FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

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FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

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FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)
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DISCLAIMER: I don’t own ‘Moonlight’, or any of its wonderful characters. I’m just taking them out for a run!

SUMMARY: A multi-chapter, action-adventure, FanFic featuring Mick, Beth, Josef, Logan, Simone, Talbot, Guillermo, and a couple really big werewolves, among others. Rated PG-13 for mild language and violence.

SPOILERS: Follows on from all 16 episodes of ‘Moonlight’, as aired on CBS. If I owned ‘Moonlight’ (and CBS and Warner Bros) this FanFic would have been Season Two of our beloved show. Follows on from Allegrita’s very steamy FanFic, ‘Presto Agitato’, Ch 1 & 2. (Mick and Beth ‘seal the deal’ and become lovers!) ‘Presto’ would have been Episode #1 of my Season Two! Follows on from Desdemona’s FanFic, ‘Silver’, Ch 1 thru 7 only. (Talbot finds out about vampires in general, and Mick in particular, the hard way! He also shares The List with Mick and Josef.) ‘Silver’ would have been Epi #2 of my Season Two! And finally, I am borrowing the original character of ‘Karl’ from his gifted creator, Eris, with her kind permission.

Ready? Okay! Here we go again!


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Claudia, the Lead Cleaner of the LA Tribe, slowly stood up from her crouch, never taking her eyes off of the twisted lump of silver in the palm of her gloved hand.

“Amazing…….”, she murmured to herself. A smile began to turn up the corners of her mouth.

Beside her, the horse-sized red werewolf, Phelan, cocked his head as he watched the lithe vampress……..his emerald green eyes flicking from the silver bullet in Claudia’s hand, to her face, and then back to the bullet again. He swung his elegant lupine head first right, and then left, as he took in the floor all around them. There were numerous such bullets scattered about…….all of them silver, with thin veneers of lead coating them……each one mushroomed from having hit its target……Beth. How????

“I don’t understand……”, Phelan began softly, swinging his head back to focus on the Cleaner, “How is it possible? I mean……how did young Beth survive even one of these slugs……let alone so many?”

Claudia’s smile widened slightly, and her eyes finally left the bullet in her hand, shifting to meet the coppery wolf’s gaze. “Beth is very special……very special…..and I suspect you are too.” At Phelan’s startled expression, she added, “It’s complicated…..I’ll let Josef explain it to you later.”

“Me? What…..how…..I mean, why? Why do you think I’m…….special……too?” The huge Irish werewolf blinked at the Lead Cleaner, astonished.

“Your scent…… your distinctive eye color……both very similar to Beth. Anyway…..as I said, it’s complicated. Josef will explain later. Now is not the time.”

Claudia’s attention returned to the remains of the silver bullet resting in her gloved palm. She took it between her thumb and forefinger, turning it, inspecting it…… “I’ve got to give them credit where credit is due…… This design is ingenious! I’m going to have to copy it for our own arsenal.” She grinned. At Phelan’s glare, she added, “Just as a precaution against another rogue, of course.”

After a moment’s continued glare, Phelan let the remark pass, and peered back down at the spent round as Claudia rolled it between her fingertips. “What’s so ingenious about it?”, he asked.

Claudia looked up into the red wolf’s eyes again. “How much do you know about firearms and ammo?”

Phelan snorted, “When I hunt, Lass……. I don’t use a gun.”

“Nothing then, alright……”

The coppery fur between the huge wolf’s eyes bunched as he frowned at the Cleaner. She was a real smart ass.

Claudia continued, “Silver is lousy ballistics material…..it’s too hard. The rifling inside the gun barrel is unable to catch hold of it, and start it rotating, as it travels down the barrel.”

At Phelan’s perplexed expression, the Cleaner paused, searching for the right words….. “Alright…..visualize this…..... A bullet must spin as it flies, like an American football, in order to stay true to its intended course. Without the spin in flight, a bullet will start to tumble and go off course, making it impossible to aim with any accuracy. With ordinary lead bullets, the rifling lining the weapon’s barrel is able to catch hold of the bullet…… because lead is a soft metal….. and start it spinning before it leaves the barrel of the gun. That makes its trajectory predictable and accurate. But…..with a bullet made of pure silver…..the gun barrel’s rifling can’t dig into the bullet because the silver is just too hard. As a result, a pure silver bullet starts to tumble once it leaves the gun, and is pretty inaccurate, even over short distances. A skilled marksman can still hit what he, or she, is aiming at…..but it’s very difficult. It’s nearly impossible to fully compensate for something as unpredictable as a tumbling bullet.”, she paused, one eyebrow lifting slightly, as she looked up into Phelan’s eyes, “With me so far?”

