Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 1 - Captured

Lauren stared at the furious creature before her, emerald eyes taking in every detail. Its massive body was coated in thick pitch black fur, and its blood red eyes were narrowed into an angered glare, darting through the room in an attempt to find an exit. To no avail, of course. The creature's lips curled back into a threatening snarl, revealing rows of dangerously sharp teeth. It was at least two metres high, unusually large even for a wolf, and undeniably cramped in the small metal cage the guards had provided.

"Where did you find it?" All eyes turned on the young girl as she spoke, her raspy voice dripping with authority. Her hair was as black as the night sky, and her deadly pale skin matched the cold expression on her face perfectly. Her long legs were clad in ripped black jeans, and her white band tee partially covered by a black leather jacket. Despite her apparent importance, her outfit was casual, and she seemed relaxed, her eyes never leaving the creature in the cage. There was a brief silence, each of the guards hoping another would take responsibility and answer her.

"The woods a few miles south, Miss." One of the men finally spoke, far less confidently than the young girl.

The creature let out another vicious snarl, eyes trained on the raven-haired girl before it. Lauren seemed amused rather than frightened, her full lips curling into a smirk as she stepped forward, studying it further. Much like hers, its gaze was unwavering, unbothered by her evident power. Despite the lack of fear, it shrunk back as she moved forward in an attempt to avoid the unfamiliar sickly sweet scent that accompanied her. While the rest of the house reeked of death, her smell was far more inviting. It was strangely sweet, almost like cherry blossoms, and despite the anger coursing through the creature at being caught and caged, the scent calmed it instantly. Lauren watched as the wolf edged forward towards her, a sniffle accompanying each tiny step. Without thinking, she reached her hand out towards the massive creature and into the cage. It recoiled, a low growl forming in its throat instinctively before it tentatively inched closer to her flattened palm. Its breath was strangely hot on her fingertips as the wolf took in her scent. While she expected it to jump back soon after, disgusted by the vampiric smell as werewolves usually were, it remained unbothered. A light blue, almost silver, slowly spread through its crimson eyes, like swirls of watercolour, until its iris had changed completely. Up close, the sweet smell was not nearly as overpowering as the wolf had imagined, and despite their situation, it found itself lowering its head. Lauren's palm grazed its forehead, her fingertips tangling in thick silky fur. Her breath caught in her throat. She had expected it to feel coarse and unkempt, but the thick hair felt incredibly soft on her hand. The creature relaxed completely, the sensation of being pet strangely calming, as embarrassing as it may be, and while she fought to keep herself still, her tail twitched regardless. The movement was barely noticeable, though the young vampire in front of her couldn't help the chuckle that rose in her throat. While Lauren was amused and the wolf embarrassed, the guards took the movement as a sign of aggression in their frightened state. A sharp stinging in its backside, soon followed by a powerful electric shock, brought the wolf back into reality. In an instant it had pulled its head out of Lauren's reach, growling furiously at the men behind her, teeth bared and eyes narrowed. The guard recoiled, the long black tasers pulled out of the wolf's reach. Before he could react, the young girl spoke once more.

"Leave us." Her emerald eyes remained on the angered wolf, merely flashing a furious glare towards the guards as they bowed and left, giving them no more than a split second of her attention.

The wolf watched with hostile glares and threatening growls as the door shut, continuing the display even after the room was empty. Lauren didn't mind the brief distraction, using it to study the giant creature caged inside her bedroom. Its muscles were evident with every slight movent despite the thick fur, and Lauren doubted even she could take the beast on, not that she would ever admit that out loud. While shifted wolves were not a common sight, it was evident this one was on the larger side; the thick metal collar already embedded in its neck, undoubtedly uncomfortable if not painful.