Wolves, Witches and Watchers oh my!

Fay: Expectations

Walking over lush overgrown grass, towards the quaint two story cottage I called my home; it stood where it always did- framed by forest, deep in the woods. Our nearest neighbors were 30 minutes human walk away- just how I liked it. Unlike the townspeople we lived just outside of the main city people worked and lived in pointy roofed, tall joint column buildings.

Making my way up the creaky, worn porch steps I glanced at the white weathered rocking chair on the porch as it moved with the pleasant breeze. A patchwork blanket from my youth was draped over it, making me glad Ma didn't throw away anything. I was quite fond of that blanket, hiding under it at bath time and successfully not being seen.

She obviously expected me to have escaped into the forest.

I smiled at the memory.

The mouthwatering smell of meat and vegetable pie hit me a mile out. When I entered, Ma was putting it on the dining room table and turned to me with a smile. She scanned my powder pink dress just like she had this morning, her smile widening as if she couldn't get enough of the sight.

"Just in time my love, I made your favorite" She looked stunning in her light blue fitted gown. All these years apart and she looked exactly the same- not even the heavily used, off white apron she wore at that moment could tarnish her beauty.

I smiled back.

"You have no idea how much I missed your food Ma, Gya had me on rations for months at one time".

Ma laughed.

"I remember that, you never know when you'll have to live on grass and still fight to the death!".

I burst into laughter at her imitation; her voice was a direct copy of Gya's.

"She actually said that you know" I wiped tears from my eyes.

What the hell.

I looked at Ma, she was busy plating up my food.

Thank god. This new found emotion is weirding me out.

If Gya saw I would have definitely been in trouble. Ma was more of a friend than a mother but I still wouldn't take any chances. There are times I wish I had a mother, especially when living with Gya. It upsets me sometimes so I try not to think about it. Gya is more of a sensei than a woman, grandmother or mother. She has no limit to her knowledge and wisdom and her gender quickly became irrelevant-nay unnoticeable in our training sessions. Day after day she performed feats that made her appear inhuman.

A frown shaped my lips.

"I'm glad you're back Fay. I missed you like I'd miss my heart but it was for the best. Here..." she said soothingly as if reading my mind, passing me a portion of steaming pie.

"Why are you giving me yours? mines over there" I gestured to the dish with the remaining pie.

She laughed.

"Come now, don't get chubby on me, how would you out run me when I come at you with my rolling pin?".

"I'd always be faster than you Ma, even if I have to roll out".

We laughed together and ate.

"You should take a nap once you're finished, you must have woken up at the crack of dawn to get here so early. When you wake we can go into Town and look for work for you so you're not bored at home all day. I heard there's a vacancy at the Jewelers and Bakery".

"Why not both".

Ma gave me a look at my flippant tone. Something was up, I could smell it. It wasn't like her to push me to work- we had enough money. Ma had left The Dark Woods with a chest full of gold, I don't know how our family acquired such wealth but I doubt it was through honest means.

"You could wear that deep blue dress Gya gave you as your graduation present. It matches the color of your eyes".

And then it clicked.

"You're trying to get me married off aren't you?".

Ma narrowed her eyes "I doubt any human could make the change" she said tonelessly.

I raised an eyebrow when she stalled.

"I received word a Lamia from our sister clan is in the area having heard you've completed your training, it couldn't hurt if you were presentable in case we ran into him".

"What am I worth- two goats or three?".

"Fay, don't be so dramatic. If you don't like him you don't have to marry him. However, now that you're outside the protection of The Dark Woods they will be coming for you, and I'm not just talking about respectable male suitors from other packs".

Her voice gave away her anxiety. She was actually scared I couldn't defend myself.

"Gya taught me well Ma, that's why you sent me there remember?".

"That may be but the sooner you merge with another the stronger and safer you will be".

Although the prospect of getting a males strength and skills just like he gets mine was tempting, the whole arranged marriage setup thing was making me feel cornered and nauseous.

"How have you survived so long without father? not to mention alone while I've been away" I asked- trying to prove I was fine single- just like her.

"I'm no spring chicken love but Gya taught me just as well, there have been attempts" she gave a wry look, gesturing outside the window.

