Haley Thistle
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Knute the Werewolf (rough draft)
🕑 Added 2022-03-23 20:00:04 +0000 UTCAnja Belland was the eldest child of Tor Belland, a wealthy rancher and trader that my family often did business with. Anja was born with high expectations upon her shoulders as the eldest child. She was expected to marry well, she was expected to have a good head upon her shoulders, and she was expected to continue the Belland bloodline.
I remember the first time I saw Anja as a little boy; she was in the arms of her father like a little bisque doll. Her eyes were a shimmering hazel, lined with the thickest, longest lashes I had ever seen. She was chubby with cheeks like apples, and her hair was braided with red ribbon to match. We were the same age back then, but I knew I was looking upon the woman I would someday marry.
I didn’t have much of a chance. The Belland family wasn’t that well-to-do mind you, but they expected the best for Anja. I was...fine by all standards, but not the best. My family was much more rural, more earthy than the usual folk that Tor did business with. My family were trappers and hunters, as well as guidesman through the harsh woods. My father led long expeditions off the mountains while my mother hunted for fur and meat.
When I was still young my father was killed on one of these expeditions, and this caused wild rumors to pop up about our family. My mother didn’t let me in on the secret, not wanting me to think anything beyond love for my father.
“What happened to him was a mistake,” she whispered to me. “I won’t let that same mistake happen to you, my pup.”
Luckily Tor was a good man who was friends with my father, so our business didn’t suffer. But my mother still thought it would be best to move us further into the woods with my uncle’s family as a way of protecting ourselves. I only got to see Anja every once in a while after that, but every time I did she grew more beautiful than the time before.
“Stop staring at me, Knute!” She snapped at me during one such visit. “Every time you come here you put those big ole’ eyes on me.”
I touched my fingers under my eye. “I can’t help their size, Anja.”
Anja pouted at me, her long braid swinging out behind her like a scorpion’s tail. “That’s not the point! You will make my future husband very angry if you keep staring at me like that!”
That didn’t make sense to me, considering that the future husband she was talking about was going to be me. “You’re very pretty though, I won’t mind people looking at you, Anja.”
Anja tensed up, squeezing her small hands into even smaller fists and bunching up her shoulders around her ears. “When I do get married, Knute Tobiasson, I am going to have my husband beat you up!”
I wasn’t the most sharp witted boy, mind you, so I wasn’t quite catching onto her. “You’ll have more than one husband?”
Anja snarled and stormed away as my mother was finishing business. She watched little Anja stomp away as she came to fetch me.
“Flirting, my pup?”
“I think she wants more than one husband, Mama, is that okay? Do I have to marry him too?” I asked.
Mama chuckled and patted the top of my head. “That’s a discussion fit for a few years from now. Let’s go home.”
Most children go through changes in life that take them into their first steps towards adulthood. They begin growing in strange ways, but I began showing signs of my father’s lineage. Now, this meant several things, most of which weren’t obvious right away. My father was a big, tall, hairy fellow, which I was showing signs of. I was having growth spurts that ached like a hammer had been taken to my limbs. I started growing patches of hair in the most embarrassing of places. I was eating more than I think my mother could keep up with, which led to me filling out like my father.
Something else about my father was that he descended from a bloodline that some might call corrupted. It was what led to the rumors about him upon his death, and why my mother chose to move us further out towards his side of the family.
“I’ll train you just like I trained him,” Mama told me. “I won’t have you getting shot, or worse.”
“Can’t you just chain me up or something when it happens?” I asked her.
Her look was severe but sad all the same. “That would be as cruel as caging wild animals and keeping them alive. It’s not right to do that to them, even less so to do it to my own child. What happens with you every month is as natural as the flow of water, the sun rising, and the moon that wills you.”
I wasn’t so much afraid of this change as I should have been, more so annoyed at it. I didn’t think Anja would enjoy having a husband who would be useless during the full moon. I wanted to be a present and useful husband to her, and this would be a challenge to any marriage.
When I was fourteen, Tor hired me to help guard his ranch. I was just one of many extra hands he brought on to protect the place as he had some of his livestock go missing and mutilated.
“There are beasts out in those forests, and they know what savagery winter will bring before it shows itself. So they come out to hunt where it will be easiest,” Tor said.
I was probably the youngest of the group he hired, but even at fourteen I was taller than most. I was also trained by my mother, something Tor took respect with. After giving us a small lecture and some gear, we dispersed out around the grounds to wait until nightfall.
