to you, I would lose control. No one could stop me. I would have to be put down like a rabid dog!", she spat out. Demir rose, walking slowly over to his mother, still in his canine form, he wrapped his body around her, proving her the warmth she so desperately seeking. "I will not leave you mother; not in the way you imagine. I am sorry I worried you, but not sorry I left. I have found my mate, the one who will bear my cubs". He said telepathically using the formal language. Again, Veronica shivered and her son moved closer to her. Yet she was not cold; no, she was scared at the new change in her life. Her son had found a mate. Her son would leave. She would have to carry this burden by herself, all alone, always alone. Veronica new that Demir's father Ivory, was her mate; she also knew that she could never claim him as her mate. Ivory would turn into one of them, a beast, and she could not place that burden on his shoulders; Veronica loved him far too much, to risk any danger to him. "You have found your mate?" Veronica asked with a bubble of hysterical laughter at the end. Biting her bottom lip, she steeled herself for his confirmation. It was an infinitesimal change in the environment, but she felt it. As Demir shifted back into his human form. Turning their gazes locked, young golden eyes gazed into aging eyes so blue, they looked nearly violet. Veronica's gaze traveled the length of her son, coming to rest at the crest moon on his right ankle. So small, as to be insignificant; yet carried within a secret to kill for. "Yes.", Demir whisper softly , as the night hummed with excitement and change. Denying wasn't an option, and neither was running away. Veronica raised her gaze back to her son, tears filling her eyes. "You are leaving me." Demir clasped his mothers hands, bringing them to his mouth and kissing the ice from her fingertips. "I will never leave you, mother. Never. Jozlyn is my mate, and I need her, at times more than I need my next breath." Veronica nodded sagely, smiling to herself, "It is the same for me. Somedays I can not breathe unless Ivory gives me breath"., she nodded again, freeing her hands from Demir's grasp. Veronica softly cupped his cheek, "I know the feeling, but I beg you, give me some time; time to adjust, time to make preparations." "Preparations for what?" Demir asked, puzzled. Veronica smiled coyly, beginning to relax; "You're a werewolf son, not a priest. I doubt that you've kept your hands off her. I need to make wedding preparations; to avoid scandal of course." Only being hit over the head with a rock could compare to how Demir felt. "I haven't...", he paused, not willing to lie to his mother," kept my hands off her. Do you think she could be...?" Veronica laughed, gaining her feet. She brushed off the earth from her knees and looked around for the extra jacket she had hidden. " Wolves are virile creatures, and we are no different." Spotting the jacket beneath a bush, she turned and reached for it. Dusting it off, Veronica handed Demir the jacket, motioning that he should cover himself with it. "Just give me one month, before you..., you know again.", she said. Shrugging into the jacket, Demir cinched the waist then turned and answered his mother. "One week". "Three weeks", she retorted. "Two. Final offer". Demir said with a shrug. "Fine, two. Two weeks, and you cannot touch her". "Deal"., they said simultaneously, shaking hands. So alike, yet so different. Demir knew why his mother needed him to stay away from Jozlyn, yet she understood why he couldn't stay away long. Demir held out his hand gallantly, waiting for his mother. Veronica placed her hand in his, and Demir tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. Even though the two looked nothing like the queen and crown prince, the behaved as such, even in nothing but jackets. The walk back to Lunar Castle was long and silent. Each considering different paths, in the very near future. _____________________________ "Chocolate! Who loves chocolate? Jozlyn loves chocolate". Jozlyn sang to herself as she made a chocolate sundae. She twirled around the kitchen, snatching chocolate syrup from the refrigerator, and standing on her tip toes to reach the secret stash of mini marshmallows her dad hid in the cupboard. Jozlyn had woken up that morning around 6 am. She had looked at her clock, then pulled the covers up over he head, and had proceeded to go back to sleep, mentally declaring, not today! It wasn't because she had school, or because she was worried about seeing the prince again (which she was). It was just one of those days. Blair, Jozlyn's mother had come into her room and tried to get her up, but to no avail. Eventually both her mother and her father had simply said, have a good day sweetheart!, and went to work, leaving Jozlyn to her own devices. Jozlyn re-awoke up around 8 am, being a morning person she was usually up early anyway. But for some reason she hadn't felt the need to get out of bed; instead, Jozlyn had simply lazed about, staring at her outdated boy band posters, and reveling in the fact she didn't really have to do anything. When she finally got hungry, Jozlyn got out of bed, went to the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth, then headed down stairs to grab something to eat. Jozlyn went into to living room and plopped down on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on. She had decided she wanted something wholly bad for herself, and drizzled in chocolate, thus a sundae. The spoon was half way to her mouth, when frantic knocking sounded at the door, before it flew open. Still holding the spoon, with quickly melting ice cream on it, Jozlyn watch Kayla rush in the door shut and rush into the room. Lunar Dance Ch. 06 Since the front door opened to the living room, Kayla didn't have to go far before she was standing in front of Jozlyn. Jozlyn noticed two things right away, Kayla looked disheveled and she looked really frazzled. Very slowly, Jozlyn lowered her spoon back to her sundae, knowing she probably wouldn't be able to eat it before it turned to soup. Goodbye delicious chocolate, Jozlyn thought a little sadly, before tuning to give her friend get full attention. Jozlyn gave Kayla a once over, before saying "So who do you want me to kill"? Jozlyn was joking of course, but she saw Kayla tighten her jaw a little bit. "Me". Kayla said quietly, between clenched teeth. Jozlyn's eye brows flew up, as she stated at her friend. Relaxing back into the couch, Jozlyn crossed her arms, cocked her head and simply asked, "Why"? Think of a dam, breaking down, not slowly but quickly and in a rush, that was Kayla. Throwing her arms up, Kayla began to pace and shake her head. "Why?",she said loudly, not bothering to look at Jozlyn. Kayla laughed almost hysterically. "Because I'm a fucking idiot! No no, that's too nice. I'm a fucking asshole idiot girlfriend! Do you know what I did last night?" Kayla shot a glance in Jozlyn's direction, before plowing on in her tyrant. " I slept with Matt! And do you know why I slept with Matt?" Jozlyn knew the question was rhetorical and wisely kept her mouth shut. "Because I'm too fucking afraid to have an honest to God, serious conversation with my boyfriend. I'm too fucking chicken to say, Matt, I love you! Nope! Instead, I fucking throw myself at him. Yeah, because sex always solves a problem." Kayla yelled at no one in particular, continuing to pace and wave her hands as she ranted. "Fucking idiot! I wasn't even thinking! I mean what If his mom came down and saw us? Or his dad? Or god forbid, his sisters! I mean, didn't I learn from my mom? Fuck, there are so many diseases out there! What if Matt has like herpes? And protection? Ha! Fucking Sex-Ed classes can only help you to a point, ya know? Because who's really fucking thinking, where's that condom, in the middle of sex? No one! God I'm a fucking idiot! So fucking stupid! I mean fuck Joz, what if I'm pregnant"? Kayla screamed at her friend, near tears. Kayla had thankfully stopped pacing and now stood there looking adrift in the middle of the living room. She focused on every aspect of the room. From the low white ceilings to the small brown stain peaking out from under the chocolate brown sofa, on the beige and brown checkered rug. Kayla could remember the day she had spilled fruit punch of the carpet, causing the stain on the other wise blemish free rug. She had felt so guilty and had thought Jozlyn's parents would kick her out. She had just moved to Oscella with her aunt, and she had been striving to be the golden child in an attempt, not be forced back into the foster care system. Jozlyn's parents had been so blasé about the whole event, trying to come down Kayla's tears and apologies with words of encouragement and forgiveness. Kayla had more or less fallen in love with Jozlyn's family from that moment on, wanting to spend as much time with them as possible. Kayla finally raised her eyes to Jozlyn's and came back to the present. Jozlyn was in a state of paralyzing shock. Her eyes saw Kayla, but could only stare blankly. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Kayla Jozlyn rose from the couch, snagging a glance at the now ice cream soup. Jozlyn grabbed Kayla's arm and towed her out of the house," Let's go grab some ice cream." "Joz, your clothes?" Kayla said pulling on her friend, giving Jozlyn a once over. Jozlyn glanced down at her tank top and Scooby Doo pajama bottoms. Nodding she detoured, running up the stairs, yelling after herself, "One sec!" A few minutes later she came back down in a pair of faded blue jeans, a black tank top, and black flats, running down the stairs while simultaneously pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Jozlyn reached over her shoulder for the clothes she had hastily put there, throwing them to Kayla, who smirked and obediently went to the half bath next to the front door. Two minutes later the girls were out the door. Sitting at an outdoor table, just in front of the cold stone creamery, both Kayla and Jozlyn ate their frozen treat. It took Jozlyn less than a minute or so to finish her cone, while Kayla simply played with her spoon. "Ok. Let's start," Jozlyn announced turning to face Kayla, she began ticking off her fingers. "one: you're not an idiot. In fact, you're one of the smartest people I know. Two: you slept with Matt. That's a big deal, but not the end of the world. Three: you love Matt, he loves you. Any problems you guys are having, will work out. Four: he doesn't have any STDs'. Five: you could be pregnant. If you guys didn't use protection, that's a possibility, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Just like Jozlyn, to handle a situation in less than 5 minutes. Kayla thought, sitting frozen for a second letting everything sink in. Once it did she laughed, gave a full body laugh. Jozlyn eventually joined in, and afterwards both Jozlyn and Kayla decided how best to handle the situation, what was the mature thing to do, and what would be comfortable for Kayla. Yet, gnawing in the back of Jozlyn's mind was the faint lyrical voice of her conscious saying, I had sex too. I didn't use protection either. What if I'm pregnant? What if I'm having the princes' baby? Lunar Dance Ch. 07 Hello Readers! My goodness it's been a long time! But I hope it's been worth the wait! I found a great new editor! She's been a really great editor, so I have to give her snaps! :) Also, I plan to finish the series by either Christmas or New Years, so be expecting some more chapters! Hope you enjoy! Remember to comment and vote! -Sensanin *** Chapter 7 Time takes us for a merry ride With those who live and those who die Time is factored in every choice we make In all the plans we have, in every action we take Tabiti glided effortlessly through her forest, dodging trees, roots, and wild life with nary a thought. She had set Nar down for a nap shortly after the sands had come. Gods did not age like humans, and so Nar was still a child, still easily frightened. It had angered her the way Nyyrikki had sent his message, but he had made his point very clear. He wanted a war, and she was damn sure going to give him one! She came to a sudden halt at the base of a mountain, her mountain, and the only one in her entire forest. Raven effortlessly landed on her shoulder, peering intently at the impossibly large mountain. Tabiti smiled, absently stroking his feathers, "There is no need to worry Raven. I'm perfectly safe." Raven continued to stare at her, giving her an incredulous look. Strange coming from a bird, Tabiti thought. Sighing gently, she silently moved to the mouth of the mountain, then further, into the heart. Tabiti had built this cave when she had needed to escape Nyyrikki; it had provided the best protection, and something more. Tabiti was a goddess after all, and could create worlds as easily as she destroyed them. Nyyrikki had been a threat she hadwanted to avoid, but he had also been the inspiration for getting her wolf back. Raven shifted nervously on her shoulder, not comfortable with the situation they were in. Lightly petting the creature, Tabiti materialized a perch for him. He quickly flew to his perch, leaving Tabiti to once again marvel at her creation. Like all things gods create, the mountain wasn't as it seemed; the heart held something very precious, something easily over looked and innocuous. Shaped as a dome with crystals of every color and shade reflecting back at each other, the heart held a small pool, glowing softly, courtesy of the crystals surrounding it. The entire environment of the cave lured creatures in, enticed them to stay, take a dip in the pool. Only a fool or an enemy would dare touch it, the waters would instantly kill them, turning them into same crystal that decorated the walls. Tabiti had designed it to only let four beings in: herself, Nar, Raven, and her wolf. Correction: wolves. The pool was a portal to different places in time and space, and Tabiti had used it to create her army. Tabiti walked slowly around the pool, gazing into the mesmerizing waters, gathering her strength. When Tabiti had sent her winds to collect her wolf's soul, she had not simply taken the entire soul and placed it in a single human female's body; that would have been dangerous. The wolf was a celestial being and would easily over take the human and kill it, thereby losing its vessel. No matter what creature Tabiti would place the soul into, it would always die. Holding her arm out, she motioned for Raven to come to her. Hesitantly Raven flew, landing delicately on Tabiti's hand. "Are you confident in your decision?" Raven communicated telepathically. Tabiti laughed outright. "No," she spoke quietly in the room, "I am not." Nyyrikki had taken her wolf, had crushed her heart, and though she would not admit it, she still loved him. So she had vowed long ago, if she could not cut her heart out to save herself from pain, she would use her pain to fuel her anger and revenge. Tabiti walked across the water, moving towards the center. Below her was water so deep she could not see the end. Closing her eyes, Tabiti let gravity take over, water closing over both herself and Raven's head. Sinking in the water, she sank back to into her memories and let them take her. Tabiti had taken Wolf's soul and split it into fours. She had scattered them throughout time, into the bodies of those who would procreate and then become her warriors. Some of the soul fragments had lain dormant, while others had manifested themselves in small tricks, like heightened smell,or faster speed. But only in that single female human, did the wolf come out to full form, only with her. But the woman's descendants were not enough, she needed to gather her army, to train them, to wake up their wolves. Sifting through time and space was tricky, and pulling people out was dangerous; so instead she took from the present her warriors, and from descendants of Wolf she built her army. "Go now Raven, and awaken my wolves. Bring them to me. We prepare for war," she whispered into his mind. Suspended in the water, she saw every one of her warriors in the shifting waves. Raven turned, leaving her arm and dived deep into the pool, the darkness claiming him. Tabiti stared at the shifting imagines in the waters reflection, as one by one Raven collected her warriors, leaving only the Royal Family of Oscella. The family could shift, they were more prepared, they had been trained, and they would lead her army. Focusing, Tabiti stretched her mind out to each of the people Raven collected, "My children...the time has come to awaken. Awaken and be free. The battle is beginning." ___________________________________ Two Weeks Later Jozlyn was not in the mood to deal with bullshit, and Prince Demir was full of it. "Let. Go. Of. Me," Jozlyn said icily, giving him her best death glare. "We need to talk," Demir said gruffly, retaining his hold on her. Half the class had already left for the day, but the people remaining had seen the prince walk up to her, and were now curious as to see what would happen. "I said, let go of me!" Jozlyn said louder, violently yanking her arm from his grasp, but he simply wouldn't budge. "Keep your voice down," Demir reprimanded her, frowning at her stubbornness. Oh it's on, Jozlyn thought, mentally gathering her riotous anger. "You pig headed, spoilt, little rich boy asshole!" Jozlyn spat at him. Tossing her braid over her shoulder, she staring down her nose at Demir, and began her tirade. "So even though I've been asking you to talk, -all of two freaking weeks!- and you've ignored me; Now you want to talk?!" She laughed; once again trying to yank her arm from his grasp. He didn't relent, which just made Jozlyn even more pissed. "Fuck you! I have nothing to say to you. So you can take whatever you want to say, and shove it into the deepest part of your- Hey!" Jozlyn yelled, going toe-to-toe with Demir. Demir had heard enough; he grabbed her and forcibly removed her from the room, much to the displeasure of the snickering few that remained. Demir was sure Jozlyn's little outburst would be on every media network known to man, in less than a few minutes. Demir continued to haul Jozlyn from the classroom and ultimately the school much to her bitching, moaning, and general criticism of him. Not to mention the threats. "You asshole! When I get a hold of you, I'm gonna cut off your-" Demir slammed the car door shut. Leaning against the door, Demir took a moment to control himself. If he was being truthful, he had nearly taken her right there in the classroom, in front of god and everyone. She had been so close, felt so good, and his wolf had risen; the wolf's golden eyes coming to the surface. It had been a battle restraining him, and truthfully he never liked to fight with his wolf, especially over their mate. Demir gathered himself and walked around the car to the others side, cringing as he heard Jozlyn banging on the window. Marshalls stood next to the driver's side door, with his face an implacable mask, except for his pursed lips. Is he laughing? Demir shook his head, opening the door and moving quickly to climb into the car. Demir gave a low groan, "Just drive." The seat shifted as the prince got into the car. I really should just call him Demir, Jozlyn thought to herself, staring daggers at Demir as he shut the door. It wasn't that Jozlyn was afraid of the situation she was in; she was more upset that she had been placed in the situation to begin with! "You dragged me here to talk- so talk," Jozlyn said acidly, turning to stare out of the window, with arms crossed. "Well I have some news for you," Demir started, as Marshalls began driving. "Would you like the shocking news or the exciting news first?" That peaked Jozlyn's interest, but she didn't let him known that; she just shrugged. "Ok. Shocking news it is; I'm getting married," Demir said slowly, gauging her reaction. Jozlyn spared Demir a quick glance, before rolling her eyes. Throwing up her hand, Jozlyn replied with a sarcastic, "Mozaltof." Once again she turned from the prince focusing on the passing scenery outside the car window. Absently, Jozlyn wondered where they were going. "Thanks," Demir said slowly. "The exciting news is, I'm getting married to you." Jozlyn froze, not quite believing her ears. Wait, wait, wait; back track! "What?" She croaked, whipping her body around to face him. Demir mentally smiled, Now I've got her attention. "We're getting married," he said simply, matter-of-factly. Jozlyn outright laughed, not bothering to hide her disbelief at the situation. She leaned forward, knocking on the glass that separated Marshalls and them "You can let me out now." "You're not going anywhere," Demir said, his voice low, restrained. "I'm not your fucking prisoner," Jozlyn snapped, turning to look at him, her eyes turning a deeper shade of emerald with her irritation. "Language," Demir growled, staring back at her, his smile was feral, his irises sparkling with flecks of gold. "No," he said reaching for her, "You're my woman." Jozlyn felt his hands tug her to him, wrap in her hair and pull. Demir's mouth roughly claimed Jozlyn's lips, forcing her jaws wide so he could slide his tongue in and plunder at his will. Emotions suppressed for weeks erupted for them both, sizzling and sparking the air like an electric current. Jozlyn was angry, and she forced her anger into the kiss, tugging and biting at his bottom lip. She took over, plundering his mouth, tugging on his hair, and moving to straddle his lap. Demir was stunned by Jozlyn's aggression. He knew from experience Jozlyn was no passive lover, but neither was she the aggressor. It seems the tables were turned. But not for long, Demir thought wickedly. Demir attacked Jozlyn's clothes, making sure she was too concerned with the kiss to realize he was ripping apart her clothes with his claws. He bent her over the seat, leaving her lips to nibble and bite his way to her breasts. Neither of them noticed when the car stopped, or when Marshalls got out and left them. They were too concerned with the need to fuck each other into oblivion. Jozlyn punched Demir in the arm, trying to get his attention. Demir paused, blowing hot breath across Jozlyn's hard, wet, nipple. Demir couldn't look up, he knew we was just this side of human, and only barley resembled a man. Jozlyn hit him again, "I want on top" she said aggressively. Pushing Demir off, she made sure he was sitting before climbing on to his lap. Her panties were gone, and so was her skirt; Jozlyn barley noticed, all she cared about was making sure he understood her position on the marriage front. Soft as the purest silk, Jozlyn's thighs caressed Dermir, as she sank down on his length, watching him disappear inch by inch inside of her. "There's no way I'm marrying you. I'll fuck you, but I'll fuck your brains out". Jozlyn said breathlessly, beginning to ride him. A low growl was Demir's reply. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in valley between her breasts, stilling her moments. Demir licked across her nipple, knowing the texture of his tongue had changed, become rougher, but not caring if she noticed. "You will marry me," he said remaining perfectly still, not allowing her to move on him. Jozlyn tried to work her hips frantically, but to no avail. "No," she said, turning her head and biting hard at his shoulder. Impossibly he grew bigger inside her, and she made a sound of desperation trying to get as close to him as possible, while simultaneously trying to get as far away. "Your cunt says otherwise". The words were guttural, spoken around canines too big for a human mouth. I can't believe he just said that, Jozlyn thought, her mind a whirl of delicious chaos. "You're such a bastard," Jozlyn ground out, frantically working her hips. Demir remained silent, he knew she could only come if he let her. Jozlyn scratched at his back, yanked his hair, and bit him till he bled. "Fuck me!" She growled past the point of making wise decisions. "Marry me, he intoned, licking around her nipple, teasing her. Give in, her body cried out. Rational mind slipping away, she felt chains lock around her, securing her to Demir. Jozlyn knew she couldn't escape, she had known that the minute he had emerged from the forest, wearing that thin veneer of civility he was so fond of. Jozlyn had strayed from the lights, from the safe little world she had always known. Demir had been mystery and danger, spice and sex, a heady combination. The chains around her felt like the finest silk, yet there were still chains. "Fine," Jozlyn whispered defeated. "Fine what?" Demir growled, his claws flexing rhythmically against her hips. "I-I'll marry you. Please..., just fuck me." Jozlyn whispered brokenly. Demir's smile was feral against her chest. "Mozaltof," he murmured before taking a deep breath, and thrusting hard. Jozlyn's hands hit the ceiling, and she screamed, coming. "I'm not done with you yet," Demir growled, his voice sounding less and less human. He flipped her over onto her knees on the leather seat, thrusting hard into her spasming depths. Jozlyn twisted, scratching at the leather, whimpering. Demir clamped his jaws around her pale neck, holding her still for his invasion. So good, his wolf purred. Truly, he couldn't even claim to be human at the moment; he was in his hybrid form as he fucked her. They thrust hard into Jozlyn, rearing back they howled. Jozlyn came around their cock once again. Bright red blood marred the delicate column of her neck, trickling down to her shoulder. Beautiful, Demir thought licking at the bloody wound. Mine, the wolf thought biting down hard on Jozlyn's shoulder and breaking the skin. Still hard, they thrust back into their mate, harder, faster, forcing her to take them. Blood, sweat, and sex mingled in the air, as both wolf and man claimed their mate. _______________________ Other Side of Town "Fifteen more minutes, then I'll call the police," Kayla whispered to no one in particular. At the moment she was pacing around Matt's living room trying not to completely loss her marbles. Kayla hadn't spoken to Matt for two weeks. Two very long, tear-filled weeks, but Kayla had preserved, and she hated herself for doing that. She had been worried sick about him, but she had kept herself from seeking him out. The minute they had started their relationship, Kayla had already planned an end date. Matt might be prince charming, the man of every girl's dreams, but she was too damaged, too messed up to be his princess. In an attempt to save him, Kayla had distanced herself from him. It was only today that she broke down, today when a classmate came up to her and asked if she and Matt were broken up, that she completely lost it. Kayla could lie to herself all she wanted, and frankly she was good at it. But this lie just wouldn't stay buried. And so she had told the girl to fuck off, then right after school, she had run to Matt's house. Two hours into her stay and she was freaked out. No one was home, the house looked frozen, like whatever anyone had been doing, they just stopped doing and popped out of existence. Cereal had been on the table half eaten and moldy, the TV had been on, and two cell phones sat next to a computer. Kayla felt like she had stepped into the twilight zone, and she wanted out! Kayla had consoled herself by doing the dishes, turning the TV channel, and folding the laundry she had found in the dryer. Then in a moment of weakness, she had laid in Matt's bed and cried, then went down to the basement, and cried some more. Now she paced, fear and concern present in every step, while every scenario went through her head. Sudden Vacation?Kidnapped? Dead? Reaching for the remote, she flipped the Chanel to the news, trying to assure herself no mysterious bodies had washed up, and that nothing was wrong. "We've just received breaking news from students at Christopher Wilkins Private College. It seems that Prince Jacob Demir Manchester the third, has just kidnapped a young lady by the name of Jozlyn. We received this footage just moments ago of..." The anchor women kept speaking, as a clip of Jozlyn and Demir rolled across the screen. Kayla was stunned; a bit fuzzy but definitely recognizable, there was Jozlyn caught on camera cursing at Demir, then being dragged away and forced into a car. Kayla stood parlayed for a few seconds. Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ran like banners across her mind. Quick as lightning, she snapped out of her shock, her mind processed the events, and kicking into high gear. Kayla reached for her phone dialing Jozlyn's number; it went straight to voice mail. She tried again, and again, but every attempt failed. The news anchor kept speaking asking if anyone knew the girl's last name, or if anyone had seen where the car or where it had went. Kayla dialed Jozlyn's parents number, they picked up immediately. "Jozlyn?" she heard Richard, Jozlyn's father say over the line. "No, Kayla. You saw the news?" It was more of a statement than anything. With the phone nestled between her shoulder and ear, Kala began collecting her school bag and tugging on her socks and shoes. "Do you know where she is?"Richard asked flustered. Kayla heard a lot of noise in the background, things being shuffled, and a light female informing Jozlyn's father. "No, but I'm going to Lunar castle. It's where I would go if I was the prince," Kayla answered, tying off her shoe laces. "We're going there too. But you stay home, we can take care of it," Richard said. Kayla heard the tell tale jingle of car keys. "I'm coming too. I'll be at your house in 10 minutes. Wait for me OK?" Kayla said slinging her school bag over her shoulder. "Kayla that's not-" she pressed end, never hearing the rest. She rushed to the front door, and flung it open. "Kayla?" Matt whispered stunned, as the woman he loved stood in his door way looking like she had been hit by a ton of bricks. Kayla glanced up at Matt, her mouth falling open, before she quickly closed it. Where have you been? Raced across her mind, bringing tears to her eyes, which she vehemently hoped wouldn't fall. He looked like hell, she observed. Scratched up and flithy, with blood and dirt of his clothes. Matt looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. "Kayla? Is that you dear?" A female voice asked, from behind Matt. Kayla shifted to see his entire family behind him, all looking worse for wear. Clarisse, Matt's mother gave her a tentative smile and a small wave. "I-" Kayla began, but her throat constricted. What could she say? Sorry I broke into your house? Sorry I haven't called or texted in two weeks? Sorry... For everything? The timing was all wrong, everything about it was wrong. Kayla needed to find Jozlyn, she needed to make sure she was alright. In truth she needed to escape, regroup. Matt could wait, or at least she hoped he could. Lunar Dance Ch. 07 "I- I have to go. I'm sorry. I'll call you when I get back." Kayla pushed past Matt and his family, taking off at break neck speed to Jozlyn's house. Matt stared after her for a long moment, watching her race down the block and around the corner, his fists clenched and unclenched. Clarisse, put her hand on her son's shoulder, in a show if affection. "Matt we have to-" she began, but Matt ruthlessly cut her off, " I know." Walking into him home, Matt held the door open. His sister rushed passed him and upstairs, everyone scattering, getting ready. Kayla's scent was everywhere, she filled every corner of his house teasing him. Before he could think better of it, Matt turned and slammed his fist into the nearest wall, clear to the other side. The pain was excoriating, but he barely felt it, as the bones began to reshape and meld together, the skin knitting tightly over it. Matt watched the healing process thinking: Two weeks ago had been simple, his life had been simple, his desire had been simple, but now that had all changed. Now nothing was simple, every single second mattered, every single moment was precious. He had thought his desire for Kayla had been insane, now it was uncontrollable. ______________ Demir steeled himself before he walked into the formal reception room. His mother must have been really upset, to call him to this room. She met dignitaries and royals, in this room, which meant at this moment she thought of him as an outsider. Never a good sign. Pushing the doors open, Demir strolled into the room with much more ease than he felt. The queen, Veronica, sat on her throne, back straight staring daggers at him. Her face remained impassive but her eyes shone her extreme displeasure. "Prince Jacob," she began. Internally Demir winced; she never called him by his first name unless he was in a shit load of trouble. "Might I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Jozlyn's parents." Veronica's voice was clipped and sharp, her eyes narrowed. Demir's eye brow lifted in mock surprise, but inside he was churning. Jozlyn had passed out in the car, after their impromptu rut. Demir had used the time to calm himself, making sure he looked 100% human before he left the car. Thankfully his coat hadn't been ruined in their frenzied mating, so he had covered Jozlyn with it, pulled on his pants even though the zipper had been broken, and gotten out of the car. Surprisingly enough no staff had been present, as he made his way to his bedroom, it had seemed that everyone had disappeared. Demir had made it to his suites without eyes ever touching Jozlyn or himself. Making his way to his bedroom, he had tucked Jozlyn into the bed, watching her for a moment as she lay dead to the world. Penning her a quick note, Demir had changed into something more appropriate, then left his suites to seek his mother out. It had been Marshalls, who had stopped him and told him to go to the formal reception room. Anger, confusion, and worry warred for supremacy in the large rooms. Demir turned to Jozlyn's parents, sketching them a practiced bow, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. A shame we could not have met sooner and under less... strenuous circumstances." Demir said with an easy going smile. Movement behind the couple caught his attention, "Ah, Kayla was it? Nice to see you again." Demir tried hard to lessen the tension in the room, but it was near palpable. "Jacob dear," Veronica began in her most authoritative voice. "Would you bring out Jozlyn? I'm sure her parents would like to see her." Demir turned back to him mother, slowly striding over to her. It gave him the time he needed to think of an appropriate response. What could he say? I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, but Jozlyn is laying in my bed passed out from our impromptu fucking in the back seat of my car? That would go over swell. Reaching his mother, Demir bent down to kiss her cheek, smiling as he addressed her. Demir was about to begin when someone started before him. "I'm right here," Jozlyn said quietly. Everyone's head whipped around as Jozlyn stood framedin the doorway, wearing a light peach day dress. I bought that for her, Demir thought possessively. He had seen it in a store shop window just a few days before and had immediately bought it for her, hoping it would fit. His imagination couldn't do it justice, Jozlyn looked like a wet dream in it. His wet dream. Veronica stood, shoving past her son, as everyone but Demir, rushed to hug her, her parents checking her for any signed of trauma. Jozlyn glanced up at Demir, but he hadn't moved from his stance near his mother's throne. In fact he relaxed a bit, moving to sit in his own seat, content to watch her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Jozlyn's mother asked checking her. Jozlyn had artfully arranged her hair to cover the bite marks on her neck. The dress was high enough to cover any other bruises he might have left on her. "I'm fine mother. Really, I'm fine", Jozlyn said smiling at her family and best friend. As Veronica reached Jozlyn she sniffed the air, once, twice. Whipping her head around she screamed into Demir's mind, you marked her! Veronica's eyes glowed a luminescent purple as her wolf got closer to the surface. Instantly Demir had a headache, and his wolf was on edge. Veronica looked as though she might tear his throat out. I had no choice, Demir said it simply in her mind, letting her hear the sincerity in his voice. She is my mate. Veronica didn't care who she was, he had crossed a line. She was about to regale him with all the horrible things she was going to do for his punishment, when he held out his hand. Veronica stared at the limb, wondering what he was going to do. Jozlyn had been covertly watching Demir as she dealt with her family. When she had woken up and he wasn't there, a feeling of total desolation had settled over her, making it hard to think, hard to breathe. Jozlyn had found the dress in Demir's closet. Not even bothering to wonder at where it had come from, or why it had been there. Soon after she had dressed, she had set out to find him. It was by chance she had ended up in this room, as though she had been drawn to it. Jozlyn hadn't been given any instruction on what to do, and as she had wandered the halls, she had noticed there was no one she could have asked. So she had done the next best thing and followed her instincts. Now she was in this room, surrounded by people who she had lived with her whole life, people she loved more than anything, but all she wanted was to run to Demir's side and crawl into his soul. Strange, given that it was impossible, but she wanted to be with him, needed to be with him. Jozlyn watched Demir extend his hand, and suddenly she was flying across the room, as though her feet had sprouted wings. It was a seamless transition, as Jozlyn sat down on the arm of Demir's chair, letting him wrap his arm around her waist. Everyone stood, with jaws open and eyes wide. "Joz?" Kayla asked with shaking hands. One moment she had been standing with her family, and the next she was across the room with Demir. Kayla watched her friend, she seemed so untouchable, as though she was in her own world with Demir. Richard locked his jaw jerking his head to the door, "Jozlyn. Come on, we're leaving." Demir's wolf raised its head, hell would freeze over before anyone took his mate! Jozlyn placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him. Demir wasn't even sure if she knew she had done it. It was the wolf inside her, the one he had awoken with his bite, that was naturally tuning itself to him. To his mood, to the beat of his heart, to his every breath; Jozlyn and Demir were in sync. The tension in the room rose another level. From the darkest corner of the room, in the deepest shadows, Tabiti watched the occupants of the room. Jozlyn's parents, Kayla, and the queen stood on the other side of the room nearest to the door all facing Demir and Jozlyn who sat at the head of the room facing their audience with mixed emotions. Jozlyn couldn't describe what she was feeling, it was a kaleidoscope of every emotion just beneath the surface of her carefully placed smile. Yet even with the barrage of emotion she felt complete sitting at Demir's side, somehow he made her whole. Demir was a mix of wariness and possessiveness, as his wolf slowly awakened inside of him. The emotions he felt for Jozlyn paled in comparison to the simple human emotion of love. Theirs wasn't the emotion of love, but of an entirety of their souls intertwined in a dance preceding mankind. Across the room, Veronica was feeling betrayal and anger, at being defied by her son. Her wolf was so close to the surface, howling to be set free. Kayla was confused, she couldn't understand why any of this was happening. Blair, Jozlyn's mother, was much the same as Kayla, with the added concern for her daughter's safety. Richard, Jozlyn's father was feeling protective but cautious; he was trying to remain strong for his wife, but his daughter's strange mood and the strange situation they were being put in was taking its toll. It was Jozlyn who made the first move, despite her warring emotions. Rising slowly from the arm of Demir's chair, Jozlyn spread her arms wide, giving her most calming smile. She let her gaze touch every occupant in the room. "Mom, Dad, I should have called and told you where I was. I apologize for that, it was irresponsible. Kayla, I'm sorry I've been a bit distant lately; I haven't been a good friend to you. I hope you can forgive me. Your highness, I apologize for the rude interruption, and the problems I've caused you, it was not my intention. I have acted childish, and I sincerely apologize for that." It was said with an aura of authority, as though she was the queen, and not a simple young woman. It was said in the voice of a leader, an Alpha. Jozlyn's speech left her parents dumb founded, left Kayla smiling despite her tears, left the queen begrudgingly admiring her, and left Demir proud to be her mate. Jozlyn laughed softly and smiled, for once she was not clouded by emotions, or self importance; she acknowledged everyone in the room with a mature eye. Looking quickly at Demir, as if seeking his permission, Jozlyn rose from her perch and glided over to her family, as regal as the queen herself. