#the thought of this werewolf au is slowly growing on me

[pool-spidey]

🐺🌃

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Helloooo your recs give me life. You’ve probably done this before, but any recommendations for fics that include a brutally pining Derek and oblivious Stiles? Ideally canon-verse but aus are also loved. Thanks in advance!!

I'm sure I have, but I love pining in all fics. So I'm happy to make a million lists of it.

Fun by Halevetica

(1/1 I 3,889 I Teen)

Stiles convinces Derek to go to the annual Beacon Hills bonfire with him, with the promise of fun. What he gets instead are a lot of assumptions that he and Stiles are dating, and Stiles' too-eager dismissals, which are decidedly NOT fun for Derek.

Game On by stilinskisparkles

(1/1 I 6,391 I Teen)

Derek first sees him from across the quad four days into fall semester. He’s sitting on one of the long benches, a marker pen in his mouth, grinning at something the kid lounging on the bench beside him is saying. When he laughs properly he pulls the pen out and throws his head back, his neck a long, lean line Derek is entranced by. He flicks the page in his book and highlights something, tossing the cap up in the air and catching it with his teeth.

Written in the Stars by Quixoticity

(6/6 I 26,586 I Mature)

Derek Hale is a lucky guy. He's got a great family, good friends, and a fulfilling job as a tattoo artist.

He's also one of the twenty-five per cent of the population born with a soul mark.

He likes his life, but he's waiting for his soul-match. The odds of meeting them aren't great but hey, Derek's a lucky guy. He has faith.

He can't believe how good his luck really is when one day his soul-match wanders right into his studio, all long limbs and copper eyes. There's just one problem: Stiles is there to get his soul mark covered up. Permanently.

Mating Habits of the Domesticated North American Werewolf by lielabell

(5/5 I 35,458 I Mature)

Derek doesn’t do pining. He doesn’t. So when it becomes clear that Stiles is much more interested in having Derek as a new best friend than a boyfriend, he puts on his big boy pants and makes it fucking work. He becomes the best goddamn friend a spastic teenager could ever hope to have.

too busy being yours to fall for somebody new by whiry

(12/12 I 64,278 I Teen)

Stiles, worried that Scott may actually leave him behind because of his newfound popularity, is desperate to cling to something away from the drama of Lydia Martin's amazing parties and the woes of high school lacrosse. What he finds is Derek Hale, a guy who seemingly hates Stiles at first, but slowly, and insistently, becomes friends with him. As their friendship grows, Stiles starts to wonder if they could ever become something more or if pushing what they have will lead him to being alone for good.

All the Weird Kids (Know How to Take it Slow) by Ionaonie

(26/26 I 112,477 I General)

Stiles never thought being part of a werewolf Pack would end up being so normal. Even being around Derek had a degree of normality about it. Even if he was still an overbearing jerk most of the time.

When it all comes crumbling down by Littleredridinghunter

(18/18 I 216,191 I Not Rated)

Stiles is recovering from the Nogitsune. Erica is the only one that is really there for him, Scott's too busy rekindling his relationship with Allison and Stiles feels like he's falling apart.

When a near-miss with a kelpie results in an encounter that he could never have predicted, Stiles begins to think his life might be getting back on track.

He's wrong.

Stiles' life is so messed up he can't even begin to explain it, maybe it's time for him to finally do something for himself and get out of Beacon Hills. But where will that path lead?

With Stiles involved, no doubt danger and death won't be far behind.

[sannirio]

safe and sound [pt 3.]

pt. 1 pt. 2

wc: 2820

dom san x amab sub reader

18+ MINORS DNI 「im serious」

cw - non!idol au, werewolf san, heavy size kink, tummy bulge, dumbification, creampie, subspace, deep subspace, severe overstimulation, praise, degradation, san turning.

