FIC: Light of the Moon

["M.L. Tankesly" <Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just a quick note: This is what listdad gets when he said I could post
non-B/W stuff on the lists. :) While it has no actual pairings, right
now, there is no telling what will happen late. So set back, that the
summary note seriously, and above all else enjoy.
Shadow

Title: Light of the Moon
Author: Shadowlander
Email: Shadowlander1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx - or - Tankesly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all associated characters
belong to Joss Whedon, Fox Television, and Mutant Enemy; and are used
without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Rating: PG-17
Archive: If you want to give this bizarre little story a home go for
it, just let me know where its going so I can drop in and visit it once
and a while. :)
Summary: This is something a bit different, if you've read any of my
other fics now would be a good time to start worrying. In this story
Ethan Raynes has done something he really shouldn't have and now has to
pay the price for his actions. There that should either intrigue people
or make them run in terror. <rotfl>

LIGHT OF THE MOON

San Francisco, California
April 1999
12:09 am

Ethan Raynes was running for his life, in truth he had been on the run
for the past six months. Every since that terrible night in Sunnydale
when he was visiting his old friend Giles, who had settles in the small
town a number of years ago to become a Librarian of all things. It was
suppose to be a bit of a holiday for Ethan, a chance to catch-up with an
old friend and cause a little mischief. So what if a little blood was
spilled in the process? At least, he and old Ripper would have a laugh
or two. But it didn't turn out that way, all of his grand plans for a
relaxing holiday with his childhood friend came to a tragic and bloody
end roughly twelve hours after getting into town. 'It was a full moon
that night too,' he noted absently as he tried to lose himself in one of
the many nightclubs in the city. Sitting in the back of the club, near
a fire exit, his eyes endlessly scan the crowd for any signs of the
nightmarish creatures that had attached themselves to his shadow that
terrible night. 'That night..' he couldn't help but recall the terror
of that night, his memories replaying the events in mind numbing detail
on a continuos loop in his head.

***********************************

They had just sat down to dinner after a night of carousing at the local
teen club. He had finally gotten his old friend to loosen up, with a
little help of a potion that lowered Giles' inhibitions - allowing the
other man's alternate persona Ripper to come out. The two of them had
proceeded to paint the town, first getting drunk at one of the more
"adult" clubs in town and then making there way to the Bronze. The
youth club proved a lot more fun for both men. All those young high
school girls just begging for a real man's attention. And they were
just the men to give them that attention rather they wanted it or not.
But they had forgotten in their drunken haze that Sunnydale was no
longer safe for anyone. The Slayer had been turned a few months back
and her replacement...well they were still looking for all of her
remains.

But none of that had mattered to Ethan and Ripper, they were out to have
a little fun in spite of the vampires and other demons that freely
roamed the town at night. The alcohol running through their system had
clouded that one little all important reason why the Bronze was still a
haven of sorts for the town's youths, one of the few places in Sunnydale
where the creatures of the night didn't molest them - aside from their
own beds that is. The Bronze was neutral territory, no vampire was
allowed to hunt in or around the club, it was one of the Mistress's
rules for the town. No one knew why she allowed such a place to exist;
only that she did, anyone caught violating the Bronze's neutrality was
dealt with severely be it vampire, demon or human. Ethan and Ripper
didn't know about that last part, not until they had raped that girl in
the alley behind the club. Ripper had known the girl before everything
had changed, when he was still a Watcher and he had his Slayer keeping
order over the hellmouth. How were they suppose to know that the girl
was being kept by a vampire now? Ripper had little contact with the
group that had once helped his Slayer after the last chosen one turned
up missing. How were they to know that the girl's master was a powerful
vampire in his own right in the vampire community who didn't like his
property being touched?

So they had taking their turns with the girl, beating her and leaving
her in the dirty little alley as they stumbled their way back to
Ripper's flat for a late dinner. Little knowing that they had just
signed their own death warrants the moment they had touched the girl on
the dance floor. Why would they worry anyway? They had made it safely
to the flat, and Giles wasn't stupid enough to invite a vampire into his
home. But the alcohol had clouded their reasoning once again, they had
forgotten that Sunnydale was the home to other creatures of the night,
creatures that didn't need an invitation.