At my post I saw Anja returning from school. She was riding on the back of her favorite horse, and she looked like a goddess upon the saddle.
“Good afternoon, Anja!” I said, waving her down.
She turned her head in my direction and came to a stop. “Knute Tobiasson, please tell me my father didn’t hire you for protection.”
I approached her horse and smiled up at her. “He did! He said he wished that there were more of me to go around.”
Anja sighed. “You’re only a child, Knute. Please don’t die, I would hate for that to fall on my father’s conscience.”
My heart soared at her words. “I promise I won’t die, Anja. I would hate to see you or your father sad.”
Anja’s mouth twisted into a small pout. “How would you see me sad if you were dead?”
I opened my mouth to speak then closed it. I rubbed the back of my head as I pondered this. “That’s a very good question.”
Anja sighed and shook her head. “This is very serious business, Knute. I know your mother is a great hunter, but you are still just a child. This is man’s work!”
I tilted my head to the side. “All the more reason I should take the job if I ever want to become a good man. So I’m not worried much!”
Anja turned her head away. “Your hair has gotten long, you should get it cut.” She snapped the reins and her horse carried on.
I pinched my hair between my fingers to look at the ends. “I’m trying to grow it out,” I chuckled.
That evening as the world grew cold and dark, I stood at my post in wait. My eyes were closed, but only so I could hear better. I breathed in deep to catch any strange scent that wafted on the breeze. The night was still, and it seemed like nothing would move.
I then smelled old blood in the air. It was a thick and pungent scent that caused the back of my throat to tighten up. I held my breath to listen harder and then I charged forward. In the distance there was a large shape crouching near the fence. One of the other hired guards was asleep at his post while this shape crept closer and closer.
I came upon it and the shape stood in attention. It looked at me and my heart sank deep into my stomach.
The great wolf looked at me, eyes shining, teeth bared. The fur on its back rose into a ridge as it crouched back down to say that this prey was his.
“We are blood,” I whispered to the wolf. “Please hear me.” I prepared my hand around the hilt of my axe. “Leave this place, do not make me fight you. We are family.”
The wolf wouldn’t listen to me and the other guard began to stir. He woke and froze in fright at the sight of the wolf before him. I didn’t waste time; despite the heartbreak it caused me, I leapt at the wolf with my axe brandished.
The fight was not long, but in my heart I knew I would carry it forever. The wolf was vicious and turned, there would have been no reasoning with it.
I was lauded as a hero by Tor and the guard I saved. Tor presented me with a sizable reward as well as supper with the family the following evening.
“What will you do with your kill?” Tor asked over his meal.
I sat to his right, across the way from Anja; but I couldn’t bear to look at her. I felt as though I had failed, even if I had completed the job I was hired to do.
“I’ll respect it,” I told him.
From the corner of my eye I saw Anja’s expression shift.
“I’d like to take it home with me and I’ll make something from its fur and bones. It may have been a beast to you, sir, but even beasts deserve honor upon death.”
Anja nodded her head. “That’s very noble, Knute.”
“It’s what’s right.” I looked at her for the first time that evening, seeing a small but lovely smile upon her lips.
I took the wolf home with me and, despite my age and size, I cried in my mother’s arms. Afterwards, we took care of the wolf together. We skin it and I take the fur to make something I can use the rest of my life.
Not long after, I shift for the first time.
I don’t recall much of it, aside from an agonizing pain as the full moon shaped my body into the form she desired. I then remember waking in a field with blood in my throat and a few shredded rabbits laid around me. My mother was nearby watching me and ready with a change of clothes.
“The wolf you killed was part of you last night,” she told me. “But I will train you so it does not command you.”
“What did I do?” I asked her.
“I’ll tell you later once you’ve rested better.” She covered me up and held me tight in her arms.
Days afterward, my whole body ached and my uncle poured a hot bath for me to relax in.
“I remember when your father and I went through our first shift,” he laughed. “We must have found a wombat’s nest and it ripped our faces to shreds.” He pointed to some scars that were hidden under his beard. “Worst scars I ever got. You’re lucky you got your mom looking out for you.”
“Is it normal not to remember anything?” I asked him.
“In the beginning, yes. As you grow older you’ll be able to retain some control, some sight. It won’t be like your usual mind though, you’ll see it more like dreams or nightmares when you come to. It won’t ever quite be clear.”
“Oh,” I muttered.
“Your father was good at keeping his wits though, thanks to your mother,” he then added. “I think, with her guidance, you might come out better than the rest of us.”
