Naked Moonlight Read online

  Naked Moonlight

  An erotic story by

  J.D. Harding

  All text & cover copyright 2014 all rights reserved

  Smashwords Edition

  Cover Image Sources:

  ‘Rose’ by Daniel R. Blume

  ‘Gray Wolf Close Up’ by National Park Service

  ‘MoonBeams’ by Steve Jurveston

  ‘3106382’ by package

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  Friday night was the time for drinking and dancing, for letting loose and getting away from responsibilities for a little while. Leather, miniskirts, heels and boots that went to the thigh; all of these were Friday nights best. The scent of alcohol and cheap fried food lingered alongside the scents of garbage and unwashed flesh. The streets were crowded and the alleyways echoed with laughter and boisterous claims of amazing nights no one would remember.

  Dee shifted through the shadows, lingering in the places no one walked. Friday nights best wasn’t what was in store for her. She was out on the town for its worst.

  Nightwalkers. No one believed in them anymore, science didn’t support them, and no police officer in their right mind would ever claim to have seen one. So no one looked for them, and no one claimed a missing person, or mutilated body was or possibly could have been because of one. So she hunted them.

  Given her distinct talents, there wasn’t anyone else better for the job, either. Her mother had named her Aradia, after the Italian witch goddess, and it was fitting. A thirteenth generation witch she was supposed to be a power beyond measure, and her mother had held high hopes for a long time. She wasn’t particularly better than any other decent witch, save for the distinct ability that ran through her bloodline.

  Shifting.

  Her mother was a shifter, and her mother before her, and so on through up as far as the family could account. Although it was a relatively rare ability, it wasn’t unheard of and generally passed through lineage on the mother’s side. Her family’s matriarchs were damn good at it too. The only distinction she had from those before her was that she wasn’t limited to one alternate shape. While most shape shifters, even those in her family, took a lifetime to master one additional form, she had managed three.

  One of them was the wolf. It was the first form she had learned, the one her mother had taught her. It happened to be her favorite form to hunt in. Not only was it easy for someone to mistake her for a very large dog, it happened to be something the Nightwalkers were afraid of.

  Tall, thin, pale and ugly as sin; they were nothing like the modern romanticized creatures that every Goth teeny bopper wanted to have as a boyfriend. The closest thing she had seen to the real deal in cinema was Nasferatu, the ugly bastardization of Dracula. Even that was pretty in comparison.

  Hiding in sewers and abandoned buildings and basements they came out at night, braving the glaring neon lights of the city to find their prey. More often than not they hauled the victim back to their nest to feed, but occasionally, if they were too hungry to wait, they would devour them where they caught them. The headlines always read the same: ‘Wild animal mauls young girl/college student/drunk, body left drained of blood.’

  Four reports just like that in the last month was what made her start looking in this part of town. One Nightwalker could go weeks on the blood of one person but four in a little over three weeks was either a blood lust, or a hive. Neither was good for her.

  She breathed deep, closing her eyes while she decoded the subtle odors in the air. The last three nights she had gone out to hunt with no luck. If she didn’t find anything by the full moon in two days she was going to resort to tracking spells. The miasma of rotting meat covered in grease and salt from the restaurants garbage was overpowering but not all consuming. A cat had come through this alleyway a few hours earlier, and a dog of some sort marked this as his territory regularly. A lot of alcohol was in the air, and men’s and women’s perfume was vaguely present.

  Sighing she turned to head back out of the alley. She would have to be quick to cut across the street without being hit. She used to try and stay hidden, but that was practically impossible, so now she just stayed safe. No getting hit, and no getting caught.

  Lights flashed by as she darted to the alley way catty corner, a car honked its horn and swerved even though he would have had to make a sharp left for a chance to hit her. She was in the shadows and almost to the empty, fenced in parking lot of the abandoned factory on the other side before the couple she plowed over could get a good look at her. Her wolf mouth lagged open in a slobbery doggy grin. Shifting into a wolf to hunt in the city wasn’t as glamorous as it sounded, but running felt good in this form.

  That was when she smelt it.

  Her paws came to a screeching halt and she looked around. Even with her keen wolf sight there was nothing unusual she could spot. Breathing in deeper to check if it had been her imagination she smelt it again.

  Dank earth and death, a scent that brought the cloying sense of panic to her human brain. Instinct told her to run, but she knew what it was and she had defeated its kind before. Following the stench she moved toward the empty parking lot silently gliding over the asphalt like mist. Creeping closer to the building the smell grew intense. Her ears perked up at the sound of movement from inside.

  The windows were boarded and she would have to shift back to open the door, so inside wasn’t an option. Tracing the creature’s footsteps along the outside she followed it around the corner to the side of the building. Quiet enough to escape human hearing the Nightwalker slinked to the center of the wall then vanished.

  Dee froze. They were fast, and stronger than any human, and in some cases had the ability to mesmerize people, but shifting or disappearing was not in their repertoire. Sniffing frantically she moved back and forth against the wall. The scent was strong but the presence causing it definitely wasn’t there anymore. A soft whine escaped her wolf throat and she paced to double check she hadn’t lost it for a moment. Back to where the scent was strongest she strained her animal ears.

