Genesis

By Ookami Maniakku

Noun: genesis (geneses)

1. a coming into being

Synonyms: generation

2. the first book of the Old Testament: tells of creation; Adam and Eve; the Fall of Man; Cain and Abel; Noah and the flood; God's covenant with Abraham; Abraham and Isaac; Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his brothers

Chapter One

The sound of heavy breathing followed her as she raced through the woods. The young girl's extreme speed and heightened senses detected any obstacles and she easily maneuvered around them, hoping to lose the pack on her tail. Emerald eyes darted left and right, looking for a clean route out of the forest, but the brush was too dense. Small animals scurried into their hiding places, sensing danger as she approached.

A fallen log, seeming to come out of nowhere, caught her foot, and the young girl fell flat on her stomach on the ground. Her heart raced faster and she scrambled to her feet, desperate to get away, only to realize she was too late. She'd wasted too much time. In front of her, three wolves snarled and growled viciously, drool hanging from their maw. Each of them were a different color, but the most distinct one, the leader of the pack, was black with a white stripe down his back. He edged closer.

"Get away!" The girl shouted, stumbling backwards. Her back hit something. She turned around to see three men standing there, each one armed with a different weapon. The two on the sides were big and burly, they could easily rip her to shreds with their bare hands. The one in the middle was much younger and smaller than the other two, but he was still bigger than her. His light brown hair was shaggy and long, combed neatly behind his pointed ears. The trench coat he wore swayed in the slight breeze as he pointed the gun at the girl.

"Trying to run away again, Ashley?" He asked, cocking the gun. The girl backed up, almost into the pack of wolves, her eyes wide with fear.

"Why don't you guys just... leave me alone, Zachary?!" She shouted. The boy smirked.

"Because we're a pack. We don't leave our members behind... no matter what." His golden eyes flashed. "And you, dear Alphaess, are part of the pack now. You're one of us." He pulled the gun down and re-holstered it on his leg.

"I don't want to be part of the pack anymore!" Ashley shouted angrily, her front teeth lengthening into fangs. "I don't want you!" She screamed. Zachary chuckled.

"Don't bother changing, Ashley. It's not like you're any faster or stronger on four paws." He crossed his arms. Ashley opened her mouth to speak until she heard a crackling behind her. Turning around, she saw the wolves were no longer there. Instead, there were now two men and one young woman standing there. The two men were only clothed in ripped shorts, and the girl had on a t-shirt as well. The center man had the same black and white-striped hair that the wolf before him had.

"William, grab her. I'm sure Damian will want to see his precious heir again." Zachary turned and walked away, the two brutes next to him, following. Ashley spun around to face the other three. She shook her head.

"No.. Will, please." She said softly. "Don't do this. You know what Damian will do to me." She pleaded.

William's blue eyes became glassy and he looked away. "And you know what they'll do to me if I let you go." He said quietly. Ashley swallowed hard.

"Then run away. Like me." She said. "You don't like this pack anymore than I do. You can find a new one. In Yellowstone even, people would never know you were a lycan-"

"William, what are you waiting for? Grab the girl!" The woman shouted. William growled and glared at her, causing her to step back.

"I know what I am doing, Fae. I do not need your help!" He shouted. The woman stared at the ground, not saying another word. William looked back up at Ashley.

"I'm sorry, Ash." He said, his expression dropping. "I can't disobey an order." As Ashley tried to back up and run off again, William reached out and grabbed her arm. "I really am sorry." He said quietly, pulling her back. She screamed and tried to kick him, but his reflexes were too quick and he dodged the attack, grabbing her leg instead. William heaved her over his shoulder and ignored the punching and kicking she tried to do.

"Come. Damian's waiting..." He said to the others. Almost at once, the two had changed back into wolves and raced off as William kept his human form, chasing after them.