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble your highness, why don't we all have tea?" Jozlyn asked, stopping in front of Veronica and smiling warmly. The wolf ever looming close to the Veronica's surface, was strangely quiet, not the quiet before the storm, but more of the quiet that comes with true content. For once Veronica wasn't fighting the wolf within herself. Veronica silently marveled at the young woman in front of her. Eyes the clearest shade of emerald, hair the deepest shade of red, heart of a lion, and words which ended a battle of fears and wills within moments. Veronica lit up, mirroring Jozlyn's smile, "Tea sounds lovely dear," Veronica said squeezing her hands. Turning away from Veronica, Jozlyn quickly grabbed Kayla in a fierce bear hug. "I'm sorry," Jozlyn whispered, clutching tightly at her best friend. Kayla hugged her friend back just as fiercely, understand everything. "I forgive you," Kayla whispered back. Two weeks Kayla hadn't spoken to Matt. Two weeks that Demir hadn't spoken to Jozlyn. Two weeks that both girls felt angry, sad, low. But two weeks was over. Two weeks ago the girls hadn't been there for each other. But two weeks was over, forgive and forget. Kayla pulled back from Jozlyn, smiling brightly, "Friends?" Kayla asked with a slight hitch in her voice. "Always," Jozlyn assured. Jozlyn moved onto her parents, nodding slightly, "Let's all sit down," she said moving in between her parents and linking arms. ________________________________________ Veronica lead the group to a different room, slightly off to the side of the formal reception room. It was much smaller, but what it lacked in size it made up for with natural light. The wall facing the castle gardens was lined with floor to ceiling windows, letting in a dazzling light. In the center of the room four chairs, two settees and a low dark oak table resided. The room reflected its natural counterpart, boosting warm browns, oranges, greens, and reds. From the plush Peruvian carpets, to the think dark forest green curtains, the room invited occupants to sit and relax and feel at home. Veronica took the settee closest to the door, Demir and Jozlyn in chairs sat opposite Blair and Richard, and Kayla took the settee closest to the windows. Veronica immediately went for a side table on her right which had an intercom on it."Ms. Smith," Veronica asked into the intercom, to the kitchen intercom. She waited but there was no response, from the kitchen cook. She tried again, "Ms.Smith?" Still nothing. Veronica decided to try the maid service. Still nothing. Quickly looking over to her son, she asked telepathically, "Have you seen anyone?" "Only Marshalls, and only for a minute," Demir responded, beginning to exchange light pleasantries to Jozlyn's parents so they wouldn't figure out anything was wrong. "I haven't seen anyone since I got into the reception room. I also haven't heard anyone. Not a footstep or a peep," Veronica said with an edge of worry to her mental tone. Her hearing was exceptional, she could hear a pin drop anywhere in the castle; she could here mice scurrying in the stables. Yet today, she hadn't heard one sound, not even the wind. While Kayla and Blair began a heated discussion about the legends of Lunar castle, Demir bent down close to Jozlyn's ear, "Have you seen anyone since you woke up? Heard anything?" Jozlyn pondered the question for a moment, wondering why Demir was whispering. "No, I mean not anybody besides Kayla and your mom and my parents. I kind of thought the castle would be more active, you know?" A disturbance in the air alerted Demir and Veronica. They immediately gathered their wolves to the fore front, but a bit too late. The room froze, mouths hung open, gestures remained half made, yet strangely Demir and Veronica remained unfrozen "What the hell's going-" but Demir never finished. Tabiti stepped out from the shadows dressed in a gauzy black floor length gown, moving effortlessly towards them. "A war is coming Prince Demir, Queen Veronica. I have come to give you an army and lead you into victory," Tabiti stated, coming to a halt with a hand on the back of Richard's chair as he remained frozen with his mouth hanging slightly open on a word. Veronica growled menacingly, taking a step towards the intruder. "Who-" but again Tabiti ruthlessly interjected. "I am goddess of the forest, friend to all creatures, and companion to ravens and wolves. You may call me Tabiti." She began moving slowly closer to them, as not to spook them or panic them. "Long ago I was lover to the God of the Hunt, but we parted ways and he kidnapped and killed my wolf. Of course the soul remained, and so I took the wolf's soul, split it into four parts, and divided them amongst four humans." She was only a few feet away when she saw Demir's hand morph into a paw, but she continued unperturbed. "Humans bred, as humans do. And now there are many of you, half human soul, half wolf soul, sharing the same body. But back on topic. The God of the Hunt does not like to be outsmarted. By taking the wolf's soul, I outsmarted him, and now he wants all of the wolves dead. Coincidentally, I want him dead. For that purpose, I built an army to crush him." Demir and Veronica had moved back slightly from the people on the couch, in case they needed room to shift. Surprisingly their wolves were calm, not sensing Tabiti as a threat but their human selves deemed her as a very big threat. "What have you-" Veronica began, and was again interrupted. "Your staff is frozen, in a place not too far from here. I wanted only you and Demir in the castle, of course plans change," Tabiti said, nodding to the small group of humans. "The staff are all perfectly fine, and will be returned to the castle anon. But you wonder, whether I really am a goddess?" Tabiti said smiling warmly at them. "I am really a goddess. Demir, you wear a necklace but you can't remember who it's from, correct? It's from me. Veronica, the ring on your finger is from me. All my wolves have a token of my favor. It protects them, ensures their safety. Even those who are turned," Tabiti spared Jozlyn a glance, her lips curving slightly at the ends, "are given a token of my favor." She explained, circling them slowly, coming to stop with her back to the floor to ceiling windows. Tabiti smiled gently, "So now we come, full circle." Tabiti smiled spreading her arms wide as if she was encompassing the room, her gown blending fully with the night, black on black. "Your royal highnesses," Tabiti began dramatically, pausing for effect, "I give to you... an army." Tabiti bent low, letting her knees almost touch the floor, as her sleeves dragged across the cool wood. Behind her, past the glass, into the night emerge row after row of wolves. All different shapes and sizes, slowly advancing towards the house. Tabiti flicked her wrist, and the patio doors opened letting the soothing night air caress over Veronica and Demir. Demir watched as the wolves stepped into the room, surrounding the frozen tableau of humans, and stopping just a couple of feet from them. Veronica had already shifted, not caring if she was seen, her ears were flat and her tail twitched with agitation. Too fast! Too fast! Demir's mind couldn't process everything, it was all too much! A goddess? Wolves? An army? What the fuck else could happen? Tabiti rose from her bow, absently stroking the wolves that flanked her on either side. "Demir," she whispered across the few feet that separated them, "You must lead my wolves. You must become their alpha." To Be Continued... If you have any questions feel free to ask! Thanks for reading and remember to comment and vote! *Also check out "The Beginning: A creation story" it's about how the gods became who they are. Lunar Dance Ch. 08 Hello Readers! I know, I know, I'm late! Blame it on the flu. I've been sick and in bed for more than two weeks! It's been pretty awful. In any case I will be submitting the finished Lunar Dance by the Chinese New years, which is technically still new years right? ;) I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU!!!!!!! to my editor. I can honestly say I suck at editing and without her, you all probably wouldn't enjoy the story as much as you do! :) Ok, enough suspense, here is chapter 8! Please remember to vote and comment! I take all your comments into consideration when I write. Thank you so much for all the support! Sensanin *** Ultimatum: a final, uncompromising demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute, the rejection of which may lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force. Since birth, difficult demands had been placed on Demir. His father had demanded he take up the throne after his brother had run off. His mother had demanded he go to private school, so he could better connect with his people. And before his brother Xavier had run off, he had demanded that Demir accept the wolf inside himself. People demanded, and he submitted. People demanded, and he submitted. Well... Not quite. Demir might have taken his absentee brothers place on the throne, learning all the necessary skills so he could one day take over. But with the condition that he take over when he decided. His brother had demanded he accept his wolf. Fine, he had. But if he accepted his wolf, he wanted to be trained and raised, like a wolf. He had needed to learn the necessary skills to hunt, hide, and kill. Demir had learned them all. Demir turned to his mother, but only seeing a wolf. "Change back! If she wanted us dead, we'd be dead. You're not helping the situation, just increasing the tension. Shift!" Demir growled at his mother. Turning to make sure she complied. He needed his mother's human side at the moment, her more diplomatic side than her blood thirsty. Veronica could not believe her son. She was livid. This woman came in and demanded things from her son, and he simply submitted, with nary a thought, not even much resistance. She wanted to lash out, kill something, and make her son move from his pathetic subservient kneel. Yet even in her hate hazed mind she still listened to her son, shiftin back into her human side. Well, mostly. Her wolf had already come out, which meant she was as close as she could possibly be to the front, without taking over her human side. Her claws flexed, ready to tear the annoying selfish goddess to shreds. Once his mother shifted back to her human side, the tension in Demir lessened by a degree. Turning his attention back to the goddess in front of him, Demir addressed her. "You want me to become alpha to your pack?" Demir asked. Looking the goddess up and down for any obvious signs of weakness. Tabiti smiled warmly, ever the gracious goddess. "I can not simply hand you the title, you will have to fight for it". She said simply; stroking the fur of a grey wolf flanking her left side. Demir had seen her pet him at least three times. Obviously she liked him, and had a connection with him. "And if I refuse?" Denir asked slowly. Gauging her reaction. His wolf was close to the surface, his eyes having turned a molten gold, shimmering with other worldliness "You can't force him!" His mother said, coming to his aid. Not that he wanted it. Demir moved quickly positioning his mother slightly behind him. He couldn't shift, not yet. "Of course I can" Tabiti said looking from mother to son, then back again. Tabiti tried to understand the hostility human's so readily exhibited when faced with something new and different. Tabiti knew that the wolves inside Demir and Veronica knew her, but the human emotions were clouding the wolves judgement. Tabiti needed to hurry her plans along, staying too long in the human world caused problems. "I will give you an... ultimatum. You can fight a wolf of my choice, and if you win you will lead the pack to victory. Or I can kill Jozlyn and be done with all of you" Tabiti said moving to step in front of Demir despite the warning growls from her wolves. Demir's lips twisted, he could almost find the entire situation funny. Life had been moving a mile a minute since he had seen Jozlyn. Since his wolf had claimed her. Since his brother had left. Life just couldn't be simple, easy. Demir laughed a little a thought struck. I'm a fucking werewolf! When was life every simple! "I'll fight, but only on one condition. Jozlyn stays out of this. You don't look at her, you don't talk about her, you don't even think about her". Demir enunciated each word moving to stand toe to toe with Tabiti. Tabiti laughed, her voice a light breeze caressing his ears. "She is already involved. Far deeper than I think even you know" Tabiti said cryptically, tracing his cheek with one long perfectly manicured fingernail. Demir's jaw clenched, and his eyes shifted to a golden hue. Tabiti smiled, and laughed lightly, before taking a few steps back from him. "You never really gave me a choice," Demir said very slowly, his voice tired and defeated, "from the moment you revealed yourself my fate was sealed". Tabiti smiled, liking Demir even more. He wasn't stupid or childish. He would make a fine leader. "I will not waste my breath anymore. I will do whatever you want me to. If you promise that if the worst comes, you will get my family to a safe haven." Demir paused, before slowly lowering down to one knee in a show of submission. "I ask it as a request". Tabiti was on a time crunch. Gods would start to notice if time stood still, even for a short amount of time. And in fact time wasn't really standing still, it was simply moving so slow as to be standing still. But if other gods began to notice, Nyyrikki would notice, and she couldn't have him attacking too soon. She needed her army, she needed her wild card. Despite how insane Demir thought Tabiti was, Tabiti simply saw in a way humans could not understand. Time meant nothing to her, the actions which took place within made the difference, they are what had the impact. Tabiti could not have Demir fearing or loathing her; that simply wouldn't work. "Demir, I swear on my powers as a goddess I will protect them." Tabiti said quietly in Demir's mind, only allowing him to hear. She couldn't show compassion or weakness in front of her wolves. "Rise prince," Tabiti began, as one of the largest wolves separated from the group coming closer to Demir. "Before you can lead my pack, you must take my pack. Fight my leader, and you should hope you win... because if you don't, he will kill you." * *As I said it's really small for literotica, but it's much longer on google docks. In any case remember to vote and comment! Lunar Dance Ch. 09 Hello Readers! I'm not going to say much here. I will be finished with the story by the Chinese New Years, at the latest. Big shot out to my rockin' editor! Your so great! Thanks for reading everyone! Remember to vote and comment. Sensanin *** When all the blood is shedAnd all the weapons are cast asideThe victor steps forthFeeling anything but pride "Everything is back to normal in the human world. Everyone thinks you just went to the bathroom. Hopefully this won't take long," Tabiti said, casting her voice into the arena. She had chosen the perfect stage. This is how she would meet Nyyrikki and his army, she knew this with certainty. Gods had a flare for the dramatic; a wide battle field in the middle of a forest, with plush grass, green with life. It was the perfect venue; no other god could have chosen better, the pure beauty of it. On one side was a large blue-grey wolf, ready to strike. Ears flat against his skull, tail twitching agitatedly. On the other side was a human prince, standing relaxed but alert. Much to Tabiti's amusement, the human was not staring at the dangerous wolf he was faced with, but at her. The look he wore was almost silent amusement, with a dash of condemnation. Silly little human, Tabiti thought waving her hand for the battle to begin. She watched the black wolf attack, swiping at the human prince. Demir easily dodged it. Shifting back and to the side with lethal grace. Demir shifted his full attention to the fight. It took Demir longer than she thought it would have to shift. He sustained at least 3 scars, and one bite before he finally shifted. It was very impressive, because as many scars as Demir got, her grey wolf got twice as many, and while Demir was still in his human form. Tabiti watched with rapt attention as Demir easily shifted, and parried with her wolf. Tabiti wondered when her grey wolf would use his wild card, yet even as she mused this, he used it. Tabiti smiled as she watched the blue-grey wolf jump back a few dozen feet and shift to his human form. He lay on the ground, looking far worse than he actually was, waiting for Demir to charge him. Demir raced towards the human laying pathetically on the field, but stopped dead in his tracks, his body contorting in an unnatural way as he tried to shift back into his human form. "Matt!" Demir growled through a mouth too large for his human face. But his momentary lapse in control allowed Matt the small entrance he needed to attack. Matt shifted launching himself into the air, and swiping at Demir's side, cutting him deep. Demir howled long and tortured, but caught Matt around the neck and forcing him to the ground. It had never really been a competition. Demir was the bigger, stronger wolf, who had trained longer and developed a stronger connection with his other side. He had simply wanted to play with Tabiti's wolf and see what her "best" was. It hadn't really impressed him, but the fact that she had tricked him with his mate's best friend's boyfriend had been a shock. More so because that meant Tabiti had always been close to Jozlyn, able to get to her whenever and however she chose. That in and of itself angered Demri to no end. Tabiti's mocking words about Jozlyn already being involved coming back to haunt him. "Woman!" Demir boomed up at her from the arena she had placed him in. Matt who had already shifted back to his human form once he realized his air supply was cut off, was scratching Demir's arm and trying to throw him off to no avail. "Come down here, or I kill your wolf," Demir said it low, his temper barely restrained and his human reasoning nowhere in sight. Tabiti realized that Demir would probably kill Matt. But Matt was a key piece on her chess board and she couldn't have him out of the game. She was down in a second, standing a few feet from Demir and Matt. Tabiti smiled warmly at the site before her. Though the actual fight hadn't lasted more than ten minutes, it had showed her all she needed to know. Demir far surpassed all of the wolves she had trained so far. If she was to be truly honest, he was almost as strong as the wolf Nyyrikki had killed. It had been wonderful watching Demir parry with Matt, the sheer effortless strength he wielded, and the way he sized up his opponent for weakness, while taking punishment to evaluate the skill and the force they used, was pure brilliance. "Let him go," Tabiti said casually, as if they were discussing the stock market and not a man's life. Demir smiled at her, but she realized that it wasn't really him. It was the wolf. Ah, Tabiti though, taking a mental step back, I've crossed a line. Demir wasn't in his body at the moment, he had given it over to the wolf. Tabiti knew at that moment he didn't care about Matt, he just wanted to taste her blood on his teeth, and she couldn't have been more proud. Here he was, covered in sweat and blood, phasing between human and wolf, but not really staying on either one. His chest had three deep furrows in it with blood pouring out and onto the ground beneath him, creating a pool of blood and mud, while Matt scratched furtively at his arm, until he scratched it bloody and raw trying to break free. Despite his massive injuries, Demir-if that is what you could call him, because at that point he was too far gone- was smiling at her, panting like a bitch in heat after a furious fuck. He wanted her blood. He wanted her dead. He stared at her with the calm, clear eyes of a predator. "Henry Demir Jacobs Manchester," Tabiti said loudly, enunciating each word. She said with the deadly calm of a sociopath, "Let