Pull of the Moon - Chapter 1
#1 of Eben Black Series - Pull of the Moon
© All characters and storylines surrounding these characters belong to me, Eben Black..
Sixteen years ago wereanimals were discovered, people were outed and there were violent demonstrations against them. Innocent wereanimals were harmed in the demonstrations, those that fought back were imprisoned. Seven years following this human law dictated that wereanimals of all breed and species would be given rights. Much like men of colour, and sexualities, the Common Species Law, nicknamed Walker's Law was founded by a man named Richard Walker. Wereanimals and humans would now coexist, but at what price? Wereanimals existed, but so did discrimination. People still hated the wereanimals for their difference, but it was theorised that humans did what the humans usually did with things they did not understand and feared. They would lash out.
Nine months ago I contracted Lycanthropy. I was dragged from my tent during a camping vacation and almost killed. The result? I was now a werewolf. Discrimination existed closer to home than I had thought, and in two months I had moved out and moved here to LA. I lived in an enormous, luxurious penthouse suite alongside the other werewolves. Our alpha was a reasonable, honourable man who wanted what was best for us. He took us in and put a roof over our heads. He protected us and wanted nothing more than to stop the hateful acts that were being committed against his kind. Walker's Law prevented our execution on sight, but there are still those who wanted all the monsters dead. Life was all about surviving now, and under normal circumstances that alone would make a wolf want to just lie down and die, but our alpha, our leader was dependable. We lived on, we lived on together.
_Breaking News! There has been yet another massacre in mainland America. This time the incident took place in the settlement of Hoover, Alabama, at the Riverchase Galleria. It was here that a member of the community who had been outed as a wereanimal, leopard in species, had turned on humans and proceeded to slaughter and kill those who he could reach. The local authorities attempted to subdue the man in question, but were unsuccessful. SWAT were called in and as the man exited the Galleria he was gunned down and killed. This has been the seventh incident throughout America and mainland Europe. Doubts have started leaking throughout American governments as to whether or not handing the monsters their own rights was a good idea. An investigation has been put forward and in this instance the man in question was named Eugene Houston, a patron of Hoover, Alabama and a worker.
A report has stated there was nothing wrong with the man's state of mind, and he was simply a hard worker who loved his friends and family and had lived right all his time in Hoover.
This has become a common factor in the investigation, but from what Channel Five has gathered, there have been no leads as to what is causing these massacres to happen. Any updates will be reported as soon as possible. Lets leave behind the blood and horror now, and see what the weather's going to look like for the next week. Samantha?_
Thanks Tom...
The television screen went black. Donovan placed the remote control on the coffee table and walked to the window, hands laced their fingers behind his head as he took a deep breath and gazed out over LA. It was almost eleven. The skies were black and the stars glimmered like scattered diamonds. The lights below that littered the skyscrapers and buildings of downtown LA looked macabre in comparison to the natural wonder above. Donovan exhaled. It had been a rough month for the alpha. These incidents were panicking our pack leader. If Walker's Law was wiped out, then we'd all be in trouble, in danger even.
Donovan lowered his hands and touched his forehead to the smooth, cool surface of the window pane. The windows were floor-to-ceiling length and lined the entire wall of the lounge. There was a modern, marble fireplace stood at one end of the room, a plasma television stretched and mounted against the wall above. An enormous "U" shaped couch done in plush leather sat in the middle of the lounge and faced the plasma and fireplace. At the other end of the room was a small kitchen area, marble countertops lined the kitchen, a huge refridgerator full of food that ranged from orange juice to huge pieces of raw meat for those of us who fancied being an animal for a while. A small marble island sat in the middle of the area, often surrounded of a morning by wolves who were doing breakfast and getting prepared for the day. It had been an odd sight at first, seeing half a dozen full grown wolves, all drinking coffee, eating pancakes or toast and talking about normal things; celebrities, weather, relationships, work. All the usual things.
Right now most of the wolves were asleep or setting down for bed. Not Donovan. Not me. And not Kane.
Donovan stood at six foot three. He was slender, but toned thanks to the running and swimming he did routinely. He had a pale, cream coloured fur coat with strands of orange and some golden yellow thrown in there. His eyes were the pale green of the forest that his beast resided in. His tail trailed behind him, full and smooth. He'd donned a pair of pale green bottoms and a white tank top. He'd been getting ready for bed when the news report had caught his attention. His eyes held that gentle sadness and glimmer of panic that came with his anxieties and worry for the pack he led. A single silver loop was threaded through one eyebrow.
Silver could harm a wereanimal in large quantities, but a piercing with silver could cause next to no pain. The body just adapted and accepted it until the nerves dulled and the pain disappeared altogether.
"What do you both think then?" he asked as he turned and faced us both.
"Does not bode well for us, does it?" Kane replied.
