Love Begins in Hell (The Moon Journals: Part 1) Page 4

  Under the red moon, I basked in the newly awakened sense of life I felt, the confidence, the assurance that I was indeed on the right path being here in this horrible place in this warrior’s quite exquisite embrace. The delightful smell of his masculinity hit my nostrils again. Nutmeg. Honey. Salt. I still couldn’t define it, but I knew that smell. I knew I’d never forget it, I mused. I breathed the scent of him in fully, hoping to steal some away, hoping I’d have some clinging to my hair, my face, my body so I could remember this moment forever. As if I’d be able to ever forget…

  I looked into his eyes, unashamed of my boldness. I met his gaze. His blood had shown me his sadness, his longing, his search for something he thought he could never have. Love. He was no different from me. He wanted the same things I did. In that instance, as we crossed this wasteland together, I understood that I had unlocked this man’s heart and could claim it for my own. The knowledge took my breath away.

  When I faced him again, Dante gazed at me with an expression of dangerous desire and I felt like he was already making love to me with his eyes or he was about to break me in half. I became concerned.

  “You tempt me to the brink of insanity. I’ll never be able to say no to you,” he declared. His dark expression changed in a blink of an eye and was replaced with one of undying, yet newfound adoration for me. There was a gleam of amusement in his green eyes. The magnitude of understanding how deadly and yet how gentle he was sent shivers down my spine. He was truly an enigma.

  A warrior’s desire knows no bounds.

  Out of nowhere, the Wolf’s words shot into my mind.

  Do you know what rules you are breaking?

  For the second time, I refused to acknowledge the Wolf’s threat. Instead I decided I could make my own future. You, nor my father owns me, I mentally replied. Grabbing Dante’s hand in mine, I kissed the top of his flesh. “I’m ready.”

  “Let’s go,” he replied.

  Then a silence surfaced in my veins, a dull humming noise that blocked out Dante’s footsteps, a voice I had never heard before.

  Offer. Offer yourself to this warrior, little wolf.

  “Dante, something wrong,” I said, not being able to hear my voice.

  I saw Dante’s lips moving as he reached for me. I tripped over his coat and fell forward up against the rock. I blacked out.

  The voice returned. A sea of red piercing lights invaded my eyes. I had lost sight of Dante or where I was. I saw nothing, but red and heard nothing but a sinister voice.

  Small wolf. Small disgusting, dirty little wolf. You will worship this warrior. You will give him your blood or I will destroy you. Do as I say. Do you hear me? Do as I say.

  “Dante, Dante!” I screamed. I cried out Dante’s name over and over, praying I could break the hold this demon creature had on me. Was this Dante’s blood talking to me? Help, Dante! Help!

  Chapter 6

  The Change

  When I came to, I saw Dante before me. He had balled up his trench coat and place it under my head. The red moon’s light shown on his face. I was so happy to see him. Once he wrapped me up in his arms, I buried my body in his embrace. “Thanks be to the Moon Goddess, it’s you. What happened?” he snapped.

  His intense anger scared me and I instantly flinched. “I don’t know,” I mumbled and pushed away from me as I realized my head was hurting and my upper back was wet.

  He sighed loudly. “I apologize. Tell me what happened,” he said more calmly. He situated me up against the rock like I was a china doll, fussing over the whole time.

  “Someone started talking to me, telling me to offer myself to you. It called me a dirty little wolf.” I held my head in my hands. I couldn’t stop the rising pain.

  “What’s wrong?” Dante asked.

  “My head. Did I hit something?”

  “The rock when you fell. Let me look.” He crouched near me and examined my forehead. “You’re bleeding.” He paused for a moment, and then added, “That’s a bad gash.”

  “I think I’m going to pass out now.” My vision became to swim and several images of Dante’s face danced before my eyes.

  “Wait, hold on. Don’t do that.” He flashed his fangs suddenly at me and sank his teeth into the palm of his hand.

  My eyes widened and it was probably the only thing keeping me alert, seeing the severity of the bite. Blood shot forth and spilled over his hand.

