Rebellion
"Brogio, why would you want us to be separated?" Selene stood up and began to pace back and forth in the den of Brogio's house. Her agitation consumed the room like a thick smoke. It was getting me a bit choked up. "Are we not safer together?"
I observed the conflicting emotions spreading across Brogio's face as I stood on my bed by the fire.
Kane intervened. "Look, Selene, it won't be so bad ... I mean you, me and Snow Blood, of course." He gave me a smirk as if to let me know my presence wouldn't matter to him.
"That's just the point, Brogio! Can't you protect me better than Kane? Selene wrung her hands in frustration. Her pacing continued, her heels clattering against the limestone floor.
Brogio stood and tried to quiet her fidgeting hands by taking them in his. "Selene, as long as you are with me, you will be an easy target for someone to use against me. Kane and Snow Blood are worthy opponents for any would-be attacker. But, I mean to draw our enemies' focus away from you and on to me."
She appeared at a momentary loss. Then, I detected a flicker of mischief in her eyes and awaited her next tactic. "Truth be told, Kane's unwanted suggestions are wearing thin on me. I'm not sure that we can trust him alone with me for much longer."
There it was. She played the jealousy card.
Brogio gave Kane a sidelong glance and then smiled back at the object of his affections. "Don't worry. Kane would never do anything to seriously incur my wrath!"
I sat back down on my bed awaiting her next move.
"I ... I know that I am crazy to feel the way I do with all the chaos and violence that surrounds you, but I don't feel safe with anyone but you. It's as if I didn't truly exist until I met you."
I watched Brogio's face as he tried to control his impatience. This was a man who did not handle being disobeyed well. He had always been in control of his destiny since becoming Kindred.
"Selene." Brogio spoke in a calm tone. "It's for your own safety. How can I protect you if you won't work with me? You will have both Kane and Snow Blood to guard you. They are fine protectors."
I got up and moved to Selene's side, all the while sympathizing with her. Why did Artemis tell me to find the one who glows like the moon only to have you send her away!
His thoughts thundered back at me. "Quiet, Snow Blood! You must help me in this matter!"
I sat down hard, back straight, chin raised to meet his eyes in defiance.
"Oh, for the gods' sakes, Selene!" Kane moved toward us with an outstretched hand. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of you." He glanced at me. "And the dog, too."
Doubtful. I wished I could have made him hear me.
Before I knew what literally hit me, Brogio merely swiped his arm from me to the wall. The intense force threw me against it. I was on my back looking at the ceiling. I scrambled to my feet. Brogio loomed over me. The act of being thrown didn't hurt, not physically.
"You will NOT disobey me, dog!" Brogio turned from me to Selene. "Please trust me in this, Selene. Your safety is my upper most concern, and I need you and Snow Blood to comply!" He stomped off upstairs and slammed his bedroom door, frustrated that Selene and I dared to question him.
I sat next to the wall, amazed I felt no pain, and watched as Selene quickly turned to Kane.
"Don't you see? I can't leave him. I ... I am bound to him. I don't know why, but I just am." She began to pace once again. "How can I have feelings for such a creature ... for any of you ... is beyond my understanding, but I do."
Kane sighed and walked over to the mahogany bar in the corner next to the fireplace to pour a glass of wine. He sat on a tall stool and rested his head in his hands. At the same time, Selene came to me, bent down to hug me, and whispered, "I can only guess that you were standing with me, Snow, and for that Brogio punished you. Thank you for supporting me." She squeezed me tighter. "We're safer if we're all together."
I whined and licked her face. When she stood, I began to lick my paws, trying to overcome the indignity of being hoisted across the room.
I suspected that Selene was the embodiment of Brogio's long-lost love, but he appeared almost weakened in her presence. Why was this? I had to know more.
*****
Brogio finally emerged from his bedroom. It was just before the rising of the sun. As he hurried down the stairs, he gave me strict orders to stand guard over Selene while he and Kane slept the daylight away in their casks.
Selene kept inside the house, afraid to venture out. Not that I would have let her out of my sight.
She busied herself by filling up a deep bath tub with water, then forced me to endure a wash down. Like my old Alpha once said: "I would have rather stuck needles in my eyes." I hated the smell of perfumed soap, bubbles and hot water, but I did rather enjoy her scrubbing my chest and ears.
After toweling me off, she headed downstairs to the kitchen and set about cooking her dinner. I did a perimeter check around the estate just as the sun was setting, then went to find Kane. I had to know why Brogio acted in such a curious fashion around Selene.
I waited for him at the entrance of the wine cellar.
Kane and Brogio emerged from their resting place, and Brogio walked over to me and placed his hand on my head. I sensed it was his way of apologizing for his anger. He then headed toward the house and Selene.
Kane, on the other hand, emerged ready to hunt. He removed his clothing at the entrance, but didn't immediately transform as he dashed into the woods. I soon caught up to him and watched him track and take down a deer and a boar. Inspired, I broadsided a doe and her baby and drank my fill of blood.
It was at some point here that I thought about Tommy, the little boy I used to live with. His favorite movie was a cartoon called Bambi about a deer and his family. I had a momentary feeling of remorse, but rationalized that the baby was better off dead than living out in the wild without its mother.
I returned to the estate and intercepted Kane just pulling on his clothes outside the entrance to the wine cellar. I had to make him understand what I wanted. I tried to force my mind into his. First, I sat in front of him, willing him to hear my thoughts.
Why is Brogio so childlike with Selene? They were married. What did you mean they were chaste?
He stared at me with blank eyes. "What in hell's name do you want, dog?" He tried to move forward, but I placed my formidable body in front of his.
Again, I sat down patiently in front of him. I looked at the house and then back at him.