A/N: sorry this took so long ;( burnout was bad this week. i hope you like it though!

san had you on his lap facing towards him. sitting on the “bed,” your head was laying on his shoulder as he laid waste to your neck. hickeys and bite marks plastered your pretty neck. each time he left a mark a whimper escaped your lips, the sound was like a drug to him. you could feel him growing underneath you, his cock was bigger than you thought one could ever be. it was pushing past your ass basically half way down his leg. “nervous?” he growled into your neck before biting it once again, sending a shock down your spine. you nodded into his collar. was it even possible to fit that inside of you? either way you were going to try. “we’ll start slowly,” he whispered. his hands moved down to your hips, squeezing them slightly. “you’re going to grind yourself against me ok.” “first, i’m going to take these off.” san reached down and tugged at your pants. you lifted yourself up slightly, allowing him the space to pull your pants down past your knees and off your legs exposing your dick to him. he looked down at your cock smirking in the process. “aww you’re already so hard for me puppy.” you felt yourself get bright red. you tried to hide your face but san caught your chin in his fingers before you could turn away. “don’t get shy on me now hun, you’re going to show me how pretty you look while i’m inside of you.”

once again he placed his hands on your hips, slowly pulling you forwards. you felt your dick slowly push up against his abs, his shirt making it sensitive. you shivered as the fabric brushed the tip of your cock. san snickered under his breath. he continued to force your hips forwards and backwards, making your cock ache. you wanted to cum right there but before you could reach your high he stopped your movement. san took off his shirt, revealing his perfect body. wide shoulders, chiseled abs and massive arms. he was gorgeous… and huge. san placed you down and stood up, his hard on was extremely evident in his pants, it looked so heavy. he pulled his pants down slowly, revealing the monster that they were holding back. it was bigger than you thought, it was massive. it looked like it went past your elbow. if you had to guess it was around 33 cm, that was your best guess. “like what you see puppy?” all you could do was stare at his cock, “i’m going to assume yes” he smirked. “do you want a taste hun?” finally you looked up at him, red staining your cheeks. “yes sir” left your mouth before you could even think about what you wanted to say. “good boy” san whispered.

you were now kneeling on the “bed” slightly below sans cock, which was staring straight at you. “go on, let’s see how pretty you look with my dick down your throat” you placed a hand on the shaft of his cock while slowly licking the tip. san groaned, running his large hand through your hair. he tasted so good, he was already leaking into your mouth. you licked your lips before attempting to put him in your mouth. his tip filled you up completely. “holy fuck… how am i supposed to get this thing down my throat?” “good boy” san cooed, his words laced with lust and love. “c’mon you can go farther than that.” you pushed yourself a little bit farther down his length, 4 or 5 cm. you felt the head hit the back of your throat which made your eyes water slightly. “ awwww good puppy.” sans eyes were on fire, it looked like he wanted to devour you. again you pushed further, another 5 or so cm making you choke a bit. you were crying now, “how though?” you thought, you weren’t even half way down? you pulled off of him, gasping for air when he was all the way out. “good job!” san said smiling, “let’s see you go farther next time.” “again?” how could you go farther? he was so big, but you wanted to be good for him, you wanted to make him proud.

you took sans cock into your mouth again, sliding down to where you had been a few moments ago with a lot more ease. “see puppy, you just need practice!” the sensation mixed with sans praise was intoxicating. it was honestly making you feel fuzzy, you’d never been a space like this before, but it felt so good. once you got fully comfortable you moved down his length a bit more, it was easier this time. half way! you made it half way! you looked up at san to see his head thrown back, small gasps where escaping his lips. you were making him feel good. here was as far as you could go, comfortably that is, so you started moving. your mouth traveled up and down his length. a groan escaped him making you shutter. this sensation was so weird. you felt so small compared to him and yet you were kneeling here, him half way down your sore throat watching this man fall apart in front of you. “you’re doing so good puppy, making daddy feel like this.” you heard him growl. oh god, goosebumps washed over your torso. your mind was reeling, all you could think about now was his dick and being good for him. at this moment, that’s all you were meant for. san clasped one of his strong hands under your jaw simultaneously pulling his dick out of your throat. “good boy” he whispered “but it’s my turn to make my little baby feel good.”

