Werewolf Kiss

The Original

The witch held up the bow and arrow towards Pearl. The young warrior hesitantly took them. She placed the arrow in the bow as she asked, “How does this work?”

The witch pointed forward, her icy blue eyes never leaving the warrior. “You will shoot the arrow, and it will pierce the person who will kill you; right before they do so.”

Pearl was skeptical of the witch’s words, but she raised the bow nonetheless. She didn’t aim the arrow anywhere specific. She just wanted it to have a clear path. When she could see nothing obscure the front of the arrow, she let it fly.

~Four Years Later~

She couldn’t believe where she was standing. Pearl was with the man she would spend the rest of her days with. She never thought she would get married. Could never fathom herself as a loving wife. And yet she was at the altar with the only man she had ever loved.

The priest finished the vows for her husband to be and asked him, “Do you take Pearl Cherrywood as your lawful wife?”

“I do,” he answered with a smile, but it wasn’t the sweet smirk Pearl had grown used to seeing. A malicious grin expanded on his lips as she heard a sword pulled from its sheath.

He raised the silver blade, dripping with wolfsbane. Pearl fell back, reaching for her ax on her hip. But it wasn’t there. She had thought she wouldn’t need it on her wedding day. Before the groom could reach her though, an arrow stabbed through his chest.

Pearl stared at the arrowhead, recognizing it immediately as the very same arrow the witch had made her shoot when she was eighteen. Her eyes traveled to meet the groom’s eyes as she asked the only thing in her mind, “Why?”

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he choked out, “I would n-never marry a monster...like you.”

He fell to his knees, slumping over onto Pearl’s lap. She could see spots on her white dress growing red. But she couldn’t bring herself to move.

“Red!” she heard someone yell for her. Her fellow hunter, Ivana knelt beside her. She pushed the groom off the werewolf hunter as she asked, “Are you alright?”

“He...He was going to kill me.” Pearl looked away from the body finally, meeting Ivana’s eyes. “Because I’m a monster.”

Ivana opened her mouth as if to speak, but instead, she turned to look at the crowd of the wedding. She dismissed most of the crowd and called over other hunters they worked with.

Pearl vaguely noticed two hunters lift the body off her legs completely. They dragged him away leaving her feeling oddly cold. She wasn’t able to stay on the ground when Ivana dragged her to her feet. She continued to lead Red away from the altar and inside the hut she lived in.

Ivana sat Pearl down before she started saying, “Red, I will resist questioning if you’re alright again. Although, I will ask you what happened out there?”

The werewolf hunter stared blankly but didn’t answer. Instead, she looked down at her dirtied wedding dress. “May I change before we discuss this?”

The vampire hunter looked Red over before a sigh left her lips. “Of course, let me help you.”

Pearl stood and turned her back to Ivana so she could unlace the top of her dress. As she was working on the knots, the werewolf hunter muttered, “It’s her fault.” Ivana made a humming sound in question. “It’s her fault,” Red said louder. “If she hadn’t changed me, this never would have happened.”

She felt Ivana’s hands pause. “You’re talking about Lyalla, aren’t you?” 

Pearl nodded as she said, “If she had never bitten me, he would have never tried to kill me.”

Ivana was silent for a long time as she waited for Red to finish changing. Finally she couldn’t hold back anymore. “Are you positive he didn’t get close with you so he could kill you?”

The werewolf's eyes narrowed as they changed from green to a glowing bright blue. “He would have never done that,” she growled.

The hunter lifted her hands in surrender and waited for the werewolf’s eyes to return to normal. “I only want you to consider the possibility,” Ivana started. “Afterall, you’ve used similar technics, have you not?”

Pearl was still glaring at Ivana but her expression softened as she thought about it. She turned away as she pushed off the white dress.

Pearl changed into a more comfortable outfit. She pulled on some pants and a white shirt with a black underbust. After she put her shoes on, she finished the look by placing her ax on her side and pulling her red hood over her head. The wolf fur around the hood’s brim calmed her somehow.

She turned towards Ivana once she was back in her normal attire. “Do you know the tale of werewolves?”

The vampire hunter frowned as she answered, “Which one are you speaking of?”

“If a werewolf is killed, all the people it turned will no longer be cursed,” Pearl explained. “Do you think that’s true?”

“You’re going to hunt Lyalla, and see if the fable is true, aren’t you?”

“If I’m no longer a beast, then I could stand with fellow hunters without fear,” Pearl answered. “Will you join me?”

Ivana stared up at the werewolf hunter with a sigh. “Of course I will, Red.”

3 weeks later

“Do you have connections this far across the country or do you use your nose to hunt this far?” Ivana complained. “If you are using only intuition and brought us this far across the country, I will possibly kill you myself. Do you understand, Red?”

“Make another reference towards my wolf and we’ll see who kills whom,“ Pearl growled. She pulled her hood up further over her face.

The vampire hunter glared towards her friend but felt it was safer to remain quiet.

They walked through the village in silence, watching the crowds before them. Pearl would never admit it, but she was not only using her scent but also her hearing to track the wolf she wanted. She knew she was close to finding her prey when her claws itched behind her human fingertips. She quickened her pace subconsciously. She didn’t even notice as Ivana stumbled to keep up with her.

“Red,” Ivana hissed after her. The werewolf suddenly stopped. The vampire hunter almost bumping into her, stopping inches from her red hood. “Red?” she asked tentatively.

Pearl’s eyes were glowing blue and her hood was twitching the slightest bit. Ivana wondered if her ears could change so seamlessly without any pain. She opened her mouth to ask as she looked for what Red saw. She froze when she saw the wolf eyes staring back at them.

Her eyes didn’t glow blue like Pearl’s but a light purple color instead. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape. Slowly a single word left her mouth, “Red?”

Ivana felt her own eyes widened as she looked back at her fellow hunter. But Pearl didn’t move her eyes away from the other werewolf. Instead, a low growl escaped her. The purple-eyed wolf turned, running from them in an instant.

Pearl was running after her just as quickly. Ivana didn’t have a chance to go after them though. She made two steps but the wolves were gone. “I’ll be in the tavern then…” she muttered.

Red chased the other wolf through the town, darting through alleyways and buildings. She knew the werewolf would take less crowded routes, it was safer to do so. Eventually, Lyalla led them into the forest nearby.

Most wolves lived in forested areas. It was a safer choice than living among humans they would harm eventually. Wolves, and wolf attacks, were easier to explain and be taken as a normal incident near a forest. Unlike in deserts or big cities. People are quick to ask questions about strange occurrences that don’t have a logical answer.

Pearl could see a flash of purple from the werewolf in front of her. Old worn-out shoes rolled towards the hunter as she ran. She heard herself growl before forcing herself to yell, “Shifting won’t help you, Lyalla!”