Kane stood at six foot two. He was more slender than Donovan, and like me he was toned. He was in wolf form, his deep brown eyes held the focus and intelligence that was concealed behind that bestial facade. He had fur that rivalled the night's skies, black with strands of silver and white around the chest and stomach. He was eased back onto the far side of the "U" shaped couch. He had one foot up on the seat, his arms fell down the back of the couch while he gazed up at his alpha. He wore a pair of brown boxer shorts, the deep chocolate shade made his eyes seem lighter somehow. A single, thin scar, pale in comparison to stark black fur, trailed down over his right eye. It never effected his eyesight, it was more of a reminder to him. He looked at me as if he was asking for some input.
I was sat forward. Being five foot nine, I wasn't the tallest out of the three. I was slender and toned like Kane. I had no idea what his sport was, but mine was swimming. The penthouse had access to a private rooftop one, so I usually did lengths there each night to keep toned and agile. Two silver loops were pierced through one ear atop my head. Glimmering as the light caught them from time to time. I sat there, elbows braced on my knees while I looked up at Donovan. That pained expression made me frown. He was doing his best but what was happening in the US would sooner or later affect LA.
"Your doing the best you can, Donovan. The best we can do now is hope it doesn't effect our standing here. None of the wolves, or the wereanimals in LA have caused any trouble."
"So you think its a regional thing?" he asked, considering the idea for a moment, "All those who maddened and have caused incidents were innocent people."
"Innocent people that went mad. Its not unheard of, Donovan," Kane replied.
"True enough, but the people loosing their minds are wereanimals. Why not normal humans?" Donovan asked with a confused look.
I looked out the window over LA and caught my reflection. The bright blue of my eyes looked startling against the dark grey fur. My tail hung behind me, motionless while the pale blue bottoms fit me snug like a glove, and loosened around the legs and ankles. "Could someone be doing this? Causing the wereanimals to madden, I mean?" I asked, looking at the other for ideas. Donovan considered the idea, while Kane looked confused. I often did that to him, confused him with ramblings and awkward moments. I had that effect on alot of the werewolves who lived here.
You may have also noticed that none of us were in human form. Contrary to popular belief the ability to transform from human to werewolf or any wereanimal for that matters happens once, when the person makes that permanent change. So what about the full moon? The full moon still had a sway over us. Emotions ran high, people's anxieties were bolstered, and lusts, desires and wants were all heightened. I had experienced the full moons with Kane and Donovan over the last few months of being here. I knew that we all had a thing for one another, nothing as passionate as love, but some distant flicker that could become something if we allowed it. But there were several things to take into account.
Kane did not do relationships. He lusted for men and pleased many of them in bed, myself included, but he did not want to be strapped down to any one person, wolf or human. And Donovan was our alpha, he could sleep with a male werewolf, but his beast desired an alpha female to mate with. That was one of the prices paid by an alpha of any animal group, their inner beast lusted for an alpha of the opposite sex. I had wondered what a relationship with Donovan Reed would be like and had liked that idea, but his standing prevented it from happening. His inner beast did not recognise me as an alpha female and therefore blanked me. Donovan cuddled with me in bed some nights, and on some level he considered me a kind of distant boyfriend, but if he retained his role as alpha, as King, then our binding was forbidden.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Kane asked, looking up at the other wolf.
"I need to speak with someone in the same predicament as us."
"What do you mean?" I asked looking confused.
"So far none of the other animal groups have contacted one another and asked their opinion. I believe the time to do so is now," he explained as he padded barefoot to stand beside me.
I looked confused and asked, "You make it sound so risky? Why so anxious?"
Kane laughed, a deep, rich sound. He looked at me and grinned, a playful grin. "Still not fully aware of what your involved with, eh? Animal groups do not swap information, they do not coerse with others"
"Just like that, you become one animal and the others must be blanked from then on?"
Kane nodded. "Donovan doesn't think that should be the case, as do a small handful of other alphas. But the more vicious and powerful alphas believe in time-honoured tradition."
"And that tradition is?"
"Each to their own, and none to the rest," Donovan sounded like he was quoting something as he gazed out the window.
"Who did you have in mind?" Kane asked.
"Maximillian of the werelions."
"A good option. He's strong, dependable and not ruled by his lion's proud nature," Kane replied.
"I'll make arrangements for a meeting and we'll see what he has to say on the problems beyond LA's boundaries," Donovan added.
"And until then?" I asked looking cautious.
"Until then, we watch out for one another." Donovan touched a hand to my head and stroked the head fur. He added, "Simple," and touched his lips to my temple.
"Bed time?" I suggested. He nodded, and we all went to our respective bedrooms. The full moon was three nights from now. I could feel the gentle hum of her power, and slept soundly knowing that in the few nights to come I'd be sleeping with Donovan or Kane again. The two were amazing in bed, and did something most men I'd slept with wouldn't, they'd cuddle and hold me while we slept, and when the sun rose they'd still be there, sleeping soundly and wanting to remain in bed with me, another male, for hours to come. The pull of the full moon was more of a green light, whereas our bedroom antics were all desires we had for one another.
It was just leadership and fear that stopped it from being more than good friends with benefits. Donovan's title and Kane's fear of committment made them leave come the following afternoon of a full moon.
Sad, but true.
My name's Eben Black, and this is my life, I suppose.