ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 4: MOON CHILD'S WAR

Alli killed off the lights to her car and drove blindly towards the crime scene. She never expected the brunch to turn into lunch not mention that she would be caught up with the congregation all the way to the evening. Good thing was that she was on vacation because she did not look forward into going to school after such a long and eventful weekend.

When Alli tried to get Donny permission to come with her for a little while, aunt Alyse became suspicious and assured her that Donny still had a lot to do to help with cleaning up and stuff so Alli found herself alone in the park.

She finally killed the engine and took a deep breath. Though she always appeared brave and witty to her friends, she was a little fearful when she didn’t have backup. At that moment, fear gripped her spine with its icy cold fingers and Alli was all but running back home. She didn’t know why but every time she heard about such a killing, her instincts kicked in, wanting her to go and see what she could do for the victim.

They said when a person died, they saw their lives flash in front of them for seven minutes. Somehow, Alli felt like she could link with those last moments, forty-eight hours after their deaths. She didn’t know what such a gift was called. Heck, she didn’t even know whether it was a gift or a curse! She remembered the first time she experienced it was after Corleen took her camping with Xavier and she came across a place where a young girl was killed and buried. It was almost four years ago but it was the worst experience she had.

Corleen assured her that it was going to be alright and that it was normal for wolves to have such gifts. Corleen told her about their mother who had the gift of foresight just by touching someone and that the gift enhanced when they transformed. Alli’s mother died when she was still young and she couldn’t remember so much about her.

Alli did hear that Faelen had a special academy that trained the wolves with exceptional gifts so that they could aid him in retaining his position as the Clan Leader. Alli didn’t let anything slide when it came to Faelen. It could be true because he was always sure and confident of himself.

“Come on, Alli.” She encouraged herself when she realized that her hands were tightly holding on to the steering wheel to the point of pain. “You can do this.” She quickly opened the door before she lost courage and gathered her coat around her. The Autumn chill in the air told her that they were quickly approaching college.

It was not like she didn’t like college but she loved her sister and being so far away from her was a little uncomfortable. Alli always wanted to attend the local colleges but she was exceptionally intelligent and she was able to score sponsorships to several amazing colleges across the country. Corleen didn’t want Alli to throw away such a great opportunity to gain knowledge and exposure out there and so, Alli went several thousand miles away from home.

Well, that was well and good because she was still considered a child since she had not yet made her first transformation but she was very close which meant being far from home and being a young newly transformed wolf was dangerous.

Corleen assured her that she would be monitored by someone sent at her college to look out for her. To that moment, Alli had not met this elusive sentinel sent to make sure she didn’t chew up her roommate.

Alli glanced around and sniffed the air that had so much to tell her that evening but nothing was amiss. Even though she had not taken her first transformation, her senses were very acute and she could see and smell what others couldn’t. Sometimes Donny was cautious around her because Alli could smell lies and deceit--not that Donny ever used them against her. It was something she smelled a lot on Tyson when they were dating.

He always lied to her on where he had been or who he was with. Since Tyson was the son of the Clan leader, it was not surprising that he could keep more than one girlfriend. Alli bet his father had a harem tucked away somewhere. After the death of Tyson’s mother, Faelen was never seen with another woman. One thing is for sure, male wolves were potent and virile creatures so obviously he was getting some from somewhere.

A nervous chuckle escaped Alli’s lips as she rushed through the park shrubs and bushes towards the pond. Her skin was crawling and it had nothing to do with the chill. Her nerves started firing up, screaming for her to go the other direction. It was the same for the other two crime scenes but this time it was stronger. It was a feeling that told her she might actually find something this time.

Corleen warned her time and again to stay away but Alli felt like she was the only one who was able to detect the balmy feeling that had her insides clenching with dread. She found herself stopping and taking deep breaths when the oppressing feeling became too much. She hunched forward and took deep swallows of breath, fighting off the nausea that was threatening to empty her bowels of the early dinner she grabbed.

She wiped her damp forehead with the back of her hand and continued down through the shrubs, pushing away the low-growing branches and thorny vines. She decided to use a short-cut because she was afraid of running into a guard if she used the main path. The velvety black pond stretched out in front of her, its water deceptively calm and languid. Alli let out a burst of air as she scrambled out of the bushes towards the large blackness in front of her.

Suddenly she heard people’s muffled voices and two beams of lights coming her way. She quickly ducked back into the bushes until the two guards passed, taking a few seconds to look around the pond before going on their way. Alli let out a sigh of relief and walked to the banks of the pond. The police tapes were still around the area which meant they were going to return there and collect more evidence. That meant Alli was not supposed to leave even a hair strand behind.

She stretched out her hand, her skin crawling just by being so close to the crime scene. She hovered it around, trying to located exactly where the body was found. Her palm had pins and needles and the fear in her was almost physical. She was very sure that she was going to run away screaming if so much as a leaf rustled in the wind. Suddenly her trembling hands came across the thick balmy abomination she had once felt. This time, it felt fresh and concentrated. A moan of protest escaped her lips as she sank down on her knees and thrust her fingers into the water knowing exactly what was to follow.

A myriad of colours and visions burst in her mind sending her quaking and convulsing on the ground with her eyes turned into her skull. The visions blurred against each other, nothing solid enough for her to grasp. They moved so fast and even the voices were like gurgles inside water. Suddenly darkness fell over her as her body stopped convulsing. She took in a deep breath and opened them only to be greeted by the largest black wolf she had ever seen. His sapphire eyes shone with intelligence and...concern?

Alli couldn’t stop herself as an ear-splitting scream escaped her lips. The wolf’s ears perked up and he jumped over her before disappearing in the trees. He had baffling speed and it was as if he had just suddenly disappeared. She quickly jumped to her feet and ran into the bushes as she heard several guards calling to each other and making their way towards her.

“I heard it coming from here.” One of them exclaimed illuminating the surrounding bushes down to the pond. “You guys go that way, I’ll go this way!” He instructed and the three guards split before running in the opposite directions.

Alli swallowed hard and staggered deeper into the bushes. Her heart was in her throat. That was not a normal wolf. She was very positive it was a nocturnal being like her but the sheer size of it was staggering. She had never seen such a big wolf before. He came so close to her. His eyes were mesmerising and almost haunting. Did he mean to harm her? If he did so then he wouldn’t have hesitated because at the speed that he disappeared, Alli was very sure he would have killed her in record speed.

Her heart thundered in her ears and her adrenaline-laced blood gushed through her causing her to have a high condition that wolves usually were said to have when they hunted or when they mated. By the time she had come out to where her car was parked, she was practically crawling on her hands and knees with her sight hazy and her skin damp with sweat. She managed to pull herself back on her feet and rush to her car before anyone could catch her. By the time she was able to skid the car out of the park, she could see torch beams illuminating where she had been.

It was a close call, all because of that black bear-of-a-wolf that almost devoured her. She was trembling and couldn’t keep focus because of her fear. It was the fear of what she saw and felt in the vision together with what she woke up to and the two tangled against each other, almost driving her to the brim of insanity. Her stomach churned as if she needed to cleanse her body of what she had felt right before Conrad died. She couldn’t make out what the visions meant because they were similar to the ones she saw on the other two crime scenes.

Alli took a deep breath as she raced towards home. She was terrified and she hoped Corleen was not yet home because judging by the way she looked, Corleen would have a dozen or so questions for her. She had twigs snared in her hair and mud caked in her clothes and skin. She was as pale as a ghost and eyes as wide as an owl! The black flecks in them darkened every time she was overly excited and now they were like graphite against jade in the light.

The trilling of her phone in her handbag under the compound glove almost undid the nerves that were already tattered in the edges. Her skin crawled and she had to take a deep breath before she worked at getting her phone.

She placed it on the hands-free kit Corleen insisted that she got for safe driving and answered it.

“Are you home yet? Did you find anything at the crime scene? I know you went without me.” Donny’s voice droned in.

Alli calmed her nerves down and replied. “I’m just coming back from the crime scene, nothing new. Same ol, same ol’”

There was a short pause before Donny answered. “Then why is your voice squeaking as if you have seen a ghost? What is it, Alli? What did you see this time?”

Alli sighed. “I don’t know what I saw but it was more terrifying than ever and then....” Her voice broke away wondering if she could add concern to Donny by telling her about the wolf she saw. “And then suddenly I was being chased by the guards. Luckily I escaped in time but I am a little fazed out at the moment.”

Donny sighed softly. “Sorry I let you go alone. Aunt Alyse gave me a long lecture about why I shouldn’t hang around you and how you are a bad influence to me. I was so close to telling her off about her adventures as a young wolf but my mother jabbed my ribs so hard that every solid accusation I had suddenly evaporated. I don’t know why Aunt Alyse hates your family. Do you think it is because of Corleen and her dangerous line of work?”