The werewolf didn’t answer, but Pearl could see her shedding her skin at the same time as she threw off her clothes. She gritted her teeth, pulling her crossbow in front of her and grabbing a bolt from her quiver. She dug her feet in the dirt as she came to a skitting stop. Pearl aimed for the center of Lyalla’s back, but when she fired the arrow flew right past her.

Pearl swore under her breath, grabbing more ammo and firing another shot. She aimed for the same place, but the second bolt missed also. She watched as it flew to the side, right into the werewolf’s shoulder. Red swore under her breath again, but at least she could watch Lyalla tumble to the ground.

The werewolf hunter bolted forward after the beast. She could see her half shifted body struggling to stand. She reached her before the wolf could move. Pearl kicked her onto her back, glaring down at the werewolf.

“Wh-what do you want?” Lyalla yelled up at Pearl. Her eyes couldn’t seem to focus on the hunter as her hand gripped her bleeding shoulder.

“You should know what I want,” she growled. She held up her crossbow, reloading it before she aimed it at Lyalla’s head.

She glanced at the arrow pointed at her, her frown deepening. “You never hesitate, why are you now?”

Pearl felt her teeth clench as she answered, “I’m not hesitating. I have a question for you first.” She waited until Lyalla looked up at her. “Is it true that if I kill the original werewolf, it will turn me human?”

Lyalla sighed, closing her eyes. “If you are referring to me when you say original werewolf, it will not. You have to find the real original werewolf.”

“How would I do that?”

The werewolf opened her eyes to look her in the eye. “You’re the hunter, isn’t that your job?”

Pearl growled and impulsively kicked the wolf. She hit her right in the temple, successfully knocking her out.

~

The two hunters stood in front of the passed out werewolf. She was chained to the bed with silver to keep her from escaping. Pearl forced Ivana to remove the arrow from the werewolf’s shoulder. She didn’t want to get burned by the silver if she didn’t have to.

“What is the purpose of bringing her here?” Ivana asked as they waited for the wolf to wake.

“I need her to help me find the original werewolf,” Pearl answered, sharpening her ax. She wore gloves so the silver blade didn’t hurt her.

“Why do you need her help?”

“Because, if the tale is true, that means no hunter has found the original werewolf. And if they have; they haven’t lived to tell anyone about it.” Pearl’s eye looked at the unconscious werewolf. “She will know more and have better connections in finding him.”

Lyalla groaned suddenly as she forced herself to sit up. She met Pearl’s eye as she asked, “Do you think I’ll help you that easily?”

“I’ll kill you right now if you don’t,” the werewolf hunter replied simply.

“And if killing the original werewolf doesn’t cure us?” Lyalla attempted to cross her arms, hissing when the silver chains tightened around her wrists. “You’re planning to kill me anyway, right?”

Pearl didn’t reply, turning back to her ax. When she felt it was sharp enough, flicking her gloved thumb over it. “So will you help or not?”

“What happens if we become human?” Lyalla asked instead of answering. She was watching Red with a sad expression on her face.

“I suppose you would be able to have a normal human life,” the hunter answered simply.

“There wouldn’t be any werewolves left, what would you do for work?”

“I only specialize in werewolf hunting; that doesn’t mean I can’t hunt other things,” Pearl told her. “I could follow Ivana and train in hunting vampires.”

Lyalla didn’t seem happy with Red’s answer, but she nodded as she answered, “Alright, I will help you.”

“Finally,” Pearl stood up and hung her ax on her side. “Let’s get moving then.”

 “Are you going to unchain me first at least?”

Pearl rolled her eye and gestured towards Ivana to set the werewolf free.

~

They set out towards the village Lyalla told them to head to. She said there was an ancient wolf pack that would possibly know where the original werewolf was. She claimed they had wolves thousands of years old.

Lyalla rode next to Pearl, her hands were tied by a regular rope. It wouldn’t do much if she decided to escape, but it would give Red time to pull out her crossbow or ax. Whichever she decided to hit her with first. Of course, she attempted to argue against being restrained, saying she was worried about the horses bucking her off if they were to get scared. Pearl assured her that it wasn’t possible though.

Their horses were trained to help hunt supernatural creatures, such as werewolves. Pearl’s horses especially needed to be brave so she could ride them without them bucking her off.

Lyalla was watching the werewolf hunter when she finally asked, “What will happen if the fables are true? What will you do when there are no werewolves?”

Pearl glanced towards the werewolf as she answered simply, “I already told you, I would simply master in something else to hunt. Such as vampires or faeries.”

“You would be human though? You would still hunt?”

“Of course. I did before you bit me,” Pearl answered glaring at the werewolf under her red hood. Lyalla turned away, refusing to meet her eye. They were silent for the majority of their trip after that.

When they reached the pack’s town, the two hunters followed Lyalla until they reached the outskirts. Ivana cut off the rope from Lyalla’s wrists and she walked down the street while Pearl and Ivana stayed on their horses.

Pearl felt the back of her neck tingle as a man walked towards them, blocking their way. She immediately knew he was the alpha.

His eyes flashed gold as he looked up at the two hunters. He turned towards Lyalla as he asked, “What do you want?”

“We would like to speak with one of your elders,” Lyalla answered.

The alpha looked between the three once again. His frown deepened and glared at Pearl. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by an older woman.

“How can I help you?” her voice was loud and clear, but still had a gravelly tone that came with age. Her eyes didn’t open, a large scar across them that the three recognized was caused by silver. The elderly woman used a wooden cane as she walked towards them.

Lyalla glanced back at Red as if she was unsure before turning back towards the woman. “We would like to ask you about the...original werewolf?”

The woman’s head perked, straightening her hunched back the most it would let her. “Why would you like to find them?”

“Them?” Pearl asked. “There’s more than one?”

The older woman’s face turned towards the werewolf hunter as if she could see her. “Oh, indeed there are.” The woman turned, with slow steps. “Follow me and we will continue to speak.”

The two hunters jumped off their horses to follow the old woman. The alpha didn’t allow them to get far though, blocking Pearl’s path with his large body. She met his eyes, receiving a growl in response.

“We don’t want your kind here,” he told her.

“My kind?”

The alpha growled louder, his eyes glowing gold. He was suddenly hit in the arm by a wooden stick. The elder stood by him, her lips in a deep frown. “I was the one who invited them.”

“But,” the alpha attempted but was hit again to silence him.

“I know very well that they are hunters,” the elder said. “I could smell the silver miles away.”

They followed the elder to a cottage. She sat them down around her dining table. “What do you want with the original werewolves?”

“I would imagine you know why we would want them,” Pearl answered simply.

