Wolf Magic: A Fantasy of Werewolves and Witches in the Twilight

WOLF MAGIC

Sascha Illyvich

Includes bonus chapter from Sascha Illyvich's USA TODAY recommended novel of paranormal romance
Torn to Pieces
and a bonus selection from his brilliant collection of paranormal erotica
Dark Sensualities and Primal Instincts
.

Sizzler/Intoxication Erotic Romance

ISBN
9781615083466

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2010 Sascha Illyvich

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.

For information contact:

SizzlerEditions.com

Sizzler/Intoxication Erotic Romance

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TORN TO PIECES

C
HAPTER 1

Emesh stood, her arms resting protectively over her large belly. Standing in the middle of a clearing, she rubbed her stomach, hoping the beauty inside that was to be born soon would not hate her; never curse her though she would deserve it.

The wind blew, moving wisps of dark hair across delicate pale skin.
Emesh reached behind her ear, tugging loose strands away from her face. A final glance over the land revealed lush grass and fields as far as the eye could see. Her goddess powers reached out on the seawater smell of the lake several miles away. The other gods promised her the land would be fertile. Her babies would need the fertile land to thrive as she had planned.  They said the wolves could not occupy heaven just yet ... they needed to mature first.

When Emesh first heard her babies would be born on earth amongst the humans, her heart trembled in fear.
But the Boldog Asszony, the fertility goddess reassured her things would be all right.

The fertility goddess even helped Emesh find a suitable home for the wolves.  They had chosen this land because of its breathtaking beauty and diverse landscape.
The flatlands would give her children enough room to roam freely. The lake in the central area of what would be known as Hungary would supply nourishment and prosperity. The people who would inhabit this land would be noble but struggle until they reached their purpose ... to prove their worthiness and status as beings capable of living amongst the others in Paradise.

Even through their struggles, her babies would show the other deities that survival was the only option if they were to be considered just rulers.

Her children, born of wolf and goddess would push forward ideals set in stone by Fate itself, the idea that wolves were the chosen inhabitants of this earth and even though they'd fall from the graces of the gods and be cursed to roam Earth, struggling to survive with man. Once they learned of the prophecy, they would be given the tools to master their fate and return to Heaven.

The idea of her future grandchildren having to bear the heavy responsibility of finding their salvation without her help pained her, made her heart ache.
The fact remained that the wolves were not trusted amongst the gods and goddesses in Heaven. They were being forced to prove themselves in the mortal realms, to prove they had strength and character. They had to prove to the other Deities they were trustworthy.  If they could do that amongst man, with all his foolishness, then they would be welcome back in Heaven.

Emesh stood still in the circle, eyes closed, listening.

Waiting.

A gentle breeze blew, whispering words that caught her attention.

It's time.

Emesh opened her eyes, focused on a single point on the ground and blinked.  A bright red and orange flame appeared, several feet high.

Boldog Asszony's face appeared in the flames, hair spread wide and flowing like the rivers, eyes bright yellow as the sun. Her lips were blood red, skin the color of the moon, a ghostly white tinged with pale blue. "I would not damn my own."

Emesh read her creator
's lips and nodded. Feelings of love for her babies, anger and hatred for the others who would force her new children out of heaven, welled up inside her, bringing tears to her eyes. Still, she would not shed them as she birthed her babies.

The image vanished, leaving behind a smaller flame.

It was now or never.

Emesh trusted this was the right thing, as she sank down to the ground, felt the energy ball containing the lives of her first pack extricate itself from her body.
Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists and kicked at dust, feeling the pain of birthing magickal creatures deep throughout her body in a pain so hot it burned throughout her thighs and upward. Closing her eyes, she threw her head back, wishing for her mate but he had died. "Damn you all, these are my babies!"

Hot tears slid down her cheeks as she opened her eyes and saw the white-hot ball hovering between her knees.
Exhaling sharply, she sank her hands into the soft ground and sighed.

For a moment, a giant weight lifted from her shoulders.

She looked into the sky, then back at the ball of life, glowing with energy. The essence of lupine, thick with the odor of dirt and fur, she realized she'd only swapped one burden for a much heavier one.

The fact was, she
'd birthed the wolves in order to save humankind from its own destructive tendencies, providing them with the salvation of entrance to Heaven, a beautiful place with peaceful days and clear skies. The wolves were tranquil, calm yet fierce and brave.  Just as man was supposed to be.

It seemed the wolves shared the same burden the Christians would place upon their savior when they crucified him.

Warm tears continued to slide down Emesh's face as a cool rain began to fall.  How she wished her mate was alive to be here with her for this miracle.

The ball of light and life hovered before her, glowing.
Within seconds, it exploded, sending little bursts of each life in different directions, flying faster and faster from her without even so much as a goodbye, or a thank you.

One glittery light floated before Emesh.

Reaching out, she captured the sparkle of life, felt the warmth and decided then her babies needed a guardian here on Earth who would help guide them toward the prophecy.

Lucky to be blessed with powers beyond the norm, Emesh decided to give birth to a human with wolves
' blood. Someone she could communicate with and trust.  It would take time to find the right mortal to mate with, but she had all the time in the world for her wolves.

* * * *

Gray strands of hair brushed against her face as the low hum of life buzzed around her. Walking slowly into the open, she spread her arms out, remembering how her great godmother, Emesh, had given birth to something she found so incredibly beautiful in a spot similar to this so many years ago. The fertile soil of the land contained nutrients to nourish, to cleanse as did the air and surrounding vegetation.

