Would You Become A Werewolf For Love?

Editor's Forward: This was based on a prompt that can be found here. I've added italics to that portion.

“I don't think you should do it.”

You take another look at Lyca. She's not really what you expected. A few piercings - not that many. Dyed hair, mostly black clothing with some studs. That might be her personal style or just the look for the coffee shop - she's a barista here, and has agreed to chat with you for a while. Kind of good looking, but nobody that would stand out in a crowd. Nobody would guess she was a werewolf just by looking at her.

“Why not?” you ask.

She takes a sip of her coffee and watches you for a moment. “Well, what gave you the idea?” she says.

“Well, I guess you know it was Emily,” you say. Lyca nods. Emily works here at the coffee shop. “She's my girlfriend. We were talking about... fantasy stuff. Things we each enjoyed doing. She mentioned that she'd always wanted to be with a werewolf. I said that was fine - we could roleplay, I'd get some plastic fangs, something like that. But...”

“Got it.” Lyca has a wry smile. “That wasn't enough for her. She wanted the real thing, didn't she?”

You nod. “She suggested that I talk to you about it. You could tell me what I was like, and if it sounded OK, then you could...”

Lyca nods. “OK, I get the picture now. What do you want to know?”

You look at her again. “Well... what IS it like? You don't really look any different.”

She shrugs. “We aren't, mostly. If the moon isn't full, and if I don't get too angry or upset, I can pass for human just fine. We have to avoid silver, and certain plants. A lot of us go into food service and hospitality. Not so many florists or jewelers. We're strong, and we don't get hurt as easily as humans do, so we're popular for physical work and labor - although it can be a problem if it's outdoors. A surprising number of us end up in sex work. Your girlfriend isn't the only one with a thing for werewolves.” She sips her coffee again and gives you a sardonic glance. “So if things don't work out with Emily, you'd have that to fall back on.”

Is she joking? You can't really tell. You try to compose yourself. “Any other problems?”

“Discrimination, mostly,” she says. “Word always gets out. A late night coffee place like this doesn't really mind - it's on brand for them. But fine dining, law, police work? Not so much.” She shrugs. “Just how the world is, I guess.”

“Hmm,” you say. “I hadn't really thought about that part much.”

“I figured,” she says. She finishes her coffee and leans forward in her chair. “Now, I have a question for you. Are you and Emily planning to marry?”

“Marry?” you say, shocked. “It's way too early to-”

“Because if you go ahead with this, it's for life,” she interrupts. “Even more so than marriage. You can always get divorced, but once you're a werewolf, there's no going back.” She holds your gaze for a moment and leans back. “So if you're not even ready to commit to marry Emily, why would you even consider doing this for her?”

“But you could, right?” you ask. “Make me one, I mean. That part is true?”

She nods. You think for a moment.

“If you had the choice in the other direction - to become human - would you take it?” you ask.

 

Lyca blinks and looks away. “Does it matter? It's not a choice we have. You learn not to think about it.” She meets your gaze again. “You didn't answer my question. Why would you want to do this for Emily?”

“I guess...because I think she's the one,” you answer. “I don't know. I mean, I've never really had... a serious girlfriend before, so I'm not sure how that works.”

“Well one more thing,” Lyca adds. “Your anatomy...it will change. You will grow claws, fangs, fur. You'll smell differently. You'll probably even look different, if you're not careful. Be sure you're prepared for that.”

You nod. “ I understand.”

“And by 'anatomy', I'm talking about more intimate areas too, if you get my drift.” Lyca wiggles her eyebrows, her cheeks flush.

You nod again, trying not to blush yourself. “Yeah, I get it.” You have no idea what she means, but you get the gist.

“Okay then. Tomorrow is the full moon. We will meet deep in the woods. You recall which one, correct?”

“The one by the old cemetery,” you say. “The one near that shitty motel. The one where that guy killed those teenagers.”

“The Carpathian Mountains,” Lyca says.

“Must it be there?” you ask.

“It must,” she says.

“What if...I don't know. What if it's too much of a hassle to get there?” You're suddenly nervous.

Lyca smiles. “You're getting cold feet...”

“No, I'm not,” you protest. “I just...I don't know if I can do this. I mean, I don't know how I can do this.”

“Do you fear death?”

“Don't we all?” you ask, trying to be nonchalant.

“Not in the same way,” Lyca says. “Your death will only be your old life.”

“I guess. But what if I...don't like it? What if it hurts?”

Lyca sighs. “If you're too scared, we can call if off. I'm not forcing you.”

“But you said I have to do it,” you point out.

“I know,” she says. “But I can call if off. It's your choice.”

You have to decide. It's Emily's desire, you so you agree. “Okay, let's do it.”

“Okay,” Lyca says. “Be ready at midnight.”

 

Later the following night, you're hiding out in an abandoned building near the coffee shop. Fearful of onlookers, you wait until Lyca approaches.

“I'm here,” you say, walking up to the door.

“Good. Come in,” she says, leading you through the door. “We'll head out the back, then into the forest. Did you bring the supplies?”