“You want to slay the original werewolf to cure your lycanthropy, correct?” the old woman questioned. She didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “To do that you must find the werewolf that started your lineage. There are characteristics of each type of werewolf.”

“Types of werewolf?” Ivana asked.

Red glanced at her saying, “Yes, there are six types of werewolves that we know of.”

The old woman nodded her head once. “If you know your type of wolf, you have to find the original werewolf that is the same as you.”

Pearl and Lyalla glanced at each other. “We both can turn whenever we would like.”

“Then the wolf you're looking for is from the Van Helsing pack. They’re an ancient pack that lives in Transylvania. They’re known for hunting vampires also.”

“I’ve heard of them,” Ivana answered. “They’re rather successful in hunting, and some are even known in the league.”

Pearl rolled her eyes before getting up to leave. “Is there anything else?”

The old woman was silent for a long time. “Be aware, it is only a tale. No one has ever killed an original werewolf. There are no guarantees you will be cured.”

“Then there’ll be one less werewolf in the world,” Pearl answered, turning away. She walked out of the cottage and went to jump onto her horse.

She was thrown from the saddle, hitting the ground hard. Red let out a growl, glaring up at the alpha under her hood. His fists were clenched as he stomped towards her. The hunter tried to push herself up only to be tackled by the alpha.

Pearl found herself wrestling with the werewolf. His eyes glowed gold as his claws ripped past his fingertips. She could see his fangs elongating and forced her own transformation to ensue.

Pearl’s claws were barely out when the alpha was knocked off of her. She watched as the alpha was thrown by a large golden wolf. Lyalla growled at him as she stood protectively in front of the werewolf hunter.

“I won’t let you leave here, hunter!” the alpha growled, forcing himself up.

Pearl growled at him, but it was overpowered by Lyalla’s. “I wouldn’t continue this fight, young alpha,” the elder announced. “Realize the wolves that are before you.”

The alpha paused, hesitating to move. Pearl stood up, standing next to the golden wolf. Ivana walked to stand next to the werewolf hunter, ready to pull out her sword if she needed it. They glared at the alpha, daring him to challenge them. The alpha let out one last growl but lowered his head.

“Let’s get moving,” Red huffed, walking back on her horse.

Lyalla transformed back into a human, surprised when the older woman offered her the dress she had thrown off to transform. Lyalla took it gratefully and quickly slipped it back on.

Ivana had already turned her horse to leave by the time the other two got on their horses. They followed the vampire hunter out of the village.

~

Their journey to Transylvania would take them a week, but Pearl felt it would feel much longer. With Lyalla by her side constantly it was difficult not to feel that way. The werewolf continued to ask her questions that she didn’t feel particularly fond of answering.

“So, I’ve been wondering about this for a while,” Lyalla started.

“What is it now?”

“The ring on your finger? It looks like iron, made by a man that isn’t a blacksmith?”

Pearl felt her eyes move to stare at the ring her husband-to-be had made her. He wasn’t very good at forging, so it looked large for her finger and was very lumpy. They had to have a blacksmith smooth the insides out so she could wear it. He had never put it on her finger; they planned to wait for that on the wedding day. But after he died, she decided to take the ring anyways. Now she almost wished she hadn’t.

She suddenly tackled the werewolf from her horse. They rolled in the dirt, punching and scratching each other messily. Lyalla was trying to block Pearl’s blows with little prevail. Pearl wanted to scratch out the werewolf’s eyes, similar to how she lost her own eye.

Red could feel her ears and claws growing as she punched her face. “It’s your fault!” she growled. “If it wasn’t for you, none of this would ever have happened!”

The werewolf attempted to fight her off, pushing her fists until she was able to grab Red’s wrists. Lyalla and Pearl struggled against each other, giving the wolf’s face long enough to start healing. “What are you talking about? I haven’t seen you for years!”

The werewolf hunter’s teeth had sharpened, making her speech slur, “You turned me! You’re the reason I’m the monster I am today!” She finally freed one of her arms from Lyalla’s grip, delivering another punch to her face.

Ivana finally grabbed the partly shifted hunter, ripping her off of the werewolf. Red easily threw the vampire hunter off of her. Thankfully Ivana refused to go down without a fight and grabbed Red once more. This time she pulled out her silver sword and held it in front of Pearl’s throat. If she moved to push her again, Ivana would easily slice into her friend to make her stop.

Pearl paused, sniffing more than looking at the silver blade. Her ears twitched as she glanced back at Ivana. Her piercing blue eye even made the hunter’s heart jump.

“You can’t kill her,” the vampire hunter told her. “We need her to talk to other packs until we can find the original werewolf.”

The werewolf hunter knew her friend was right. Pearl closed her eye, breathing slowly as she reversed her transformation.

When she was completely human once again, the hunter returned to her horse. “Keep her away from me,” she told Ivana without looking at her. She climbed onto her horse, leaving the other two behind.

Ivana and Lyalla rode far enough behind Red so that she couldn’t hear them, but they could still see her. Ivana explained what happened on Pearl’s wedding day and her plan to become human because of it. Lyalla listened attentively but made no comments. Ivana didn’t know if she was afraid to or couldn’t think of anything to say. It was quite the opposite though. Lyalla wanted to say many things but resisted because she didn’t trust Red couldn’t hear them.

~

Their journey was tense for the rest of the week. Lyalla didn’t make a sound unless asked a question by Ivana. Pearl pretended the werewolf didn’t exist, happily keeping her on the same side as her eyepatch. Ivana would attempt to have conversations in an attempt to lighten the mood, to no prevail of course.

When they finally reached Transylvania, Ivana reserved rooms for them in a local tavern. Meanwhile, Pearl and Lyalla took their horses to the stables. Pearl figured it was best that she went with the werewolf. Even though she knew her friend could handle her own against the creature, Pearl would be able to keep up with Lyalla and match her strength if she tried to run.

As Pearl was taking the saddle off her horse, she noticed Lyalla glancing at her as she unsaddled her own horse. The hunter could feel the growl rising in her throat, but swallowed it down. She lifted her hood, hoping the gray fur around the edge would block Lyalla from her sight.

Pearl heard a sigh before Lyalla whispered, “I’m sorry. I never meant to give you so much grief.”

The hunter paused before hanging her saddle on the wall next to her horse. She didn’t speak though and returned to her horse to remove the reigns around his head. 

Lyalla made a small huff sound of annoyance as she continued, “Red, please don’t ignore me like this.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” the hunter asked back. She glared at the werewolf, clenching the reigns. “What right do you have to ask anything of me?”