san climbed up onto the “bed” positioning himself in front of you. he then pushed you onto your back. he was over top of you now, the motion of him pushing you backwards pulled your shirt up exposing your soft stomach to him. his cock was laying on it, still slightly covered in your saliva. one of his hands was up beside your head, the other was lazily tracing down your side making you shiver. san was mumbling under his breath, you heard him say “so beautiful~” he once again kissed your neck, leaving beautiful marks all over. when you were sufficiently marked up san moved his lips down to your chest then down to your stomach. his lips felt like a pillow brushing against you. then he got down to your hips, his hands were placed firmly on both sides. you took a deep breath as he took you in his mouth. this made you whimper loudly firing your hands down to try and cover yourself. san didn’t let you though, like he said, he wanted to make you feel good. your small hands wove through sans hair, desperate to hold onto something as your body began to fill up with the electric feeling. he’s moving slowly, on purpose, his mouth felt so good but you knew he wouldn’t let you cum any time soon. your arms moved upwards, the ability to do anything right now was gone. san was moving up and down, giving as much lazy attention as he could to your dick. you subconsciously thrust into him, a small moan escaping you, and a snicker from san. the embarrassment was overwhelming. you covered your face with your hands, san reached up and forced them off your face. “please,” you whispered, blotchy red patches plastering your cheeks. san raised his head letting you fall out of his mouth. “no hiding hun, you want to be good don’t you?” you nodded, you felt light headed, san praising you made you drunk.”

sans hands once again grasped your hips, using maybe 1% of his strength he rolled you onto your stomach. when the movement stopped you grabbed the pillow that was once under your head and pulled it close to you for support. two large hands groped your butt, spreading your cheeks apart. before you could say anything, san was eating you out. his tongue was doing circles around your hole. you had no idea this could feel so good. light moans escaped you, each time his tongue made a movement it sent shivers up your spine. san was enjoying himself way too much. he couldn’t help but smile every time one of those angelic whimpers left your lips. he lifted away from you, his mind reeling from how pretty you were right now. you felt a large finger touch you gently, circling around slowly in anticipation. “you need to get ready hun, im going to help you ok~” his pointer finger entered you, pushing slowly deeper into you until he was down to the knuckles. “good boy~ you’re doing so good.” san started moving his finger in and out of you making sure you adjusted to him. “now 2.” you felt a second finger enter you making you yelp. it hurt a little but more than anything it felt amazing. his fingers left your lower half feeling limp. “ok 3 now puppy” his third finger forced its way inside. how were you already feeling so full and he was just using his fingers? san made sure you were feeling good, his beautiful prince losing his mind and he wasn’t even done with you yet.

san pulled his fingers out of you leaving you feeling empty. “do you want me to fuck you puppy?” his voice licked your ears, the lust that danced around each syllable was suffocating. “yes sir” you stuttered, that wasn’t enough though “sorry i didn’t hear you can you please speak up?” “yes sir!” you needed him in you now. “relax my prince ill go slow ok~” you felt the tip of sans cock touch your hole lightly, then it moved forwards up to your back, he was teasing you. “please put it in sir” desperation filled your mind. you felt the tip of sans cock touch your hole again, for a split second he left it there then pushed himself inside. you felt yourself stretch open, his tip taking up every millimeter of you, already? “good boy” san whispered sending shivers down your spine. he pushed a bit more making you gasp. how can someone be so huge. you turned to look too see if maybe you could figure out how much of him he’s pushed inside. barely anything?! your head started reeling, how were you going to be able to take all of that? it was setting in now just how massive san was. pushed more of his cock into you, until he was about half way down. “see, good boy, you’re taking me so well. were almost there you can do it.” the pillow you were holding onto was your only source of support, the fullness you were feeling combined with sans cock brushing against your g-spot had you lulled into a trance of sorts. the amount of pleasure your were already feeling. perfection. san pushed the final few cm in forcing you to whimper, “fuck~ you’re so tight.” he growled. san felt so good, it was almost as if you were made for him, for him to fuck, to claim. he started moving slowly, each stroke creating a bump in you stomach that tickled when it brushed against the “bed.” angels danced around in your head, it was like you were floating. every thrust sent you deeper into the angelic trance you were in. san picked up his pace, his hips hitting your ass more and more. he was building speed, he was going to use you how he wanted too.

