Of Vengeance and Beauty
Chapter Two
By: Sailor Raspberry
Author's Notes: I was really surprised that I was able to finish another chapter! It's either that I'm insane, or in love with this story...
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 brought her knees up to her chest, her breathing becoming uneven. A cold sweat broke out on her back, causing her to arch forward, a shudder raking her body.
"Serena."
She wrapped a sheet around her body, the unknown voice echoing in her head. A flash of lightening lit the dark sky, revealing the wall she's been staring at for the past hour.
"It's just the wind," she told herself, inhaling slowly, remaining unconvinced with her statement.
Thunder shattered her train of thought, her shivering body jumping slightly.
"Look at me."
Serena whimpered, curling into a tighter ball. The mark on her neck prickled with pain, her fingers gingerly rubbing across it.
Lightening flashed, revealing amethyst eyes staring at her.
She shot up in bed, another cold sweat shuddering through her. "Go away," she pleaded, crawling up to huddle against the headboard.
At the end of her bed sat a man. A man with silver hair and glowing eyes. "Come with me."
Serena wanted to scream, but not finding the courage as the man crept towards her, his thin lips curling into an unruly smile. "I could make you-."
She hurtled from the bed, thunder booming, lightening crashing, showing the man sitting atop her bureau. "Why are you running?"
"Go away!" She flung open her door, darting out into the dark hallway, her hands feeling along the walls, looking for another door.
His breath lingered on her neck, his fingers tracing down her spine. "Don't be afraid."
Serena spun around, swinging her fist.
No one was there.
She began panting, feeling her nightgown sleeves slipping from her shoulders. "Serena, I've been looking for you."
She swatted at the invisible hands, moving quickly down the hallway, her legs stiffening in pain. "What do you want?" She whispered, thunder crashing, drowning out her voice.
"I want you."
Hands gripped her shoulders, and she screamed.
Serena shot up in bed, the sheets entangled with her legs. The soft thud of rain melded with her loud gasps, her hair sticking to her damp skin.
She glanced around the room, her stomach tightening with nerves. "It was a dream," she stated dumbly, goose bumps covering her arms.
Thunder crashed, and she jumped, quickly climbing from bed. There was not a chance she was staying there.
Darien heard the faint sound of his bedroom door opening, and he sat up, looking into the darkness.
Before him stood a shaking Serena, her white nightgown glowing with the moonlight.
"Darien," her voice was a mere whisper when it reached his ears, hands wringing together in front of her.
She moved towards him, her steps unconfident, her heavy breathing racking him with worry. "Is everything alright?" He was indeed worried, lifting his covers to allow her to climb in.
She shook her head, letting out a quiet sob, wrapping her arms around his bare torso. Darien frowned, looking down at the once fiery woman. And all he could do was smooth her damp hair and whisper comforting words into her ear.
A sense of protection rang in his brain, and he pulled Serena closer, ready to pounce on whatever had caused this grief. He nuzzled her hair, pulling away slowly when something scratched at his nose. Someone's scent lingered on her.
And it wasn't his.
The moon was high in the sky when Darien slipped from bed, tucking the sheets around Serena securely, kissing her forehead tenderly. The unknown male scent still stung his nose, and he was going to make sure to fix it.
A black-coated wolf sniffed around the edges of the forest, pausing every so often to lift his head, his cobalt eyes searching the surrounding area.
He snarled, the fur of his thick coat standing on end. Not only was there the scent of one unknown male wolf, but two.
Darien knew he couldn't go hunting by himself, even as the largest wolf in his pack. With two fully grown wolves wandering his territory, there could easily be trouble, and it didn't take a complete fool to understand that.
Regretfully, he turned away from the alluring depths of the forest, stalking his way back towards Cryptid Academy.
The sun shone brightly though the window, stirring Serena soundlessly from her sleep. Stretching her tight muscles, she sat up, glancing around the unfamiliar room.
Remembrance of last night's spectacle washed over her, before she smiled, falling back down on the spice-scented pillow, recalling Darien's warm body and comforting words.
Never had she cried at a nightmare, or has she been afraid of a thunderstorm, which concerned her. Why, all of a sudden, did she break down? Why did she go running for a man she hasn't known for three days?
