Blood Witch (7 page)

Friday came on them quickly, like most weekends. Weekdays were usually uneventful,
but on the weekends, that was when the good stuff went down. But Friday also had the
excitement of the full moon. And full moon meant every Opposite went neutral. You
broke neutrality and you got an automatic death sentence, no excuses. Everyone usually
took off, most to Yosemite National Park and others to some deserted campsite.

The bears liked Yosemite, which was known for its bears. The wolves were torn between
there and the hills where the other camp areas were. Even on a neutral night, they
liked being away from Supervisors. They had to try to act decent and well, that was
not a wolf thing.

Supervisors had strings everywhere. Up high, down low, in dirty drug alleys to the
capital. So on full moons usually Yosemite was closed down to only Opposites. Supervisors
patrolled just in case a human got to close. And it happened from time to time.

Full moons used to be scary as a were they tried to live a life as normal as they
could, but when the moon called a were could never turn away from her. As the years
went on, they decided to embrace the moon. What better way to celebrate the moon but
with carnival games and rides. The younger wereanimals would change and bound off
for little prey while the tougher ones tried to hold out to see who could fight the
change the longest. It was macho business Leslie wanted nothing to do with.

She and Collin watched as Patrick tried to get his third ball in the basket. It bounced
off the rim. “Well, that sucked,” Collin said. “We should go back to the balloon darts.
You’re a champ at those.”

A few howls rode the spring winds; some of the wolves in the crowd raised their faces
and sniffed. Wolves liked to mate on the full moon, tons of exceptions can be made
when you are no longer human. The air held pine, cotton candy, fried foods and a hint
of blood. Leslie loved full moon mostly because of the scents, partly for the cheap
rides and games. She loved not having to worry about being a Supervisor and just existing
along with the others. Here she wasn’t the freak she had felt like since she was young.

The three walked along the games, while the carnies shouted for players and more importantly,
money. Leslie’s hair rose as she felt the call. Her eyes looked at the moon, shining
brightly above the valley, and then she looked ahead. Nathan walked through the crowd,
his second and third standing on either side of him like good enforcers. All were
clans were the same. You had your king or queen and their mate if they had one, their
enforcers, then the alphas, and then the pets of the group, the lessers. But unlike
the wolves, wherein Jonathan was all powerful, Nathan gave the Bears a say to a point.
Letting them vote for what the world sees as a school council. You have the secretary,
the treasurer, and so on.

He stopped as did his two enforcers. “Hi guys, having fun I see?” Nathan said, noticing
the stuffed animals Patrick carried.

“Totally all his,” Collin said. “He’s trying to get the big one.”

“Aren’t we all,” Jorge, Nathan’s third said with a warm smile directed at Patrick.
Leslie and Collin noticed the exchange of smiles between them and the wink. She noticed
as well that neither Nathan nor Albert had noticed the exchange. Actually, Albert
seemed to be glaring at her. He leaned in and whispered something to Nathan.

“Now is not the time,” he said in a low voice. He left the two enforcers and walked
over to her. “Can we talk for a second?”

“Sure.” She handed her stuffed monkey to Patrick’s ever growing mound. She let him
lead her into the darkness.

He had no destination in mind, he just walked. “Don’t mind Albert, he’s just mad about
the whole basement thing.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m still mad.”

His hand moved. Her heart started to speed up at the thought of him touching her.
Her body yearned for it, and oh so much more. It made her skin heat up; just then
the call of the moon hit her, making her knees weak. Nathan grabbed her, making sure
she didn’t fall. The power of it went from her into him. He looked at the moon, his
eyes turning that green-gold which she now thought of as his bear eyes.

He closed his eyes, and shivered. “Not yet,” he said to himself and opened his eyes,
looking at her. “You feel her? You feel the moon.” They all referred to the moon as
a her as it has always been, worshiped back in early pagan days. The moon is deity,
a goddess, and she controlled the change of the weres, her children.