him go." There was no emotion behind it, no vehemence or hate. Just a clear order, that if not obeyed would mean swift retribution. Demir returned to himself in stages. Matt had stopped scratching and was on his last few breaths of oxygen as Demir slowly meticulously uncurled each finger from around Matt's neck. With robotic motions he moved from his crouch over Matt, taking to his full height, and shifting into his human form. Demir stood about a hundred paces from Tabiti, trying to get himself under control. From high above the battlefield, on the platform Tabiti had occupied only moments before, dozens of werewolves cramped to see the spectacle. All in different forms, some were human others wolf, and some brave souls were trying to hold their hybrid form. But one thing each wolf had in common was the feelings of fear and reverence coursing through them at seeing their new alpha. And Demir was that. His wolf was massively huge, he could shift any part of his body easily, and could effortlessly hold his hybrid form. Demir was corded muscle and sinew, bruised, bloodied, and standing tall without a care for his nudity. This is the man they would call Alpha, and they were all in awe of that fact. Tabiti had Raven come and take Matt away to be taken care of, his injuries healed. She would need him very soon, but until then she had to deal with the new Alpha. She approached him slowly, ever watchful like Demir, Tabiti didn't quite trust the person standing opposite her. When she was fifteen feet away from Demir, Tabiti smiled gently trying her best to put on human airs. "Would you like some clothes?" she asked quietly, barely registering the deep gashes which had a steady stream of blood flowing from them. Demir blinked his predatory eyes very slowly, before raising a blood stained hand and pushing back his hair. His body gave almost no sign of the extreme pain he must have been feeling, except for the briefest flicker of his eyes. "That would be nice. Yes," Demri said politely through gritted teeth, trying to regain his humanity. Tabiti easily deposited clothes at his feet, with a simple wave of her hand. He hadn't had time to strip down before Matt had charged him, and his clothes had ripped off his body as he had changed. Demir reached for the clothes and dressed quietly, not really caring about his nudity. But never once did he take his eyes from Tabiti. "So," Demir began casually buttoning the last few buttons on his shirt, "have I passed your test? Am I the Alpha now?" Demir smiled at her as he finished, looking up and over at the wolves gathered around. Tabiti relaxed a little, realizing his human self was once more in control. Tabiti had thought Demir's mother was the more volatile of the pair, perhaps she was wrong. She glided a little closer to him, still a bit wary. "Yes," she began, "you are now the pack's Alpha. You are the leader." She was only ten feet from Demir when he dropped his polite mask of civility and attacked her. She might be a goddess, but the blood running through his veins was celestial too. His claws dug into her throat, as he brought her face just inches from his. "Listen very very carefully woman," Demir began despite the burning in his hand, from having touched a goddess's body, or the extreme pain he experienced from looking her dead in the eye. Demir's eyes glowed an eerie yellow, not quite like their natural golden color, his claws digging into her throat through the muscle, "if you ever pull some shit like that again, I will kill you in the most excruciatingly inventive way I can think of," Demir said, dragging out the words and speaking low so only she could hear. Slowly, with painstaking easy he removed his fingers, ignoring the third degree burns marking his skin. Demir looked at Tabiti through dispassionate eyes; she would always be a threat to him, and someone he could never trust. For her trickery, he would never forgive her. Tabiti ignored the burning in her throat, or the fear that laced her tongue. She had never tasted fear, and she didn't like it one bit. Tabiti took a careful step back from Demir, she had to be careful around this one, very careful. "I will send you back now," Tabiti began slowly, methodically, as if she was calming a wild animal, "In a very short time your wolves will come knocking on your door. You will need to find them jobs and train them. I will send Raven with you to help." Tabiti watched Demir's facial expressions, the subtle nuances that would tell her if he would obey or disobey. Seconds rolled into minutes as she watched. Blood, sweat, and dirt trickled down his brow, and still Tabiti watched his face, looking deep into his eyes. A deeper gold she'd never seen, a more controlled face she'd never watched. Only the slight curve of his upper lip broke that mask. "Will you send me back, or stare at me forever?" Demir asked sardonically. As much as Tabiti watched him, he watched her, and she didn't realize that she had a tell. So small as to be insignificant, so weak as to be ignored, the pulse at her wrist throbbed like a heart trying to escape its prison of muscle and sinew. Tabiti smiled, it was she same smile that she had given him when they had first met, it chilled him to the bone. One minute he was staring at that chilling smile and the next he was in his bedroom bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror. Bloody and bruised he stared back at himself in the mirror, only one thought taking precedence in his mind: that woman could never be trusted. ----------------------------------- Matt winced from the pain in his chest, the burning in his lungs. Death had stared him in the eyes, his alpha had stared at him in the eyes. Matt hoped he never had to face Demir again, at least not as his enemy. Raven went about the chamber Matt was in, lighting incense and fragrant candles. Matt took a deep breath in, the pressure on his lungs easing with each breath. He felt a breeze enter the chamber, and a cool hand press on his forehead, "You fought well Mathew. I could not have asked for a better wolf." Tabiti smiled down at Matt, lightly stroking over his hair. Matt moved to speak but she silenced him, "Shh," she whispered lightly placing her index finger over his lips. Do not try to talk, she whispered in his mind. Matt nodded, and closed his eyes, letting Raven's soothing herbs and light chanting wash over him. Matt still hadn't gotten used to Tabiti talking in his mind. It felt foreign and intrusive, but in his wolf form he needed that power. He still hadn't gotten used to differentiating the different howls, no matter how much practice Tabiti gave him. Telepathy was the best form of communication when they were wolves, or they did not want others to hear their conversations. As Matt relaxed fully in the chamber, he let his mind float away and dream of Kayla. Sweet, innocent, wild Kayla. Love of his life, light of his heart. His mate. Matt had accepted this fact. Two weeks had changed him, made him grow up and become something more than a man. He accepted Kayla was his mate. He accepted that he would have to change her, and have her accepted into the pack. He accepted all these things which was why he had been the one to fight Demir. Tabiti hadn't just chosen any one from the pack, she had chosen the strongest, fastest wolf. That wolf would be made to fight Demir, but he would also either become Alpha or a first Beta. Such a rank in the pack meant he would be respected, looked up to, his mate would be respected. He secured his position for Kayla, to ensure that when she came into the pack, she wasn't mated to an Omega. Any injuries he sustained would be well worth it to ensure Kayla's happiness. -------------------------------------- Jozlyn was confused. No no, more than that, she was freaked the fuck out! One minute they had been sitting wondering where the castle attendants were and the next she was walking with Kayla in the gardens. Her parents, the queen, and Demir had been nowhere in sight. Kayla was rambling about something, but Jozlyn was finding it hard to keep up with her mind in a whirl. Her thoughts felt fake, like she had been drugged and someone had told her something that wasn't true. She thought that the queen had gone to check things out, and Demir went too. But they had come back and told everyone that everything was alright. Then her parents had gone to freshen up for dinner, because the queen had asked them to stay for dinner and maybe stay the night. Demir had suggested that Jozlyn and Kayla check out the gardens, while he attended some business. But the memories were fuzzy, like she had watched a movie and she thought she had lived it, but never actually had. Jozlyn stopped Kayla, she wasn't even looking around at the sights, she was too focused on her memories to care about roses or tulips. "I-I think I need to sit," Jozlyn said, slowly moving to sit on the ground."Oh, OK," Kayla said as she moved to sit too, "Just be careful of your dress Joz, you don't want to ruin it." Jozlyn glanced down at her dress, the dress Demir had had in his closet. She made a mental note to ask him why he had women's clothes in his closet. But more pressing things were in her mind. She felt an impression, almost a memory, but she couldn't grasp it. It was an imprint of power, very old, tightly leashed. She had glimpsed that power when she had been in the sitting room with Demir and their families. Power all consuming and infinite, and distinctly... male. Before Jozlyn could grasp the thoughts, they slipped from her mind like a whisper, while a crippling pain seized her. Jozlyn cried out, clutching at her shoulder. The pain, Jozlyn thought. She tried ripping off her sleeve, trying to scratch out the pain. "Joz, what's going on? Are you ok?" she heard Kayla's worried voice as if from afar. Jozlyn's body seized,before contorting violently. Long seconds went by before her body began to loosen up, and tremors began to rack her form. Kayla was on her knees watching Jozlyn with a mixture of fear and fascination. Jozlyn looked like she was having an attack of some kind, and Kayla had no clue what to do. Kayla began to look around the garden for any guards or maids that might have been following them or were working. There was no one, and they had been walking for so long, that she had forgotten the way back. On all sides were beautiful blooming roses intertwined with Hyacinth's. The combination was striking, but flowers would help neither Jozlyn nor Kayla. Jozlyn's teeth chattered as she tried to get back Kayla's attention. "K-k-kayla," Jozlyn forced out, trying to clench her teeth. Her eyes looked to the sky above her, framed by the roses and Hyacinths. When had it become dark? Where was the moon in the sky? "I-I-I need y-you to g-get D-d-demir" Jozlyn forced out before her body was once again overtaken by tremors. Kayla quickly got to her feet. She couldn't leave Jozlyn here. Kayla would swear she was having a stroke. She might bite her tongue off and swallow it and choke to death. So then how? "Help!" Kayla said just above her normal volume, but not quite a yell. She tried again, her voice gaining strength and coming out with more urgency. "Help! Someone help!" She screamed, turning around and screaming it over and over again. "C-call D-d-demir," Jozlyn pleaded. At a loss, with no help in site, Kayla screamed at the top of her lungs. "DEMIR!!!!" Her voice cracked, and broke, leaving her coughing and holding back tears. Jozlyn's body was contorting strangely. Her back was arching, her hand and calves' were bending at a strange angle. Very carefully Kayla moved away from Jozlyn, until she hit a prickly thorn from a rose stem. She squeaked and turned to see a tiny pin of blood spring up on her arm. Just as quickly she turned back to Jozlyn, but Jozlyn wasn't alone. Bending over her was Demir, he was feeling Jozlyn's head and then her arms. Kayla watched as Demir, growled low in his chest, his back vibrating with the sound. Wordlessly he gathered Jozlyn's shaking body into his arms. Very slowly the prince turned to Kayla, and Kayla would swear his eyes were golden. But just as he blinked they were back to being hazel. A beautiful hazel, but no one would mistake hazel for gold. Demir inclined his head slightly to her, before carrying Jozlyn away. She didn't know where they went, they just went... away. Fuck me. Kayla thought falling to the ground. A poor choice given she was right next to roses. She was cut several times on her way to the ground but she scarcely felt a one. Life was too exciting for Kayla. A kidnapping and a seizure all in one day. Kayla's mind slowly shut down. Flip by flip, her brain shut off, and she slowly fell sideways on the soft grass. Her last thought, I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. __________________________________ Veronica looked at her son and his mate. They were in his bedroom locked in a tight embrace on the bed. Jozlyn was shifting. Veronica had never seen a human shift before, and she was terrified and excited by the prospect. Long long ago, when the first werewolves were discovering they were werewolves, they bit people left and right, trying to change people. The thought was to make an army of werewolves. They were of course faster, with keener senses, and stronger strength. They were almost unbeatable, there was only one problem, and that was a very large problem. Around half the people they turned never survived the transformation. Of those who survived, they either could not accept what they had become, or their mind could not grasp the impossibility; they often went crazy. Than others still overdosed on the power coursing through their veins and went on a killing rampage, and then had to be put down. Of the people the first werewolves tried to change, less than 10% actually survived and prospered, going on to lead productive lives and procreating. It was terrifying and wonderful all at once. So because of this, their ancestors had created a list of rules for their descendants to follow. One of those being not to change humans, or if you had to change a human either to save their life or because they were your mate, you had to be prepared for the consequences. There were several other key rules, which Veronica and Demir followed but Veronica followed this rule explicitly. That was why she had never bitten Ivory, even if he was her mate and she loved him beyond words, she would not even for a second put him in danger that could be avoided. Lunar Dance Ch. 09 Yet her son didn't seem to suffer from the same crippling fear and uncertainty she suffered from. He had bitten Jozlyn after knowing her for a little less than a month, and within that month he had not had any contact with her for two weeks. They were virtually strangers, except the mating pull. That deep knowledge that lead a wolf to their mate, that allowed them to procreate, and have children. The royal family had been blessed with the ability to somehow always find their mates, whether as a child, as her great-great-great grandfather had or as a young adult as she herself had. They always found their mates, yet not once could she remember of, in the last 150 years, had anyone bitten their mate. That cycle was now broken. Veronica walked slowly to a chair at the far corner of the room. Jozlyn's shaking had gotten considerably worse as the time passed, and her bones were starting to reshape, with fur sprouting in patches across her skin. Through it all, she watched her son whisper words of encouragement in her ear, and stroke her now matted hair. Turning away from the bed, and the sounds of a wolf being born, Veronica stared out at the night. Beyond Demir's balcony doors lay the ink black sky. There was no moon tonight, and her wolf shifted inside her slightly restless and ill at ease. But Veronica knew she had to be here with her son and his mate. Veronica turned back to the bed, the canopy hiding the couple in shadows and playing tricks of the light. Seconds faded into minutes, and minutes into hours, as shadows crawled across the walls. The first rays of dawn were breaking through, when the room became quiet, and still as death. Veronica straightened, preparing herself in case Jozlyn had died in the conversion. The bed sheets rustled, and a red-brown wolf emerged slowly and on shaking legs from the bed, followed closely by a large jet black wolf. Veronica didn't even realize she shifted as she slowly made her way over to the wolves. Veronica sniffed the air around the two, before walking up slowly to the black wolf and nudging him with her head in a show of affection. Veronica turned to the red-brown wolf, and smiled in her human heart as she nudged Jozlyn, and accepted her wolf. Veronica stepped back from the couple, shifting as she went. Her clothes hung in tatters around her and she reached towards the bed and grabbed a robe, conveniently left at the end. She tied the sash tightly before looking back at her son and his mate. Veronica nodded and gave a tentative smile, before leaving the room, as the first sounds of people waking touched her ears. No words had been spoken throughout the long night. But then words could not express the joy she felt, both for herself and for her son. Veronica walked quickly down the hallways to her own quarters, her wolf and human side both scenting a change in the castle, in themselves. *Remember to comment and vote Lunar Dance Ch. 10 Hello Readers! I want to give a special shot out to my editor who has been amazing and instrumental in getting these latest chapters edited, so I could let you fine people read them. She's absolutely awesome, and I just wanted to give a big shot out to her. Thanks a billion! Remember to comment and vote! Sensanin *** Communication: the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. Jozlyn wiped the fog off the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection. Her lips were fuller, her hair shinier, her skin more luminous, everything was tighter, as if she had worked out in the gym and toned herself. She looked fucking fantastic, truly beautiful. Even her unruly red hair wasn't that unruly. And it was all due to a little bite. Well now it looked little. And a bit faded. The bite which only hours before had been large, red and hot as fire was now just a shade darker than her skin and hardly even visible. Jozlyn was still taking everything in stride. After she had change Demir had explained everything to her. Everything. Her life would never be the same again, her body would never be the same again. She supposed she should be freaking out right about now, and she supposed somewhere in her mind she was having a complete melt down but some part of her brain, the part not reeling was in control and ensuring that she performed all the necessary human functions to seem normal and in control. Jozlyn toweled off quickly, barely looking around at the elegant bathroom, with its black marble and heated floors. All she had needed was a shower, and with that she was on to the next room. The bedroom was quite opulent, but understated, and masculine with an edge of power to it. The bed dominated the room. Being a large four poster bed covered in navy blue silk, with intricate wolves chasing animals around the bedposts, and sharing a family on the headboard, the bed was by far her favorite piece of furniture in the room. Demir was lounging back on the bed, a single sheet covering his nudity, watching her like prey. He had given her the same look once upon a time across a stream. It chilled and heated her body all at once. Jozlyn moved silently to the wardrobe, her body adjusting and allowing her to move with more grace and ease, more stealth. Flinging open the wardrobe doors, Jozlyn was again shocked that half of the closet seemed to be filled with women's clothes. Shirts, pants, skirts, and shoes littered the wardrobe, seeming to give the impression that a woman lived here. "Whose clothes are these?" Jozlyn asked silently, thoughtfully. She heard the rustle of silk before she felt Demir's arms slide around her from behind, modeling to the contours of her body. "Yours," he growled playfully against her neck, his tongue tracing a pattern over the bite marks he had given her. "Oh," she said lightly, as heat lanced through her body. The mating pull. Demir had said something about it to her, but at the time she had been too bombarded with information. After a wolf mated, the wolf and his mate would feel the mating