Raven Moon (5 page)

“Ethan and I worked on a formula that will combat the lethal effects of silver. My witchmacallit skills sped up the process and we plan to distribute the potion to every werewolf and shifter who goes on missions with them. The silver bullet still injures and hurts like hell but if the potion is applied within minutes, it will stop the lethal poison. And provide permanent protection from silver bullets.”

“Permanent?”

“I believe so.”

“That would be awesome.” Ethan, a human veterinarian had saved Dirk’s sister from silver poisoning and committed his research to finding some sort of pill or vaccine to protect werewolves.

Dora lowered her voice, “The only thing is I had to sneak in part of the potion.”

Rave gave her an incredulous look. “Why?”

Dora blew out a breath and pulled out a small vial of a slimy-looking blue fluid. “Most of the dose involves wolfsbane.”

She gaped. “Really?” Wolfsbane was the werewolf knockout drug and forbidden in any pack, no matter their affiliation. It was created by witches to combat the Benandanti. Later the werewolf hunters or Kindred used it to tranquilize and capture werewolves. The sadistic Kindred then collared the unconscious werewolf with the infamous gleipnir collar for further torture, prior to death.

“Wolfsbane is the only thing known to knock out a werewolf during the painful cure from silver poisoning.”

Rave edged closer. “Who else knows?”

“Only the alphas, but because of the threat from the Kindred and the Benandanti, they voted to allow it on the premises.”

“How will you know unless someone volunteers to be your guinea pig?”

“My witch sense knows it works, but yeah, we won’t know until we have our first silver gunshot victim. Silver bullets, are needed to activate the immune system and provide a permanent vaccine. Otherwise, the solution only knocks them out.”

“That sucks, especially since if the vial breaks it will knockout any werewolf within the vicinity.” Dora smiled and tossed her the vial, which Rave almost missed but captured it as if it was a grenade. “Shit, Doc.”

Dora laughed. “Don’t worry, the container can withstand breaking. You need to puncture the top with a needle to get through, which should prevent accidental exposure. However, all non-wolf shifters on Wolf Guard or Avian intel missions will carry several in their med-kits.”

Rave popped it into her pocket. “I’ll definitely carry one.”

Dora frowned and quipped. “Don’t use it as a werewolf date rape drug.”

“Please, I’m not that desperate. Besides, I may be the one who saves Dirk’s ass for you.”

“Good to know.”

Rave patted her pocket. “If I ever meet up with the Benandanti, at least I can knock him or her out.”

Dora scratched her neck. “Well as bad as they are at least the Benandanti rescue humans.”

“I’m not sure about that. Hilda reported the survivors all dress in white clothing and wear white-furred hats.” Rave scoffed. “I need to rescue them from fashion drudgery.”

Dora raised a brow. “Is this something new?”

“Benandanti want their human pack members to follow the faith, but it looks more like the new alpha leader has created a cult.”

Dora shook her head. “Pretty creepy.”

“Don’t worry. Between our kick-ass Consortium and your witchy powers, they’d be stupid to try anything, including silver ammo on us.”

“As long as Dirk doesn’t go fierce werewolf on the rampage to protect his mate.”

Rave sighed. “So romantic.” She smiled at lucky Dora. “Anyway, I’ll come by tomorrow for the map to the biomedical lab and inform Beccan and Cashel about our mission.”

“Well Princess, don’t lose any feathers or break a wing.”

“Even if I did, I would immediately shift to my raven form and let them walk by.” It would suck being human. Even if bitten, shifters never turned, however, if she was a second late in shifting before they grabbed her, she’d quickly turn into the other white meat. She shuddered at how close she’d come to being on their menu.

“Okay, but if it’s too risky to go in even as ravens, promise to turn back.”

“Will do if you promise me one thing?”

“What? Set you up with a bachelor werewolf?”

“That would be nice. However, this promise has nothing to do with me.”

Dora did a double take and smiled. “And what’s that?”

She wanted to scream that her self-absorbed days were over but why not just show it? “Dave told me his pacemaker has only two more years of battery life left. Can you get him a new battery or something?”

Dora smiled. “Done and done. I already knew and I told him not to worry. I’m reviewing the spell book on how to enhance my healing capabilities on medical devices.”

Rave gave her a big hug and let go. “Awesome.”

