Shadow Falls: A Sensual Werewolf Romance (The Wolves of Shadow Falls)

SHADOW FALLS (The Wolves of Shadow Falls Series) – Copyright © 2012 by Mary Andrews

Published 2013 by Mary A. Andrews

“I dedicate this novel to my loving husband. Your love has inspired me to pursue my dreams.”

“
For where thou art, there is the world itself, And where thou art not, desolation”
~William Shakespeare

  My name is Connor McKnight and I live in a place called Shadow Falls. I was born in the skin of a human but I am a werewolf. The beast that I am resigns when I let it but when I can no longer pacify him he emerges and whatever is left of my humanity is gone. I found my mate, Aislen and I loved her even before we met. I thought she and I were alone but we soon learned that I was wrong. Terribly wrong! Now our lives have been caught up in a web spun centuries ago, I must account for the moments leading up to where we are now. To this moment that I have the fleeting hours in which to write, so that I can save the two beings I love more than my beloved…

***

2009

The town of Shadow Falls was once stuck in time and a dismal reminder of what life was without the advent of television, internet and the cell phone. Now the people had evolved and a new life entered peeling away the scar tissue of the old landscape to reveal a more modern society. The wolves of Shadow Falls have now come into dangerous view. A new mayor had been elected, his ambitious nature made him capitalize on the fears of the people. Mayor David Raymond had lived in Shadow Falls his entire life and harbored his own personal account of wolf sightings. His face bore a history of scars that he claimed were inflicted on him as a child by his parents. As a child he was known as a modern day adaptation of the ‘boy who cried wolf’. From the tender age of six, he claimed that while riding his bike along the road one afternoon, he saw a large black wolf-like creature mauling a woman on the edge of the forest. His parents at the time thought he was crazy and subjected him to years of cruelty. Jim and Kate Raymond never wanted a child and when David came along, they took out their aggression on him, from the moment he was born. But David hid his pain well, no one knew of the terror that was being visited upon him by his parents. When they died 20 years later in a mysterious fire, David was never even considered a suspect. David spent most of his adult years reading up on lycanthropy. He became obsessed with the idea of killing werewolves. David spun his campaign based on his obsession, educating the people of Shadow Falls on lycanthropy and in time revealing to them our weaknesses. But killing us was easier said than done since catching us and surviving long enough in the woods to take a fatal shot was where the real challenged lay.

A silver bullet can kill a wolf the instant contact is made with his heart or head in human form. Should the bullet pierce any other part of his body, the poison would course through his veins slowly, merely crippling him until he shifts. If he can morph back into wolf before the deadly venom liquefies his insides, only then is there hope. The violent transformation would force the poison out of the vessel before it became fatal. A tiny bullet becomes the Achilles heel to such a strong and magnificent creature.  The thing that made a wolf as weak as a human was his heart. It’s always a human heart, whether he is wolf or werewolf, the organ that pumped blood through his veins was just a fickle human heart. Suddenly the town of Shadow Falls had purpose, had mystery and was now attracting outsiders like moths to a flame. It was known as the town of werewolves! A little unknown town at the turn of the millennium had transformed overnight to a worldwide phenomenon. The creatures that were once only alive in the novels and made visible through the cinema screens, now were as real as sunlight.

Until now, the seasons and pleasure triggered the change, there was simply no other way to shed the human skin and run free as a wolf. Imprinting on another wolf was impossible if it was not born in the same season; the binding act that can only take place while in werewolf form in the heat of passion. The fact that we did not have the ability to control the transformation made us slaves to the seasons and pleasure. Pleasure was our trigger! Whether it’s the thrill of the kill and the consumption of flesh that quenched the lust for blood or the incredible sex, the mating, the fucking or the achievement of the ultimate climax, pleasure was indeed the trigger for the moment. An ancient and mysterious woman entered the scene harboring a wealth of knowledge within her blood. With the discovery of our heritage and the arrival of her hunter, our challenges increased and we found ourselves caught in the middle of a war older than time.

