We are monsters

Vipers

Vipers?

Snakes, he had called them snakes.

Blair didn't know whether to be shocked or feel... conflicted✨, she wondered if Wren viewed her like a baby bird fallen from her nest into a den of snakes circling their next easy prey.

Part of her felt comforted that someone besides herself cared for her in the slightest, it had felt like she was all alone for years. The other part was like a voice in her head, scolding herself for having to be protected by anyone else.

She ignored that feeling though, Wren was just caring about her and she wanted to silence the voice inside she knew was not her own.

Alrick, displeased visibly, sucked in through his teeth.

"I see...I had a feeling Miss Fauna was exaggerating but I didn't realise they had been so...crude. Blair,"

Their eyes connected and she felt her body almost ripple at the concern practically glowing from him, his voice soft.

"I hope you know you can come to me anytime, don't feel you need to burden yourself with their actions."

She stood almost frozen to the spot, unsure how to process this entire interaction, instead she offered a shaky smile.

"Thank you, Alrick."

For a second there was silence until Alrick cleared his throat, avoiding their gazes.

"There was one more thing I came looking to tell you about..."

His hesitence immedietely made Blair feel like her skin was crawling, his next words nearly sucking all the air from her lungs.

"Cole reached out to me, he wants to come in a few weeks to check up on you and discuss the wedding."

Blair used all her strength to not scream, the rain that had been threatening with grey clouds now started to fall all around them. Slowly it seeped through their clothes as she looked in Alrick's eyes pleading,

"Don't let him come here, I beg you."

Alrick took a deep breath, his arms now crossed over his chest.

"I can delay him, possibly, but he's adamant that you get married in the next month."

A month was too soon, it took a second for Blair to realise why he would be so keen and then it hit her.

It was so simple and infuriating.

Blair didn't say a word though, and to her silence Alrick suggested they run back to the tents as the rain had now turned into a downpour.

Just as they split ways and opened their tent, Blair and Wren were met with a sight, all over their bed it was covered in petals. The colour of a starless sky, they had withered slightly implying they had been scattered not long after the two left that morning, Blair holding a petal with her delicate fingers glanced up to Wren.

"And this means...?"

Wren's face was drained of colour at the sight of multiple petals all from different flowers but the same shade, a radiating dangerous aura surrounded him as he answered,

"It can mean a few things, mourning for one naturally...but this...this is a threat."

He knew instantly that it wasn't aimed for him, it was a threat directed to Blair and it set a fire off in his chest. Wren quickly wrapped his arms around Blair, feeling her stiffen he eased his grip. Blair was frozen for a few moments before easing into his embrace, it felt like centuries since someone had held her warmly like this.

Wren knew he shouldn't have felt so overprotective of her but not only did he feel somewhat close to Blair but she was going to be his wife, even if their feelings didn't resemble love, he cared for her.

"Wren?"

"Hmm?"

It was an odd but mysterious sight of them surrounded by black petals, Wren holding her to his chest absentmindedly stroking her hair not noticing her face slightly coloured or the fact that his scent was making her heart flinch.

"We should get rid of these petals..."

Blair instantly wished she'd stayed silent as when she finished, his warm hands let go and started gathering the petals. Unknowingly bringing himself to danger as something quick darted out from under the petals, squirming mid-air in Blair's fingers was a snake.

"What the..."

Wren brought his gaze back up to Blair's but was shaken at the sight of her usually starlight eyes slowly becoming entirely dark, with small restraint she spoke through.

"Wren, I haven't fed for a while and your scent...can I?"

She gestured to the snake by bringing it up to her face, licking her lip. Wren with a crease in his brow nodded,

"Don't destroy it though, it's evidence."

Blair waited a moment for him to turn away, expecting him not wanting to see the c*****e but when he made no move, she took a deep breath. Within a second, she snapped her fangs into the neck of the snake and started drinking the red fluids.

Wren had expected it to be brutal and quick but it actually was the complete opposite, in fact when Blair finished her meal and lowered the limp snake down upon the small pile of petals almost like a bed she looked quite regal.

Her lips looked more flushed and her face seemed to glow radiantly, a small line of ruby from her lip to chin that if he didn't know for sure could've been mistaken for wine. When she licked the rest away from her face and was completely clean, her eyes returned to the light and met his.

"Sorry..."