Dora laughed. “No problem. By the way if you want to join me for lunch, come back in a few hours.”

“Actually, I’m off to color Beth’s hair and then I’m teaching her how to use the snow mobile.”

“Just don’t wake up Gus. Last time he woke up he almost mauled a half dozen people.”

Rave laughed. “Gus needs a female to keep his temper in place.” Gus was a grizzly bear shifter deep in hibernation. There were no natural grizzly bears left in California except for those on the California flag. The rare grizzly shifter often lumbered near hikers, causing furor amongst biologists who always reiterated the California grizzly bear was extinct. “I’ll see you later.”

“Okay, have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

****

Maddox stared at the white-uniform clad humans as they bowed before Prophet Lazarus and high priest Obadiah. Since the Benandanti had broken away from the papacy nearly seven hundred years ago, they’d been forbidden from practicing their religion with humans. Most of the humans appeared awed by Lazarus as if he was an angel, but others smelled of fear. Worse, resentment. The prophet’s hope was to raise a human army against the witch’s pack. But would his humans rebel against their Benandanti masters? Fortunately, the silver ammo weapons, he’d trained the humans with were kept locked until the next time they confronted an enemy pack.

On seeing Maddox, Lazarus rose from his throne, smiled and said, “Rise, my flock and return to your chambers. Freshen up before we ring for the evening meal.”

In unison, they raised their arms to him and chanted, “All mighty Hound of God, Prophet Lazarus, we praise you for guarding God’s flock.”

Maddox pressed his lips together into a hard line. Lazarus practiced idolatry. Pure sacrilege! This was no different from how the human hating Vircolac pack had enslaved human survivors to serve them as slaves. He narrowed his eyes at high priest Obadiah, who lowered his gaze as if in shame. How had Lazarus convinced the high priest he was a chosen prophet?

The humans left in silence, their heads lowered. In fact, since he had arrived, no human had spoken. They communicated with nods and simple hand gestures. Were they commanded not to speak since they were obviously not mute? There were no zombies around, especially in the snow-covered territory, so there was no need to maintain silence.

“Templar, approach,” said Lazarus.

Maddox lowered his gaze and kneeled on one knee. “My lord, we must talk.”

“Rise. We’ll talk in my meeting room.”

Maddox stood and turned to Obadiah. “Will you come as well, sir?”

The old priest gave Lazarus a forced smile and spoke in a monotone voice as if he too had been indoctrinated. “Shall I, Prophet Lazarus?”

“No stay, Obadiah. You will preside over the meal blessings for our human flock.”

“As you wish, my lord,” said Obadiah, sounding like a juvenile omega. Old Obadiah had always been argumentative and ornery. Was the fiery high priest sedated with a low dose of wolfsbane? No. The use of the witch’s flower would indeed have been the devil’s work. A Benandanti alpha would never stoop that low, not even to gain power.

Maddox followed Lazarus into his sanctuary quarters, which at one time had been a library for lodge guests. The bookshelves were empty except for one copy of a Benandanti Holy Bible, resting on a podium. “What happened to all the books?”

Lazarus grinned, displaying his large sharp fangs. “Burned.”

Maddox raised a brow. He imagined a lodge in the Montana wilderness would have books on fishing, local history and other practical guides. “All, my lord?”

“Most books written by humans have been deemed blasphemous.” Lazarus sat and gestured for Maddox to take the chair next to him.

“What about books on how to fly an airplane or how to repair plumbing?” Certainly, some fiction had to be acceptable for leisure reading. Maddox enjoyed books with suspense and action. Did Lazarus consider all human accomplishments evil?

“No worries, Templar. I have set up a censor committee to survey books deemed helpful in this end of times world. However, we now have opportunity to save the worthy of God’s mercy, while sinners are punished.”

“These humans you saved, are they not allowed to speak?”

“They can speak when we enter the battlefield against the children of Satan and during prayer services.”

“It’s human nature to speak. They will rebel.”

“Not likely. They are grateful to have been rescued from the undead scourge. If they don’t agree with our ways, let them return to their cities.” He smiled as if such examples had been made.

