SAVAGE PASSION

In the beginning...This is no fairytale...

The blood moon was rising.

Throughout my village, there was a change to the air, a morbid anticipation. The change was small at first, almost inconsequential, then it slowly morphed into a creeping, insidious blackness. The neighbor stopped talking to a neighbor. Mothers hugged their children tighter as they cast suspicious glances about them.

A ripple of unease flowed through the village.

After the first eclipse, there were anxious whispers. Ancient prophesies were uttered in hushed, guarded tones. The second eclipse brought worried looks and talk of preparations to be made. With the third eclipse, all doubt was removed. It was time. The blood moon was rising. The moment the moon was cast in a crimson glow on the night of the fourth eclipse, the village would have their chosen one.

Their sacrifice...for the wolves must be appeased.

Angelika Rose Ramirez POV

From the time I was a little girl, I'd been told the story of the wolves. How they were to be both feared and revered. Generations ago, our village was attacked by a dark force, an army so evil that, to this very day, no one dared utter their name. The dark force was the nightmare that tortured sleep. The foreboding chill down your spine. A shadow swallowing the light. Knowing that no weapon forged on Earth could defeat them, the elders of the village made the terrible decision to fight darkness with darkness. Reaching back to the wisdom of the ancients, to a time before religion or society...to a time when man was more beast than sentient being...the elders drew upon primeval magic.

Five men were chosen. They thought they were chosen to fight. They thought the elders were only blessing them before the battle. They thought wrong. I'd always been taught the elders did what was best for the village as a whole; still, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the men. Did they know what was happening to them as the elders circled them, chanting in a strange language? Did it cause them pain when they transitioned from man to beast? Did some spark of their souls remain, or was it extinguished?

Devoured by the dark beast which took over their bodies. The five men were turned into wolves, enchanted animals ferocious beasts capable of fighting off the dark force. Darkness fighting darkness. The beasts prevailed but paid a horrible price. The enchantment was truly a curse trapping the men in the bodies of the beasts. Forever damning them. They were cursed. Cursed to protect the village they now reviled. Cursed to live as immortal beasts in the forest which loomed near our village.

Now, hundreds of years later, they still drove back the dark force, keeping my village safe. But they demanded a price...a sacrifice.

When the moon was eclipsed four times in two seasons, there was said to be blood on the moon. It happened once a century. On that night, the wolves entered the clearing, a forbidden, desolate stretch of land between the village and the forest that separated us from both the dark force and the vengeful wrath of the beasts we'd created. As the blood moon rose, the wolves entered the clearing to claim their sacrifice. Whomever the village chose was never seen or heard from again.

"Rose! Rose! Where are you?" Vanessa called.

Closing my eyes, I hunched my shoulders forward as I nestled further into the soft pile of leaves. I was hiding from...well...everyone. Hoping the wide, gnarled trunk of the tree I was leaning against would shelter me, I held my breath.

"There you are! Your grandmother has been looking for you. Honestly, Red Rose, you act like you don't know, the Selection is about to happen."

Groaning, I laid my forehead against the cool pages of the book I was reading. My name was Angelika but from the time I was a babe, everyone had called me Rose or Red Rose. As a bright scarlet lock slipped from my loose bun and tumbled onto the page, I was reminded why. Out of a cloistered village of several hundred, I was the only one with the name Rose. So everyone called me Red Rose...everyone except for my grandmother. My grandmother, Aurora Ramirez had raised me from the moment I was born...and hated me long before I took my first breath. As an elder of the village, my grandmother had special plans for my mother, plans that did not include her falling in love with a lowly carpenter's son. My mother died giving birth to me.

In her rage, my grandmother had my father put to death. His punishment was swift and merciless. Mine was equally merciless but painfully slow. My grandmother never missed an opportunity to remind me that my own life had cost the life of my mother. That I was a useless, unwanted burden. As a child, my only notion of love and protection was what I read in books-fairy tales. There, tucked between worn pages, was the love and feeling of belonging I craved. Vanessa grabbed the book from my hand. "Come on, Red Rose. You know what she is like when you make her wait."

