Warning: If you try to steal my characters, I will hunt you down and shoot you in the face with a bazooka. Or throw my shoes at you. Whichever comes first.
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:*~Blood and Fire
By, Lisa Cooper
By, Lisa Cooper
Chapter 1
Fear, blood, and tears. The smell was so strong, it was almost choking. And the moonlight. The pale, calming, soothing, cleansing moonlight. It shone down on the ravaged village as if pointing out to the dreamer something commonly overlooked. And yes, it was. There, in the center of the village, her head hanging so low the tip of her nose almost touched the blood soaked ground, her ears flattened back against her skull was the bringer of the destruction. The harbringer of death. A lone, miserable looking, she-wolf. Her dense black fur matted with blood and wounds covering her still body.
The dreamer moved in closer to the wolf, wanting to see it better. And she, the wolf, as if sensing someone’s presence, looked up. Straight into the shocked eyes of the dreamer. The dreamer gasped and quickly let the dream slip. As she moved towards wakefulness, the wolf’s piercing silver eyes stayed with her.
Gasping and struggling with the covers, Kiriana van Teva sat up straight as a bolt. Choking on the tears streaming down her face, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Those eyes. Those beautiful, unusual eyes. They wouldn’t leave her mind. So like her own in the fact that they were so unusual.
Shivering and shaking like a leaf caught in the wind, Kiriana swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Walking slowly, she made her way around her room. Picking up clothes and books off the floor and placing them in their proper places.
“But to what purpose?” She asked her room, “To what purpose are my eyes the only ones that are so unique a color? Why am I seeing my lost sister in my dreams?”
Why, to find her, to stop her, to protect her of course. A voice whispered in her mind. Kiriana growled, her eyes flashing brighter as her temper rose with the voice’s answers. Do you not miss your sister? Do you hate her so much? Do not ignore your dreams child. They hold their own power you know. Listen to them and find Ashtyn. Find her and you might save your own soul.
“My soul doesn’t need saving!” She snapped, not noticing that her canines had lengthened and gotten sharper. Oh really? The voice asked, a slight quiver of laughter moving on it. If your soul does not need saving, then would you still be in this confining form? So unlike your sister you are. You’ve let them tame you. You are no better than a lowly dog.
“No!” Her roar of outrage shook the walls and made a picture on the far wall crash to the floor. Shaking with her outrage, she listened to the echoes of the animal like roar. “How dare you,” she growled, her voice sounding almost more animal than human, “How dare you insult me that way. You’re lucky you’re nothing more than a disembodied voice. If you were flesh and blood, and standing here with me, I would have torn you limb from limb right then. You should know me well enough by now to know that I am in no mood for your games this morning. Now get out of my head!”
The voice only laughed. It wasn’t troubled by Kiriana’s threats. It had been hearing them since she first discovered her “curse” at the tender age of twelve. The same age that she had lost her twin sister to it. It was why she cursed her uniquely colored eyes and her outrageous temper daily.
When the laughter finally faded, Kiriana rubbed at her temples with her fingertips. Yes, the voice could be helpful sometimes. But more often than not it was just a nuisance and her inner tormentor. It and the Other.
The other. Blinking, Kiriana stopped rubbing at her temples and stared at nothing in particular. The Other was what she called it. That curse that had taken her sister from her. The Other was a black wolf, so like the one her dream. But not. Instead of piercing silver eyes, the Other would have the same, glowing gold eyes as Kiriana herself.
This is stupid, she thought, shaking her head, Why am I thinking about all of this? Oh, I remember. A grimace crossed her face before she regained control of her composure. The voice and the dream brought it on. Oh well. Time to get ready for the day.
She was about to do just that when a loud roar penetrated her senses. Someone banging on the door made the walls shiver and shake. Poor walls, she thought, a wry smile appearing on her face as she walked to the door, I doubt they’ll survive much longer. All this loud noise shaking them. Poor things.
“Kiriana!” Zero. Kiriana flinched at hearing the anger mixed with fear in her brother’s voice. Guess I’d better let him in before he breaks down the door.
“Kiriana! Open this damned door! Now!”
“Alright, alright. Don’t lose your head now.” Flinging the door open, Kiriana cringed at the sight of her brother. His normally warm brown eyes were now as hard and cold as jewels. “Uh-oh.” She whimpered, averting her eyes and staring at the floor.
