A.N. Before reading on remember, this is a 'T' rated fic. Most
chapters probably don't warrant it, but this' one of those that does.
Chapter 3
-oOo-

Moving across the sky, the sun's rays found a way in to a single story log built cabin through one of a pair of small four paned side windows. Gradually responding to the touch of it's warmth on her naked body, a seventeen year old girl uncurled from the foetal position, yawning as she stretched out her arms and legs. The sensation of soft fur against her skin made her open her eyes, and she grimaced at discovering she had chosen to sleep on the pelt of a long dead bear. She wasn't surprised to find herself alone. It was always the same. He never failed to make sure he wasn't around when she woke, and they never, ever, spoke about it. The girl knew what they did was wrong in every way but, when it came, that desire and that want, their absolute need was too strong, too much for either of them to ignore. She would turn her back to him and, with little more than a grunt of dominance, he would roughly shove himself into her. She would show her acceptance of his domination over her by pushing repeatedly back against him, inviting him to go deeper, harder. There was no love in the act, only pure animalistic lust for one another. Their unnatural coupling had begun within weeks of her turning sixteen.

The first time it happened, feeling relaxed and sated after eating well, Hope had undulated her way languidly into the cabin's unlit living area. Within moments her uncle was at her back, gripping her around her slender waist. He had pressed himself up to her, rubbing his erection against her, already salivating in his want, his heavy breaths hot on the back of her neck. Hope hadn't hesitated. Adjusting her stance slightly to make access easier for him, she had parted her legs and welcomed him in without a seconds thought. And she had matched him, thrust for thrust, wanton, unrestrained, hungry for both the pain and the pleasure.

Now though, just as it had that first time, with the morning came the self loathing, the dreadful guilt, and the same doomed vow they each silently swore to themselves; it would never be allowed to happen again.

As always, Joel was in the small kitchen, door closed in order to give Hope her privacy as she raced, naked, to her room. Donning a bath robe she gathered together some clothes and headed for the shared bathroom, locking herself inside. It had become a ritual of hers that, after they had been together, the first thing she did was to take a very long and very hot shower, as though she could scrub away the disgust she felt towards herself. It never quite worked.

Joel had offered Hope a permanent home roughly two years prior; the same day he approached her in a park on the premiss that he believed they were related. Having nowhere else to go, Hope had agreed to go to Joel's house where, as well as being a perfect gentleman, Joel had told her enough about her dad as a boy and about her paternal grandparents to convince her that he really was Joel Pebblestone, her father's brother, her uncle. He had told her that it was how much like her father she looked that had led to his initial approach. Hope was sixteen when she found out the truth behind her and Joel's initial contact.

By then Joel was her officially designated guardian and long term foster carer under the name Lee Watford, courtesy of some dubious, (if anyone cared to look closely), and expensive documentation that he owned. His explanation to Hope regarding the need for the deception was that, on the verge of a 'nervous breakdown' due to the secretive and harrowing nature of his missions, he had gone AWOL from the Navy and, since then, had managed to keep under the radar largely due to his change of identity and by keeping himself pretty much to himself. Hope didn't know how Joel made a living, only that it entailed his going away for two or three days per month. She had been fifteen when Joel had found her and gave her what she so desperately wanted, a stable and caring home.

Then, within days of her hitting sweet sixteen, she experienced the most dramatic and pain filled change to her life since the tragic death of both her parents.

On the morning of her birthday, the smell of breakfast cooking drew Hope out of her bed and shuffling into the kitchen, announcing herself with a noisy yawn. Joel turned from overseeing the frying pan and grinned as he looked Hope up and down.
"Morning. Nice to see you've made an effort for your birthday."
Hope gazed down at her pink PJ's, the top emblazoned with a glittery unicorn. On her feet she wore a slightly tatty looking pair of furry cat faced slippers.
"Be nice to me you. S'my birthday."
Joel chuckled as he turned his attention back to his sizzling frying pan.
"Yup, and you've definitely got that whole mature thing cracked. How many eggs? Ha! Cracked. Eggs. Geddit?"

Hope rolled her eyes and headed towards the compact dining table with it's two chairs.
"You're so sadOoooo! Pressie! For me?"
"Guess so. Like you said, it's your birthday."
A small square beautifully wrapped parcel topped with coils of ribbons sat on Hopes place mat.
"Can I open it?"
"How about we eat first?"

Plates having been cleared, Hope at last got to open her gift. Careful removal of the wrapping paper revealed an old looking leather covered box, the kind which generally signified an item of jewellery. Eagerly, Hope removed the box lid, and sat staring at the warm rose gold chain hung with a pendant which snuggled on a pad of ancient looking, soft, cotton wool. The oval shaped pendant was delicately worked in rose gold filigree and at it's centre was clasped a nicely sizeable cabochon cut stone that at once seemed to be silver grey in colour, then white shot through with pink and, at yet another angle, pale and iridescent grey blue. Hope loved it, turning the pendant this way and that, making it's pastel colours dance.
"Joel! This'...It's...It's like nothing I've ever seen! Oh My God, thank you! Really!"
Joel smiled, pleased by Hope's genuine delight.
"It's antique. The stone in the middle is called a Moon Stone, it was very popular in the eighteen hundreds."
Hope began fastening the chain around her neck.
"And it's very popular with me right now."

Standing she moved to Joel's side and hugged him tightly around his shoulders.
"Thank you, this' the best pressie and you're the best uncle."
Joel extracted himself from Hope's hug and began gathering up the breakfast plates, keeping his face averted from Hope as he spoke.
"There's something else Hope. Another gift I'm going to give you, but it has to wait till Friday night."
Hope frowned at her uncle's back.
"This Friday? But I thought you were away working this Friday?"
The rise of Joel's shoulders suggested he had taken a deep breath before turning to face Hope.
"I am. And this time I want to take you with me. Hope, you're my family. I want you to know what I do, and I want you to join me."

That, then, was how the newly sixteen Hope came to be stood in a forest with her uncle who said to her that they were waiting for the full moon to rise. When it did, her terror at what she witnessed stole her voice and stole her strength, sending her crashing helplessly to the ground, leaving her at the mercy of the creature that seemed to have taken the place of her uncle. Consciousness left Hope at the same moment that the creature bit into her.

-oOo-
Chick xxxxxx