Alli didn’t understand why Alyse was so bitter towards her when she didn’t even take time to know her. The woman was practically attacking her with accusations that she didn’t even know where they came from the first day she met her. “Maybe your aunt is right. I mean, I am not the follow-by-the-book sort of wolf so maybe she thinks you will be the same.”

“If only she knew how I influenced you to live less dangerously, she would be proud of me.”

“She doesn’t see it your way, she only sees it my way. I can’t blame her much though. I have been getting into trouble now and again.”

“But you are doing extremely well at school. It’s the reason why Corleen hasn’t been on your case all the time.” Donny pointed out then sighed and said. “But my mother likes you a lot so I think it is best we follow what my mother says and not what Aunt Alyse thinks.”

Alli chuckled feeling the last of her fear drain away. This was why she loved Donny so much. Her conclusions of situations always got her smiling with the false hope that everything was going to turn out for the best but truth be told, Alli was never going to win over Alyse. The woman worshipped the thought of hating her and Corleen for whatever the reason. It was deeply embedded and engraved in her bones. Not even the sun rising in the North and setting in the South would deter Alyse’s loathing.

“I know you are driving home so when you get there safely call me okay?” Donny asked.

“I will. I am just a few minutes away anyway.” Alli said.

“Okay, later.” Donny said.

“Yeah.” Alli answered and hung up before manoeuvring the car towards the neighborhood that she lived in.

Ruvin walked briskly next to Briar as they made their way towards the morgue for the postmortem that evening. Izzy was able to stealthily insert Briar’s name in the doctors-on-call list and it wasn’t surprising because it was not the first or second time Briar took on the doctor role at the Ashwick Town Hospital. Everyone was not surprised when she showed up because that was her cover.

“Has anyone else been able to look at the body?” Ruvin asked her softly forcing a smile now and again because of the female attention he was suddenly attracting. The Father didn’t give him the Pretty One nickname for nothing. His looks, most of the times, got him into trouble with the ladies.

“Izzy made sure I was the one attending it together with an intern named....” She looked down at her silver clipboard and saw the name. “Kelsey Miller.”

Ruvin nodded and forced yet another smile.

“Ooh, Dr Briar!” Two nurses sitting behind the reception desk giggled. “Is that your mysterious boyfriend?”

Ruvin prayed that Briar agreed so that he didn’t find himself in a tangled mess with the two but Briar was....well, Briar....

“He is my older brother. He’s a military commander.” She added. “He’s single.”

Both females’ faces flushed red as they turned their hungry eyes at him.

Seriously, don’t tease a pureblood beast close to fullmoon, Briar. Ruvin used Shadow to tap into Briar’s wolf psychically.

Briar’s grin shimmered in his head. It’s been a while since you had a female in your bed. It’s either you’ve lost your touch or you are getting old--

Or I am just not interested--but I have certainly not lost my touch. Ruvin interrupted and just to prove the point, he gave the flustered females a full Ruvin-effect grin with the dimples and all and it looked as if suddenly the two females were in a trance.

“He is so hot.” One stated, her dazed eyes hungry and judging by the sweet pheromone pervading the corridors from her, Ruvin was very certain was she already dripping in her panties.

Briar rolled her eyes and tapped her clipboard on the desk. “Focus, ladies.” She signed her name of the list of in-doctors and moved towards the morgue.

I guess I underestimated you, commander. Briar chuckled softly in his mind.

Ruvin smirked as he slipped the small paper with the two nurses’ phone numbers in his pockets. It could come in handy now that Shadow had caught a whiff of that tantalizing and ambrosial scent of arousal. The beast never passed the chance to stick himself inside any warm channel if it was freely offered. That was how he and Ruvin were trained since they were quite young.

Briar led the way towards the morgue and just as the rounded the corner they almost collided with Corleen and Titus. Ruvin wasn’t worried about them seeing Briar because they didn’t know her but Ruvin found himself automatically turning to the side as Corleen and Titus passed them. Ruvin watched as the two left until they disappeared around the bend then turned to the two security guards that were sitting outside the morgue and it looked as if they were suspicious of people entering and exiting.

Will this be a problem? Ruvin asked.

Nope. Briar produced two fake badges and handed one to him. Izzy was thorough this time.

When they approached the door, both guards got up. Briar quickly showed them the badges and they entered quietly.

“Dr. Briar!” A squeaky voice came from the room as an awkward young female came adjusting her large black rimmed glasses but ended up walking right into Ruvin’s chest. She placed her glasses back on the bridge of her nose and followed the muscular chest all the way up to Ruvin’s face. Her face turned red as she gulped visibly. “Hello....” she whispered.