Lyalla’s eyes dropped for a moment, but she met Pearl’s eyes again with a new fierceness. Her eyes growing hints of purple in them. “I didn’t turn you to ruin your life. I did it because I thought it would help you on your mission to kill werewolves. I did it to give you strength and speed no training would give you as a human. I did it because I loved you and would have done anything for you.” Lyalla turned her eyes away again before finally saying, “I did it to also, selfishly, to keep you connected with me. But I never thought our lives would end up like this.”

Pearl watched her for a long silent moment before she asked, “Why did you ever think that this curse would keep us together?”

“I didn’t say together,” Lyalla answered simply. She looked up at the hunter, her eyes fully purple. “I said connected. I will always be the wolf who turned you. You know better than many what that means.”

Pearl let out her growl then, but her eyes stayed normal. “And now look at us. Because of you, I have lost so many things. Not only my husband-to-be but even my humanity at times. I had already shed blood before, but it had always been creatures. Now I know the taste of human blood, and it disgusts me.”

“I tried to help you, you know that.”

“Enough!” Pearl’s calm finally broke, her single eye glowing bright blue in a single second. “I loved you so much! And then you betrayed me by turning me into the very monster I hunt!”

“You say that, but I am that monster!” Lyalla yelled back. She was losing control as her claws extracted from her fingertips. “I thought...I just thought…”

“What? That I would forget my mission? Live happily in the woods with the girl who cried wolf?” Pearl continued to yell. Her ears had grown fur and were growing bigger. “You always spoke of how you hated that you never were given a choice! Hated how that wolf bit you with no regard for your feelings! Then you did the same thing to me!”

Lyalla’s eyes widened, tears building in them. She stumbled back as she asked, “What did you expect me to do? You acted as if I was a dirty stray dog you had hidden in your closet!”

“That’s because you were and still are a dirty. Stray. Dog!” Pearl yelled. “And I should have killed you when I first met you.”

Lyalla’s tears were falling down her face as it was growing fur. Her transformation happened quickly. The wolf’s face was as wet as her human one.

She turned, running out of the stable. Pearl watched her run to the vampire hunter as she walked out of the tavern. She looked down at the wolf that curled at her feet before turning a confused look towards her fellow hunter. 

Pearl sneered, turning back to her horse. She was impressed with herself for not destroying the reigns still in her hands. But that was the only thing she could be impressed with. The hunter put the reigns with her horse’s saddle.

She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to let her emotions take control. But the memories of when they first met was flooding her mind. It was simpler then.

Red had been thirteen and had met Lyalla in the forest by accident. To this day she didn’t know why she had hesitated to shoot her down. Pearl had never hesitated, even with her first werewolf when she was trying to go to her grandma’s house three years earlier.

Pearl forced herself to continue taking care of the horses in an attempt to avoid the memories. But she wasn’t even looking at what she was doing. Her body did everything by habit, but her mind was gone in memories.

When they first met. When they would secretly meet to play hide and seek in the forest. The smell of cherries and sweet orchids in her hair. All the chances she had to kill her and never took. Their first kiss.

Pearl found herself chuckling at that one. Lyalla had been so nervous that she accidentally grew her fangs and almost nicked Pearl. She had to calm the werewolf and then surprised her with the kiss as soon as her fangs were gone. Lyalla had been so red and even grew her ears.

When the werewolf hunter was finally finished putting away the horses, she found herself staying downstairs in the tavern. She had the same glass of liquor in front of her since she sat down. She was spinning the glass on the table when someone sat next to her.

“Are you going to stay down here all night?” Ivana asked. She took the glass from Red, drank it, and slammed it on the table.

“That was mine you know.”

“You didn’t seem to want it.” She turned towards the other hunter in her seat. “Now what is going on between you two?”

“Why do you ask?” Pearl replied without looking at her friend.

“Lyalla hasn’t come out from under the bed since we went up there,” Ivana answered simply, giving Pearl an expectant look.

“I hope she’s not under there in the fetal position all night. She’ll be sore in the morning like that.”

The vampire hunter glared at Red. “Obviously she’s in wolf form, you ass.”

Finally looking at Ivana, she sighed and let her shoulders fall. “Did you hear anything earlier?”

“No, I had barely walked out when Lyalla came running towards me. I could tell instantly she wasn’t a happy wolf, but I knew she wasn’t about to attack.”

Pearl only nodded, looking down at her hands. “We’ve known each other since we were young.”

“Yes I know we have,” Ivana huffed.

The werewolf glared at her as she corrected, “Not us. Lyalla and I.”

Ivana’s eyes widened and leaned back into her chair. She seemed very interested in Red’s story suddenly.

Sighing again, she continued her story. “She was already a werewolf when I met her. It was after I had already become a hunter, but I didn’t kill her. We became friends instead…” Pearl trailed off. She stared at her hands. “I don’t know when things changed, but suddenly we were no longer just friends.”

“You’re joking, aren’t you?” Ivana asked. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she looked at Red with concern.

“I wish I were, but no. Lyalla and I had been...lovers…” She looked up at her friend. “Ever wonder why you can’t find my curse mark?”

Ivana looked surprised, but didn’t say anything and only nodded.

Pearl found herself smiling, and wiped her thumb across the right side of her lip. Ivana could see the smallest shine of a werewolf mark. It was as if a single fang had nipped her.

“She did it during a kiss,” Pearl answered. “I thought it was an accident at first, but Lyalla at least had the dignity to tell me the truth.”

Ivana didn’t say anything immediately. She watched Red, looking her up and down a few times. After a while, she said, “That explains why you’ve been losing control lately. I’ve never seen you get this angry, and so consistently. Not even with a new recruit.” The hunter raised the empty glass in front of her towards the bartender. “I thought it was just because she’s the werewolf who turned you. I never expected the famous Red Riding Hood would ever stray from the hunter path in such a way.”

Pearl sighed, laying her head in her hands. “Yes, yes, I know many would be surprised to know.”

Pearl and Ivana finished two more drinks, talking about meaningless things before they went to their rooms.

When the werewolf hunter walked in, she swore under her breath. She went to the bed, but instead of getting on it, she got down to look under it. She knew Lyalla was going to be there, but she still cursed Ivana when she saw the wolf. She had switched her rooms on purpose.

Pearl wasn’t surprised when purple eyes opened to look at her. The wolf’s ears pinned to her head as her hackles raised. The hunter huffed before getting back up.

“I’m going to tell Ivana we’re switching rooms.” She barely reached the door when she was stopped by a bark. Pearl glanced back to see Lyalla standing in her wolf form. She still had her hackles raised and her ears were standing alert, but her tail was between her legs. “What do you want?” Pearl growled at her.

