Chapter 1
October 1st
The glow of the moon lit the hard ground, trees casting monstrous shadows almost to the edges of the concrete. Plenty of places for enemies to hide; enemies of man and enemies of myth could weave through the dark, not to be seen. They lurked in the night, ready to attack.
Footsteps crunched across the pavement while the winds whipped in search of something to splatter against, dying only at the line of the woods. The branches flew about, spilling leaves onto the earth.
The animal heard more footsteps, another kind of hunter, not one of his own. The slow echoes of the other hunter’s trek, disguised by the whipping winds, were almost undetectable to the prey.
The other was darker, a mythical lust spilling off him as he stalked. The lust, far beyond what a human could comprehend, eroded the air around the creature, choking the animal on its horrid stench of sick desire.
This mortal enemy would attack.
The animal waited no more—the other would soon know that he was not the only mythical in the field this night.
The human prey, forgotten by the animal, moved closer into danger.
Air currents shifted, bringing a smell to the animal, the smell of female—a lacing of floral, of sweetness, and of death. An odd combination to be certain, but nonetheless the scent was there.
The animal continued.
The closer he got to the hunter, the stronger the floral scent. The stronger the smell of the floral, the stronger the hunter’s own smell increased.
The animal was almost there.
The hunter emerged from the shadows, heading straight for the floral-scented one.
Boom.
Thud.
Attack, went the animal.
*
Marissa Van Dyke rubbed her head and she pushed herself off the ground… Where was she?
A howl filled the night air.
She jumped, making her head pound.
There, not twenty feet from her, were two beings locked in mortal combat. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
The dimness of the night swirled around her.
A hard crash, and one of the combatants flew across the ground.
The… Was it a dog?
It howled, whatever it was, and put itself between her and the attacker. It glanced back at her, and green eyes—greener than anything she’d ever seen—flashed an intense, brilliant warning.
The other attacker surged forward, the dog flying through the air again.
My God, that dog was huge!
With an enormous leap, the dog-monster attacked the man.
Again, she tried to scream, but no sound came out.
The dog hit the man, sending him flying to the ground; it dug its teeth into the man, scratching, and she smelled the tainted odor of blood as the dog ripped at the man’s flesh.
The man managed to push off the dog; his face contorted and he hissed. White fangs flashed in the night.
The dog growled, standing in front of her, guarding her from the creature.
She shook her head, and everything suddenly pulsed with the beat of her heart.
The man took off, leaping into the sky, instantly a shadow against the moonlight.
She watched the man disappear up in the air, now lost against the inky blackness.
Men can fly, right? Of course they can.
The dog came toward her, stopping a few feet away. It knelt in front of her, its head down, and whimpered. Those green eyes stared at her.
She reached up, caressing its muzzle, and it inched across the ground to her again, the way a pet would curl up to its master. It brought its head to her lap, nuzzling her stomach and side as it curled itself around her.
This animal had saved her. This animal with green eyes.
Green eyes. Green eyes. Green eyes .
The words pulsed in her brain.
“Tha…” she started to say.
She collapsed to the ground.
*
“She’s coming around,” came a voice.
“Good,” came another.
Marissa blinked, met by dark male eyes staring down at her, appraising. “Hey,” said the man. His size was massive, yet his eyes radiated warmth and compassion.
She started to sit up, looking around. What? Where was she?
“It’s okay,”
October 1st
The glow of the moon lit the hard ground, trees casting monstrous shadows almost to the edges of the concrete. Plenty of places for enemies to hide; enemies of man and enemies of myth could weave through the dark, not to be seen. They lurked in the night, ready to attack.
Footsteps crunched across the pavement while the winds whipped in search of something to splatter against, dying only at the line of the woods. The branches flew about, spilling leaves onto the earth.
The animal heard more footsteps, another kind of hunter, not one of his own. The slow echoes of the other hunter’s trek, disguised by the whipping winds, were almost undetectable to the prey.
The other was darker, a mythical lust spilling off him as he stalked. The lust, far beyond what a human could comprehend, eroded the air around the creature, choking the animal on its horrid stench of sick desire.
This mortal enemy would attack.
The animal waited no more—the other would soon know that he was not the only mythical in the field this night.
The human prey, forgotten by the animal, moved closer into danger.
Air currents shifted, bringing a smell to the animal, the smell of female—a lacing of floral, of sweetness, and of death. An odd combination to be certain, but nonetheless the scent was there.
The animal continued.
The closer he got to the hunter, the stronger the floral scent. The stronger the smell of the floral, the stronger the hunter’s own smell increased.
The animal was almost there.
The hunter emerged from the shadows, heading straight for the floral-scented one.
Boom.
Thud.
Attack, went the animal.
*
Marissa Van Dyke rubbed her head and she pushed herself off the ground… Where was she?
A howl filled the night air.
She jumped, making her head pound.
There, not twenty feet from her, were two beings locked in mortal combat. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
The dimness of the night swirled around her.
A hard crash, and one of the combatants flew across the ground.
The… Was it a dog?
It howled, whatever it was, and put itself between her and the attacker. It glanced back at her, and green eyes—greener than anything she’d ever seen—flashed an intense, brilliant warning.
The other attacker surged forward, the dog flying through the air again.
My God, that dog was huge!
With an enormous leap, the dog-monster attacked the man.
Again, she tried to scream, but no sound came out.
The dog hit the man, sending him flying to the ground; it dug its teeth into the man, scratching, and she smelled the tainted odor of blood as the dog ripped at the man’s flesh.
The man managed to push off the dog; his face contorted and he hissed. White fangs flashed in the night.
The dog growled, standing in front of her, guarding her from the creature.
She shook her head, and everything suddenly pulsed with the beat of her heart.
The man took off, leaping into the sky, instantly a shadow against the moonlight.
She watched the man disappear up in the air, now lost against the inky blackness.
Men can fly, right? Of course they can.
The dog came toward her, stopping a few feet away. It knelt in front of her, its head down, and whimpered. Those green eyes stared at her.
She reached up, caressing its muzzle, and it inched across the ground to her again, the way a pet would curl up to its master. It brought its head to her lap, nuzzling her stomach and side as it curled itself around her.
This animal had saved her. This animal with green eyes.
Green eyes. Green eyes. Green eyes .
The words pulsed in her brain.
“Tha…” she started to say.
She collapsed to the ground.
*
“She’s coming around,” came a voice.
“Good,” came another.
Marissa blinked, met by dark male eyes staring down at her, appraising. “Hey,” said the man. His size was massive, yet his eyes radiated warmth and compassion.
She started to sit up, looking around. What? Where was she?
“It’s okay,”
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