Ripper had just sat down, placing the bottle of whiskey on the table
between them, when the front door of the flat seemed to explode.
Everything happened so fast after that, there was no time to think.
This large hair monster stood in the threshold of the doorway regarding
the two men with dark glowing eyes. Ethan had felt his blood turn to
ice when the creature suddenly threw back its head and gave a
bone-chilling howl. Never in all his life had he seen such a sight; the
thing was over nine-foot tall at least, having to hunch over to get
through the doorframe. Dark reddish/brown fur covered its heavy
muscular frame; one large claw-like hand gripped part of the doorframe
as if to steady itself, the strength in the hand crushing the framework
with ease. But it was the creature's head that drew his attention the
most, Ethan found himself staring into the dark glowing eyes of a wolf,
its teeth bared, ears flattened against its head, as it issued a low
growl.

Ripper could only shake his head in denial as the animal launched itself
at him. Taking the former Watcher to the floor with a strangled cry.
Ethan didn't think twice as he saw his best friend being mauled to
death, he took off out the through the remains of the front door,
running for his life. He had barely made it across the threshold when
he was grabbed and sucker punched in the gut. Within seconds he had
found himself on his knees in front of the Mistress's Enforcer, the
second most feared Vampire in Sunnydale. A vampire who in life was once
called the Chosen One, the fabled Slayer, destined to protect humanity
from the very creatures she now led.

"Ethan," the vampire had purred at him even as Ripper's dying screams
echoed through the still night. "You shouldn't have come back, you have
to die now." She continued conversationally as if they were talking
about the weather. "But not tonight...you get to live to see the
sunrise. The Mistress has commanded it, you get to run for your
miserable life...she is interested in how far you'll get. So go
on...get out of town, enjoy your freedom while you can, because we will
be coming for you and there will be no mercy." She had said nodding to
two of her men, who proceeded to shove him in a vehicle and drive him to
Los Angeles where they kicked him out of the car in the middle of a
park. Stopping only once to beat the hell out of him, and informed him
that he had a seventy-two hour head start, then the hunt would begin, as
they tossed a few hundred dollars at him and drove off.

Ethan had tried to slip into LA's underworld looking for protection from
the various creatures of the night that inhabited the city of angels.
But the word had already been put out, he was a wanted man by
Sunnydale's Mistress and her reach was far greater then his. Not even
his powerful friends and acquaintances back home would help him, not
with the fear of incurring the wrath of a very ticked off vampire clan.
It was during his seventy-two hour grace period he had learned just who
he had offended that night and why no one would dare to give him aid.
He wasn't even safe on holy ground, the power of the church having no
hold over some of the creatures that had joined the hunt for him.

So he continued to run, travelling in the early morning hours, rarely
sleeping as he jumped at every shadow. Little knowing that he had
already been caught, his pursuers only toying with him as he continued
his useless flight to a safe haven that did not exist. The Mistress had
been amused by his efforts to flee his fate, sending her beloved
Enforcer to end the hunt. Time had run out for Ethan Raynes, he just
didn't know it yet as he sat in that popular night club in Frisco,
secure in his knowledge that he was safe for a few hours, at least, in
such a well populated place.

*********************************

But Ethan had forgotten again, the alcohol in his system clouding his
reasoning once more, like it did six months ago in that little ally
outside of the Bronze. No where was safe...not for Ethan anymore, the
Mistress had grown bored with the hunt, it was time to call the hunters
home and look for other amusements.