Rising, I brushed the blades of grass and flecks of dirt from my dress. Vanessa, a servant in my grandmother's household, was my only friend. The other villagers, taking their cue from my grandmother, looked upon me with cold indifference. It was why, though past marrying age, no one had ever offered my hand. Despite my family's wealth and position, the men of the village knew there would be no benefit to marrying Elder Aurora's outcast granddaughter. Since there was no life beyond the walls of the village, it seemed I was destined to find my happiness in books and daydreams only. Vanessa took hold of my hand and dragged me along.

"The Selection is about to begin."I don't understand why we have to be there," I protested. "This barbaric custom is for the elders and the men of the village to decide."

"You know it is decreed that everyone in the village must bear witness to The Selection," tossed Vanessa over her shoulder, her eagerness shown in her quick step toward the town square. I found the entire spectacle abhorrent. The elders should be trying to find a way to free those men from the curse, not giving in to it.

Once, many years ago, I'd accused my grandmother and the other elders of glorifying the curse of the wolves because even hundreds of years later, it gave them power over the villagers. The power of fear...of life and death. My punishment had been cruel and severe. I'd learned never to speak ill of the elders again. The town square was paved with gray flagstones and flanked on all sides by large, dark gray stone buildings. I hated it. The ominous, unrelenting stone made me feel trapped as if I couldn't breathe. I much preferred the grotto with its freshwater spring, wildflowers, and old oak trees. Preferred the sweet, musty smell of the soil to the stale, perfumed scents of the village. A dais had been erected in the village center under the watchful gaze of a large, bronze statue commemorating the bravery of our ancestral elders who'd fought back the dark force. Seeing the stern visage and dramatic flowing robes frozen in bronze, I wondered...where was the statue thanking the men who had been turned into wolves?

"All must settle. The Selection is about to begin." This from my grandmother, looking regal in her purple robes laden with brocade and gold badges. She was in her element, I thought with a sneer. The Selection was supposed to be destined by the fates, but that did not stop the villagers from assuming she and the other elders had a hand in the final decision."

As the sun sets, the eldest, unmarried child from each household must step forward."A ripple of unease swept over the crowd. While it had been a hundred years since the last Selection, we had all been taught the ancient texts. The text clearly stated that it was the duty of the eldest, unmarried male of each household to step forward, never a female. In all the generations since the curse began, they had never sent a female.

"With all respect, Elder Ramirez, you mean for the males to step forward, do you not?" asked one brave man from the crowd.

"Do not question me!" shouted my grandmother. I could feel Vanessa let go of my hand. Turning, I watched as she lowered her eyes and took a step back, distancing herself from me. I was the eldest, unmarried child in my grandmother's household.

She had finally found a way to truly punish me for my innocent sin. Refusing to give her the pleasure of seeing me cower, I straightened my shoulders and held my head high as I ascended the staircase. Several men with anxious faces joined me before I realized I was the only female to be judged for The Selection. I watched in stunned silence as each man, one by one, was called upon by name to step forward and be judged. Placed in the center of the dais was a massive white marble disk with the carved image of a fierce wolf with open jaws and polished pieces of amber for eyes. The chosen few must place their hand within the mouth of the wolf. If you felt the bite, then you were the selected one.

Several of the men had to be dragged in front of the selection disk as one of the elders forced their hand into the jaws of the wolf. Every last one broke down into relieved sobs upon learning he was not chosen.

"Rose. Step forward," intoned one of the elders.

Standing before the effigy, I met my grandmother's unfeeling gaze from across the dais. Sucking in a deep breath, I defiantly raised my chin and, without taking my eyes off her, placed my hand inside the wolf's mouth. Wincing from the sharp bite of pain as cold stone broke through my skin, I looked down and tried to wrench my hand free from the enchanted wolf's mouth. The jaw stayed clenched. In a panic, I looked at my grandmother again. Her visage seemed warped and distorted. Her thin lips pulled back in a taunting sneer displaying sharp teeth as her large eyes glistened with triumphant hatred. In a rage, I pulled back and swung my trapped arm sharply. The heavy marble disk tottered on its pedestal and tipped backward, releasing my hand moments before it crashed to the dais floor, shattering. There was a collective horrified gasp from the crowd. Their shock turned to fear as I raised my arm. The back of my hand glistened with bright crimson blood as it dripped down my sleeve. It flowed from two small puncture wounds - the mark of the stone beast. The sky itself burned a bright orange and red as the sun descended.