“I just don’t want to hurt anyone,” I murmured. “It was bad enough hunting that wolf.”
He clapped his hand upon my shoulder. “You did your best, Knute, that’s more than anyone can do.”
I was heralded as a hero when I returned to town with Mama. The old rumors of my father faded away as I was touted as a wolf slayer. I hated the name, but it was a name that never left me as I grew up.
It got me a lot of work though, so I couldn’t complain when we had more than enough during the winter. Tor always had odd jobs for me around the ranch as well, sometimes it was more guard work, and other times it was for heavy lifting.
Although, there came a period where Anja wasn’t at home. She had been sent off to a fancy school off the mountains where she was being educated on the modern techniques of running the ranch, as well as business and numbers. I missed her greatly, but at least I got to hear Tor bragging about her often.
One winter, Tor hired me to go and fetch her from school for the holidays. He paid me handsomely, as well as extra money for the trip back.
“I would go myself, but the wife is having a few issues and I’d like to stay close,” he told me. “I trust you not only to keep her safe, but to keep your hands off her.” He said then vaguely threateningly.
“I would never, sir!” I said, alarmed.
Tor grinned. “I know, Knute. That’s why I’m sending you of all people.”
I had never spent time alone with Anja, so my heart was soaring. I had never been so excited in my life as I had been making that journey off the mountain.
Her school was very nice, I’d never seen a building so big before. There were so many windows, and so many girls, I wasn’t quite sure what to look at first. But then I saw her as she came across the campus towards me. I hadn’t seen her in ages, so my last memory of her was jarred from place.
Anja had grown into her baby fat and filled out in places that gave her a shapely figure. Her hair was no longer in her scorpion tail braid, but a soft sculpture of curls and waves.
“You?” She scoffed as she came upon me. “What on earth are you doing here, Knute? You are the last creature I expected to see! Where’s father?”
I searched inside my coat for the letter Tor sent with me. “Your mother was feeling ill, so he sent me in his place.”
She snatched the letter from my hands. “Oh well, not much I can do about it now. Step aside, you big oaf.” She shooed me with her hands. “All my friends are staring, it’s embarrassing.”
I hadn’t noticed anyone looking my way, but when I turned, I saw girls watching us with a curious glint to their eyes, and a rosiness upon their cheeks I dismissed as the cold.
“Let me help you into the carriage!” I hurried to her side, taking hold of her waist to lift her up.
Anja’s face went as red as a cherry and she began thrashing in my grasp. “Put me down! What on earth are you doing? Unhand me, you giant-” I set her down in the carriage and she swished her hair aside.
“I can get into the carriage on my own just fine!” She fussed at me.
I knelt down, showing her how the step up was broken. “I noticed the step was a bit loose though, I would have hated for you to fall, Anja.”
Anja clicked her tongue and huffed heavily. She moved her hair aside again and adjusted the scarf around her neck. “Ask me next time before you go and grab me with those big, meaty claws of yours.”
“Sorry, I promise I will, Anja.” I got into the carriage beside her.
I had never been so close to her before in my life. The seat we shared had our legs touching, although Anja tried to adjust herself to give me more room. Her scent was wonderful too, filling the whole carriage and my head with fresh roses and soft powder.
Anja was reading the letter her father had written, and her look turned to shock. “Oh my god-” She said aloud.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“My mother is pregnant!” She exclaimed. “She is far too old for that! What was my father thinking?”
I was quiet for a moment. “Maybe he was thinking he loved her.”
Anja slapped my arm. “Do not go much further than that, Knute,” she scolded me. “He should know better.”
“Aren’t you excited to have a sibling?” I asked. “I know I would be.”
“I am grown, this is like having a child of my own.” Anja leaned back in her seat. “I bet I’ll be expected to teach it.”
I frowned at her. “That’s not very nice. It’s your blood, you should look forward to passing on your grand education to them. You’re so smart, it should be easy. I’ve always wished to have siblings.”
Anja sighed heavily. “It’s just such a shock! I didn’t even think my parents still-” She stopped and shook her head. “This has not been a good day all around.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured.
“It’s not your fault.” Anja folded the letter back up. “I’m always so excited for these trips with my father, I was hoping it would save my foul mood.”
“Did something happen?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” she huffed.
I shrugged. “But I can listen, can’t I?”
Anja cut her eyes to me then sighed heavily. Her whole body slouched and she leaned forward a bit.
“There’s this group of girls at my school, they all come from very rich families so they don’t associate much with others there. They can be cruel and recently they’ve taken a liking to me.”