The clearing in the woods was full of scrap piles of tree bark or hardened mud to serve as dens for animals. Some even were made of stone. But there was one den that was not like the others. One was carved out of stone, like a cave, but set high on a hill of dirt. William and his companions entered the den area, passing by the wolves that scurried about. There were even a few puppies that dared tangle around William's feet, trying to playfully cause him to fall. But the two wolves who had been with William snapped at the pups and they ran away whining. William carried Ashley up the make-shift steps of dirt and dropped her at the entrance of the stone cave.

"Damian!" He called, holding Ashley so she couldn't escape. Two, yellow eyes shone out of the darkness, and soon, a tall man with black hair stepped out, eying Ashley.

"Ahh.. good work, William. You and your team will be rewarded greatly for this." He smiled, grabbing Ashley's arm. William bowed respectfully and let go.

"William! Please!" Ashley shouted, reaching out for him. But the older man flashed a sad smile at her and turned away, marching back down the steps while Damian dragged Ashley inside the cave.

He threw her against the stone wall. "What did you think you were doing?!" He shouted angrily. Ashley rubbed her head and stood up wobbily.. but she did not answer. "Did you think you would actually get away?" Damian chuckled. "This is the second time this week you've tried your little escape act, Miss Courman."

"And both times I've almost made it out." Ashley smiled, showing long fangs. Damian narrowed his eyes. "Both times your best teams couldn't catch me until the very end." She snickered. "I guess that's saying something about your pack, isn't it, dear Alpha?" She smirked. Damian growled and swiped her across the face with his long claws.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" He shouted. "You are not Alpha yet, Fae. And even when you are you will never speak to me like that!"

"I'm not going to be Alpha!" Ashley shouted. "I would never lead a clan of smelly pack-animals around turning others into what we are and feeding off of fear!" She shouted. Damian's face grew red with anger. "This pack is savage! I will not be a part of it!" She stood up, but Damian grabbed the collar of her shirt and slammed her up against the stone wall again.

"Oh really? Then how do you explain young Zachary's state?" He asked. "Weren't you the one to turn him? You know he's yours now." He grinned. Ashley fought his grip.

"That doesn't matter! I won't do it!" She shouted.

"You do not have a choice, Courman." He said quietly. "Apparently you've let your love and care for humankind go too far. I knew I should have given you The Treatment when you first got here." He smiled. Ashley's eyes widened. "Your human side has gotten in the way too much, I'm afraid. Maybe it's time you get the Deadly Night Shade." He dropped her and she crumpled to the floor.

"No! Please!" She begged. "I won't run away again. Just... don't do that!" Tears rolled down her cheeks. Damian's yellow eyes flashed.

"It's too late for that now, Girl." He said evilly, stepping to the front of the cave. "Prepare a fire! It's time for the ceremony!" He shouted. Every wolf in the den area perked their ears up to listen. A few people, just standing around, stood up to attention when Damian spoke. William, standing alone at the edge of the den area, didn't bother turning around to hear his Alpha. He just stared at the ground, eyes glassy. He had changed now, back to his regular style of a leather jacket and blue jeans. Arms crossed, he leaned against a tree trunk, listening to the harsh words Damian spoke about Ashley. He grit his teeth. Why'd it have to be her? The one who reminded him so much of his own daughter? He wiped his face before the tears trickled down his scruffy cheeks. He knew the Night Shade Treatment was extremely painful. The plant was toxic to humans and a big enough dose could kill them. But to lycans... it was a form of torture. The weeds would secrete their venom, soaking into the werewolf's skin. It would act almost like magic, erasing any human feeling left inside the body. When the treatment was complete, the humanity of the subject.. was gone. William hadn't been put through the treatment when he first joined the pack, and was able to feel human emotions... remember his family and what it was like before he became a lycan. But many were not as lucky as William. If the Alpha of a pack smelled weakness, fear, he would use the Treatment to replace those feelings with instinct.

"Bring the belladonna. The ceremony will take place in the center of the clan." Damian said from his cave. His voice echoed through the den area. Zachary, accompanied by his two brutes watched as more members of the pack immediately began pulling wood into place while other wolves ran off to find the belladonna.

