Werewolf Bride

Kill the Bastard

"Just lovely." The Wolf inside me growls.

My stepmother, Marie, is standing in front of me, her daughter minions beside her. "Master said you might show up here. You really think he'd let you escape so easily?"

I bite my tongue and hold back my slapping hand.

"You really think that crazy witch claim would fool him?" She cackles.

"It did. For a while from what I remember." I retort.

Laurie laughs obnoxiously. "How dare you! We take you in as our own sister and you try to send us away!" She's clearly offended deep down, but she only comes off as whiney.

"Don't try to appeal to her sympathy." Her mother shushes her. "She doesn't have any, nor do we need her sympathy." She stares into my eyes as she utters her next promise.

"Today, her life will end anyway. Don't sympathize with her either daughters."

My eyes narrow and I ready myself for attack...if there were any time to use my wolf, it would be now. I can see Carlos tense up beside me as well, reading my body language and intentions.

"Don't bother. You can't beat us. I created you. I can take you out and relinquish your powers just as easily. Is that what you want?" My stepmother smirks with amusement. Your werewolf prince could watch you die as a pitiful, helpless human if you'd like? Or you can surrender now and the Beast will decide what to do with you."

I pretend to hesitate at her words, pondering carefully on my next move...when in reality, the decision is already made. Carlos has relaxed and is watching my face for any clues, but I will provide none.

It's time to become the Knight. What do I have to lose? All that held me back before was idiotic fear, but now I have nothing to fear but the terrible fate I have now accepted.

My death.

But I will go down fighting.

"Think about that for a moment, but not for too long. We want to get back into town before nightfall." My stepmother taps her foot and frowns mockingly as if pretending to feel sorry for me.

"It's over. Charlotte."

I shake my head. "No. No, it isn't."

"You're mistak-"

I scream in fury, my claws unleashing themselves from my still human knuckles.

My stepmother's eyes widen, and her entire body bends backwards in a desperate attempt to avoid my attack. I only move faster, viciously tackling her to the ground.

Part of me wants to rip into her right now.

I almost do.

But Carlos grabs me by the shoulders and throws both of us back onto the ground.

My back crashes into his chest when we hit the cushioned, meadow floor. I squirm angrily but he holds me in place stubbornly. "Keep. Calm." He growls into my ear. "We won't get out of this by reacting this way."

I elbow him in his throat accidentally, causing him to release me back into my furious attack.

And the world goes black.

"Stop it!"

"STOP!"

My hands hold the woman down by her throat, my fangs bared.

My brain screams to kill her, but my instincts force me to do otherwise.

"We're outside the border." I cover her mouth and speak to her directly. "We're outside his territory. You no longer answer to him."

I pull my hands away from her face, revealing her shocked expression.

"You're in my territory now. You answer to me." I command her. "You are my witch now, dearest Marie." I smile slowly, a spark of hope igniting within me at the revelation. 

She sits up and rests on her hands, but doesn't protest.

"I'm your alpha now."

Deadly silence fills the entire meadow as if the breath left every single organism in the proximity. My ears nearly popped from the sudden change in the air.

My stepmother was still, as well as Laurie and Harriet and Carlos. 

I step back and take a few breaths. Surprisingly, I don't doubt the words that just came from my mouth. I don't understand them, or how I can possibly come to such a conclusion, but I trust them. I know I spoke the truth.

We aren't in his land anymore. We are over the borderline of his territory and he is no longer the most powerful wolf here.

I am.

I wait for any of them to protest, completely expecting my stepmother to roar with hatred and denial of my power...and yet, she doesn't.

Carlos is the only one that questions it. "How is that possible? There is only one."

"His power only extends so far. He can't be the only one." I snap back at him rather harshly, but I had to shut him down quick.

I can't believe this never occurred to me before...

"He just wants us to think he's the only one. Even if he is the one and only creator of our kind...he won't be the last leader." I assure Carlos spitefully. "No one can last forever. Not if I have anything to do with it." 

"It makes sense." Harriet smugly smirks, finally acknowledging her own understanding of the situation. "Why should we stay loyal to that big bully, mother!" She whines, returning to her usual, irritating nature. "I don't want to serve him my entire life like you had to."

My stepmother grimaces and rolls her eyes before standing to her feet. "You are the strongest, Charlotte. I can confirm that. This one..." She looks to Carlos, "...is still weakly connected to his master. There's no way he will be able to overcome his control completely without another master."

Carlos pipes up. "What, so am I only destined to serve another wolf?" He scowls.

"Yes." My stepmother harshly confirms, sending him only a brief side glance. "Wolves aren't all meant to be equal. They're designed to work in packs with high and lower ranks of power."

She turns to me with a small smile on her face. "I knew there was a reason I had high hopes for you."

"Don't bother with flattery. I will still despise you for all that you've done until the day I die, but that doesn't mean I will mistreat you if you serve me well." I deliver my promise without emotion and raise my eyebrows as I wait for her response.

"I would agree to that." She also responds emotionlessly.

"Good. We have a better chance of escaping his radar with the help of witches." I turn to my stunned husband. "What do you say we get out of here and finally take control of our rightful Kingdom?"

He opens his mouth to answer but is promptly cut off.

"No. It isn't enough." My stepmother intervenes.

"What isn't? Is my deal not good enough for you?" I gasp defensively. I can feel the anger boiling already...

"It isn't that. It just isn't enough that we let this continue any longer. It isn't natural. Wolves should be created naturally. What he does is play God with the help of slaving witches." She growls angrily. "Wolves have the ability to continue on their own without their psycho creator."

My eyes light up at the thought. "We could all have our own territories...with all of our own Alphas."

"Exactly. And you could rule this territory and the entire Kingdom. They could have peace for the first time." She smiles at me proudly, I assume full of herself for raising me.

"Good. So, let's dethrone this bastard."