The coppery red wolf nodded. Claudia continued, “Then there’s the other major problem inherent in making bullets out of a metal as hard as silver….... It is difficult to get them to mushroom, and stay, inside their target, again, because the metal is so hard. You see, you want the bullet you fire to blow open…..”, she held up the spent round between her fingertips, “….. to mushroom, like this,….. inside your target so that it will discharge its kinetic energy into that target.”

Phelan sighed. “Ya lost me again, lass. I’m just a simple Irish lad who lives in the woods. What kind ‘o energy?”

Claudia rolled her eyes, “You should get out of the woods more often.”

Phelan frowned, an interesting effect on his lupine features. His luminous green eyes tightened slightly, and his tall ears tipped backward in annoyance.

Claudia sighed and continued, “Kinetic energy……the energy of motion itself…..it’s a tremendously powerful force. Okay……you’ve heard of a through-and-through gunshot wound? Bullet passes right through its target and keeps going?”

Phelan nodded.

“That’s the best type of gunshot wound to have, if you happen to be the one who gets shot……but it’s not just because you don’t have a bullet to contend with. It’s because the round didn’t discharge all its kinetic energy into you…….it kept going, taking its destructive kinetic energy with it, and discharging that energy into whatever it hit behind you. Do you follow?”

“I think so……”, the big red wolf said slowly.

“Good.”, Claudia continued, “So……with silver being such a very hard metal, it resists deforming on impact, and has a tendency to pass clean through its target.”, she held up the warped lump of silver and lead between her thumb and forefinger again, “Now……. you see what they’ve done here? Very clever……they modified the traditional silver bullet in two splendidly simple, and effective, ways.”

Phelan dipped his long, graceful muzzle, peering more closely at the bullet in Claudia’s hand.

The Lead Cleaner went on, “First, they coated the body of the round in a thin veneer of lead, so the gun’s barrel could grip it upon firing, and get it started spinning…… thereby increasing its accuracy dramatically. And, secondly……they made it a particularly vicious hollow-point design, with a center post of silver surrounded by lead, and that lead surrounded by a razor-sharp ‘flower’ of silver. This shape, combined with the soft lead around the center post, would cause this silver bullet to blow wide open inside its target…….like a blooming flower. And the petals of that flower are made of silver razor blades.”

Claudia turned the business end of the round back towards her own face and eyed it closely, “It actually reminds me of the design of a Black Talon round……those aren’t legal in the United States anymore.”

Phelan blinked and cocked his head, “Why? What’s a Black Talon?”

The Cleaner’s dark eyes flicked up to meet the huge wolf’s intent gaze. “Black Talon was a hollow-point bullet that almost had….. claws….. hence the name…… when it blew open inside its target on impact.”, she answered, “It shredded flesh……but, ironically, the damage to its victims was not why it was outlawed.”

“What was?”

“The damage it caused to emergency room doctors and nurses when they tried to treat those shot with a Black Talon round. The wounds inflicted by Black Talon rounds were littered with tiny, razor-sharp, fragments……as though a little bomb had gone off inside the victim. Surgeons and scrub nurses were getting their fingers and hands sliced open…… inside the wound-tracks of shooting victims….. on a regular basis. So, the Black Talon was outlawed in the U.S.”

“Wow…..”

“Uh huh……Anyway…….the wicked design of these silver composite rounds reminds me of those. I’ll bet Black Talon was The Legion’s inspiration in making these deadly little things.”

Claudia let the silver round fall from her fingertips, and sighed, looking around the room again. “This mess is going to take a lot more manpower, and equipment, to clean up than I brought with me. Not to mention everything we’re going to have to haul off…….. I’m going to have to call for back-up. It will be daylight in just a couple hours. We’ll have to hurry.”

The corners of Phelan’s muzzle turned up slightly, and he released a tired sigh, “Yeah…..I’d say so…….”

The Lead Cleaner pulled out her slim cellphone and called for the necessary reinforcements. As she spoke, issuing clipped orders to the underlings on the other end of the call, her eyes drifted around the room…..scanning. Eventually, her gaze ran across a golf ball sized object in a corner, affixed to where the ceiling met the walls. It was the same color as the surrounding walls, except for its center, which was shiny and black….. clearly a lens.
Ending the call, Claudia continued to stare at the object in the upper corner as she returned her cellphone to its unobtrusive pocket in her belt. Her dark eyes narrowed beneath the shadow of her long bangs and her lips tightened.

