Black Cedar Forest

Stretching toward a barren gray sky, the spidery limbs of the trees stretched far above Viridian's head as she worked in the little clearing. Though the forest floor was littered with decaying leaves and frost crunched beneath her pale bare feet, Viridian took little notice of the cold that had turned her nail beds a soft purple that mimicked the hue atop the lids of her tired eyes. The cabin was close by and she would be done soon enough. There were logs that sat waiting near the stone fireplace and a hearty potato and mushroom soup in the small refrigerator. That could all wait, she had something she needed to do while the sun-though unseen-was at the apex of the sky.

Around tree trunks, and looping around thin branches of slumbering bushes, a thin vermillion strand of yarn circled the clearing as Viridian whispered the words of the old tongue in that odd little cadence that set her apart from her clan. Once the yarn had been wrapped seven times around the clearing, she set to work setting and lighting the five tall white candles. She began at the bottom right corner with her element of earth, then moved to the top right for water, then air, fire, and finally spirit. With lithe legs prickled with gooseflesh in the cold, she moved to the center of the circle where she had spread first a blue tarp, then a warm gray blanket. She sat with her legs crossed and her simple deep blue dress circling around her in a starburst of pointed fabric trimmed in lace. Pale freckled shoulders shuddered as she took the deck of tarot cards and shuffled them well. Three long pale fingers with well shaped bare nails rested on the backs of the cards as she placed three before her.

Never before had she, or anyone else among her clan, been able to see her future. Now, her hand hovered over the first card. With closed eyes, she flipped the card and felt a shudder wrack her chest. She did not look. The second card and then the third were flipped in rapid succession before Viridian could lose her courage. Turning her face up, she gulped in the cold early winter air. Golden hazel eyes opened to take in the gray sky before slowly falling to the three cards. Before her the wheel of fortune turned upright, the lovers also turned upright, and then the hierophant reversed. Change and inevitable fate. Partnership and union. Rebellion.

Images accompanied the cards as their meanings registered. Rapid flashes of light and dark created a pounding in her head and a mind-searing headache. It wasn't enough. She needed a better way to understand it. Despite the throbbing in her head and the shakiness of her hands, Viridian slowly began to undo the spell before she left the circle. Reversing the order with precision, she blew out the candles, collected the thread, and wrapped her tools in the blanket and tarp before walking, slowly and stiffly, back to the cabin.

Food, warmth, and a potion of willow bark, peppermint, and chamomile did little to ease her distress. There was something more hiding within those frustratingly mysterious cards. Viridian looked at the clock on the mantle and pressed a cool hand to her forehead. It was barely after one o'clock here, which meant that it was night for her aunt and uncle. They would likely be heading to meet the coven if they weren't already there. Though they shared the same clan, it was more than lineage that made a witch a member of the coven. It required strength and a calling toward that particular group. Viridian was strong. Far stronger than even the elders of the coven, but the calling had not come. In fact, her pull to the element of earth as her primary and water as her secondary was a clear indication that she did not belong among the clan whose primary focus was on air and fire. It was that very pull to her elements of earth and water that brought her to the western region of Telland and into the Black Cedar Forest.

Resolved to call upon her aunt in the morning for guidance, Viridian curled into the overstuffed chair with one of the thick novels she had picked up from her last visit into town. Before her tea had a chance to cool, Viridian had fallen asleep whilst still in the prologue of the book.

**

Fierce joy filled her heart as she ran. Cool riverstones sang beneath her feet. Moonlight called to her, illuminating a path of moss and rock beside the river with pale beams. Firelight filtered through the trees to her right and sparkled in tiny orange speckles atop the rolling water of the river. The chants called to her. She felt them in her chest, strumming the heart chords that connected Viridian to her mother. It was too far and the river was too wide to pass. Something else called to her. It sang in her bones as she ran through the forest, an unnamed thing that was as much a part of her as the magic to her right.

