The Crimson Secret- A Cerise x Clawdeen Story AU

Chapter 1- A Moonlit Encounter

It was supposed to be a short berry trip, I didn't know it would lead into this...

I was picking berries in the forest near my house, till I knelt too far through the bushes. Not even knowing how it had happened, I fell through, down the scree and into the river that was over edge.

I was able to get out of the river into the nearby grass, I didn't know how far I went down the river. But I decided to go into the nearby forest hoping to find some familiar surroundings.

It was dark out and Cerise knew her mom would be worried. She knew if anything happened no one would be able to hear her or know what had even happened to her.

She was shivering cold from the water of the river along with the cold breeze. It was autumn so the trees were all bare against the night sky, and as she walked the leaves crunched underneath her boots. She was in the middle of the woods not knowing how far from home she was, she didn't go out of town often, her mom was protective of keeping their secret safe.

Was it better to stay still or keep moving, she didn't know until she heard a rustle of leaves...

"What's a human doing all the way out here? Let alone a pretty one such as yourself" said a voice coming from the dark woods.

Cerise knew she would be able to take them on but she didn't know at what cost, what if someone found out...

"Who's there? come out " Cerise looked around to see a pair of yellow glowing eyes in the dark breezy night.

"No need to be scared", the eyes came closer, the figure had started walking into the moonlight revealing a beautiful woman with a majestic billowy mane and striking moon eyes that left Cerise in awe. Not to mention she had impeccable fashion.

But she wasn't just a woman, she was a monster.

A wolf monster of some sort.

The only other wolf Cerise had seen was her Dad...

"I'm not scared," Cerise claimed.

Just then a breeze came by so hard sending chills down her spine and taking her hood with it revealing her secret....

Big wild fuzzy wolf ears.

"I see you're not the only one with ears" the maiden said motioning to hers.

Cerise quickly pulled her hood up feeling self-conscious.

"The names Clawdeen and look I'm not here to hurt you,'' she said, dropping the playfulness. "But I want to warn you of what's in these woods and you seem to be far from home. Let me help you with, I know im a complete stranger but..." with each word she took a step closer to Cerise

Her head told her to run but something about her seemed trusting.

"What's in these woods-"

Just then an arrow zipped by hitting the tree beside them.

"CERISE!! Where are you?" yelled a familiar voice, she couldn't see. Her eyesight was only partially good in seeing at night, as she was only half monster.

"Is that your name?" Clawdeen asked.

"What on earth was that, are there hunters in these woods, what are they trying to get at night?" Cerise said with another arrow going off, a torch light came into view of who was doing it. It must be the people from her village looking for her and if so why were they shooting, if they thought she was there?

"It's the normies, We gotta go, they'll hate people like me and you." Clawdeen gestured to follow her. "Wait, are you the one they're looking for?" She soon realized.

"Yes, I can blend in, you run off!," Cerise said, trying to protect the stranger.

But it was too late as another arrow was shot and it jabbed through Clawdeen's leg. She fell over howling in pain while holding her leg with the arrow stuck through it, blood seeping through her clawed fingers

"Cerise, is that you?"

It was Hunter the huntsman's son from her village's voice. Her mom must have sent notice to everyone. She was about to tell the huntsman she was here but she looked into Clawdeen's golden moonlike eyes and saw pain.

She was gonna die if someone didn't help her soon. She reminded herself that it was just a stranger that she could be risking her life for, but they were one in the same.

Cerise knew what she had to do.