"So... she's finally getting what she deserves." Zachary smiled. "About time they used that on her." He blew his bangs out of his face carelessly. "I told Damian she was different. I told him he should have given her The Treatment."

"He thought differently." One brute said in a low voice.

"She seemed to have a leader's mind. He sensed it in her when she first stepped onto our terra." The other added.

"Yes, but I am her partner." Zachary's smile faded. "I am her mate. I know her more than anyone. Damian may have thought she was good enough to be Alpha one day..." He narrowed his eyes. "But I knew she was just another human." He spat on the ground. "She still has a human heart..."

Ashley's wide eyes were now even wider, if it were possible. Tears trickled down her face. Her hands shook with fear as she tried to stand up again. Balancing herself on the wall, she made her way up to the front of the cave, next to Damian, watching a platform of wood being built in the center of the den area. Stones surrounded it for reinforcement, and wolves were bringing in plants from the forest, placing them on the wooden platform.

"Damian... please..." She said, clenching her fists. "Don't do this to me." She knew she was too tired now to take off again, and that she would be easily caught, so she decided not to run.

"It's your own fault, Ashley." Damian stared down at his pack, his voice quiet and serious. "I thought you were different as soon as you came to me. I thought you would be the strongest member of the pack.. the one to lead us when I was unable." He narrowed his eyes. "Now I see that Zachary was right. You are different... but in another way." He glared at her. "A wereling."

Ashley didn't look at him. "I don't care what you say I am. I don't even know what that means... I didn't ask for this- this curse. I didn't mean to add Zachery to this misery. If it were up to me..." She sighed. "I would rather have died than done any of this..."

Damian growled lightly and looked back over his pack. "I had high hopes for you Ashley." He said. Ashley looked up. "I had hoped you were a natural. I didn't want to do this to you.. but you leave me no choice."

Struggling to get free, Ashley fought the two brutes who had hold of her. They brought her down to the wooden platform covered in belladonna. There were dried leaves surrounding the platform, and one person was holding a torch, ready to light the leaves. Every member of the pack formed a wide circle around the leaves, about two yards away. The two brutes hanging onto Ashley stopped and let Damian through before getting to the platform. Zachary was standing at the front of the crowd, smiling and glaring at Ashley. William hadn't moved. He stayed at the edge of the den area, his back turned to the pack.

"Ashley Courman, a thirteen-year old girl came to us months ago in search of answers." Damian said to the crowd. "We welcomed her and her partner, Zachary Bennett, into our pack graciously, providing necessities as well as information. But Ashley saw our group to be unfit. She has tried to escape us several times now and failed." He stepped up to the man holding the torch. "It was my mistake not to do this ceremony for her when she arrived, for I thought her to be different from the rest. Ashley's partner, Zachary, had The Treatment, but I deemed it unnecessary for her. I see now that I was wrong." He took the torch from the man. "Now it seems as though the human part of Ashley's heart has found its way to the surface and has been troublesome for quite some time. It is my intent to get rid of that very essence of humanity that wishes to stop us." He glared at Ashley who was thinking about what she'd seen Zachary go through. She remembered his screams of pain and terror and the black aura that surrounded him when the flames were set. She had hoped never to have that happen to herself.

"The ceremony will now begin!" Damian shouted. Everyone in the crowd either cheered or whispered to each other in gossip. Ashley struggled against the brutes again as they stepped up to the platform.

"Bye bye." One whispered to her.

"Catch you on the flip-side." The other snickered. Both picked her up and tossed her onto the wooden platform. Ashley scrambled for the edges but quickly stopped when Damian swiped the torch across the dried leaves at the edges and the whole circle went up in flames. She stood up, paralyzed with fear, watching the grinning faces of her pack. They began to chant something she couldn't understand, but the sound was horrible. She covered her ears and shook her head, trying to tell herself it was just a hallucination. A few minutes passed colors danced in her vision. Her knees gave out, causing her to fall backwards onto the pile of belladonna. Almost immediately, she felt the plants curl up her arms and legs, trying to keep away from the flame. She knew this was just another illusion, but she couldn't help thinking about how real it seemed. Soon, her breathing quickened and streaks of pain shot through her body. She screamed and clenched her fists, trying to throw the plants away from herself, but her nervous system was on the fritz. She couldn't control any part of her body anymore other than curling up into herself. She pulled her knees up to her chest and flopped over on her side, screaming again.