"What?" Kane stared at me with a puzzled look on his face.
I looked up at the moon, then back at the house and made a whining noise. What happened between Selene and Brogio? I concentrated as hard as I could.
His eyes widened, as if he had heard me for an instant.
"You want to know ..." He scratched his head.
I moved eagerly toward him and barked.
"You want to know ... what?" Kane's eyes met mine.
I forced my mind to reach out to his while staring deeply into his flickering eyes. There had to be a way to make him hear me.
"You can't compel me, dog. Only my maker can."
I focused harder, my eyes never leaving his.
"Brogio? About Brogio?"
I anxiously barked, looked at the moon and back at the house.
"And Selene?"
I leaped excitedly in front of him and barked three times.
"Ah, you want to know why he's a blithering idiot around her, right?"
This time, I sprang up and down like a yo-yo, barking my head off.
"I have no idea why I am having a conversation with a dog. But telling that story would give the old man a blistered hide. Let's go back to the house. I'll pour me a glass of wine, and you and I shall have a little chat."
I had done it! Kane had heard my thoughts! Or, at least he had deciphered my dog code.
*****
The house was quiet, except for some intermittent stirring of pots and spoons from the kitchen where I had last left Selene, when we entered. I could hear Brogio murmuring softly to her. The vampire appeared to focus only on Selene when she was around. I wondered if this meant that Brogio could not hear my thoughts while consumed with Selene.
I settled on my bed in front of the fireplace in the den eagerly wanting to discover more about Brogio's strange behavior. Kane sensed my anticipation for what he had to tell me and took a torturous amount of time to fill his wine glass.
"All right. It's fairly simple you see."
It might have been simple to him, but he needed to spill it so that I could form my own opinion.
"Artemis let them be together as man and wife ... but like I tried to tell you before Brogio stopped me, she placed a condition on it." He took a long sip of his wine, and I was growing impatient.
"A virgin goddess expects her followers to be chaste."
Again, that word. What the hell did it mean? I tilted my head in both directions to show him I didn't understand.
"Ah, okay. You don't know what that means. Well, quite simply put, my boy, it means he couldn't mate with her. Think about it. You see a bitch that you want to take. You know, put your seed into her. But, you aren't allowed. Not only are you not allowed, there's no touching or feeling or any affection. Get the picture?"
It hit me like a bolt of lightning. Brogio was in complete lust. Like a dog in heat without a mating partner. I jumped up and chased my tail in excitement for a few seconds. Kane's boisterous laugh halted the conversation in the kitchen.
"That's right. He's been waiting thousands of years to have this woman. Now, she's here in the flesh, and all he can think about is climbing on her and marking his territory!" Kane snorted and laughed out loud, but it sounded like he was a dog in heat himself!
I thought to myself, we are dealing with a demon who is so in lust that he doesn't have his senses about him. This can't bode well for his decision making.
Kane’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Ah, but I need to finish the story for you.” As the years passed, Brogio’s immortality kept him young, but Selene continued to age as a mortal. She finally fell ill and was dying. Brogio knew that he would not join her in the afterlife because his soul still resided in Hades. At night, he killed a swan and offered it to Artemis, begging her to make his wife immortal so they could be together forever. Because the goddess appreciated his years of dedication and worship, she made him a last deal. He could touch Selene just once, to drink her blood. Artemis told him doing so would kill her mortal body, but from then on, her blood mixed with his could create eternal life for any who drank it. She said she would see they stayed together forever.” Kane stopped and took a long draw from his wine glass.
I sat mesmerized by the story.
Kane took a deep breath and continued. “Of course. Brogio wanted to refuse, but after telling Selene, she begged him to do it. She is his one true weakness. He bit her neck and took her blood into his body. When he set her dead body down, Selene began to glow with light and rose to the sky. Brogio could only watch as Selene’s spirit lifted to meet Artemis in the moon. When Selene became a part of the moon, it became even more brilliant than before. So, Selene became the goddess of moonlight. Every night she would reach down with her rays of light to the earth and touch her beloved, as well as all their vampire children who carry the blood of both Brogio and Selene together.” Kane stood up, finished his wine and stretched. And then he said something I wouldn’t have expected from him. “This Selene, if she’s his Selene, is his one chance at true happiness. We need to help him however he needs it.” He turned and strolled into the kitchen.
I sat in stunned silence, feeling immense sorrow for them both. No wonder my Alpha was behaving oddly around Selene.
*****
Selene sat at the table in the dining room of the estate surrounded by three demons of sorts. She had made enough for everyone, not knowing how to handle mealtime with us.
"Selene, you need not cook for us. We can only be sustained by blood, and that includes Snow Blood." Brogio pulled over two wine glasses. "Will you be comfortable with us partaking in blood as you eat your meal?"
She shifted slightly in her chair at the realization of our consuming blood in front of her. I watched the emotions flutter across her face and then a steely resolve set in. "Yes, I know. Do what you must. I guess I have much adjusting to do with all of you." She amazed us all a few moments later when, after looking down at me, she excused herself from the table and then returned with a bowl of blood that she set on the floor for me. She smiled at Borgio and then confessed. "I realize that life may never be the same for me. It's time for me to toughen up."
Selene ate a hearty meal of her own making. A chicken breast, sweet potatoes, a large salad and garlic bread. The smell of the garlic bread made my stomach turn. Back in my dog days, it had the opposite effect.
Brogio stared at her like a lovesick moose. His violet eyes gazed into her steel blues. He found it difficult not to watch her every movement. It sickened me; who knows how it made Selene feel? But given what Kane had just told me, I wanted them to have a happy ending.
Selene wiped her mouth delicately with a lace napkin and leaned in Brogio's direction. "Please don't send me away. I want to be here with you. I wouldn't be willing to adapt to your lifestyle if I didn't."