  “Hold still and breathe please,” he said.

  I let Dante put his bloody hand to my temple. My eyesight blurred again and played tricks on me. I saw two rocks, then four, three red moons, then a few more. Passing out would be a good idea, I thought to myself. Passing smooth out.

  “Elana, you’re going to feel this rush, this insanely rapid rush. Hold onto me. Here, grab my arm.”

  The minute Dante said ‘arm,’ I felt my body zoom to the top of the moon and then fly back down again. My head didn’t hurt anymore and a feeling of euphoria took me over, divine, lovely bliss. “Wow.” I paused as another wave of energy hit me. “Wow!”

  “Keep breathing. Elana, listen to me. Channel that energy. Channel it into defending yourself. Lucifer’s demons aren’t far now. Remember. I’m on your side. Rein those hormones in now, my sweet. We must move!”

  He picked me up and dusted me off.

  I watched as he buttoned his overcoat around me. Another feeling was surfacing. I twitched my nose disapprovingly. “Phooey.” Playfully I smiled up at him as he wrapped his overcoat around me. “I’m not a mare, Dante. I’m a tiger and I wanna roar. Roar.”

  “We’ll play circus later, Tiger lady.” Dante scratched his head as he stared at me.

  I whispered the word again. “Roar.” I held up my hands like I was showing off a set of claws.

  “Oh damn it,” I heard Dante say.

  “What’s going on?” I screamed. My eyes widened when I witnessed that I did have claws, long ivory Wolfen claws, claws that I was showing off to the red moon above.

  “You drank too much I think. I told you just a few drops. Or maybe my healing that bump on your head.” His voice was laced with a tone of alarm as he wrung his fingers a time or two through his hair. “This is not good.”

  A second overwhelming jolt of electricity slammed into me again, more intense than before. I screamed again. I ripped Dante’s coat from my body and this time fell into a heap at Dante’s feet. My back arched into a high forward bend. My muscles flexed and expanded. I felt the soreness from my shifting into a wolf tear past any point I thought possible. My arms, legs, calves, all my extremities increased to a well-proportioned size.

  A rush of energy and overwhelming emotions collided and I howled at the top of my lungs. I couldn’t stop it. I huffed over and over, trying to catch my breath.

  You will give yourself to the warrior.

  “Dante, the voices. Make them stop,” I yelled, and then I felt my jaw break and a massive amount of sharp teeth fill my mouth. I reached for him, seeing the length of my hands elongated and bony. My claws were five inches long if they were an inch.

  Wolf, what have you done?

  Elana, what have YOU done? Welcome to the Fanged Realm.

  Finally Dante’s voice came to me. “I’m here. I’m here. It’s okay,” he announced. He was immediately by my side.

  My heart flip-flopped and I clung to him. The Wolf’s words sent me into a panic. The Wolf’s voice frightened me to pieces. Hearing Dante’s explanation only furthered my mania, but having him near me helped to calm me some.

  “The magical elements in my blood, from my mother. That may be what you are experiencing. Or did my demon blood talk to you? Could you hear my dark side?” Dante asked.

  I shook my head. I didn’t speak for fear of lashing my tongue or worst. I didn’t want to try. Dante saw my hesitation. I groveled at his feet, undeniably bare except for a thin layer of blonde fur now covering my body. I felt like I was wearing a transparent suit of fabric, a mouth of teeth and gloves with razors attached to the end of
every finger. My hair whipped around my body. It appeared as if it had grown several feet in length during this transformation. I debated using it to cover my body, but feared I’d only cut myself in the process.

  This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t…

  “Can you hear me?”

  My eyes locked with Dante’s. I heard his words without seeing his lips move.

  “Yes.” I responded telepathically, telling him I could understand him. Yes, I can understand you.

  “Are you a chosen werewolf?”