“I see.” Their obedience was based on fear not faith. At least here, they were fed, housed, and kept safe from being eaten alive. However, it was wrong. For thousands of years, the Benandanti were commanded to protect humans from real evil, demons, witches and Godless shifters. It was never their duty to preach or intervene but rather to allow humans to seek God on their own terms. The faithful would earn a better life in heaven. He prepared for the worse. “Is it true that you have taken human women as mates?”

“The almighty has commanded me and other selected Hounds of God to mate with our human flock.”

A sudden coldness hit Maddox’s core and his fangs ached to emerge, ready to challenge. He suppressed his anger. “Surely, there are enough human males to carry out such a task?”

“Human men are weak. Our blood will strengthen the human race. I have separated the men from the women. Any man, who attempts to mate, will be castrated on the spot.” Lazarus barked a laugh. “The human women are most compliant.”

Maddox blurted, “Like the fallen angels who slept with human women?”

Lazarus’ eyes bulged in fanatical rage. “How dare you compare me to the sons of Satan! If we do not procreate with human women, they will disappear and our mission to save their souls will die. Satan will win.”

“I wasn’t aware we were allowed to change our doctrine.” Maddox narrowed his eyes at the fellow alpha. “What does Obadiah think of this?”

“I won’t argue with your misgivings. Many in our pack balked at the idea but after God sent the Kindred to punish us, those that survived came to agree with Obadiah and my revelation.” He chuckled. “Even high priest Obadiah has taken a young woman of child bearing age.”

Is that why Obadiah had grown tame? Had the widowed high priest given into the sin of lust? Yet, if something wasn’t done, man created in God’s image would cease to exist. His moral beliefs conflicted with what was best for mankind. The Benandanti huntress, Gloria who had found and raised him as her own child had taught him how the Benandanti served mankind by protecting them from Satan and his kin. His head flinched back slightly. “And are the women willing?”

“More than willing, I already have four wives. You too can choose whichever one pleases you.”

He swallowed. “I heard you are to wed an underage girl.”

“True, but she will serve as a hand maiden until she is of proper age before consummating the mating.”

Disgust filled Maddox’s heart and his voice hardened in contempt, “Do you mark them?”

A low growl escaped Lazarus before he answered, “No, only our wolfen women are given the mating bite. After all, only our kind can beget wolfen children.”

Maddox lowered his gaze and his lip twitched. “I see.” At least, mating with human women would only produce humans. Even so, it was not easy for human women to become pregnant from their seed. Nine times out of ten their fetus would be rejected or had Lazarus found a way to skirt around that dilemma?

Lazarus leaned back and folded his hands into a steeple. “So tell me, Templar, have you decided to be my second in command?”

Maddox curled his fingers into claws. “Not until Jaeger is dead.”

Lazarus snarled. “Let the zombies take your vengeance on Jaeger. We have bigger concerns.”

His voice lowered, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” How quickly he forgot how the Kindred massacred their pack on Beaver Island.

“Don’t you see? We too were punished for our sins?”

“What sins and why would God send the Kindred to punish us?”

Lazarus sighed as if explaining something simple to a child. “Because we didn’t prevent the devil and his servants from releasing the Bane.”

“The reptilian shifter rumored to have started the virus?”

“Yes, only it was no ordinary shifter but Satan and his followers.”

Maddox swallowed, not wanting to believe the pagan shifters he fought side by side with in England had anything to do with the Bane. Why would they help create a plague that took the lives of the young and beta shifters?

His nose flared. “It’s time to put the world back in order. Together with the faithful, we’ll vanquish the Bane and declare holy war against the Melandanti and Satan’s kin.”

Maddox met the alpha’s crazed eyes. “I will never stop hunting Jaeger until I kill him and bury his heart.”

“How about you take another week to decide? I’ll send a human woman to your quarters I think you’ll find her attractive.”

Maddox stiffened. Had their laws against pre-marital sex changed in favor of impregnating women? “Who, a former prostitute?”

“On the contrary, a former nun.”

A pious nun?
Maddox’s wolf could no longer remain unleashed. He stood and growled, close to becoming the bipedal werewolf monster seen in horror movies. The beast that favored darker inclinations. He suppressed his emerging wolf and sidestepped the issue with his need for vengeance. His voice sounded more demon than human. “Do you realize Mariah and Diego were collared by a gleipnir while a human gang watched them being eaten alive by hundreds of zombies?”