LOVE IN THE DARK CHARMED LOVE

Lupa searched for a way to escape, but it was no use.

Then he emerged from the shadows. Beneath the light of the moon, he appeared ethereal - almost divine.

Her knees grew weak and she felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. No matter what she did, she could not pull enough oxygen into her lungs.

Reaching behind her, Lupa's hand searched for something to hold onto to – anything that would keep her on her feet. It was impossible to tear her eyes from the tall - powerful figure steadily moving in her direction.

A soft breeze teased at the long black hair that fell across his wide shoulders, making him seem even more feral than he already did. He stood before her - his natural splendor illuminated by the pale moonlight.

The magnetic allure of his eyes drew her in – coaxing her to surrender her will.

A familiar feeling of warmth stirred deep within her. She could not still the trembling as heat coursed through her body like liquid fire.

Now he was in front of her - so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Her eyes were drawn to the sight of muscle moving beneath the smooth skin of his chest.

Air rushed from her lungs when she felt his firm thigh forcing her legs apart. There was no time for thought or protest.

His mouth was on her throat and she could feel his sharp teeth scraping against her tender flesh.

She felt no fear, only an intense - all consuming heat. Her need for him erupted into something beyond anything she could comprehend.

Fear clawed at her consciousness. She was afraid of what he was - of what he could do to her, but her body betrayed her. Like an animal, instinct took over. Her hands went to his shoulders and she pulled him closer.

His mouth claimed hers and she found herself being pulled into an inferno that threatened to overwhelm her entire being. It was only the pain of his teeth nipping at her kiss-swollen lips that kept her from slipping away to that point of no return.

Suddenly she was being ripped from her dream world. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hold on to him. The vision evaporated like puffs of smoke rising into an endless sky.

Lupa's eyes fluttered open.

She still trembled with the need her dream had invoked.

But something had awakened her?

The stiff muscles in her back and shoulders screamed in protest as she tried to get into a sitting position. Sleeping in the front seat of her car was probably not one of the wisest things she'd ever done, but she'd been too tired to keep driving.

Lupa looked around the empty rest stop. She was in the middle of nowhere - someplace between Wolfmoon and Howlingwater.

It wasn't really a rest stop, but more of a pull off with a small table and an outhouse.

Her eyes strayed to the half moon suspended high above the rocky cliffs to the east. Lupa noted that it had moved little since she'd pulled over and closed her eyes.

She probably hadn't slept longer than an hour, but maybe it was enough that she could make it the rest of the way to Howlingwater. The last thing she needed was to end up driving her car off the side of the road because she was too sleepy to drive.

She'd only meant to rest her eyes for a few minutes, but had quickly fallen into a deep sleep. Like most nights, her dreams were haunted by visions of Caleb. It had been months since she'd left the Navajo Reservation. She'd hoped to hear from him, but there hadn't been a word. According to Uncle Donny, no one had seen him since she'd been gone.

The fact that he was keeping a low profile didn't surprise her, considering the threat of the Shapechangers.

But still, why hadn't he at least sent word that he was okay?

The low - ominous growl sent shards of fear into her heart.

It was coming from just outside her car.

Lupa's eyes flew to the window. At first all she could see were shadows, but suddenly one of those shadows moved.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

Nightmarish visions scrambled to the front of her mind. Once again the memories were crowding in on her - memories that she'd spent the last several months trying to forget. Her time in Arizona would be forever tainted by the murders of her parents and best friend.

Caleb had warned her to stay away.

The Shapechangers would do anything to bring the alpha wolf do his knees, even if that meant killing the one they'd created to destroy him.

Is he were to die, she would still serve her purpose. Killing her would distract Caleb and prevent the Changing.

It had taken all her strength to keep from returning to the reservation to find him, but then Trent Metzger had called and asked for her help. He'd been arrested for the murder of a young Navajo woman.

Trent claimed he had nothing to do with it, and though she might be a little crazy, Lupa believed him.

Trent's family was deeply involved with the Navajo witches more commonly known as Shapechangers. In fact, most people on the reservation believed Trent Metzger himself was a Shapechangers.

Unlike the Sinapu, who were true shifters, the Shapechangers were evil practitioners of the dark arts. According to legend, the Tchin'dih were demons that possessed the bodies of the Shapechangers. It was these demons that gave them their power.

Trent's people were Shapechangers, but he hadn't embraced the Tchin'dih.

Because Trent had once saved her life, Lupa decided to make the trip back to Arizona to see what she could do to help.

Returning to the reservation brought back all her old fears and anxieties.

Was it possible that anxiety was causing her mind to play tricks on her?