pull. A need to come together as often as possible in order to make a baby. That was the whole point. They were being driven into each other by a genetic makeup as old as the first animals, the simple need to procreate. Jozlyn allowed her mind to analyze rather than actually think about what was happening to her. Demir sensed her withdrawal, her analytical mind taking over, and he didn't like it one bit. "You will have to come out of your damn shell and deal with this you know," Denir said, spinning Jozlyn around to face him. Early in the morning he had told her everything, laid his heart bare for her to see. He should have known it had been too easy for her to accept everything. Well of course she had freaked out at first, the hysterics rising to the surface, but after about an hour she had been strangely quiet, which had scared him more than anything. Demir's plate was cracking under the weight of everything he was piling into it. He couldn't pile his mate on too. That would be his breaking point, he set his emotions aside, and left her standing by the wardrobe as he went to take a shower. Jozlyn stared after Demir, even as the bathroom door shut and the water started running. The new wolf inside her smelled something on the air. Her human nose sniffed openly, but couldn't smell a damn thing. Jozlyn chose a dress carelessly, slipping the fabric over her head, and securing the ties around her waist. All the while she hoped and prayed there would be no more surprises, because in all honesty... she didn't know if she could handle it! ___________________________ Nyyrikki strode through his corridors, the gold giving way to a vibrant green which became darker with each step, until it faded into black and he reached his War room. Pushing the heavy wooden double doors open, he strode into the corridor past his emissaries, before collapsing back into a chaise at the far end of the room. Nyyrikki nodded towards his emissaries, motioning them to come forward. A short man, with a long white beard and flowing purple robes stepped forward first. He gave the god a shaky nod of his head, casting his aging eyes down to the floor. "Great and all powerful, seer of-" Nyyrikki cut of the formal accolades sprouting from his oldest emissaries mouth. "Yes yes I know. Now get on with it!" The man bent lower, beginning a new, "She has made the first move. The wolf never died, but was broken into four pieces and placed into four different humans. Of those four, only one had the wolf come out fully. Now she has gathered all the descendants and woken up the wolves, she now trains her army." Nyyrikki gripped the arm rest until he heard it crack, and snap beneath his fingers. THAT BITCH! Nyyrikki's mind screamed, as he rose from the broken seat and took carefully measured steps towards his emissary. Nyyrikki bent low, coming eye level with the man, who had the decency to flinch away. "I killed her fucking wolf," Nyyrikki whispered close to the man's ear. The man held his tongue, keeping his head carefully lowered in submission. Nyyrikki turned from the man and announced loudly, "If I killed her fucking wolf then how can she have an army of wolves?" No one answered. The room hung in a deadly spell of silence and fear. "Answer me!" he screamed at the four emissaries before him. "You killed the body," a light voice whispered across the room. Nyyrikki turned towards his fourth emissary, his youngest emissary. Nyyrikki stepped close to her, the only female emissary he had. There was a reason for that. Women were weak creatures, ruled by their emotions. They could not kill with the swift and ease of men. But Myran was different, she was a cold blooded killer through and through. "Had you killed the soul, Tabiti would not have been able to take it and place it into humans." His hand moved without recourse and struck her squarely over the face. She did not flinch from the assault, but quietly stood there. "Never say that name to me," Nyyrikki spit out, turning from them all and moving to exit the room. There was no need to stay any longer, nothing pressing that kept him with them. "Build me an army. I want them trained and ready to kill in three human months. When the blood moon rises, our army will attack. See that they are ready." With that he left, leaving his most trusted emissaries to build him an army capable of defeating Tabiti and her wolves. ________________________________ WHO THE FUCK IS SINGING?! Kayla wondered agitatedly. For some reason her eyes wouldn't open and her body wouldn't move. Panic started to set in in degrees, and the singing wasn't helping any. And then it stopped, and hushed whispers began. Kayla thought the singing was bad, but this was worse. She caught snippets of the conversation. Something about wolves and alpha and mates. Who were these people? Sci-fi freaks? Or paranormal romance novel jockeys? It was then Kayla smelled it. It was so faint, she had probably been smelling it the whole time she was here. Wherever here was. It smelled like herbs, sweet and fragrant. Her panic began to increase, as she reached further and further for her consciousness. Surprisingly she was warm, very warm. But only on one side. She was curled around something very warm, and whatever it was smelled good, very good. Sniffing, she tried to remember the scent. Kayla knew she had smelled it before, it smelled like... Matt! Oh my god! Kayla thought hysterically, I'm curled around Matt and some crazy nuts are singing some weird ass song and burning incense. What is this some kind of twisted ritual bull shit?! Even as Kayla tried to understand her predicament, she knew instinctively Matt was not her captor, he wasn't even awake. His breathing was regular, as if he was in a deep sleep. The singing stopped again, but she couldn't really remember when it had started from when it stopped the last time. The whispers set in, more urgent than last time. Kayla wiggled her toes. Thank god! she thought. Ten minutes ago she hadn't been able to wiggle her toes but now she could! She was beginning to feel again. "She is awake," the words were said in a normal tone reaching her ears, and soaking into her. The voice was soothing , melodic, but for some reason it just set Kayla on edge. "I think it's time to wake him up too. They have much to discuss and we have much to prepare". Raven stop the chant and douse the fires. "I will go and gather the pack. It's time to take them home." A breeze passed in whatever place she was in, and left a cool imprint on her skin. The chanting stopped, and the incense weren't so powerful. Kayla took a deep breath in and moved. It felt so good to wiggle her fingers and toes, shake her hips and head. Matt groaned, and Kayla opened her eyes to find his staring at her, slightly hazed by pain. Kayla sat up slowly looking Matt over for the injury that was causing him such pain. Scratches marked his thighs, chest, and arms. Kayla ignored his nudity, and gasped at the large swollen markings on his neck. They looked incredibly painful. But even as she looked at the bruises and scratches they seemed to decrease in size and number, healing almost miraculously. Kayla opened her mouth to speak, but for once was at a complete loss for words. Matt looked at his mate. His own private goddess. I love her, ran across his mind in banners, and despite the enormous pain he was in he grabbed her and crushed her body to his. Warm, she was so warm. Matt held Kayla until she lightly pressed against his shoulders, and he slowly released his hold on her, but did not set her from him. Matt's instincts kicked in and he surveyed the room he was in. It was a cave, dark except for the candles scattered on the walls. It was lit in romantic tones, with lavender hung in bunches from the ceiling, and rugs scattered on the floor. It was at this time Matt realized both himself and Kayla were completely naked. Thank the goddess! "M-Matt," Kayla whispered breathlessly as he laid her back down and shifted so that he crouched over her. Kayla watched with fascination as his bruises cleared and his scars faded into nothingness. Delicately she reached and lightly traced the small marking in his throat which continued to fade with her finger tips. Only the slight change in his eyes alerted her to the pain he was still in, and Kayla quickly snatched her hand back. "Don't," Matt breathed over her skin, reaching for her hand again, and turning it so he could place a heated kiss in her palm. Twisting his hips, Matt positioned himself at Kayla's entrance, eliciting a small gasp from her throat. "Matt please..." Kayla pleaded not exactly knowing what she was asking. Did she want him to stop? or continue? Not that it mattered, because at that moment the need to be inside his woman, his mate, far exceeded what was right and wrong. Mat spread Kayla's thighs, opening her up like a midnight flower, and slowly inch by inch he encased himself in her warm, dripping, petals. Kayla arched her back, her legs coming to rest around Matt's hips, and gave herself up the illicit joy she felt in Matt's arms. Kayla felt every inch as he entered her, every slide of her muscles on his length, and every throbbing beat of pleasure that ferried between them. The two made love. Sweet and tender, infinitely more intimate than the two had ever been. Matt watch the emotions play over Kayla's face, as she moaned, gasped, and writhed with every thrust he made into her. Her nails beat a rhythm over his shoulders and back, as her lips sang the most beautiful tune he had ever heard. The two did not rush to the pinnacle, or fall head first over the edge. They walked hand and hand to the cliff, reaching out and lacing fingers as they soared over the precipice and into heaven. Sometime later they woke up. Kayla stretched lightly, feeling sore in tall the best places. Matt had grabbed a blanket sometime in the course of their stay in the cave and covered her up. Kayla lightly traced over Matt's chest, her hair a total mess, and her lips deliciously bruised. She turned to him, stretching out on top of him, with her arms folded over his chest, and her chin resting atop them. She leaned forward, lightly running her tongue over the sea of his lips. Matt made a move to grab her, kiss her, and pick up where they left off. But Kayla playfully evaded him before turning serious. "Matt, we really need to talk?" Flinging his arm over his eyes, he looked out the sight of her naked and willing on top of him. "I know," he said removing his arm and running a hand through her hair. "I know". *Remember to comment and vote! Lunar Dance Ch. 11 Hello readers! Keeping it brief. Big shout out to kjplotts, he amazing editor. Now this is going to be short, but following this chapter are the last few chapters, and eventually the end. Thanks for reading, remember to comment. Sensanin *** Strategies and secrets collide Trying to control the keys inside So we lie awake As they place our fragile hopes at stake months later in Lucar Castle "If you're going to raise a sword, you better be damn sure you're going to kill. Now try again!" Demir shot at the boy he was sparing with. In the last few weeks Demir had become harsher, his words more clipped and gruff. Jozlyn watch him spar with Rudalf, the youngest werewolf in the pack. He did not go easy on the boy, or spare him any pain. Jozlyn watched in rapt fascination as he attacked with precision and patience, while simultaneously instructing the boy on the correct ways to fight in battle. It had been a few weeks since she found out Demir was a werewolf, that he had turned her into a werewolf, and that all the things that go bump in the night existed. Even more shocking was that the people close to her were affected. Her friends, her family, all were not immune to the monster in their closets or under their beds; they were part of them. Demir was a wolf and his mother was a wolf. And more recently Jozlyn had found out Matt was a wolf, and Kayla had decided to become a wolf too. But before that happened they wanted to be married. That's how they ended up in their current situation: outside on the training ground, which had formerly been the gardens, watching the men prepare for battle while they prepared for weddings. Both Jozlyn and Kayla would be married, and not soon after each other. Whereas Jozlyn had to plan a big affair, and invite foreign dignitaries and kings, Kayla was more of the quiet moon lot wedding with close family and friends, and of course the pack. Yes, the pack. Both women had become close to the 150+ wolves currently posing as staff in the castle, whilst secretly training and readying themselves for war. A light breeze on the air, caressing her ears, alerted Jozlyn. She stood suddenly, and with regal practiced steps she walked into the fray of fists and swords. Every single man stopped as she entered the practice field, dropping their heads, and murmuring polite words of welcome. All except Demir, who continued to torture poor Rudalf who was staring to look a bit pale. Rudalf was the first to see her, and without much thought he dropped to his knee and lowered his head, mouthing a word of welcome. If not for that show of humility he might not have his head. Demir spun to face her, bringing his sword up to her neck. His eyes glowed fiercely in the weak rays of the setting sun. Golden, such a striking gold. Only this vibrant during training or during bed sport, Jozlyn absolutely loved the color. "What do you think you're doing? We're training!" Demir said between clenched teeth, letting her feel the heavy weight of steel against her neck. Having lived with Demir for nearly three months, sleeping in his bed, having meals together, and fucking like rabbits any chance they got, she had developed a system to combat his forceful, controlling tendencies. "Do not raise your sword at me, unless you would like to see your other sword cut off," Jozlyn whispered it in his mind, lowly, deadly. Having become accustomed to telepathy, Jozlyn and Demir almost always had their conversations mentally, never letting others on to their fights or their steamy thoughts. Demir had the grace to look chastised, as he quickly lowered his blade to his side. Jozlyn motioned for Rudalf to come and take the sword. "Rudalf, tell the others that training has concluded for the day," Jozlyn said in what others considered her "alpha" voice. Turning back to Demir she reached back to her hair and took out the tight braid she kept it in, letting the vibrant red curls fly free with wind. Snapping the elastic hair band around her wrist, Jozlyn reached up on her toes, running her fingers through Demir's hair before securing it back with the elastic band. Even face to face, she secured his pony tail with ease, brushing invisible dirt of his chest as she sank down to her true height. Siren, Demir whispered in her mind. Jozlyn simply smiled. "Tabiti wants us," she said out loud, making sure every werewolf heard. Everyone started putting their weapons away, moving into the castle to either eat or take showers. Demir grabbed Jozlyn's hand giving it a light squeeze before dragging her along behind him. "Then we shouldn't keep her waiting." ____________________________________ Kayla watched Jozlyn and Demir disappear inside the Lunar Castle. She couldn't stop calling it Lunar Castle, even in her mind, though she had called the imposing building home for the last few weeks, it was still foreign to her, remaining an imposing figure in which she never quite felt at home. "Come on," Matt announced coming close to her, and gathering her up in his arms. "I'm hungry." Kayla had the grace to blush as she swatted his arm playfully, watching his deep brown eyes, turn almost black with desire. They got that way after he trained, and before they made love. It seemed lately he couldn't get enough of her. But she really couldn't complain. The man does give me a few orgasms for each one he has, Kayla thought, grabbing a towel from the table she had just been sitting at and handing it to him. Matt quickly wiped his face before turning with alert ears to the door Joz and Demir had just gone through. Matt groaned like a child denied his favorite toy, and motioned to the door. "Tabiti is calling," he mumbled like a petulant child, while reaching behind Kayla and grabbing his shirt. Kayla laughed and shook her head as she followed in Jozlyn's footsteps. Since Demir came into the picture, life had become so interesting, so full of mystery and wonder. Kayla tossed a carefree laugh over her shoulder. So many things had happened in the last few weeks, in the last few days, being called in to talk with a goddess almost seemed normal. _____________________________ Tabiti called it the War Room. Both Raven and she designed plans and strategies in this room, perfecting on their armies strengths, and improving on their weaknesses. Once upon a time it had been another reception room. The queen had at least a dozen such rooms, but this one in particular had suited Tabiti's taste. Decorated in tones of warm grey and brown, the room boosted masculinity, and for the type of plans she was creating, cheery yellow walls just seemed perverse. In the last few weeks, her wolves, and in particular Demir, had stopped treating her like an outsider, a threat. Her wolves had never really liked her, they feared her, and she used that fear to her advantage. Unfortunately, fear didn't work on everyone, and Demir squashed her idea that she could simply tie a collar around his neck and call him her own wolf. He would never fully trust her, she had lost that right; he would never be hers. Since she started spending more and more time with the humans, she realized that her initial approach to everything might not have been the easiest one. She had learned a very useful phrase while spending time on the human plain, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Though why anyone would want to catch flies made no sense whatsoever. Still she made little gestures to improve her relationships with her wolves. She made them all special armor, gave them riches from her forests, and she even allowed them to meet Nar. It panicked her at first; Nar had never met another person besides herself and Raven. The thought that one of the wolves could see him as a threat and potentially attack her son had driven her nearly insane. But she had wanted to show them that she meant to help them, and for them to become comrades in arms. So she had showed them her one and only weakness, her son. Demir had actually been taken aback, as though the thought of her having a child was as unlikely as a pig flying. But the small gesture seemed to place the first brick she need to create the bridge between herself and Demir. It seemed that he trusted Tabiti a little more, because she had a weakness, because she wasn't invincible or untouchable. If he needed it, Demir had a way to attack her and cut out Tabiti's very heart and soul. She understood why Demir was happy that she had a son, it was assured mutual destruction. She went after Jozlyn, he went after Nar. The fact that her son was still a child did not factor into his thinking, it was instinctual the need for retaliation, tit for tat. "Why did you call us here?" Demir asked gruffly, breaking Tabiti out of her musings. Lately Tabiti had been really thinking about her decisions and not just acting of selfish need. She planned, then planned some more, then planned a back-up plan for her back-up plans. Somewhere along the course of nearly two months, she had created a bond with her wolves and their human sides. When she saw them, they smiled and engaged her in idle chit chat, they asked about Nar and about her health with genuine concern. Somewhere along the way she began to feel the same kinship she had with her wolf before Nyyrikki had killed him. A goddess needed both her celestial animals, they were all connected, and to kill one, essentially killed some crucial part of her, which until that moment she hadn't realized she lacked; Compassion. Tabiti was taking this war seriously. It wasn't just about vengeance anymore. Her initial response to Nyyrikki had been childish, their entire feud was childish, created because one person did not get what they wanted. Tabiti saw that now, but the past could not be fixed, Nyyrikki and Tabiti were past the point of discussion, he had made that clear when he had killed her wolf, and she had only solidified the rift by giving birth to his son and never telling him about