Brogio was shaken out of his compliant mood. He straightened his back as to fortify himself against her. "No, you will only be safe if you can't be harmed as a result of my being hunted. Right now, things are still . . . dangerous. We can't take any chances."
"But isn't there some sort of strength in our numbers, together?" She tried to reach for his hand, but he stood up from the table.
"Selene, if something happened to you because of me, I wouldn't be able to go on with this existence." He ran both his hands through his pale hair and sat down again. "I've been without you for eons. Now that you are here, I don't think I can go back to the life I had before. Don't you see that this is the only way? You, Kane and Snow Blood need to go into hiding. I am the target. No need to put you in the line of fire too."
I got up from the floor and walked to Selene's side. I couldn't help but to take her side of this argument. I set my gaze on Brogio. We all take our strength from you. Can't you see how weakened we will be without you?
"Enough, dog. I am master here." He shot back telepathically as he gritted his teeth, his fangs dropping slightly.
Kane leaned back in his chair, smiled and stretched his legs out in front of him while he sipped his wine.
"Brogio, I am not going to leave you!" The woman was adamant.
Nor am I, my Alpha.
Brogio looked at Kane, who only shrugged back at him. He pounded his fist on the table. "Do as I say, all of you! It's for your own protection."
Selene stood and walked around the table, and I followed her. "Why won't you listen to reason? Are you trying to sacrifice yourself to save all of us?"
Brogio sighed. "If it needs to be done ..."
"No." Her word was cold and clear. "We won't let you do that. If we go down fighting, I want us to be together."
My master ran his hands through his long pale hair again, then looked at each one of us individually. He appeared to be in disbelief at the defiance he was hearing. Kane kept silent, which seemed to be another vote in our favor.
"All right! Disobey me! Then, I will leave all of you and take the danger with me!" He turned and moved to the door in a blink of an eye.
We all stared at the open door as he stepped through it. There was no stopping Brogio. No time to react.
*****
Selene stood with her arms stretched out after him as if to somehow bind him to her. Kane simply shook his head. I sprinted after him. I just couldn't sit still at a time like this, even if I had been commanded to safeguard Selene. I ran the boundary of the property but could pick up no scent of him. I sprinted down to the lake and found no trace of Brogio. I frightened the night creatures in the woods as I dashed recklessly between the trees, crunching leaves and breaking twigs. I cared not if I disturbed my usual prey this night. I ran to the open field where I had first seen Artemis. Nothing. His scent had simply dissipated on the front door step.
I returned to find a dejected Selene being consoled by Kane in the dining room. He stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. It might have been entirely innocent, but I could take no chances. I walked up to him and delivered a warning growl.
"What? I'm only trying to comfort her. She's really tense." He stared at my eyes directly.
My growling increased, and he backed away. Selene remained clearly distraught. She bolted from her chair and ran up the stairs, slamming the door to the bedroom that Brogio had given her on the night that he had defeated Corso.
Again, Kane shrugged. "It's useless, dog. She's hopelessly connected to our dear father. While you were gone, she asked me to help her find him. When I explained no one has been able to find him when he decides to disappear, she even turned on the charm to convince me to help her. Not wise, I think. I’d like to take advantage of her, but I’d end up suffering the true death."
We sat for a long time in silence until the sun rose. Kane abruptly stood. "Rest time, dog. I've got to recharge my batteries. Keep watch of Selene."
I padded my way up the stairs to lie in front of my charge's door. Soon, I heard her stir. I scratched at the door to let her know I was on the other side. The deadbolt clicked, and Selene knelt down and wrapped her arms around me.
We stayed there for a long time in silence. Then, she stood and motioned for me to follow her. She sat down on the end of the high canopy bed and patted it, signaling for me to join her.
I settled in next to her. She whispered, “Snow, we have to find him. I am bound to him. I need to be with him. I feel this love for him that I can’t explain … Her words trailed off. She stared off into space, drawing within herself. Then, reaching some inner resolve, she took my face and looked into my eyes. “Kane is going to block my efforts to find Brogio. We’ll leave tomorrow and travel during the day when Kane can’t follow us. Brogio keeps telling me that I am his original Selene. If that’s true, we will go to places to jog my memory. Perhaps if we get closer to where he has gone you can sense him, or track him. We’ll go to Italy. That’s logical.” She sighed. “What’s illogical is that I’ve known Brogio for five minutes but feel like it’s been a lifetime. I know we’ll find him. What do you say, Snow?”
I licked her face and answered with a low, “Ruff!”
She spent the rest of the day arranging more time off from work and travel and airfare to Italy for both of us. She didn’t venture downstairs when night fell. After packing her small bag, she declared we would be up early to catch an early morning taxi to the airport. She soon slept deeply one arm thrown over my back. Her resolve to search for Brogio gave her peace.
I admired her determination but sensed this plan would endanger her. The results might lead us into the danger Brogio was trying to avoid.
I could try and find him, but this time I sensed if he didn't want to be found I would have no luck. But, what if I could reach him through telepathy? Perhaps, he would not think of blocking me? Perhaps I might read his mind?
My musings were interrupted by a light, almost like a moon beam, shining straight into my eyes. Then, the silky voice spoke. "Come to me, Snow ... I will help you."
I pulled away from Selene, jumped off the bed, and ran through the open bedroom door and down the stairs. I stopped only to leap up on the heavy front door and pull down on its latch, leaving the door wide open. I knew I shouldn't leave Selene, but if Artemis could help us ...
Kane, who had risen from his sleep, called to me from the wine cellar entrance. "Wait, dog! Where are you going?" I could hear Kane's footfalls behind me.
