Of Vengeance and Beauty
Chapter One
By: Sailor Raspberry
Author's Notes: Wow! Two chapters in one day! That's amazing! Anyway, I hope you like it...
Disclaimer: Standard stuff; don't own Sailor Moon or its characters (Serena, Darien, Lita, Raye, ect. ect.) But, I do own the plot + storyline.
She sat in front of her bureau, lips pursed and eyes closed. The sun's early rays poured through her open window, a slight breeze picking up loose strands of silvery blonde hair.
Her hand rested on her mirror, knuckles white from her tight hold. "It was just a dream." She stated for the fiftieth time that morning. "I just have to look in the mirror to prove so."
Serena rolled her head on her shoulders, trying to ignore the sudden stiffness on the right side of her neck. Taking deep breathes, she slowly lifted the gem encrusted mirror to her face, peeking open her eyes.
Her eyes shifted towards her neck, and she felt a scream etch into her throat.
The mirror clanked back onto the wood, the sound of rushed footsteps echoing back to the now empty bed chamber.
Serena flew down the staircase, ignoring the crazed glares she received from the stray students that lingered in the hallway.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god," she whispered, her chant hushed and ragged.
She caught sight of the headmaster's office doors, and she hurtled herself at them, flinging them open.
Five heads looked up in surprise, turning to look at her.
Serena stood in the doorway, her breathing uneven, her fingers clenched into tight fists.
Her eyes swept over the astonished faces, falling on the man sitting behind the desk. "You're a werewolf!" she hissed, her chest heaving up and down.
Darien smirked, picking up a pen to twirl between his fingers. "And you're a human. But you don't see me getting all worked up about it."
Serena let out a snarl, tugging on her pigtails angrily. She wanted to jump at him, strangle him until his face turned blue.
"Are you werewolves too?" she screeched suddenly, turning on the four others inching towards the corner. "Well?"
Raye frowned hard, wrapping an arm around Jadeite. "Serena, I think you're overreacting."
Serena laughed wildly, throwing her arms into the air. "I was practically mauled by this beast over here!" She swung her arm at Darien, "I have a right to overreact, Ms. Merrick!"
Nephlyte grinned, draping an arm across Lita's shoulders. "You've picked up quite a feisty one, Dare."
Serena spun back around, "Excuse me?" she sneered through clenched teeth. "You're talking like I belong to him." She stalked over to the brunette, poking him in the arm. "If you even think I'm going to let you go around talking like that," she waved her hands in the air, "then you have another thing coming."
"All right, I think that's enough," Darien was standing now, arms crossed defiantly over his chest. His eyes focused on the four very amused looking people. "I think you four should leave."
Serena glowered, crossing her own arms. "I think I should leave." She made her way to the door, shoulders back, head held high. "I'll be gathering my things after breakfast."
Before she could completely leave the office, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her body a good foot off the ground.
"I. Don't. Think. So." Darien stated, struggling to keep her frantically squirming figure under control. "We need to have a talk."
"Put me down, you buffoon!" She screeched, lashing in his hold. "You have no right to touch me!"
The four exiting people snickered as they left, making no attempt to hide their amusement.
Jadeite leaned in towards Nephlyte, murmuring, "Let's make a bet."
"What!" Serena practically screamed, kicking at the two men. "How dare you!"
The two of them chuckled, closing the door with a soft click. Serena continued to lash around, using her small fists to pound down on Darien's arms. "Put me down!"
Darien sighed, letting her slip to the floor, not releasing her waist, "I'll let you free, but only if you won't run."
Serena growled, looking back at him. "Fine."
He slipped his arms away, taking a small whiff of her strawberry-scented hair. "You really are a feisty one."
Serena whirled around to face him, her palm coming down on his face. "That's for yesterday!"
Taking a look at his stunned expression, she darted towards the doors, her hand wrapping around the handle, before she was flung down onto the floor, her hands pinned above her head.
"You said you wouldn't run," he snarled, his thighs tightening around her slender waist.
"Yes, well, I found it the perfect opportunity to at least attempt it," she said calmly, before adapting a look of outrage. "Considering I'm being attacked by some animal...Again!"
Darien chuckled deeply, shaking his head. "I'm not an animal. I'm just different." His eyes shifted from her face to her neck. "Did I do that?" He referred to the red mark, eyebrows raised.
Serena licked her lips, feeling suddenly nervous at the lack of space between them. "You aren't this gentle when you're a wolf." She smirked, giving her hands a tug to test his strength.
He smiled, leaning into towards her ear, "I guess I found you attractive; the moon can play many tricks on a guy's mind."
Serena wiggled, his teeth coming down on the tip of her ear. "Didn't you say we had to talk?" She hadn't expected her voice to come out in a whisper.
His face came back up to look at hers. "I guess I did." He shifted her hands to one of his, the other coming down the wipe a strand of hair away from her face. "Firstly, you're my mate."
Serena glared at him, tugging at her hands again. "I don't like that term."
Darien disregarded her comment, his face leaning to her ear again. "You now have werewolf blood in you, considering I bit you."
Serena gasped, his tongue darting into his ear. "I find this – AH – Don't do that!"
His tongue licked at the scar on her neck once more, before his voice returned to her ear. "And lastly," he blew into her ear, sending a zap of desire to her stomach. "You're mine."
Serena felt butterflies quiver in her gut as Darien began to nuzzle her chest, the corset of her dress the thin barrier that kept him from devouring her. "I don't think you should be-" she inhaled sharply "doing that."
He growled in warning, coming up to her face to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "I don't like you ordering me around."
