Content Notice: Cinematic Violence, Nudity
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"Truly, Genevieve, I had hoped you would be a positive
influence on Miranda," Luna sighed. "Instead, she was clearly a bad
influence on you. I shouldn't be surprised, given that she chose to associate
with troublemakers like Mariah Basso, degenerates like Claudette Faust and, of
course, those horrid werewolves."
"You work with gangsters and vampires, mom," Genie
said, gesturing at Mr. Grey and Betty Bow. "You're basically plotting
world domination with the alien dark elf men in black."
"Mr. Grey is a professional," Luna said coolly.
"And as I am certain Lady Bow has already told you, she has severed her
ties with the Dark Court. As for the... what did you call them? Alien dark elf
men in black? We share a common goal... the end of the shadow war, which will
bring peace and order to our world. Once they control the Moonwood and Crossing
is complete, we will do just that."
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"I count four, with automatic weapons," Lily
snarled.
Jake tasted the air, breathing in the acrid smell of
gunpowder, of the oil and metal of the guns, and the not-human scent of the svartalves themselves.
It was difficult to be sure, but they smelled... focused. The scent reminded
Jake oddly of Lumber Jackson when he went deer hunting. No excitement. No
anger. Just calm determination.
They were hunting him, Jake realized. They were hunting his
family. His pack. His people.
Jake felt the snarl rise in his throat. They had chosen the
wrong prey.
"We need to get past these guys and join up with the
Moonrunners. They're closest," Jake said, stripping off his shirt.
Clothes got in the way of the Change. Sometimes that was enough to prevent
impetuous transformation, but at times like this it was a nuisance.
Beside him, Lily had already tossed aside her hat and dress.
Her scent, fierce and wild, mingled with his own. Lily might be a wise elder,
but she was a Wolf as strong and untamed as any he'd known. She was eager to
defend the pack's territory.
"Miranda, can you help?" Jake added.
"You two take the ones on the left," Miranda said, her voice shockingly calm. Under the intoxicating aroma of her magic, her scent was as fierce and wild as Lily. Jake realized he hadn't really needed to ask. Moonwood Mill had been Miranda's home once. She would protect it. "I'll take the two on the right."
"I always said you were trouble," Lily said with a
fierce smile.
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"Three of them, three of us," Demarco said with a
savage grin. "Hardly seems fair."
Across the yard of the community garden, the assassin Mallory and her men in black had stopped their advance. Clearly they were reconsidering their strategy now that they had been detected, despite their weird alien jedi mind-tricks.
"Lux, you were right," Etta said, her voice breathless, her words tumbling over each other. "I
love Miranda."
"What?!" Mariah gasped. She really hadn't expected that. Well, she had expected it, but she hadn't expected Etta to say it!
"Mariah, I swear to you I will never again do anything to take her away from you," Etta added earnestly. "She loves you. You make her happy. I'm happy that she's happy... because... I guess... I really do love her."
"You're seriously doing this now!?" Demarco snapped.
"Lux, you were right about something else too,"
Etta continued, speaking over her. "A lot of witches are
polyamorous... including apparently me. Because, no matter what I feel for
Miranda, I love you, Lux. I am madly, head over heels in love with
you. I don't want to be friends-with-benefits, or fuckbuddies, or just leave
what we have undefined anymore. I want to be with you. I want to be your
girlfriend... and I needed to say that... because we might die."
"To Hell with this. I'm going to live," Demarco
snarled.
"Did you just quote Firefly?" Etta
blinked.
"You know, I didn't like the second season as
much," Mariah commented.
"Ladies, can we please focus," Demarco groaned,
stripping off her shirt.
"Not when you do that," Mariah muttered.
"Damn girl."
Mallory forced herself to watch as the theriomorph
transformed in an almost blinding burst of psychokinetic energy. Even with her
limited mind-sight, she could sense the aberration's fury and feel the
confused muddle of emotions, anger-lust-fear-confidence, from its human
companions.