Maybe there wasn't really anything out there in the dark.

Forcing herself to breathe, Lupa tried to remain calm.

It was nothing.

There was no way they could have tracked her already.

Lupa froze.

The growls had now turned to snarls. Something crashed against the car so hard that it rocked.

Startled, Lupa shrieked in terror, but quickly clasped her hand over her mouth.

She reminded herself that screaming would accomplish nothing but to let them know she was afraid. The Shapechangers would feed off her fear and become stronger.

She had to think.

It had to be Shapechangers. They wanted to scare her. If they terrorized her, she would be that much easier to subdue.

Shaking, Lupa turned the key in the ignition. Nothing happened. The starter wouldn't even turn over.

They had done something to her car while she slept.

How had they found her so quickly?

The Shapechangers had to have been waiting for her. Somehow they'd picked up her trail and followed her after she'd crossed onto the reservation. They'd lured her back to the Arizona and right into their trap.

Through her terror, it dawned on Lupa that there were several sets of eyes staring at her from the darkness. These were not the eyes of Shapechangers, but the eyes of wolves - the Sinapu.

They were no more than inky silhouettes against the full moon, and although the Sinapu were in human form, a surreal light radiated from their eyes.

The car doors were already locked, though she knew locked doors wouldn't stop them. The thought had just formed when the passenger side door was ripped from its hinges. There was no time to react. She felt hands on her arms, yanking her from the car.

Screaming, Lupa struggled to free herself, but nothing she did made a difference. Their snarling rage continued.

There was a sudden moment of clarity when she realized that these Sinapu were fighting the change.

If they lost their human form, would they also lose any sense of humanity?

"Let me go!" she screeched, kicking wildly at her assailants.

Ignoring her struggles, they pulled her across the tiny parking lot and into the desert.

Lupa stopped fighting. She had to stay calm.

They hadn't torn her to shreds yet, so maybe they weren't going to kill her.

The moon provided enough light that she could see the three men had no clothes. They weren't even wearing shoes to protect their feet, but this didn't seem to faze them. These men were at home in the desert, as wild as any creatures that roamed the night.

Lupa wasn't as lucky as her captors. After walking for less than an hour, her feet were already killing her.

The Sinapu continued to lead her into the wilderness. Slowly the sagebrush gave way to pines and juniper. They were heading into the mountains.

No one would find her in such a remote region.

Her car would be discovered, and the Tribal Police would probably come to the conclusion that she'd been abducted, but they wouldn't have any idea where to look for her.

Even Uncle Donny would get it wrong. Though he was one of the best detectives on the force, he would assume she'd fallen victim to the Shapechangers. He'd never suspect the Sinapu.

The pack didn't want their alpha having any contact with Lupa. They feared she would be the downfall of the Sinapu and the Navajo people. The Sinapu had made no secret of the fact they would kill her to prevent this.

Caleb couldn't know what was happening. He'd never permit it.

Are you sure? Whispered the small voice in her head.

No matter what was in her heart, she had to remember he was their leader. It was his job to guard the Heart of the People.

What if he saw her as a threat to that? How far would he go to fulfill his duty to the people?

Finally they stopped walking. The men were speaking amongst themselves in a language she couldn't understand. Although Lupa didn't know much of the Navajo language, she knew enough to realize the men were not speaking the language of the Diné.

Through the trees, Lupa could make out what appeared to be a small log cabin. Before she had time to wonder why they'd brought her to a cabin, they started walking again. Even viewing the cabin through the darkness, it was evident by the gray - weathered logs that the building was old.

Once inside, Lupa found it was too dark to see, but the Sinapu weren't about to go through the trouble of providing light. They didn't need it. Wolves could see just fine in the dark.

Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see that there was a bed in the far corner of the room.

One of the men nudged her toward the bed.

"Hey! I want to talk to Caleb!" Lupa yelled at their backs as they were leaving.

They didn't so much as glance over their shoulders in response.

To scream would have been futile and a waste of energy. Her Sinapu captors would ignore her, and she was too isolated to be heard by anyone else. Her current situation reminded her of Lucy, her biological mother. The Shapechangers had held her prisoner in a shack very similar to the one she was in now. She'd been forced to conceive a child, and then died giving birth.

Though indirectly, Lupa had been responsible for the death of her biological mother. Maybe there really was something evil about her. It sure seemed that the people around her met tragic endings. First her real mother died bringing Lupa into the world, and then she'd lost her adoptive parents and best friend.

Lupa had been robbed of the chance of ever knowing the woman that gave birth to her. No one knew for sure if Lucy died from giving birth, or if the Shapechangers killed her, but Lupa vowed that someday she would find out.