On the horizon was the faint outline of the moon. The blood moon was rising. The village had made their selection. Me. Once again, I was pulled and dragged through the crowd. Their sympathetic glances could not hide their relief that their own loved one had not been chosen. Better it was the red-headed outcast, the unwanted granddaughter of an elder rather than a son of a prominent family. Led to the top of the square, I was pushed over the threshold of the sanctuary. The heavy wooden doors closed, silencing the harried noise of the crowd outside. The air was cool and musty smelling inside the enclosed chamber. Like the square, it was made entirely of stone. The floor, ceiling, and walls, are all hard, unrelenting stone. There were no furnishings or artwork, save for a large, water-filled stone basin decorated with a mirror image of the wolf from the selection disk. My chest constricted as I found it hard to breathe. I hated confined spaces.

I turned to flee but my path was blocked by two large women. Refusing to meet my gaze, they nodded their heads forward. Turning once again to face the chamber, I watched as three women dressed in heavy, hooded robes of white entered from a hidden door tucked somewhere in the shadows.

"Disrobe," came the stern command.

"Why?" I asked, clutching the front of my dress close to my body, heedless of the blood that now stained my bodice.

"The sacrifice must be prepared. Disrobe."

I recognized the voice of one of the women. It was Marilyn, the kind lady who owned a bakery near my home. Yet, in this chamber, she was acting as though she didn't know me...didn't care.

"Marilyn, please. I don't understand all this. You must know my grandmother planned-"

"The sacrifice must not speak. Disrobe," came her even response.

"Stop calling me the sacrifice!" I screamed. "My name is Rose. Rose. Say it!"

The shock was beginning to wear off as the gravity of my situation bore down on me."Place hands on the sacrifice. We must prepare her," intoned Marilyn, her face obscured by the large hood of her robes. The two women from behind snatched me by my upper arms, propelling me forward. My slippered feet kicked and dragged against the smooth stone floor.

"This is madness! Stop! Stop!"

My pleas and cries went unheeded as determined hands tore at my clothing. Soon I was naked and shivering inside the cold chamber. Furtively shifting my gaze from woman to woman, I tried to back away. Harsh hands grabbed me from behind. Pushing me forward, I felt the sharp edge of the stone basin scrape against my bare stomach before my head was forced under the water. Bubbles caressed my face and neck as I screamed in surprise. A strong hand gripped my hair and wrenched me backward. I had only a moment to choke on some air before my head was forced into the water again. My hands flailed as I tried to dislodge the grip on my hair. The cool water cascaded down my front to the pool at my bare feet. I was forced under the water five times. I could hear the muffled sound of eerie chanting as it echoed around the chamber.

Two of the robed women stepped forward to place two poles with stretched canvas between them over the basin. Exhausted from my struggles, I did not protest when I was lifted and forced to lie upon the makeshift bed. The women forced my legs open and stretched my arms above my head. Ruthlessly, they began to painfully pluck all the hair from my body from the neck down. Groaning, I tried to shift my hips, to protect my hidden core, but their grip was too strong. My water-chilled skin began to warm from the agony of the hundreds of tiny pricks and pulls. When it was over, they began to chant once more. Through half-closed eyes, I saw one of the robed women approach me with a large flagon. Raising the clay pitcher over her head, she called out to the ancient gods before pouring the heavily scented oil over my body. It felt warm and soft. The earthy scent brought me a strange comfort.

Looking down, I cried out and tried to rise before hands pressing down on my shoulders forced me back down. The oil was a sick crimson red. My pale skin looked as if it were drenched in blood. It was an omen of my fate. My fate with the wolves.

"The sacrifice will rise," came the monotone command.

Offered no assistance, I was forced to awkwardly shift my hips to the edge of the basin and stretch my legs till my toes could feel the cold, stone floor. Grimacing as the lip of the stone basin lightly scraped my bottom, I stood before the robed women.

Grabbing me by the shoulders, I was turned to face the south wall. One of the women pulled on a heavy, braided cord. From high above the chamber, a thick curtain opened to reveal a large window showing the night sky and the glowing red visage of the moon. The slow chanting began again. The oil was rinsed from my body. Raising my arms, I allowed them to drape me in a soft, shimmering white dress.

