Chapter 1
When Love Leaves
It had been 14 months since she had been his, 10 months since she went underground, and 1 since she had resurfaced to attack his installations. It was Howlyn's belief that the death of her new mate, the Lt. Michael, was one of the reasons for her disappearance. Not that Renee ever hide from any battle against him or anyone else but then she was gone for almost a year.
She had not attacked any plants or hives personally for so long Howlyn had begun to wonder if she had died and her people were keeping it quite. But then who could ever kill the one and only Renee Palmer? When he, the King of the Atavus Nation, could not slow her, kill her, or keep her love.
Howlyn dug his nails into his scalp angrily at his thoughts. He couldn't take times like those. 10 months of wondering if she was alive, only slightly relieved when he heard rumors of her planning the attacks and infecting his computers online. How funny it was to wait for bad news while he tried to conquer the world. Sometimes he wondered though if she would love him and join him would he leave this conquest of earth.
"Sir it is time." Howlyn shrieked in rage snapping his head up to see the intruder. He was a tall brown haired hybrid new to the ship. Not that Howlyn really cared; he never really cared about anything anymore. He wished only for Renee to return to him. When she had returned to fighting he felt as if things had returned to how they should be. But how quickly his happiness has turned to hatred for her. He knew it was only his own way of getting rid of his pain. Lately he had taken to hibernating people himself to pass the time. It also put more of his Atavus out in the field freeing more of his people.
He rose from his seat to follow the nameless hybrid out of the room. As he entered the hall he growled in pain at the sudden change of light. On the bridge he had turned off all the lights leaving him to his thoughts. He had forgotten how bright the rest of the ship was kept outside his little realm. His eyes narrowed against the glare and continued on before the messenger.
Howlyn didn't pay attention to where he was going, but by now his body could go on auto-pilot. His mind kept shifting away from anything he tried to do and directing his thoughts to Renee. //How disgraceful to be defeated by one's own thoughts. // Howlyn thought distastefully. He noted one of the newer scientists operating the controls and the human victim strapped to the inside of the chamber. Howlyn noticed that he could pass as an Atavus if only judged by his looks.
He had a muscular build, dark hair cut in the earth style, and eye such a deep green they took on an alien resemblance. He didn't fight or even say a word he just stood there looking at Howlyn with the gaze of a trapped animal. Howlyn entered the other side of the chamber staring the young man in the eyes. The man followed his movements also watching his eyes.
"Before I'm changed from my human form into what ever you people are I want you to know one thing." The man said coldly.
"What is that?" Howlyn said suspiciously. Howlyn looked up as the side of the chamber started to close around them.
"My name. I am Jared and no matter what I die human." The spaced between them was shutout as the side of the chamber connected stopping all light from getting through. Howlyn only grinned. //The man shows a fighting spirit that I have seen very rarely in humans. // It was an interesting thought that was cut short as a huge blast rocked the ship.
Howlyn braced his arms against the sides of the walls. His head flew up straining to her the cries of battle across his ship. // Some one is attacking the shop. Renee, she's here now! I have to get out of here now! // Howlyn's sight came to him as he activated his cleaves at the same time the chamber began to glow. Howlyn wasn't thinking all he wanted to do was get out of the cell. With one swift move Howlyn swung back and slammed his claws into the glowing walls.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Howlyn screamed in pain as white-hot bolts of energy shot through him. He could feel it burning his skin, cooking his eyes in his head. He felt his bones pounded by the ways and turned into mush. His muscles seemed to melt off and at the same time become of rigid that he could feel his body snapping under the pressure. His hair burned tearing into his flesh electrocuting his brain into a catastrophic shock.
Howlyn feel to the floor of the chamber stunned but alive. His eyes were wide open staring at the black stop were the ceiling should be. His body was fine, or so he thought by the feel of things. He could feel the faint vibrations of the ship and smell something that reminded him of burning flesh. But the outside was strangely quite. He could hear the doors being opened and some shouts just outside where he was but what was going on farther out her could not hear at all.
Slowly he rolled over on to his knees and stood up. Nothing hurt him but he noticed that his vision was slightly blurred. He looked down to see the other man that was in the chamber. His body was burned beyond recognition crumpled upon the ground. Looking away from the dead man Howlyn stepped out of the chamber ready to kill who ever was running the controls of the machine.
"What the hell just happened!" Howlyn screeched. The attendants around the room didn't move all stopped staring open mouthed at him. Something about how they looked at him made him uneasy. He watched each of them carefully raising one hand to his face. There was something about how the wind was hitting his face that felt slightly different. He placed his hand on his forehead and froze in shock. It was gone; his eye ridges were gone!
He raised his other hand felling franticly over his face. They were gone, totally and completely. He looked at his hands in disbelief. His talon fingernails were gone, replaced with the thin clear ones of a human's. //That's why I can't hear or see right. Then my sense of smell and touch are wrong. // Howlyn looked down on the burnt body of the human Jared.