From before the time she was conceived, the Shapechangers had intended for Lupa to be the downfall of the alpha, which in turn would bring down the Sinapu. If they succeeded, the Shapechangers would gain control of the Heart, and if that happened, they would become virtually unstoppable.

Lupa didn't blame the Sinapu for their dislike of her. After all, she had been born for the purpose of witching the alpha, but not all had gone as planned. The Shapechangers hadn't anticipated the emotional bond between Lupa and the Sinapu alpha.

Lupa had fallen in love with Caleb, regardless of the fact that their chances for a happy ever after were slim to non-existent.

Pushing thoughts of him from her mind, Lupa concentrated on finding a means of escape. She could see shadows moving outside the window. They were still out there - still guarding the only exit. There was the option of simply opening the door and making a run for it, but she was smart enough to realize it would be wasted effort. They would run her down before she got five feet.

Exhausted, Lupa collapsed into the lumpy mattress. Though she tried to stay awake - tried to come up with some kind of escape plan, lack of sleep finally caught up with her and she drifted into a fitful slumber.

It was the sensation of fingers tenderly caressing her face that brought her out of the deep dark abyss of dreamless sleep. The gentle touch reminded her of a balmy summer breeze - comforting her - lulling her into a sense of warmth and security.

Awareness returned so abruptly that it was akin to diving into a pool of ice water.

Lupa's eyes flew open.

Caleb sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at her with silver-gray eyes - eyes that were misted over with the same hunger that had been gnawing at her night and day for months.

Seeing that she was awake, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. When he did, his long black hair brushed against her face.

As her shock began to subside, Lupa was overcome with the urge to scream at him. She wanted an explanation.

Why had his people taken her?

Anger raged within her, but at the same time she could not suppress the joy in her heart. After months of being without him - of not knowing, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He was still alive.

In the end, the frustration and loneliness that had been a fixture in her life for so long overshadowed her happiness.

"How dare you have your people do this to me!"

"I had no choice. I told you not to come back here," Caleb grumbled.

Lupa glared at him through narrowed eyes.

Looking away, he told her, "They would have killed you if the pack hadn't stepped in."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Shapechangers that have been trailing you. Why didn't you listen to me? I told you that coming back here would be too dangerous."

"Really!" Lupa arched one brow. "You mean more dangerous that having a pack of Sinapu rip my car apart and drag me up here?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"Your people want me dead. You know that don't you? Don't you think that sending them to intervene was a little risky too?"

Caleb shook his head. "They wouldn't dare."

"Well I'm here ... so now what?" Lupa asked. She was happy to see him, but in no mood to forgive and forget, at least not yet. He'd let his people terrorize her. How could she overlook that? Especially considering he was well aware of the horror she'd already lived through.

His lips spread into a mischievous smile. "Well if you promise not to run away ... I won't have to chain you up."

"You're joking right?"

"Maybe not," he told her.

Lupa shook her head. "Hell no! I'm not making any such promise. As soon as I'm free of these chains, I'm going to find a way to Howlingwater ... and I'm going to report this to the police." At that moment, she wasn't sure if it was an empty threat, or if he had pushed her far enough to do just as she'd said.

The corners of his mouth tilted into what might have been a smile. "You really are beautiful when you're angry."

"I'm serious!" Lupa's scowl deepened.

"Oh I have no doubt about that, but Lupa ... I can't let you go to Howlingwater. Not right now."

"Excuse me! You ignored me for months ... you didn't call ... not even a text to let me know you were okay, and now you think you can order me around like I'm one of your pack. I don't think so!" Lupa's words mirrored all the anger and frustration she'd endured.

"You already knew it would be that way. Contacting you would have been too risky," he reminded her.

Lupa refused to look at him. She didn't want to betray the pain she was feeling, but most of all, she didn't want to admit that she'd been clinging to the hope that his heart would win out over his role as the Alpha Sinapu.

"So are you going to let me go?" she asked.

"Are you going to promise not to go to Howlingwater?"

"No."

"Are you even a little curious as to why I don't want you there right now?" he asked her.

"Because you are afraid I'll somehow stop the Changing," she stated.

Caleb shook his head.

Lupa sighed. "Okay ... then why?"

"Someone is making people ill with the corpse sickness. Your Uncle Donny is sick."

Lupa's eyes widened. "You have to let me go. I should be with him."

Corpse sickness was serious business. Most people didn't recover from an illness brought on by corpse sickness. It was believed that witches could afflict someone with an illness by using the remains of a corpse. The deceased's chindi - ghost would then bring that person illness.

