Chapter 92: Massacre at sunset
Dante didn't notice as the other vampires slowly walked to the edge of the pool to stand alongside him. Everything had gone quite around him except for a faint melodious song lingering on the breeze drawing him in. His eyes were transfixed on the beautiful woman urging him forward from within the magically glistening waters everything else seemed to melt into a blurry background. A voice at the back of his mind cried out for him to run away, to attack, to react... anything except stand there, but he couldn't bring himself to move.
A sudden spray of thick warm liquid hit Shelly's face, her curiosity forcing her to open her eyes as she wiped at the liquid. Raw terror filled her as her eyes focused on the red liquid streaking her hand. Her body shook as her eyes moved slowly from her hand to the scene by the pool. She watched frozen in place as four tentacles wrapped slowly around the legs of the men standing on either side of Dante. They all seemed frozen in place but alive. {Where did the blood come from?} Her eyes moved over Dante's body stopping in shock as she noticed a long sharp barb lodged in his chest. As she forced her gaze farther up his body, she noted a barbed tentacle tighten around his already bleeding neck.
The air around her seemed to clear. The strange hypnotic effects seemed to quickly wear off the men as each began looking around in a panic as they realized that their legs were trapped in tight muscular tentacles that continued to constrict around them. Shelly sucked in a breath as another barb shot out of the water piercing through one of the vampire's mouth as he'd opened it to call out. The tentacle around his leg pulled the body into the pool as two of the other tentacles brought two of the other vampires crashing into each other in a sickening thud. More blood sprayed across the patio as the sound of breaking bones reverberated around the area. She'd been too distracted by the vampires being slammed into one another to notice another being pulled into the pool as he tried clawing at the tile of the deck.
The monster lifted high out of the water using four large back tentacles to support the massive body that had been hidden by the ink of the water. Dante was still being held into place as if he was being forced to watch his companions' demise. The free tentacles lifted exposing the center of the under portion of the monster. Shelly's body began shaking uncontrollably as she took in the seemingly endless rows of razor-sharp teeth. The Vampire that had been clawing at the deck was fighting with everything he had as he realized the tentacle was pulling him directly into the gaping, tooth-filled mouth; but it was no use. He was no match for the beast. Blood mixed with the ink of the waters as the many rows of teeth began ripping at his flesh.
Shelly squeezed her eyes shut again as tears flooded them, fighting against the bile raising in her stomach. A thud sounded by the pool followed by the sound of something wet and uneven rolling toward her. A squishy thud brought her tear blurred eyes to where the thing had hit and stopped rolling by her feet. She fell backwards letting out a blood curdling scream as the lifeless eyes of Dante's severed head gazed unfocused up at her. Blood dripped from the jagged edges as it was pooling around her feet.
She hadn't even realized she'd been hyperventilating until a tentacle brushed against her cheek. She sucked in her breath and held it as she watched the monster that was her best friend work its way toward the stairs... toward her... the smooth side of the tentacle caressed her cheek curling in a way that the barbs were at no risk of hurting her. She forced her blurry gaze to meet Joslyn's. They were still the unsettling eyes of the monster but other than the one tentacle still gently caressing her cheek, Jos's entire body had shifted back to human form. Her arms shook as she shifted her weight from them to a sitting position as she watched Jos step out of the pool of ink and blood. Her naked body still held a nearly white paleness to match her blood-stained white hair. The only things on her that wasn't a ghostly white was her ink-stained feet and her hands. The dark black coloring bled up her arms and legs blending into the creamy white. The tentacle slowly retracted taking care not to graze her with its barbs as Jos's attention moved from her to the closed, blood sprayed glass of the patio doors. She watched, stunned, as Jos glided ethereally threw the doors smearing the blood with her still clawed hands as she stepped through.
"Jos?! Is everything..." A large man covered in tattoos came vaulting over the back gate sending Shelly into a second wave of terror. She studied the man. He looked identical to the hunter Orion who'd been following and training her brother. {Who is this? Is he another hunter? Is he here for me... or for Jos?} She closed her eyes and focused all her remaining energy on her body. She could feel the crack and shifting of bones as she struggled to shift. She let out a low growl as she took wolf form bringing the man's attention under the table to where she'd been hidden from view. She bared her teeth in a snarl warning the man to stay away as she was backing up and trying to work her way out from under the table.
***
Jos pushed open the office door to Xavier's study quietly. He was behind the computer facing away from the door. She turned to the shelves that lined the walls running a clawed finger along the many framed pictures, statues, and trophies.