The beast snarled a challenge while the humans moved into skillful fighting postures.
Mallory knew what had to be done. Agent Light had been wrong, she thought. Any doubts
about the mission came from the implanted thoughts and memories of another
woman. A failed prototype who had not understood her purpose. I am loyal, she
told herself firmly. I serve Peace and Order.
"Keep one of the humans alive for questioning,"
Mallory said coldly. "Kill the other and the witness. The theriomorph is
mine."
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"Why the Moonwood?" Jenny asked. "Sorry, but
it's just been bugging me. I mean, I get that it's supposed to be this whole special
magical convergence thing... but still. Aren't there any special magical
convergences that don't have towns full of werewolves sitting on them?"
"I wondered that myself," Luna replied. "The
Settlers were quite insistent on the Moonwood as the new primary location for
their research. It turns out, for all their science and technology, the
Settlers are obsessed with their own ancient myths.
"One of those myths says that a ancient witch of the
Moonwood, Avelina, was able to see through the Veil into their native Realm.
The Settlers believe this vision represents a weak point in the barrier between
our two worlds. Their original portal to our world was destroyed during the
Century War. They hope to create a new one at this weak point."
"Crossing," Genie gasped. "A bridge between
their world and ours. It really is an invasion."
"Hardly," Rohan scoffed. "They want to help
us bring order, not conquer us."
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"Why are you doing this?" Beth Volkov asked.
"Your kind was created to serve as warriors in the ancient war
against the vampires," Hand replied coldly. "That war has continued
for centuries. You are a failed experiment. You have no purpose."
"We’re people, not weapons," Beth pointed out.
"You are aberrations. You are a threat to the Project.
You must be removed,” Hand said. Turning his attention to his earpiece, he addressed
his commandos. "Team Two, report status. Team Two… report. "
"You might find we’re not so easy to remove, " Beth snarled softly.
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"Team Two, report," Hand growled in growing
frustration. "All Teams, report! I require a status update."
"I'm afraid your men can't come to the phone right
now," a rough voice that certainly was not one their Protectors snarled in
response. "Can I take a message?"
"Mr. Volkov? I am impressed," Hand replied
smoothly. "Clearly, I underestimated you."
"Live and learn," Jake growled. "Pack up and
get the hell out of my town before my sister finds you, you might have a chance
to do both."
"Amusing," Hand replied, with no trace of humor.
"However, I believe you will find that I have not underestimated Ms.
Oaklow and her associate. You should also be aware that I am currently holding
several hostages, including Elizabeth Volkov and your offspring. You will come
to the town library and surrender yourself within twenty minutes, if you want
to see them again, alive."
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"Son of a bitch," Jake said, taking deep breaths
to control his fury. "He's got Beth and Di, and who knows who else, in the
library. He'll kill them if I don't surrender in twenty minutes."
"He means to kill you all," Miranda said
quietly.
"The Moonrunners are hurt but they'll live," Lily
said. "What about these fellows?" she added, glancing at the
frozen svartalf commandos.
"They'll live," Miranda replied. "It will
take them a while to thaw out, but they'll live."
"Find somewhere secure to put them before they
do," Jake said.
"I've got a good root cellar that should do the
trick," Lily smiled.
Sobering, she added, "You know you can't
surrender."
"I don't intend to," Jake snarled. "Lily,
stay here and look after the Moonrunners. If he's up to it, get Daniel to help
you secure our... captives. The creep on the radio said he'd taken out Rory and
Lou, but that might be a bluff. I need to check on them. We could use their
help. Miranda, I hate to ask more of you but..."
"Jake, you never have to ask," Miranda said.
"We're getting Beth and Di back, and then we're taking the town
back."
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Author's note - Poses from modders including Pandora,
Simmerianne93 and SamSims (with apologies if I used some from someone I forgot
to credit). -L
