The lull of soft waves splashing gently against the sand mixed perfectly with the slight breeze wafting in from the open balcony doors bringing with it the slight fragrance of Oleander and sea salt. The night had never felt so peaceful, so invigorating; instead, it had always felt like a prison. The essence of a darkened shine after the light of the gods had abandoned it only left the smallest fragment of that once glorious light. An endless existence with only night and the many monsters to share the wretched gloom and despair that awaited anyone foolish enough to step into forbidden shadows. This is how it had felt, being cursed for the past century to only darkness barely afforded the luxuries of seeing light's final rays before the Earth was once again engulfed in her mournful veil of darkness.
{How long has it been since the sun's brilliant heat has heated my body?}
Dante stretched out on the recliner, a pleased smile curving the corners of his lips. {What a night! I haven't had this much excitement in... well roughly fifteen years. There is no better high in the world than watching everything others hold dear crumble at their entitled feet. And what's more, her blood will give me the chance to go back to a normal life, to walk in the day once again. I can't even remember the last time I was out in full day.} He crossed one foot over the other as he glanced over at the sofa. Pleasure rippled through his body, pure sadistic joy coursed through his veins pumping vitality through every fiber of his being. It had been so long since he had felt this alive. He glanced once again over to the sleeping body on the couch.
"Oh yes princess, I will enjoy our time together very much." Dante's wide grin widened farther as it warped into a twisted chuckle. "I will keep you, my little bringer of light, by my side as long as possible... until every last drop is used up." Dante pushed forward in his chair and leaned toward his new prized toy, the manic gaze of an addict play across his face.
He was just about to reach out to the girl when his phone vibrated on the table beside him. He leaned over to read the display then quickly answered it. "Ah, brother it's you again. I didn't figure I'd hear from you this soon... Figured you would still be pissed about earlier." He leaned back into his recliner bringing the remote and a bag of chips with him.
[I was just calling to make sure you haven't done anything stupid. You haven't, have you?]
Dante grinned as his eyes roamed hungrily over the sleeping form on the couch beside him. "I don't know, brother, your definition of stupid and mine are completely different." A wicked smile spread across his face as he switched the call over to video chat and positioned the phone to where Shelly's sleeping form would be the first thing Xavier saw when he accepted the video. As if on cue, Shelly moaned just as Xavier accepted the video.
Shelly could hear voices but couldn't make them out. She struggled to open her eyes but for some reason, the strength couldn't be found.
[What the fuck! Why is she there with you? What games are you playing at now?!] Xavier's voice bombed across the speakers of the phone.
{I know these voices, but why can't I place a name... or a face with them?} Shelly continued to struggle to open her eyes with little result.
Dante turned the phone so that he could see his brother's expression, "Now brother, quiet or you'll wake my guest…" his sadistic smile widened before he added, "A voice like yours could wake the dead, you know."
[Damn it, Dante! Please tell me you haven't... Not again!] Xavier's angry voice bombed louder through the speakers, causing a soft moan to sound from the couch.
{Dead! Are they talking about me? Is someone trying to hurt me?} Shelly fought to calm her wild thoughts as the meanings of the words began to sink in. She gave up on forcing her eyes open and tried to move her body instead, but it was still no use. Her entire body was as weak and frail as a newly born fawn. {What a strong and powerful werewolf I have turned out to be... My family will be so disappointed...} She could feel tears trail down her cheek from the corners of her still closed eyes.
Dante smiled down at his brother, "See? Still alive… For now…"
Xavier glared hatefully at his brother. [There better not be any 'for now's. We can't afford any more of your indiscretions!]
Dante rolled his eyes, "Not to worry brother, I have other plans for this little minx. Aside from feeding of course…" He licked his lips recalling the sweet taste of her before continuing, "You know how hard it is to get virgin blood nowadays, after all."
[What plans?] Xavier said in a lower, suspicious tone.
Dante's eyes lit with excitement, "I'm glad you asked brother. After all, I'm doing this for you!"
Xavier rolled his eyes. [Please don't involve my name in any satanic plans you cook up.]
Dante smiled at his brother before flipping the phone around to point at the sleeping werewolf once again as he spoke, "This is the sister of the wolf fucking your girl right now. Imagine my surprise when she tells me all about this steamy love affair between your girl and her brother."
Shelly bit the inside of her lip hard in order to fight the urge to cry out in fear as the vile monster beside her rambled on about his insane plans against the people she cared about the most.
Xavier interrupted him. [You're forgetting one thing… She was never mine.] The thought of hearing what else his brother had to say about the beauty from last night was more painful than Xavier was willing to admit, especially to his brother who fed off other people's pain and misfortunes. [There is no point in any of this.]
Dante switched the phone around once more. The wicked smile curving his face becoming more demonic as he spoke. "Oh, but I beg to differ! These spoiled bitches need to learn a lesson. It's not fun to be used. The world doesn't revolve around their petty nonsense."
Xavier thought it over for a bit before responding. [Isn't it worse to try and seek revenge on mere children? You're nearly a century old, yet you yourself is still behaving like a child.]
Dante's smile vanished, but he quickly covered up his anger with a shrug. "Be it as you may, I still plan to teach these brats a lesson. Call it my hate for werewolves then..." He glanced over at the body on the couch as she rolled over then back at his brother. "Anyways, nice chat as always, but sleeping beauty is waking up now so I must go and alter her memories." He stretched in an overexaggerated form before adding, "Such tiring work making sure one's toys are cared for properly." He winked at his brother before ending the call.
{So he knows I'm awake now?} Shelly gritted her teeth and fought against her body once again. She rolled over and slowly began to open her eyes. {Where am I and who is this person? Why do I have no memory coming here? Maybe I should play innocent and see what his response is.} "I had the worst dream…" she began to say before her eyes fully focused. As soon as they had. she began to panic. She jerked upright noting the pain in several areas of her body and quickly looked around until her eyes landed on the man smiling manically down at her. Her breath caught in frantic terror. All of her memories came flooding back. {This bastard... somehow keeps messing with my mind. I keep completely forgetting everything that he has done... but why?} Rage began to replace fear as Shelly struggled to sit up on the sofa.
Dante noted the sparks lighting the young wolf's eyes, feeding his manic urges to devour and conquer her. He could feel the anticipation of the 'game' fill his veins. {Game, set, match Princess. Let's see what you've got!} "Yes, Princess? Tell me about this dream of yours." Dante taunted as he slid his large body from the recliner onto the coffee table in front of her. She let out a scream before he caught her face and held it tight so that she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. His eyes began to glow a brilliant blue as he began to speak again. "You will say nothing about what happened here tonight. You will go home and cover the bite marks and forget what I am. Understand?"
Shelly stared blankly back into Dante's eyes. "Yes, I will forget about everything that happened here tonight."
Dante smiled back at her, "Good girl. Now you will go home."
Shelly shook her head, "But I don't want to go back."
Dante glared harder into her eyes, she was stronger than he had thought. His eyes brightened more. "You will go back. You will let them know how mad you are about all this. You will…"
She interrupted again, still fighting the mind control. "But I'm not mad; I'm just scared…"
Dante rolled his eyes in aggravation. {Well at least the mind control still blocks her emotional responses and most of the fears. Way to go, princess, you may prove to be my favorite toy yet.} He gripped her face tighter, "You are mad. You are furious. You will start a fight with the little bitch responsible for all your suffering…" Dante's evil smile slowly grew "And you will not back down until you have successfully provoked physical violence. Then you will beat her to an inch of her life."
Shelly's eyes stared blankly into Dante's. "I will instigate a fight with Joslyn. Once it becomes physical, I will cause as much damage as I can."
Dante smiled at her, pleased with his work, "That a girl. Once this is completed you will then come back here. Understand?"
Shelly repeated again in monotone, "I will come back here."
Dante smiled, again then pulled her up onto her feet, "Good girl, now get going." He watched as she walked stiffly toward the door. Oh, what he would give to see the show firsthand. Dante rubbed his palms together in excitement. {I wish I could watch the fun firsthand, but I guess this will have to do... for now...} He couldn't contain the hysterical mad laughter that poured from the deep dark abyss where surely there had once been a heart.