I followed the voice to the open field near the house conflicted by my need for help, and my fear for Selene. I now understood that Brogio had been dealt a fate that forced him to live as a monster. But he had protected me and shown me kindness. Inwardly, he still held on to his human characteristics and felt love for those under his protection. Somewhere between my mistrust of him and his unselfish need to protect Selene, Kane and me, Brogio had truly become my Alpha. I had to do whatever it took to protect all of us.
*****
She stood tall, surrounded by her light in the open field. She appeared more beautiful each time I saw her. Her pale skin and long flowing hair always changing in color according to the phase of the moon. Her eyes were the purest of blues, and I could not look away from her. The animals of the forestdeer, squirrels, boar, even the rats in the field-stood outside her circle of light, paying homage to her. I ignored my blood lust for all the delicious prey sitting there for my taking.
I scooted to a stop outside her light circle. Kane, who had been trailing me, skidded abruptly next to me.
"What the hell is going on, Snow?"
"Come, Snow. Come inside the light to me." She beckoned, and with a dainty paw, I stepped into her circle.
Kane tried to follow but each time he lifted his leg, he was sent back, unable to cross the threshold of light.
"Not you, abomination! You may listen but not enter!"
As I walked across from darkness into her sphere, I felt my entire body lighten. My thirst for blood left me, and I was almost a normal dog again. I halted in front of Artemis.
"See what it will be like to be my companion? No more hunger, no more trials. Just peace. Comfort. And, of course an undying devotion to me."
Her offer was tempting until she mentioned the undying devotion part. I shook off her words and tried to get to the point. You said you would help me. Can you tell me where Brogio has gone?
"Of course I can." Her radiance brightened. The silver dress she wore shimmered. Gold and blue highlights cascaded down in waves of rolling color.
Then, please, tell me. He may be in danger.
"What will you give me in return?" Her inner light brightened.
But, you said you wanted to help. You sent Selene to him. Don't you want them to be together?
"What I want will make no difference to you, Snow. You will belong to me in the end."
The thought of belonging to her frightened me. If she wanted to help Brogio and Selene, why had they been subjected to such misery? And, what would she do to me? Please, my goddess. Help me. They need to be together. It has been too long for them.
"Would you sacrifice yourself to help them?" The bright light within the circle almost blinded me with her question.
What do you mean?
"I want you to come freely to me whenever I command it. To give yourself to me as you have to Brogio." Her words sent shivers through me.
What will that mean?
"It means you will be my companion for eternity. You will do so willingly, happily, and I may make you into any form I desire."
Do you mean I will be your mate? I am just a dog. Why would you want that? My shock must have been obvious.
"If I so desire. All I know is that I want your loyalty to belong to me, not him. Do you agree willingly?"
Should I say yes? I could say that I would, then deal with the consequences later. Or, I could avoid her command with Brogio's help. Assuming I could find where he had gone. I had to take the chance. Yes, my goddess. I agree.
The explosion of light at that moment totally blinded me.
"Very well then. He has gone to Florence. He is in the place where Kane was made. He will know." With those words, Artemis began to swirl. The lights surrounding her spiraled upward, turning first red, then orange, then gold. Silver shimmered through gold as the goddess began to fade. The light surrounded me like a caress and then darkness overtook the fading light.
I felt a moment of shock at her leaving. The realization that I had lied to her hit me. How could I hide something like that from her? She appeared to know my every thought. Perhaps it mattered little to her what I planned, but more what I had agreed to do? What if I couldn't prevent fulfilling my promise to her? What if she could read my thoughts?
I turned to Kane. For the first time since we had met, he stood speechless. His pale skin appeared even whiter. He composed himself as I approached.
Finally, he spoke up. "That was unbelievable! She let me hear the telepathic conversation between the two of you!" He turned around and threw up his arms in amazement. "That bloody goddess wants you for herself! Unbelievable. Wait until Brogio hears about this!"
I raised my head and growled a warning at him.
"Do you mean to tell me you don't want him to know?" He stared deeply into my eyes.
I growled and bared my fangs at him.
"All right, all right. Calm down. You have your reasons." He stood up tall. "Besides, it's nice to have something on you in case I need it!"
I had no doubt that he would use it at the first opportunity. Kane seemed like the opportunistic kind.
But why had she let Kane hear the conversation? Brogio and Kane had both warned that the gods were sneaky and selfish. What else did she plan?
I sat in front of him and tried again to make my thoughts known to him. Where in Florence were you made?
He looked deeply into eyes. "You're trying to tell me something again, aren't you?"
I barked.
"It has to be about Brogio's whereabouts? Right? I heard her tell you that I would know ... my birthplace, so to speak."
I leaped in the air barking.
"Ah, that's it. It's the St. Regis Hotel in Florence. That's where I ... that's where my transformation to vampire took place."
*****
We returned to the house, after a quick stop for dinner in the woods. I went to the balcony off the large kitchen. I needed to be alone and concentrate on trying to reach Brogio. I sensed he would be angry by my threatening him, but I had to try. His sudden abandonment felt just plain wrong.
I stood quietly for a long time, gathering my strength. And then I blasted out my thoughts to his faraway location. Brogio, please. Listen to me. Brogio ...
I waited but heard no response.
Again, I focused. I knew that he could hear me, no matter how far away. Brogio, please answer me ...
Silence.
Brogio, if you won't respond to me, I will bring Selene to you in Florence. To the St. Regis. If you leave, I will track you and find you!
His words screamed in my head. "How do you know my location?"
It doesn't matter. But the gods know where you are. They know where Selene is. If you don't want her to be in more danger by traveling to you, then come back to her!