Unlike my usual garb, this flowed unrestrictedly down my body. I felt a heavy weight as they placed a hooded robe on my shoulders. I looked down to see the red brocade fabric. The red, hooded robe of the sacrifice. I had seen it many times in the illustrations of my school books as I was taught to fear the wolves who protected my village.

A frail, elderly woman appeared before me. Leaning up, she kissed my cheek, whispering in my ear, "You are more in control of your destiny than you realize, my child."

XXX

Angelika Rose Ramirez POV

Her cryptic yet kind words startled me. Before I could respond, I felt her place something in my hand before hurrying away. Looking down I realized I held the handle of a large basket. "It is wine and cakes to help appease the wolves," said one of the robed women, answering my unspoken question.

Obeying their command, I followed them out of the chamber down a narrow corridor which opened into a wide antechamber. Two massive iron doors dominated the space.

"This sanctuary shares a wall with the wall which surrounds the village. The sacrifice will move directly into the clearing never to step foot in our village again."

"Please-" I whispered in fear as I watched the women pull on the iron rings that opened the heavy doors. My whole life I had been taught to fear the clearing, to never venture beyond the safety of the village walls, and now I was to be cast out as if I didn't matter as if I were not a human being...as if I were only a sacrificial animal to be slaughtered and forgotten. The doors made a horrific screeching noise as they opened. Outside all was still and quiet. If I had not been taught otherwise, I would have thought it was nothing more than a placid pasture bathed in moonlight. A hand placed between my shoulder blades gave me a shove.

Stumbling, I gripped the handle of the basket before sliding my foot forward. The moment the thin leather slippers they had given me touched upon it, I could feel the soft squish of the earth, a sharp contrast to the stone floor. I took another step forward. Despite my fear, my deep longing for the freshness of the rich smell of grass coupled with the crisp clean scent of the night air, compelled me forward. Leaving the oppressive chamber behind, I felt as if I were being bewitched...pulled forward by the moon and the call of the forest. The stillness of the night was broken by the reverberating sound of the iron doors slamming shut. The spell was broken.

Dropping the basket, I turned to bang my small fists on the door."Have mercy! Please! Don't do this! Please! Open the door!"Cold silence greeted my impassioned pleas. I banged on the door and screamed till my voice was hoarse. Pressing my back against the cold metal, I slowly slipped to the ground. Scalding tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to figure out what to do next. As I stared across the clearing, I could see the outline of the forest shift and move. Shadows detaching themselves from the darkness. Breathing heavily, I pushed myself upright as I strained to see past the trees. Was it fear or my imagination?

No. The shapes were taking form. Stepping into the clearing from the edge, I could see five distinct outlines. The wolves. No. They were men. Men! I knew from my lessons that the dark force, although never named, was like a black, creeping cloud. An evil rising smoke. Never the shape of a man. The five men stalked forward. As they walked more fully into the clearing, I could see them in the bright moonlight. Five large, beastly men. Their brawny bodies were barely covered with fur pelts. Their amber eyes glowed in the dim evening light.

Not wolves. Men. Completely confused and frightened, for some strange reason being faced with five beastly men seemed far worse than a pack of wolves. Turning, I desperately banged on the door. "Help me! Help! You must open the door. These aren't wolves."Through my cries, I could hear a low, collective growl. Knowing my salvation was my own, I gave up all hope of rescue and did the only thing I could. I ran.

The worst fear of all was knowing there was no escape. That no matter how fast I ran, they were coming. The beasts were coming. I could hear them-their heavy breathing closing in on me. I could smell them-an animalistic scent so powerful I could barely inhale fresh air. I could see them-out of the corners of my eyes, I saw them closing in on each side of me. I could taste them-taste the blood on my tongue from biting my lip in order not to scream as I ran. I could feel them-a strong hand on my upper arm, seizing me, flinging me backward, capturing me, and ending any chance of hope that I had. Yes...the worst fear of all was knowing there was no escape. I should have heard growls. Maybe even low, guttural sounds belonging to creatures of the forest. Not words. I should not have heard words from the two-legged demons behind me.

"Do not run from us," one demon roared as he pulled me hard against his chest. This was a man. A man. Not a wolf. Not a beast. A man. I turned my head to look up into amber eyes. Piercing eyes were so fierce and similar to eyes belonging to a wolf, but instead, they were the eyes of a man. Four other men with the same amber eyes, and the same fury present within them, stood on each side of us.