“Yeah, it's in my bag. Do we have to do this now? I mean...I don't want to miss the full moon. I heard it's...”

“Please stop stalling. This is getting rather annoying.”

“Fine,” you say. “Let's go.”

You head out the back of the coffee shop and into the trees. Lyca leads the way, drawing you deeper into the forest. The full moon glows overhead, bright enough that you can barely see. You can hear the howls of werewolves howling in the distance. You're starting to get scared. Is this really such a good idea? Eventually, you reach a clearing. In the middle sits a giant wolf statue, with a spotlight shining on it.

“That's not a statue. Is it real?” you ask in a whisper.

“Of course not.” Lyca scoffs. “Now be quiet and don't look at it, or it might notice us.”

You nod, and take a few steps backwards. She begins to chant in some ancient language you can't understand, and the statue starts to come to life, glowing with a hellish red light. The chanting stops, and a horrible, monstrous being stands before you.

“If you care for your clothes, you best remove them,” she warns.

You pull your t-shirt over your head and step out of your jeans. You then pull your arms out of your jacket and stand there, naked.

“Very good,” Lyca says. She does the same. You love Emily, but there's a raw eroticism with Lyca that you can't deny. You can feel your heartbeat increasing with excitement.

“Calm yourself. I'm not here to turn you on, I just don't want my clothes to bust when I transform.” Lyca takes your hand. “Come. The bed is prepared.”

You blush as Lyca pulls you through the forest to a clearing. “I'll explain on the way.”

There, in the middle of the clearing, is a bed. It's made of sticks and leaves, with a thick blanket covering it.

“What? This is....”

“Yeah, it's a little rustic, but I thought you'd like it. Just lie down, and don't touch the blanket. It's full of werewolf piss.”

You lie down on the bed. It's not the most comfortable you've ever laid down, but it's better than a werewolf piss blanket. You stare at the stars, listening to the crickets.

“Is this really necessary?” you ask, a little annoyed.

“Yes. Now shut up.”

“But this is weird. How do you even transform into a wolf?” you ask, staring at Lyca's hairy body. She begins to turn into a wolf, slowly morphing from human into something else.

“Do you want to watch?”

You don't but you can't help but stare. Her body is covered in goose bumps, and her hair is beginning to grow longer and finer. Soon, she's completely transformed into a beautiful, powerful wolf. You look away.

“I'm done,” Lyca says.

“And me? How do I transform?”

“Just close your eyes and visualize yourself transforming. It's really easy.”

You close your eyes and imagine yourself morphing into a wolf. “It's not working.”

“Try again,” Lyca says.

“I...I don't know how!” you say, frustrated. “This is stupid.”

“It's not stupid. You just have to believe.”

“I'm not an idiot, I'm not going to...”

You stop yourself before you yell the rest of your sentence. You take a deep breath and open your eyes. Lyca is sitting there, staring at you.

“What?” you ask.

She points to the area of your body between your legs.

“What?”

“You have to...you have to...I don't...”

“I have to do what?” you ask.

“Fuck me. You have to...you know...do it...inside me.”

“What?! Lyca, are you...!” You can't believe what she is asking. “What about Emily. She'll never forgive me.”

“Fuck her. You have to do it. It's part of the deal.”

“I...I...” you say, stuttering. “Both of you?”

“Yes. You have to get it in before you turn. I'll let you know when you have it in.”

“But what if I...”

“Enough,” she yells. “The full moon will pass soon.”

“But what if I...I...”

“I said ENOUGH!” she yells, striking you across the face. “If you can't get it in before then, I can't help you.”

With those words, she leaps forward and bites your neck. You let out a pained yelp, and let out a terrified cry. You try to fight, but she's much stronger than you.

“If you don't transform soon, then you will bleed to death. Your choice.”

With that, she releases her grip and walks away from you. You lie there, bleeding and crying.

“I'm not a monster,” you cry. “I'm not a monster!”

“Perhaps, but you will be a dead mortal instead. Is that worth it?”

You cry yourself to sleep.

 

The next morning, you wake up and find yourself covered in a layer of snow. Your eyes burn like two red balls as you sit up. You're alive.

Lyca sits beside you in the piss bed. “Did we...?” you ask.

“Yeah,” Lyca says. “But Emily's fine. She's with the Alpha.”

You blush and try to hide your boner. Lyca sees it. “Guess you're ready for more?”

You nod nervously. Lyca grabs your hand and leads you out of the bed. “We should go. They'll be looking for us.”

You follow her as she leads you through the forest. The forest is thick with trees and you have to force your way through. You walk for a few hours, stopping every so often to hide in the bushes while Lyca scans the area with her eyes. She finds nothing, which makes you nervous. You hope that nothing comes looking for you.

“Why do we have to go so far?” you ask.

“The farther away we get, the better.”

“What if someone finds us?” you ask.

“I'm sure someone will. That's why we need to split up.”

“I'm not splitting up with you,” you say.