  Nothing.

  She sat, thinking of a next course of action. The entire building reeked of vampire; the thing had been there a long time indeed to make it smell as bad as it did. As far as she could see she had two options: first, sit around and wait in hopes that the thing would reveal itself again, or secondly, go back to the door and shift human to try and find a way inside.

  Pacing another whimper sounded out. It was her wolfish sound of exasperation. Caught between indecision her thoughts were almost loud enough to make her miss the sewer grate sliding open behind her.

  Ears up, body motionless, tail down, her eyes and mind were focused purely on the slowly moving metal disc. About 100 feet away, a bald, pearly white head rose from the depths of the hole. Large pointy ears and a long hollow face emerged, followed by two hands on the pavement beside the hole. The fingers were long spindly things that ended in razor sharp talons. Hosting itself up the Nightwalker ascended completely.

  A rush of its disgusting odor made Dee’s eyes water and she growled low and deep in warning. The Nasferatu turned with lightening reflexes to face her completely.

  Rags barely covered it, revealing dirty, sallow skin hanging off of its bones. She could see the ribs in its chest so clearly it was almost like it wasn’t wearing skin over its chest. Its shoulders were hunched like an old man’s bent against its six foot frame, and its knees bowed inward. Large flaps of flabby skin hung around its jaw
like a Neapolitan Mastiff. Hissing at her in anger it opened its maw. Jagged teeth in rows like a shark were exposed as the jaw unhinged like a snake, stretching the flabby skin taut.

  Dee stood tall, waiting for it to move away from the sewer grate. She didn’t have to wait long. Its large misshaped feet flapped against the cracked pavement as it moved at her too fast for even her wolf eyes to track. The rush of its movement caused her to break away from the wall. Years of fighting made it instinctual.

  She spun on her paws and crashed into the creature from behind. She had hoped to catch it from the back but it was faster than she was. A clawed hand swiped at her, catching her shoulder. A sharp yip rent the night air and she lunged for the creature’s throat. Its shoulder crunched beneath her massive jaws, the bone snapping under her teeth.

  A screech that raised the hackles on her back rendered her hearing temporarily useless. Polluted blood and rotting flesh filled her mouth. Shaking her head violently she yanked free, taking a good chunk of the vampires shoulder with her. Spiting it out she followed slowly as it crept away from her. Its eyes, black pits of soulless hate, peered at her with putrid fear.

  She growled, preparing for a leap. Her first strike had missed; the throat is what she wanted. Anger filled her now that she had to taste its fetid flavor again. The creature stooped slightly, the only warning that it was preparing to lunge, then it was on top of her. She had been ready, though, and her jaws snapped viciously at its face and neck as they tumbled in a roll for dominance. Somehow she managed to pin it to the concrete.

  The inhumanly strong hands pushed and clawed at her. She caught one of them in her jaws and shook it as hard as she could. The wrist snapped like a branch and another shriek filled the air. She needed to be quick before the authorities arrived.

  Tossing the hand away she yelped as the other hand smacked her across the face. Her head whipped to the side so quickly that for one horrifying second she was afraid her neck was going to snap. The force lifted her off of him and she toppled away, rolling over and over again. Stunned for only a moment it was a moment too long.

  The Nasferatu was above her its hand poised to strike. Just as it was bringing its claw down upon the center of her chest she plunged to the side. Swiftly it gave chase and they played a deadly game of tag. Rushing to the wall again she bolted forward with every ounce of speed her wolf body could manage. It wasn’t enough.

  Barely dodging another downward swing of its claw she turned and lunged in one swift motion. The Nasferatu stumbled back but it was too late. She had its throat in her jaws and the sickening ooze of its blood and flakey skin filled her mouth. Eager to get rid of it she pulled with all of her might backwards. Its larynx and thyroid and parts of the trachea and jugular were ripped from its gullet.

  She skittered backward dropping the vile contents unceremoniously to the ground. The Nightwalker staggered forward, swiping at her. Although it had slowed down it was still faster than a normal human and she had to focus to keep out of reach. She couldn’t just leave it though; if it found food it might regenerate fast enough to prevent its death.

  It gurgled at her, trying to cry out again and then lurched one final time. It crashed to its knees, a foot short and fell on its face. Slow, thick goo oozed in a puddle around what had once been its neck. She watched it a moment more, needing to be certain that it wasn’t tricking her. Finally she turned to leave.

  Standing directly beside the sewer grate were two more Nasferatu. Dee’s heart skipped a beat as they lunged toward her in perfect unison. Eluding their grasp by sheer luck she paced to the far end, the vampires hot on her trail. Cutting her flight short she switched her trajectory. They followed seamlessly behind her. Leaping high she bolted on top of a dumpster, the first vampire leaping as gracefully as she had.

  It hissed, the shark like teeth bared in malice. Pushing off of the wall she bounced back and slammed into the oncoming dead. Her mouth crunched against his throat the first time around and once they hit the ground she forced him into a roll. The goo and bone and cartilage poured out of the gaping hole and she bolted away before the second could grab her.