"The wolves," I said, not much louder than a whisper. "Where are the wolves?"

The man who held my arm asked, "Can you hear me?"

I nodded my head as I looked at each man, all of whom appeared both confused and terrifying at the same time. Cloaked in furs, with unshaven faces and long, wild hair, these men had wolf characteristics but were not animals. They studied every inch of me from head to toe, anger seeming to stem from more than just my running away. The man holding me squeezed my arm tighter.

"What do you see? Tell us now!"

His hot breath fell upon my face as he shook me slightly. "Do you see wolves?"

I shook my head, unsure of why he would ask such a question. "I see men. I see nothing but five men surrounding me."The man's grip eased up, and I could hear his breath hitch."Glenn," a man from the left of us said, "If you don't claim her, then one of us will. The...need...is strong regardless of what she sees or hears."

"Resisting her...do something now or I will," another man added. "I don't know if it's the fucking curse but her smell...the fucking pull is too great."

"The hunger," another said, stepping in closer to us. "My body feels as if it is starved."

"Move out of the way. I want her," the last of the men said, getting close enough that Glenn snarled at the man in warning."No," Glenn roared. "She's mine. I captured her first, so she's mine before you all."

The words from his fellow men were all that Glenn had needed but to strip me of my clothes. Fast and furious, like how I imagined a wolf would claw at his prey, I felt every remaining shred of garment that stood in the way of what he planned to claim being ripped from me. I wanted to fight or offer some sort of resistance, but the pure terror and shock of what was occurring paralyzed every quivering muscle in my body. The humiliation caused by my nudity was nothing compared to the suffocating fear I felt as I waited to be devoured by the man before me in the worst ways possible.

He might not be a wolf. He might appear to be a man. But, make no mistake...this man was a beast. I saw it now. I saw the animal unleashed in the way he stared at me with hungry lust. He was not gently disrobing me as I'd pictured my wedded husband doing on the night I offered my maidenhead. He did not care as my white gown fell to the ground with the red cloak piled beside it. Glenn was nothing more than a predator, I the prey, my red cloak acting as the blood I shed in this war already lost. I stood naked before five men. Five men who, although they weren't wolves, were more brutish than anyone I had ever encountered before. Who would do this? Who could do this? Who could stand and stare upon a naked, shivering female, with no expression or sign of feeling other than the tenting of their manhood against the fur of their kilts?

Animals. They were truly animals.

As I was positioned on all fours, I knew my path had been laid before me. The clouds looming were about to unleash a storm strong enough to rip apart the woman I once was. The ground was wet beneath my knees and palms and gave slightly with my weight. The cool air against the bare flesh of my most intimate places made all the more obvious by the position I was in, was a jolt to my soul. I had to fight. I couldn't just let this man take me like an animal mate with another. Attempting to crawl away before Glenn mounted me from behind, my feeble attempt was met with a harsh slap to my vulnerable behind.

"There is no choice in this," his deep, husky voice said from behind me. "Accept the fate that has been presented before us. What is done is done. What has to happen, has to happen. You can't fight this and win. We are all cursed."

He slapped me one more time to accentuate his point, but I had already stopped trying to crawl away. His stinging correction was a warning, a warning that I didn't want to ignore. "Please don't do this," I pleaded.

Trying to flee was a lost cause, but maybe begging would cast some light on the man's shadowed conscience.

"Now, Glenn! Before we make the decision for you, and not wait our turn," a voice from one of the watchers called out.

Glenn took hold of my hips as he positioned himself behind me, spreading my legs wide as he kneeled between them. I didn't need to turn my head to know that his bottom half was bare. I felt the hardness of his sex press up against my ass, demanding so much more."Some things must occur," he said as his hand dipped between the folds of my sex, rubbing up and down in a soft caress.

"We stopped resisting a long time ago. You should as well " calm before."

"This does not have to happen," I argued, wanting to slap away his hand, but also feeling as if my palms needed to remain where they were. His touch didn't hurt, but it violated everything I'd once believed to be right. He was a stranger. No vows had been made. No promises of forever. No commitment in a ceremony.