"You were right Jared. You did die human, and turned me into one in the process." He almost grinned at his words. It was funny if you thought of the irony of it all. Unfortunately he had more important things to think about, namely the attack on his ship.
"All of you report." He shouted turning and walking away from the chamber. All of the people in the room stopped staring at their transformed leader and stood in formation in front of him awaiting his orders. "First of all, each and every one of you will find out what just happened to me in there. Second, you will keep this out of all transmissions. Tell my people but be careful about this. Third, get ready for battle now. We have to defend this ship at all costs."
Each of the people bobbed their heads in simultaneous understanding and started for the door. As a smaller woman with long blond hair pulled back into ponytail passed Howlyn he stopped her. She stopped where she was and looked to him waiting orders. He motioned to her hair tie and she took it out. Howlyn snatched it away from her and motioned for her to leave him. He tied back the rest of his raven locks to prevent them from getting in the way as he fought. //You never know what will happen in a human body. // Howlyn thought heading out at a dead run for the fighting.
As he ran on one came across his path, human or Atavus alike. When he finally did meet someone it was to Atavus standing in his way.
"Move!" Howlyn yelled as he ran on. His words only made the Atavus turn towards him and unsheathe his cleaves. //Shit! // Howlyn cursed to himself. He had forgotten that he looked human to him Atavus brothern. //Well if he wants a fight I give him a fight. //
The Atavus tried to take a swing at his face. Howlyn ducked and rammed the man back into the larger hallway. He took the sunned moment to punch the Atavus so hard that the creature was instantly knocked out. Howlyn then heard the warning footsteps of the other Atavus. He turned blocking a hit aimed at his stomach but was to slow to block the hit at his head. Howlyn flew backward down the hall slamming onto his back unconscious. What he didn't know was that someone had been watching his fight with the Atavus'.
Gunfire rang out vaporizing the unknowing Atavus were he stood. The team of humans ran to the fallen man. Renee Palmer kneeled down next to the fallen man pulling out a scanner. She tapped to buttons and watched as the numbers rolled out across the screen.
"His human! Help me get him up." Renee said shoving the device back into her belt. One of her team moved to pick him up throwing him over his shoulder. After checking the rest of the hallway she motioned for her team to move out. The five people ran the length of the hallway not slowing as the came to the turn. After a few more turns a two more run-ins with Atavus they made it to their portal. With a flash the unsuspecting team and Howlyn were gone.
(AN: If anyone is wondering why Renee didn't recognize Howlyn is because his appearance had changed so much she couldn't recognized him. So everyone is back together again and none of them knows it.)
It had been 14 months since she had been his, 10 months since she went underground, and 1 since she had resurfaced to attack his installations. It was Howlyn's belief that the death of her new mate, the Lt. Michael, was one of the reasons for her disappearance. Not that Renee ever hide from any battle against him or anyone else but then she was gone for almost a year.
She had not attacked any plants or hives personally for so long Howlyn had begun to wonder if she had died and her people were keeping it quite. But then who could ever kill the one and only Renee Palmer? When he, the King of the Atavus Nation, could not slow her, kill her, or keep her love.
Howlyn dug his nails into his scalp angrily at his thoughts. He couldn't take times like those. 10 months of wondering if she was alive, only slightly relieved when he heard rumors of her planning the attacks and infecting his computers online. How funny it was to wait for bad news while he tried to conquer the world. Sometimes he wondered though if she would love him and join him would he leave this conquest of earth.
"Sir it is time." Howlyn shrieked in rage snapping his head up to see the intruder. He was a tall brown haired hybrid new to the ship. Not that Howlyn really cared; he never really cared about anything anymore. He wished only for Renee to return to him. When she had returned to fighting he felt as if things had returned to how they should be. But how quickly his happiness has turned to hatred for her. He knew it was only his own way of getting rid of his pain. Lately he had taken to hibernating people himself to pass the time. It also put more of his Atavus out in the field freeing more of his people.
He rose from his seat to follow the nameless hybrid out of the room. As he entered the hall he growled in pain at the sudden change of light. On the bridge he had turned off all the lights leaving him to his thoughts. He had forgotten how bright the rest of the ship was kept outside his little realm. His eyes narrowed against the glare and continued on before the messenger.
Howlyn didn't pay attention to where he was going, but by now his body could go on auto-pilot. His mind kept shifting away from anything he tried to do and directing his thoughts to Renee. //How disgraceful to be defeated by one's own thoughts. // Howlyn thought distastefully. He noted one of the newer scientists operating the controls and the human victim strapped to the inside of the chamber. Howlyn noticed that he could pass as an Atavus if only judged by his looks.
He had a muscular build, dark hair cut in the earth style, and eye such a deep green they took on an alien resemblance. He didn't fight or even say a word he just stood there looking at Howlyn with the gaze of a trapped animal. Howlyn entered the other side of the chamber staring the young man in the eyes. The man followed his movements also watching his eyes.
"Before I'm changed from my human form into what ever you people are I want you to know one thing." The man said coldly.