Serena glared, wiggling fiercely under his weight. "You aren't the boss of me. Now get off, I'm hungry."
Darien obliged, standing up slowly, walking over to the door. "One more thing." He turned back to face her. "I expect you to respect my pack. No poking or yelling at anyone. Leave that to me."
Serena raised an eyebrow, pushing past him on wobbly legs. "We'll see."
Raye peered up from her plate of food to watch as a stumbling Serena entered the dining hall, followed by a smug looking Darien. "I guess the talk went well."
Lita laughed lightly. "I still think he's going to have one heck of a time taming that piece of work."
Raye shrugged, popping a piece of biscuit into her mouth. "You know Darien. He likes a good challenge."
Serena took a long sip from her goblet, swishing the liquid around her mouth. "How come you run an academy, if you're..." She stopped herself, looking up and down the table, eyeing the other teachers.
Darien smirked, cutting his ham slowly. "It's alright, you can say werewolf. All the teachers are from my pack."
Serena turned to face him, eyes holding a sense of betrayal "Then why am I here?"
He shrugged, swallowing the meat. "We needed an extra teacher, and your name seemed to pop out at me."
"How sweet," She mocked, her hand fluttering up to her chest. "But anyway, do the children know?"
He shook his head, "They don't need to. Our goal here is to just keep our land. And we can do that by running Cryptid."
"Your land?" Serena questioned while blushing, feeling foolish for not knowing anything about him.
"Yes, but that's another conversation for another day." Darien shrugged again, reaching over onto Serena's plate with his fork, scooping up her eggs.
"Hey! Get your own!" Serena took his fork, dumping the contents back onto her plate. "Just because I'm your mate," she crinkled her nose at that, "doesn't mean you get to eat my food!"
Lita nudged Raye, pointing at the bickering duo. "This is going to be interesting."
At the far end of the forest, an unknown pack raided the area, their alpha leading them along the winding paths.
His amethyst-colored eyes glowed. This was the land he had been told about since he was a pup.
This land held the secrets to every werewolf's past.
This land had just gained the mistress that could awaken a power so prevailing, so immense, that everyone will be cowering before the new leader.
The gray-coated wolf sat back on his haunches, howling to the high rising sun.
Nothing will prevent this almighty power from awakening. He would make sure of that.
Darien twitched, dropping his fork.
It clattered to the floor, drawing attention from a certain mate.
"Darien, are you alright?" Serena placed a hand on his upper arm, making him look at her. "Are you feeling ill?"
Darien forced a smile, a territorial feeling washing over him. "Everything's fine." He shook her arm off, standing from the table.
"Where are you going?" She also stood, the mark on her neck beginning to itch. "Let me go with you, you aren't looking so well."
His lips pursed into a straight line. "I suggest you stay here." He turned his back on her, making his way out of the hall, his shoulders tensing.
Serena frowned, knotting her fingers into fists. "He is so arrogant!" She wanted to stomp her foot, decided against it, and made an attempt to follow him.
Raye's fingers wrapped around her wrist, halting all movement. "You shouldn't toy with him; he seems in a bad mood."
Serena wretched away from Raye's firm hold, "I'm not going to just sit here! What if he's ill?"
Lita cut into the conversation, towering over Serena with a smile. "Is someone feeling protective of her mate?"
Serena felt her face turn crimson as she attempted to hide her embarrassment. "He isn't my mate! I'm not an animal!" She stepped away from the two, turning away and rushing in the direction Darien went.
Raye sighed, sitting back down on the bench. "She's going to get it for disobeying him."
Lita laughed loudly, "I bet she's going to enjoy it too!"
The others at the table broke in a round of laughter, knowing very well what she meant.
Serena walked cautiously out into the back of the academy, the mark on her neck beginning to prickle with pain.
Her eyes swept across the yard, falling on the ebony-haired man, who chose a spot against a tree, his shoulders lurched forward.
Darien looked up slowly, the scent of strawberries filling his nose. "I told you to stay with the others." His voice carried to her ears in a whisper, a twinge of discomfort within its depth.
Serena scoffed, lifting her skirts to wad through the yard. "I thought I proved I wasn't the type of girl to listen to what you had to say." She stopped before him, his hunched figure making him eye level with her. "Besides, you're acting strange, and I want to know why." She placed her hands on her hips, nodding her head to emphasize her point.
Darien raised an eyebrow, challenging her. "You're all of a sudden worried about me? I think that's a sign that you, my love, are warming up to me." He flashed a smug smile, forcing himself to straighten to full height.
"Don't push your luck, Repens." She poked him in the chest, forcing away a smile, "I just want to know why you all of sudden became a grinch and stormed off."
Darien gripped her wrist, tugging her frail body towards him. He leaned into her, whispering, "You are too pushy, my little bunny." He then captured her lips in a kiss.
Amethyst eyes shone in the darkness, watching the couple. Biting back a growl, Diamond turned to face his brother.
"That's their alpha?" he chuckled softly, leaning against a tree. "This task is going to be easy."
Sapphire raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms at his naive brother. "Don't be fooled, brother. That man is not to be toyed with. Especially since he has found a mate."
Diamond frowned, turning to look at the embraced duo. "You're telling me he has the one woman that is of importance to us in the palm of his hand?"
Sapphire shook his head, dropping his voice to a murmur, "Not exactly."
Diamond leaned forward, finding this statement worth attention, listening intently to what his brother had to say, a smile spreading across his lips.
Reviews are welcome! They help with motivation!
xo,
Sailor Raspberry