And as my pussy seemed to welcome his touch, I gasped as the realization hit me that my body was betraying me. This demon and his dark magic had taken hold, and a wicked delight throbbed in ways I had never experienced.

"Yes, my village sacrifices. Get that pussy nice and wet for me. The readier you are, the easier this will be for you."His vile words only seemed to make my sex pulsate more. The slickness of my arousal was spread all around. Without warning, Glenn's finger penetrated my opening. The shocking invasion had me crying out, though the cry wasn't one of pain or even disgust. It was unfamiliar just as the sensations sizzling over my body were witchcraft, Sorcery? The darkest forces were clearly at play. In and out, his finger pumped and spread my tight little hole. The stinging, but also delightful, bite forced a soft moan from my lips. I wanted him to stop. No...I wanted him to continue. No...stop. No...continue.

"Why?" I squeaked. Why was my body reacting the way it was? Why was I no longer afraid? Why was I consumed by sinful thoughts? Why did this devil have a hold on me, and why wasn't I convinced that I wanted to ever be released?

Glenn pulled his finger out of my pussy, leaned over me, and placed his fingertip on my lips. I could smell my musky scent as he pressed it into my mouth.

"Why?" he said in a low voice, so low I thought only I could hear it. "Because we all do what we must to keep the darkness away. Even if it means allowing the darkness to swallow up our souls."

XXX

Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POV

Feeling his finger move along my tongue, I tasted the depraved nectar caused by the mastery he had just performed on my body. It was so wrong and shameful, yet my pussy dripped even more.

"And because we are beasts. Though you may see us as men, trust me, we are as from from being men as any could be. Whether you like it or not, each one of us will claim you in all ways. The urge is too strong to deny."

"All ways?" I asked as he pulled his finger out of my mouth, rubbing the wetness along my lips.

"Yes. We will claim this hole"-he plunged his finger back into my mouth-"and we will claim this hole." He then moved his wet finger to the entrance of my anus. He pressed hard enough to apply pressure but didn't break the surface. "And then we will claim this pussy of yours. Each one of us."

Not giving me time to process his words and what they all meant, Glenn repositioned his member at my pussy and began to press inside. My traitorous body welcomed him but my mind screamed no.

"Don't hurt me," I said.

"Oh this will hurt, my sacrifice. This will most certainly hurt."

I tried to lunge forward, but Glenn held firmly onto my hips, and I knew there would be no stopping this act. Inch by inch, Glenn eased his way in. I was grateful it didn't all happen in one big thrust; the stretching of my hole was unbearable yet tantalizing at the same time. Pain and pleasure. Deep-rooted shame, but hidden desires emerging. The rest of the men stood at a distance and watched as Glenn stole my innocent grace. Moans of pleasure-both his and my own. And with a pop as a virginal wall collapsed, I wondered if my face would forever be stained with tears. Tears that I couldn't explain. Tears so full of passion and craving for more.

Tears of disgrace and contrition. Tears of allowing this darkness Glenn spoke of to enter my soul. I wanted to peel my skin to avoid his touch. Pierce my eyes to avoid watching the other men's stares. I wanted to sacrifice my outer being to save my soul. But at the same time, I also wanted to push my hips back to meet each thrust of his cock as he claimed my body under the moon. The red of my hair hung in my eyes, reminding me of the blood of a battlefield-my battlefield.

I watched the soil encrusting into my nail beds as I scraped at the dirt of the ground. Over and over, Glenn conquered my body, and I had no choice but to surrender. It wasn't Glenn who demanded it be so...it was my own body that did. My eyes closed and opened as Glenn drove into me. Each time my eyelids fluttered open, I would stare into one of the other men's eyes. I don't know why I did, but the hypnotizing act felt right. Each driving thrust from Glenn would rock my body back and forth, but I would maintain my locked stare until I closed my eyes only to open and stare at another.

Five men. Five sets of amber eyes.Five wolves. Me.

The cadence of Glenn's plunging in and out sped up until he was mating me as a dog would mate with another. Abandoned and wild as his nails dug into my hips, he drove in deeper and deeper. I was being fucked like an animal, by an animal. And with a final thrust, a deep, loud growl erupted from the sinister being behind me-so loud, so powerful, so dominating. Claimed. Claimed by the animal hidden in a man's skin. But something happened to me as Glenn pulled his cock from my still-quivering pussy. I didn't feel the need to run as all the men stared down at my naked and used body on the ground. I didn't feel shame. I didn't feel hatred. I felt the need to continue this sacrifice to the blood moon. To protect my village from what lay hidden in the dark woods.