Xavier didn't take his attention away from the screen as he scolded her. "I told you to stay upstairs. It's not safe for you down here until my work associates are gone."
She didn't respond, her attention falling on an antique glass bottled ship. It was beautiful with fine detail in every aspect of the ship's hull and the numerous cloth sails. Even the bottle with it's stand was amazing. A gold plate named the ship and a thin clean rope tied around the cork had a beautiful wax seal binding it. She lifted it for a closer examination.
"Careful over there. Those are antique-" His words were interrupted by the sound of the fragile glass shattering against the hardwood floor of his office. He lifted an arched brow up to her seeing her for the first time since she'd stepped into the room. His mouth fell, words dying as he took in her naked state. He pushed his chair back and pushed himself to his feet. Her head was bent to the wreckage on the floor as he stepped around the desk propping himself against its edge, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you doing, Jos? Where's your clothes."
A dainty toe nudged the busted ship. "I've always hated these things." She said in an unusual heavily accented voice.
He pushed up from the desk in confusion. His head felt foggy. He could swear he heard a strange song playing in the room. He closed the distanced between them with two large steps. Glass crushed under his feet as he stepped in front of her and hooked his finger under her chin to lift her eyes up at him. "What's wrong, babe? Look... into my eyes." His glasses where already resting atop his head as he waited for her to obey his request. Her hand raised to his arm and stroked over it as she kept her head lowered. His mind was too foggy to realize that the 'hand' moving up his torso wasn't an arm at all, nor the ones wrapping around his ankles working up each of his legs.
A deep throaty laugh broke through the fog of his mind as Jos's head finally lifted. His breath caught as icy, cold eyes set against jet black surroundings met his. He blinked in confusion as a second set of translucent eye lids flicked sideways across the frightening eyes. He could feel the grip on his legs and arms tighten as her lips curled into a wide toothy grin. Fear filled his body for the first time in his long life. He struggled against her grip but couldn't break free.
"It's your turn to look into my eyes, feel my control." She purred in the same heavy accent.
A scream was drowned before it could even leave his throat as the tentacle that had been creeping up his chest wrapped tightly around his throat and began squeezing tightly, sharp barbs sinking in and tearing at his flesh... around his neck... his legs... and his arms... His vision began to blur into a dark haze, and he could feel the bone began to break under the pressure of the constricting tentacles.
Jos waited until his heart rate began to drop off and his breathing became shallow and spaced out before finally ending his torture. She let each of the tentacles pull in opposite directions causing the areas where they're long barbs had been inserted to tear apart. She flung limbs against the wall and dropped his head to the floor with the busted ship. Another long, barbed tentacle shot through his chest and retracted as another tentacle replaced it, digging and plundering the large gaping hole in search of his dark, cruel heart. What was left of his body hit the ground with a soggy thud. Her tentacle tore from his chest with the second one within it grasping the motionless heart and bringing it to her still smiling lips and the sharp teeth within.
***
Orion ran through the house following the watery trail of ink and blood with Russ on his heels. He didn't stop when he crossed paths with Raven who'd came through the front door, instead, he just yelled as he passed. "Shelly, out back, hurry!"
He stopped at the office door when he heard a heavy thump against the floor. A dark crimson liquid had already began seeping out from under the door. He turned toward Russ holding his hand out. "Stop, you need to stand back." He turned the knob slowly and quietly, standing to the side as he pushed it open. He let out an unsteady breath as he took in the scene inside the room.
Russ glanced over Orion's shoulder and regretted it instantly. He could feel the blood drain from his face as he took several steps back. A hard lump formed in his throat. He was unable to look away. He didn't even notice anyone else approaching until a strong arm pushed him against the wall, removing him from the doorway entirely.
Arei's large body pushed past Orion and filled the door. "Fuck, Kitten... What have you done..." There was no surprise or fear in his voice only concern.
Russ could feel his heart pound in his ears as he watched the two massive demi-god brothers struggle against the monster beyond the doors. "Jos..." He whispered her name, agony oozing from the three letters. "Jos... No..." Russ's legs went weak and his body slid down the wall until he was sitting in a slumped heap on the floor unable to do anything more than watch in horror.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Jacquia_comics
Jacquia_comics Thank you for reading the first volume of Strange Love! This is the end of book/volume 1. Strange love will pick back up with book/volume in either late August or early September with all the answers to all those unanswered questions and backstories along with the birth of a certain half Gin pup!
edited 8/9/20
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone