The Darkest Star

Ch. 31 Shadows

"Looks like a witches doing." A warrior sneered.

He was the male that stumbled upon the gruesome scene. Two fawns, their spots still bright on their fur, lay on their sides curled around each other with their innards scattered around them. The leaves under them were black but there was no lingering scent of smoke or ash and they didn't look burnt. No, these looked like every ounce of life had been sucked from them. All in a perfect circle. Markings were carved in the ground but whoever had done this had kicked over the dirt so they couldn't be recognizable.

Salem noticed Melisande who kept glancing at the leaves and then at him. He wouldn't lie and say the accusation in her eyes didn't hurt. He knew he'd gone too far in showing her what he could do. The female didn't like anything that she couldn't control or couldn't at least fight. Having some unseeable force cut off her airway had shaken her up a bit. Not that it was any excuse for her to even think that he could do something like this. What for? What could he possibly gain from doing something like this?

A warrior stepped in front of him to take a picture of the fawns intestines. The Alphas will be sending the pictures to the Council to look over. They didn't know if this was somehow connected to who they were currently searching for but maybe they'd at least know what was trying to be done, or what had already been done.

What they did know was that someone was within their territory who had no right to be. Border patrol had been tightened and no one was allowed to roam the forest alone.

"The hearts are missing." Azrael spoke up, moving to stand beside Salem who leaned into the bigger male's warmth, Azrael's arm snaked around his waist and the action gained some of the warriors attention. No one but those close to them knew about their mating. The Alphas had asked them not be open about it around others in the pack. Azrael had looked ready to bite his father's head off but had refrained himself and instead opted on spitting some very offensive words before storming out and dragging Salem with him. Salem didn't understand the point in keeping it a secret. Yeah they're gay but so is a lot of other mated pairs.

Salem pulled off his sunglasses to look over the small organs. There was two of everything but Azrael was right, the hearts were missing. Taking the risk, he stepped inside the circle making the others yell out. Ignoring them when nothing immediate happened, he stuck his hand through the clean cut on one of the fawns stomach, feeling around the hallowed out inside. Something soft was there and he had to tug it free. Removing his blood covered hand, everyone stared with looks of confusion at the clean white rose he held.

No one said anything as they watched the rose lose its color gradually, welting until the petals turned black and the flower crumbled.

Salem didn't waste any time moving to the second fawn but instead of feeling inside for anything, he stuck both hands in the incision and pulled it apart. Ribs snapped and flesh tore but as he expected, a rose was connected to a green stem that grew in place of the heart.

A flash blinded him as the warrior snapped a picture.

"Burn the bodies." The Alpha spoke, turning away to speak with his Second. Azrael pulled Salem up and out of the circle as others moved to follow their Alpha's orders and gather wood to start a fire.

"How did you know that would be there?" Melisande asked him, her arms crossed. Azrael growled but Salem gave no reaction.

"I didn't." Was all he said before walking away, leaving the siblings to have a whispered argument. He knew he shouldn't have walked off alone but he had a feeling whatever did this was already gone.

He'd discovered that among many things, he was now considerably faster than he once was. As fast as Azrael in the skin of his wolf. Salem enjoyed it, as much as he hated it. It was just another sign that he was no longer Human. It was ironic really, how he'd felt unaccepted as a Human but now being whatever he is now, he'd rather be Human again. Even if he hid the few changes about himself from the others, they could still feel it. He could tell in the way their eyes followed him or how they stepped out of his way. Azrael had tried to explain it as a bubble of power surrounding him and the stronger, the bigger the bubble. They felt his power, his dominance over them.

Salem didn't like it.

If he ignored the warmth that blossomed in his chest whenever he thought of what he could do, and avoided mirrors, he felt the same as he did as a Human. It was impossible though, Salem knew he was something more, each morning that warmth felt stronger, he felt stronger.

Pausing in his mindless wondering when he was miles from the Wolves, he used his new heightened senses to feel that no one but wild animals were around him. Now alone with no witnesses, instead of ignoring that ball of warmth in his chest, he let it spread through his body. Salem didn't know what he wanted to do but he held out his bloody palms in front of him and exhaled, letting his eyes shut.

That warmth, it was all around him. In every living thing. He could hear the quickening heartbeats of animals close by, he could feel the slow and steady growth in the roots underfoot, he could smell the moister in the humid air and the strong pine. There was something else too, something faint but warmer, something that felt like a part of him.

Salem opened his eyes and focused on that familiar warmth. He pulled in towards him. Something flickered in his peripheral vision making him jump and turn his head towards it, thinking he'd seen something. No, he'd definitely seen something. He let his mind clear of all things and pulled harder, feeling the warmth spread to his finger tips. That's when he seen it. Although he really didn't know what he was seeing.

The shadows that hovered under the trees seemed to expand until he was surrounded by darkness, as if night had descended within seconds. He stepped forward and the darkness followed. Reluctantly, a smile spread across his face. Salem didn't want to like these changes about himself, but it felt right, like a part of him had finally been returned.

He imagined the shadows spreading and they did, he didn't even need his hands to instruct it. Salem giggled breathlessly. It was exhilarating. Taking off in a fast run, the shadows stayed with him, trailing behind like wisps of smoke. He could feel the animals watching him, coming out of their homes and hiding places to greet him.

When he released his hold on the shadows they cleared and returned to their original places within the forest.

Salem ran back to the pack house in only minutes when it would have taken him hours as a Human. Stopping by the bathroom he washed the dried blood from his hands before continuing to his bedroom. Nox slept on his bed, waiting for him. The tiny kitten lifted it's head and let out a cute little yawn.

He tossed his sunglasses on his messy dresser and fell onto his bed, Nox curled up on his side to continue sleeping. Salem absentmindedly pet his kitten, thinking of what he'd done in the forest, another thing he'd learned about himself. It didn't feel as dangerous as the other things and so it didn't weigh heavily on his shoulders.

He wondered if he should tell Azrael. The big male didn't look at him like everyone else did. Azrael wasn't scared of him but what if Salem did something that did scare him? What if it was too much for him? Azrael had thought he was marking a Human at the time, unknowingly marking something they didn't even know existed.

Sighing, Salem decided maybe it was best to keep it to himself, maybe he could slip away and practice more in the forest. Maybe if he could reassure the others that he had complete control over these abilities, they'd trust him again.