Phelan followed her gaze, and then he too, stared quizzically at the little ball in the corner of the ceiling. He cocked his massive lupine head, blinking at the object.

“What is that thing, lass?”

“It’s a webcam.”

“A what?”

Claudia walked forward slowly, her gaze still fixed on the object, her expression neutral. Phelan followed her and came to stand by her side, his iridescent emerald eyes also riveted on the golf ball with the lens in it.

“A webcam…..a remote camera.”, the Lead Cleaner replied calmly, “I believe we are being watched……via the Internet.”

The huge wolf’s eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at what looked like a cow’s eyeball to him. A low growl rumbled deep in his chest and his lips twitched slightly, exposing brief peeks of the enormous fangs they concealed. “Where are they?”, he snarled softly.

“They could be anywhere.”, Claudia replied stoically, “Next door…..or in Australia…..for all we know.”

“And they are with these bastards?”, Phelan asked in low, deadly tones, “The ones dead here? The ones who tried to kill Josef?”

Claudia nodded. “Undoubtedly. As I explained earlier, The Legion is a very large organization. They have operatives all over the world. This…..”, she gestured at the demolished office area behind them, “was just one field operation……most likely a temporary one. This webcam is probably providing a feed to a central base of some sort……somewhere.”

The red wolf’s snarl deepened, until the floor beneath them seemed to vibrate with it, “So they are watching us right now?”, he rasped through bared fangs.

“Probably.” A faint smile tugged at the corners of Claudia’s mouth. “This is actually a good thing, I think.” She turned away from the camera’s unblinking eye long enough to glance back over her shoulder at the bloody scrawling words Beth had written on the wall. “Our gifted lady-wolf obviously wanted to leave a message for these people. Now we can be sure that message has been received…….even though we must clean up this place.”

“Yeah…..Well…..I’ve got a message for them too.” And with that, Phelan stopped talking. Rearing back on his haunches, the huge red wolf rose up until the tips of his tall triangular ears were bent over by the ceiling above him. He stepped towards the camera on his dinner-plate sized hind paws. The floor creaked beneath him as his 900 pound bulk shifted from four feet, to being born on only two. His muzzle wrinkled as his lips drew back even further, in an open-mouthed snarl, fully revealing the massive conical fangs that bristled inside his gaping jaws. His large emerald-green eyes blazed with fury as he opened his arms, as though to embrace someone, and spread the thick fingers of his huge hand-like forepaws, displaying his deadly slate-gray talons. His forepaws and talons were smeared with the blood that he had been walking in………

Sucking in a breath, Phelan roared at the camera’s cold black eye, which he was now level with, and only a couple feet in front of…… The huge wolf then turned and pointed one gleaming gray talon at the words Beth had written on the far wall in the blood of her enemies…. LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE! Turning back to the webcam, Phelan glared ferociously and thumped his own chest with one massive forepaw, letting loose another bellowing roar, spraying the webcam with a fog of spittle.

His message was clear……. What she said goes for me too! Back the hell off!

Claudia was watching the massive red wolf as he postured and roared for his webcam audience. Her smile widened…….ah, yes……these are the moments you treasure. Couldn’t be any better if she had planned it……

With a ringing bang, the door into the attached garage was thrown open. Both Phelan and Claudia turned to look…….. Phelan still balanced on his hind legs, huffing through bared fangs, and Claudia looking poised and in control.

The two assistant Cleaners stood on either side of the doorway, each a step inside the hallway. Their black leather clad hands and arms were additionally protected by what could only be described as veterinary obstetrical gloves, clear plastic sheaths, from fingertips to shoulders. Clear plastic full-body aprons further protected their signature black leather suits from water damage. One of them held a large sponge, which was dripping soapy water on the floor. The other held a fluffy black beach towel. The one on the left, the one with the sponge, was tall and willowy, with a supermodel’s figure, ivory skin, and long, light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her hair was swept away from her face and tucked behind her delicate ears. The other assistant Cleaner on the right, the one with the towel, was alittle shorter, but just as beautiful, with deep olive skin and dark eyes. Her silky black hair was shoulder length, parted simply in the middle, and also tucked behind her ears.

They both stared openly at Phelan and Claudia down the length of the hallway, their eyes wide in alarm and confusion.