Ethan knew immediately his time was up when he spotted the young blonde
entering the club, a tall dark-haired man by her side. Even if he
didn't know who...what...they were, they would have gotten his
attention. The pair seemed to radiate a sexual energy all their own, an
unseen power that ran through their veins waiting to be unleashed on the
unsuspecting without warning. They moved as one in a fluid grace no
human would ever have and they were heading right for Ethan's table in
the back of the club!
Gathering the last of his courage, if he ever truly had any to begin
with, he made his break for the emergency exit, the alcohol still
clouding his judgement. He should of stayed at his table, faced his
executioners like the man he had never been. They, at least, would have
allowed him a few more hours of life, let him drank a little more, maybe
even get a last meal. Instead he chose the cowards way, he sought to
escape his well-deserved fate. Clearing the back door, he was halfway
down the back alley when two figures stepped out of the shadows to block
his flight. Raynes felt his stomach drop to his feet as a low growl
filled the dark ally way followed closely by the sound of laughter.
Frozen in his tracks, eyes wide in terror at the sight of the crouched
werewolf at the feet of a tall man holding a leash that led to the neck
of the snarling creature from hell, also known as the werewolf, that
butchered Ripper six months ago in Sunnydale.

"Silly man, thinking you can escape." A voice rang out in the dark
alley, sending chills, that the werewolf's growling hadn't already sent,
running down his spine.

Spinning about wildly, in one last desperate attempt at freedom, Ethan
finds his path blocked by the two vampires from the club, and beyond
them several other vampires who had been lurking in the shadows. Heart
pounding out of his chest, he realizes for the first time in six long
terrifying months that he had never really been free, it all had been a
game to see how far he would get.

A low growl brought his attention back to the man, who he knew had to a
vampire to be able to control the leashed werewolf, at the end of the
ally. 'If I can make it past them,' he told himself slowly reaching
for the silver stake he had made a few months ago with a good portion on
the money his "escorts" to LA had thrown at him when they dropped him
off. With a cry born of desperation, he pulled out the stake and
charged the two creatures blocking his only escape.

With a snort of disgust the large muscular vampire appointed to be the
snarling werewolf's handler, let go of the leash and let the creature
attack the foolish human. 'Stupid human thinking he was going to best
my girl,' the vampire thought smugly, having trained long hard hours
with the Mistress on how to properly handle the werewolf. He was proud
of all his hard work, there weren't many vampires in the clan that could
control the massive creature, and it was an honour to be the werewolf's
handler while on a hunt. The two of them making a reputation of
themselves among the other creatures that inhabited the night. Only the
Enforcer and Masters Spike and Angelus had more feared reputations.
'This kill would look good with the Mistress,' he thought with pride
enjoying the screams coming from the struggling human in the grasp of
the werewolf's powerful claws. She was toying with the human waiting
for her handler's command to kill, it was a credit to his training that
the creature was drawing out the human's agony. 'Yes, the Mistress
would be very pleased, maybe even reward us,' He thought his
yellow/gold eyes glowing in the low light, his cock hardening as the
werewolf drew blood from the human, he always got hard watching his girl
play with her meal.

Raynes had the wind knocked out of him as the werewolf slammed him into
the pavement. Frantically struggling, panic having replaced all
rationality, he tries to throw off the snarling beast on top of him.
Belatedly, remembering the silver stake, he stabs at the creature even
as he kicks and scratches at the unmoving bulk on top of him.
Remarkably one of his strikes hits the werewolf in the neck, the stake
burying itself deep into the creature. With a howl of pain the creature
jerks back instinctively, roaring its outrage to the uncaring night sky.

With a growl of his own, the werewolf handler takes a step forward. 'No
one touched his girl! Not another vampire or demon...and certainly not
a stupid mortal!' He growled to himself determined to rip apart the
mortal himself. The Mistress had entrusted the wolf to his care, he
would not return to the lair without killing the being that dared to
injure his charge. Only to be stopped by a hand on his arm, turning to
tear apart the fool that dared to touch him, the werewolf handler finds
that the body attached to the hand on his arm belongs to his sire.

"Easy boy, this is peaches' fight." Spike told his angry childe, with
an amused smirk. With a low whistle, the master vampire called off the
furious werewolf. It was time to end this little game, Spike decided,
having grown bored with drawing out Raynes' death. He hated San
Francesco and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Obeying the call of one of her master's, the werewolf backs off the
sniveling human and bounds over to the two vampires. Reaching down to
stroke the wolf's fur the handler tries to calm himself, it wouldn't do
to lose control in front of his sire, not to mention in front of the
Enforcer and Master Angelus, he did have a reputation to protect after
all.