it. Their feud was petty and small, but that didn't matter anymore, her own reasons paled in comparison. If she lost this war, then her wolves lost the war. They would all be killed, families would be torn apart, a monarchy would be destroyed. "Nyyrikki knows," Tabiti said the words quietly, locking eyes with every person in the room. It seemed time stood still in the room, the wind did not blow, the lights did not trace patterns across the walls, everything was silent and still. It was Jozlyn who broke the silence, who stood up straighter and tilted her chin in defiance at the news. Tabiti had watched Jozlyn take everything in stride, the young woman was quite remarkable, she did have moments when she refused to believe or accept what was in front of her, but those were becoming rarer. Nothing surprised her anymore, and she looked on every challenge and situation with the eye of a leader, taking a step back she examined the situation with a bird's eye view. "We have been expecting this for some time. We all knew it would happen sooner rather than later. Tabiti, do you know when he will attack?" Jozlyn asked, looking the goddess dead in her eyes. Jozlyn seemed to be the only one capable of such a feat. Even Demir could not look in her eyes for a long period of time as he experienced extreme pain, but Jozlyn seemed to do it without any obvious problems or strain. Tabiti's eyes roamed the room, landing lightly on the six people sitting around the table with her. "On the night of the blood moon." Everyone jumped as Demir slammed his hands down on the table, the wood creaking and groaning beneath his palms, in an effort to remain whole. "That's in less than a week!" Demir roared at Tabiti, as though it was her fault another god chose to try and kill them in a week. "Demir!" Veronica gasped, clutching her chest in an attempt to calm her pounding heart. "Son!" Ivory growled lowly, warning his son. Recently Ivory had discovered the truth about his wife and son. Like most people he had been skeptical, but skepticism was a luxury, and none of them had that luxury at the moment. So Ivory had been forced to accept the supernatural part of his family just like Jozlyn and Kayla, and he had done a remarkable job of keeping it together. All three were going through different stages of acceptance. Ivory perhaps had it the easiest, in that he didn't exactly have to accept the wolf in his wife or son, he could leave at any time. Veronica had not mated with him, and bequeathing the throne to Demir would be easy enough. Kayla was more or less mated to the first beta of the pack, and therefore was one step below Jozlyn on the pack totem pole. Then there was Jozlyn, who was Alpha bitch and future queen of Oscella, so she had less than no choice, her path was set in stone and padded down with concrete. Even so the three had done extremely well with adapting, in fact everyone had. The pack had become more comfortable with their wolves, and almost none were against themselves or one another. For all intensive purposes it was as peaceful as it could be for a pack of wolves whose alpha was also a prince, and younger than many members of his pack. Jozlyn put a calming arm on Demir, at once anchoring him back. She had to do that a lot more lately. His wolf could smell the war on the air and was easily agitated, not that her wolf wasn't but she had to keep her wolf in check or lose herself to her animal side. Not now, Jozlyn mused internally. Perhaps during the war, she would give herself fully to her wolf and let the bitch run wild, but not now. Now she needed to be in control more than ever. Jozlyn had learned another trick to quickly settle Demir and his wolf. Sex. Ever so gently, Jozlyn ran her nails up Demir's arm, making the muscles jump and twitch. Sit down. Jozlyn whispered seductively in his mind, putting heat behind her words, I need you to sit down. I need it. I'm so wet. Please sit down, so we can leave. The sooner we're done the sooner we can go back to our rooms. Demir turned very slowly to face Jozlyn, his eyes a smoldering hazel now. His lids lowered and he licked his lower lip, making sure Jozlyn followed the line of his tongue. You're gonna keep that promise, Demir whispered in her mind before throwing himself back into his chair and lounging carelessly. Tabiti materialized her battle plan, decorating the entire room in strategies. Demir, Jozlyn, Matt, Kayla, Victoria, and Ivory worked long into the night on different strategies, teams, and materials they would need for the battle. At the end of the long night they had a concrete plan. Everyone decided to start on the next day to put their plan into action, this night might possibly be their last night of semi-relaxing sleep. Veronica and Ivory were the first to leave, Ivory rubbing the back of his neck and Veronica trying to stifle the yawns that flowed easily from her mouth. Tabiti and Raven left next, simply popping out of existence, likely going to Tabiti's forests. Matt and Demir were talking strategies and weapons, when Jozlyn grabbed Kayla and pulled her aside. Kayla went willingly to look out the windows at one of the many fountains littering the castle grounds. The women stared out at the waters for a minute, before Jozlyn spoke. "Are you really prepared to mate with Matt and become a first beta?" Jozlyn kept her voice at a whisper, continuing to stare out the window and beyond at the night. Kayla let her lips lift a little. Lately Jozlyn had changed, and she saw less and less of the young girl who had stomped on a prince's foot before running away, and more and more of the woman who had sat on the throne of a future king and address her audience with the words of a born leader. Kayla was so proud of Jozlyn, but she did feel bad for her friend, who was thrust into a world she couldn't hope to pretend and then told to lead. "I understand what the position entails. Even if I wasn't going to mate with Matt I would always protect you. Now I can do it with claws," Kayla replied, only half joking. Jozlyn turned to face her friend, growing tired of the space she had to place between herself and the world. "It's going to be dangerous, Kay. You might die!" Jozlyn said urgently, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Kayla turned to fully face her friend. "I could say the same to you." Jozlyn grabbed Kayla in a bear hug, before her friend tapped her shoulder, letting her know she was squeezing too tightly. Since she had become a wolf, Jozlyn had forgotten how strong she was, even in her human form, she could easily bend a fork just trying to eat or break a cupboard trying to reach a cup. The women hugged fiercely. Jozlyn turned her head, sniffing deeply at Kayla, she smelled like- but at the same moment Kayla pushed herself away from Jozlyn her eyes going round with fear. Jozlyn looked at her friend, her suspicion confirmed by the look in Kayla's eyes. "Your-" but Kayla covered Jozlyn's mouth before she could finish, her eyes pleading with Jozlyn not to say anymore. "Jozlyn!" Demir called, startling both women. Kayla quickly removed her hand and turned to face both men as they strode over to them. Jozlyn turned with her slightly pale, but her lips sealed nonetheless. "Ready?" Matt asked, as he snaked an arm around Kayla and nuzzled her neck. She smiled before kissing him hotly on the lips. "Yeah, let's go." The couple waved goodnight to Jozlyn and Demir as they made their way to their own quarters. "Something wrong?" Demir asked as he stared intently at her face. Jozlyn smiled, and shook her head. "I shouldn't be shocked anymore, but I am." Jozlyn shook her head and laughed mirthlessly, a fear she didn't think she would have to worry about creeping into her mind. Demir watched as Jozlyn's expression shuttered and became a mask of polite nothingness. He tried probing at her mind, but she immediately put up a wall. Demir gritted his teeth, before reaching out and grabbing her wrist, feeling the pulse beating wildly. Jozlyn's brow arched before she tugged, feeling no give in his muscles. "It's nothing," Jozlyn said gently, her tone soothing. Demir knew he wouldn't get anymore from her now. "Let's go to bed." Jozlyn's eyes jumped and clashed with Demir's, they vibrant emerald, turning a sultry dark forest green. Unconsciously Jozlyn licked her lips nervously. Demir smiled internally, happy that he could still turn his mate on with four simple words. Swinging Jozlyn into his arms, her small yelp of surprise was music to his ears. "Demir! Put me down!" She batted at his chest furtively as he carried her from the room and towards their suites. Thankfully it was so late that no one was out of bed, and the hall was clear of anyone seeing their alpha carry his protesting mate through the halls. They reached their rooms, and Demir juggled her, while opening the heavy doors. Striding through the sitting rooms, and into their bedrooms with purpose, Demir carelessly through his mate on the bed. Jozlyn squealed with anticipation and a little trepidation as she landed on their bed, her skirts flying into disarray around her. Jozlyn tried crawling to the other side of the bed away from Demir, but he pinned her, grabbing both her wrists in one hand, and pinning her to the bed. Demir looked down at his heart and soul, spread out on the bed panting slightly, with wet lips and hair in total disarray. With all his pent up passion he kissed her. Licking along the seam of her lips before parting them and surging his tongue in to duel with her own. The kiss spun out and inflamed their passion, calling the beasts inside of them to come to the forefront. Jozlyn shifted, moving her right leg up and twisting, flipping Demir onto his back, Jozlyn took control of the kiss. Pulling back, Jozlyn balanced on Demir's lap, reaching for the hem of her dress, and slowly pulling it up, revealing inch by creamy inch of her thighs. Lunar Dance Ch. 11 "If you don't hurry, I'm gonna rip that fucking dress in half" Demir growled, surging up, and grabbing the hem, pulling it up and away, tossing it somewhere over the side of the bed. Demir linked his arms around Jozlyn, biting and nibbling his way from her lips to her breasts. He sucked one turgid nipple into his mouth, playing the tight bud of nerves over his tongue, until Jozlyn cried out and writhed over him in abandon. Then he switched to the other nipple, playing with the same leisure. Jozlyn pulled Demir's hair, running her fingers lightly over his scalp and down his back as she cried out, grinding on his erection. Demir unhooked her bra and threw it aside, before standing her up before him, and tugging down her underwear with his teeth, kissing and licking along her thighs. Jozlyn stepped out of her underwear, just as Demir turned and threw her back down on the bed, bringing her hips to the very edge of the mattress. With a sinfully wicked grin, Demir lowered his head between her thighs, lightly licking the back of one calf then the next. "Demir! Please... please don't..." Jozlyn panted grabbing at Demir's head, just as he licked around her nether lips, planting a hot kiss on her clit. Jozlyn cried out, clenching her thighs around Demir's head as he set about building up her desire. "Oh.. oh my god... Demir, please... I need... I need..." Jozlyn couldn't put into words what she needed, nonetheless Demir knew, going in for the kill, he spread her thighs wide, resting them in the crook of his elbow as he sucked her clit lightly into his mouth before flicking the nub with his tongue and sending Jozlyn screaming into an orgasm. Demir kissed his way back up Jozlyn's body as she came down from her high. She reached a weak hand up to his cheek, bringing him down to her lips. Jozlyn's hand wandered down to Demir's manhood, lightning running her nails over his length, before squeezing gently. Demir released her lips, and groaned low and deep, staring into the beautiful expressive eyes. Jozlyn licked her lips, ready to taste any and every part of him. "Later," Demir whispered moving his hips out of her grasp and positioning himself at her entrance. He levered himself unto his palms, looking down to where their bodies lay in anticipation. "Right now I have to be inside you." Slowly, inch by painstaking inch, Demir melted into Jozlyn's heat. Muscles tighter than an iron vise, her channel hotter than fire, she swallowed him, stretching, adjusting, taking more, taking everything, until he felt his balls rub against her ass. The both gasped at the feeling of complete oneness they felt in each other's bodies. Sweat trickled down from Demir's brow, as he withdrew and surged powerfully into Jozlyn, eliciting breathy moans and pleas from her swollen red lips. They sent up a rhythm of strong steady surges of Demir into Jozlyn, and rhythmic clenching of Jozlyn's muscles on Demir's cock. Soon it became a game: who could get the other off fast enough. Sex perfumed the room, as Demir and Jozlyn surged together in a dance as old as time. The moon crawled across the sky, casting sultry shadows on the wall. Jozlyn titled her head back, a scream welling up in her throat as Demir quickened his pace. The moon devouring her vision as she climaxed, screaming out to God and Demir. Demir followed soon after, shouting out his completion, as he emptied himself into Jozlyn, coming down on his elbows, their lips clinging together. "I love you," Jozlyn turned her head and whispered the words again and again in Demir's ear, as she felt him once again grow hard in her. Her arms snaked out and wrapped around his back, and he grabbed her legs and spread them once again, beginning the dance again. A short while later, as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, Jozlyn slowly extracted herself from Demir's warm arms, quietly but quickly racing to the bathroom. Jozlyn locked the door, and turned on the shower as she collapsed to the floor clutching the toilet bowl rim and throwing up whatever dinner remained in her stomach from last night. She finished and flushed the toilet, grabbing the toothbrush and toothpaste, she walked into the shower letting the hot spray of water wash over her as she brushed her teeth, and thought of how she was going to tell Demir she was pregnant. *Fell free to skip over to chapter 12, and Remember to comment and vote! Lunar Dance Ch. 12 Hello Readers! Hope you enjoy! Remember to comment and vote! Sensanin *** Treasure: any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized Jozlyn stood under the shower head rubbing the conditioner out of her hair. She had been in the shower for almost 45 minutes, any more and she might pass out from all the steam. She turned off the water, wrung out her hair, and stepped out of the shower searching blindly for the clean towel she had thrown somewhere. Jozlyn had spent the last 45 minutes obsessing about how to break the news to Demir. Every possible scenario that she could have had passed through her head, but none of them seemed quite right. Perhaps it was the fact that they hadn't yet married, and she was under scrutiny from the press, and her fellow classmates. Perhaps it was the fact that she was Alpha, and as soon as everyone found out about her pregnancy they would all treat her like porcelain. Or maybe it was that if Demir found out he would lock her in the highest tower in the castle and keep her there until she had the kids and they turned 18 years old. But then again next week they might all be dead. Jozlyn supposed that last thought was what made her decide to- "Morning" Demir rasped, his arms snaking around her waist. Jozlyn had been too caught up in her musings to realize Demir had opened the door to the bathroom. Turning in his arms, Jozlyn tilted her head and gave him a light good morning kiss, feeling his stubble run across her cheeks. Pulling back she ran her hand lovingly across his cheek. "You need to shave." Demir gave her a toothy grin before slapping her playfully on the butt. "Get out of here and I will." Jozlyn laughed and walked out of the bathroom swinging her hips and shaking her ass just to tease him. Demir's strong laugh warmed her from the inside out like warm brandy. Jozlyn went to the closet just as she heard the shower turn back on. Grabbing a pair of panties and a bra that did not match at all she began to get dressed. A pair of black jeans that her parents had brought for her, along with most of her other things, and a grey peasant top completed the outfit. Jozlyn went back into the bathroom and quickly grabbed her comb and hair products, before going back into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed to start her hair routine. While she managed her hair, Jozlyn let her thoughts float to the conversation she was going to have to initiate with Demir. It was only a matter of time before he found out, she knew her pheromones would start to change, letting everyone know she was pregnant. Another pregnant woman entered her mind, and she wondered when she would tell her man. These conversations were never easy, and the fact that Jozlyn had a kingdom, a pack, and a battle to worry about did not help matters any. Jozlyn was deep in concentration when Demir emerged from the bathroom, if not for his long and very loud exhale she might not have known he was in the room at all. Jozlyn jumped slightly, realizing she had been smoothing the same product into the exact same portion of hair for the last five minutes. She quickly finished, twisting the hair into a careless bun at the nap of her neck and securing it with an elastic band. Demir was dressed in jeans by the time she finished and turned to him. The sight of her mate topless did funny things to her, things Jozlyn would have thought satisfied by last night's exertions. Demir noticed Jozlyn staring at him, and turned to regard her curiously. Gathering her pride, Jozlyn strode over to Demir grabbing his head and forcing him to her neck. "Sniff me," Jozlyn demanded awkwardly. Demir smiled against her neck and gathered her against him, her soft stomach cradling his rock hard erection. "Foreplay love? We don't need it. I'm ready to go right now," Demir whispered seductively in her mind. "Please just sniff me," Jozlyn asked out loud, her voice wavering slightly. Demir's sexy smile turned to a worried frown as he tried to pull his head up, but she kept his head right at her shoulder, and that's when Demir caught it. The scent was so light, hard to differentiate from the product in her hair, and the soap clinging to her body, but it was there. Demir gathered Jozlyn closer, crushing her to him, as he breathed her scent deep into his body. The moment he realized what the scent was his body froze, muscles locking in position and his mind refused to even process what his wolf knew to be fact. Pregnant. His mate was pregnant. Jozlyn was pregnant. The words ran circles around his mind, as Jozlyn calmly stroked his hair whispering soft words of encouragement and compassion to him. It was only then that he realized he was crying against her. He was also clutching her too tightly, he immediately released her, and sank down to his knees, gently encircling her waist and pressing his ear to her stomach as though he could hear his child's heart beat. God I love this woman. I fucking love her. Demir thought as time stood still and he embraced his mate and the new life growing inside of her. _________________________ Kayla woke up late, stretching languidly on the bed and feeling out for Matt, but getting someone's leg instead. Kayla popped one eye open and then the other, staring at Jozlyn with bleary sleep clouded eyes. Jozlyn sat at the foot of the bed, leaning casually against a post staring at Kayla. Jozlyn lifted one brow in silent question, as Kayla gave a huge yawn and scooted up the bed into a sitting position. Before Kayla could even blink a shirt came flying at her. Grabbing the shift from off her lap, Kayla silently dressed before blinking a few times and turning to give Jozlyn her full attention. "So when are you going to tell Matt you're pregnant?" Jozlyn asked casually, crossing and uncrossing her ankles. Ice cold water hitting her face couldn't have woken Kayla up anymore than Jozlyn's words already had. Kayla's eyes searched the room, trying to ferret out any huma shadows lurking around. "We're alone," Jozlyn said, maintaining her casual tone. Kayla glared silently at her friend before clearing her throat. "I was going to tell him after the battle. He has enough to worry about." Kayla's