Between them, Beth poked her elegant lupine head, and powerful shoulders, through the door. Her wet fur clung to her, and she dripped on the floor beneath her, but at least she appeared fairly clean now. Her bright sapphire eyes were also wide with surprise, and mild alarm, as she stared at Phelan and Claudia.

“It’s alright.”, Claudia said mildly. “Our lupine friend here was merely leaving a message of his own for The Legion. Finish what you were doing. We have to hurry. Back up is on its way and we still have a great deal to do.”

Nodding, both Cleaners turned. The taller one, with the long ponytail, reached out and placed a hand on the golden she-wolf’s broad chest, pushing gently. Beth backed up obligingly, and turned, disappearing back into the garage to finish her bath. The two Cleaners followed her, but left the garage door open this time.

Now, the Lead Cleaner wished to leave her own message. She had already, unintentionally, shown The Legion her friendship with Beth…… Now, it would be perfect to display the same control, the same friendship, with Phelan. That should give the vampire slayers something to think about…….. A grin flickered briefly.

She crouched and quickly gathered up a gloved handful of the spent silver rounds from the floor. Then, stepping towards the huge red wolf, who still towered like a great bear on his hind legs, Claudia reached up and grasped a hank of the thick fur on his flank. She tugged to get his attention. Phelan had returned to glaring at the webcam…..as though he could get it to submit, to drop its gaze and back away. At Claudia’s tugging, he turned his great head and tipped his muzzle down , his bright emerald eyes focusing on the lithe vampress beside him.

“Would you be a dear and boost me up there so I can leave my own message?”, she asked, smiling up at the gigantic red wolf.

Phelan blinked at her for an instant, and then snorted softly, a canine grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Certainly Lass.”, he responded with a gentlemanly flourish.

He took a couple steps backward away from the camera, still balancing gracefully on his powerful hindquarters. Then he leaned over slightly and gripped The Cleaner around her waist with his powerful hand-like front paws. His deadly slate-gray talons brushed gently against Claudia’s black leather outfit.

Effortlessly, Phelan lifted The Cleaner into the air in front of him, straightening his posture, and turning back to face the ceiling-mounted webcam. He held her slim waist in his hands so that she was suspended in front of him with her back to him, facing into the camera’s unblinking gaze. Her long, dark brown ponytail hung down between Phelan’s huge wrists.
Claudia stared for a moment into the webcam, pausing for effect, allowing whoever was watching to take in this new development. Then, a slow smile played across her lips, and the glimmer of that smile touched her deep brown eyes, which were shadowed by her long bangs. As Phelan had done before her, Claudia turned and looked over her shoulder at bloody scrawled message Beth had left on the far wall across the room. After a moment, she turned back to the webcam’s unblinking eye. She raised her black gloved right hand, opening it just inches in from of the camera. A half dozen spent, and distorted, silver bullets gleamed in the palm of her open hand. Still smiling softly, Claudia glanced down at these glinting bullets, and then back up to the webcam. Behind her, Phelan’s huge shaggy head leaned out a bit in order to get a better look around her at what she was showing the camera.
Claudia tipped her hand, allowing the silver lumps to roll from her palm and clatter to floor beneath them. She then dusted her hands together a couple of times, as if dismissing what she had been holding as unimportant. Still smiling faintly, she stared into the camera and cocked her head to one side, one delicate eyebrow arching upward. “As you can see, the LA Tribe is not without powerful allies.” , she said quietly, “You might want to rethink your chosen course of action.” Her smile widened, showing teeth, and the tips of her dainty fangs.

Then she reached out and closed her gloved hand around the webcam, pulling it free from its moorings, snapping its connections. The show was over.

Twisting in his huge hands to face him, Claudia turned to look back at the red wolf who held her aloft. “Thank you, Phelan. You can put me down now.”

Always the gentleman……even when he was an enormous wolf…..Phelan bobbed his head politely and set the Cleaner back on her own two feet. He eyed the now defunked webcam in her hand, and then glanced up at its torn connections hanging from the ceiling corner. “They can’t see us, or hear us, anymore?”

“I don’t believe so….”, Claudia replied, “Unless there are other webcams we haven’t found yet.”

The massive red wolf dropped back to all fours, and then, after casting about for a clean spot, he gave up and sat down amid the blood-soaked mess. He sighed. “Now what, Lass?”

“Now you escort Beth home while my team and I clean this scene up.” She paused, hands on hips, and scanned the room speculatively. “Hmmm…..I think we’ll go for a vacant, ready-to-rent look with this one.”