I smiled, thinking that everyone should like Anja. “Well that’s good!”
“No,” she huffed. “Not good. They’ve leeched onto me like parasites, nitpicking everything I do, taking credit for my work, and laughing behind my back when I’m not around.” She had a pained look upon her face that ripped into my chest.
“But I know the ranch could prosper with business from their families so I just-” She leaned back into her seat, cupping her hand around her mouth. “I don’t want to think about them anymore while I’m gone. It’ll be easier that way.”
“I could turn around and go talk to them for you,” I offered.
“Oh god, Knute, no!” She exclaimed. “That is the last thing I need right now. It was bad enough having them gawk at you.”
I looked back ahead at the road. “Sorry about that.”
“Nothing you meant to do,” she grumbled.
It was quiet for a long while after that. Once it began to get dark, I found us a place to stay for the night. Tor had said he had sent word ahead to the boarding house to save two rooms, but when we checked in, only one was available.
“It’s fine, I’ll sleep in the carriage,” I said cheerfully.
“But it’s freezing out!” Anja huffed at me.
“I’ve slept in colder weather before on hunts. Don’t worry about me, Anja. As long as you’re comfortable, that’s all that matters. I promised your father-”
“You expect me to sleep while you’re out here?” She pointed into the darkening air as snow began to fall. “You can sleep on the floor. I’m sure there are extra pillows. Just don’t mention this to anyone!”
I didn’t want to admit how excited I was, even to myself. “If you’re sure.”
The room was cozy, but the fireplace hadn’t been lit so it was a bit chilly. I worked on getting it started while Anja got comfortable behind me.
“Don’t you dare turn around,” she fussed.
“I promise, I won’t! I’m too busy anyways.” I blew on the sparks inside the fireplace as I tried to get it to start.
“Listen to that wind,” she huffed. “Aren’t you glad to be in here?” She stepped over towards me and I looked up.
Anja had her hair over her shoulder and was braiding it as she watched me. She was wrapped up in a warm looking robe but I could see her nightgown at the bottom.
“Yes, thank you,” I murmured. “But I would have been okay.”
Once her braid was done she tossed it over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t have been. I’d been a worried wreck all night.” She walked over towards her luggage.
I turned back to look at her. “What for?”
Anja scowled, focusing on trying to fit her things back into her bag. “You may be a giant, hairy, meaty oaf, but even you deserve to sleep somewhere warm. Now how about that fire?”
“Almost,” I was beaming.
She huffed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Not that I’m worried with you here or anything.”
The fire started catching and a warmth began to seep into the chilled room. “What do you mean?”
Anja looked away. “Like you don’t know.”
I shook my head. “I know some things, but you’ll need to tell me which things you’re talking about.”
“Everyone used to talk about it until you killed that wolf on our property.” Anja stood back up and crossed her arms. “I think it’s absolutely stupid, but people seem to think you’re some great terror. When anyone who spends two seconds with you knows what a big goof you are.”
I furrowed my brow as my heart began to sink. “People think I’m-”
“I don’t!” She quickly countered a bit too loudly. She stiffened again and shrugged. “All those idiotic rumors about your father, they were so cruel. I couldn’t imagine-” Her tone was growing softer and sweeter.
I tilted my head to the side. “I’ve never really talked about it with anyone.”
“There’s no such thing as werewolves anyways. People just want to make up stories to explain their own fears. Your father was a good man, and I guess you could be, too, in a few years.” A flush of color appeared on her cheeks and she quickly turned away from me.
“That’s why I’m not worried!”
“Thanks,” I murmured. “But you don’t have to prove anything to me. I’m very grateful you let me stay here for the night. I’m always so grateful to your family.”
Anja plopped down on the bed again. “My father has some fondness for you. Ever since you became the wolf slayer.”
I grimaced and her expression changed.
“You really don’t like that, do you?”
I took a seat upon the floor and sighed heavily. “It makes me feel ill,” I confessed. “I’ve never told anyone that before. But I’ve never thought of that moment as a badge of honor like your father does.”
“I thought so,” Anja said softly. “I remember that night, you barely looked at anyone at the dinner table. You looked so...sad.”
I glanced up at Anja. “It’s hard to explain-”
“It’s okay. I think I can understand. Your father’s name was Eadwulf, right? So I’m sure there was something tied to that for you. Probably why everyone started those werewolf rumors about him.”
I kept my head down, afraid I would give something away.
