Wehren - Beginnings (Book 1) & Redemption (Book 2) (on hold)

Chapter 1

A/N: Hello again!  I hope this Chapter is not too graphic, but I needed to establish how violent Vladimir is. I think I succeeded.  As before, I appreciate votes and comments as well as constructive criticism. If I misspelled something or forgot Capitals let me know so I can adjust for it. Thanks for reading!

M

”Oh! Grandmother,” she said, “what big ears you have!”

“All the better to hear you with, my child,” was the reply.

“But, Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” she said.

“All the better to see you with, my dear.”

“But, Grandmother, what large hands you have!”

“All the better to hug you with.”

“Oh! but, Grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!”

“All the better to eat you with!”

Excerpt from Red Riding Hood – The brothers Grimm

Chapter 1 – the Beginning

Vladimir Hrabe stood surveying his grisly handiwork. Standing in the congealing pool of cooling blood that flowed from the body of his father, Bogadashka Hrabe, he took in the shambles of the once tidy kitchen. The savory stew that was simmering in the pot suspended over the cheerily burning fire in the hearth was now running across the stone floor, mixing with blood and pieces of flesh. The furniture, Sturdy maple, so lovingly made for his mother by his father as a wedding gift was now in pieces strewn haphazardly across the room; and finally, the bodies. It was horrible, once the wolf took over; he had very little control, which was evident in the excessive amount of carnage. He hadn’t even meant for anyone to get hurt, he was only trying to speak with his father. He went completely crazy, transforming immediately, when he saw Chessa, the girl he had intended to marry.  She was the most beautiful girl in the village, with honey colored hair that surrounded her heart shaped face. Her body had such a succulent petit build.  Her eyes dominated her face, which could make you almost overlook her rosebud mouth, with lips that were perfect for kissing. It made his breath catch whenever she turned her green eyes his way, but they never really looked at him. She wanted that bastard, his weakling brother, Vasek. He was sure that with time she would come to love him more if he had anything to say about it. Look how “persuasive” he’d been the night of his turning. The thought brought a cold smile to his face. Well at least he denied his brother that one small prize, passing down used goods.

"The minute I wasn’t here he married her, took what should have been mine! This is entirely his fault!"

Bogadashka Hrabe Laid in the middle of what had once been the large wood table, amid the shards of stoneware dishes, with his throat ripped open, looking like a sacrifice to some demonic god. Vladimir had to give his father some credit, unlike most of the peasants he came across, Bogadashka at least tried to put up some kind of fight. When Vlad burst through the hefty oak door he was met by the fireplace poker, however inadequately it may have been wielded. Usually his victims tried to hide, cowering like the vermin they are, pissing themselves before he ripped them to shreds, but not his father, he went down swinging. Glancing to the side he could see where Chessa and the girl lay in a heap near the door going into the sleeping room.  In his fury to make Chessa pay for betraying him, he killed the child in front of her, her big blue eyes open wide in utter terror as she smashed against the wall, falling into a heap at the bottom, blood matting her once pretty, curly auburn hair, the breath of life crushed from her diminutive form. In the back of Vladimir’s mind something about the girl nagged at him, but he was too far-gone in the bloodlust to care. He saved her for last; the whore, Chessa, when he turned to her she was screaming something about the child, but he no longer could understand what she said. Tears running down that pretty face, she lunged at him. He noticed a thin knife in her hand, and before he could pull back, she slashed him across the snout. He howled with pain and with one mighty paw smashed her chest, claws digging in and throwing her across the room, breaking her ribs and puncturing her lungs in the process. Chess’s last act was to crawl to the spot where the child fell, cradling her dead daughter. She died trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t hear her. He was no longer listening.

Serves them right! Vladimir thought as he spread oil from the lamps throughout the house. Let see if Vasek is ready to come out and play, this should make him change. With one backwards glance he threw the last lit lamp into the house and stepped away to watch it burn.

****

Vasek could see the glow long before he got to his home. He pushed the tired pony as hard as he could, jumping off the cart and running the last hundred yards. What he saw made him stop and stare in horror. Vladimir stood naked and covered in blood, laughing manically as the house burned to the ground.

“What did you do?!”

“I think it’s obvious, don’t you?” Vladimir said with a malicious grin. “The real question is, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!”

“I have to get them out!” 

“Don’t bother; I killed them before I set the fire. Father was the first, he went down fighting, then I killed your bastard child in front of her whore of a mother, then I killed her. Of course, not before she gave me something to remember her by.” He said, touching the now healing slash on his cheek.

There was a wicked grin on Vladimir’s face made all the more sinister by the shadow of the flames dancing off his bloody features. Vasek could feel his blood start to boil; an almost explosive pressure building up in is chest, the pain and anguish triggering the latent genetics, causing him to change. The sound that the rearranging bones and muscles made was drowned about by the agonizing howl coming from him and the sound of snapping beams in the now raging inferno that was once his home. Through the haze of pain Vasek could hear his brother’s laughter, taunting him. When the last bone popped into the proper place, what stood in Vasek’s place was a huge white wolf with silver eyes.

Immediately the white wolf launched itself at Vladimir, who proceeded to change into his lycan form, just in time to welcome his brother into a violent hug, involving gnashing jaws and razor claws. Vasek poured all of his anger and hatred into his confrontation with the red demon that was once his brother. Rolling on the ground and snarling, he got a good hold on Vladimir’s neck.  Blood started to flow, but his victory was short lived, as Vlad was able to twist free.  Feeling his job was complete; Vladimir made a dash to the woods, knowing they would see each other again.

I will learn to control this curse, and eventually I will kill him. Vasek thought. And I will never put myself in a position to be hurt like this again. Hardening his heart and realizing there was nothing left here for him here, he too faded into the wilderness.