  Hearing his words, exasperated any reason I had left. I extended my mouth and breathed outwardly. Gritting my teeth, as I wanted to do, would surely slice apart my tongue. Mentally I threw a response to him. “I’m called a Werewolf Princess because my father is called the Werewolf King. Zeus cursed him. However, the curse wasn’t passed down to me. I don’t shift unless the Wolf comes to me and then it’s just into a white wolf. I don’t know if I’m chosen. I’ve never howled at the moon before. I just howled at that moon.” I pointed an unbelievably long claw at the sky. “That red moon right there. What does it mean to be chosen, Dante?”

  He ignored my question. Instead he stood up, thrusting his fists on his hips, clearly aggravated with himself. “This is my fault. I should have consulted Orlando first. If you’re chosen this is bad,” he exclaimed. He left my side and stomped around the ground, clearly upset with himself as he voiced his concerns. “I didn’t realize that. I didn’t know that. My blood has shifted your path. By the moon and stars, what have I done?”

  The movement of his black boots vibrating the dirt fascinated me. As I listened, I watched each foot slam into the earth, sending a cloud of dust upwards, I immediately realized the ground was baked and without any nourishment. A wasteland indeed. I also became aware that I could see Dante’s movements. Before they were blurred. Now they weren’t. Another realization made me want to howl at the red moon again because if I had access to this form, I wouldn’t need to call the Wolf. I could defend myself against any demon.

  “My blood unlocked your destiny, I’m afraid. The elements of your Lunar ancestors,” Dante stated matter-of-factly. “This wolf you keep referring to. Does he have a name?”

  I shook my head and sent a response telepathically since I didn’t trust myself to speak out loud, and since I didn’t understand what he meant. “I’m sorry. What?”

  “What is the Wolf’s name?”

  I shook my head again. “He won’t tell me.”

  Chapter 7

  The Fight

  When I got a whiff of the first demon, I growled. Dante heard me and dropped his fangs in response.

  I saw three or four demons come into view and I knew we were probably surrounded. Because Dante had pushed his back to mine to protect me, I couldn’t see how many there were. A circle of two headed red demon dogs with glowing yellow eyes and fangs was enough for me to see. Eight. Maybe more.

  Fight.

  The Wolf’s voice ordered me. Demanding me to engage in a fight I knew I’d lose. If I was in mid-werewolf-transformation, my shift was not complete and I couldn’t begin to fight off these fiends. They growled and hissed, slowly closing the circle around us.

  Fight.

  Feed, little wolf. Feed.

  The unfamiliar voice surfaced again. That had to be Dante’s blood speaking to me. His dark side. It wanted me to kill and take the nourishment I needed.

  You can do anything you put your mind to.

  Dante’s deep voice flowed into my mind and drowned out the Wolf’s and the Blood’s commands. Dante spoke to me in Fanged and I immediately understood his words. If the demons were dead, they couldn’t report back to Lucifer. It would give us more time.

  When I heard him unsheathed his swords, I jumped into action.

  I ran as fast as I could and dove at two of the dogs. I slid underneath the first animal and sliced his stomach open with my claws, from top to bottom. His guts spilled out all over the baked earth and steam rose to the sky. The second one I impaled with my claws as he looked on in horror. Seeing a nearly naked wolf-woman racing around the night likely was not a normal sight for him, I assumed.

  By the time I had a chance to look up, Dante had killed three dogs and was going for two more. “Count your kills! They travel in packs of nine,” he called out telepathically.

  I flew into action, making a circle around Dante and the remaining dogs. My two. His three. Two more for him. Seven total. That leaves two. Two more. I had two more to kill. After about four or five strides, my body completed its transformation and I felt the heaviness of being changed into werewolf form. My female form vanished and I realized I was a large mass of fur, claws, teeth, and muscles. Each movement I made as I stalked the remaining two demon dogs, now wide-eyed and frozen in their place, sent waves of electricity down my spine. The feeling of power and strength was orgasmic. I’d never felt anything like it. I gnashed my jaws a few times, getting Dante’s attention.

  His sword slammed down into the skull of the second dog as he glanced my way. His smile deepened into laughter. “You want the last two, my sweet?”