Aislen and I were in love and we felt like we were the only two people that existed in the world. Life in the forest was blissful and serene, running with Aislen felt like chasing butterflies. We regarded the people that lived around us as forbidden fruit, marveling at them, complimenting their beauty, and resisting the urge to crush them beneath our feet. Last winter Aislen and I carelessly frolicked on the forest floor and I poured my seed into her, filling her until her banks broke and overflowed. Our howls rose above the hush of the frozen forest and spilled out into the atmosphere, filling the sky like a swarm of flies.  They traveled through the air at spectacular speeds, reverberating through the ancient trees. Then there was an answer, a creature just like us answered, howling back to us as the silver moon peered through the dusty clouds. The cries transmitted a message that was abundantly clear; we were not alone. Suddenly there was an eruption of howls that began ringing in a chorus, scattering the owls that flew above, making them dizzy. There was an overwhelming feeling within us to join in and soon we all sang a song of history, telling each other about our pasts, discovering truths about our entire existence and agreeing to assemble at the Miller Mine amidst the forest. Flashes of images forming a map were transmitted to my brain and I could see the winding trail which ceased at the mouth of a massive cave opening and I felt as if I had been there before.

The winter winds were beginning to heat up again and spring loomed in the horizon. Aislen and I arrived at the Miller mine first, we were alone; the air was vacant of any scents that could identify the other wolves that we spoke to not so long ago. The mine was old and abandoned years ago, stripped of the treasure that men spilled their bloods to unearth. The entrance to the mine had collapsed and large boulders blocked the original door. It was a shadow of the image that the wolves had communicated earlier. Aislen began sniffing around in search of a gap large enough for us to squeeze our slender bodies through. I quickly joined her and not long after we stumbled on a spot in the corner of the entrance filled with rocks small enough for us to scratch out with our paws. We dug intensely with incredible precision as though we were a pair of fox that came upon the den of a rabbit until we cleared a space large enough for our wolf sized frame to fit through. We crawled through the make shift tunnel until we spilled out into a corroded track that was laid down by miners years ago to pull carts filled with gold nuggets along. The air was warm and heavy with dust. The new atmosphere forced us to morph back into our human form. It was as if the winter did not exist and we were curious about the source of the extraordinary warmth that enveloped us.

A small light flickered deep within shaft and we began to follow it, the closer we got to it the brighter the light glowed until we came into the view of a bizarre sight. The tracks ceased in front of a large opening, an impressive room with stone walls that were tattooed with drawings of exquisite beings. There were vividly painted pictures of animals and human-like depictions engaging in some type of war and in some cases a tall dark shadow with an outstretched hand appeared. The dark figure seemed to be the manipulator of the war that was so graphically depicted. At the side of the figure stood a massive werewolf that seemed to be howling and with his fists pounding his chests. We did not know what to make of the drawings. The light that drew us to the room came from a yellow crystal embedded into the wall, that shone brighter the closer we got to it. When Aislen touched it, the light entered her illuminating her frame. She was aglow and appeared even more beautiful than ever before.

I was suddenly overcome with desire and she was more irresistible than she had ever been, the way the light danced throughout her, made my erection grow. In a flash, I found myself pinned to the floor and Aislen was on top of me, grinding on my appendage. I had no control; her luminescent body massaged mine as she moved up and down over me. Her large breasts brushed against my chest as she kissed me. The light within her filled my soul and I had strength again, my limbs were more powerful than they had ever been. I flipped her and she crashed unto the dusty floor scattering a cloud of the brown substance in to the air. I was deep inside her opening, drowning in her warm slime. The feeling was incredible and pleasure surged through my body like an electrical charge. With each thrust, her pussy vibrated and her entire body shook until she began to quiver. I felt her small hand grip the back of my thighs pulling me in deeper into her. We were one flesh again and my sperm shot out inside of her like a geyser. The light was like a fire burning inside us until it consumed us whole.