“Well, I guess we should try to sleep now.” Anja took a blanket and pillow from the bed and passed them down to me. “Good night, Knute.”
“Good night, Anja.” I laid down on the floor and closed my eyes. She didn’t believe in werewolves, but she was sleeping right beside one. It was a little funny.
A summer later, Anja was finished with school. She had a new baby brother as well, who was much celebrated by Tor. Anja dealt with business on the ranch while also trying to start a proper school house for the children.
I was busy at home, especially now that my uncle had become quite ill, which left most of the work to Mama and me.
“We can handle it,” she assured me. “We’ve worked harder with lesser hands before. This is not a new challenge, my pup.”
“But the full moon is coming.” I was worried about her having to tend to trap alone while I convalesced after my shifting. She’d lost fingers before, I didn’t want her losing many more.
“I will be fine! I am always fine. It is you I worry about.”
“Mama, I was over six feet tall, in my twenties, and twice your weight, I am not the one to be worried over anymore. I am not a baby.”
Mama wagged her finger at me. “To a mother, her child is always her baby. Now shut your mouth and get to work. You worry about me? But you will make more work for me by talking. Besides, the stress will ruin my training.”
So far, in the ten years that I had been shifting between man and wolf, I had caused no accidents. Nor had I been spotted by anyone thanks to Mama’s training. I could recall my nights now as if they were dreams like my uncle said. I can remember these hazy flashes of night sky, scurrying critters, and deep panting as I ran. I can’t quite recall my thoughts in the moment, but I can feel a sense of distance between myself and my other half.
My uncle passed away just before the next full moon, and I was crushed. During the funeral I heard the crying of a baby and I looked up to see Aja and her family were standing back from the grave.
“It was kind of you to come,” I said to Tor.
“Bad news affects a tiny town like ours,” Tor replied. “We wanted to pay respects and offer to feed you and your family this evening.”
I shook my head, even though I would have loved to indulge in the offer. “Tonight we want to be alone. But thank you for the kind offer.”
“Offer stands at all times, wolf slayer!” Tor laughed.
Anja placed her hand upon my arm, the only one who knew how those words cut me. She smiled softly to me, taking a small step closer as her family turned to approach my aunt and mother.
“I’m so sorry, Knute.” Her hand remained on my arm, and I wished I could have kept it there forever.
“It will be fine. It always is,” I murmured. “My uncle had been lonely since my father passed away. Perhaps now they are together.”
“Looking so sad doesn’t suit you,” Anja murmured. “I’m so used to seeing you so cheerful and silly.” She had an uncertain look upon her face. It was as if she didn’t know the right way to comfort me. “I can’t wait to see that face again when this is over.”
I smiled softly. “You want to see my face?”
Anja looked away and pouted, recoiling her touch from my arm. “Not that anyone would, I’m just saying I am used to it.” She then scoffed. “Listen to me, I still sound like a brat.” She placed her hand upon me again. “If you need anything, come and ask me, alright?”
My smile grew and my heart began to feel warm again. “That means more to me than anything, Anja. Thank you.”
“Like I said, being sad doesn’t you.” She reached up and patted my cheek, an act that would only fuel my childhood goal of marrying her.
As evening crept over the horizon, my mother kept a close eye upon me. I would shift very soon, once the moon found me and twisted me into the shape she desired. The aching had already settled in upon my bones, seeping into my body so that everything weighed down.
“Just breathe, my pup,” Mama coaxed. “Remember who you are, remember all I’ve taught you. Tonight will be a hard one.”
I grabbed my shoulder and squeezed, hoping to alleviate some pressure. “It already hurts a lot.”
Mama knelt down and held my face between her palms. “I know, it’s your grief. That’s why I need you to focus. Look at me. Think about something that makes you happy.”
I thought about Anja’s hand upon my arm and the way she spoke to me today. Since that winter I drove her home from school, her attitude has changed. She still fusses and scolds me, but she speaks to me much more readily than in days past. I dare to even think she might be eager to see me.
I think about her hand again, but from that night in the boarding house. I had woken to a sound and saw her arm hanging over the edge. Her hand dangled there above me and when I lifted mine up her fingers curled around mine.
That was the last thing I could remember before the moon found me. After that, I woke to find myself in a meadow not far from home. I didn’t see my mother anywhere around with the warm clothes she would carry for me. I stood naked, looking out over the fog filled grass, breathing in slowly as I tried to recall what happened.
There was a scent in the air, in my dream-like memory I could recall it. I chased it, going away from Mama and following it. I wasn’t hunting like I usually would, hunger didn’t even matter to me. I ran towards that scent, my heart racing in a way that was between fear and joy.