  I responded by shaking my fully furred body as I ran. The sensation again sent a surge of energy through every limb. My vision went red and I bounded over to the remaining dogs. I could already tell being a werewolf was going to be extremely enjoyable. “Hi guys, how are we doing tonight?” I asked mentally as I sliced open their throats with my claws.

  ***

  As I finished tidying up and hiding any evidence, I realized demon dogs tasted a lot like chicken and their blood reminded me of huckleberry wine. I didn’t want to tell Dante that because he’d probably think I was crazy. I searched around the large rock where we had been, expecting to see him. Suddenly I realized he had disappeared. A twinge of panic hit me. Where was he? Had I?

  Out of nowhere, a black leopard nudged me hard in my shoulder. I heard a low, rich purr. “Elana, I’m right here.”

  “You’re kidding me,” I replied telepathically, realizing the leopard was Dante.

  The cat raced away, starting to cover ground.

  I remained frozen. Demons couldn’t shift. But this Demon had already shifted into a cloud of smoke and now a black leopard. What could he not do? I wondered.

  Dante returned quickly. I heard the low purring sound again as he leaned his forehead into mine and spoke telepathically. “We have to move now. Jump in the first river you get to.”

  “You can shift too, Dante?” I mentally asked him.

  He blinked his dark eyelids over gleaming green eyes. He shook his panther head, showing me a row of razor sharp feline teeth amid a smile. “You said my name.”

  Another smell of rotting corpses and burnt onions distracted us. We both raised our heads in unison and growled at the dark sky.

  “Come on,” he roared.

  I flew into action, running alongside Dante at breakneck speed on my all fours.

  ***

  Once I saw the river come into view, I thought about stopping because I wasn’t sure where Dante was. When I heard a growl at my left side, I hastened my pace and dove into the water. I thought for a moment that the water may be too shallow and I’d break my neck or that the width of the river wouldn’t be wide enough for me in my werewolf form to maneuver through safely.

  What I didn’t expect was for Dante to shift back into his human form and drag me beneath the current. As I fought my way to the surface again, I saw the opening of the river sealing shut. I’ll drown. I’ll drown. I’ll drown. And never avenge my sister and aunt’s deaths.

  “It’s a portal, Elana. We have to keep moving. Dive down.”

  I heard Dante’s words assuring me, but I struggled to trust his judgment because he was dragging me down, quite literally deeper into the waters. Couldn’t I trust him?

  Chapter 8

  The Fanged Realm

  “Wake up, sleepy head. We have to meet Orlando and the others.”

  Hearing Dan
te’s low, sultry voice in my ear, I smiled to myself. Again he was right by my side. The warmth of his body ignited my desire instantly. I rolled over and gazed up at him. When I saw the sunlight shining over his shoulder, I freaked out and sat upright with a jolt. “The sun! It’ll kill you!”

  He shook his head at me as a few wisps of his black hair fell in his eyes. He pushed them away. “I’m okay. I have these.”

  Shoving his sky blue shirt off his shoulders, he turned around and showed me his back. It was covered with a series of designs that appeared to have been carved into his rippling muscles with jet black ink.

  “What are they?” I asked as I traced the designs with my fingers.

  “My tribal signatures,” he said. “They represent my current regiment in the Fanged Realm and the one I hope to be in someday. They protect me from the sun. Every member of the Fanged Realm has some signature.”

  Oh really, I thought, wondering now if I had any designs. The words surfaced again in my head. Welcome to the Fanged Realm. I shoved the notion to the back of my brain. Later. “The leopard designs I get, but dragons. Why dragons?” I gasped. “Don’t tell me you can shift into a dragon too?”

  “Okay, I won’t tell you,” he chuckled with that laugh I was growing to love. “I’ll show you instead.”

  “Oh no, you don’t.” I reached for both sides of his shirt and pulled him down upon me. My lips briefly touched his. “I’ve had enough adventure for one day,” I whispered. Seeing that I too was in my human form made me think of the werewolf transformation as a dream. It couldn’t possibly have happened, but I knew it had. I would no longer be the same.