Phelan watched her and listened politely……not really sure what the ready-to-rent thing was about. He also could have cared less about such details. Getting the golden pup out of this house-of-horrors was his priority. The sooner the better.

Claudia cocked her head again, listening, and then sighed with relief. “It’s about time…..”, she grumbled, then looking at Phelan, “Back-up is here, we’ll get started. You collect Beth and head back to the mansion fast. The sun will be up in just a couple hours.”

The coppery wolf nodded and rose to his feet, padding quietly down the hall towards the garage. As he squeezed his horse-sized frame through the small doorway, his emerald eyes swept the area. He remained still, watching, just inside the door.

The two assistant Cleaners were in the process of vigorously toweling the golden she-wolf dry. The garden hose they had used for bath water lay on the cement at their feet, a clamp nozzle restricting its flow. They glanced over at Phelan as he entered, and then returned their focus to their work. Beth stood passively, her graceful lupine features expressionless, as the Cleaners ministered to her. Almond shaped sapphire eyes were focused on the middle distance, seeing nothing.

A nondescript black van was parked in one of the two-car garage’s available spots. The Legion assassins’ vehicle…..its engine still alittle warm.

Phelan turned as the alley door opened and five more vampires filed in quietly, three females and two burley males, all dressed in black leather. Each carried sturdy plastic totes filled with assorted cleaning tools and solutions. They all hesitated, and exchanged alarmed glances, when they spotted the enormous red wolf standing on the other side of the garage, watching them passively.

“Go on inside….”, the olive skinned Cleaner called from where she worked on getting Beth’s fur as dry as possible, “Darkness is wasting! Claudia’s waiting for you. We’re short on time.”

All five vampires swiveled their gazes from Phelan to where the other Cleaner’s voice had come from on the other side of the black van. Then, with more cautious glances at Phelan, they edged forward around the front of the van. The other two Cleaners came into view for them then, as did the golden she-wolf with them.

The red wolf stepped towards Beth and her attending Cleaners, out of the doorway which led back into the Office. Phelan caught the eyes of the largest male Cleaner and nodded politely at the anxious vamp. That vamp relaxed visibly and returned the courteous nod. He then shouldered his way to the front of their small group, and led the way slowly. The other four Cleaners seemed quite happy to let him take point. They moved aside for him, never taking their eyes off of Phelan, as they all began to follow along behind the tall male Cleaner.

“What in the hell is taking so long!?”, Claudia barked loudly, having just appeared in the doorway leading in to the Office. “Do you think we have all night?!” Hands on hips, she glowered furiously at the newly arrived team.

Everyone, even Beth, had flinched slightly at her angry tone and sudden appearance.

“Sorry, ma’am……”, the largest male said, chagrined, “We weren’t expecting……well……” He nodded towards the two massive wolves sharing the garage with them.
One corner of Phelan’s mouth crooked up slightly. Beth returned to staring at the wall in front of her.

“You know what?”, Claudia snapped, “I don’t give a shit about your excuses! Move it!” She stepped aside and indicated the open doorway with a sweep of her arm.

“Yes, ma’am! Sorry, ma’am!” It was the big male who stammered this response, but all five Cleaners hustled forward as though someone had just jabbed a silver cattle prod in their backsides. They quickly disappeared inside the Office, carrying their tools and solutions.

Claudia turned to follow them, but not before meeting the big red wolf’s calm gaze. She smiled softly and nodded. The corners of Phelan’s refined muzzle turned up slightly as he returned her smile, and her nod. He liked her style……She was a strong leader. He always respected a strong leader, even if she was a bit of a smart ass.

Phelan turned his attention back to Beth, but he continued to listen as Claudia followed her minions back into the Office, barking questions and instructions at them impatiently.

“Did you bring the big moving van? And the replacement window for the front downstairs office?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay……good. Now, I want a vacant and ready-to-rent look throughout…..and fast! We’ve only got a couple hours! Let’s pop the new window in first. Then, pull up and take everything….. furniture, bodies, carpeting…….all of it. Then wash, paint, and put down new flooring.” A pause………. “What? Do I need to draw you a map?! Get started now!”

“Yes, ma’am!” This was followed by the ripping sound of carpeting being torn up off the floor. One of the females darted back through the garage, and returned a moment later balancing a large window with one arm, and carrying more tools in a caddy with the other arm. She moved quickly back into the Office.

