The silver beauty that encompasses the full moon
Does not hold a candle to you.
Come listen to the crescendo of howls with me.
Vivica immediately recognized the neat handwriting on the slip of paper that had fallen out of her book. She could add this one to the pile of many poems Beyond Birthday had written for her. Getting up from her bed, she walked over to the single window in her room. Placing the poem on the windowsill, Vivica drew her eyes to the full moon hanging in the sky.
Turning, she wiped her hands on her jeans, crouching in front of the big black German shepherd watching her from his place on her bed. Vivica smiled conspiratorially at the dog, scratching him behind the ears. "I'm going to meet Beyond to listen to the lycans howl. Go stay with L, alright?" Vivica said, "And don't tell on me," She added affectionately.
Iverson watched her as she left the room, slightly perturbed. He watched her walk in the direction of L's room a few doors down.
Vivica knocked twice before she opened the door slightly. Poking her head in, she smiled. "Hey, I'm going for a walk," She said.
"It is a full moon tonight, is it not?" L asked quietly, looking up at her.
Vivica stuck her hands in her back pockets, nodding. "Yeah, it is," She said somewhat lamely. Vivica didn't know if she wanted to tell L that she was going to meet up with Beyond in the woods. Though he didn't voice it out right, Vivica could tell that he more than disapproved of her hanging around with Beyond. "I'm going to listen to the howls," She stated, "I'll be back before curfew," She promised.
L shook his head, smiling somewhat as she left. He knew very well that she would be calling him around 12 or 1am to sneak her back inside Wammy's. She'd been doing this every full moon for years now. Though, judging from the way she placed her hands in her back pockets, L could tell she was concealing something from him.
After a few minutes, L walked over to the window. Looking down at the yard, he watched Vivica's small, slender frame climb the fence and jump down on the other side. The sound of the door creaking open a little more turned L's attention from the window.
Iverson trotted into his room. When he saw the folded piece of paper in the dog's mouth, L crouched down to meet him. Iverson dropped Beyond's poem into L's out stretched hand. Vivica's words rang in his head. He may have 'told on her' but he was only doing his job, protecting her.
After he'd read the poem, he patted Iverson on the head. "I thought as much. Thank you, Iverson," L said. Standing up, he took his cell phone from his back pocket and set it on his night stand. He couldn't help but glance at the ominous light the moon gave off.
Vivica wrapped her arms around herself as she retreated into the woods. The glow from the moon cast the woods in the silvery glow. Already she could hear the howls ride the air. Smiling, she closed her eyes, wrapping their melodic beauty around her.
Her eyes snapped open when she heard the crack of the stick breaking behind her. Suddenly, an arm snaked around her waist, another hand moving to cover her mouth.
Beyond Birthday could feel her necromancy hum along his skin. It was completely intoxicating. Beyond leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Do you hear them?" She nodded as he removed his hand from her mouth.
They stood like that for a few moments. Vivica leaned back against him. "Yes, I hear them. Beautiful, aren't they?" She said.
"Yes, while they may be, they hardly hold a candle to you," Beyond said, running his hands down her arms. He felt goose bumps rise on her skin.
Vivica laughed softly. "You are too sweet, B."
"Not as sweet as you taste," Beyond said as he ran his tongue along her beating pulse. He felt it quicken beneath his tongue. As he sank his teeth into her skin, he idly wondered what her blood would taste like. What would L think if he found his little necromancer with her throat ripped out?
Removing his mouth from her neck Beyond tilted his head back, laughing loudly up at the night sky at the thought. He'd even felt her tremble a little in his arms. Did that raise your hackles enough, L? He thought.
Vivica turned around to look up at him. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "What's so funny?"
"Bloodlust, my dear," Beyond replied. Pulling her against him, he reached to pull the knife from his back pocket. The blade glinted in the moonlight as he brushed her hair back behind her shoulders with the flat of the blade.
Vivica shivered a little as Beyond ran the flat of the blade across her throat. The dangerous air that always surrounded Beyond always called her to him. That air was what set him apart from the safety of L.
"Do you trust me?" Beyond asked, as he flipped the knife up so that the blade now rested along her throat. He traced it ever so lightly across it and down her chest.
Vivica's eyes followed the blade. "In theory," She answered.
Beyond took one of her hands in his hands, laying a kiss on it. Smirking, he guided her hand to close around the blade. He saw tension roll into her shoulders, but she wasn't fighting him. Interesting.
Vivica gasped as Beyond squeezed her hand against the blade. He squeezed until he saw blood drip down onto her wrist. She yanked her hand back, staring at the palm of her hand, watching the blood in a trance like state-before she slapped him swiftly across the face-with her bloody hand.
Raising a hand to his stinging cheek, he wiped it across his face, his hand coming back with her blood on it. Beyond smirked and licked his hand. "Ouch, that hurt," He said, "But the sting was worth it."
Beyond grabbed her wrists and forced her back against a tree. His smirk widened as Vivica struggled against him. He liked it when she fought against him. Beyond pushed his body against hers, pinning her wrists above her head. "It's an uphill struggle fighting me, ma petite," He murmured in her ear.
Howls cut through the night air, slowing creeping towards them. Vivica's eyes followed the direction of the howls. "They're coming," She whispered, wincing as Beyond dug his fingers into the cut on her palm.