The moment the werewolf bounded over to her handler's side, Angelus took
her place standing over the prone human babbling senselessly on the
ground. "Raynes," Angelus purred dropping down so he was straddling the
doomed human. "You should of never have touched Cordelia." He said in
a conversationally voice, much like the one the Enforcer used six months
ago in Sunnydale. "You touched something that didn't belong to you."
Angelus continued his dark eyes boring into the terrified ones of the
human below him. "You're going to have to die for that." He finished
calmly, no trace of anger anywhere in his voice.

Quietly watching Angelus toy with Ethan a bit longer, the Enforcer turns
her attention to the two vampire's standing beside the werewolf. Moving
over to the little group the Enforcer crouches down and takes the wolf's
large head in both of her hands and smiles lovingly into the creature's
eyes. "Did the naughty man, hurt my Wills?" She questioned rubbing
noses with the whimpering creatures, as Spike and his childe check over
the beast.

Pulling out the silver stake from the wolf's corded neck, Spike grunts
in disgust at the craftsmanship of the object. "Would have been more
effective it if was real silver." He noted absently as the Enforcer
makes cooing noises at the injured werewolf, while his childe continued
to inspect the beast for injures.

"Can't have that now can we?" The Enforcer questioned merrily, smiling
when the wolf licked her nose. "Don't worry sweets, your Buffy has a
big surprise waiting for you at the lair. A nice big meal all for
you!" She added with an evil smile. "Yes, she does!"

"Hey Peaches...you may want to use this," Spike said stepping over to
his sire and the now quietly whimpering human, handing him the stake he
had just pulled from the werewolf's neck.

Without a word, Angelus takes the offered stake, his game face slipping
on as he gives an evil little smirk of his own. "I'll meet you all at
the lair in two weeks, before we leave." He said, standing suddenly,
pocketing the stake and throwing Raynes over his shoulder. He had given
long thought to what he was going to
do to the mortal that dared to touch "his" Cordelia. The six month
enforced wait period the Mistress had decreed only giving him time to
think through all of the ways he would make Ethan pay for raping
Cordelia.

Watching Angelus disappear into the night, with Raynes thrown over his
shoulder, the Enforcer gives the wolf one last pat before turning her
attention to the assembled vampires. "Now we party! Just remember that
we are quests in this town, kill whoever you want. What are they going
to do? Kick us out?" She ordered her hand picked "hunters" - a group
of vampires so feared that their mere presence has humbled even the most
respected master vampires around the world.

Picking up the werewolf's dangling leash, the wolf handler wraps it
twice around his fist before giving it a quick pull signaling the
werewolf that is was time to leave. "I'm going to take Willow for a
walk on the wharves. You two need us later?" He asked, absently
petting the wolf at his feet. He didn't like the feelings he was having
at the moment. The human had injured his girl, his Willow, the
murderous rage he felt as he watched that stake enter her neck confused
him. It was like the mortal was attacking his mate, but everyone knew
that Willow belonged to the Mistress...it was all to confusing.

"Nah, you two go off and have a little fun," Spike replied with a jerk
of his head. His childe had made him proud over the last few months as
they followed Ethan up and down the California coast. The boy was going
to go far in the clan, he just knew it, he thought with fatherly pride
as he watched werewolf and vampire disappear into the night.

"Looks like's it's just you and me," the Enforcer purred running one
hand down Spike's check.

Turning to regard the slim blonde female vampire with a sexy smirk.
"Whatever shall we do?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh I can think of a few things..." She replied before turning and
strolling down the ally sexily.

Watching her swaying hips for a moment, a bright smile lights up his
face, as he jogs to catch up with her, 'maybe Fresco, isn't so bad after
all,' he thought wickedly.

End.

Well, want to learn more about this strange little world?