I felt something beneath my feet and, through the thick fog, I saw something blue. It was soft fabric with lace, it was a dress. Not just any dress, it was Anja’s. As I held it, the scent from my memories flooded me and I saw with crystal clear perfection Anja’s face through her window. Those shining hazel eyes widened as she saw me and she screamed. I remember that scream!
“There you are! What the hell happened last night?” Mama appeared on the edge of the meadow. “You took off and vanished!”
“Sorry,” I murmured.
Mama stopped and her eyes focused upon the dress in my hands. “What did you do?”
“I’m not sure,” I said breathlessly. “But there’s no blood. Not on me or anything. I think I just took the dress.”
Mama snatched the dress from my hand and looked it over thoroughly. “Do you know who it belongs to?”
I glanced away shyly.
“It’s that Belland girl, isn’t it?” She clicked her tongue. “Can you recall anything?”
I nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Knute, answer me,” she said calmly.
I swallowed and opened my mouth, to speak but had to close it promptly again when a bug flew in.
Mama sighed. “Get your clothes on.” She tossed the bundle at me, “If you were spotted last night then we could be in a lot of trouble.”
I coughed and spit until my mouth was dry. “What’ll we do?”
“Whatever we have to do,” she said sternly. “I won’t lose you like I lost your father. I don’t care what it is that’s lost, it won’t be you.”
Word spread quickly about the werewolf sighting, and Tor was even quicker to put up a reward.
“That monster tried to get at my baby girl!” He shouted. “I won’t rest until that thing's head is mounted above my fireplace!”
I shrank away from the crowd, knowing the head he was talking about was my own. I wouldn’t have even joined in on the meeting if it were for the fact that all this commotion would ruin hunting for Mama and me. Everyone going through the woods searching for this werewolf, well me, would scare away all the animals. Plus, Tor was paying ‘werewolf hunters’ and that money was needed.
It was a bit funny, because technically I was a werewolf who was a hunter, so me joining Tor as a ‘werewolf hunter’ wasn’t much of a lie.
“I need you, wolf slayer,” Tor said to me. “There’s no one here I expect to find this monster more than you.”
My guts churned in nerves. “Thank you, sir,” I muttered. “Excuse me for a moment.” I left the group and went into the kitchen, hoping to find some water or even old crackers to settle my stomach.
Anja was already there, drying dishes at the sink. “Quite a bit of noise.”
“Yeah, well-” I shrugged. “Under the circumstances.”
Anja set aside the dishes and wiped her hands upon her apron. “You would think I would be in on the rallying cry.”
I took a step back as she approached me. “I wouldn’t blame you. After all, a werewolf came right to your window. It scared you!”
Anja’s brows downturned and she looked a touch queasy. “But it didn’t do anything. Actually, I think I scared it more than it scared me.”
I turned my body towards her. “What?”
“I saw its eyes as I screamed,” she murmured. “It had this frightened, pathetic look on its face. It ran away, it didn’t try to do anything. I feel so awful.”
I was shocked. “Really?”
Anja cupped her hands over her face. “What if it was just lost or hungry? What if it gets killed because of me?”
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “It could be dangerous. Like that wolf-”
“That was my fault too,” Anja whimpered. She pulled back her hands, and those beautiful hazel eyes were red and full of tears. “I’ve never told anyone this, Knute,” she sniffled. “But after you killed that wolf, I would-” she hiccuped and I offered her my handkerchief.
“Thank you.” She blew her nose and hiccuped again. “When I was little, this...this dog used to come onto the ranch.”
My guts sank. “A dog?”
“Every full moon,” she whimpered. “It was a weird looking dog. But it was so cute and happy, I thought giving it scraps wouldn’t hurt. I thought it was related to that wolf, so I fed it because I felt guilty.”
During my early years of shifting, Mama said I would run off from her all the time. I could never remember what I did or where I went, I just always woke up near Mama somehow. I ran to Anja last night, maybe it wasn’t the first time.
“What if...what if it didn’t know how to hunt well and got hungry when I started going to school?” She blubbered.
“Anja, stop.” I placed my hands on her arms. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I promise. With any luck, it is long gone now.”
Anja glanced at my hands on her arms and her cheeks blossomed soft pink. “I don’t want rumors about your family spreading again.”
My heart surged painfully in my chest.
Anja’s bottom lip trembled. “You moved so far out last time. If it happens again, you might leave forever.”