“Right,” he growled, glaring at her, “Uh-oh.”
“I’m sorry, Zero,” she whimpered, feeling like a low ranking wolf cowering before the alpha. And in a way, it was very much a correct feeling. Her big brother, Zero van Teva, man and wolf extraordinaire, was the alpha of her pack. Although, Kiriana herself was anything but the low ranking wolf, she was still cowering in front of her brother.
“Uh huh. Like I believe that.” He snorted, still glaring at her. “You do this every morning. What the hell is it that’s got you so riled up? Actually, you know what; you need to claim a mate.” With her shiny, straight black hair, high cheekbones, dusky brown skin and glowing gold eyes, Kiriana was rumored to be one of the most beautiful women in the village.
“A mate?!” She squeaked, looking up at him. “Are you serious? Why?”
“Because it might calm you down,” he replied, nodding as he formed his plans and schemes for finding the perfect mate for his sister.
He’s right you know. A familiar voice commented, It would calm you down a lot. But it wouldn’t rid you of me. Nothing can rid you of me. “No one asked you!” She yelled, startling her brother and some passing pack members in various forms.
She was also rumored to be one of the most dangerous women.
“What did you say?” Zero growled, staring at her with murder in his eyes.
“I wasn’t talking to you Zero,” she snapped, losing her patience. Gawd! He could be so assuming sometimes! “Now, if you’re done planning my life, I have things to do today.” Turning around, she walked back into her room and began loading things into a backpack.
“What things? Where are you going?” He stood in the doorway, glowering at her. What was so important she couldn’t delay for awhile longer to talk to her own brother? He would know where she was going and what she was doing or she wouldn’t go anywhere. Even his fiery sister Kiriana wasn’t stubborn enough to disobey him.
“To find Ashtyn.” Her words made his jaw drop in astonishment. Kiriana hadn’t been to find her lost twin in many, many years. Why was she going now? What in the world was going on?
“Why?” He asked, following after her as she pushed past him and began walking. “Why after so many years of not looking are you now going to try and find her? You know as well as I, maybe better, that she is lost to us.”
Kiriana stopped and turned to look at her brother. Zero. Wonderful, strong, happy Zero. Zero with his white blonde hair, warm brown eyes, and tan skin. He wouldn’t understand if she told him. He wouldn’t understand that she needed to find out exactly what her dreams were telling her. And to find her sister.
“Because I just have too.” She whispered, slowly backing up as she did, grateful for the thick fog that was rolling in. “Don’t worry. I’ll find her and then I’ll come back. But in the meantime, find someone to replace me. I love you brother, remember that. Good-bye.” And then the fog swallowed her and she disappeared to follow something that had no name and find what it was that her dreams were trying to tell her.
Zero stayed right where she’d left him, pondering what she’d told him. He would find someone to replace her for the time being. Yes, that he would do. But not worry? That was something he couldn’t do. Because, no matter how strong, how stubborn, how smart his sister might be, she could still be easily overtaken. She was weaker than the rest of them. Not changing and refusing the wolf had done that to her. But hopefully, she would come back to the pack safe and whole.
“Baku,” he whispered, sending a prayer to their god, the first wolf, “Keep her safe for me. Please.” Done, he turned back to his own life. Kiriana was on her own now. And he would find a way to get on with life as usual without her to give him valuable advice concerning pack life.
Chapter 2
Shivering slightly in the cold wind, Kiriana pulled the hood of her cloak over her head as she walked. The wind rattling the leaves of the trees made the walk almost eerie. But not quite.
“Besides,” she muttered, scowling slightly, “I am the Beta of my pack. Second in Command. What do I, sister to the great alpha Zero van Teva, have to fear?”
How about me? The voice asked. Kiriana growled and ignored it. You know it’s true, the voice chuckled, sending shivers of apprehension down its host’s spine, You have me to fear. And the Other and Ashtyn.
“Leave my sister out of it,” she growled. Oh! The kitten has claws! Or would; ‘the pup has teeth’ be more appropriate? The voice laughed at Kiriana’s growl of anger. But you know it as well as I do that it is true, the voice commented, sobering slightly, You fear the Other and Ashtyn. But you must confront them both if you are to survive much longer in this world.
