The Castle Under The Moon

Chapter Nine

Shadow rolls his shoulders as he watches the werelion drag the girl into the water.

This was the first time that he had seen her outside of the castle grounds, but of course, she had that small werelion with her. He was always following her around.

Shadow wouldn't be surprised if they were to go at it in the water with the way they were acting.

He had made camp at the watering hole and had just finished bathing when the two of them showed up. He barley had enough time to pull on a pair of pants before he could rush up the mountain.

Surprisingly neither of them had found his pack that was beside a tree and in plain view of them.

Shadow watches the girl as she walks away, shaking her hips to and fro, not knowing that she was putting on a show for two men instead of just one.

He almost laughs when the werelion steps on the straps to his pack, barefoot, and doesn't even notice.

If that werelion was supposed to be the goddesses first in command she wasn't going to last a month.

When he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore, Shadow stands and stretches, sore from being in a crouching position for so long.

He grumbles as he walks to the edge of the cliff where the water hole was just below.

Deciding that he wouldn't mind a swim, he dives off of the cliff and falls about twenty feet before his hands touch the surface of the water.

Shadow swims to the ledge and uses his arms to pull himself up and onto it. Sighing, he lays down on his back and closes his eyes as he soaks up the sun.

The king of the vampire's, Mehdi, had constructed a blood contract for Shadow, and like a dumbass, he signed it.

If he were to bring the girl to him before she got her title as Moon Goddess then he would have an endless supply of human blood and a permanent home in the vampire kingdom. If he wasn't able to succeed he owed the king his life, and the king got to do whatever he wanted with the beast.

Shadow had made this deal about ten years ago when word got around about Jaiyana dying.

The vampire king was an evil bastard and had used silver to capture him. He had held him for over four months, starving him while dangling humans in front of him before Shadow had signed the contract.

Shadow had been putting it off for as long as he could but it was down to the last day, making him think about what he was doing to the poor human girl.

He scoffs and then gets to his feet, searching around the forest.

"What do you want, Barrett." Shadows deep, raspy voice fills the air around him.

"Mehdi just wanted me to check up on you and make sure that you were going through with the plan." Barrett explains as he jumps from the top of a tree and lands on his feet in a crouching position.

Barrett has silver hair that reached to the middle of his back and he always had it tied with a leather strap at the base of his neck, keeping it out of the way. His eyes are violet and he is tall, lean, and naturally tan.

"Of course." Shadow growls out, crouching at his pack and going through it for dry, clean clothes.

"Maybe if you would have done the job when you signed the contract he would trust you a little more." Barrett told him, hands folded behind his back as he watches the massive man.

The elf is walking back and forth in front of Shadow, nervous that the man wasn't going to go through with the contract.

Barrett remembered trying to get out of his own blood contract with Mehdi but that didn't end well and he was now stuck as his servant.

"Don't push me." Shadow growls as he pulls on the dry clothes he found at the bottom of his pack.

"Its a healthy push." Barrett replies, turning around to walk the other way, trying to hide his smile.

"Watch it, elf." Shadow huffs, his eyes glaring directly at Barrett.

Barrett almost kept pushing but then remembered that there was a job to be done.

"When are you going to go?" He asks, watching as Shadow shoved the damp pants and his boots into the bag.

"When it gets dark." He states, glancing at the setting sun.

"They see better in the dark." Barrett states confusedly.

"I work better in the dark." He growls out, throwing his pack over his shoulder.

"You should have gotten her when she was out here, you could have also had a werelion snack." Barrett tells him.

"Back off, elf." Shadow threatens as he shoots past him and towards the castle.

"You got this, hunk!" Barrett shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth for added effect.

Shadow had to stop walking and force himself to not eat the elf for dinner.

When he was calm enough, he continued on his way to the castle, watching the sun set.

As the castle lights come into view he stashes his pack beside a tree and under some dirt and leaves so that his scent was masked from anyone that wandered by.

He stands at the edge of the property, behind a gate, and watches as different kinds of creatures walk through the front doors of the castle, wide smiles on their faces as they talk merrily.

When he was sure that it was safe, he hops over the fence and lands, without noise, on all fours.

Shadow then crawls towards the side of the castle, where he knew what balcony belonged to Luna and started to climb the vines that lived there.

You're a beast.

You have no feelings.

You have no heart.

Shadow chants to himself as he sees Luna through the doors of her balcony, talking to that stupid werelion.

You don't care. He thinks as he opens the door and quietly enters her room.

**** Authors Note ****
Any book recommendations?