Glenn was right. We all did what we must to keep the darkness away. Even if it meant allowing the darkness to swallow up our souls. But I would fight this darkness with the ultimate light-the commitment to not be broken. My strength would rise in cloaked silence. And I would be the fragile rose but with thorns so sharp that I would shred their inner beings without them ever seeing me coming. This would be my silent vow.I pulled my knees to my chest to try to retain some ounce of my dignity and waited to see who would come next. Would they all mount me one by one and take their turn in their claiming? How would I survive such an act? Fresh tears fell from my eyes in anticipation of a never-ending nightmare.

After they devoured my body with their cocks, would they then change back to the wolves they were supposed to be and devour me with their fangs and claws? calms before me put the gown over my head and dressed me as a father would a child. The amber in his eyes was now warm, his breathing calmed and no longer ragged, his touch gentle as he placed the red robe over my shoulders.

All terrifying signs of the animal were gone. Glenn was nothing more than a man kneeling before me. I shook in fear but also because the throbbing caused by the claiming hadn't quite left my body, and Glenn noticed. "I know you fear us. You should."

He reached for the strands of hair that hung in my face and softly brushed them away, tucking them behind my ears. "I can't promise you anything, or tell you the lies you want to hear to make yourself feel better. I can't make the darkness go away. But you still need to come with us."I had nothing to say. And he was right. I did have to go with them. I knew that. I knew I had no other options. Not yet.

"She dropped her basket when she ran," one of the men said as he approached us after fetching the basket and all the goods. "Tonight we feast."

"Oh yes," another man said, staring at me with the same hungry eyes that Glenn once had.

"Yes, tonight we will most definitely feast."

"Drink."

Stubbornly, I turned my head away as I burrowed further down into the pile of furs they had placed me on.

"It wasn't a request."

Returning the beastly man's glare, I snatched the bottle from his hand and took a long pull, immediately regretting it the moment the strong wine hit my empty stomach. Sputtering and coughing, I only had a moment to catch my breath before he tilted the bottom of the bottle, forcing me to drink again.

"Good girl."

Not sure if the warm feeling enveloping me was from his praise or the wine, I once more settled back into the furs. Lifted over the one they called Glenn's shoulder; I had been carried deep into the forest. There against the jagged rock face of a mountain, they had placed me at the entrance of a large cave. The floors were covered in thatch with large piles of furs in different shades of brown and gray stacked in haphazard piles. I watched in anxious silence as they built up a large fire, chasing away the cold darkness. Each was crouched down on their haunches, tearing through the contents of the basket, eating the pieces of sweetened cake with their hands as they passed the bottles of wine around. The only sound was their grunts of pleasure. The warm glow of the fire cast strange shadows over the men surrounding it. Deep-set eyes, lowered brows and strong jaws were made all the more fierce by the play of light.

The heavily muscled brawn of their bodies was on full display as each wolf-like man wore only the barest of animal skins and fur to cover his frame. I shifted my hips and winced from the soreness between my legs. Certain I had made only the barest breath of sound, I was startled to see five pairs of eyes trained on me, alert and still.

One broke from the pack and approached me."What are you called?" he asked. His voice was low and hoarse. His words are halting and stilted as if he were not accustomed to speaking.

Licking my lips, I answered, "My birth name is Angelika Rose, but I am called Red Rose."

"Red Rose?"

I could only nod, feeling foolish for imparting even the sparest personal detail to these men. My mind and body were too bruised and worn to comprehend what was happening. I felt a distant numbness as if all that was occurring was happening to some other poor girl, not me. No. I was still under my favorite tree reading my favorite fairy tale. Perhaps I had fallen asleep and at any moment would awaken from this strange nightmare.

"Drink." This time, I didn't hesitate. I took the offered bottle from his hand and drained what was left, welcoming the hazy feeling flowing over me."I tell you it is a sign," said one of the men.

"You don't know that," said another.