sans breathing was staggered, the way you pulled him in was intoxicating, he knew he was making you feel good. he again picked the pace up, he was fucking you so fast turing your soft whimpers in to moans and yelps. this feeling of possession was getting overwhelming, it was primal. a spark ran through sans nervous system, he was turning, and fast. the staggered breathing quickened as he felt the fur grow from his arms. he was trying to resist the transformation as best he could, but what was the point? the urge to claim you, make you his was too strong, overwhelming.

you could feel sans changing form as he fucked you, it scared you a bit of course, the fear was exhilarating though. “faster” you moaned through shallow gasps. san obliged. his cock stretched you open, the way he fucked you was amazing. you felt two large fur covered hands pick you up and pull you towards his chest. as your back came into contact with his body, he held your arms to either side of you keeping himself deep inside of you. looking down you saw the bulge his cock created. the sight of it added to the numbness you felt in your sub spaced brain. again sans paced quickened, any mercy he had was gone. the pace san had assumed was building your edge, you didn’t know how much longer you could keep it in. the speed at which he fucked you was intense, every stroke hit your g-spot forcing you to leak rivers. the “bed” was soaked with both of you combined, your cock leaking everywhere and the pre cum that was filling you up pouring out of your ass. san started to lick your neck and shoulders, you're a sticky brain dead mess. his tongue was just as relentless as his thrusts were, every inch of your neck and shoulders weren’t left untouched.

the pressure building on your g-spot was getting to a boiling point, even as you came sans pace didn’t slow, he was in so deep. the overstimulation san was forcing on your g-spot was getting to be too much, but he didn’t stop. you were shaking, the bliss and pleasure building up after you came was like a flame, every part of your body was on fire. cum was still dripping out of you like a waterfall. a low snarl graced your ear, as you fell limp onto san. you couldn’t move, all you could do was whimper, tears now running down your face. the overstimulation you were going through could leave even the strongest soldier weak. it felt so good but bad at the same time, like hot wax running down your back.

an eruption was building in san. “you filthy whore, you’re gonna take all of it. your pathetic little body's mine, MINE.” though you couldn’t respond sans statements added to your messy mind. one last rough stroke and san released his kids inside you, as deep as he could manage. the amount of cum he relinquished filled you up to the brim, forcing the already large tummy bulge to grow even larger. you not only felt full but looked it too. sharp moans pierced the air as san pumped every last drop of cum he could into your tummy, finally marking you as his. still sensitive, san pulled out of you, finally letting the metaphorical gallons of cum to pour out. he continued to hold onto as he did so turning back to his human form. he continued to hold you close as you came back from your overstimulation high, rocking you back and forth in his arms. as you re-entered your normal state, a strong hand brushed away the hair that plastered your forehead and eye area. breathing heavily you looked up to see a very human-looking san smiling over you. “you were so good babe.” he gave you a kiss and proceeded to grab a clean part of the blanket you two were on to wipe you clean. “you enjoyed yourself, didn't you?” san said softly as he worked away at your pre cum covered face with the blanket. a little dazed, you nodded, holding his gaze. “good hun, are you hurt at all?” again you nodded, a soreness was now spreading down your legs from your ass, that had been obviously masked by your orgasm. “it’s ok baby, let’s go clean up and i’ll take care of you. how does that sound?” “good” you whispered letting your head fall onto his shoulder as he picked you up, cum still spilling out of you. after a nice shower of fire-heated water, the two of you were back at the entrance of the cave. you wrapped in a fresh blanket on sans lap and him sitting there shirtless with a fresh pair of sweatpants on. “i’ve said it a million times already but you did so good for me puppy, you looked so pretty.” even though you had heard san say this a hundred times since you two finished, it still made you giddy. he pet your hair and gave you a kiss on your head.

you’d never felt more safe in your life.

sannirio©

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

prompts! werewolves + arranged marriage + truth/lie revealed + on a cruise :D

Here's a Geraskier modern with magic AU! Warnings for mentions of past character injury and child abuse:

The cruise was Jaskier’s idea.