The force of his wrath in my head almost knocked me down. "How dare you defy me, dog! I am your master! You will endanger Selene if you try to bring her to me!"
I staggered against the waves of anger he shot into my head. And yet, that's what she wants. She is determined to find you and is ready to leave in the morning. This is her idea!
"Why is she doing this, Snow Blood? Why are you helping her?" I could feel his resolve fading.
Because Selene needs you. Some part of her must know the love you had for each other all those years ago. We all need to be together to fight this thing. Don't you see that it doesn't matter where we all are? If the gods know, so will the evil that we fight. The gods aren't on your side. They always have hidden motives. Don't they?
"How did you get to be so logical, Snow Blood?" I could feel his sadness.
Perhaps it has something to do with my being of your blood?
I could feel the remainder of his resolve dissolve.
"I will let Kane know that I am returning and to tell her to wait for me. Stay on guard until I return." His voice was a whisper and then gone.
*****
Kane pounded on her bedroom door and woke Selene before sunrise. “Wake up! I have something to tell you!”
I stood beside him and let out a large “ruff.” Disheveled, she opened the door and gave us a puzzled look.
Kane pushed his way inside and pointed to her small bag. “No need for this. Brogio is returning.”
Selene turned and stared at me with a question in her eyes and then turned back to Kane. “How do I know you aren’t lying to prevent me from searching for him?”
Kane let out an exasperated snort. “Because he just told me to tell you he is coming back!”
Selene turned back to me in the doorway. “Is this true?”
“Ruff!” I trotted to her and stood up on my hind legs and licked her face.
“So see? No need for unnecessary travel today, my dear.” He turned on his heels and headed down the stairs and out the front door.
Selene sat down on the bed and stared into my eyes. “I have no idea what you did, but I think you are responsible for bringing Brogio home.” She hugged me close and whispered, “Thank you.”
*****
Brogio returned two nights later. Selene couldn't contain her excitement. She threw herself into his arms before he could pass through the hallway into the den where we spent most of our time. Brogio smothered her face with kisses, then locked her in his embrace planting a passionate kiss on her mouth.
Kane and I left the room to give them some privacy. Kane took off on a dead run, and I followed. I wondered if Brogio's intimacy with Selene was disturbing to him. Selene and Brogio's passion for each other was such that if a female of my species had been anywhere near, I would have been sorely tempted!
We scavenged through the woods, looking for creatures to satisfy our blood lust. After taking down several large deer, we felt sated enough to stop and rest.
Kane leaned back against a large ash tree. I sat facing him.
"What now, Snow Blood? Will we stay here and wait to see if there will be more attacks on Brogio? Should we split up and go elsewhere?"
Not that I could answer him, but at that moment Brogio's voice penetrated my skull. From the looks of Kane, he experienced the same thing. "Where the hell are the two of you? Come home now!"
We dashed back to find Selene sitting on my Alpha's lap in what I liked to think of as "our den" next to the fireplace. Brogio had removed his long coat and jacket. I noticed he wore a white open collared shirt and black leather pants and boots instead of his usual turtleneck sweater. Selene had rolled up her jeans to show off long slender but finely muscled legs. Her blue sweater hung off one shoulder and accented her eyes.
We settled across from them.
"I've discussed it with Selene, and I think we need to leave this place for now. If we keep moving, at least we won't be such easy prey." He kissed Selene's bare shoulder and then stared at us for reaction.
"I'm game." Kane sounded enthusiastic. "Never could stay in any one place too long."
We are all safer together, Brogio. I licked a small spot of blood from my left paw and gazed into his eyes.
"Very well." His eyes covered Selene's long legs in her tight jeans. "No need to take clothing, Selene. We'll buy what we need."
What will happen here while we are gone? I wondered if it would somehow be overrun by our enemies.
"Not to worry, Snow Blood. The winery will run as usual. I have ... people who serve me well and will protect the estate and the business. Let's go now."
Startled, Selene sat up. "Now, you mean right now? When we talked about leaving, I thought it would be in a few days. I need to put in a transfer at the hospital. I mean ... I took some personal leave time when I first came to this estate, but I need to let them know. And what about my condo?"
"Selene, your safety, the safety of all of us is more important than anything else right now. Trust the bond that holds us all together. It's true that we were man and wife in another lifetime. I can't leave you here at the mercy of the gods. Vampires though Kane, Snow Blood and I are, we would never harm you. Only die trying to protect you. If we stay together, you will need to trust me to take care of you. Allow me to take care of your needs. You will no longer need to work. We will no longer live separately."
The gentle manner in which he spoke to her impressed me.
She remained hesitant. "But, I need to let them know ... at work, I mean." She was overwhelmed with our imminent and sudden departure. "I've worked too hard in my education and my career to just throw it all away; to disappear on them without a trace."
"Selene, it is my guess that you truly didn't exist here in Oregon until the night of your dream about coming to meet me. As I've explained, Artemis took you from me those thousands of years ago and placed your energy in her moonlight. It is possible that Artemis implanted the memories you have."
I whined, confused by this explanation.
"I know you've told me ... but my life up until now seemed so real. It's the here and now that seems like a dream to me." She stood, somewhat agitated, next to his chair.
"It's simple." Brogio stood and took her face in his hands. "Will you allow me to protect you? Will you trust that none of us in this room will ever do anything to harm you?
I wondered if he was compelling her.
Brogio answered by letting me hear his thoughts. "I would never compel her. I want her to be with me of her own free will."
She stared at him. "I don't know why with all the violence that surrounds you, Brogio, but I do trust you."
"I will have someone take care of your work and your condo tomorrow. Your residence will be shut down, packed up and stored. This is not the time to worry over a job when your life is at stake. When this is over, you can retrieve whatever your heart desires." He gave her a smile that brightened her mood.