Not wanting to ponder on the subject any longer, Serena crawled from Darien's bed, silently slipping out of his room.
She found him digging through her bureau, his fingers holding up dresses so he could sniff at them. He did this three or four more times before he noticed her presence, his eyebrows drawn together in anger.
"What are you doing?" Serena questioned, tapping her bare foot on the floor, fists placed on the curve of her hip.
Darien pursed his lips, dropping the nightgown he was currently investigating to prowl over to her. Gripping her shoulders, he examined her hardened face, before sticking his nose in the curve of her neck.
Serena gasped, her head bobbing away from him, giving him access to more skin, "What's gotten into you?" she whispered, her stomach quivering at the sensations his action stirred.
"Where were you last night after dinner?" he snarled, dropping to his knees to sniff the nightgown that covered her stomach. "Well?"
"Wha – AH! – Did you just bite me?" Serena pulled her body away from his, her hand covering her stomach. "What's wrong with you?"
"Answer my question," he crawled towards her again, sniffing up her leg. "Where. Were. You?"
Serena gasped, his head poking underneath her nightgown. "Get out of there, you pig!" She pushed his head down, bopping him on the ear, drawing a snarl from his clenched teeth. "I went to bed after dinner, just like I said last night."
Darien's eyes shone pure disbelief, his arms wrapping around her knees, pulling her to the floor, arms pinning hers at her sides. "Then tell me," he paused, sniffing her chest briefly and letting out a growl, "why there is a male scent on you, hm?"
Serena's jaw dropped, her own blue eyes containing a look of disbelief, "Are you saying I was with someone last night?"
His eyes darkened at her comment, his mouth forming into a new scowl. "I wish not to believe it." He sniffed her neck again, followed by her ear, then her collarbone. "You reek of unknown male specimen."
"Excuse you, Repens!" Serena wiggled as his nose continued its path down her front. "I said I wasn't with someone, so get off me!"
"Then why is there a scent of-."
"I don't know! Maybe your stupid nose is deceiving you!" She tugged at her hands, sighing loudly when he didn't release. "You know, this whole pinning me down thing is getting old."
He disregarded her last comment, his tongue coming out to lick his dry lips. "My nose never lies."
"God, you're impossible, you know that!" Serena arched her body in angry, bringing her knee up hard into his stomach. "Now, get off!"
A small grunt escaped from his throat, his head lolling onto her chest, before he smirked, nipping at the swell of her breast. "You know, if I wasn't part wolf, that might have hurt."
Serena hissed at him, looking around the room for something to distract him when her eyes fell onto her bed sheets. It looked as if they were thrown angrily at the wall, rolled up into tight balls. She sighed again, closing her eyes in frustration, "Why, pray tell, are my sheets on the floor?"
"They smelt like a male that wasn't me."
Serena opened one eye, frowning hard. "You don't trust me, do you."
Darien pursed his lips, his dark eyes searching hers. "I wish I could say no."
She smiled, slipping her wrists from his loosened grasp and cupping his face. "I knew you weren't all that stubborn." She slowly climbed out from underneath of him, kneeling so she could look into his face.
She pinched his ear, tugging it so his eyes focused on hers. "If you ever try to pull a stunt like this again," she pointed around her room, "I'll have your head."
Darien raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching into a frown, "You know, you still smell."
Her eyes squinted into a glare, and she went to swing her hand across his face.
His fingers caught her wrist, his shoulder plowing into her stomach, a groan of displeasure resounding in his ear. "I'll take care of that stench for you, love." He stood from the ground, Serena's nose digging into his back.
She pounded her fists into him, thrashing her feet around. "Oh, you good for nothing – EEP! – Keep your hands off me, Repens! AH! Stop that!"
Serena sat crossed legged in a tub, arms crossed, a scrub brush digging unceremoniously into her bare back.
Lita's tongue was sticking partially out of her mouth, strands of hair slipping from her high ponytail, arms aching from her vivacious scrubbing. Raye sat on a stool, flipping through the pages of her diary.
"You know, Serena, you need to learn that as a male's mate, you are for him and him only." Raye snapped her book closed, placed it on her lap, and turned to face the blonde. "You are now no longer free to go around playing with men."