Ruvin had to smother a grin that was itching to come out. “Hey.”

She gasped but didn’t so much as make a move away from Ruvin. It looked like she didn’t want to move.

“Kelsey Miller?” Briar finally intervened.

Kelsey jumped softly turning to Briar while adjusting her glasses again. “Oh, that’s me. The intern.”

Briar nodded, taking on a serious look. “Come this way.” She went around the female who was still flushed on Ruvin’s chest and Ruvin was trying his hardest not to chuckle at the ridiculousness that was the female. He took a step back and moved around Kelsey following Briar towards the covered body on the gurney.

“Ever seen a dead body before, Kelsey?” Briar asked as she pulled several latex gloves from the box and threw a pair to Ruvin who caught them effortlessly and another pair to Kelsey who proved to both of them that she was legally blind because she was no where close to catching them. Briar rolled her eyes as stuffed her hair in a sterilized cap.

By the time they were all done, Kelsey standing in front of the dead body and her forehead damp with perspiration, Ruvin was sure of two things, either the girl was going to pop the cap all over the dead body or she was going to pass out. Several tight brown curls escaped her cap framing her heart-shaped face like a baby.

“N--no.” She stuttered.

“Well, there is a first for everything.” Briar didn’t wait to count to three and revealed the already, bluish-grey body lying dead on the gurney.

Ruvin watched as the female’s eyes turned up and she sank to the floor. Ruvin was there before her head hit the floor.

“This is going to be one long ass night.” Briar threw her hands up in exasperation.

Alli was wrapped in a warm sleeping robe, her feet stuffed in fluffy panda sandals and her wet hair coiled in a white towel by the time she heard the front door opening. She took a deep breath knowing Corleen could smell if something was wrong with her. She managed to stuff her soiled dress and coat in the machine using her notorious reputation for doing laundry in the evening to her advantage.

“You are back so soon.” Alli found Corleen taking a glass of juice from the fridge.

Corleen turned to her. “I am pulling an all-nighter. Lord Faelen is having a meeting with his subdivision councilors. This third death really has him on the edge.”

“Good.” Alli muttered softly thinking Corleen didn’t hear but the sharp glare she gave her made her grin sheepishly. “You know I so enjoy it when he gets on the edge, right?”

“Alli, someone died yesterday!” Corleen exclaimed incredulously.

Alli closed her eyes and nodded massaging her temples. “I know, I know and I feel terrible about it--believe me.” A shiver ran down her spine when she recalled what she saw. “I am terrified of leaving home after eight because of it.”

Corleen sighed as she took a swig of her juice. Now that Alli looked at her closely, she could see how worn out her sister was. Her face was pale and drawn, and she was slightly slumping forward. Faelen was ruthless for working her so hard but then again, Corleen was as stubborn as they came! “I am glad you finally notice the danger we all are in. I want you and Donny to take extra care of yourselves.”

Alli could see that her sister feared for her, and the last thing she wanted do was to add burden on her shoulders. “We will.”

“Good.” Corleen sighed softly and leaned her hip against the counter. She turned her knowing eyes towards Alli making her think that her sister had caught up with her lies. “What is this I hear about you and Tyson calling it quits?”

Alli wasn’t prepared for the relief that went through her body. “Tyson is an ass.”

“Took you that long to see?” Corleen asked and Alli burst out laughing, glad that Corleen was in a teasing mood.

“Please don’t start with that.” She rubbed her forehead softly.

Corleen raised her hands up in surrender but asked. “So he is dating Larimar now and you are okay with that?”

“He can date a frog for all I care! I am just not in the mood of keeping up with his bullshit anymore. Besides, he is a newly transformed wolf, nothing good comes out of it.”

“I am happy you see that. I wouldn’t have liked it if you hung around him that much.” Corleen walked to the sink and rinsed her glass then placed it on the dish rack.

“Hey, Corleen, can I ask you something? Do you really believe the Ghost Runners exist?” She asked softly.

Corleen’s shoulders stiffened for a moment before she went back to what she was doing. ”Ghost Runners are a myth, Alli. They don’t exist. A lot of people are using their name to cause alarm in the wolf community.”

“But don’t you feel like someone superior is watching over this city?” She recalled the big scary black wolf that she saw in the park. That was something she could not share with Corleen because a thousand questions would follow and she didn’t have the strength to argue with her. She was still pretty shaken up.

“Lord Faelen is doing his best to keep this a safe haven for supernatural beings. There is no one better or we wouldn’t be having the mysterious murders.” And the truth behind Corleen’s words told Alli her sister believed in every word she uttered.

