A...The Begining of Dark...Ch1

It was a sleepy, quiet town. Nothing ever happened in this town. It
was a little tourist trap, with wine and cows. But that was just how
Marin Mariosa liked it.

Marin had only a few friends, others like herself, Montange Madison,
Paris Rivers, Jaques Carmen, and Anjelica Mendoza.

Marin was down on the plaza, seated in the shade on a bench by the duck
pond, enjoying her lunch. Her blonde head was bowed over a book she was
reading, and she hardly registered the approach of the small, dark,
Anjelica. Anjelica was a cheerful, energetic young woman, and very
protective of her friends. One of the friends she worried about from
time to time was the anti-social Marin.

Marin looked up when Anjelica's shadow fell over her. She smiled,
putting her book aside. Anjelica sat down, and grinned,

"How are you, my friend?" Marin smiled in response,

"I am fine. And you? Shouldn't you be at the J.C.?" Anjelica shook her
head, and said,

"Dinner tonight? Remember? All of us? We have an excuse to go shopping
now!" Marin grinned.

* * *

Everyone met Anjelica and Marin at Anjelica's house. They arrived one
by one, first an exited Paris, dark haired, model thin, and delighted
with the world. Next was Mon, tall, dark, the handsome stranger type,
giving everyone an assessing look, last was Jaq, average height, with
mahogany colored hair, and cool blue eyes, the troublemaker of the
group. Three wolves, a lion and a coyote. Unusual mix of friends.
Anjelica got everyone settled and asked,

"Where shall we have dinner tonight?" Mon was the first to
answer,

"How about we grab some good food and settle ourselves in the nice,
romantic atmosphere of the rose garden on the plaza?" This suggestion
was met easily with agreement. Mon continued, "There is something we
need to take care of." Paris demanded,

"And what would that be Mr. Hot Shot Wolf Boy?" Mon's return look was
as cold as ice.

"You shall find out. I assume you haven't heard about the murders?" The
group sat in not a shocked, but an interested silence. Jaq asked,

"What murders would you be talking about?" Mon smiled, and said, dinner
first."

* * *

They all had a comfortable seat, and some good food of their choice.
For Anjelica, Paris, and Marin, they were burritos from Tacos La Bamba,
and for the Mon, he had a steak, although he refused to tell where it
came from. No one was quite sure what Jaq was eating and he insisted it
was monkey brains, although the others doubted it.

"So," Jaq said, "What about the murders?" Mon said back, and
said,

"This is very hush hush information, so no spreading it around," he
looked pointedly at Jaq when he said this, "but there have apparently
been animal maulings up at sugarloaf. No one knows who did them, they
look like animal but are violent, more like something a human could do.
To us, this means a were. They have people combing Sugarloaf for this
animal, and I would like both Marin and Anjelica to be careful, because
you both are up there often." Marin gave him a cool look, and Anjelica
just smiled,

"Maybe we should start looking for this were?" Mon lifted his eyebrows
slightly,

"I wouldn't suggest, but you tend to do what you like." Marin grinned,
something distinctly arrogant, very
the-cat-that-ate-the-whole-canary-cartel. She purred in a cloyingly
sweet voice,

"Absolutely, we would never do anything you wouldn't want us to, would
we, Anjelica?" Anjelica shook her head, a smile in her eyes. There was
a beeping sound, and Mon's eyes darkened, as he checked his
pager.

"That is my sister. I will have to see you guys later, ok?" He directed
a look at Marin and Anjelica, "Be careful." Then he got up, his steak
safely saved, and sauntered away into the dark. Paris grinned at the
other,

"So, what are we going to do?" She was stretched out on the ground,
looking almost sleepily up at the others. Marin said, her voice very
matter-of-fact, with a subtle enthusiasm,

"Catch the crazy idiot who is ruining things for us." Jaq nodded,

"Gotta agree with Boss Lady, there." Anjelica took a thoughtful bite of
her burrito, and considered what the others were saying quietly. Paris
said,

"Well, we can break ourselves into teams, can't we? Me and Jaq
searching through the human populace, our noses ready until we find
him, and you two can search for his animal self." Anjelica
nodded,

"Sounds good to me, but not tonight, a late night date with a hottie I
met in class." Paris gave Anjelica a devilish look,

"He staying for breakfast too?" Anjelica returned the devilish
grin,

"Never on the first date." Marin said,

"You lie Anjelica, I know you better then that, you have all the
restraint of a rock." Jaq gave Marina sidelong curious stare,

"And how would Boss Lady know the restraint of a rock?" Marin's eyes
were deep, almost mesmerizing, as she purred,

"If you were a rock, how much restraint would you have?" Jaq
chuckled,

"Good enough answer, I suppose." Anjelica turned to Marin and said
teasingly,

"He has an attractive cousin, why don't you meet us tomorrow at the
mall?" Marin gave an exaggerated groan,

"It has been awhile since I have bothered with anybody, but you know
how I am with these all human people." Paris looked taken aback, and
placed a hand over her heart, saying in a fake southern drawl,

"My Lord! If I had the chance, I would be wearing my best underwear!"
Marin answered coolly,

"Paris! Since when do you bother with underwear?" Paris said in an
equally cool voice,

"Marin! Since when does it matter?" Jaq looked from one girl to the
other, unsure of what was happening, Paris and Marin didn't usually
have spats, although neither sounded quite like they joking. Marin
winked at Paris who burst out laughing and lunged at Marin. Giving her
a hug,

"Your too much fun!"

* * *

Marin made her way through the night, running through the cool air, and
stopped when she reached a ledge that overlooked the valley. She liked
it up here, nice and quiet. She watched the lights of the valley, and
beyond the valley, Napa, and Petaluma. Her tail whipped gently, but her
thoughts were an angry turmoil. Who would be dumb enough to go after a
human and maul them? They had to track down the perpetrator, they were
a danger not only to themselves but all were's in the vicinity. He put
the humans on a look out for anything that might fit the bill.

The moonlight glistened on her golden fur like teardrops. Marin hauled
herself up off the ground, and yawned.

She turned to pad her way back, so that she could fall asleep back
home, in her comfortable bed. There was the familiar sound of an owl,
and of course, the bats. She looked up, and saw two fluttering shadows
cross the sky, and smiled to herself.

Presently, she heard caught the scent of another animal, although she
hadn't heard him yet. Marin placed the scent quickly. Jaq was out
tonight as well. She rumbled a sound of welcome to him, and got a
return howl.

:Marin, are you having a good night?:

:Just thinking about ripping into a dozen bloody pieces whoever is out
hunting humans.:

:Which reminds me, would you like to come and hunt with me?:

:No, I was just getting ready to retire for the night, mavbe
tomarrow.:

:Ok, see you later, Boss Lady!:

There was an audible coyote chuckle as Jaq moved out of the vicinity.
Marin went home, and tumbled into bed, curling up, a gentle, almost
toothy grin on her face.

TO BE CONTINUED&;#8230;