Zachary remained expressionless as he watched the ceremony. He knew what she was going through... the voices.. the pain... the hallucinations... He looked away from the fire, trying to tune out her screams. All of the pack watched in silence. None of them were chanting like Ashley was hearing. Instead, they were all watching in shock or horror.

"What is happening?" Damian asked himself. "She should have broken by now." He narrowed his eyes on the fire.

William winced when he heard Ashley scream and he couldn't help but look up, watching her squirm around inside the circle. He couldn't imagine what she was going through, but hearing her blood-curdling cries chilled him to the core.

"I can't let this happen..." He told himself, gritting his teeth. "This isn't right..." He jogged up to the crowd. Being much taller than anyone else, he could see clearly what was happening from the outside.

"What?!" His eyes widened. "The aura... it hasn't happened yet. The ceremony's been going on for at least ten minutes now... How could she be so strong?" He bit his lip. "I.. I have to do something." He backed up from the crowd. "I can't take it anymore. I have to help her before it's too late..." He raced off in the opposite direction.

Ashley's whole body was trembling, her eyes shut. Red rashes were beginning to pop up all over her skin due to the toxins inside the plant. She was being covered with poison, and the more she fought it... the more painful it became.

I can't give up... She thought, wriggling around uncontrollably. I can't just let them win... I won't let them win. I'm not a monster... The tears rolling down her face evaporated in the heat from the fire before they even reached her chin. I won't lose this battle! I won't! Her fists clenched and she desperately tried to sit up, only to fall back down on her back. She blinked, seeing white energy lift up from her hands and fingers. She narrowed her eyes... was this another hallucination?

Damian stepped back from the platform, narrowing his eyes. White energy was rising up from Ashley's body. "What is that?" He asked, in awe. "It couldn't be her aura. No... auras are black.. or red..." His eyes widened. "Unless..." A wereling...

"What's going on?" One of the brutes asked quietly.

"No way..." Said the other. The white energy trailed up Ashley's arms and legs until the separate streams of light joined together at her chest. The ball of white energy expanded and grew to cover her entire body while she squirmed about.

Zachary furrowed his eyebrows.

"I knew it." He growled. "I had a feeling this wouldn't work. I could sense it in her the moment she sunk her teeth into me." His fangs grew out. He rubbed his neck. "That aura... her life energy... it's light... Her heart is pure..." He spat on the ground. "It sickens me." He turned away and walked over to Damian.

"This isn't working." He said angrily. Damian held up his hand.

"It will. Her aura may be different, but that doesn't mean it can't be broken. She's just taking longer. Ashley has a strong will. All of us know that..." He grit his teeth. "It will work..." He said this more to himself than to anyone.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, torrents of water started rushing in on the pack, dousing the flames of the fire and soaking everyone. Many of the members of the pack ran and hid in their dens while others stood stunned at what was going on. Smoke rose up from the extinguished fire, but Ashley remained on the platform, squirming about underneath a blanket of white energy and smoke. Damian and company looked around for the source of the sudden flood and found the stream of water coming from deep in the woods.

"Where is this water coming from?!" Damian shouted angrily. Zachary looked around and sniffed the air.

"The dam." He said quietly. "I smell the blood of a traitor amongst us."

Damian narrowed his eyes and looked through the smoke to see William standing on the other side of the fire, in the path of the foot-deep water, breathing heavily.

"William!?" He shouted. William grinned.

"I'm not letting you do this to another innocent person." He ran up to the platform, reaching down to scoop up Ashley when one of the brutes knocked him away.

"How could you?!" Damian shouted, walking up to William, who was being held back by the brute. "You disgrace our clan! What are you thinking?!"

Zachary stepped up. "He's weak." He narrowed his eyes. "He cares for her."