  Her breath came fast and she was starting to feel the pain from her wounds. Her healing charm was safely tucked away in her car along with her clothes. Transforming did a number on cloth and she had yet to find jewelry that could hold up against it either, no matter how good the spell was.

  A sharp shooting pain in her hind quarters let her know the vampire had caught up with her. A shriek sent shivers through her spine and she spun, snapping and growling at it. The hand had her firmly gripped, though, and the Nasferatu wasn’t going to let go. Her mind raced for options but the creature had her pinned to the ground in a flash.

  The foul stench washed over her. Struggling she tried to claw or bite but it had her restrained tightly. It leered down at her and then a cracking noise reverberated through its face as its jaw unhinged. The slack around its face tightened as the mouth opened wider than should have been possible.

  She screamed, fear clutching her in a death grip. The howling sound that escaped her throat was pitiful and filled with pain. The Nightwalker’s saliva dripped from its teeth, its tongue lashing out. Barbed tips pierced her hide and the venom found its way into her bloodstream. Kicking and jerking she attempted to get away but it was too late. The vampire drove its mouth toward her.

  Without warning something blurred over her, ramming into the Nasferatu. The weight was suddenly gone and she staggered into a standing position. Whatever it was moved faster than she could track and in seconds the head of the Nightwalker was rolling away from its body. She stared, awe locking her in place.

  The largest gray wolf she had ever seen stood over the decapitated body, staring at her with large yellow eyes. She was too large to be a gray wolf but otherwise looked exactly the same. This monster of a thing was even larger than her. If caught she might have been classified as the largest known specimen, if the thing in front of her was caught it would be classified as a new species.

  She sniffed at it but it was downwind. Although she couldn’t get a nose full of its scent there was a definite smell of wolf; but something else was there. Something she didn’t recognize. Maybe it was the venom kicking in, the stuff incapacitated the Nasferatu’s victims and sometimes caused sensory hallucinations. In wolf form her resistance was stronger but she tried not to get hit with it after the night she awoke in Nevada with no recollection on how she got there. Whatever the reason, she didn’t like the look of it. If it came to blows the giant wolf would win, paws down.

  He didn’t make a move toward her but she watched him sniff the air. Her sides, neck and shoulder hurt and she wanted nothing more than to go home and lick her wounds. She was afraid, however, that if she turned her back on the wolf it would show submission and he might exert his dominance in some way, attacking her as she left.

  Slowly he stepped over the limp body of the vampire, his intense yellow eyes never faltering from her own. As he closed the distance between them she began to worry. She let out a low growl and bared her teeth briefly. The wolf stopped, tilting his head. It was a very human trait and it sent shivers up her spine. Was he a shifter too? That made it harder to tell what would happen. Humans were by far less predictable than other animals.

  The giant beast sat down and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. His mouth opened and he panted, making him look like he was grinning stupidly at her. Taking that as the cue to leave she turned and headed down the alley she had come. The bodies lying in the middle of the parking lot didn’t bother her, as soon as the sun touched them the carcasses would burst into flame. The largest threat posed in that parking lot was the open grate, and maybe the gigantic wolf.

  Just when she was certain that she would make it before the wolf decided to give chase she heard the pitter patter of nails clicking away behind her. She turned and looked over her shoulder and the giant wolf came to a stop. He sniffed at her again and panted, watching her. She turned back to the str
eet and walked to the edge of the sidewalk.

  Taking a moment to time her crossing she spotted the red light. A few seconds later there was a gap in the traffic and she shot out into the street.

  Instantly the beast was in front of her, blocking her way to the road and growling. She hadn’t made it more than a step off of the curb and she hadn’t seen anything but a blur of gray and brown fur. Cars whizzed by and she heard people on the sidewalk freaking out. Footsteps ran in the opposite direction and people shouted at each other in shock and disbelief. She batted at him, knocking his head to one side and growling at him fiercely.

  He shoved his nuzzle into her side, pushing her back away from the street. She moved down the sidewalk, swift in her anger. People moved out of her way and if she could have rolled her eyes she would have when she noticed most of them had their phones out recording or snapping pictures.

  The gray wolf started following her, keeping a safe distance. Her car was two blocks down and she wasn’t sure she could outrun him. Fighting him was definitely out of the question. The light a block down turned red and she knew the road would be clear until the turn lane made it through.

  In a snap decision she bolted between the idling cars in line and made it across the opposite side of the street. She made it across just as the turn lane started moving down the road. Angry honking confirmed the wolf was following her. She broke into a dead sprint, pushing as fast as she could go. It seemed an easy pace for the monster behind her. No matter how she bolted or changed her course his feet remained a few paces behind hers.

  Finally she dove into the dark secluded parking garage. She bolted up to the top floor where the late parkers sat under the sun or stars, all the while the giant gray tailing her. By the time she made it to her tiny red car she was out of breath, wheezing against the pain in her limbs. One final push and she was on the hood of her car. She turned, baring her teeth down at the massive animal. Even on top of the car she didn’t have a decent advantage over him.