It is said that Goddess mated with each animal and bore them children which could
be half two legged and half four legged. They were to be powerful, but people feared
that they did not know and started to hunt the half changers. They started to fight
back and for a while Earth became a dark war zone. That was until the treaty was signed.

“I do, always have. I’ve never told anyone.”

“Blood witches are touched I know. I heard you guys have more power on the full moon,
but not touched like a wereanimal. That is how I feel her. You don’t change?”

She shook her head and stepped away from him. “No, but my skin feels on fire at times.”

The moon touched her once more. And again her knees felt as if they were going to
give in. He grabbed her, and guided her behind a group of big redwoods. She pushed
him away. “You have to stop touching me. You start something I can’t control.” She
looked at his handsome face. “I want…” she stopped shaking her head.

He studied her in silence for a while. “It’s been worse since the basement?”

“This is the worst it has ever been.” The moon called her again, and she grabbed onto
the tree. Her eyes closed tight, pinching out a tear as her spine bowed in pain. And
then a calming hand seemed to smother over her. She opened her eyes. Nathan wasn’t
touching her, but his hands ran up and down her body. His eyes were focused as his
hands moved. The pain left. She let go of the tree only to collapse in his arms.

“I can only stop the pain for so long. You can’t have a beast or you would have changed
way before this, but you are going through the change.”

“Oh excuse me,” a man said as he rounded the corner. He was a rather normal looking
man. He stood five-eight, with brown hair cut short, he wore slacks and a nice jacket
for the cool spring evening in the valley. His head seemed more oval and heavy than
normal, giving it an almost ancient look. Cavemany. No wrinkles, but laugh lines,
around the mouth and eyes, very smooth almost young looking skin. And they all knew
that he loved to laugh. His nose seemed almost bulbous in shape, but it was his eyes
that made him seem more then what he was. White, no pupils, no nothing. His presence
disturbed Opposites and humans all the same.

“It’s okay Mr. Forever. Leslie is feeling ill.”

“My dear, the moon seems to be affecting you more than normal. I find that very interesting.”
He put the cigar he was holding back into his mouth. “Sorry, the girls don’t like
me smoking around them, says it’ll kill me.” He chuckled at his little joke.

“You know that I feel the moon?”

“I know a lot of things.”

Mr. Forever is and has always been known by that name. It’s rumored that he had been
around since the earth was created. Some whisper he is God, others say an angel, banned
from heaven but too stubborn to work for the devil. There are rumors that he is cursed
by Goddess to live forever as punishment for killing someone very close to her. No
one knows much, other than if you need a question answered you can go to Mr. Forever,
but some times the price can be much more than you want to pay.

“I’ve got bear in me, don’t I?” Leslie asked.

He gave a raspy chuckle that turned into a big belly laugh, bending him over. He finally
calmed down, straitening up he fixed his jacket. “That is what I like about you Leslie.
You just come right out and ask questions. Never once asking about a price. You also
don’t seem scared or weirded out by me.”

“You weird me out, Mr. Forever. I just hide it better than the others.”

“Good answer. I like that. I like you.” Nathan, who had been holding her, clutched
her tighter. “From what I remember your great uncle was a bear, he had no children,
but from what I remember, which is hard for a man my age,” he said with a small smirk.
“Your line goes on for some time of bear and blood witch.”

“I can’t be both,” she said.

“Yes, you can have the bear tendencies. You are like a mix-breed. Your body fought
the blood, and made you a blood witch instead of a bear. Rare, I do say since the
bear blood I thought would be more dominant. You do come from a very long line of
very powerful witches, each taught to suppress the power to survive being burned at
the stake, and for a while only the werebear came out. But now it seems your blood
wanted to be a were-blood witch. You should bring the boys over one night, and we
will talk more about this. For now, experiment, maybe you will get more powers, maybe
you have already started to see them, and maybe there is more of a change waiting
for you.”

A chill ran through her, making her run her hands over her arms. The thought of more
power scared her; she didn’t even know what to do with what she already had. It just
seemed to get her in trouble. “I don’t think I need any more power.”

