The Cabin, the Woods, and the Wolf #watty2016

Chapter 21

The rage that boils inside me at seeing my beautiful bride being taken away by her savage father--taken back to that shack, resonates through skin and bone.

NO!

I refuse to let that be her ending.

My rage boils over at seeing my cousin here, and is compounded at the thought that he led that thing here to steal away my beauty.

My body is no longer my own, but is now shared with my wolf again. The pain is bearable, unlike with the eclipse, but it still hurts. This time the shift is shorter and I keep my consciousness after the shift is complete.

My confusion and shift is a momentary delay that my cousin exploits and uses to attack. His claws scratch against the wood of the ballroom floor, alerting me to his advance.

He barrels in and swipes his claws at random with no plan of attack. He manages to land one hit on my side, raking his claws back and causing massive gashes to open in my flank.

I growl, and spin around facing him head on, blocking and avoiding his blows while planning my move. At his next would-be-hit, he over-rotates, giving me the chance to pin him to the floor.

I growl to gain the attention of one of my guards and incline my head to the door, indicating that he should find my bride.

For a minute I'm glad she isn't here so she does not see what I am going to do next.

With one paw on his shoulder, I place the other on his neck. Forcing all of my weight down on him, I squeeze his airway closed. I transfer more and more weight to that one paw until he stops moving, but I do not let up until minutes afterwards to make certain he is truly dead.

The noise by the door draws my attention to possible further threats, and I take a defensive stance. I make sure all who attended the wedding are still standing behind me.

When the guard appears holding an unconscious man with my bride following behind him, I relax.

My beauty runs past the guard, uncaring about whom he holds, and straight to me. She wraps her arms around my neck in an embrace. A rumble sounds within my chest at the feel of her running her fingers along me neck.

The rage from earlier has receded, but I am still a wolf.

How do I change back?

How did I change back into my wolf?

Since all of threats are gone, the crowd standing behind me for protection disperses while being led by my great aunt.

"Boy, you make me proud of my lineage. Never in my two hundred years has anyone been granted the gift that you have been given. You have been blessed with the ability to call upon your wolf whenever you or your family are threatened. You, my dear, are the first were-shifter in five hundred years. Your family will be blessed with this ability when they reach their majority as well." She speaks loud so that everyone may hear the magnitude of this change.

I whine, regaining her attention. I want to shift back so that I may marry and have a family. Her sensing my dilemma turns to my bride and says, "Get the man to come back to you, sweet girl."

I tilt my head once again, confused by her wording, although it seems she does not have the same problem.

"I love you, please come back to me." Her sweet voice a whisper in my ear.

And just like that I go from fur to clothes, trembling with the after effects of such a quick change.

"I love you too, my dear. I have for so long, but now I will be able to tell you every day for the rest of our lives."

As I lean into kiss her lips, a mere breath away, my aunt calls out, "Just as soon as you marry her."

"Always getting interrupted. Sometimes I like being a wolf better."

"I heard that."

I just smile and help my beauty up, and walk her to the altar.

"It's ok. When we go for our honeymoon, we will not tell anyone where wego." She leans into my side, whispering underneath her breath.