She couldn’t answer as a wolf so Lyalla transformed back into a woman. Pearl watched her nails sink into her paws and her fur shed off. Her paws grew, her snout shrunk, and her body reshaped itself. Her knees snapped so she could stand, as did her elbows and ribs. Her jaw snapped forward and her head reformed around it until she had a normal human head again. Her hair grew last. When she opened her eyes they were purple, dimming to her natural brown.

Lyalla and Pearl stared at each other for a long time. Lyalla was the first to speak, “I want to leave. You don’t need me anymore.”

“You know full well that we can’t walk into pack territory without you,” Pearl argued.

“Why not?” Lyalla growled. “You’re a werewolf too! You have reminded me of that since you dragged me with you on this journey.”

“I’m known by many packs, they would recognize me instantly.”

“Who cares!” Lyalla suddenly yelled. “You want to kill every werewolf in the world anyway! Just go in there with your ax raised and slaughter them!”

“Enough!” Pearl yelled over the other woman. “We’re not discussing this.” The hunter turned to leave the room as she said, “I’m going to go get Ivana now.”

Again she wasn’t able to leave the room but this time it was because of Lyalla’s hand grabbing her arm. She didn’t say anything, and neither did Pearl. They just stood together. Pearl’s hand on the doorknob with Lyalla’s on her arm.

The werewolf hunter felt as if she was a statue. She didn’t dare move, but she wasn’t sure why. Lyalla didn’t seem to feel as frozen as she took a step forward, wrapping her arms around Pearl. She closed her eyes, leaning her head against the hunter’s back.

“Did you mean what you said earlier?” Lyalla asked into her back.

Pearl closed her eye and with her free hand, hesitantly reached up to hold one of Lyalla’s hands. “No…”

They grew silent once more. Eventually, Lyalla asked, “Would you stay here tonight?”

Pearl looked over her shoulder. The werewolf still had her head down on her back, but she tightened her hug when she felt Pearl move.

She knew she should have said no. She should have refused in every way possible. Yet she found herself squeezing Lyalla’s hand and nodding her head instead.

Pearl woke up to the smell of sweet orchids, cherries, and--the telltale smell of a werewolf--nightshade. Memories invaded her sleepy mind as she nuzzled her nose into the familiar hair.

The werewolf hunter jolted awake. She was holding Lyalla, who was still sleeping soundly. Pearl debated waking her, but instead, she laid back down staring up at the ceiling of the room. Red felt surrounded by the werewolf’s scent, but she couldn’t hate it. She felt quite the opposite actually.

“Why do you affect me in this way?” she whispered, taking a strand of hair with her finger absently.

Lyalla suddenly rolled on her side, hugging the hunter. “In what way?”

Pearl jumped by the movement and was even more surprised by the question. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to say anything when someone’s loud knocking made both women jump. “Red, we’re losing light. Are you ready to go?” Ivana’s voice came through the door.

The werewolf hunter sat up as she answered, “I’ll be right out.”

Pearl looked down at the werewolf next to her. Their eyes met but the hunter broke eye contact as she pulled her arm out from under Lyalla. As the hunter got ready, Lyalla followed suit.

The three readied their horses and headed where they believed the pack to live.

~

Pearl knew when they had reached the pack; the smell of nightshade was overwhelming as they entered the town. Lyalla glanced at the hunters. Pearl knew she could smell it too.

They rode through the town’s streets until Lyalla turned to look back saying, “They’re not this way.”

Ivana looked confused, but Pearl looked back and sniffed the air. She could tell the smell of nightshade was stronger behind them than the direction they were heading.

“She’s right,” Pearl agreed. She turned her horse around, heading out of the small town. “They might be living in the forest.”

The forest trees were thick and blocked out the sky above them as they entered, surrounding the three in darkness. The werewolves’ night vision adjusted quickly and they could see the foliage and animals running from them as they passed. Pearl was alert as she let her wolf senses take over. She could smell nightshade all around them.

The werewolf hunter was the first to notice the large creatures heading towards them, she wasn’t surprised to recognize them as wolves. Lyalla growled as they came closer, no doubt realizing what they were herself. But Ivana could not see in the darkness and had to rely on her two allies.

Pearl pulled out her crossbow, aiming at the closest wolf before pulling the trigger. Lyalla pushed the hunter, making her arrow go straight into the ground. Red turned to growl at the werewolf, but a scream from her side turned her back around.

Ivana was no longer on her horse. Pearl scanned around them until she found the other hunter with a wolf on top of her on the ground. Ivana was pushing the creature’s large teeth away from her face. Pearl reloaded her crossbow, jumping off her horse. She kicked the wolf off her friend, aiming the crossbow at it.

From the corner of her eye, she could see something running towards her. She kept her crossbow aimed at the first wolf while she pulled out her ax.

She wasn’t able to attack, though, as Lyalla jumped in front of her. Lyalla’s claws were extended, but Pearl didn’t see any other signs of her transformation.

“Back off!” she growled, two both wolves before them. “We are not here to fight!”

Pearl and Ivana looked at each other with matching confusion on their faces. They looked back at Lyalla who wasn’t paying attention to them as she continued to hold the wolves off.

One of the wolves shifted, leaving a naked man in front of them. He kept his claws though like Lyalla had her own. “Excuse me for being skeptical, but you bring two hunters into our territory and want us to believe you mean no harm?” 

“It is hard to believe, I know,” Lyalla answered. She stood up straighter and retracted her claws. “We are here to help.”

“Why would we need your help?” the male wolf growled.

“That’s not what she means,” Pearl spoke up. She stepped forward, keeping her ax and crossbow in hand. “We came seeking your elder’s help.”

“He won’t help you,” the wolf growled. Fur was crawling out of his skin as he glared at Pearl. “Go back where you came from.”

The hunter struggled to control herself as she watched his fur grow. “Would you rather us ask, or barge through you instead?”

Lyalla looked back at Pearl with angry eyes, the hunter ignored her. She kept her eyes on the male wolf instead. His eyes were glowing a bright blue as a growl echoed from him.

“You will die if you even try,” he managed to say past his elongating fangs.

Pearl knew her eyes were glowing a similar blue while her own transformation started. “Do you truly believe that?” Her ears grew and fur manifested on her face. She let her claws out and fangs extend.

The wolf’s eyes widened as she began to shift. He looked between Lyalla and Pearl. The hunter wondered if he had thought Lyalla was the only wolf among them. He didn’t pause his transformation, though.

Pearl and the man glared at each other, their blue eyes staying together as they went from humans to wolves. As beasts, they growled in unison, jumping towards each other.

Pearl immediately attempted to bite the wolf’s neck, but he knew what she was doing and turned his body. Her teeth instead sank into his shoulder. The wolf howled and growled as he attempted to bite into her. The hunter tightened her jaws, tearing her teeth from his skin. She heard the other wolf growl loudly before feeling the piercing pain of teeth in her leg. Pearl grabbed the wolf by his scruff with her teeth, throwing him from her. He landed hard on the ground, sliding over the grass.