As we slept intertwined with each other, the fire died and soon the light returned to the crystal.

We were awoken by the explosion of musky scents mixed with sweat, fur and dirt. In minutes we were surrounded by a pack of snarling wolves of varying colors. We were human, unfamiliar to them and vulnerable. I held onto Aislen, looking into her eyes with a reassuring gaze. I knew we were doomed and I wanted her to know that this was the best way we could die. Together, arm in arm. Aislen and I were surrounded by close to twenty of them, growling, exposing their teeth, sniffing the air around us to absorb our human scents. They were ready to charge at any second; we knew we had to be still and avoid contact with their glowing eyes, any sudden movements and it would have been over in a flash. The temperature dropped, the warm air turned frosty and the chill caused us to morph. The wolves eased away, giving us room to expand and change until we were all the same.

The iridescent, amber light from the crystal encircled us and we bowed gracefully to one another; nibbling at the ears, gently pawing faces, sniffing asses and getting acquainted. Through telepathy we were able to communicate a great deal about our pasts to each other and by licking each other we were able to experience each other’s trials as though they were our own. There was one wolf in particular that had an extraordinary past, one that mirrored the drawing on the inside of the mine. His name was Storm and he had an unbreakable bond with a creature much different from us. The creature in his thoughts wore a dark cloak with a hood that covered its face. The wolf regarded the creature as more than a friend and wanted nothing more than to protect it. His mind and body were linked to the creature with invisible chains.

My curiosity rose inside of me like the tide filling my mind with so many questions.  Suddenly there was a hush and a cold gust of wind blew in stirring up the specs of dust into a whirlwind. The wolves quivered, all but Storm. He stood firm and tall, planting his front paws firmly into the ground, unaffected by the wind. He stuck his nose up high into the air as though he caught the scent of something familiar. The other wolves broke out in a chorus of whimpers, curling their tails between their legs, submitting as though something much more powerful than they were had arrived. Aislen lowered her face to the ground, it seemed that she too knew what was about to happen. Only I stood with Storm upright and unmoved but I was nervous, deep down I was not certain that my stance was the correct one.

A thick white fog appeared out of nowhere and engulfed the room and I felt my legs weaken. I could not stand as firm as I did before and for some strange reason the skin that covered my penis retracted exposing the pink moist stick. It was as if I was in heat. The white fog blinded me and I searched for Aislen’s scent with my nose. It was impossible to find her; instead a new scent filled my nostrils. The scent of honey dew and mint embraced me and I was rapt. Two long slender, pale white legs emerged out of the mist; they were connected to a majestic frame. My eyes traced up the length and breadth of them until they met with the naked hour glass contours of a stunning woman. She was completely nude; her pussy was small and utterly hairless. She had breasts that were like handfuls of cotton candy and a face so striking that I was nearly floored. Her emerald green eyes beamed as she looked directly in to my golden spheres. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, cutting off at her waist. She was magnificent and as I looked into her eyes, I knew instinctively that she was the dark creature in the cloak, unveiled before me. Her feet were covered in a bronze like sheen. It felt like with the exception of Storm, that I was the only other wolf that could see her. But, why me, I wondered. I could not tell if the other wolves had seen her, the images they transmitted never revealed such a beauty. I felt compelled and her spirit spoke to me.

Suddenly the bottling sound of Storm, the tall black wolf, that did not quiver erupted and he appeared by her side. Like a human and a pet, he stood below the tips of her fingers. My organs tingled inside me, I wasn’t afraid of Storm I was slightly amused because he was like a dog protecting his master. The mist died and all that was lost under her foggy blanket came to light again. I looked around scanning the entire circle to find Aislen, my pink cock still exposed, revealing to everyone that I was in heat. I was not alone; the wolves that shook and whimpered a while ago were in heat as well, cocks dangling out in the open to view swollen wet cunts, totally unashamed.

