Animal Heart (Beast & Beauty) (18 page)

He flopped down on the bed, at her side, the both of them drowsy, satisfied, and warm. She turned her head to look at him, eyeing up his far too sexy and scruffy bed hair and overgrown stubble.

“We should get up, the others will be wondering what went on last night.”

“Let them wonder for a while longer, I feel some more love coming up,” he said, casting a glance at his rapidly growing erection.

“Mmmm, honey you are completely amazing. How d'you do it so fast?” Her eyes glazed with renewed desire and she grasped at him with her hand, stroking him up and down with a very pleased grin plastered on her face. 

“It must be you. I've never had this fast a reaction before. It just won't behave itself when miss bossy boots is around,” he laughed.

She pushed herself up, sitting astride him, and lowered herself onto his long length with a moan of satisfaction.

“So, I'm miss bossy boots, am I?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“You'll pussy whip me into shape, I'm sure,” he grinned, flashing her with his eyes, sexily.

She put her finger on his lips. “But you
need
a strong mate, don't you? And I never realised just how strong I was until I met you.” She bent and kissed him, her silky hair falling across his chest and shoulders and he grabbed handfuls of it. “One thing I'll never do is pussy whip you. Besides, you're an alpha male. You wouldn't let me dominate you like that.” She kissed his nose and his eyes and moved on him slowly... squeezing him tightly as she slid up and down his aching cock. Her hand slid around, caressing his tight balls softly as she rose and fell.

“Ahhh baby, this is the kind of pussy whipping I like...”

“Me too... Want some more...?”

“Yeah, and keep it real slow like that... make it last a long old while,” he growled in her ear, releasing her hair and groaning with pleasure at the sight above him and the growing sensations he was feeling as he slipped deep inside her velvet softness.

The pack gathered in the reception area and sat around them as Aden and Maddy explained what had gone down the night before. They asked lots of questions and she tried to answer them as best she could.

After a while, she suddenly remembered the words Verity had spoken to her, which she'd written down the night before.

“Just a moment,” she said, and left the room to collect them, returning a few seconds later.

“One of you spoke to me at some stage. It was a weird thing... This is what was said. She repeated the rhyme out loud.

“
Cross of fire, water and earth, a holy union will end the moon's curse.”

“Our curse can be lifted?” Sammy asked open mouthed.

“I don't think it means the werewolf curse, just the full moon curse,” Aden added with a note of caution. “That's the initial impression I get, but then again, I could be wrong.”

“What does it mean? Anyone got any ideas?” Maddy asked, looking around at the members of the pack, who were pondering what she had just said.

“Well a holy union is a marriage, a wedding, a coming together in the eyes of God, and the other things are elements. Fire, water, earth... A flaming cross would be the fire element I suppose, but how this is combined with water and earth, I don't know,” Aden rambled, thinking aloud.

“It's a ceremony. We flame a cross, douse it with holy water and then bury it in the hallowed ground of the church...” Charlene ventured.

“It could be... Yes, it could be!” Aden replied, his eyes lighting up with a broad smile.

“It doesn't sound all that holy to me... flaming crosses in the churchyard sounds just a touch satanic in my opinion," Maddy objected.

“That's exactly the point. We are driving the bad side of ourselves away. Not welcoming it. Don't you see?” Aden said thoughtfully.

“Perhaps. I'm not sure anyone else outside our pack will see it like that, but I'm willing to take a chance,” she pointed out. “So when do we do this?”

“I'd say on the eve of a full moon. Tonight's the night. Who's up for a date in the churchyard at dusk?” Lucas asked with a touch of humor.

“We're all going,” Aden replied, with a note of authority. “Apart from you Cal. It's your call man, I can't make you go.”

“Jeez, are you fucking kiddin'? I wouldn't miss this for the world. Gettin' rid of any part of my curse is a big 10-4 in my mind. Although I would miss my wolf, I gotta say. He's a beast I've grown kinda fond of.”