There, under the large maple tree in view of the dining room window, stood a wide earth covered mound- a shovel sticking out of the glassless mud at an angle.

"I ended up making a ditch, saved having to dig separate graves, not that they deserved one" she said darkly.

I stiffened, throat going dry.

"How many?" my voice was eerily cold, even to my ears.

"I stopped counting after 40".

"You killed over 40 werewolves!" I said in shock.

"Rogues" she corrected "Werewolves don't come to r**e and snatch you in your sleep".

I shivered involuntarily. My mother, MY mother, the only family I had after Gya- being r***d and pulled into the night, never to be seen again because of those bastard Rogues. God how I hated them. They didn't respect us and deserved everything they got.

"Knocking you up is a good way to make you pliant" Ma added as horrific visuals filled my mind.

I sighed.

"I'll make myself pretty" I said dejectedly.

"You don't have to do much sweet Fay, you've become quite the beauty" She reached over and cupped my face lovingly, watching me with warm brown eyes. "Although, I always knew you were under all that muck you'd track home. How Gya got you to bathe and wear a dress i'll never know".

"She taught me a valuable lesson" I said quietly, under my breath.

"Oh? what was that?".

"That a wolf in sheep's clothing can turn the herd any way it pleased. Such power appealed to me".

Ma smiled, shaking her head.

"I should have known controlling the masses would be what did it. You loved tormenting the poor towns folk. Playing your little ticks. You and Lucian".

I tensed.

"Have you seen him yet? I assume that's where you were when you left for your walk while I made lunch" she threw my words from earlier back at me. I forced a smile.

"Yes, he's become quite the man. Very different. We have nothing in common now".

I took the bowl of apple crumble and custard she passed me as desert.

We ate in silence. I could tell she was watching me with a wary look on her face but I faked ignorance.

"Ma.."

"Mmm?"

"What you said about no towns person surviving the change. What did you mean? Gya never bothered with stuff like that in our lessons".

The truth was Gya rarely spoke of humans period. She was quite ridged when it came to consorting with them and as such never mentioned why my mother moved away to Amber Wood to be around them. Mating with a human wasn't an option in her mind and thus not worth discussing.

Ma went silent for a second.

"Our house is one of the oldest bloodlines for our kind. Our Lamia blood is extremely potent and strong. For a human to change into one of us their body and mind would have to be equally as strong to assimilate our abilities and blood into theirs. Very few have what it takes to survive the change; even with less established houses with weaker more diluted blood. Although there is always the chance which is why..." she trailed off.

"Yes" I said knowingly "Why they are killed after being fed on".

"Hmm"

She seemed lost in thought.

"I'm going to get my clothes ready and rest in my room" I said, stacking dirty dishes and taking them into the kitchen.

Ma joined me at the sink.

"Don't do anything rash Fay, I mean it, there's too much of your father in you- I'd see that same look in his eyes you have now before he'd charge head first into something misguided".

"Lucian means nothing to me".

"Who said anything about Lucian?" she raised her eyebrow with a shrewd smile.

Fuck.

"We were talking about human's changing- I thought you were worried about me getting close to him" I explained.

She watched me carefully; the way she always did when she read me.

Damn her ability.

I started to feel uncomfortably hot again.

"Just trust my decisions when it comes to the both of us, that's all I'm asking" she went on "I want you to give this Lamia whose coming here a chance".

I felt stuck between a rock and a hard place once again, my chest felt compressed to the point I was finding it hard to breath. Being forced to do something I didn't want was my biggest trigger- especially something that influenced the rest of my life. A burning hotness developed within me, worse that I'd felt earlier when around Lucian.

Fuck what is this?

In no time at all I was sweating again and my skin felt on fire. Just as suddenly anger flared up within me.

"You know what?" I said turning to her "I'm sick of playing the good girl, I didn't ask to be this" I gestured to myself "You carted me away to Gya, she raised me like some soulless creature born to do a preordained task, kill and survive and nothing else. I wasn't a blood relative to her let alone a child in need of a mother; she starved me most of the time, preparing me for god knows what and now it's time for me to mate? and be a good little wife who needs the protection of her Lamia husband for the rest of her dull loveless life?. I'm a person!, a living, thinking being!" I turned on my heels and charged for the door, vaguely glimpsing the shocked look on her face. God knows where that came from. Adrenaline coursed through me at my uncharacteristic behavior - i'm usually a seethe in silence kind of person.