"What is that?" Howlyn said suspiciously. Howlyn looked up as the side of the chamber started to close around them.
"My name. I am Jared and no matter what I die human." The spaced between them was shutout as the side of the chamber connected stopping all light from getting through. Howlyn only grinned. //The man shows a fighting spirit that I have seen very rarely in humans. // It was an interesting thought that was cut short as a huge blast rocked the ship.
Howlyn braced his arms against the sides of the walls. His head flew up straining to her the cries of battle across his ship. // Some one is attacking the shop. Renee, she's here now! I have to get out of here now! // Howlyn's sight came to him as he activated his cleaves at the same time the chamber began to glow. Howlyn wasn't thinking all he wanted to do was get out of the cell. With one swift move Howlyn swung back and slammed his claws into the glowing walls.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Howlyn screamed in pain as white-hot bolts of energy shot through him. He could feel it burning his skin, cooking his eyes in his head. He felt his bones pounded by the ways and turned into mush. His muscles seemed to melt off and at the same time become of rigid that he could feel his body snapping under the pressure. His hair burned tearing into his flesh electrocuting his brain into a catastrophic shock.
Howlyn feel to the floor of the chamber stunned but alive. His eyes were wide open staring at the black stop were the ceiling should be. His body was fine, or so he thought by the feel of things. He could feel the faint vibrations of the ship and smell something that reminded him of burning flesh. But the outside was strangely quite. He could hear the doors being opened and some shouts just outside where he was but what was going on farther out her could not hear at all.
Slowly he rolled over on to his knees and stood up. Nothing hurt him but he noticed that his vision was slightly blurred. He looked down to see the other man that was in the chamber. His body was burned beyond recognition crumpled upon the ground. Looking away from the dead man Howlyn stepped out of the chamber ready to kill who ever was running the controls of the machine.
"What the hell just happened!" Howlyn screeched. The attendants around the room didn't move all stopped staring open mouthed at him. Something about how they looked at him made him uneasy. He watched each of them carefully raising one hand to his face. There was something about how the wind was hitting his face that felt slightly different. He placed his hand on his forehead and froze in shock. It was gone; his eye ridges were gone!
He raised his other hand felling franticly over his face. They were gone, totally and completely. He looked at his hands in disbelief. His talon fingernails were gone, replaced with the thin clear ones of a human's. //That's why I can't hear or see right. Then my sense of smell and touch are wrong. // Howlyn looked down on the burnt body of the human Jared.
"You were right Jared. You did die human, and turned me into one in the process." He almost grinned at his words. It was funny if you thought of the irony of it all. Unfortunately he had more important things to think about, namely the attack on his ship.
"All of you report." He shouted turning and walking away from the chamber. All of the people in the room stopped staring at their transformed leader and stood in formation in front of him awaiting his orders. "First of all, each and every one of you will find out what just happened to me in there. Second, you will keep this out of all transmissions. Tell my people but be careful about this. Third, get ready for battle now. We have to defend this ship at all costs."
Each of the people bobbed their heads in simultaneous understanding and started for the door. As a smaller woman with long blond hair pulled back into ponytail passed Howlyn he stopped her. She stopped where she was and looked to him waiting orders. He motioned to her hair tie and she took it out. Howlyn snatched it away from her and motioned for her to leave him. He tied back the rest of his raven locks to prevent them from getting in the way as he fought. //You never know what will happen in a human body. // Howlyn thought heading out at a dead run for the fighting.
As he ran on one came across his path, human or Atavus alike. When he finally did meet someone it was to Atavus standing in his way.
"Move!" Howlyn yelled as he ran on. His words only made the Atavus turn towards him and unsheathe his cleaves. //Shit! // Howlyn cursed to himself. He had forgotten that he looked human to him Atavus brothern. //Well if he wants a fight I give him a fight. //
The Atavus tried to take a swing at his face. Howlyn ducked and rammed the man back into the larger hallway. He took the sunned moment to punch the Atavus so hard that the creature was instantly knocked out. Howlyn then heard the warning footsteps of the other Atavus. He turned blocking a hit aimed at his stomach but was to slow to block the hit at his head. Howlyn flew backward down the hall slamming onto his back unconscious. What he didn't know was that someone had been watching his fight with the Atavus'.
Gunfire rang out vaporizing the unknowing Atavus were he stood. The team of humans ran to the fallen man. Renee Palmer kneeled down next to the fallen man pulling out a scanner. She tapped to buttons and watched as the numbers rolled out across the screen.
"His human! Help me get him up." Renee said shoving the device back into her belt. One of her team moved to pick him up throwing him over his shoulder. After checking the rest of the hallway she motioned for her team to move out. The five people ran the length of the hallway not slowing as the came to the turn. After a few more turns a two more run-ins with Atavus they made it to their portal. With a flash the unsuspecting team and Howlyn were gone.
(AN: If anyone is wondering why Renee didn't recognize Howlyn is because his appearance had changed so much she couldn't recognized him. So everyone is back together again and none of them knows it.)