"In close to five hundred years they have never sent a woman to appease us, and now they send us one with hair the color of the blood moon. Who can see us in our true form. It's a sign."

"It is remarkable that she sees us in our human form and not as wolves. Is it possible the village has finally learned a way to break the curse?" The others snorted in derision."Perhaps Elias is right. This may be the sign we have been waiting for."

"They don't care about you," I called out, the wine freeing my tongue. Rising on unsteady feet, I kicked away the pelts and walked toward the fire. Swinging my arm in an arch, the bottle held loosely in my grasp, I began to laugh. "They don't care about you, and they really, really hate me. Especially my grandmother. You think you're cursed?" I asked as I hiccupped loudly. "I'm the one who is cursed. Cursed from birth."

"What the hell, Darius! How much did you give the lass to drink?"

"I don't know. The dregs of one bottle and half the other."

"You should know a woman her size can't handle that much wine."

"Ease up. It's been centuries since I've been around one," complained Darius.

"You're sup...sup.... Wolves! You're supposed to be wolves!" I slurred as I desperately tried to focus. Glenn rose to his full height, towering over me as he placed his hands on my shoulders to steady my swaying frame. "You! You!" I accused as I pounded the tip of my finger into his chest. "You're the one who hurt me...who made me...made me...feel...feel those things."

Everything tilted and pitched as Glenn swung me up into his arms. Another of the men approached me and pried the wine bottle from my grasp."Don't think you will be needing this anymore."

I could only nod, feeling foolish for imparting even the sparest personal detail to these men. My mind and body were too bruised and worn to comprehend what was happening. I felt a distant numbness as if all that was occurring was happening to some other poor girl, not me. No. I was still under my favorite tree reading my favorite fairy tale. Perhaps I had fallen asleep and at any moment would awaken from this strange nightmare.

A protest died on my lips as the warm strength of Glenn's arms seeped into my bones. Without thought, I rested my head against his shoulder as he carried me deeper into the cave. Lowering me to the ground, he once more placed me on a bed of furs. Softness caressed my cheek as I snuggled in deeper. I felt a hand pet my hair.

"Sleep, little one. I fear tomorrow will not be any easier for you."

I closed my eyes and let the sweet oblivion of sleep carry me away.

"She stinks."

"Glenn."

"What? She reeks of the humans."

"We are still human."

"My brother. I accepted my fate long ago. You should do the same. We are cursed to roam this Earth as wolves, and wolves we will stay."

"I am not resolved. There must be some reason why this lass has been sent to us. Some explanation as to why she can see our true form."

"While you ponder the mysteries of the fates, I am taking the lass to the hot springs. She stinks."

As I listened to their hushed conversation, I couldn't help but lift the collar of my tattered gown and inhale. True, I smelled a bit like stale wine, but I would hardly say I stunk, I thought indignantly.

"Lass. It is time to arise."

"My name is Red Rose," I grumbled.

"Your name is whatever I call you. Now arise and serve us."

Leaving the comforting warmth of my fur cocoon, I wrapped my red cloak more firmly about me and followed the disgruntled man-wolf out of the cave. As the night before, the fire still burned brightly in the hazy morning light. The rest of the men were crouched around its welcoming flames. The one who woke me gestured to a large copper pot nestled above the fire.

"Serve."

Casting him a peevish look, I knelt before the makeshift hearth. There was a stack of wooden bowls and carved spoons on a straw mat. Giving the porridge in the pot a stir, I began to slowly ladle out portions into the bowls. My mouth watered as the sweet, nutty scent of the cooked oats wafted over me.

Handing each man a bowl, I took my portion and settled close to the fire but slightly away from the intimidating men. Scooping a steaming bite onto my spoon, I stopped just as I raised it to my mouth, startled to see all five men digging into the hot porridge with their bare hands. Once again they were grunting in pleasure as they had done with the cakes the night before. Noticing my regard, one of them stopped and elbowed the one next to him who nudged the one next to him and so forth. Each man slowly stopped eating. All that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and the morning birdsong from the trees.

With a sigh, Glenn leaned forward and picked up a spoon. Casting a meaningful glance at the others, they did the same. Then all eyes turned to me. Slowly, I lifted the spoon and sampled the porridge, watching as they awkwardly mimicked my actions. There was a strange companionable silence as we all broke our fast.

XXX