“We must. My work is done. You need to find Emily.”

“No, you can't leave me here!” you say. “I don't know what I'm doing! I don't want to be here without you!”

“It's not safe,” she says. “You'll be fine.”

“How do you know I won't die?”

“I don't,” she says.

“I'm too young to die!” you say.

“Such is life.” With that she walks away, leaving you naked and alone in the forest.

You cry yourself to sleep.

The next day, you wake up to the smell of bacon. You sit up and find yourself in a cabin. You're covered in snow, but you don't care. You rub your eyes and groan. Your body hurts all over. You're sore and you wonder if you'll be able to go on.

You walk outside, following the scent of the bacon to the kitchen. You find a woman sitting at the kitchen table. She has dark hair and green eyes. She smiles at you. “I see you made it. You look like you need rest.”

You smile and nod.

“Feel free to get dressed...or not. All the same to these old eyes.”

You nod. The woman smiles and pours you a cup of coffee. You take a sip and it's the best coffee you've ever had. You walk back into the living room and find a man in there.

“Do you mind covering up your junk?” the man asks. “This couch has a low cover.”

“No,” you say, pulling your pants back up.

“Okay, good. So do you want to tell me your name?”

“Vargen.”

“I'm Sebastian,” the man says. “You can call me Seb.”

“Okay Seb. Could you give me a ride into town. I need to find my girlfriend.”

“Sure. Let me get dressed and I'll take you.”

Seb walks into his bedroom and comes back out wearing a pair of jeans. He grabs a hoodie from the floor. “Let's go.”

You follow him out of the house and into his truck. He pulls onto the road and drives you into town. “What's your girlfriend's name?”

“Emily,” you say.

“Emily who?”

“Just Emily.”

“Well, Em, I hope you find her. Let's go.”

You stay silent the whole ride. Once home you rush to Emily's house. You knock on the door, but there's no answer. You knock again and again, but there's still no answer. You walk around back. The door to her room is wide open, but she's nowhere in sight. You sigh and sit down on the step to her house. You're not sure what to do.

Over near the shed are signs of struggle. A trail of bloody footprints lead from her house to the shed. Could she be in the shed? You rush over there. When you arrive, you see her lying on the floor, her throat torn out. She's dead. You sit on the ground and cry.

After a few minutes, a man with long black hair and a beard approaches you. He wears a ski mask and has a gun in his hand. “Get up slowly,” he says. You do as he says. “Toss the knife and cell phone over here.”

You comply and he grabs the cell phone. He opens it up and checks to see if it's active. Satisfied, he puts it in his pocket and picks up the knife. He looks at you again. “Now listen closely. I'm not going to ask you again. Throw me the bag.”

You do as he says.

“Good,” he says. “Now, let's go for a ride.”

You take a deep breath and follow Sebastian out of the shed.

“Where are we going?” you ask.

“You'll see.”

Seb takes you down a dark alley. He stops in front of a wall. “Okay,” he says, “put your hands on the wall slowly.”

You do as he says. He pulls out a bag and empties it on the ground. Several small rocks fall out. “Pick those up,” he says. “And whatever you do, don't look down.”

You comply. There are about a dozen small rocks in the bag. You carefully pick them up.

“Now, what do you know?” Sebastian asks.

“Nothing,” you say.

“Bullshit,” Sebastian says. “You know something. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. So what do you know?”

You shrug. You have no idea what he's talking about. He probably thinks you know something about the murder of Emily, and you have no idea what he's talking about. Still, it's not worth arguing with him.

“Okay,” he says. “Who's watching the bag?”

“What?”

“The fucking bag. Who's watching the bag? If you try anything, I'll kill you. I'll blow your fucking brains out.”

You shrug.

“Who's watching the bag?”

“I don't know.”

Sebastian sighs. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gun. He points it at your head and says, “One last chance.”

You don't know what he's going to do, but you don't have a choice. You try to answer, “I don't know.”

Sebastian grins. “Tell me you didn't kill her.”

“I didn't kill your girl,” you say. “I don't know who did.”

“Bullshit. You know who killed her. Now, who's watching the bag?”

“I don't know.”

“Okay, tough guy. Let's see how tough you are.” He clocks you in the face. You drop the bag. He kicks it away and you hear it land at the bottom of the stairs. Then he puts the gun to your head and says, “Any last words?”

“Fuck you,” you say.

“Good answer. Now, if you'll just shut the fuck up, I'll let you live.”

You don't say anything more. You don't need to. You hear the click of the gun being cocked. You close your eyes and wait.

Click.

The gun is empty. He laughs as you run away.

This is the end of the ride. Sebastian is going to kill you. You are a nobody. You are no longer needed. You are not useful. You have nothing to offer.

You are a dead man.

But you are not a dead man yet. You run.

You run through the streets. You run and you run until you are so far away, it's as if you never existed. You are a ghost, unseen and uncaring, a shadow passing through this world. You are a whisper, a sigh, a mote of dust lost in the wind. You are forgotten. You are gone.