"Fay!" her voice pleaded.

"I haven't lived a day in my god damn life! I'm 18! If I want to have fun I will!".

Before she could say another word I left with the wind.

"Be back in 2 hours!" I heard in the distance. Her usual response of when to return whenever I legged it into the forest as a child.

I couldn't help but smile.

I could do a lot of damage in 2 hours.

***

I found him in the oddest place. It took me a while to find a way to get there- a moss covered stone wall blocked my path. I had never gone up this wall before, never knew it was there, but after what seemed like endless climbing I reached the top, seeing what I'd heard on my approach- a glorious waterfall in the distance falling into a mini lake.

The forest greeting me was noticeably different; it was more vibrant and fertile, truly untouched and thriving like some secret hidden world. Towering trees, taller than any on my usual side, filled the landscape on this heavenly stretch of land. As I made my way down towards his scent, through overgrown blooming bushes and leaves, I eventually saw a clearing he had made some way away from the waterfall. He was building what looked like a house.

So that's why he was chopping wood.

When I thought of his future I never saw Lucian as a Lumberjack. I doubt any of those men knew about this place or why he was there with them. He was clearly using their tools and learning the trade for his own means- to build what he was here.

Watching him construct the foundation to the grand, fortress like structure, it dawned on me he had a whole life he was living- one painfully without me. He was living it before I came and he's continuing to live it now I was back. He has a future and I couldn't take it away from him. I couldn't stop him living in that house he was building because that's exactly what would happen; if I so much as kissed him, just as a joke to see him squirm- he'd either die from fever after excruciating pain or be like me. We'd be condemned to death if my people found out about it and that would be the end for both of us- all because I was too stupid to listen to Gya.

Rule number one- stay away from humans.

The wooden plaque hung over my bed in her house from the moment I arrived til when I left.

I can't play with his life like this- no matter how pissed I am.

I had just wanted to mess with him a little, maybe spar and knock him down a peg or two- he was so high and mighty, my word is law and I'm in control in his manner; but now I couldn't even do that. I'd bring Rogues, Full Moon blood lusts, She Wolf habits and general bat s**t crazy behavior linked to my kind into his normal untainted world. He's better off without me.

Suddenly Lucian stopped working and looked in my direction. My heart stopped in its tracks. Thankfully I was hidden by the foliage of a large bush- being small came in handy sometimes. I turned and ran, as was my custom- fast and stealth like. Climbing up the wall I came from in leaps, I slid down the moss covered rock- landed on the grass on the other side with an elegant thud.

Great now what.

I was full of unused negative energy and sweating like a motherfucker. It was disgusting.

I'm really not likening this new way my body is behaving. I needed to cool off.

Running to the closest stretch of water- I made my way to a reclusive river. No one knew of this place, it was extremely well hidden by trees, no one except Lucian and I of course.

I untied my dress and pulled it off. Slipping out of my undergarments I folded both neatly and hung them on a low hanging tree branch- if there was one thing I hated it was wet clothes.

The water was heavenly warm. I submerged myself fully then surfacing again swam fast, every which way until my anger was washed away with the waves. The sun was low in the sky as I floated on my back, completely naked, watching the clouds float by, relaxed by the soft chirping and sounds of different kinds of birds and wildlife perving in on me from the shade of the trees. The sound of approaching footsteps caught my ears and I quickly jolted up right, my violent splashes disturbing the calm water. I got out dripping wet. I could smell who it was and knew the direction and distance. It was Lucian and he was coming this way. Squeezing excess water out of my hair I put my undergarments on quickly.

Wait, what was I doing?

A smile crossed my lips. Maybe I could have some fun after all- if only to see him uncomfortable.

He was quite a bit away and still coming towards me. I untangled the stands of my hair and combed through them with my fingers to make them neat. Squeezing the tips of my wet hair I purposely dripped water onto the already damp white cotton covering my breasts.

Oh well it will be worth it I shrugged.

The look on his face is going to be priceless.

When he finally arrived I was ready. Dressed roughly in my undergarments I positioned myself to be caught completely unawares, in the process of getting changed.