He tsked her. “My dear, we both know deep down that everyone wants more. Next week,
I will be looking forward to your visit.”

They watched as Mr. Forever disappeared into the darkness. “I think Mr. Forever might
like you.”

She shivered again at the thought. It wasn’t a very nice thought, having the oldest
being in the world like you. “Are you jealous?” she teased weakly.

He gave her a thoughtful look. “Perhaps.”

She knew she couldn’t hide the flush that she felt blossom on her face. But before
she could say anything, Carlotta and Rich walked by. Leslie pushed him against the
tree hiding them in the shadow. “Is the strength new?” he whispered.

She shrugged. “I guess.” She watched them disappear around some bushes. “Come on.”

“Leslie, this is all neutral tonight.”

“I know but still, come on. Those two are up to something, and I think it might have
to do with that basement.”

They followed behind them at a good enough distance not to be detected, and finally
found themselves hiding in some thick brush. In front of them were a bunch of werewolves.
Jonathan sat alone on a fallen tree trunk. He seemed to be shaking as if cold. Carlotta,
hitched over with age and smelling of herbs, stopped close by their hiding spot. She
leaned heavily on her cane as Rich talked.

“I can’t keep making this. I am running out of supplies, soon I’ll be all out,” she
said.

“I’ll help. We can do it together. We have already passed it along, and it’s going
to make you a lot of money.”

“I like money, and if you help then maybe we can get a lot more done. Here,” she pulled
a small bottle of liquid from her pocket. “Jonathan looks like he needs it. But unless
I can get new supplies there isn’t going to be more.” She turned and left.

Rich went over to Jonathan taking out an insulin syringe from his coat pocket. He
stuck it in the bottle, and checked by the light of the moon to make sure he had it
right. Jonathan struggled out of his jacket looking at the needle. Rich stabbed the
syringe into Jonathan’s right upper arm. Jonathan shoved him away hard, and threw
back his head, howling.

“I smell bear,” he said as he looked around. His eyes swept by them twice.

“We are in bear country,” James said.

“I think someone saw what happened. Go check!” He got to his feet but already his
face began to transform into his wolf muzzle.

Nathan grabbed her arm, and they took off running. She ran with him, not quite as
fast, but enough to keep from falling on her face. He stopped quickly pressing her
up against a tree, and pressed his lips hard against hers. From the corner of her
eye, she saw a wolf briefly stop to watch. She kissed him back with just as much ferocity,
making it look real. She closed her eyes, hoping the wolf had left, but wanting to
enjoy the kiss. But Nathan pulled away. His eyes were now more of a goldish green,
they were large and bright.

“It’s time,” he said in a whisper. “Get back to Collin. You don’t want to see this.”

“Don’t think I can handle it?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want you to see me do this, the change is hard.”

She gave him a small smile. “It’s in my blood, remember. You change, I can take it.”

He shook his head, and before she could blink an eye his t-shirt hit her in the face.
She grabbed it, as he unbuttoned his jeans. She turned around then, face beat red.
“You can take it huh?” he growled at her.

“I’m giving you privacy.” She heard him move behind her. He let out a small groan.
And a small groan escaped her lips, as the moon call hit her again, hard. Nathan used
his power and took the call for her. Then there was the sick wet sound, and the sound
of breaking bones. She turned around to face the huge bear looking at her with those
lovely gold eyes. She had never seen him or Patrick in bear form. He was huge like
all bears, the size of a horse.

He turned his head, as if wondering if she was scared. She walked to him hand out.
His large tongue licked it; the texture was that almost of a dog, just larger and
wetter. She ran her hands through his unbelievably soft gold brown fur, that electricity
still there, traveling up through her arms.

“I bet you have to get to your clan,” she said. He gave a small roar.

“Have fun, I’ll see you later,” she said and watched him bound off into the trees.

Sound behind her startled her just a bit; she turned but not quick enough as pain
exploded in her head, she didn’t see stars or birds. But as the darkness ate her,
she felt another pain, one which didn’t belong to her. She knew who it belonged too.
She passed out before she could call out to him.