“Anja,” I breathed. I was in disbelief at what she was saying.
She looked up at me and tears trickled down her cheeks. “I guess it wouldn’t matter though.” She pulled away from me and rubbed at her eyes. “Right?”
I smiled softly at her. “I really hope not.”
Until the next full moon, Tor plotted and planned for how to catch this werewolf. Mama was plotting away as well, readying for the night so our secret wasn’t discovered. Thankfully, I was privy to all Tor’s preparations and was even made his right hand man in the hunt. I managed to talk him into letting me go into the woods first and to give me an hour before the rest came into the woods. This would give me time to shift and for Mama to lead me somewhere safe.
“It’s a risky plot, son,” Tor replied. “I would hate to lose you.”
“Better that than lose a handful of men at once. If something happens to me, then you will know what you are up against. But if I am found alive, then you will know the situation isn’t as awful as you’ve made it out to be.”
Mama already had a wolf she hunted that I could drag out in the morning that could be excused as the supposed ‘werewolf’.
The day of, I was more nervous than the first time I shifted. My body ached horribly and I was ghostly pale. As we prepared at Tor’s house, Anja went around serving drinks and food. She came to me and knelt down to look me in the eye.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
Her sharp gaze sliced through me. “You don’t look like yourself. Not even a lick. You’re pale and quiet.” She reached out, pushing my hair aside and touching my forehead. “You feel hot.”
I tried to jerk away from her. “I must be coming down with something.”
Anja hummed under her breath. “You don’t have to kill it this time if you don’t want to,” she said softly.
I remained quiet and Anja noticed this shift.
“Knute-”
“There’s my slayer!” Tor busted between us to interrupt Anja’s thoughts. “We’re drawing close to the hour, son!”
I forced myself to smile and put on the bravado. “Yes, well-”
“I have good news as well! An extra reward to whomever brings in this beast alive!” He roared laughing.
“The reward is good enough as is!” Anja tried to fuss at him.
“Yes, but my dear girl, whoever kills this beast will be the perfect addition to our family!” Tor announced loudly.
Both Anja and I held the same expression then. “Father, you can’t be serious!”
“But I can! Whatever man or woman is strong enough to take down a werewolf is strong enough to marry you, my darling!”
“You’re the animal!” Anja roared at him and stormed off.
I tried to rip myself away from Tor to chase after her, but he held me tight. “Anja!” I called after her.
“Don’t worry about her, son. She keeps trying to play picky, but it’s about time she married someone. This is the perfect opportunity to vet the best candidate.” He laughed, but I didn’t find it particularly funny.
I couldn’t find Anja before we had to start the hunt. I felt more like pursuing her than taking care of this, but I knew if I didn’t find Mama in time, I would be dead. Then that wouldn’t do any good for anyone. I’d find Anja in the morning.
As the sun began to set I wandered into the woods with my axe in hand. I wouldn’t be using it that night, that much was certain. I was deep into the woods when Mama found me and she led me away.
She led me to a cave covered in thicket and inside there were chains attached to the stone wall.
“Mama, what is this place?” I saw claw marks on the wall and floor that looked old and worn.
Mama held up one of the chains and opened the cuff at the end. “I used to keep your father here.”
My eyes widened upon her. “But you said-”
“I know. But Eadwulf was much more wild than I could tame. I had to take drastic measures to keep him safe!” She approached me and held out the cuff. “Tonight I must break my promise, my pup. I can’t lose you.”
“Mama, I-” My body snapped as the moon found me.
“Hurry! Get in here!” Mama tried dragging me further into the cave, but I slapped away her hand. I contorted and bucked as the transformation took hold. I was in agony, I couldn’t hear her.
But I did smell something that brought me comfort.
I woke up upon a dusty floor. My breath came out in thick clouds as I struggled to come to. The way my body felt mangled, I was worried I had been captured last night, but my limbs felt free. I braced myself up, raising my head to the sunlight that came through the windows. Someone stood in that sunlight and came towards me.
Anja looked down at me and I remained still. There was no use in acting like anything or trying to hide. I was naked, what else could I do?
Anja suddenly threw her arms around me. “Are you okay?”
I was speechless, even more so than before.
“I was so worried,” she breathed against my cheek. “I didn’t think you’d come, but you did!”
As her arms tightened, I put mine around her. She was so warm on that cold morning, I was willing to forget everything up until this moment.
“What happened?” I breathed. “How did I get here?”