“Yeah,” Aden agreed. “But the full moon wolf, he's not something I'd miss for a minute.” They all laughed at this very obvious statement of fact.

They discussed their intentions between them and came up with a plan. Thirteen small crosses were to be made from straw, dry tinder that would flame quickly. Verity and Jamie set about collecting the straw from the stable and making those. The holy water was a problem. How to get enough of it.

“We should ask Reverend Porter to bless some bottles from the store,” Shane suggested.

“Would he do that for us, being as we've never set a single foot in the door of his church for over five years?” Sammy rightfully pointed out.

“Why not? Repentant sinners are always welcome,” Shane said encouragingly.

“He might be just a little suspicious when we repent and hand him thirteen bottles of water though,” Maddy added.

“Suspicious of what? We'll say it's for a holy pool or something, to bless the house and horses...” Shane continued.

“We have to try, somehow. It's the only part we need any help with,” Aden concluded.

Maddy spent the rest of the day making her dreaded phone calls and bursting into floods of tears each and every time. She spoke to her sister and her aunt, explaining what she'd done, and then cried again with the both of them as well. She'd finally had enough of crying by three in the afternoon. Her cheeks and eyes had been permanently wet for hours, and her chest shuddered with her overspent emotions. 

Shane made them a late lunch, cum early dinner, and they all sat down to eat together. To her surprise, Mia sat at her side and gave her hand a squeeze under the table.

“Sorry I was such a bitch,” she said very quietly. She obviously wasn't into public apologies.

“Let's forget all that stuff shall we?”

“And I'm so sorry about your parents. Really I am.” She gave Maddy a deep understanding look. Maddy welled up again, and a tear broke free, dripping down her cheek.

“Jeeezz, will it never end?” she snuffled, wiping it away with the back of her hand.

“And I'm sorry I made you cry too,” she said in distress, her eyes welling up in response.

“Just stop being sorry for things and I'll be fine,” Maddy blubbered, taking hold of herself with a loud clearing of her throat.

“I'm done with being sorry for now,” she agreed, and patted her hand.

“How's things going with you anyways?” Maddy asked pointedly.

“More than okay.” Mia smiled as she took a big mouthful of her chicken casserole and flicked her eyes up to Cal sitting across the table with a big grin on his face, watching her eat.

“Keeping you fit is he?” Maddy giggled quietly in her ear.

“That and other things... He's a bad, bad boy...” she whispered back and then smiled at him.

“He is? As in how...?”

“I couldn't possibly utter the words...”

“Now I'm really interested...” Maddy looked at her with wide eyes.

“Let's just say I've never been more thoroughly explored...”

“Oh...” Maddy replied softly, a touch embarrassed at their sudden very intimate level of conversation.

They drove to town that afternoon, at five. Sammy and Maddy went to the store to buy the water they needed, some other supplies for the kitchen, and a big box of matches. They stopped to chat with the storekeeper, the ancient, all knowing, and all seeing Miss Boyle. Apparently, Maddy had learned, Georgina Boyle would be able to throw some light on last night's death and destruction, if anyone could.

“How are you Miss Boyle?” Sammy asked respectfully, with a cute and innocent little smile.

“Keeping fine. Unlike some... Dreadful news, eh?”

“I'm sorry, I don't understand? What's dreadful? We don't hear a thing being stuck out there on the ranch in the wilderness.” Samantha was such a good actress at times, Maddy thought to herself.

“Just as well ya' don't... Not when the news is as bad as this. It ain't good, oh no...
not at all
. That'll be twenty two dollars exactly, Samantha my love.”

“I'm quite alarmed... Miss Boyle, please tell us. What happened to 'some', that was so dreadful?” Samantha carried on, with a shocked look on her face. She was playing Miss Boyle's game perfectly. She obviously loved being the font of all knowledge and enjoyed making the townsfolk drag it all out of her, almost on their knees...