“I’ve survived quite well without Changing, thank you.” Sighing in frustration, she sat down on a rock and hid her face with her hands. Why her of all people? Why must the voice criticize and ridicule her? Why not someone else? Why couldn’t the curse have taken someone else’s sister?
“Are you alright?” Someone asked, very close to her.
Startled, Kiriana jumped up and whirled into a defensive crouch, her features slightly wolf like in their appearance. Growling, she warily eyed the intruder. A creature like her, though he was far from being a wolf. Bright green eyes, reddish brown hair that stuck out at all angles, darkly tanned skin, and well muscled. Who is he? She wondered, slowly relaxing as she studied him.
“Are you, by chance, a cat of some type?” She asked warily, ready to run if he decided that she was a threat to his territory.
“Of course,” he said, smiling warmly at her, “I’m a cougar. How did you know?”
“Because you don’t smell like any type of canine I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet,” she replied, leveling a stare at him. Or misfortune in some cases.
“Oh,” he blinked and then smiled again, “Well that makes sense! May I ask, why are you out here? Traveling alone?”
“That, cougar,” she growled, bending and picking her pack up off the ground where she’d dropped it, “Is none of your business.” Saying that, she pushed her way past him and continued walking.
She was halfway down the path when she heard footsteps behind her. Gritting her teeth, she turned to tell the bothersome cougar off only to find nothing there. Growling, she turned back around and continued walking. When she heard the footsteps again, she didn’t bother to turn around.
“Quit following me cougar,” she growled not stopping once to look back.
“Cougar? Woman, your nose must be broken.” The voice was deeper than the cougar’s had been. And it scared her worse than the cougar had.
Whipping around, she growled nervously at the big stranger. He was wolf, that she could tell right away. Why hadn’t she smelled him earlier? Shrugging the question off, she studied him warily.
This wolf, whoever he was, was bigger than even her brother. His hair was darker than midnight, but also had strands in it that made it look like it had captured the sun. His skin was a dark bronze color and his eyes were a deep sparkling amber that captured and held her in place.
“Who are you?” She asked him, wary of this stranger and yet undeniably attracted to him. Something about him made her think of carefree days and nights, plenty of prey, and a love that was like no other.
“No one important,” he said, smiling a warm yet mysterious smile. “Are you nervous?” His eyes glittered as he watched her. He knew, oh yes he knew that she was attracted to him.
“No,” she growled, spinning on her heel and walking away. And she wasn’t the least bit surprised when he started following her almost immediately. “Why are you following me exactly?”
“You smelled and looked like you needed company.” He kept a respectful distance behind her, as if she were the alpha of a pack.
“Mmhmm. What about the cougar? I thought he was following me. At least, he gave me the impression he was.” She frowned and tilted her head to the right, listening closely. Was that laughter she heard in some nearby trees?
“Who? Patrick?” The man laughed and nodded. Kiriana shivered and was glad he couldn’t see the look in her eyes right then. The man’s laughter was rich and full and sent shivers down her spine. “Aye, he’s following you. Though I daresay that you must be distracted indeed to have not heard him.”
Kiriana flushed bright red and ducked her head as she walked. It would soon be time to find a place to settle down for the night. The sky was darkening and big rain clouds were moving in. I wonder, she thought, glancing up at the sky, Where Ashtyn is and if she’s okay. And will these two strangers stay with me for the whole journey? Or will they soon get bored and wander off?
To her surprise, she almost wished that they would stay with her for a good long while. Especially the wolf. She shivered as she thought of him. He was nice to look at, that’s for sure. Extremely well muscled, uniquely colored hair and eyes, and dark bronze skin. She purred low in her throat and suppressed another shiver.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Kiriana looked up into the bright green eyes of the cougar and swore under her breath. She needed to keep her mind on the things at hand, not some wolf that had randomly appeared out of nowhere.
“No,” she said, shaking her head and pushing past him.
“Awe, why not?”
Stupid cougar, she thought, ignoring him as best she could. Just wait, the voice chuckled, making a shiver run down her spine, Because I’ll bet you he gets more annoying as the journey progresses. And then what will you do? Will you cast him out of the pack? If you did that, Baku would not be pleased.
“Baku is not their god,” she muttered, pushing the voice out of her mind and scanning for a safe dry place to bed down for the night.
“Baku is not whose god?” The stranger asked her, silently walking up behind her.