Grasping her chin, Beyond turned Vivica's gaze from the woods and back up at him. "They are still miles away," He stated as he smoothed his bloody fingers across her lower lip. Leaning down, Beyond's lips hovered over hers. He bet the inside of her mouth tasted like nicotine. His teeth scrapped against Vivica's lower lip, his tongue dragging along her lip. The breath from Beyond's low laugh skimmed across her lips as she tilted her head up.
As he laid his lips on hers, Beyond took the knife and dug the blade into the skin of her arm and drug it down her skin. Vivica gasped louder in pain. Beyond smirked as he kissed her feverishly, squeezing the gash, being quite sure her blood stained the floor of the woods. He idly wondered if L played this rough with her.
The howls were getting closer.
Pulling away, Beyond cackled, glancing at the gash on her arm. He twirled the knife ambidextrously between his fingers. "Opps," He said, "My bad."
Vivica pushed him away, trying to yank his arm from his grasp. Beyond pushed her easily back against the tree. "I told you babe, uphill struggle," He said, tightening his grasp on her arm, making the blood drip faster.
Vivica watched her blood fall to the floor of the woods with wide eyes.
"Are you scared?" Beyond asked. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the moonlight catching the glint of the lycan's eyes. He counted seven of them. "Oh look, the whole pack has come to play," Beyond said with glee.
Vivica looked the wolves straight in the eyes. The black alpha tipped his head to the moon and howled. Growling, the wolf crouched low to the ground.
Beyond glanced at the life span above her head. Tilting her face up, he asked, "Do you want to die here?" He swore she was considering it as she glanced at the wolves. She wasn't going to die out here and neither would he. Vivica shook her head.
"Then run," Beyond said, yanking her away from the tree and pushing her forward. Grabbing her hand, he took off running just as the wolves started to give chase. Chills danced up his spine, the thrill of the hunt.
"Beyond," Vivica said between pants. "Wammy's. We have to get back to Wammy's."
"You hopped the fence, the gate was unlocked," Beyond said.
"Good," Vivica said relief.
Beyond laughed loudly. "I'm purposely running the other way."
"Asshole," Vivica murmured. She looked over her shoulder at the lycans hot on their heels. She made the mistake of slowly down to look at them. The alpha caught the flair of her jeans in his mouth, dragging her down to the ground, ripping her hand from Beyond's.
Beyond grabbed her arm and hauled her up, the alpha's jaws missing her ankle by inches. He thrust Vivica in front of him, kicking the alpha in the face to slow him down.
"Don't hurt him!" Vivica yelled, groping behind her for Beyond's hand as she ran. Tension rolled out of her when she felt him grasp her hand again.
Together they weaved through the trees and navigated through the woods by the light of the moon. Beyond cut a hard left. His foot caught a tree root. Beyond drug Vivica down with him as he fell. They both tumbled down a hill, hitting a tree behind a bush.
Beyond crawled over to Vivica before she could get up. Ignoring the pain in his ankle, he placed his body over Vivica's, placing a hand over her mouth. "Shh," He instructed, listening to the echo of the howls to see how far away from them they were. About half a mile.
"The river. Come on, we have to get to the river. There is a cave shelter at the end of the river we can hide in," Beyond said as he got up.
Once they reached the river, Beyond shoved Vivica into the water. "Clean your wounds, it'll throw the wolves off our scent," He instructed, smirking at her. "Too bad you aren't wearing white," He added.
Glaring at him, Vivica grabbed his hand and hauled him into the water with her. Beyond watched her as she knelt lamely in the water, her hands resting in her wet lap, panting.
Vivica took her cell phone out and flipped it open. Beyond could tell she was dialing L's number with shaky hands. He got up, grabbed her cell phone and flipped it closed before the call could connect. "Don't worry, you'll make it back to L," Beyond snapped. He had half the mind to pitch her cell phone into the woods.
Instead, he grasped her hand, pulling her from the water. Tucking her cell phone into his pocket, he rubbed his hands down her shivering shoulders. Leaning down, Beyond kissed her hard, his tongue tasting the nicotine and blood in her mouth.
Scooping her up into his arms, Beyond carried Vivica to the cave.
"Put me down, B," Vivica demanded, shivering.
"As you wish," Beyond said, as he promptly dropped her. He cackled as she glared up at him.
"I said put me down, not drop me."
"Same difference, love," Beyond said, shrugging. He took off his black hoodie and handed it to her. "Here, put this on. I know you are cold or were you shivering because of my charm?"
"I'm cold," Vivica snapped, taking the hoodie from him. After she put it on, she curled up on the ground and closed her eyes.
Beyond lay down on the other side of her, curling an arm around her waist. "I've always wondered what it would be like to fuck to the crescendo of howls," He wondered out loud. "So what do you say?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Don't even think about it," Vivica said, rolling onto her other side.
Beyond chuckled, spooning into her. "Oh believe me, I have," He said.
"What if they find us?" Vivica asked.
"They won't," Beyond replied. "You sleep, I'll keep watch."
"Ok," Vivica said softly. Her breathing evened out minutes later.
As he lay there, Beyond knew he could just cut her throat in her sleep and leave her for L to find. His thumb skimmed over her throat in consideration. Shaking his head, Beyond decided it would be a waste to kill her.
At dawn, Beyond got up and left her asleep in the cave. But not before he cut his finger and wrote the letter B in the palm of her hand. L would find her in a few hours.