He forced himself to get up and face the hunter once more. Pearl growled, it echoed through the empty forest. The wolves bound for each other, continuing their fight. 

Meanwhile, Ivana had lifted herself, pulling out her guns. She shot at the wolf closest to her as Pearl pounced. She wasn’t aiming at the wolf, only trying to get it away from her. Instead of getting away from her, the wolf growled and inched forward. Ivana swore under her breath, shooting the wolf’s shoulder.

The wolf growled but wasn’t deterred by the wound. It jumped towards the hunter. Ivana cursed under her breath before kicking the wolf in the chest as it jumped. The wolf fell away, landing hard on the ground. It barked loudly at her once it was back on its feet. Running at full speed at Ivana. She pulled forward her second gun and fired at the creature once more.

The silver bullet hit the wolf’s backside. The creature howled falling as it turned to look at its new wound. The wolf’s growl echoed in the dark woods as it turned back towards Ivana. She held out her gun filled with more silver bullets. The wolf lowered itself, making itself seem small but would be able to jump at the hunter if Ivana dropped her guard.

Even though Ivana knew this, she glanced towards Red. Suddenly Ivana found herself on the ground, screaming from the pain in her arm. The wolf had taken the split second to knock down the hunter, ripping its teeth into her arm.

Lyalla was watching Red’s fight, itching to join. She didn’t like watching the hunter being bitten or hurt. But she couldn’t interfere or Pearl would attack her too. Then she heard Ivana’s scream behind her. She whipped around to see the second wolf had grabbed the vampire hunter’s arm and was pinning her down.

The werewolf ran towards the two, shifting as she did. Lyalla bit into the wolf’s scruff, pulling it off of the hunter. The other wolf was trying to free itself, growling as it attempted to reach Lyalla. She threw the wolf away from them. She growled down at the wolf, but it snapped at her. She swatted at their muzzle with her paw making the wolf’s head snap back down.

“Enough!” a booming voice suddenly echoed through the forest.

Everyone in the small clearing paused. They turned to see a large man standing before them. Pearl and Lyalla could instantly tell he was an alpha. The two wolves they were fighting stilled completely. The two wolves walked to the man’s side obediently. 

He looked at the two remaining wolves and the hunter cradling her bleeding arm. “What are you doing here?”

Pearl began shifting but Ivana answered first. “We are looking for the elder of your pack. We need his help.”

The alpha didn’t reply for a long time. He watched as the two wolves transformed into women. He glanced at the two wolves beside him. They both shifted until there was a man and woman standing by the alpha.

Finally, the large man asked, “Why would you want his help?” He was glaring at Pearl, his eyes glowing a bright silver.

She didn’t even shudder while facing the alpha and answered calmly, “I want to break the werewolf curse.”

His eyebrows scrunched together before he answered, “Of course you do.” He turned away from them. “Follow us.” The two people next to him looked surprised but didn’t argue.

Pearl and the others lead their horses behind the group of wolves. Lyalla stayed close to the werewolf hunter, so close that Red could feel their shoulders occasionally brush against each other.

She looked back at the werewolf as she asked, “What’s the matter with you?”

Lyalla met Pearl’s eyes as she answered, “Unlike you, it’s hard for me to be in the presence of an alpha. Especially one like him.” She nudged her head towards the large man ahead of them.

Pearl looked up at the werewolf before them. She glared at the back of his head, but she could still feel the tingle of an alpha. It didn’t bother her though, they never did. She didn’t know why, but she was okay with it.

Lyalla on the other hand, when she felt the tingle it was numbing. She felt as if her legs would buckle if he even looked at her. Some alphas didn’t affect her as much, like the alpha from the village they had gone to. But the alpha in front of her was strong and old, and she could feel it.

“Will you be able to continue this?” Pearl asked her. The werewolf nodded but didn’t say anything. She grabbed the back of the hunter’s jacket though. Pearl looked Lyalla up and down, but couldn’t bring herself to make the other woman let go of her.

The wolves lead them to a small town in the middle of a large clearing. Pearl was overwhelmed by the smell of nightshade. It was everywhere. She knew they had been brought to the pack.

The alpha shooed the two wolves away from him, letting the three strangers continue to follow him. Pearl and Ivana walked together, but Lyalla followed closely behind them. The alpha took them through the town until they reached a quaint cottage.

“Our elder lives here,” the alpha answered. “He may not speak to you, but you can at least try.”

Pearl walked past the large werewolf as she told him, “That’s all we need.”

The werewolf hunter walked to the door, knocking on it as if she was seeing someone she knew instead of an ancient werewolf that could possibly be the strongest creature she would ever meet.

Lyalla continued to hold on to her, refusing to look at the alpha. Ivana glanced at the large man but didn’t say anything as she followed the two werewolves.

The door opened to reveal a tall scruffy man who didn’t look older than thirty years old. He wasn’t large like the alpha, but he wasn’t small either. He was taller than the three women and his shoulders filled the door frame.

“You’re the elder?” Pearl asked.

The man looked the hunter up and down, his eyes pausing on her red hood. “And you’re the infamous werewolf hunter, Red Riding Hood.”

“You know who I am?” the hunter asked, glaring at the werewolf.

“How would I not know the young werewolf hunter prodigy?” he answered, leaning against his door frame with his arms crossed. “Killed her first werewolf at the young age of thirteen. Only to get bitten three years later and become a werewolf herself.”

It took all of her control not to growl. She continued to glare at him and her eyes grew a small blue ring around the pupils.

The elder looked at the other two. He didn’t say anything to them and turned to go inside his cottage. “What is your reasoning for coming here?” he asked.

Pearl followed him into his home, Ivana and Lyalla staying close to her. “I want to break the werewolf curse.”

“I’m not surprised,” the elder answered. “You must have gone through many hardships being one of the few nonhuman hunters.”

“One of the few nonhuman hunters?” Ivana asked, stepping forward.

The man turned to look at her. “Do you believe that Red is the only hunter to fall victim to the creatures she hunts?”

Pearl couldn’t stop herself from growling. Lyalla though looked away in shame.

The werewolf hunter spoke through her growl, “My name is Pearl. Can you help us or not?”

“Pearl? Not Ruby or Scarlet?” the elder wolf continued. He sat down on a wooden couch, leaning back and relaxing as if there weren't two hunters in his home.

“I wasn’t named because of my red hood or given my hood for my name either,” Pearl answered simply. “My grandmother made me this hood so it was easier to hide the blood of the werewolves I kill.”