“We need a honeymoon, Geralt!” Geralt’s new husband told him barely five minutes after they’d exchanged their stilted, awkward wedding vows, and barely twenty minutes after they’d clapped eyes on each other for the first time. “This marriage may not have been what either of us wanted, but we still deserve a proper celebration.”

In retrospect, that should have been the first indication that something was off. No werewolf with a working nose would subject themselves to all the smells—never mind all the sounds—of thousands of people trapped together on a boat.

“You’re not a werewolf,” he says slowly, letting the words sink in. He and Jaskier are sitting by the pool on the top level of the cruise ship, surrounded by the scents of chlorine, sweat, and sunscreen as children shriek and parents shout around them.

“No.” His husband looks the picture of decadent ease, wearing indecently tiny, bright yellow swim trunks with a neon pink, flowered shirt that’s unbuttoned nearly to his navel, with a colorful, frozen drink replete with an umbrella clutched in his hand. Only the faint, sour scent of nervousness gives him away.

“But you’re a Pankratz.” That’s the whole point of this damn marriage, to seal a peace treaty between the Lettenhove and Kaer Morhen packs. The union between Geralt, the second son of Vesemir Morhen, and Jaskier, the fourth son of Alfred Pankratz, is supposed to symbolize the new union between their packs after decades of tension.

“In name only, I’m afraid.” Jaskier flashes a smile that’s only slightly strained at the corners. “I bear a startling resemblance to a human journalist who visited Lettenhove to do a piece on the pack about nine months before I was born. It seems I take after him in more ways than one.”

At the wedding last week, Geralt noticed that Jaskier looked nothing like his burly, fair-haired father and brothers with their humorless mouths and beady hazel eyes, but he thought nothing of it, assuming that Jaskier resembled his late mother. But if Jaskier isn’t even a Pankratz…

“This renders the treaty moot,” Geralt says. “Your father realizes that, doesn’t he? If you hadn’t told me, I would have found out in two weeks, when you didn’t shift at the full moon, and the treaty would be as good as over.”

“I imagine he fully realizes that, yes.” Jaskier looks away, smiling at a pack of children wrestling over an inflatable orca in the pool. “My father is many things, but he’s not a fool. “

“If he had tried this with Calanthe or Vizimir’s pack, he would be signing your death warrant,” Geralt says, then goes cold when not a single flicker of surprise crosses Jaskier’s face. Instead, the nervous scent grows stronger.

“Yes, Geralt,” Jaskier says lightly, taking a sip of his drink. “I assume that was the point. He marries me off to you, you rip me apart on the full moon when you realize that you were deceived, and then he has legitimate reason to declare full-out war on the Kaer Morhen pack. Plus, he gets rid of his wife’s inconvenient human bastard.”

Geralt closes his eyes. Suddenly, a lot about this past week makes a horrible kind of sense. “That’s why you wanted to go on this damn cruise, so you could tell me somewhere we’d be surrounded by human witnesses, far from my pack.”

“I do apologize for that,” Jaskier says. “I knew all the sounds and smells would leave you off-kilter, which I thought might give me a chance if I needed to defend myself. By the time I realized you weren’t the kind of man to tear my still-beating heart out, it was too late to turn back. Plus, after I booked the tickets, I learned that a truly alarming amount of people vanish from cruise ships every year. Apparently, it’s much easier to make people disappear at sea than I counted on.”

Geralt grunts. “I’m not going to make you disappear.”

“I know that now.” A gentle hand touches his wrist and Geralt opens his eyes to see his own reflection mirrored in Jaskier’s oversized sunglasses. It’s the first time Jaskier has looked at him since they started this conversation and suddenly, Geralt wishes his husband weren’t wearing those sunglasses, so he could see his eyes.

“Then why are you still afraid?” Geralt asks, because that nervous scent is only growing stronger, nearly overpowering the scent of Jaskier’s sunscreen and the strawberry-and-rum scent of his drink.

