Bloody Love

History Lesson

Alice felt like she was falling. The nearest sensation it could be compared to was when you're not quite asleep, yet not quite awake. It was so dark, she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. She was screaming but had the strangest feeling that no one could hear her.  What was happening? Where was she? "Is anyone here with me? Can anyone help me? I need some help! Please!" Suddenly, there was a small pool of light in the otherwise impenetrable darkness.

The voice that accompanied the light was cold, distant. "There's no need to scream. I mean, really, it's all the same with you humans. You make a choice –or half a choice- because you chose Will back there in that room, didn't you? Yes, yes. Love and all that. Not that I can relate. No. Certainly not. But it's only half a choice because whether you like it or not, you're attracted to Brad. Nothing much to do about that, really. Man has good genes, would make good puppies-and they would be puppies-just like you're a puppy. At least partly."

Alice started to panic. Okay, whoever this person was, they knew entirely too much. Too much about Will, Brad......me.  They also sounded a bit crazy, like they were talking just to hear themselves talk but also like they thought themselves important and worth listening to, maybe they were.

Alice replied cautiously,"Well maybe it'd be an easier choice if.... I knew the history of my....objects of affection."

The voice laughed. Alice thought it was Will's laugh but it couldn't be. For one thing, it was too cold, too distant, flowing in a river of barely suppressed emotions. "Adorable petit loup. Si seulement vous étiez aussi vieux que moi. Alors vous n'auriez pas à choisir. Tu verrais qu'il ne peut pas t'aimer comme je le fais. Mon Alice s'il vous plaît me choisir.

Translation: Adorable little wolf. If only you were as old as me. Then you would not have to choose. You would see that he can not love you as I do. My Alice please choose me.

In the next second, there was a pair of lips on hers. Wills lips....but they couldn't be. Will wasn't here, if he was he would be saving her, not giving her the kiss of life.

Oh god. Kiss of life. I'm probably dying, bleeding out somewhere. That's why I'm here, with  Will in my head, to make a choice. But if I'm going to die, why is my choice Will or Brad and not life or death?

She gently pushed Will away,"Tell me the history of your people. I have to make my choice and it has to be an informed decision this time.

Will touched her face,"My people are not me. Please don't make me. In my heart I'm just a...monster who loves you. Come home to me, please love.

Alice looked at him with sad eyes,"I can't unless you tell me. I can't come back. I want to but I need to know who I'm coming back to."

With a wave of his hand, Will conjured two images. One was of himself weeping on the hospital floor. People were trying not to stare. Alice whispered,"No. No. Will, I'm sorry. Je t'aime."

Alice tried to run into the image but she was thrown back by a barrier. The Will that was with her in this place, spoke .

"My people have killed and lied and burned down whole villages just because. We were monsters and quite happy to be. Until....a monarch found a human wandering alone at night and thought that anyone that stupid deserved to be drank from. So he followed her.  She noticed him and gave him a valiant kick to his nether regions. So impressed was he that instead of drinking from her and taking her vitality, he vowed to protect her. And in doing so, he was granted the right to feel on a basic level."

Alice touched the barrier,"He's crying. He's crying because I gave him what he asked for... and now I could be dying because of it. Is this normal for vampires?"

Will considered her question,"I honestly don't know. I think the monarch wept openly when his love passed...but he didn't kill her."

Alice turned to face Will, her face a storm of emotions and before she knew what she was doing, she had let loose her wolf and was sitting on his chest, growling. Will looked up at her, mesmerized. "Have you decided to kill me then? Go to Brad? Huh? You could choose yourself yknow , go your own way. "

A howl ripped through the air. A sound of searching, of longing. Alice could hear the deepness of it that said Brad. The second song of her soul.

Alice looked at Will below her. The howl tore through the air again, she looked at Will. Will looked at her and whispered,"You must decide, love. I want to tell you though that in both wolf and human form you are beautiful and I love you."

Alice froze. I don't love Brad but Brad is the natural choice. If I choose Brad, I'll have a family and be where I belong. Brad is safe. Maybe I could learn to love him.

I love Will. I love his kisses and the way he laughs sometimes when I kiss him. I love how gentle he is and how protective. I love that the night he found me because I fell in the shower, he pretended not to see anything and still wouldn't look as he helped me dress. 

Alice got off Will and whimpered. So much confusion.

And then both minds  came through at the same time, with the same thought: Follow your heart. I will support you.

Alice looked at Will, still lying there on the floor, staring up at her like she was the stars. Wait. She pushed the thought toward him, hoping he understood what she was about to do. She leapt on his chest and laid down, trying to ignore the feeling of absolute contentment that emanated from them both. Then she ran down the corridor, following the howl. She barreled into Brad.

The two wolves stared at each other and then Brad sniffed her: You stink. I don't like that you smell of him.

Alice kept her face, unexpressive.  I know you don't. But let me explain something to you. Will probably doesn't like my wolf scent as much as you don't like me smelling like Will. Let's say I was a vampire and smelled like this all the time...could you love me despite my scent? Could you love me for who I am?

Will huffed. I know this is a test...and I know that I will fail. As much as I want to be that man, I must confess I am more wolf than man at this point. Maybe if you came earlier things would be different but you didn't and so I cannot look past the scent. But this is ridiculous, you don't smell like this all the time!

Alice spoke with exaggerated patience:You're right, I don't. But in every relationship, there are things you don't like about a person that you overlook because you love the whole package. You think that I'd make a good Omega and I probably would but I'm not the right wolf for you.

Brad asked : Can I ask you why?

Alice said: Because you'd settle for someone who could learn to love you. I'd rather be alone than have to endure that. Which is why I choose Will. It was always Will Brad.

Brad sputtered: But...but but but he's a monster! You can't be serious!

Alice laughed:He wasn't always. And Brad....Will is so gentle with me, and he's kind and funny. And oh, he smells great!

She ran back in the other direction and jumped through the image of Will. She felt like she was falling until she opened her eyes.