Somehow, she was a little disappointed because she had always known her sister to have an open mind, and to examine everything thoroughly. She was very sure her sister came across unexplained events that left more questions than answers but somehow she wasn’t talking about it.

“By the way I saw Louise today.” She tried to change the subject knowing she wasn’t going to go anywhere with the Ghost Runners incident.

A small smile appeared on Corleen’s lips as she undid the her high pony and combed the hair down her back using her fingers. “I met him yesterday. He was called back by Lord Faelen.”

“What is that all about?” Alli frowned.

“With supernatural beings being targeted for whatever purpose whether it is fanatic killings or something more, Lord Faelen has called back the best hunters to search and destroy the enemy. I better get going. I have a meeting with my team leaders in thirty minutes--did you grab something to eat before coming home?”

“Yeah, I did, don’t worry.” Alli lied. She didn’t want to worry her sister.

“Okay,” Corleen pulled her into a quick hug and reached for her gun and blade before replacing them on the holster and boot. “See you tomorrow. Keep all the doors and windows locked. Remember where the emergency gun is--I wish that you don’t ever come to use it. Call me when you feel something is wrong.”

Alli rolled her eyes playfully pushing her sister towards the back door. “Yeah....yeah, I know the drill. I have been doing it ever since I was twelve!”

Corleen grinned, something she had not done in such a long time. “Kisses.”

Alli smiled back. “Keep safe. Don’t go off alone and call for backup when you need it.”

Corleen sighed, nodded and left.

Alli closed the door and locked up before she went up to her room and cuddled in her bed. She got her phone before she started texting Donny.

Ruvin and Briar exited the hospital and Ruvin breathed in hard. It was another dead end just like the other two previous bodies. The body was bled dry but there was no indication of anything physical that engaged the weakblood before he died. When they went to the crime scene, Vixen got nothing, not even the evidence of a dog being with the dead weakblood meaning he lied and could have been meeting someone or something at the park in secret.

Ruvin concluded that it was not a job for a Nosferatu because there were no punch marks plus they knew better than to feed on wolves. A lot of stories and movies depicted the hostility between the two races but very few showed the actual reason.

The truth was that because of their godly nature, Nosferatus thought every race was below them and they intended to use other races to do their hard work. Strengthwise, the lycan beasts competed with the dragons. They were fast, agile and could endure any given circumstances for long periods of time.

Nosferatus lied to the Lycans with sweet yet empty promises of power, giving them small doses of their blood to keep them in line. Lycans fell for their sweet trap and found themselves slaves to the Nosferatus but what the Nosferatus didn’t know was that their blood was addictive and that the lycans using it for long periods of time became dangerous and unpredictable. All hell broke loose when one Lycan who was the secret lover to the crown princess of the Nosferatus bled her dry in one of their frenzy love-making.

The Nosferatus retaliated by murdering every single Lycan within their city and the Lycans--vengeful as they were leaked out the secret about the Nosferatu blood. Before any of the races could blink, the Nosferatus were being hunted down like game and bled to death, their blood selling for incredible prices. The Lycans went into hiding because they were still hunted down by the Nosferatu.

To that day, Lycans and Nosferatus never wanted to be in close proximity with each other.

And now that a significant number of the Nosferatu fled from the Enchanted World only to be the Nightwalkers in the human realm, they were a little disadvantaged though they still had their godly powers such as controlling the whether, mind control, ability to shift into animals and elements alike.

A Nosferatu would never make a mistake of killing a wolf knowing fully well they went into ground at day time, their bodies leaden by the human sun and that they were vulnerable to the Lycan who could find them at any given time.

“So, what do we do now?” Briar turned to him defeated and weariness etched on her beautiful face.

Ruvin sighed and turned towards the car. “Let’s round up first and get a debriefing on what we got so far. I hope Edon and the others are more successful in finding the half-blood.”

Briar nodded and followed Ruvin to the car. Ruvin was positive that whoever was doing the killings was an enchanted being but so far they could not even get a reading on the energies. Usually if an enchanted being did something, there was always residual energy that one could use to map out who did it but there was nothing, no reading at all on the body. This person must have been very powerful with the ability to musk or contain their energies.

Ruvin wasn’t defeated yet. He had planned to go and see Sheyster because she had been living in that city for a while. She must have come across several enchanted beings. Once they got the names of possible suspects, they could follow them up. Ruvin started the engine and soon they were on their way back unaware of the man dressed in black that was watching them from the shadows of the hospital parking lot.