A frustrated sigh from the Claudia inside…….then, “And I want every hard drive, every computer, every webcam, in this place, whether it’s intact or not. There should be some valuable intel here…..”, another pause, then, “And any written records you find too. This place could turn out to be an information goldmine.”

“Yes, ma’am.” This was followed by a startled hiss……the big male vamp’s voice, “Damn! That’s silver!”

“Oh, yes…….and watch out for the silver bullets laying all over the floor.” Claudia’s voice, calm and matter of fact.

The big male’s reply was dry, with a tinge of sarcasm, “Thanks for the warning.”

Phelan grinned and snorted softly, shaking his head. Pansy vampires! What were they complaining about? At least they had shoes and gloves on! He’d had no such protection.

His grin faded as it suddenly occurred to him that he had, indeed, been walking around in there……with silver bullets scattered on the floor…..in what amounted to bare feet. Surely, he must have stepped on at least one of them at some point……and yet, he didn’t recall any pain or burning irritation from doing so. He hadn’t even noticed that the spent rounds were silver at all, until Claudia picked that one up.

What had the vampress said? That both he and Beth were ‘special’? That Josef would explain later? Phelan sighed. Well……the questions would have to wait til later then. He needed to focus on getting young Beth home safely……preferably before the coming dawn made two gigantic loping wolves obvious to anyone with eyes.

Stepping quietly over to Beth, and the two Cleaners who worked on her, Phelan dipped his muzzle so that he was eye-level with the golden she-wolf. Beth remained standing four-square, with her head hug low, staring at the concrete floor beneath her paws. She rocked gently side to side as the two Cleaners scrubbed her fur with drying towels. She offered no response to the red wolf’s approach.

“Dearheart?”, Phelan spoke in soft, gentle tones, “Ready to go home and see what the boys have been up to while we were gone?”

Beth raised her eyes to meet his gaze, and he offered her a crooked canine grin. The two wolves looked at each other in silence for a few heartbeats. Then Beth sighed, “Yeah….. Okay.”, before returning her eyes to the floor in front of her.

Phelan smiled, “That’s my girl.” Shifting his gaze to the attending Cleaners, he asked, “Is she ready to go?”

The ivory skinned Cleaner lowered her beach towel and turned to look at the red wolf. She sighed, and swept Beth’s long frame with her eyes. “Yeah…..This is the best we can do without a blow dryer.” She crooked a smile at Phelan. “The only thing missing is a little blue bow beside one ear.” She winked. “That would bring out her beautiful eyes so well.”

Beth swung her massive head around and fixed the pretty Cleaner with an annoyed glare, one eyebrow lifting.

The Cleaner’s grin vanished. She cleared her throat softly and looked at Phelan. “She’s still slightly damp, but she should air dry by the time you two get back to Josef’s place.”
Beth returned to staring at the floor.

Phelan offered the Cleaners a friendly smile. “Excellent! Thank you, Lasses, very much!” They nodded in response.

“Ah…..”, Phelan continued, “Before we leave……could I talk ya two lovelies into rinsing off me backside?”

The two Cleaners blinked at him, exchanged glances, and then blinked at the big red wolf some more.

“Excuse me……” , the one with the olive skin and shoulder length hair black hair asked, “Rinse off your what?”

Phelan pivoted on his haunches and presented them with his rump. He grinned, playfully showing some teeth, and flipped his muzzle towards his hindquarters, looking back over his shoulder at the two speechless vampresses. “Me fluffy backside, me lovelies!”

When they continued to stare, he added, “I sat down inside. There were no clean spots. And all four of me paws, please? I don’t want to track sticky old blood into Josef’s house. He’s pretty persnickety, ya know.” He winked at them, his emerald green eyes sparkling with mirth.

The Cleaner with the light brown ponytail rolled her eyes. “Oh for shit’s sake!”, but a smile played at the corners of her mouth, adorned with bright red lipstick. She leaned over and picked up the hose, quickly blasting Phelan’s shaggy rump with a steady spray of water.

“Yikes! That’s cold!”, Phelan complained playfully. He wagged his half-tail to and fro in the spray, making sure his posterior was thoroughly clean. Then he lifted each hind foot in turn and held it while the Cleaner rinsed off its pads. Finally, he turned to face them and rocked back on his haunches, holding out his hand-like front paws for rinsing. When finished, he dropped back to all fours and stood up.

“Thank ya so much, me lovelies. I’m in your debt.” He beamed a toothy canine grin at the two assistant Cleaners.