From the depths of the forest's twilight shadows, a shape moved toward her. It was not a direct path to her, the large fuzzy shape moved in a curving path to its place beside her. Rather than fear, this shape resonated with that same feeling in her bones. Its call was kin to her own. Wolfsong raised as she lifted her face to the sky and let out a resounding whoop of fierce joy. Her own call turned into a mixture of howling chants and magical words that entwined itself with the wolf's uplifting howl. The wolf ran beside her and she felt the uncanny sensation of belonging. As Viridian ran, the dream slowly tumbled into empty darkness and restful sleep.

**

Daven stalked around the small clearing near one of the rented cabins within his forest. Though nothing had been left behind physically, there was the slight feel of magic in the air that lingered and mixed with the rich heady scent of a woman. Normally, he would leave the witches to their own devices so long as they did not infringe on the closed territory of the Black Cedar Forest, but this one was on her own and he wanted to know why she was here. However, there was more to this visit. Had he not felt that dream, tasted the currents of power and heard the strange ethereal voice that howled a witch song, he would have sent someone else. Now, Daven was going to handle this witch himself.

Viridian turned her head as there was a knock at the door and winced. She had fallen asleep in that chair and woke as the fire died. Unable to sleep any longer, Viridian had quickly noted the dream in her journal, just below the spell and tarot reading. Her aunt had little to say, or at least she had little she was willing to tell. Viridian had the feeling Lillian was intentionally holding something back. Stiffly moving to the door, her muscles still cramped from the chair, Viridian opened the door.

"Good morning, Miss." Daven dipped his head to look down at the young woman. Her dark curling hair was pushed back, revealing the freckled chest and shoulders. Golden hazel eyes looked up at him cautiously through the crack in the door. Daven had opened his mouth to speak but was caught by the brunt of her scent. There was the same rich heady scent and strong taste of magic in the air, but there was also the scent of woodsmoke that clung to her hair and mingled with sage and lavender. Stronger than that, though, was the familiarness to the scent of her skin. It was familiar and different. It sang to him and he felt recognition that he could not name. Sunlight glinted off her gilded eyes and he felt a wave of recognition. Those were his brother's eyes.

"Good morning." Viridian said when he remained silent. She clung tightly to the wooden door and seemed ready to slam it at any moment. He was tall with broad shoulders and a body that swelled with powerful muscles meant for use rather than show. Deep green eyes, the color of the forest, lingered on her. Daven's hair was between blonde and light brown with the beginning speckle of gray around his temples and in his neatly trimmed beard. His skin was tanned despite the season and he was dressed in a black leather jacket, red flannel shirt, jeans, and boots meant for the winter weather. Daven blinked to clear his head.

"My name is Daven Orren, I'm captain of the rangers in this part of the Black Cedar Forest. I'd like to speak with you for a moment." Daven produced his wallet which showed his badge and ID card. Reluctantly, Viridian opened the door.

"Alright, come on in." She stepped aside and Daven took the opportunity to survey the young woman. She was curvaceous and wore a black tank top with gray flannel pajama pants. Her pale skin nearly glowed in the early morning light and those unsettling golden eyes were framed in an oval face with high cheekbones that were smattered with a line of soft freckles that brushed over the bridge of her nose. Viridian's lips were shapely, plump, and naturally a peachy pink tint. Then there was that scent. It had already permeated the small one bedroom cabin and he felt both relaxed and on edge.

"Thank you, miss..." He lingered, waiting for her introduction.

"Viridian Orren." His eyebrow lifted at her surname, the link finally. A little girl, named for the color of the light streaming through leaves. Daven now knew that this was the little girl his brother had talked about. "No relation, I'm sure." She smiled nervously.

"I'm sure." He muttered, though he was now more sure of the connection than he had been when it had just been her eyes. Daven's eyes dropped to the fireplace where the previous night's ashes lay cold.

"So, what is this about?" Viridian's arms crossed protectively over her hefty breasts as she spoke, seemingly unsettled as Daven's deep green eyes settled on her.

"Are you here on holiday?" He ignored her question, his eyes roaming over the cabin and the few contents she had brought with her. Of course, Daven knew the answer. He had talked to the owners, a sweet native elderly couple, of this little section of rental cabins and knew quite well that she had signed a six-month rental agreement and told the old man's wife that she was trying to find work in the area but didn't want to sign a lease in case she needed to move back home. The older woman had said she was a sweet girl and even seemed to bristle at the thought of Daven talking to her. That wasn't surprising considering that the elderly couple knew who, and what, he was.