voice was raspy, and she cleared it until she thought her voice sounded normal. "We could die, Kay. You need to tell him." Jozlyn said, moving closer to her friend. Kayla shook her head to deny the truth of Jozlyn's words. Neither she nor Matt were ready for children. In fact if she simply didn't acknowledge she was pregnant then she could pretend a little longer to be an 18 year old going on 19 year old girl with a super hot boyfriend. But if she acknowledged the child growing inside her, she would have to face the fact, that as a human she might not be able to carry the were-child to term, she might not be able to give birth, and she could die if she tried; then again if Matt changed her, she could lose the children that way too. If she acknowledged the life inside her than she would have to acknowledge the life she was living as a woman, not a girl, as the mate to a first beta who might possibly die in the battle that was happening in less than a week. This wasn't just a child, it was a turning point, and she didn't know if she was willing to embrace that fact yet. "I can't Joz," Kayla said, her voice cracking, tears beginning to trickle down her face and onto the bedspread. "I can't, I can't, I can't..." Kayla whispered over and over again silently rocking herself. Jozlyn wrapped her arms around her friend, being careful of her strength and rocking with her back and forth, running a soothing hand over her hair. Before the women left the safety of Kayla's bedroom, they made a pact. No matter what came to pass, they would always have each other. They were best friends through thick and thin, through rain and shine, through their lives as humans and into their transitions to werewolves. ________________________________ "Mommy! Mommy! You're here!" Nar screamed in childish delight as Tabiti swept into the nursery and picked him up, twirling him in her arms. The fawns, leverett, and wolf cubs jumped and skipped around Tabiti's skirts in a show of familiarity and kinship. "Raven! Raven!" Nar parroted reaching out past Tabiti's shoulder. Nar was lifted effortlessly into Ravens arms, and he smiled down at the child, as Nar proceeded to tell both Raven and Tabiti about his adventures in the nursery. The adventures that Nar had were quite extraordinary and dangerous for human children, but as a child of the gods they seemed almost tame. He flew with the birds, ran with the foxes, played with the deer, and slept with the rabbits. It was all normal for a child of a forest goddess. Tabiti and Raven sat on the cool moss and listened to Nar prattle on about his adventures as the animals relaxed and went back to whatever they had been doing before Tabiti had come. Nar had finished six tales of adventure and excitement before Tabiti gently but firmly interrupted him. "Nar we need to talk." Nar had taken up residence on Raven's lap, but turned and went to his mothers as she began to speak. The child sat down quietly and waited for his mother. "Your father is coming." These words might have been uttered by a million mothers over a million years but those words held quite a different meaning to Nar. He had been taken away from his father before he had even been brought into the world, all he knew of his father were terrified whispers from the animals, and the tight lipped unanswered questions from his mother. To say Nar was fascinated and excited by any news of his father would be an understatement. So like a very good child he waited for more information. "There will be a battle between your father and I. Nar, should Raven and I die I need you to go to your father and tell him who you are. You must wear this if you go, alright?" Tabiti announced staring her son in his eyes to make sure he understood. The eyes of his father, the hair of his father. When he grew up he would likely be the spitting image of Nyyrikki. Big fat tears began to collect in his eyes, and trace tracks down his face, as his lower lip jutted and quivered. "No mommy! You can't leave, you can't!" Nar cried grabbing Tabiti around the waist and crying against her stomach. Tabiti leaned over gently stroking her son,trying to calm him down. A thick piece of leather with intricate markings secured his long hair back into a ponytail at his nape, and Nar just cried more. Tabiti had just given Nar a token of her favor, an ornament of protection in case anything should happen. The finality of the coming battle cemented in Tabiti, her emotions transferring to all the creatures of her forest. Softly Tabiti began to weep with her son, as time became the most important factor in her life, and sadly she was running out of it. _________________________________ The week flew by, until the morning of the battle day rose hot n oppressive over the horizon. Veronica and Ivory lay in their bed, holding each other. Neither had slept a wink the night before, too keyed up for the battle that would take place in less than 24 hours. Every possible precaution had been set in place for the safety of the wolves and the kingdom. Every I had been dotted and every T crossed, there were no loose strings. On the previous day, a press conference had been held to announce the betrothal of Prince Demir and Jozlyn Philips. Every reporter had been there, and they had all also heard about the trip that Jozlyn and the queen would take to the mountains to create a mother-daughter bond. The car had already been sent out yesterday, with two female servants who looked close enough to Veronica and Jozlyn's age. Demir had also announced his trip to visit Italy on an ambassador mission. It was at least a 8 hour trip, and if he died in the battle, then the plane he was on would coincidentally go down in a terrifying plane crash. Everything was taken care of, the only one of the royal family who would survive in case the lost the battle would be Ivory, and he would continue to lead the country until the day he stepped down or died. Veronica untangled herself from Ivory, moving to get ready for the day. The mood was somber in the bedroom of the king and queen. Words of assurance were muttered, last kisses were made, and silent goodbyes were felt in every reverent caress. *skip over to chapter 13, and remember to vote and comment! Lunar Dance Ch. 13 Hello readers! Ok so let's start this epic battle. I know there has been a lot, and I mean A LOT of build up. In truth, I have been putting off writing the scene because I'm not the biggest fan of blood, guts, and gore. But putting that aside, it needed to be done. So here is the last lead up chapter before the war, it's really short, but I do believe this chapter is instrumental to the entire story. So without further staling... *** Battle cries are sounded As fears are weighed Lovers and children come together With a promise they will see the next day "You're not going and that's final!" Demir yelled at Jozlyn, shaking her slightly to make her understand. He couldn't lose her! He could not. When he went into battle he needed to know she was safe, not on the battlefield with him. Jozlyn had never seen Demir like this, and it seemed none of her tricks would work. So she settled for the truth instead. "Tabiti has requested I be there. I am the alpha bitch, I have to be there," Jozlyn said keeping her voice even. The thought of going into battle terrified her, but she needed to be there as support for the other women fighting. She couldn't cower, and even though Demir was still her alpha, she couldn't submit to him, not on this. Jozlyn spun out of Demir's arms, going back to dressing in the armor Tabiti had set out for her. There were only a few more hours until the battle. Surprisingly enough Nyyrikki had sent someone with a time and place for the battle, apparently gods liked to be dramatic. No surprise there. No one besides Veronica, Demir, and Kayla knew she was pregnant. She had kept it a secret from the press and from her pack. She had enough people worrying about her; she simply couldn't distract anymore people. Demir angrily paced the room, yelling at her, calling her foul things, calling Tabiti foul things, and cursing everyone. Jozlyn knew he did it out of love and concern and even fear, so she let him be. Tying the straps on her breastplate she picked up her helmet and faced Demir. He was pale, he looked ready to throw up, but it wasn't his own skin he was fearing would be gone but everyone else's. He was a born leader, he lead a nation and now he lead a pack, but leading your people into battle was never an easy decision especially when lives would likely be lost. Jozlyn grabbed Demir and sat him on the bed, helping him don his armor. Once he was covered from head to toe she let him up, handing him his helmet. Demir grabbed the back of Jozlyn;s neck, bringing her close for a sizzling kiss full of passion and longing. "You have no idea how much I love you," Demir whispered across her lips, before claiming them again. Slowly, very slowly, Demir released Jozlyn, and together they walked hand and hand to meet their people. ______________________________ Somewhere in the castle, out of the view of prying eyes, in the darkest of shadows a single flame leaped and danced, highlighting the faces of two people. "I cannot believe how close you got to them," a female voice whispered, laughter lacing her tone. "And I can't believe how far you stayed away!" A deep male rumble joined in. The couple laughing with true mirth. "What does he think happened to you?" the woman asked, her hands dancing over the candle flame, making it burn brighter, so she could see the man across from her more clearly. "I put an appearance in every once and awhile, but at this time he thinks I am on vacation, you?" the man replied, staring at the flame intently, until it went back down to its natural height. "She doesn't know me that well. I'm less than a grain of sand in the ocean of people she's met. But then again I wasn't trying to overwhelm the child, just guide her in subtle ways," the woman said carefully, her voice slightly irritated because she could no longer see his face. "And that is where you and I differ. I wanted to have a front row seat to the festivities," the man said, a smile to his voice. "Puh-leeze," the woman said tossing her hair. "We would have a front row seat anyway." "I know, I know. You're right as always," the man said slightly condescending, stepping closer to the woman, and the flame. "We should start going," the woman said miffed. "Yes we should," the man agreed, placing a hand on her hip. "Perhaps just a small-" the woman began, her voice breathless. "Yes, just a little," the man agreed bending down to her. The candle flame jumped wildly before sputtering and dying out. ______________________ Kayla and Matt stood side by side with Demir and Jozlyn, looking out across the sea of warriors. Young and old, male and female, all were dressed in armor of royal blue with gold veined throughout. Matt and Kayla were dressed in bright crimson red armor with veins of gold running throughout while the pack's alphas wore armor made of the purest gold. Demir's voice reached out easily to the crowd, inspiring safety and comfort. His words rang with reassurances, and battle cries, as his warriors stomped on the ground and shouted their agreements. Jozlyn stood beside him, occasional putting in a word or two for the females. The alpha couple spoke of a great battle, where many lives could possibly be lost. But the couple did not want the wolves fighting for Tabiti, or for glory, if they fought that night they fought for the safety and security of their pack and themselves. Tabiti stood silently by, lending gentle support dressed in a sumptuous gown of royal purple, devoid of any obvious armor. Veronica stood beside her, dressed in the same armor as Matt and Kayla, her eyes solely focused on her son and his mate. Together the leaders stood on a wide terrace at the back of the castle, close to the forests. Demir's speech slowed to a stop and he waved Tabiti over to him. Tabiti took a calming breath to cleanse her nerves as she glided across the terrace to over to the alphas. Giving Demir and Jozlyn a faint smile, Tabiti turned to address the crowd, at once arrested by the faces she saw. She knew these people, she could recall all of their names, and exactly what time, day and year they were born. Tabiti had watch each and every one of her wolves since their births, watching them grow into adolescence and then take their first major steps into adulthood, and some hadn't even reached those times yet. Faces young and old, floated across her vision, and she felt her eyes well up with tears. Before she let a single one fall, she searched inside herself, bringing out her full powers as a goddess. The gown she wore transformed into a sort of hard plastic, metal mix, with chain mail thrown into strategic spots. Tabiti fit the look of a god about to head off to war, her body covered in armor, and her hair pulled tightly back and trailing down to her waist in a fierce braid. Raising her hands high, Tabiti addressed her army. "My wolves, my comrades, my friends, we have reached the defining moment. Today we will live or die," Tabiti paused dramatically locking eyes with everyone in the crowd. "But no matter what, I will have you remember: You do not fight for me. You do not fight for your alpha. You are fighting for your own lives! The lives of your friends, family, and if you have not thought about it, you fight for your forests. Should I die, there will be no more forests, no more places for you to run free, and if you die your lovers and children will mourn you. Do not let them mourn you!" Tabiti roared, getting the crowd whipped into a frenzy. "When you get out onto that battlefield remember that! Today I fight beside you, not as your goddess, but as your equal. If we should die, let us take them with us. Let not one sword go down without a man's blood on it. If we die, we will take three of Nyyrikki's men with us! To the forest; let's go and kill something!" By the time Tabiti finished, the crowd was roaring, many of them beginning to shift, and race to the forests. In less than five minutes every single werewolf had shifted, and sprinted off to the forest. Tabiti lifted the veil on dimensions and sent her wolves racing to the battlefield they would either win on or die on. Demir, Jozlyn, Matt, and Veronica had already sprinted off with their pack, leaving Kayla and Tabiti. Smiling with care, Tabiti transported herself and Kayla to the front lines of the battlefield. ________________________________ Tabiti faced Nyyrikki, and had to steel herself against the onslaught of memories that arrested her. Gods did not age, they took on whatever form the wanted. Nyyrikki had settled on the gold adonis corded with muscle. Tabiti had settled on the slight raven haired beauty with large luminescent eyes. Nyyrikki separated from his army of hunters and animals. Though the creatures couldn't really be considered animals now, perhaps they had once been, but at the moment they were hollow shells draped in skin. Every animal he had ever skinned and killed stood on the battlefield, lifeless eyes, dancing in a lifeless body. Tabiti met Nyyrikki in the center of the great field. True to her estimation, the battlefield was a near replica of the one she had had Demir and Matt fight on. The only difference was there was no high place for Tabiti to sit and quietly watch the massacre; she would now be in it. "Love, it has been too long," Nyyrikki said smoothly, grabbing her hand forcefully and bending over it, in a mock of a gentleman's bow. Tabiti quickly snatched her hand back, rubbing her wrist. If she survived, her wrist would likely bruise. "No, it had been just the correct amount of time," Tabiti said stoically, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I see you did not accept my plea to end this pointless battle," Tabiti said. "Now why would I do that?" Nyyrikki said, laughing softly. Before Tabiti could blink, Nyyrikki was up against her, rubbing a strand of her hair between his fingers, and gazing deeply into her eyes. "I want to taste your blood on my knife, feel your last heartbeat. I think it might even be better than fucking," Nyyrikki said harshly, tugging on her hair. Tabiti would not show weakness, she could not afford it, especially in front of her wolves. "Just before I take your head Nyyrikki, I will give you a very special gift," Tabit said softly, coming even closer to him and running her thumb along his bottom lip. Almost like to puppets on strings, Nyyrikki and Tabiti broke apart going back to their individual armies. Seconds faded into minutes before the first move was made. A howl sounded as the blood moon reached the highest point in the sky. Battle cries were sounded, metal clashed, and the first blood was drawn. *skip over to chapter 14 and remember to comment and vote! Lunar Dance Ch. 14 Hello Readers! Wow! We're reached the end. I didn't think I would even get this far. but thanks to all the encouragement, I've completed Lunar Dance. A big shot out goes to Bonesvamp and Kjplotts, who were both absolutely phenomenal editors! Thank you everyone! -S *** Carnage: the slaughter of a great number of people, as in battle. The first casualty was Rudalf. Young and scared, he died quickly, with a clean slice to the jugular, bleeding out in seconds. Swords clashed, which brought a sickly sweet melody to the battlefield, only made more apparent the sounds of rushing wind as arrows cut through the air, and the grunts and cries on both sides. Veronica faced off with two very large lions. One had a wide scar marring his face and the other was missing a tooth. Scarface leaped at Veronica swiping at her side and nicked her, just as she maneuvered quickly, catching him under the head and ripping out his neck. Veronica jumped back, and spit out the neck fur she clutched between her teeth. Toothless was still standing, and turning again to attack her, just as Scarface came from behind her and dug his claws into her back. Veronica could not understand why Scarface wasn't dead, or why he wasn't bleeding. She howled, and a large dark brown wolf attacked toothless, ripping open his stomach as Tabiti reached back with her claws and scratched at Toothless's face, until she yanked a tie free on his chest, the lion cramping down to fur. Veronica turned back to the large grey wolf, who was sniffing the skin of what she assumed was Scarface. It was then she noticed an eerily glowing piece of thread hanging in tatters where Veronica supposed the lion's stomachs had been. They are skins of dead animals! Veronica realized, a sick feeling coming over her, nearly making her vomit. But before she could give into that weakness, a bear came running after her with the same dead eyes as the two lions she had just faced. Despite her tremendous injury, Veronica faced her foe, her eyes catching on a piece of glowing thread on the underside of his belly. Blood trickled down her back, past her calves, leaving a bloody trail as she faced foe after foe, in a battle that never seemed to end for her. _________ Matt fought in his hybrid form, cutting one of the hunters in half with his enormous claws. Blood sprayed from the wound as the hunter's mouth moved soundlessly on a scream, his eyes going dark without the light of life. Matt took a deep breath in as the next hunter shot an arrow at him, piercing his thigh. Matt howled as the arrow pushed through muscle until it exited the wound. He charged towards the hunter trying to kill him with a deadly swipe of his sword. Matt jumped back easily as the hunter swung a large sword down, trying to take off his arm. Blood gushed from his wound as he landed on his feet. Matt's vision swam as he faced his foe, the blood loss starting to take its toll. Before he could even blink or hope to anticipate the next move of the hunter, the hunter's head was rolling towards him, blood spraying in an imitation of a fountain from the body. The body swayed, and the hands shook as if to grasp something unseen, before collapsing on its knees and falling to the side, blood pooling from the neck cavity. Kayla stood drenched in blood, her eyes bright and feverish, wielding a sword much too big for her. "Get that fucking arrow out of your leg now!" she shouted, breathing heavy as she ran over to him, dodging an arrow, and spinning to take on her next opponent. Matt snapped the arrow in half, pushing it out and throwing it on the ground as the blood flowed freely from the wound. He stumbled over to the dead carcass of the hunter, ripping off a piece of his cloth and tying it around the wound. Matt watched as Kayla cleanly pierced the heart of yet another hunter, twisting the blade and making the hunter scream out in agony as he died. Kayla turned back to Matt a brilliant smile on her face, as someone else's blood ran down her hair and dripped to her cheek. Matt smiled back, even though the smile looked twisted with him being in his hybrid form. Turning back to the action, he fully shifted into his wolf form baring his teeth at jaguar who prowled nearby. Kayla ran to him, turning with her sword to an alligator who came slithering to her with snapping jaws. Back to back the couple fought, Kayla with her sword and Matt with his claws and teeth. ____________ Jozlyn gripped her knees, breathing in and out as she watched the massacre. Though Tabiti had come sometime during the battle to assure her they were winning, Jozlyn still couldn't see it. The field was littered with animal pelts soaked in blood, with hunter and wolf carcasses twisted and deformed. A flock of birds came at Jozlyn's head squawking death and fear, as she looked and saw a bit of flush on their beaks. She fell to the ground rolling and twisting, covering her body in blood and dirt. Far enough away from the birds, she once again shifted into her wolf form and attacked. The bird pelts falling harmlessly to the ground, littered with flesh and blood. Jozlyn jumped back into the fray of claws, swords and arrows, racing over to Demir. He was easy enough to spot, as he took on a python and a group of four baboons. Jozlyn swiped at the thread that tied one baboon together, the fur falling carelessly to the ground. Jozlyn glanced down as the fur spread to reveal what looked like a couple pints worth of blood. A vampire baboon? Jozlyn thought, as the other baboons realized someone new had come along they could kill. Before the last three baboons could touch a single hair on her, all of them were ripped to shreds, falling in a macabre display of furry confetti. Demir had already ripped the snake in half and discarded it, somewhere along the line. Quickly shifting back into his human form Demir grabbed her by the scruff, making her whine in pain. Jozlyz shifted back into human form, staring at eyes a sickly yellow, not gold. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Demir screamed, making her ears hurt. Jozlyn shifted her mouth, reaching up at biting his shoulder. Demir roared and let released her. Jozlyn jumped back spitting out Demir's blood as she went. "Get a hold of yourself!" Jozlyn screamed, shifting her mouth back into its original human form. Demir blinked slowly, letting the carnage and blood fall away from his vision. What was really on a few seconds felt like hours as Demir beat back his blood thirsty animal side, and reached for the strength inside himself. Balanced her came back to the present looking back at Jozlyn. A hunter was raising his knife, getting ready to plunge it into Jozlyn, when Demir moved, faster that the eye could see and effectively snapping his neck with one hand. "Sorry," Demir mumbled as Jozlyn stood, her mouth opening and closing as she looked over her shoulder to the dead hunter. Before the scream could escape her throat, she killed it, collapsing her eyes and swallowing hard. Before she could change her mind, Jozlyn snapped her attention back to Demir and grabbed him for a soul deep kiss. Their tongues dueled, their bodies moved to a primal rhythm and before the wave of passion could take them and drown them, Jozlyn broke the kiss, pulling back, and away. Demir started at his mate as she turned and ran back into the fray, shifting to her wolf form as she did. He watched her take out a lemur, a polar bear, and a puma before he lost sight of her. Before he gave into his instincts and chased after her, fucking her on the blood soaked grass, he turned away. Demir howled long and very loudly, before he plunged back into the fray, hearing his pack answer his howl with numerous ones of their own. ____________ Tabiti was power, all consuming and infinite, spinning out death with ease, precious, and painstaking slowness. The goddess killed with the type of passion a priest has for a god, or a senator has for a high priced hooker. Tabiti did not use a blade, but her own infinite power, strike hunters minds until they started hemorrhaging, falling to the groundas blood poured out of their eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Tabiti used her power like a whip cutting the magical threads that reanimated the pelts of animals slain by Nyyrikki. Floating above the blood soaked battlefield, Tabiti cut a path to Nyyrikki. Not one thing got close to her; she killed everything, with single minded purpose. Nyyrikki lounged carelessly off to the side of the battle, smiling at the destruction with childish glee. Tilting his head to the side, Nyyrikki finally noticed Tabiti cutting a bloody path towards him. Leisurely he stretched and stood, grabbing his knives and looking out over the field. It was quite obvious Nyyrikki had lost this battle, but then again the sands had never really been on his side. Though the fact that he had lost the battle didn't really matter to him, all that mattered was Tabiti. Nyyrikki gave a shiver as her name floated through his mind. He had been growing bored anyway, the fight had lasted for about eight hours, and in that time all he had been able to think about was Tabiti as he tried very hard to find a comfortable position for his erection. The last of his men fell at the hands of Tabiti, a single howl breaking the air, followed by a symphony of piercing howls. They seemed to break Tabiti out of her bloody path, startling her. Tabiti's feet hit the pool of blood before she could stop herself, the sticky fluid soaking through her shoes, and settling between her toes. Only 15 feet separated Nyyrikki and herself, all her pent up rage, love, hate, desire exploded as she launched herself at him screaming like a banshee, running through blood and dead bodies to get at him. Nyyrikki watched her fly, blood shooting up with her speed and catching in her hair, her armor, glinting in the moonlight with a sick sweetness Nyyrikki loved. Nyyrikki let her get closer, let her come at him with all her emotions in disarray, his blade shot out piercing her heart through her armor. He caught her in his arms, gently stroking her hair, "Lovely woman. My woman. Tabiti," he whispered over and over, as her body shuddered trying to draw in breath, he forced the blade deeper, watching as it came out of her back. The injury wouldn't kill her, but it would leave her incapacitated. Nyyrikki looked up across the sea of gathering wolves. Their expressions were priceless, watching their beloved goddess struggle in his grasp, her body trying to fight the steel of his blade. "Moooommmmmyyyyyyy!" The shrill scream echoed across the battlefield, startling Nyyrikki, and her wolves alike. Tabiti shifted in his arms, weakly grabbing at the collar of his shirt. "He's... your... son," she whispered brokenly, coughing up blood. "I told you I'd give you a gift before I cut off your head." Before Nyyrikki could anticipate her next move, Tabiti pulled his hair back baring his neck. Reaching with lightning speed she grabbed the sword at Nyyrikki's waist, cleanly severing his head from his body. The hold he had on the sword she was impaled on released and slipped, the body of her former lover, the father of her child, falling down to the ground with a deadly thud. Nar was closer, his plea gaining in volume. Tabiti reached for the hit of the sword in her chest, carefully pulling it out, she tossed the offending weapon aside. The ground seemed to rush at Tabiti as she collapsed onto her knees, and fell forward onto Nyyrikki's dead body, his head still clutched tightly in her hand, a twisted look of disbelief marring his face. _________________ The battle was over, and the sun was rising over the battlefield, welcoming the survivors, and shinning light on the dead. Raven picked up Tabiti and Nar, telling the wolves he would be back before disappearing. Jozlyn found Demir sitting on a boulder slightly to the side of the battlefield, his elbows on his knees, and his head hanging between his legs. Oblivious to the dirt and blood, Jozlyn sank to her knees in front of him, gathering his head to her breast. "I love you," she whispered solemnly. Demir gathered her closer, sinking to his knees in front of her and lifting Jozlyn slightly to rub against her stomach. "I love you so much. The both of you." In that second time froze, the very waves of heat from the sun seized. Stepping from the deepest shadows of the forest emerged a man and woman. The man looked to be in his early thirties, perhaps thirty-two. He had thick black hair with the beginnings of gray streaking through, a straight nose and a straight mouth, gave a no nonsense appearance. His back was as straight as bamboo, and he wore a smart black uniform suit, which was impeccable, not a wayward string in sight. The woman looked to be in her late fifties, most of her hair was grey, with streaks of the black it once used to be. She had a buxom figure, and looked more like someone's grandmother, then the goddess she was. Slowly as if shedding a second skin, the faces of the thirty two year old man and fifty year old woman faded away, leaving in their wakes the faces of a young man and woman. "I don't know why you didn't pick a more flattering form. Truly it was hard to look at you with wrinkles," the man said, valiantly escorting her over the blood and flesh strewn battlefield. "Oh please," the woman snorted taking his offered hand as she lightly stepped over the carcass of a wolf. "You still had sex with me. And besides, it seemed the easiest way to get close to Jozlyn without overstepping," she said pointedly giving him a knowing look. "I was simply watching over him, and what better way to do that than as his valet," the man insisted, as they grew closer to their target. "But really," the woman insisted sidestepping a puddle of what she hoped was not pee but looked very close to being just that. "Did you have to become such a concrete feature in his life? I mean what is he going to think when you disappear. And for the record I hated the name Marshalls. You should have chosen something like Jefferies or Niles!" the woman said on a laugh, her entire face glowing with her amusement. "Hey I take offense to that," the man formally known as Marshalls said jokingly. "And what about you! Mrs. Brocklyn! You couldn't even spell the name right. You're one to talk!" the man said, playfully, running his thumb in small circles on her arm. Finally the couple reached their target, the lifeless decapitated body of the god of the hunt, Nyyrikki. The woman known formally as Mrs. Brocklyn, leaned down, reaching into the chest cavity of the dead man and feeling around for what she needed. "Uh, I hate when you do that," the man formally known as Marshalls said in disgust. The woman cast him an evil eye over her shoulder as she finally found what she was looking for. Pulling out a small ball from the man's chest, she blew on the ball, water and wind coming out of her mouth to clean the small ball off. "Well my dear, are you satisfied?" the man asked, gently taking the ball from her. "If you restore him I will be," she said indignantly. The man raised one brow, before closing his eyes and going back through time, to when all the gods had souls. He was in the grand reception room, when he saw Nyyrikki. He paused the time, and walked up to the god, taking what was left of his soul, and racing back through time the present. The man opened his eyes, combing the soul fragment in his left hand with the essential essence of Nyyrikki. The ball glowed vibrantly with the soul, renewed and awakened. The man handed it back to the woman, and they stared across the field again, in search of a new person. Jozlyn and Demir were kneeling on the ground locked in a tight embrace. The woman and the man joined hand chanting lightly over the couple, as the woman inserted the new soul into the small body of her unborn child. A soul had not attacked itself to the child yet, because it didn't know if the child would survive, but they did. "We bless this family. We bless this child. Together they will always be. In my name, that of the all Mother Goddess, creator of nature ruler of life, and in my name, that of the all Father God, creator of space ruler of time. As we will it, so shall it be," they declared in sync a spark of magic and wonder falling over Demir and Jozlyn, leaving the battlefield, content to sit back and watch the world play itself out. Epilogue If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too... If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone,... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it... -Rudyard Kipling, IF "Well everything turned out alright," Jozlyn whispered to Demir, being careful not to ruin her wedding dress. Demir raised on sardonic brow, leaning over and giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "We lost five wolves, Joz. The pack mourns their deaths, we all feel their loss as keenly as if it our own," he said solemnly. Jozlyn nodded, remembering the tears she had shed as she had watched Demir bury their five pack members. She had watched the wife of one of the pack members break down, screaming for her husband to come back, as another woman screamed for her son to come back. Jozlyn had to lead the women and children away, finding ways to console and help them. It was then she had realized the loss of a mate to a werewolf, was the equivalent of having half your body chopped off and placed in the ground, half your heart and half your soul. Jozlyn couldn't begin to fathom the depths of emotions coursing through the family of the wolves that had died, but she had made a valiant effort, letting every pack member know that she was there should they need to talk to someone. "It is a tragedy, but we need to move forward, it had been almost a month. The past is the past, and in the end we survived, I doubt the men who had died would like us living half our lives," Jozyln said wisely smiling as a prince of some middle-eastern country she couldn't seem to remember congratulated her, placing a startling amount of gifts at her feet. "I do not think we would have even been able to make it this far without Tabiti. She truly is an invaluable member of the pack," Demir said, waving for the orchestra to start the first strains of music. He held out his hand, and waited for Jozlyn to grasp it before leading her down from their thrones and onto the dance floor. "Oh a member of the pack is she? When did you start trusting her?" Jozlyn asked casually, positioning her hands and waiting for the tell tale begin of the waltz. Demir listened to the music as he twirled her around the dance floor, with expert skill, seeming to not even exert himself. He thought back. About three days after the battle, Raven had brought a pale, albeit seemingly healthy Tabiti back to the castle. From there she had gone about helping the wolves transition back into their lives, helping those who wanted to leave the castle leave, and those who wanted to stay in the castle stay. About a third of the wolves decided to stay within the castle walls, while others moved out, but stuck in the country Oscella, close enough in case anything should happen again, while another third decided to travel and live abroad, yet even they still kept in contact and visited from time to time. Perhaps it was the fact that Tabiti had taken an obvious liking to his pack, and honestly cared about everyone that he began to accept her. He didn't see the bat shit crazy goddess he had seen before, she had matured, becoming a true goddess, a shining beacon of hope and light for her wolves. Lunar Dance Ch. 14 But Tabiti wasn't the only one who had grown up, so had Demir. Demir thought about when he had first met Jozlyn, less than six months ago and yet it seemed like a decade. He had been a wild child back then, sneaking out at night, fighting the rules every chance he got, and taking whatever he wanted. Now he held with gentle words and an iron fist. He was alpha to his pack and very soon to be king of his country. Despite the weight of his responsibilities, the weight no longer suffocated him, or caged him in, it was a welcome weight, one which he embraced. "Yes I think she has deserved that right, after all the help she gave after the battle," Demir said spinning her around the floor. "How are you feeling?" he asked suddenly, afraid she might become sick because of all the twirling. It seemed Jozlyn was sick almost all the time, apparently morning sickness wasn't just in the mornings. "I'm fine really," she said with a brilliant smile, touched that he cared so much. Across the ballroom, her eyes locked on another couple twirling around the dance floor. Jozlyn's eyes locked with Kayla. How are you? Jozlyn asked telepathically, giving her friend a slight wave of her hand. "Tired," she replied, trying to suppress a mental yawn as well as a physical one. Jozlyn smiled as she looked at her friend, her pregnant state artfully hidden by the empire-waisted gown. Jozlyn had made sure the dress her maid of honor and herself wore were of similar design, since both women were pregnant. Jozlyn had wondered how Kayla's pregnancy would react with being mated to Matt. But Tabiti had assured them that the children would be fine, and so Kayla had changed, into a beautiful light brown wolf. But Jozlyn still couldn't believe it, but Tabiti had said that Kayla would have triplets. The women had been excited but equally terrified. Still, Jozlyn knew Kayla would not change a thing, she was happy in her new life. She had begun to feel at home in the castle surrounded by Matt and his family, who were all wolves. But it wasn't all that strange. Apparently many of the wolves had been married before finding out they were werewolves. Tabiti had said it was a kindred soul thing, that people tried to find other like themselves. The music ended, and Demir lead her from the floor. Laughing and chatting briefly, Demri and Jozlyn made the rounds around the room. Jozlyn paused as the terrace doors opened on a sudden gust of wind. The beginning of winter was just starting to creep in, but it wasn't yet cold enough to freeze. Jozlyn wandered over to the terrace doors, her sharp eyes catching a figure standing in front of the massive gardens. Guests began complaining about the cold, as Jozlyn moved from Demir's side and wandered out into the night. Tabiti stood in the center, with a large smile of her face. Jozlyn was careful of her dress as she went to give Tabiti a hug. "You made it!" Jozlyn said excitedly, pulling back to look at Jozlyn. "Of course!" Tabiti said smiling, as guests began to mill out, despite the small chill in the air. Jozlyn felt Demir before he arrived. "Tabiti," Demir said nodding his head. Tabiti returned the gesture with a nod of her own, reaching up to lightly touch Jozlyn's hair. "Your hair in beautiful, Jozlyn," Tabiti whispered like a proud parent. Jozlyn reached up and gave her hand a brief squeeze. Before Tabiti forgot the entire reason she came, she wiped a stray tear from her eye, laughing self consciously. "I have a gift for you." Tabiti stepped back opening her arms wide and up to the sky. The moon was huge, and so close, Jozlyn felt as though she could reach out and touch it. The moon was so bright, that the lights in the ballroom paled in comparison to the light of the moon. A string was plucked somewhere and Jozlyn knew a dance was about to start. Life with all its unexpected mysteries had granted her wish she had never made. She was mated to a man she loved more than life itself with his child growing in her womb, the fact that he was a werewolf, alpha to their pack, and a prince were just extra perks. "How about a Lunar Dance Joz?" Demir asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her tight against him as they danced under the moonlight. The moon was so brilliant that Jozlyn could swear that it was smile down at her, the thought was crazy, but then the moon makes us think crazy things, and act on out craziest impulses. *** Remember to comment and vote. Feel free to send me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them!