The Cleaners nodded and smiled back at him. “Your welcome.”, the ponytail replied. She glanced at her cohort and her smile widened. “If werewolf washing is going to become a habit, I guess we should start carrying a supply of pet shampoo too, huh?” Shoulder-length-black-hair grinned and rolled her eyes.

Phelan chuckled. Then turned his attention back to Beth. “Come on, Dearheart. Let’s head back.” He turned and headed for the garage’s side door. Beth followed slowly, padding along behind him.

Once outside in the alley, Phelan turned and led Beth to where the alley opened on to the main street. Like everything else about this rundown area of town, the asphalt was shabby and neglected, the sidewalk curbs cracked and crumbling, festooned with weeds.

A large, black, and non-descript moving van was now parked on the curb in front of the Office building. The Cleaners’ rig. Its size would block a lot of the building from the view of anyone across the street…..not that there was anyone across the street trying to watch. The seedy neighborhood seemed almost like a ghost town now. Silent, except for the hum of the busier parts of LA that lay beyond these cracked streets. No music played. No lights shone from any windows.

But, Phelan could hear them…..the impoverished residents of this forsaken street. They were still there, just as they had been when he arrived. Huddled in their apartments and rundown houses…….he could hear them breathing, hear their hearts beating. A few had fallen asleep…..including the child, the little girl Phelan had heard whimpering earlier……but most were still awake. He could almost feel them straining to be silent, straining to listen, praying that the danger would pass them by just one more time. Hoping they would get to see the sunrise on one more day.

Phelan sighed, feeling an overwhelming wave of sadness for all of these poor people, trapped in this horrible place. He really hated big cities. He turned and looked at the golden she-wolf beside him. She was looking more like her old self again, all cleaned up and healed up……but her beautiful sapphire eyes had a haunted expression that worried him.

“Come on, Lass, let’s go.”, he said softly.

Beth glanced up at him and nodded. Phelan broke cover, and Beth followed. They loped rapidly across the street and then down another alleyway. Not tracking anything this time, they simply ran towards the hills where Josef’s mansion was located.

They ran a route that offered cover, while still being a fairly direct path towards their goal, down side streets and through back allies. The eastern horizon began to gray, hinting at the approach of dawn.

Beth loped along off Phelan's right shoulder, and just alittle behind him. She let him choose their course and simply followed.

She couldn’t think straight…… What had she done? Her thoughts turned and turned in helpless circles…… She couldn’t bring herself to face this new reality. What would happen now? How would Mick react when he found out what she had done…….what she was now……a maneater.

Would he reject her? Would he hate her? She wouldn’t blame him if he did…….she was a monster now.

Her breath caught in a stifled sob. Phelan glanced at her, and expression of deep concern on his lupine features. Beth did not meet his gaze. They ran on in silence through empty backstreets, racing the breaking dawn. The only sound was the soft thudding of their paws on the pavement, punctuated by the occasional scrape of their talons.

Beth tried to think of what to say to Mick……how to possibly explain…… to beg him to forgive her…… Her heart clenched and twisted in her chest as though it had a will of its own. In her mind’s eye, she saw Mick’s gentle smile, and the thought of him knowing what she had done sent her heart twisting in renewed agony.

She knew she could not bear to see herself reflected as a monster in his beautiful eyes.
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by catravers »

I'm sure they got the message loud and clear, but somehow, I don't think it will stop the legion.

Poor Beth. She's feeling like a total failure and is now worried Mick will see her as a monster. He loves her more than that and I can't wait for their little chat. It will take some doing, but I think it will eventually sink in. Between Mick, Josef and Phelan, I'm sure they can help her.

Thanks Lions. I have missed this story terribly. We don't even know how Josef and Mick are after they were attacked.

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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by redwinter101 »

:woohoo: I'm with Cat - it's SO lovely to see a new chapter, Lions. :flowers: :flowers: :flowers:

Poor Beth - that crushing regret is so poignant but if anyone can understand, let's face it, it's gonna be Mick.