She pursed her lips as she took their money and very slowly placed it in the cash register drawer. Then she wrapped her thick, aran cardigan about her slightly built body and leaned towards them across the counter. She gestured for them to come closer, peering at them over the top of her very thick and massive purple-rimmed glasses, a shade which matched her neatly permed hair to a T.

“Some folks say it were wild dogs, maybe a pack of starving wolves, but I have my own theory.” She paused for effect as they both looked at each other in heightened expectation. “It were the devil himself. He came here last night with his hell hounds and let 'em loose. Killed Sergeant Stevens, they did... and one bit the Mayor on his leg. Real deep bites, festering and painful. Full of Satan's wrath no doubt. Now I'm not too sorry 'bout the Mayor feeling pain, he's a nasty piece of interfering shit, that he is! Pardon me Lord, for my language.” She crossed herself and continued. “Tried to make me sell the store to him a few years back. Bribery and corruption it were... But anyway, his lady weren't a bad sort. I feel bad for Philly, that I do.” She paused again, gathering a deep breath, and continuing with her gruesome gossip. “Dreadful, awful way to go, having your throat ripped out like that. Half gone, eaten, or so I've heard. And then there's the young Reverend Porter. He was found on the rectory path this mornin', his neck torn, in a puddle of blood. Now who else would attack a missionary of our Lord in such a way but the devil 'imself...eh? And that old layabout drunk Wally too, harmless he were, incapable half the time, poor old fella, neck ripped and face half gone. That one were particularly nasty, one hand missin' and his stomach slashed to his innards... ewww! The Richards say they took a pot-shot at one of his hounds as it were attacking their chickens in the yard but it escaped... But of course it would, wouldn't it. You can't kill one of Satan's hounds, can 'ya? Already dead, they are... already dead... I don't know... If you want my opinion, the place is cursed, with a capital C. The hearts gone outta Heart. We're all doomed. No one around to save our souls either. Now then, can I get 'ya anything else my dears? There's a special offer on the chocolate selections this week.”

“Oh no thanks Miss B... And what a dreadful, awful, shocking thing... I need to go and lie down. I'm so, so...  I don't know...” Sammy said theatrically, staggering out of the door with Maddy close behind her.

“You both have a nice day now, eh?” Miss Boyle called out.

“Oh fuck, who the hell's gonna bless our water now? And God help us... who ate Philomena's throat, and worse still, old Wally's hand... Uggghhh? Please say it wasn't me...” Sammy  asked her with a horrified look.

“I've no idea. Honestly! I only caught a glimpse of you all,” Maddy half lied.

They trudged back to the truck heavy hearted to relay their news.

Aden acted positively. Maddy loved that about him. He'd try and get them thinking rather than giving up.

“Look, there's nothing to say it has to be blessed here, is there? We can go to Elk Pond. Explain to the local pastor that our dear Reverend Porter is indisposed or missing... It might even be a godsend.”

They set off for the ten mile drive to the next town. They tried to keep their spirits up. They had plenty of time and Maddy had abilities. There was no need to contain the pack any longer. In fact full moon madness was a thing of the past from now on. They could sleep happily in their beds, whatever the outcome of today's curse-lifting ceremony. They could drink and be merry until sun down and collapse in the safety of their own household. No threat to anyone or themselves. Their container prisons were no longer required. The terrible deaths of Heart were an unavoidable and sad tragedy. One that would never be repeated again. As long as Maddy was in their midst. And she planned to keep it that way.

The Elk Pond chapel was a small and understated affair as far as churches went. But that wasn't important to Aden. All he needed was to find the pastor, V. Saunderfoot, whoever and wherever he was, and fast. The small garage across the street was a good place to start. He called in to the tiny attached shop and was given the address and directions by the young cashier.

Less than two minutes later, he was sitting outside his door

Suddenly he felt awkward and like a fraud. Persuading the clergyman to bless water for them was not his forte. However, it needed to be done, and now was the time to do it. He entered the front yard trying to feel confident. He noticed the name plate next to the door.