Aislen was melting with the heat; she had joined the other females who had their backs turned to the males, submitting to anyone willing to hump them senseless. It was as if I was invisible to her and I wondered if she had forgotten me. In that brief moment that I was caught in the lustful gaze with the mystery woman, it was as if our entire history was erased. Aislen was like any other wolf; she did not have the unusual charm that drew me to her side, and I could not recognize her scent. The history that shaped the character that I once loved was erased from my mind. My dick ached and I yearned to release my seed.

Storm began to send images to my head revealing the identity of his master and I knew her. Her name was Despina and she was as old as time. Despina was a vampire, the very first ever created and the mother of all vampire kind that ever lived; she was invested with tremendous power. Despina was invincible, an abomination fathered by Lucifer, she had the power to build and destroy with a single bite.  However, her creations were not invincible like she was. The gift of immortality came with a hefty price. If Despina gave the gift to a human, they would become a vampire. Unlike their maker, they would fear the sun and could be weakened by silver. A single wooden stake through the heart of a vampire would destroy them.

Vampires had the ability to create more like themselves by just administering a single bite, draining the human close to the brink of death before making them drink their own blood. It was a difficult and painful task for a vampire and most reserved the act for humans that they fell in love with. As a gift from her father Despina was given a male wolf pup to devour but instead she grew fond of the creature and nurtured it until it grew into a magnificent beast. Despina called the pup Seth. When enemies of her father tried to snuff out her life, the wolf that she nurtured laid down his life to protect her. In return for his sacrifice Despina gave her fallen guardian the ‘bite’. She sank her ivory fangs into the throat of the dying beast transmitting a virus that consumed his body, transforming the creature into an immortal being. The beast rose with an insatiable desire to kill.

Seth did not drink blood like Despina instead he reveled in tearing the cold corpses that his master left behind and devouring them, removing all traces of their existence. He was still for the most part a wolf, preferring to hunt, kill and eat animals. As the millenniums passed Despina travelled the globe, gorging on the blood of humans with her faithful guardian at her side, until one life altering night. It was the middle of the dark ages and they met a young Armenian family living in a small colony on the eastern side of the country. The humble couple had four children ranging from ages one to five years and the mother was in her ninth month of pregnancy. Despina wasted little time, plunging her sharp fangs into the necks of the children, draining the innocent babes dry before moving on to the parents.

Engorged and filled with blood, Despina cast the barely living mother to the feet of Seth for him to finish the kill. The beast was tired and for the moment content from having devoured the children as well as the father, so instead of consuming the mother he merely bit of her head leaving her decapitated remains to rot. The viruses from Despina and the wolf passed down to the babe through the veins of the mother crossing the placenta and nourishing the child within. As Despina and her guardian slept during the day, the baby still alive, passed out of the corpse of the mother. Despina and her companion were awoken by the cries of the new born and she flew to her feet to investigate the disturbance. As she gazed upon the child she became mesmerized sensing her kin as well as that of her guardian within the babe. She bit into her hand allowing the crying child to drink her blood.

Years passed and the child grew into a man ceasing to age in body on his 18
^th
birthday. Despina was fond of the boy and she called him Damien and he became the father of all werewolves. Transforming from wolf to man and then werewolf, through his blood line we were created. Seth and Damien protected their mother for centuries until they were killed during the supernatural battle depicted in the drawings. Since the death of her beloved pet and his son, Despina maintained a symbiotic relationship with wolves, ever so often taking one of his half bred werewolves as a companion. Storm was her most recent companion and the reason she was now in Shadow Falls.

Despite the revelation, I could not shake the sinking feeling that there was something extremely sinister behind her true intentions. I felt like what she projected was a glamour effect; a false presentation of what she wanted us to believe. Aislen felt it too. Despina could not be trusted. I had read about a vampire’s ability to wear a glamour that acted like a veil covering the truth of their intentions. But until now I had thought it only worked on humans. I felt the urge to believe in her and trust her blindly like the rest of the wolves but something deep down inside fought against it. Both Aislen and I fought to stifle the urge to be deceived by her glamour.