Jaskier grimaces. “Well, you have other options, if tearing me apart and dumping my mangled corpse overboard isn’t your style. My father married me off to you under false pretenses, after all.”

Geralt watches him for a moment. “You’re afraid I’m going to send you back to Lettenhove.”

“I doubt anyone could blame you if you did,” Jaskier says. “You wanted a proper werewolf mate and instead, you got a defective halfbreed who will never do your pack a damn bit of good.”

He says those last words in a cadence that isn’t his own, like they’re something someone else has said to him many times.

“What will happen to you if you go back to Lettenhove?” Geralt already knows the answer.

He can practically feel Jaskier’s gaze on him, even through the sunglasses. “He’ll find another way to get rid of me, I imagine. Or he’ll try to turn me again and see if it sticks this time.”

Something hot and furious rises in Geralt, not so much at the words, but at the matter-of-fact way Jaskier says them. He schools the rage from his expression, so Jaskier won’t think it’s directed at him. “Again?”

He remembers the scars he’s gotten glimpses of at various points in the past week—a slash across Jaskier’s thigh, a bite mark on his shoulder, the curve of claw marks on his side. He’s thought nothing of them. All werewolves have scars, but Jaskier isn’t a werewolf. He’s a human.

“My mother died when I was sixteen,” Jaskier says. “My grandfather passed away not long after. Once they were gone, there wasn’t anyone to stop my father and brothers from doing what they’d been threatening to do since I hit puberty and they realized I couldn’t shift.”

“They tried to turn you.” Geralt swallows back the bitter taste the words leave. There’s a reason turning humans is banned by all the major wolfpacks in the Northern Kingdoms, except in extreme circumstances. It’s a brutal process, one that requires bringing humans to the brink of death before biting them. Most of the time, it’s unsuccessful. Geralt only knows of one werewolf that was successfully turned: his younger brother, Lambert.

A woman walks by them, carrying a wailing toddler in her arms while another young boy trails behind, loudly protesting his innocence. “He said I smelled like cheese!” the younger child blubbers.

Jaskier chuckles and catches the mother’s eye. “Brothers,” he says and the mother smiles and looks up at the sky in exasperation before hurrying away to soothe her younger son’s hurt feelings.

Geralt can see the edge of the scar on Jaskier’s thigh peeking out from underneath his shorts. He wonders which of Jaskier’s brothers put it there, or if they just watched while his father did it. He thinks of a sixteen-year-old Jaskier, wide-eyed and baby-faced as he was hunted down and savaged by people he should have been able to trust.

“A friend of my mother’s helped me get away,” Jaskier says. “My birth father mysteriously vanished not long after my father realized who I looked like, but his sister lives in Oxenfurt. She knows someone who knows someone who was able to help me create a new identity. So I stopped being Julian Pankratz and lived for fifteen years as Jaskier. I finished high school, went to Oxenfurt, eventually got a job teaching at Oxenfurt, all as Jaskier. I thought my father had forgotten about me, right until my brothers showed up and shoved me into the back of a car to bring me back to Lettenhove and get married.”

“You should have said something at the wedding,” Geralt says. “My pack would have helped you. I would have helped you.”

“I know that now, but you were a stranger then, and a werewolf to boot. Before I met you, this—” Jaskier pulls aside the neckline of his shirt. “Had largely been my experience with werewolves.”

Geralt stares at the ridge of pale scars across Jaskier’s shoulder, a line of teeth marks in the shape of a wolf’s jaws. He can imagine it clearly: a werewolf pinning Jaskier to the ground and sinking their teeth into Jaskier’s shoulder, tearing soft flesh and crushing bone. He’s been on the receiving end of such wounds many times, but he’s a werewolf, not a breakable human. Jaskier is lucky he didn’t bleed to death. Geralt reaches out to trace one finger along the line of scars. Jaskier shivers at the touch, despite the heat of the day.

“I’m sorry,” he says. It’s inadequate, but it’s all he can offer Jaskier. “This shouldn’t have happened to you.”