There was a time when she would have scoffed at the idea, but after spending last summer on the Navajo reservation, she was no longer the skeptic she'd once been.

Caleb frowned. "That's exactly what they are expecting you to do. Can't you see that? They have done everything possible to get you back on this rez."

Her thoughts went to Trent. Had he really lured her down here to kill her?

No matter how she viewed the possibility, the idea just wouldn't take root. It didn't feel right. Lupa had never sensed that kind of darkness in Trent, but he could have been used unwittingly. What better way to get her back here than to charge her friend with murder, or make her uncle ill?

Caleb was right. This was a setup.

But still, she couldn't let them lock away her friend and kill her uncle with corpse sickness.

"Caleb, I still have to go to Howlingwater. Donny is the only family I have left, and they have Trent locked up for the murder of some woman," she told him.

"Think about it Lupa," he sighed. "Just because you willingly walk into their trap, doesn't mean you'll be able to save Donny and Trent."

She had to admit, he was right again. If they got to her before she could help Uncle Donny and Trent, it would all be for nothing.

"I've already sent someone to help your uncle ... but I'm not too sure we should be worried about Trent Metzger," he told her, his lips twisting into a contemptuous sneer.

Lupa frowned. There had never been any love lost between Caleb and Trent, even before she was in the picture, but now it was even worse. Like everyone else, Caleb suspected Trent of following the Witchery Way, like the rest of his Shapechangers family. He did have good reason to doubt Trent, but Lupa suspected Caleb might also be a little jealous of her relationship with the other man.

"I know you don't trust Trent, but he hasn't given me any reason to doubt him," Lupa spoke up in defense of her friend.

Caleb smiled. "A rattlesnake doesn't always give warning before he strikes."

"Let me go Caleb," she demanded.

A tired sigh escaped his lips. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

"I think you're the one making it difficult."

Caleb shrugged his wide shoulders. "Well if I could trust you to cooperate ..."

"I'm not the cooperative type," Lupa snapped.

"Yes I know," he admitted with a grimace, "but I'm willing to compromise."

This peaked her curiosity.

Caleb Bray wasn't exactly known for his willingness to compromise. Being the leader of the Sinapu had its advantages, and never having to negotiate his position was one of those advantages.

Lupa's eyes locked with his. In that instant she remembered the passions they'd shared and how his tenderness and desire had taken her to a place she'd never imagined could exist.

The surge of longing that made its way through her body was totally unexpected. Her throat tightened, and for what seemed an eternity, she couldn't respond.

Finally she managed to force words from her dry throat, "I'm listening."

"I'll take you to Howlingwater and your uncle ... if you agree to stay with me until the Changing. After my transition, you will no longer be any use to them, and they will leave you alone."

It didn't seem like such a bad deal, except for the fact that she'd constantly be in Caleb's company for the next two weeks. After their last agonizing separation, could she afford to let herself get any closer to him?

Guessing her thoughts, Caleb spoke up, "I know I hurt you Lupa ... but I never meant for that to happen. I never wanted to take from you without the ability to give something back."

He grew quiet and a pained expression distorted his features.

In her heart, Lupa understood that he was trying to find a way to let her down gently. She instinctively knew that he was about to confess the real reason he hadn't contacted her after she'd left.

Every fiber of her being wanted to scream at him - plead with him not to say the words that would push them even further apart, but she couldn't utter a sound.

"Lupa ... there's no hope for us. We come from two different worlds. You come from the world of man ... but I'm destined to spend my life in the world of beasts. That has always been my destiny."

Clamping her eyes shut, Lupa struggled to hold back her tears. He had just confirmed what she'd feared for months. He hadn't just been trying to protect her. Caleb hadn't contacted her because he'd been giving them both enough room to grow apart.

"Please try to understand. Letting our relationship go any further wouldn't be fair to you. It would be sentencing you to living most of your life alone. We could only be together during the full moon. After the Changing ... that is the only time I will be able to take the form of a man."

This wasn't new information, but for some insane reason, she'd hoped they could find a way to defy fate. Lupa had told herself that it wasn't so unreasonable to hope he could find a way to protect the people, but still continue to live his life as a man. Now that the reality of their situation was spelled out for her, she realized how futile her hopes had been.

Hope would not stem the tide of fate.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lupa refused to let the tears come. "You don't have to explain. In fact, I completely agree with you," she lied.

The truth was, she wanted to get on her knees and beg him to defy fate, but wasn't that exactly what the Shapechangers wanted her to do? If he didn't make the Changing, the Sinapu would be without a leader, and they would no longer be able to protect the Heart of the People. That would leave it open to the Shapechangers. Once they had control of the Heart, their evil would know no bounds.