“I lured you here, to keep you safe!” Anja pulled back and cupped my face between her palms. “I couldn’t let you get hurt.” She pressed her forehead to mine, and I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t take it all in.
“How did you know?”
Anja smoothed her fingers under my eyes. “I would know these eyes anywhere,” she whispered to me. “As much as they’ve stared at me, I know them.”
I was in awe. She was brilliant! “You knew all along.”
Anja nodded. “I’m just glad you’re okay!” She kissed me, and at first I wasn’t sure it was real. I had to hold her to be certain, but as it deepened, it was all too clear.
“Anja, I’m naked,” I gasped after she let me go.
She giggled softly, kissing me again. “There are worse things.”
I ran my fingers through her hair as I grinned. “Why would you risk your life like this? What if I had hurt you?”
“I knew you wouldn’t. I didn’t have to risk anything.” Anja kissed my cheek and bare shoulder before resting her cheek there.
“That was a very foolish way to think, don’t ever do that again.” I scolded her. “But I owe you my life, thank you.”
“Just give me yours,” she whispered against my chest. “And then we’ll call it even.”
My heart stopped. “You would have me?”
Anja pouted as she lifted her head. “Don’t make me say it, Knute. I know this is what you have always wanted, don’t try to act any other way.”
“I’m not, but there is so much happening right now. Of course I have wanted this, but I’m not sure if I am dreaming or not.”
Anja pinched my cheek. “Is that proof enough? It’s real. I’m real-” She looked into my eyes. “And no one else can have you.”
“Oh,” I gasped.
Anja kissed me again. “We need to hurry though.” She stood up and held out her hand. “Or else this hunt will start all over.”
My body creaked and groaned as I stood. “Don’t worry, my mother is prepared. She has a wolf she’s going to say is the real culprit.”
“Well, yes, but you’re also naked.” She took off her apron and tied it around my waist. “This will do for now.”
We left the old school house and went into the woods. My mother was waiting, and extremely angry with me. Anja explained what happened and, as soon as I was changed, I took the wolf back to Tor.
That fall I fulfilled my childhood dream of marrying Anja. All these years of waiting and dreaming had finally paid off. She stood there in her beautiful dress, a reserved smile upon her lips, and we exchanged vows.
But before that, something else had to happen. The full moon before our ceremony, Mama and I showed her what the moon did to me. She stayed by my side and learned from Mama how to take care of me.
I woke to her for the second time, and I could remember her running alongside me in the woods.
“It doesn’t bother you that this could befall our future family?” I asked her.
She was putting my coat around me. “As long as they turn out like you, I am happy to have them.”
I smiled at her. “You really do love me.”
Anja frowned. “Oh, be quiet!”
I kissed her lovingly, placing my hands around her waist. She placed her hands upon my chest and cleared her throat as I pulled away.
“I do hold affection for you, Knute, quite a bit of it.” She looked into my eyes shyly. “And I have for a while.”
“You make me so happy, Anja!” I pulled her into a hug, lifting her from the ground.
“Ever since I saw the girls from my school undressing you with their eyes, I became miserable,” she pouted. “I worried you’d stop staring at me.” She looked almost ashamed. “I felt so ridiculous until I realized why I felt that way.”
“You were jealous!” I laughed.
“Okay, so maybe I was.” Anja ran her fingers through my hair. “But I won in the end.”
I kissed her again, feeling her body press closer to mine. Our wedding was in a few days, but we became man and wife then and there.
Her body was so warm and close and she wouldn’t let me go. I pressed close to her, inside of her and, for once, her voice was honest. It was sweet and soft, and her pleas for more vibrated down my skin and through my aching bones.
“Knute, don’t let go,” she whimpered. “Don’t stop.”
My hands dug into her soft hips, my chest pressed against her bare breasts. I was too far gone to stop now.
“I can’t. Not until you beg me to,” I panted.
I wouldn’t stop smiling on our wedding day. I should have been nervous, but I was overflowing with joy. Besides, she was mine already and I had given myself to her completely that morning in the woods. There was nothing to fear at that point.
Tor gave us a house on the ranch as a wedding present, filling it with everything we could possibly need. He hung the wolf pelt on the wall over the fireplace for us.
“We should take that down,” Anja pouted.
“I can make a coat for you,” I told her.
Anja smiled and averted her gaze. “I’m married to a fur coat, I don’t think I will need such a thing.”
I scooped her up into my arms and gazed at her like the first time I had as a child. “You mean it?”
Anja’s smile turned shy. “Not literally but-” She started to giggle. “Yes, I love you.”