"
This clearing has power," Emese muttered to nobody in particular, aware of the fact she'd been followed.

She knew which pup had followed too. He would grow to be a strong, pack Alpha.  But the madness of the Flower Maiden, the curse cast down upon certain wolves by a few other jealous gods, would catch up to him sooner or later and he
would have to be dealt with. The curse would drive him insane and make him turn his back on his kind.

Pulling back her hair from her face, she realized he might as well at least be given a chance before she wrote
off the entire pack. The humans were starting wars in various parts of the world, sometimes dragging the wolves into their dirty habits. She had to wonder, shrugging her shoulders at the thought of what she had done so many years ago in creating something so beautiful and blessed as the wolves, knowing someone would interfere with her affairs.

Hopefully the guardian she created recently would be able to stop the Flower Maiden.

"I know you're here Kiba. Come out."

Leaves and tall grass rustled, but nothing happened.  It took her a second to find him, but she let him be. 
"Fine. Have it your way.  Listen to the spirits. Let them tell you of this world and its history."

Emese closed her eyes and knelt, more strands of gray hair falling into her face, hiding her eyes.

A gentle wind blew, swirling loose leaves and debris, lifting Emese's body from the ground.  She opened her eyes and started to speak. The words were familiar, but the voice was not her own.

"
The lands that used to be the Austro-Hungarian Empire were once filled with a definite, bright spark of life.  Fields of brightly colored flowers and vineyards as far as the eye could see dotted the land. Lush forests around Lake Balaton breathed life into the region and brought prosperity.

Then there were the inhabitants.
Wolves.

The chosen beings of The Goddess, often talked about by the Fertility Goddess or Boldog Asszony.
She was the mother of all fertility, harvests, of mates and all things created amongst the wolves who inhabited the lands.

Then the humans came and brought Christianity with them, converting some of the wolves to Catholicism.
"

Emese wanted to stop the story here, but the voice, the power that had control of her body refused.

"There was peace between the humans and the wolves for hundreds of years, but as humans populated the region and conquered individual lands, the Austro-Hungarian Empire became two separate entities within the two cultures.

The earth had been burned just to make light that man could see.  Some humans were never content with what they had been given in this life, so wars had been started that forced the entire world to pay the price for their greed and pride.  Bombs dropped, bullets and smoke filled the lands, making the wolves in those areas sick and killing others.
"

Emese sensed the spirits discontent at man
's desire to conquer and claim what was not his. "So many humans died during the many wars. Scarcity of food became such a problem that the wolves were forced into hiding to avoid being hunted to remove the competition for what food remained."

Even as the words flowed from her mouth, Emese knew the silver furred pup would take in all the information, would see her tears slide down her face.

"While the humans and wolves divided so did the wolves. Their magic began to disappear, their lands were taken from them. Wolves began migrating and learning how to appear human, using the archaic magic bestowed upon them by their beloved Boldog Asszony. What part of their magic disappeared?

None seem to understand the delicate society created by the wolves in response to the gifts they were given, the paradise they had been blessed with and lost.  Many packs had been broken up and scattered throughout Europe and America.  The Opeth pack, the pack truly blessed by Her gift had managed to remain on their original lands, but contained only a handful of members.
"

Tears stung the backs of Emese
's eyes. With a curse, Emese broke free of the spirit inhabiting her body and dropped to the ground. Landing on her hands and knees, she struggled not to fall forward. Her flesh was weakened from being used by the spirits.

The awesomeness of power that filled her pressed against every cell, bone and muscle of her being until it threatened to tear her apart from the inside out.

Kiba stood silent like a good pup a distance away. The wolves learned long ago that it was bad to mess with the pack witch after events like that when no power could be offered to replace what she had lost. She was certain he hadn't yet learned to use his powers to heal. He was not a healer, only a temporary Alpha until one was born strong enough to lead the pack and not be affected by the Flower Maiden's disease.

She cried for them that night.
Wolves howled a lonely song in the distance, raising the hair on the back of her neck. The song wasn't eerie so much as it was sad.

Hopefully the two born to her recently would survive with the help of the pack.  She named her first daughter Éva and her second daughter, Selene.
Both were born of a witch who bore wolf's blood and would have special powers of their own.  Emese hoped her daughters could protect the Opeth pack from all the suffering it would endure over the coming years.

* * * *

Five years later

"Paradise is bullshit," Kiba muttered on the way back from a successful hunt.  He had yet to forget that awful night when he saw Emese last. It pained him still to see her floating in mid air, speaking as though she were merely a tool for the spirits that watched over the wolves.

After the last of his hunting mates had brought food into the village, he waited.
He watched doors close and knew wolves were preparing for a feast to celebrate a successful hunt and harvest. They did well tonight, thank the Goddess.

Wiping strands of hair from his sweaty brow, he recalled the scents earlier, blood, moose and deer.
Heavy game tonight, the pack had scored a large hit and would eat for a few days.

But still, he was so very tired.
Walking down the dirty path with a slump in his shoulders, he realized he was barely thirty-five. The prophecy said that someday wolves would not have to fight, not have to struggle. Heaven would open up and take them back to their original home, and those who chose to stay would inherit the earth.

Either way, it was a paradise free of war, free of disease, free of pain.

And it was bullshit. The very idea that wolves were a race chosen to be free from suffering only to be rewarded after hundreds of years of pain was just insane.  The fact was, for him it had only caused sleepless nights, and faster aging. He already saw the wrinkles forming in his skin, felt his hair as a human growing brittle and gray. Hell, his power had even somehow managed to weaken in comparison to his brother Les.