William frowned. He fought to get away, darting his eyes back and forth between Ashley and Damian. "What was I thinking?" William snickered. "I was thinking she has a chance for a normal life... I was thinking if she got away from here she might have a family some day. I was thinking I could help!" He grabbed the brute hanging onto him, spun around and kicked him away, into Damian, knocking the leader down as well. Zachary backed up, as William ran past him, knocked off-balance when William shoved him out of the way.

"Get off of me!" Damian shouted. "Zachary, get him! The ceremony can't be interrupted!"

Zachary's golden eyes flashed and he leapt away, chasing after William. William ran up to the platform, bent down, and grabbed Ashley's arm. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"It's okay. I'm here to help." He said quietly, gently pulling her arm, until he was kicked away by Zachary. The boy looked down at Ashley.

"Hey Babe." He winked at her and smiled. She grit her teeth and tried to speak, but he interrupted. "Just looking out for you like I'm supposed to. After all, I am yours now..." He walked back over to William, who was coughing from the blow to his chest.

"Bad move, Old Man." Zachary hissed. William growled.

"Out of my way, Zachary. I don't want to hurt you." He said hoarsely. Zachary smirked.

"It wouldn't be me getting hurt." He rhetorted. William stepped up to him, looking him in the eye.

"Move."

"Make me." Zachary smiled. William narrowed his eyes and swung his fist around to smack him in the side of the head, but Zachary caught his arm before it reached him... without even looking. "You're getting slow, Will. Haven't used your powers in a while, eh?" Zachary used his other hand to send a punch into William's stomach, but the man caught his fist. Zachary frowned.

"Who's slow now, Whipper-snapper?" William chuckled, pushing Zachary away. While the boy tried to regain his balance, William took the opportunity to jump up and aim a powerful kick to the his stomach, knocking Zachary back a couple feet. William ran back over to the platform and managed to pull Ashley half-way off before another member of the pack knocked him away. He was now facing two wolves and Zachary.

As the four fought, William was managing to dodge their attacks. His evasiveness was extremely high for his age.

"W..Will..." Ashley coughed, flinging her arms off of the platform. She grabbed handfuls of dirt, trying to pull herself off. Her legs still weren't responding right from the belladonna that was surrounding it, and her body was still glowing lightly from the white energy. She looked up just in time to see William heave one of the wolves over his head and throw it down. She winced. "Be careful..." Finally, after many times of trying, she managed to pull herself all the way off of the platform, wiping off any of the belladonna that had clung to her jeans. The red, itchy rashes covering her skin started disappearing immediately as the white energy dissipated. Ashley gasped, feeling the energy rush through her veins, back into her body. She expanded and contracted her fingers and toes to make sure they were responding and then stood up wobbily.

"I've got to help him now..." She said, realizing now that the water was becoming more shallow. The hole in the dam must not have been very big. Soon, the rest of the pack members that had hid from the water would come out and fight. Then, both she and William were going to be in some real trouble...

Ashley raced forward, trying to ignore the streaking pains still running through her body, and knocked a wolf away before it could attack William from behind. He turned around and smiled when he saw her, trying to keep another wolf at bay.

"You're okay!" He shouted. Ashley smiled.

"Thanks to you. I was close to giving up." She jumped up and kicked another of the creatures in the abdomen, knocking it away.

"You? Give up?" William smirked. "No way." He watched Zachary standing up, and Damian ordering more pack members to attack. "Ash, you gotta get out of here." William said.

"What?"

"That's the reason I stopped the ceremony. I want you to go. Run as far as you can and don't stop. Don't look back." He grabbed her shoulders. Ashley blinked.

"No, I'm going to help you-"

"Ashley! Don't argue with me!" William shouted. Ashley closed her mouth. "If they catch you, they'll just do the same thing to you! And I might not be able to help you next time!" He breathed in deeply as four more wolves and Zachary ran at him. "Go! Please!" He shouted, pushing Ashley away. The girl stumbled before taking off, only looking back to see William being pulled down to the ground by more of the pack...