His gaze then focused on Kane and then to me. "Are we all together in this?"
Brogio had saved me or protected me on more than one occasion. I knew I was better with him than alone. I stood and signaled my acceptance by walking over and sitting next to him.
Kane stood. "We are bound, my father. I will be with you as long as you need me."
Brogio put his arm around Selene's shoulders and held his arm out toward the room where the large black car awaited us. They moved toward it, and Kane and I followed. I looked back once wondering if we would ever return.
*****
I wondered why we took the car to our new location. Then, it occurred to me that it had to be for Selene's comfort. We drove all night, stopping before sunrise at an elegant farmhouse that Brogio must have prepared ahead of time. It had coffin-shaped containers in a root cellar that provided safe resting places for Brogio and Kane, and a room filled with antiques and a large canopy bed that Selene offered to share with me. I was to be her protector during the day. Brogio wouldn't discuss where we were going. I just knew it was north, and that the people with heavy accents he spoke with didn't sound American.
The next night, it was a short trek into a place called Kelowna. Selene leaned forward in her seat on the passenger side of the car. "Kelowna. This is British Columbia, right?"
Brogio nodded.
Kane jumped in. "Another of Father's wine estates, I presume?"
His inquiry was met in silence, so he babbled on. "I know you have holdings here. I was bored one evening while you were gone, so I snooped through the files in your desk. It's on Okanagan Lake. Name comes from Okanagan. Means grizzly bear. Hmmm ... I wouldn't mind a bit of bear."
Kane's comments were met with silence. Selene turned back to us and smiled. "Tell us more, Kane. It sounds interesting."
"Well, some claim that a lake monster named Ogopogo lives in the lake." He chuckled. "Some trying to disprove it have said it's just a beaver, or a log. But the local tourism makes use of the legend. There is supposed to be a children's park with the creature's statue in it." He sighed. "Lots of tourism here. Maybe we can make use of it."
"Enough, talk, Kane. Along with the Canadian Rockies, there's a sport and music festival here that draws more than 25,000 people, but we won't be partaking in any of them. We have to lay low."
"I hear that like Forks, it's not as sunny here as in other parts of the country in the winter, or the summer! Give me gloomy overcast skies any day!" He popped a flask of blood and drained it. I licked my chops in anticipation. "I think your dog is hungry, Brogio."
I whined, and Brogio pulled over in a wooded area. Kane pushed open the door, and I ran through the forest, capturing several small rabbits to quench my snack-attack. Back in the car, I licked my chops, dislodged some fur from my teeth, and then settled down for a nap. I wondered how Brogio could go so much longer without blood than Kane and I could. My thoughts strayed to a time when I was a peaceful house pet. What would Tommy think of the murderous beast that I had become?
I soon felt the car turn abruptly. I sat up to see where we were going. Kane murmured "Mission Hill Winery. Yours, I presume?"
Brogio remained silent.
The car felt bumpy along a long cobblestone path. I could see that the estate was another of my Alpha's unique architectural designs. Several men in the ever-present black turtleneck and pants stood outside the large house, as if they knew we were coming. They sprang to open all the doors and helped Selene with her small bag. I wondered if Brogio already had clothing here and how his solid black would suit Kane.
Brogio quickly circled the car to take Selene's hand. "Come, my love. Get acquainted with your new temporary home."
Selene looked up at my Alpha with a questioning look. "Temporary?"
"Yes, love, we can't afford to stay in any one place for too long. This is going to be our life for now."
She held back for a moment. Uncertainty spread across her face. Then, she nodded in a quick agreement and stepped forward.
To my utter surprise, the house was identical to the one we had left. It featured another winery. Brogio seemed heavily invested in the wine business.
His thoughts pushed into my mind. "Yes, I have wine estates and businesses all over the world. If we keep moving, you will get to see them all."
He looked up at the sky and then to his men. "Take care of my lady and Snow Blood. It is time for Kane and me to retire." He then turned to Selene, took her face in his large hands and stared into her eyes. His mouth crushed down on hers, and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back, pushing her body into the curve of his. Kane turned away from their public display of affection.
"I will see you tonight, Selene. He turned to me and pointed a finger in my direction. "Snow Blood, stay with her until I awaken." He patted me on the head as he walked by, then slapped Kane on the back and pulled his first son close to him. "This way, Kane." Selene and I followed a tall, pale man into the house.
We settled into one of the sumptuous bedrooms as the sunrise spread through the windows. One of the men in black brought Selene a tray of assorted breakfast treats. The servant took a bowl off the tray and placed it on the floor. Then he poured me a flask of fresh human blood. I lapped it up quickly, then settled at the end of the bed, sated and euphoric, while Selene enjoyed the food on her tray. Soon, sleep washed over me.
The field was full of light. The goddess pulled me closer to her, wrapping her arms around me. Her affection made me uncomfortable. I wanted to rip open her throat but couldn't guess at the consequences. Soon, she whispered. "Beware. He is coming for all of you, my Snow Blood. I can no longer reason with him. His hatred for Brogio consumes him. He would have the beautiful one for himself, and, perhaps even you. I can't let that happen. Stay vigilant."
I sprang awake and jumped off the bed. The sunlight poured through the large windows. Selene slept like the dead. She was trying to adjust her sleep patterns to Brogio's. As for me, I slept whenever I could.
Had it been a dream? Or had Artemis come to me in a dream? It was a warning. Who was coming for us? I had to find out.
*****
The next evening, Brogio took us on a tour of the estate and the winery. It was familiar to us all as it was identical to the one in Oregon. The house and winery were surrounded by a vineyard. At the lower end of the property was a very large and deep lake, separated from the estate by thick woods. We all remained alert. Kane and I both volunteered to regularly patrol the estate.
Brogio wouldn't allow Selene to be left alone. I was the logical choice to stay with her, while my Alpha and Kane set a series of traps in the woods to lure and snare whatever creatures would try an assault on us. When they were completed, Brogio showed Selene and me where each was located so we wouldn't fall victim to them.
"We dug pits with wooden stakes buried upward to impale our prey. We covered them with screens and hid them with moss and brush."
Kane proudly interjected. "It was my idea to snare our enemies by their ankles and pull them upside down. Each trap has one." He walked to one nearby tree. "Small pieces of fern-like material are hung on trees to the right of the traps to warn us of their location."
During the day, as my little pack slept, I tried to summon Artemis in my dreams. Each time, I would concentrate so hard that I would fall asleep, only awakened by nightmares filled with faceless demons.
On the fifth day, I sat by the window in the bedroom I shared with Selene. I focused on what I had learned about Artemis from Kane. She was goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. She protected young girls and was a perfect markswoman with her bow and silver arrows.
As I concentrated, a large deer appeared to me at the edge of the woods. Unlike other deer that stayed away from the grounds, this one crept closer. It didn't escape me that deer were sacred to Artemis. Was this her way of summoning me?
I scampered out the bedroom, down the stairs, hastily opening the front door with one large paw on the latch. I ran to where the deer had been, but it was nowhere to be found. What if it were a trap? I shouldn't have left Selene. I searched further for a few minutes but found no trace of the deer. Worried that Selene was unprotected, I scampered home and up to her bedroom.
I found her resting on the bed where I had left her. I was relieved that she was unharmed during my momentary indiscretion. But I couldn't let go of my need to protect the house from potential enemies. I went back to the bedroom window and peered outside. The oversized deer appeared to me again. It has to be a trap! I told myself. I ignored it, went back down the stairs to the front door and shut it, then returned to the bedroom. I curled up on the bed next to my charge. I would warn Brogio when he woke from his rest. I tried to stay awake and alert to the impending danger but something pulled me into a deep sleep.
*****
The darkness was filled with the silhouette of a deer. Its form blinded me. Was this a dream? A waking dream? The form dissolved and soon the goddess stood in a field surrounded in a light so intense that I could not look into it.
The two words she spoke sent me into darkness again.
"My brother."
*****
The hand on my shoulder gently caressed me. Selene's soft voice hummed a sweet tune. My eyes fluttered, and I could see the sun setting through the window.
"Snow ... Snow, wake up. You must be exhausted. Poor baby. You're always alert when I waken."
I tried to shake away the pain in my head. What were the words? "My brother"?
I descended the stairs with Selene, who was met by Brogio. It startled me to see him just as the sun slipped below the horizon.
He greeted her warmly, then looked into my eyes and sent his silent question to me. "You have learned something, have you not?"
He was eager to confirm his suspicions.
Yes. The goddess came to me in a dream. She said two words.
Before I could say them, Brogio uttered, "My brother." He snarled aloud. "So it is Artemis' brother, Apollo! He has been behind all the attacks on us! He must have known that Artemis was going to send Selene back to me. Some strange game between the two of them, no less. Everything has to have been an attempt to keep Selene from being with me. But why has she favored you with this information, Snow Blood?" He announced his question to the room.
Kane strode in with his first cup of blood. "Simple, Father! She must be sick of the mortal men and women she has always fancied."
I shot a warning glance at Kane.
He shrugged. "Err ... Snow Blood could be considered wildlife. Perhaps she sees him as one of her beloved subjects?"
"But, if I had a brother, I would want to support him. Wouldn't this goddess be on her brother's side, supporting him?" Selene interjected.
"Not necessarily, my love. You see, even though they are twins, the both of them are impulsive and vengeful. And selfish. If Apollo has gotten in the way of something she wants, she would work against him." He ran the fingers of both hands through the long pale hair on either side of his face, tucking it behind his ears. "And I wouldn't want her as a mortal enemy. She's most likely the greatest hunter of all time."
Selene touched his arm lightly. "But what does she want? Does she want you?"
Brogio threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, I seriously doubt that. I'm not her type, but I think she wants to control the two of us!"
This topic could lead to my last meeting with Artemis, so I changed it.
If it is Apollo, how could we fight him? He is more powerful than Kindred, isn't he?
He stared at me and answered aloud. "I'm not sure, Snow Blood. I think we just have to see what his next move will be. We ..."
"Brogio!" Selene interrupted. "It's impossible to follow conversations you seem to be having with Snow! How are you communicating with him?"
"You are right, my love. We are linked telepathically. Kane and I are as well. Snow Blood's question is how do we fight Apollo." He cupped her chin with one hand and kissed the end of her nose. "We have prepared the woods."
He turned to Kane and me and commanded, "Everyone keep watch."
*****
We didn't have to wait long. We were all walking toward the den when blackness shrouded the waning light receding through windows of the house. Two large crows threw their bodies against the windows on either side of the front door with a force that didn't match their size. Suddenly, every window in the house was pelted by crows. Several windows shattered. The horrific sound startled Selene, who let out a loud scream. The hackles stood up on the back of my neck.
Kane ran to a large unbroken window near the front door. "By gods! The trees, the fields are filled with thousands of crows!" He shouted over the sound of what seemed like a million birds pounding against the large house.
"Makes sense," Brogio shouted back. "The crow is his bird." He ran, pulling Selene behind him. "Come, quickly! There's an underground passage in the floor to the wine cellar. It should be safer down there."
Kane followed shouting. "Where are your men?"
"In the wine cellar!" Brogio spat back quickly.