As hard as this reality was to accept, she knew Caleb was doing the right thing.

Accepting this was one thing, but having to spend every moment with him for the next two weeks was out of the question. Being that close to him, would only make saying goodbye that much harder in the end.

But she could always pretend to accept his terms.

Even before Lupa nodded her head in agreement, she'd already decided that given the chance, she would escape.

Lupa was ready to go. There was no point in wasting more time with words. "I have to get back to my car," she told him as she started for the door.

"It is being taken care of. My people are making repairs to it so that you have it when you are ready to return home."

So she wasn't going to be permitted to have her car until she left. Lupa didn't know why she was surprised. Caleb was going to go to whatever lengths necessary to ensure the Changing came about smoothly. Giving her a means to get away and mess that up wasn't a chance he was willing to take.

Lupa decided it was best to avoid arguing with him, at least for now. "I need to get to my uncle."

"He is also being taken care of," he assured her.

This was another way to ensure her cooperation. If Uncle Donny were with the Sinapu, there would be little reason for her to be running off.

"Then I have to go to Howlingwater and talk to Metzger."

Caleb shrugged. "If you insist, but I think you are wasting your time."

"I guess it really doesn't matter what I waste my time on." Lupa turned away and stalked out the door without giving him a chance to reply.

Maybe she had to accept fate, but she sure didn't have to be happy about it.

* * *

With the light so faint, it was difficult to make out Trent's features, but from what she could see, he hadn't changed a bit. He still had the same startling - almost hypnotic blue eyes. His dark brown hair was a little longer now, and he was still as good looking as ever. The only hint of his Navajo ancestry was his olive complexion, but at the moment he seemed much paler than what she remembered.

He appeared stressed, and maybe even a little ill, but who wouldn't after being accused of murder?

Getting in to see him hadn't been easy. It was only her association with Donny Begay that finally persuaded the sergeant on duty to allow her to visit.

The jail's visiting room seemed darker than it should have. Not only had the light been dimmed, but heavy curtains covered the small window.

"What's with the dark room?" It was the first thing she asked him after sitting at the small table.

"I asked them to block out the light. It's the only way I could come in here."

Lupa's face clearly expressed her confusion.

Trent forced a smile. "I have a splitting headache that won't go away. The light makes it worse."

"Strange that they would be so accommodating," she commented.

He shrugged. "I guess they don't want their prize inmate screaming about human rights violations."

"I guess." Lupa smiled weakly.

"I wasn't sure you would come."

"I almost didn't," she told him without elaborating. There was no sense in causing even more tension between Trent and Caleb.

"So tell me about this. What happened?"

Though it was clear Trent was in pain, he seemed relatively calm, considering the circumstances.

"They found the body of a Navajo woman in one of the caves near my property. I've never met the girl, but they tell me her name was Betsy Moore."

Lupa drew her brows together. "So how are they connecting you to the crime then?"

Trent looked pained, but provided the information she was asking for. "They found a piece of paper in her pocket with my phone number. I did receive a call from a girl that asked if she could meet me that day. She wouldn't give me her name, but claimed she had information about Lucy ... your mother."

"Did you agree to meet her?" Lupa asked.

"I did," he nodded, "but it was arranged for that night. We were to meet in Howlingwater."

"So there's something about my mother they don't want us to know." Lupa was thoughtful.

"It would seem so."

Caleb's words came back to her. "Or maybe they were just using you to get me back here," Lupa suggested.

Trent lifted his shoulders. "I don't know, but since you seem to be the only friend I have at the moment ... do you think you could do me a favor and get me out of here?"

"I'm not sure how to do that. Uncle Donny's sick. Caleb thinks it is corpse sickness." Lupa was convinced that without her uncle's help, she'd have no sway with the tribal police.

Trent frowned. "What about Caleb? The judge might listen to him."

Though Caleb was waiting for her just outside, somehow Lupa didn't think it would be too easy to recruit his help.

Lupa shook her head. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"If I don't get out of here ... they're going to kill me."

Lupa was shocked by the desperation in his voice. The Trent she'd come to know was many things, but desperate was not one of them.

She gave him a faint smile. "Don't be crazy Trent. They are not going to kill you ... and besides, they'll figure out you didn't kill that girl." At least she hoped they would. The justice system was good, but it did have flaws.

"There has to be DNA evidence to link someone else to the crime," she added.

"The murder is not why they'll kill me."

Lupa lifted her hands in the air. "Then why would they kill you?"