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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by lionsonleashes »

Thanks for hanging in there with me, Cat! :rose: :hearts: And I'm so sorry this Chapter took so long. :quill: I went thru a very long dry spell. But it seems to have broken now. :twothumbs: :hyper2:
Yes....Mick loves Beth more than she knows......just as she loves him more than he knows. They will help each other thru this difficult time in Beth's new life. :happysigh:

And as far as not knowing how Mick and Josef are doing......They've both been sleeping, :dracula: blishfully unaware of the bloodly battle unfolding on their behalf. Chapter 29 will begin with Mick waking up......trying to remember what happened! :dizzy:
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by lionsonleashes »

Hi Red! :hug: And thanks! :rose:
It's good to be back! :hyper2: And yeah.....if anyone can help Beth come to terms with the dark side of her new nature, it's gonna be Mick! :Mickangel: :comfort2:
Thanks again for hanging in there with my dry spell, and thanks for welcoming me back. :notworthy: :flowers:
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by tucutecats »

Great chapter, don't worry I love long chapters, can't wait for the next one. :hearts:
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by OnceBitTwiceShy »

I was so happy to see your wonderful update! Hopefully the words are now going to flow:)
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by jen »

This week has been really stressful at work but this made up for it!!!

Wonderful chapter!

I was a little surprised by Claudia and Phelan's message to the Legion, even though I understand the desire to rub the Legion's noses in the fact of the two werewolves now protecting the L.A. vampires, but they have given some dangerous enemies a lot of information about their true capilities (what works and what doesn't). Claudia and Phelan may be two steps ahead and have already figured out a way to turn this to their advantage. Hope so.

Also, would the Pack (I think that is the name of organized werewolves) be drawn into the fight? That won't make them happy, as they have been trying to avoid it when Beth's mentally unbalanced sire was still alive killing vampires.

So anticipating the conversation between Beth and Mick. Yes, I think he will understand and this will be a moment when those two fall deeper in love. There was a strong, almost magnetic pull between the two of them, but they were separated by what they were--vampire with a very long lifespan and a list of strengths and weaknesses and a human with all the inherent frailties.

Now, even though they are still two different things, their combined strengths and weaknesses offset each other and make them a much more formidable opponent together. A beautiful illustration of synergy!

Mick understands. He has been where she is now, and I think between his reassurances, and Josef (the step sire) and Claudia [starting to sound like it takes a village, isn't it?], Beth will be okay.

The happy lurking for Chapter 29 will now commence.

Thanks, Lions!

Jenna

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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by allegrita »

Lions, I'm thrilled to see this new chapter, and I loved it! I'm not at home now, so I don't have time to leave a long response, but I'll be back... :hearts:
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by MoonlitRose »

:rose: Lions! :rose: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Thank you for the wonderful update to your story! I'm so glad that you returned with a new chapter.

Beth is definetly in shock over the actions that she found herself capable of doing! :gasp: But I too think Mick will be very understanding of this, and can help her deal with her doubts over her moral character! She clearly did it to protect her pack, and she'd do it again if the situation called for it. She'll have to learn about this part of her new nature, and eventually, she'll get past it. :pray:

I'm looking forward to Chapter 29! :woohoo:

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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by NocturneInCMoll »

Poor Beth. But of course Mick will understand!

And hmmm, is there something developing with the Cleaner and Phelan? :laugh:

P.S. I know all about dry spells, but I'm over mine for the moment, too!
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by mitzie »

I'm so thrilled to see this new chapter here!!!! :yahoo: I'm sure Beth will get plenty of reassurance that she is not a monster from everyone who loves her. I love this story and can't wait for the next chapter... :yahoo: :yahoo: :hyper2: :hyper2: :woohoo: :woohoo: :devil: :dog: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :thud: :thud: :thud: :thud: :notworthy: :hearts: :flowers:


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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by lionsonleashes »

Hi Everyone! :ghug: :rose: :heart:
Thanks for the understanding, and the warm welcome back! :notworthy: :happysigh: I'm so glad you all enjoyed my update, :hyper: and I'm sooooo sorry I kept all of you waiting so long! :blushing:
My long dryspell seems to have broken, and my muse is speaking to me again! :yahoo: :hyper2:
Chap 29 is in the works! :twothumbs:
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by AussieJo »

Surely this will draw Beth and Mick even closer! :fingerscrossed:
Wonderful to have a new chapter, Lions. :hug:
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Re: FULL MOONLIGHT---Ch 28---Messages. (PG-13)

Post by lionsonleashes »

Thanks, Jo! :hug: :rose:
Yeah.....Mick will help Beth cope. He's walked many miles in the shoes she now finds herself in. :Mickangel: Beth will also gain greater understanding, thru her own experience, of what Mick has been going thru all these years.....why he's hated what he is for so long.
Thanks again for reading and commenting! :flowers:
Lions :mooncat:
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