"I am here for a little bit." Viridian's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. He wasn't sure if he was glad she was wary around an unknown male, or angry because she was reluctant to give information.

"Right, well, let me know if you plan on continuing your little one-woman magic show, or if you'll be joining up with one of the local covens." Daven watched her eyes as Viridian flickered between surprise, fear, curiosity, and then finally settled into something he couldn't quite name. It was that bristled determination of someone who had just been provoked and had decided to fight. Viridian's stance changed. She dropped her arms to her sides, spread her feet, and angled her body toward the door. Good girl, he thought.

"Magic? Coven? That's funny. I burned some candles out in the forest yesterday, but that was just to accompany a little picnic. If you're here about the forest fire danger, I'll be more careful. Are we done here?" Viridian's bravado could only take her so far with him. He wasn't too keen on playing this game. The longer he was in her dwelling, temporary or not, the longer he was surrounded by her maddening scent. It was arousing something feral and dangerous in him. He wasn't sure he liked it.

"No, Viridian, we're not done. It's come to my attention that you are, for all intents and purposes, a rogue witch in my forest. More than that, though, you've piqued my interest." Daven shifted his hulking form so that he was not fully in front of the door, but would be able to prevent her from fleeing. Viridian's hazel eyes darkened with anger as she took a step back. He had surveyed the cabin well enough to know that there was a door from the bedroom to the small deck behind the cabin. "I wouldn't run if I were you."

"Don't run? A strange man is in my cabin, asking strange questions, and now he is telling me not to leave. Right." The sarcasm in her voice skittered over the pooling dark anger. He watched with interest as her nails now seemed sharper, harder, and longer. The room felt colder, too, somehow.

"You will only make me want to chase you, little witch." Daven's voice held a snarl as he struggled to leash his slipping control. A vibrant magic glowed within her eyes and she flexed those dangerous nails. He saw the flash within her eyes before she moved. Daven moved when she did. Though faster than other humans, and witches, Viridian was still no match to a werewolf still in his prime; human form or other.

Viridian had made it to the bedroom, her hands curling around the edge of the door and throwing it closed. It connected with Daven's shoulder just before he caught her; his right arm snaking around her waist, his hand gripping her left hip, the momentum used to spin and pin her against the wall beside the door. He used his body to keep her still and felt the growl build within his belly as she wiggled against him. Daven had warned her and she still ran. Viridian struggled to free her hands which were pressed between her chest and the wall. Her breath skittered from behind her teeth in a snarling hiss. The sound only made Daven press against her harder.

"I told you..." Daven's voice deepened as his teeth grew and sharpened, now nearly grazing her neck as he bent his head. "Not to run."

For a moment, Daven had thought he had finally knocked some sense into her or at least frightened her enough so that she would be able to listen to him. Too late, he sensed the inner drawing of power. Viridian spoke a word he knew to be in the language of witches, but could not tell the meaning. It didn't matter the meaning, he was thrust back three feet. His boots scraped the wood of the cabin floors as he struggled to remain standing. Daven had not wanted to use it, but he had little choice.

Viridian turned to him, her eyes a molten gold that seared him as she raked over his body with a disdainful look. He had done a good job of pissing her off and the fun was over. His own eyes shifted, taking on a darker depth as he reached into his jacket pocket and lunged at her at the same time. Icicles, sharp and formed with deadly precision, formed at her sides and sliced through the thick cowhide as his left hand dug into the back of her neck, the right pushing three large seeds into her mouth. His thick fingers pushed roughly past her lips so that he could get her to swallow the seeds. The new forming icicles dripped into slushy piles on the floor as she choked and sputtered around his fingers.

Daven regretted using this tactic. It was temporary and, if used unprovoked, would piss off a lot of the local covens. These seeds were a rare resource that needed to be used sparingly. Even more than the regret at having used them was the regret at how he had forced her to swallow them. Now, as her saliva dripped over her chin and coated his fingers his cock stirred. The smell of fear mixing with her already dizzyingly provocative scent lit a fire in his loins that made him want to push her further. Viridian struggled more as she felt his cock harden against her belly.