“Never you mind,” she said, silently wondering how he did it. A man like him would make a wonderful ally, but a horrifying enemy. Best to keep him in the pack, she thought. “What’s your name?”
“Why do you want to know my name so badly?” He’d asked it calmly enough, but something in his voice struck a nerve with her.
“Because,” she growled, whipping around to face him, “I will not keep calling you Stranger. I refuse to! You need a name or you and the cougar can leave and let me journey in peace! Understand, wolf?!”
He smiled a slow, sexy smile that sent shivers running through her. Oh why must he be so appealing?! She was supposed to be trying to find her lost sister, not some guy that made her hot all over. And why did he have to have such a knowing look in his eyes? Baku kill me now, she pleaded silently with her god.
“I need a name do I?” He smiled, moving like a predator who knows he has his prey cornered and at his mercy, “Then give me a name. Any name you want to call me by. And I will answer to it. But don’t drag Patrick into this. He’s done nothing wrong.”
Kiriana visibly shivered at his nearness. He had her pinned back against an old oak. Don’t move, she silently begged, hoping he would get the message, Kiss me and don’t turn away. Don’t return to being the respectful pack member. Please just kiss me and silence my singing blood. Please.
“Adrian,” she murmured, blinking large, glowing gold eyes at him. “May I call you Adrian?”
“Of course,” he whispered, leaning closer to her, looking as if he were about to kiss her. “Anything you want. And I will obey.”
“Ki-“ She started, but was cut off by Patrick calling back to them.
“Hey you two! C’mon! I found a fairly large cave where we can stay dry for the night!”
Adrian laughed and pushed away from her, following the sound of Patrick’s chattering voice. Kiriana growled low in her throat. “Dangerous,” she muttered, taking big gulps of air, “I’m playing with fire. It’d be better if I just told them both to go home. I wouldn’t have to deal with my blood singing at his very nearness. Or that crazy cougar.”
But I thought you loved playing with fire! Kiriana growled at the voice’s mocking tone. Tut tut child, didn’t your mother teach you any manners? “Yeah,” she muttered sarcastically, “She taught me never to talk to strangers. What about you voice? Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to bug people?” Now, now. You know I’ve never had a mother! The voice laughed at Kiriana’s exasperation.
Muttering about appealing males and rude voices, Kiriana made her way slowly to the cave. When she reached it, she stopped dead in her tracks. There were others in the cave that didn’t belong to her little pack.
“Patrick,” she growled, moving closer to him and Adrian, “Why didn’t you tell me that the cave was already inhabited?”
“Because I asked him not to.” The voice was light, very feminine. Turning, Kiriana’s nose was assaulted by the mixed scents of wolf and cougar. A half-breed? Shaking her head, she looked around the cave. They were all mixed scents of something or another. One was even Lion and Tiger. And he was huge. Bigger than Adrian even.
Dangerous, she thought, her eyes returning to study the young woman before her. She couldn’t be more than maybe eighteen years old. “Who are you and why aren’t you with your family?” She asked her, her instinct to protect the young overriding her caution.
“My name is Aba and my family is dead.” Her green-gold eyes were hard and cold as ice, her reddish brown hair sticking out at all different angles. “Who are you and why are you out here traveling in Half-Breed Forest?”
“Kiriana van Teva. I’m searching for my lost twin sister.” She watched Aba’s eyes flash before returning to their original icy state. “Her other form took control of her and she’s been missing for twelve years now.”
“Well then she’s probably dead by now,” Aba sneered. This stupid pure breed wasn’t going to act all high and mighty while she was taking shelter in her domain. If she had to, she would chase her out herself. “And besides, if she’s been gone twelve years, why go searching for her now?”
“That is none of your goddamned business!” She growled, her muscles bunching and tensing. Insolent little twit! How dare she criticize her! She knew nothing of the torment she’d endured these past twelve years! “Watch your tongue when you speak of my sister, half-breed! I won’t tolerate such disrespect from anyone when it comes to her!”
Aba answered with her own rumbling growl. And when they would have lashed out at each other with nails and teeth bared, the big Lion-Tiger half-breed stepped in and wrapped a strong arm around Aba’s shoulders. Adrian too came and pulled Kiriana back to a safer distance.
“Kiri,” he murmured softly in her ear, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back against him, “Calm down. She’s under a lot of stress right now.”
“What do you mean?” She growled, baring her teeth at the young half-breed standing across from her, who was struggling with her own captor.