“Yet you wear a white blouse.”

“When I can kill without my weapons, what I wear doesn’t really matter, does it?”

The elder chuckled as he nodded. “But if I help you, that’ll change. You understand that right?”

Pearl glared at the wolf as she answered, “But if I can cure the curse, that would change how werewolf hunters do their job.”

“By hunting down the original werewolves instead?” the man answered.

“So it is true?” Lyalla asked. “If an original werewolf is killed, it will reverse the curse for all the werewolves it has sired?”

He shrugged as he answered, “It’s never been tried before, so I don’t actually know. What I do know is that when Larry died, none of the werewolves he sired died.”

“Then if I kill you, it may cure us or it may not?” Pearl asked. The wolf nodded. “Either way it’s one less werewolf in the world.”

“How do you know he’s an original werewolf?” Ivana asked.

Pearl and Lyalla didn’t turn to the other hunter as they answered in unison, “He is.” The two glanced at each other in surprise after they spoke. Pearl quickly returned to glaring at the werewolf elder.

The elder laughed as he nodded. “They do say I have a presence about me no other werewolf has.”

The werewolf hunter growled as she pulled her ax out. Ivana watched her and pulled out her sword also. Lyalla glanced between the two. Her hands were clammy as they shook in front of her. Her knees felt as if they would buckle any minute. Yet she still forced her claws and teeth to shift.

The elder werewolf looked between the women, his smirk widening into a smug smile as he stood up. “You’re going to try to fight me? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

As an answer, Ivana threw a knife at the wolf while Pearl swung her ax at him. He blocked Pearl’s swing easily but looked down at the knife in his side surprised. 

He kept his grin as he looked at the werewolf hunter. “I’ve already underestimated you. I won’t make that mistake again.” He pulled out the small knife and swiped at Pearl with it.

She jumped back as far as she could. The knife still went across her stomach, but the metal in her corset didn’t allow the blade through. She twisted her wrist out of his grip, kicking him in the chest. Ivana ran forward, swinging her sword at the man. He didn’t budge from Pearl’s kick and dodged the blade. The two continued to fight the elder in unison.

Lyalla watched in awe. She believed she could only keep up with the three fighting together because she wasn’t a human. It was obvious Red and Ivana had fought together many times. Their synchronization was astonishing.

The werewolf elder swung, hitting Pearl hard enough to throw her across the room and into a wall. Lyalla heard herself growl before she realized she had ran towards the elder. She bit into his arm, slashing at him as she did. She didn’t realize she almost hit Ivana, but the vampire hunter easily dodged her flailing legs by dropping to the ground. She kicked the elder’s leg as she came down. Lyalla pulled back on his arm, forcing the wolf to fall forward.

The smaller werewolf was surprised when the elder suddenly fell on top of her. She could barely breathe under his large body, she dug her claws into the older wolf as she tried to crawl out from under him. He didn’t let her though. He grabbed Lyalla, crushing her with his large arms. She could feel her ribs aching immediately, gasping for breath.

Ivana jumped onto his back, using the side of her blade on his throat. She could hear the sizzle of the silver on the werewolf’s neck. He yelled, leaning back as far as his stiff body would let him in an attempt to avoid touching the sword. Ivana wouldn’t let him, she kept the blade flush to his skin.

Lyalla was able to crawl out from under the older werewolf, but he grabbed her leg, pulling her back. He grabbed her by the throat, squeezing as tight as he could without breaking her neck.

“M-move,” he growled to Ivana. “Or I’ll kill her.” His fangs had grown and his eyes were glowing a bright gold color. His claws dug into Lyalla’s neck and she could see the fur that had grown on his arms.

“The hell you will,” Pearl growled, tackling the older wolf.

Pearl’s ears had grown and fur was covering her face. Her blue eyes glowed brightly down at the wolf as she punched him again and again. The wolf grabbed one of her fists, throwing his own at her face. Pearl’s head whipped back, giving the elder enough time to throw her off him.

Pearl rolled across the rough floor but used her claws to stop herself. She got up, glancing at Lyalla to see Ivana at her side to help her. By the time she looked back at the man, he had already shifted into a large dark brown wolf.

He was the largest wolf the hunter had ever seen. She could feel the tendrils of fear, tightening her stomach as her heart started beating faster. She didn’t allow it to stop her though. She let out a slow breath and pulled out her crossbow.

The wolf looked as if he was laughing, the most a wolf could laugh. Pearl growled, aiming her crossbow in her crouched position and firing. The wolf easily moved out of the way, running towards her. Pearl managed to reload a bolt into her crossbow and fire it before the wolf reached her. She barely nicked his shoulder.

She fell back as the large wolf jumped at her, kicking the creature in the face. He landed next to her instead of on top of her, giving Pearl the chance to jump away from him. She walked backward to create distance between them while she reloaded her crossbow.

The wolf growled at her, stalking forward towards her even as she walked back. When her back hit the wall and she could no longer move, he jumped. Red smirked, firing at the wolf once he was in the air. Her bolt struck him in the chest, but she knew she missed his heart. The hunter cursed under her breath right before he landed on her.

Pearl felt teeth in her shoulder first. She used to wear armor to protect herself from getting so easily bitten, but it didn’t matter anymore. She knew the fur on her face had grown to completely cover it and her nose had transformed to that of a snout. She hissed in pain, grabbing the large creature the best she could. She started punching the wolf in the face repeatedly. He growled, deepening his teeth into her shoulder. Pearl cursed again but forced herself to keep control as she let go with her other arm to reach for a knife. She went to stab the blade into his chest, she wouldn’t miss his heart again.

Suddenly the teeth were ripped from her shoulder. Her scream changed into a loud growl as she finally lost control. Pearl shifted as she watched the wolf get thrown across the room by a half shifted Lyalla. Ivana watched him hit the wall, standing at the ready with her sword.

Lyalla looked back to run to Red’s side but was stopped by the large wolf standing in her place. Pearl ran forward, jumping on the larger wolf and bit into his scruff. Hard. The elder howled, shaking to get the hunter off of him. She refused to let go, tightening her hold as the taste of blood filled her mouth.

Pearl continued to pull at his fur, shaking her head aggressively in an attempt to break his neck. His head barely budged though, even as he bucked and shook his body. When that didn’t work he slammed into the walls, making sure she took the brunt of the hit. Pearl couldn’t continue to hold on after the fifth collision.

The werewolf hunter looked up at the large wolf. His gold eyes glaring down at her as his growl filled the room. She could barely see the blood on his hackles as he walked towards her. His snarl was loud when he pounced towards her.

Pearl had attempted to force herself up, surprised to find her shoulder give out under her when she put pressure on it. She looked up to glare at the elder wolf but instead found a different wolf jumping pass Pearl as she tackled the large creature.