Brogio pulled Selene behind him. Glass tinkled. Crows rasped their maw of a battle cry. Kane yelled "Watch out!" as three huge birds attacked Selene, landing on her back and head. I lunged for them, snatching them from her bleeding head and back. Brogio turned invisible and used his super speed to attack the throng. Headless, rabid birds started piling up and blocking the wooden floor door leading to the underground passage. The invisible Brogio must have extended his formidable demon claws to decapitate the onslaught. Headless bird bodies flew left and right. Selene ducked under me. I hadn't noticed that I'd transformed again, but my mass grew to a size where her whole body fit. Kane, in a movement that left a sound barrier trail, grabbed the handle to the door to make way for our escape underground. More birds poured into the room only to fall dead in piles on the floor. Then, Brogio screamed. The high-pitched sound pushed at my body. I dug my claws into the wood. Selene's ears and back were covered with blood. I had to fight my urges from trying to drink it. It made no difference that she wasn't human. Kane lifted the human-sized door to our escape route and held it up. Flying birds bashed into the side of the wood slate. Brogio stepped behind me and let out another supernatural scream, creating a vortex that swept the crows aside, pushing their flight back. Those close to him exploded on impact.
I froze in amazement at his ability to make a sound so shrill that the bird's body parts would break into pieces, but not harm the rest of us.
"Brogio, come on!" Kane held the door open. Gathering my wits, I pushed Selene along and followed her down a dark hole, sniffing along to detect everything around us. I looked behind us to see Kane shove Brogio down into the cellar in front of him and slam the trap door above us. Thuds against the floorboard stopped as it shut.
*****
The next thing I knew, we were inside the wine cellar. Brogio had already returned to his human form. Kane, on the other hand, had not transformed during the attack. With the excitement dissipating, I could feel myself slowly transforming back into my dog size.
Brogio's men ran to greet us. The one who had brought breakfast to Selene and me spoke first. "We tried to get to you, master, but the crows pelted the wine cellar door!"
"Brogio ignored him. "Get some water and a clean cloth so that I can clean the lady's wounds."
Once he had completed the task, he bit his wrist. "Drink this. It will heal you."
She took a step away from him. "No, not yet. I will be fine."
I could see the uncertainty in her eyes again.
"It will do nothing more than heal the scratches. I would never do anything against your will."
She shook her head. "Please. I'm fine."
He shrugged and turned to his four men. "Stay here. I may have need of you later." He walked forward and motioned for us to follow. "We can't stay trapped in the cellar forever. There's an escape hatch on the other side of the wine cellar that leads out into the woods. Follow me."
Once in the woods, we carefully made our way around the traps we had set. Near the edge of the lake, Brogio halted and instructed us to do the same. "Moving from place to place will not protect us! Apollo will find us no matter where we go ..."
His words were drowned out by the roar of a beast unequaled by any other. It began rising from the lake just a football field away from us. The monster furiously shook the water droplets from its body.
Brogio moved us all behind tall shrubs to assess it. "I have no choice. I fight him here."
"No!" Selene begged.
"This makes sense, Brogio!" Kane grabbed his maker's shoulder. "This must be the lake monster! Could it have been Apollo all these years trying to catch you here?"
"Kane, stop with the nonsense. I need to figure out how to defeat a god who won't perish." Brogio shrugged Kane's hand away.
The creature emerged from the lake. It was similar to the panwere that first attacked Brogio the day he hit me on the road. But this one could only be described as monstrous in size and shape. The creature's almond-shaped eyes surveyed its surroundings. Ugly beyond belief, with a downturned mouth and cleft head, it looked like a combination of a cat with deformed human characteristics. Large growths covered its enormous chest and back. I wondered if they functioned like body armor.
"You can't fight this thing, Brogio!" Kane’s voice was filled with concern. "It's a were-jaguar, a lycanthrope. Its bite is lethal. I encountered them once in Romania. One of my coven died in agony from its bite."
"Like Snow Blood's?" Brogio sounded proud.
"And it can move between worlds. That's what we learned in Romania." Kane's words interrupted my fascination with the creature that had to be head and shoulders taller than my Alpha. More like a tanker truck than anything. "How the hell do we fight that?" Kane snorted, almost at a loss at what to do.
Kane continued to urge his father not to fight. His hands were on his hips in defiance. "Plus, the damn thing is supernatural as well. Leave it to Apollo to shape shift into this thing!"
"We don't know if it's Apollo, or a creature under his direction." Brogio focused fiercely on his most current opponent standing next to the lake a hundred yards away.
Selene turned to Kane and placed a hand on his broad shoulder. "How do you know all of this? Since when did you become an expert on this stuff?"
"Since Brogio started getting stalked. I made it a hobby to read up on anything that might attack us. I've found some fascinating reading on the Internet!" He shrugged and smiled, pleased that she had noticed his knowledge on the subject.
A noise in the distance alerted the monster, and it turned and ran along the lake away from us with a speed that matched my master's. A fallen tree lay in the middle of its path. The creature stooped, lifted the massive trunk with its deformed human hands, and threw the broken tree with a deafening scream through the woods, almost as a warning to anything lurking about.
"My gods!" Kane whispered under his breath. "I bet the bastard can bench press a car with one hand!"
"Silver will bring it down, Kane." Brogio muttered. "Wounds from silver heal at human speed. It's the only metal that can pierce its body."
"Well, try and get close enough to it." Kane snorted, a trace of sarcasm in his tone. "That thing can hear a person's pulse just by standing nearby. It'll detect Selene for sure. It can track in the dark by scent."
"We could lure it to one of our traps and fill it full of silver arrows. If we had silver arrows." Brogio's words were pointed. "I will take no chance that any of you come to harm. We need that silver."
His eyes turned to me, and I knew what I had to do.