“What I mean is, see that half breed that’s holding her?” He went on as soon as she nodded. “That’s her mate. And Aba is pregnant with their first child. She’s also trying to keep a hold on the others. There’s a lot of half breeds here that don’t get along with each other simply because their instincts tell them that there’s certain people here who are dangerous to them. Understand?”
Kiriana nodded and slowly calmed down. She wouldn’t fight Aba. Not today at least. Though the next time they met might be different. Something about her just rubbed her the wrong way. Perhaps it was because they both had the blood of alphas running in their veins. Yeah, she snickered, That’s what it is. We’re both alphas.
“Has Patrick found a place for us to bed down in here, by the way?” She asked, her mind turning from fights to much needed sleep. Adrian nodded and started towards the back of the cave, where Patrick was sitting talking to a cougar half-breed. She skittered away nervously when Kiriana and Adrian approached.
“Please, sit back down. We don’t bite,” Kiriana said, gesturing to the now empty spot next to Patrick.
“Kiriana, Adrian,” Patrick said, smiling warmly up at the half breed standing next to him, “This is Paka Ellery. She’s a human-cougar half breed.”
Paka smiled nervously at the two wolves in front of her, nervousness making her whole body quiver and shake. They looked shocked. And of course they would be. Human half breeds were even rarer than beings such as Aba. Oh no. The one that Patrick had addressed as Kiriana looked as if she might throw her out. Please no, she thought, quivering slightly in fear.
“Well Paka,” she started, giving her a very tired smile, “Welcome to the pack. Now sit down so I can sleep.” Three new pack members in one day. You certainly seem to have a talent for picking up strays, Kiriana. Or is it Kiri now? The voice laughed, seeming to not notice that she wasn’t bothering to answer.
“Oh! Thank you, thank you!” Paka squealed, jumping over the fire and hugging Kiriana, a happy purr rumbling in her chest. “Thank you, thank you! You won’t be sorry! I promise! I’ll be a great addition to your pack!”
“Alright!” Kiriana snapped, gently disentangling herself from the overeager half breed. “Alright, I get it. But rule one, don’t touch me! Now, go back over there and sit with Patrick. All I want to do right now is sleep. Please and thank you.”
Eyes downcast, Paka slowly retreated to the other side of the fire, sitting down next to a scowling Patrick. “Yes, ma’am,” she murmured, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.
“Thank you,” Kiriana said, standing up and walking over to a dark corner, away from the rest of them. “And good night.” Saying that, she lay down and promptly fell asleep.
Patrick threw a look at Adrian once she had fallen asleep. “When are you going to tell her?” He asked him. Adrian glanced over at him and smiled warningly.
“Patience little kitty cat. She’ll find out soon enough who I really am. But for now just let her continue to call me Adrian. It seems to make her happy.”
“It’d make her even happier if you mated her,” Patrick scoffed.
“That,” Adrian growled, leveling a glare at the unflinching cougar, “Isn’t going to happen. You know what would happen if I did. It is forbidden.”
“Pfft!” The cougar laughed, coughing to cover it up. “Rules. Who needs ‘em? Look at me. I’m going to go after this little one sitting next to me. In fact, I might just make her my permanent mate.”
“What about Lolinda?” Adrian asked, arching a brow at his friend. “Won’t she be upset? You and her were the first, and you can’t easily change that.”
“Lolinda already broke it off,” the cougar growled, his normally laughing eyes glaring at the wolf across from him, “So I’m free to do what I want.”
“I am sorry to hear that my friend,” the wolf said, reaching over and placing a hand on Patrick’s shoulder, “And I hope you are happy with her.” They both looked at Paka, who was fast asleep. In her sleep, the half breed’s hair glinted like gold in the firelight and her pale blue eyes were hidden by dark gold lashes. Her pale skin looked soft enough to touch and fragile enough that if one laid so much as a finger on her, she would break.
“I hope so too,” he murmured, his eyes not straying from Paka lying so trustingly amongst them. “Well, no use thinking on it too much. So I suggest we sleep while we can. Because who knows what tomorrow will bring.”
Adrian nodded in agreement and lay down close to Kiriana. Not close enough that she might freak and think he was trying to seduce her, though that was an appealing thought. But close enough he could keep an eye on her. Sighing forlornly, he fell into a dreamless sleep.
