Penance

"Did you honestly think you could run away?" Kriven looks down at me in contempt. I smirk up at him and spit blood out on his shoe. There is no way I am going to let him see my fear, to do that would be like waving a steak in front of a hungry wolf. I just need to hold on a little bit longer.

"I just went out for a jog, Got a bit caught up in my surroundings. For got to come back on time" I keep smirking and shrug, hiding the pain that movement cost me. Kriven's men laugh, he doesn't look as amused.

"Do I look like a fool to you?" I wisely bite my tongue before it decides to answer for me and I just keep smirking. I can't help myself, it's almost like something else has taken over my body and is controlling it. Kriven glares at me and raises his hand to strike me again. He's been at this for hours, ever since they caught me and dragged me here, to this little cabin in the woods. I guess they thought they were being clever. No ones around, probably for miles, so no one to hear me scream while they tortured me. I guess they thought it was better than the basement in the town they had me in before where they had to keep me gagged. Gregori comes bursting in before he gets in more than one blow though.

"Hey boss? You know how you said to let you know if anything happens outside?" Kriven growls in the affirmative as he pulls back for another blow " Did you mean anything as in people, or anything like anything strange as hell?" At that Kriven turns and looks at him in puzzlement, just as the howls begin. "I don't know how many there are" Gregori says, his voice quivering with fear, "but they're all around the place". I lazily look towards the window. The moon is starting to rise, beautiful and full, it's brilliant light falling through the window to slowly work it's way towards me. I stop smirking and start to smile. Kriven doesn't like that.

"What are you smiling at?" He back hands me and blood flies from my lips, "First you run away, then you back talk me..."

I laugh at him "No, first you kidnapped, then I kicked you in the gonads, then spit in your eye, then I refused to be cowered by you, THEN I ran away. Let's get our time line straight at least" I smile up at him as the moonlight finally reaches me. He growls and moves to hit me again, then spins when something slams against the door. One of the wolves is trying to get inside. I rise gracefully to my feet while he's distracted. He doesn't notice my wounds healing now that the moon has risen. They should have killed me before the sun set, their mistake.

The howls outside increase in volume and intensity, the uneasiness and fear inside increase as well. "Boss, what's going on? Why are those wolves acting that way?" Gregori is shivering and keeps glancing out the window. I feel bad for him, he was always kind to me, unlike the others. He never tried to abuse me in anyway way and he always snuck me food and water. It pains me that he's here, I must try to see if he can be spared. I smile at him and Kriven glares at me.

"What are you smiling at damn it?..." I see the moment he notices my healing wounds, his eyes widen and he stumbles back away from me. I wonder if my hair has changed color this time, or maybe my eyes. "What are you?" The fear in his voice can be felt, practically tasted.

"Something should have left alone. I did ask you to, hell, I begged you to. I warned you that taking me would be the worst mistake that you could ever make. Now here I am, far from where I belong, far from all I know, just barely holding back the thing inside that wants to hurt you for hurting me. There are other powers at work who are even angrier than I am for what you have done. What I am, who I am, were never for the likes of you. You took what was never meant for you. You and your men Kriven Torinson" I watch his shock as I name him. No names had been used within what would have been hearing distance for any normal human. Gregori, if you want to have a chance of surving this night, come stand at my side. You alone were kind, you alone did not take what wasn't yours to take". I watch as Gregori looks between Kriven and myself, His doubt and fear evident and growing. In the end he stayed by Kriven's side as I knew he would. I weep inside knowing I can't save him now. "I'm sorry Gregori".

I raise my hands, all the windows and doors disintegrate before the gust of power that pours from me. Kriven and his men stagger back again in shock and fear, then the first screams ring out, filling the air as the wolves enter the cabin through doors and windows now empty of obstacles. Everything goes black as I release myself to feed.

Hours later as the sun rises I regain my senses and realize my error. We weren't as far from people as I had thought. There had been a small community only a short distance away. They had heard the screams and had come to help. They had not survived. I sit on the blood soaked ground and keen out my agony. The innocent are not my prey, they are never my prey. Ten men lay dead by my hand who should not be dead, eleven if you could Gregori, even though he chose his fate. I hear the cries of horrow around me as the villagers find me and their men. They look at me covered in blood, no wounds coverings me and they know. They have lived in these woods long enough to know.

I crawl to their Shaman's feet sobbing "I didn't know, I was mad with anger at the ones who took me, who hurt me. I was punishing the ones who deserved punishment and your men came. I did not know who they were" I sobbed my grief out to her "The blood of the innocent is not sweet to me, it burns inside, help me." She looks down at me a mix of horror, anger, grief and yes even pity on her face. She knows what I am, she knows I don't belong where I am, so she realizes what happened.

"You will be bound. For every innocent soul you took today you will be bound for ten years to our people, no matter where we might go. As long as there is one member of any of the families left you will be bound to them. You will bring them fortune and peace. You will not know who you are or what you are while you are bound. You will live as a normal being. Once a year on a night of a full moon you will be released from your bindings so you can renew your pledge of fortune and peace for the people. Do you agree to this?" I sob my agreement, it seems so little considering what I had done. One hundred ten years of peace, yes I would count Gregori, in exchange for the lives of their fathers, brothers, sons. Oh yes, much to little. I will have to try to do more.