Viridian coughed and bowed her head as he removed his fingers from her mouth. She was breathing hard and shaking with the effort to suck air into her lungs. Without thinking, Daven brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked her taste from them. The sweetness and familiar scent filled his mouth fully. He was lost to instinct now. The dark chocolate curls parted enough for him to see the juncture of her shoulder and her neck. Without thinking, his mouth fastened against her skin, sucking the flesh into his mouth as his tongue lapped at her quickening pulse. Rapidly, he spun her around and his teeth dug into her flesh at the base of her neck where her vertebrae jutted out in a small bump, and he savored the taste of her blood as he marked her.

Daven's grip on her tightened as he deepened the bite. His entire focus was on having his mark on her now. Viridian's startled gasp turned into a hoarse scream as she rocked her hips and shoulders from side to side trying to throw him off. His hand covered her mouth and nose tightly. Struggling harder, Viridian quickly began to lose consciousness as she struggled against his grip. Daven's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he caught the subtle whiff of arousal in her scent. When he had calmed enough to let her go, she dropped unconscious to the floor with his mark on her neck. Daven stared down at the girl, his neice, and found his mind blank from the shock of what he had just done.

**

A muffled voice filtered into her consciousness, but Viridian could not bring herself to care about that. Her hands trembled slightly and she felt an odd jittery sensation in her chest. Tongue tingling and her body warm and distant, Viridian's mind felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton. It was not an unwelcome feeling and she quite liked it. However, the voice became understandable and the feeling faded so that she was able to sense she was sitting on her knees, back against something firm and warm. Viridian looked up and was met with the concerned forest green eyes of Daven.

"Viridian? Viridian, are you with me?" His hand brushed over her hair and then his knuckles brushed her cheek. Viridian was only able to grunt and barely not her head in response. "Good girl, it's alright. You're safe."

Looking around, she noticed they were still in the cabin's bedroom. As her body and mind focused, reforming after whatever had knocked her unconscious, Viridian began to feel the soreness of her neck and the sharp pain accompanied by a cool wet. One hand, shaking now from trepidation, gingerly touched the sore sides of her neck before her hesitant fingers attempted to touch the sharp pain at the back of her neck. A strong hand gripped her wrist. Emotion was the last thing to come back and even now, her anger was dampened.

"Give me back my hand." She snapped, lurching away from his hold and falling with her shoulder against the wall. Viridian glared at him. It was half-hearted.

"Okay. Okay." Daven's voice was gentle as he lifted his hands in a peaceful gesture as he backed away and sat on the corner of the bed. He looked at her and considered the young woman before him. Her eyes held a fogginess. Was it the seeds? Or maybe the lack of oxygen? Perhaps the mark?

Daven hung his head and tried to breath in to calm his nerves. Her scent still flavored the air and the lusty tang was very real. It called to him and made him want to complete the marking by taking her. He couldn't do it, not if he wanted to keep her. Daven grit his teeth and looked at her from beneath his lashes. Viridian's nails still had that sharp strength to them despite her lack of magic. Claws? She was part of his tribe and he wondered what other surprises his half-breed hid.

Viridian shifted, her back was to the wall so that now she was crouched rather than kneeling. Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt the deep grooves his teeth made at the back of her neck; an uneven ring of punctured flesh with saliva and blood spread over the reddened and bruising skin. Daven watched in amazement as she managed the inner draw of power before it sizzled and her hand dropped into her lap. Normally one seed was enough to halt all magic for a few hours, even if the witch was strong. He had given her three.

"What have you done?" Growling the words, Viridian stared at her hands then back at him. Daven let his head drop and released a long sigh, her eyes were like golden daggers stabbing into his chest. Guilt and shame warred with more primal instincts.

"I gave you something so that you can't use magic for a little while. I don't fancy being killed while simply trying to have a conversation." Daven caught the flicker of recognition in her eyes, accompanied by a blush as she brushed her fingertips over her lips. Abruptly, Viridian stood, swayed, and then strengthened her stance.