Serena's fists met with the water in vehemence, the small tsunami sending a puddle onto the floor. "I wasn't around playing with men, Raye!" She squeaked, her head being submerged with water.
"Darien told our mates what happened," Lita said, her fingers working through Serena's thick locks. "It's pretty hard to hide something from your mate, it's like they're inside your head."
Serena clenched her teeth, her index finger tracing around in the soap suds. "Then I don't want to be his mate anymore."
Lita glanced over at Raye, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement. Raye glared, warning her.
Raye looked back to Serena, who was still preoccupied by the soap. "Serena, werewolves are very territorial. If a mate finds that their lover has been disloyal to them, they will take action."
Serena pursed her lips, standing from the tub and grabbing the towel Lita handed her. "I didn't ask for this. And besides, I don't think you can consider Darien my lover. He is merely a swine."
Diamond sat back, watching the scene that was displayed in his crystal ball with satisfaction.
His eyes focused on Serena's legs, a sickly smile appearing on his lips. He extended a finger, tracing her curves, his toes curling at the sight of a creamy breast slipping from the towel.
An impatient knock interrupted his thoughts, his amethyst eyes snapping in the direction of his now opened door. "What, Sapphire?"
Sapphire's tongue licked across his teeth, his fingers twitching behind his back. "Brother, I think you should come to breakfast. Emerald was able to catch a deer."
Diamond scowled, his eyes flickering back to the crystal. "I'm not hungry, Sapphire." He felt his jaw click; Serena's mate had just entered the bathing room. "Now leave me to my business."
Instead of leaving, Sapphire approached his brother's desk, his navy eyes falling angrily on the crystal ball. "Diamond, you're starting to worry the pack. You haven't left this room since I brought home the crystal from that gypsy."
Diamond didn't respond, simply squinted his eyes at the scene in the crystal; the two unknown females left the room, leaving the male to suckle on his female's bare neck, her fingers loosening around the towel at his persuasion. He scowled silently at the pleasure on her face.
"You're adopting an unhealthy obsession with this woman. It seems like you're forgetting the whole reason we're infiltrating the forest, why we moved here to this god forsaken country." Sapphire slammed his palms down on the desk, causing the crystal to teeter dangerously. "Are you listening to me?"
Diamond shot up, the chair falling to the floor with a loud thump. "How dare you, Sapphire! I could rip your throat out for disobeying me!" He stepped out from behind his desk, arms tied behind his back. "I am examining our target to see what we're up against! I'm disappointed at you for thinking otherwise!" He glowered down at his brother, his left eye picking up a tick. "If you care for your existence as a werewolf, you will leave my presence at once."
Sapphire inhaled deeply, shooting a glance back at the crystal ball before whirling around and stomping from the room, the door slamming loudly behind him.
Diamond ground his teeth together, pacing around the room in irritation. His eyes fell on the crystal, causing his stomach to knot in rage.
The male was kissing up the female's spine, lacing her corset as he went, the forgotten towel in a heap at her feet.
He growled, turning to his bookshelf and swinging the back of his hand at the books, sending them hurtling to the floor.
Serena cooed, her body arching forward as Darien's lips traveled up her back. "You are too good with words, Repens," she whispered, her stomach churning in longing.
He smiled against her skin, kissing the base of her neck and placing his hands on her flat belly. "Yes, well, that's why I'm alpha male, love. I know exactly what to say." He sucked at her earlobe with his lips, pulling her closer to his body.
Serena shivered, prying his fingers from her stomach. "Darien, I have to get to class. I'd hate for the children to worry."
Sighing, he released her, his eyes dark and fingers twitching. "I knew I should have never chosen to open an academy. I should have gone along with Jadeite's idea; he said a fish market would have been better."
Serena laughed airily, waving her hand in the air. "I think it was a splendid idea." She stepped passed him, her fingernail trailing along his cheek. "It keeps some naughty boys in place."
Darien raised his eyebrows, chasing after her as she darted away from him, her laughter echoing back to the now empty bathing room.
All you cool cats tell me what you thought!
xo,
Sailor Raspberry