Lucia's red eyes scan for movement in the forest as she walks down a dirt trail. Her black boots softly hit the ground, the only noise she can hear. This unusually quiet night unnerves her, it is as if the wildlife are waiting for something to happen. The sound of heart-wrenching sobbing breaks the silence sending chills down her spine. She hurries towards the source, more worried about the stranger than sustenance. It doesn't take long to reach a clearing where a young tear-streaked woman is sitting. A bite wound on her right shoulder is rapidly healing, and the vampire immediately knows what she is. Desperate tear-streaked light blue eyes spot Lucia standing there, with not a hint of fear of the other monster in them.
"I know we don't know each other...but would you mind giving me some company?" her loneliness resonates with Lucia, as she had to go through her own painful transformation alone.
She nods and the stranger introduces themselves as Avery, a werewolf whose first turn is tonight. Lucia says her name and that she's a vampire. The two of them shake hands and start talking about mundane things such as the beautiful night. Anything to get their minds temporarily off of the abnormal situation. As the full moon rises higher in the sky Avery's voice becomes more strained. The physical agony increases to the point where she bites her lip to suppress a scream. Blood slowly drips down her mouth as canines sharpen into fangs causing Lucia to quickly look away.
"Sorry..haven't eaten yet so it's hard resisting" she quietly murmurs and if Avery didn't have heightened hearing she wouldn't have picked it up.
"If you go hunting please bring something for me" Avery groans, clutching her stomach with fingers that are slowly sharpening into points.
Lucia wordlessly leaves and what seems like only minutes later is back with two dead squirrels. She notices more changes in the werewolf while she was gone such as yellow eyes, and more body hair. She growls in a deep voice as her bones reshape and she gets onto all fours, her clothes tearing and falling off. Black claws dig into the dirt as her tail and face push out and her ears become pointed. In seconds a wolf standing in the place of Avery tears into the carcass. Lucia quickly tosses the blood-drained one and slowly backs away. She's shocked though when Avery looks at her with recognition. Slowly padding over so as not to scare the vampire further Avery gently nuzzles Lucia's hand.
"Do you want me to pet you?" she asks not fully expecting a reply but isn't surprised when she nods her head. Lucia's hands slowly move over Avery's soft fur, cautious not to make any quick movements. The wolf closes their eyes in contentment before eventually stepping away and laying down. Lucia sits beside her and pets her head as she drifts off to sleep comfortably resting on her lap. The morning slowly arrives and with it, Avery squirms in discomfort as she changes back. Her sickly pale hands tightly held onto Lucia's olive-toned ones as if her life depended on them. Eventually, she fully reverts to her human form, shaking in shock and sweaty. Lucia takes off her jacket and helps Avery put it on before carrying the exhausted werewolf out of the forest.
"Could you drive me to my apartment? I ran here last night" she groggily asks struggling to keep bloodshot eyes open
"Yes am not going to make you walk back after your ordeal" Lucia replies as they get closer to her red Honda Civic. The animals have resumed their communication, chirping and chattering as if nothing unusual happened. The two young women drive away with Lucia occasionally glancing at Avery whose shivers have subsided. When they pull up to the parking lot Avery tells her the number before going completely limp. A few early morning joggers give the pair curious looks as they go up the stairs and Lucia unlocks her door making sure to close and lock it behind her. Hearing a guy quietly snoring in one of the bedrooms she opens what she assumes to be Avery's room and moves the red and black checkered quilt before placing her in the bed and covering her with it. As Lucia turns to leave Avery's hand tugs on her shirt to get the vampire's attention.
"Please stay" she murmurs while motioning to her bed
Lucia hesitates before taking off her black boots and climbing in laying on the soft mattress and looking up at the ceiling while the werewolf falls back asleep feeling less alone than when she found out what she was.
YOU ARE READING
Love of the night
WerewolfCollege students Lucia and Avery one a vampire the other a werewolf cross paths in the woods on a full moon night. As time goes on their bond deepens as they navigate a new semester while coming to terms with their new abilities.