Lyalla snarled as she bit into the wolf’s snout. She was trying to keep him pinned, but she couldn’t match his strength. She heard herself yelp when his large foot kicked her hard in the stomach. She slammed into his wooden couch, a loud crack echoing in the room, and then Lyalla fell to the ground with a thump.

She knew she was whimpering. She knew she couldn’t move without feeling immense pain. It was harder for her to breathe, so Lyalla thought she must have broken a rib. She wondered if she had internal bleeding too. Even if she didn’t, she could feel the blood flowing from her stomach. She thought the elder scratched her with his claws when he kicked her.

The two hunters watched Lyalla fall. They could see the hitch in her breathing easily. Pearl couldn’t see the scratches on her stomach, but she smelled the blood. It was a familiar, bitter scent from her causing it to flow in the past.

Pearl felt more than heard her growl as she forced herself to stand. Ivana glanced at her, she was still standing ready with her sword. Red nudged her head towards Lyalla, but didn’t wait to watch the vampire hunter before turning towards the giant wolf. Ivana would take care of the other werewolf, but she needed to kill the one before her.

She didn’t know which one ran first, but she didn’t care. They clashed, biting and scratching each other. Pearl barley noticed as adrenalin took over her senses. Her and the elder dropped back down to the ground, growling as they circled each other.

Pearl wasn’t going to attack first, even if they circled each other for hours. The elder probably knew that, but perhaps he didn’t have the patience she had. The giant creature ran towards her suddenly. She crouched, ready for his attack.

Pearl attacked before he could reach her though. She jumped up from her low position, slamming her head into his jaw only so she could sink her teeth into his throat. She slammed her jaw shut as far as she could before ripping her teeth out. The wolf’s eyes looked wide, blood pouring into the white fur of his coat.

The hunter wasn’t sure why, but she shifted back into a human. She grabbed her ax that had dropped when she was first thrown into the wall. She lifted the weapon, cutting the elder wolf’s head off in a single swing.

Pearl dropped the ax, breathing heavily. She watched the wolf’s body as it changed into that of a human man. She let out a sigh, dropping her ax into her belt holster.

“R-Red,” she heard Ivana call for her.

The werewolf hunter turned, freezing as her eyes landed on Lyalla. The werewolf had shifted back to a human. But her eyes were closed and the cloth Ivana was holding to her chest was soaked in blood. Pearl could feel her heart pounding as fear crept through her. She fell to Lyalla’s side, helping Ivana put pressure on her bleeding chest.

“Is she healing?” the vampire hunter asked.

“Of course she is,” Pearl growled. “Why wouldn’t she be?”

Ivana glanced back at the dead elder before asking Red, “Can you still shift?”

She felt herself stiffen, glancing at her hands over the bloodied sheet. Before Pearl could attempt to shift, two cold hands held onto hers.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lyalla whispered. “I’ve been scratched by werewolf claws. I can’t heal from these.”

“Yes you can,” Pearl insisted. “I’ve done it, so you can too.”

Lyalla smiled up at the hunter, shaking her head. “I’ve always wanted to tell you how much I love you,” she started. “I never felt that I told you enough. Or even shown you enough.”

“You turned me into the only thing that would connect us forever,” Pearl told her. She let Ivana keep the pressure on the cloth while she held Lyalla’s face in her hands. She didn’t care about the blood on her hands, and the werewolf didn’t seem to either. “And now I’ve ruined all of that.”

Lyalla’s hands stayed wrapped around Red’s. Even as she held her face, she refused to let go of the other woman’s hands. “Don’t say that.”

“I will say it because it’s true,” Pearl whispered. She learned her head against Lyalla’s as she continued to whisper, “I’m so sorry. I would never have done this if it meant losing you.” She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to let the burning she felt develop into tears she wanted to shed.

Lyalla didn’t hide her emotions though. Pearl could feel the hot tears as they fell against her hands. The woman gasped as her crying persisted. “I regret never running after you. I was so afraid you would finally kill me.”

“I could never kill you,” Pearl choked out.

“I know.” Lyalla looked up at the hunter, placing her hands around her face, similar to how Red’s hands were on hers. The hunter finally opened her eyes, looking down at Lyalla. “I realized later that you didn’t run because you were going to kill me, but because you didn’t want to kill me. You’ve never hated me, right?”

Pearl could feel tears building in her eyes as she shook her head. “No, I could never. I loved--love you with every fiber of my being.”

A small smile spread across Lyalla’s face. She kissed the hunter lightly before whispering, “Thank goodness.”

Lyalla’s hands fell from Pearl’s face, landing limply on the floor. The hunter could no longer hold her tears back. They fell from her eyes, splashing onto Lyalla’s face. “No,” she whispered, “Don’t leave me.” She hugged the werewolf against herself, as tightly as she could. She hid her face in her hair, sobbing.

Ivana watched her friend, letting the blood-soaked cloth fall from Lyalla. Pearl’s sobbing crushed the vampire hunter’s heart. But it hurt her so much more when she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Red...we have to go…”

The werewolf hunter slowly pulled herself away from Lyalla. She laid her lover on the ground, tears were still running down her face. Ivana turned away from the two letting Red share one last kiss with Lyalla in private. When the other hunter turned around Pearl’s face was no longer covered in tears. Her eyes were still red and she had tear stains on her cheeks. But she looked calm and collected, walking away from Lyalla to grab her crossbow.

She turned towards Ivana. “We can’t go through the front door. I assume they’ll be waiting for us.”

“Then shall we go out a window?” Ivana suggested, pointing to the windows on the opposite wall of the door.

Pearl nodded walking up to one of the windows. She was carefully breaking the glass so it wouldn’t shatter, alerting the pack. She pulled the glass down and placed it gently on the ground. She turned to Ivana when she had removed all the glass.

The vampire hunter jumped out of the house first, waiting for Red. The other hunter went to follow her but paused. She looked back at Lyalla one last time. She walked back to her, smoothing her hair back from her face. 

She noticed a necklace around her neck. Pausing to pull the jewelry out from where it was hiding in her hair. It was a simple jewel, but one Pearl recognized. A single red pearl tied on a simple black cord. Lyalla had given it to Pearl before she had bitten her. She had run away from the werewolf, throwing the necklace. But somehow Lyalla found it and kept it. Pearl had never noticed the necklace though. And she wished she had. More tears threatened to burn through her eyes as her throat closed from the emotion she felt seeing the necklace again. She pulled the pearl from Lyalla’s neck and turned to the window before she let her emotions take over again.

She landed next to Ivana, glancing at the vampire hunter. Ivana looked worried. Pearl ignored her though and started running into the forest.