Covert Defiance

"Look at me," Adrienne whispered softly as she steadied her breathing. Her long, silky hair, black as night, was disheveled and sticking out around her face. Contrasting her pale white skin were her red lips, now parted and revealing 2 sharp fangs. As she calmed herself, they began to recede back into her gums. Delano stood several feet away, his back turned. Moments ago, they'd been kissing. Now, he was trying to distance himself from her.

"Delano," Adrienne said more sternly, now standing and smoothing down the front of her dress. "LOOK at me."

Delano's head snapped around, his gaze burning into hers. His once beautiful, chocolate brown eyes were beginning to turn yellow. His breaths were becoming more ragged, almost growling now. He looked pained - he was fighting it. Delano's already large frame seemed to be growing by the second. Adrienne knew it wouldn't be long before the Lycan changed completely.

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The vampires and werewolves had been at war with one another for centuries. On any given day, the 2 species looked normal to the average person. Only when the change happened could you see the monsters come alive that always lurked beneath the surface. Surges of adrenaline were the catalyst for the change. A faster heart rate, rapid breathing, and increased blood circulation were the top contributors. Once the change happened, their instincts drove them to tear each other apart. They couldn't stop themselves even if they wanted to.

Adrienne Michaels was no stranger to the war. In fact, war was all she heard about. As the only child to the commander of the Vampiric Army, she was closely monitored. She had a strict curfew enforced by commander Michaels, who insisted it was for her own safety. He had guards posted throughout the city around the clock, always watching.

Lucky for Adrienne, she'd grown up in the city under the watchful eye of her father. She knew every dark corner, every vacant alley, and every squeaky floorboard in the common areas. Curfew or not, she had a life to live. She wouldn't be caged. She refused to just simply exist.

Adrienne had just made it to the outskirts of the city, her path guided by the moonlight. She could hear the music now and see light illuminating the windows of the tavern. Almost there. Cloaked in shadows and her hooded coat, Adrienne silently slipped past one of the guards who had just turned his back. As she ran, she knew she'd escaped the grasp of the city once the cobblestone street turned to grass.

Warmth flooded Adrienne's face as she opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. Gallow's End was a neutral tavern that sat right outside the city limits. Anyone who opposed the war, whether vampire, werewolf or otherwise, met here some nights for drinking and comradery. Commander Michaels had forbidden any of his soldiers - and Adrienne, of course - from setting foot inside the tavern. He considered it an act of treason. "Pacifists," he called them.

Pulling the hood back from her head, Adrienne began scanning the room, looking for him.  There were a lot of familiar faces she recognized from her last few weeks at the tavern. A couple of them nodded to her politely. Finally, she spotted him. Delano was seated at the bar, drinking and laughing at the bartender, with his broad back facing the door. His beautiful black hair was hanging in ringlets to the base of his neck.

This was how she met him weeks ago - carefree, smiling, and a beer in his hand.
They'd hit it off immediately, which was highly unusual for Adrienne. Not only had she never been in a relationship before, but Delano was a werewolf. An interspecies relationship was not just taboo. It was prohibited. Unlawful. Forbidden. With Delano, though, it felt different. Nothing about their conversations felt "wrong." In fact, it felt like they'd known each other their whole lives.