Jaskier smiles a little sadly. “What now, Geralt?”

Geralt never wanted this marriage, was furious when Vesemir told him what the treaty with the Lettenhove pack would entail. A week ago, he would have jumped at the chance to declare the marriage void and to get back to his simple, quiet life. But what would that mean for Jaskier? He could return to his life at Oxenfurt, but how long will it take for Alfred Pankratz to target him again? How long before Jaskier is dragged away to be used as a political pawn again, or slaughtered outright? Without protection, Jaskier will never be safe from the Lettenhove pack.

“We’re going to spend the next week on this fucking ship,” Geralt says. “We’re going to go to the couples ballroom dancing class you signed us up for tonight.” His lips twitch at Jaskier’s snort of laughter. “I’m going to teach you how to play Gwent tomorrow, because we’re going to win the Gwent tournament on Sunday, so something will come out of this cruise. And then we’re going to go back to Kaer Morhen and tell Vesemir what your old pack is up to. And then we’re going to kill your fucking father.”

Jaskier stares at him, seemingly shocked silent for the first time since Geralt met him.

“Unless you don’t want me to kill him?” From what Geralt has heard, Alfred Pankratz deserves a violent death, but he did raise Jaskier. Perhaps there’s still some affection there.

“The treaty—” Jaskier croaks.

“The treaty was entered into under false pretenses,” Geralt says. “It’s void. And even if it wasn’t, I don’t give a fuck about the treaty or pack politics or any of that bullshit. Are you safe, as long as your father is alive?”

Jaskier swallows. “No.”

“Then he has to die.” Geralt realizes that he’s still touching Jaskier’s shoulder and quickly withdraws his hand. “Werewolf, human, it doesn’t matter. You’re my husband. I’m not going to let your father hurt you again.”

“And your pack?”

“They’ll help.” It’s a testament to what a clusterfuck the Lettenhove pack is that Jaskier doesn’t realize that, Geralt thinks. Of course Vesemir, Eskel, Lambert, and the rest of the Kaer Morhen pack will come to Jaskier’s defense. He’s one of them now for as long as he wants to be.

Jaskier stares at him for another long moment. Just when Geralt starts to wonder what he said wrong, Jaskier surges forward. Most of his frozen drink sloshes down Geralt’s front, but Geralt hardly notices, because Jaskier is kissing him. It’s the first kiss they’ve shared since the single kiss they exchanged to seal their wedding vows and it’s nothing like that quick, chaste peck on the lips. Jaskier kisses Geralt almost desperately, one hand fisting in the front of his t-shirt, lips warm and insistent against Geralt’s. When he finally pulls away, they’re both breathing hard.

“He made a mistake when he married me to you, didn’t he?” Jaskier laughs, sounding almost disbelieving. “He thought you’d be like him, that you’d do what he would do to a human he didn’t want.”

Emboldened, Geralt slides his hand up Jaskier’s face to take his sunglasses off, revealing those blue eyes, which are watching him with hope. He doesn’t smell nervous anymore, Geralt realizes.

Water splashes over their legs as a kid cannonballs into the pool and a lifeguard blows their whistle, the sound sharp and shrill. Neither Geralt nor Jaskier notice; they’re watching each other. For the first time, Geralt feels like they’re in this together. Maybe this won’t be a sham of a political marriage. Maybe Jaskier won’t just be a husband foisted upon him, but his mate.

“Well,” Jaskier says with genuine levity instead of the terrible, false brightness he’s carried with him for the past week. “I suppose if you’re going to suffer through ballroom dancing lessons tonight, I owe you a drink, don’t I?”

“Do they serve anything that isn’t pink and frozen?”

“Oh, please, don’t pretend you’re above pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris, just because you’re big and broody.” At Geralt’s flat look, Jaskier flashes a shit-eating grin. This is the Jaskier that Geralt has only caught glimpses of for the past week, someone full of mischief and life, someone that Jaskier has been keeping carefully hidden behind a veneer of false good cheer, probably in an effort not to piss off his new husband.

Geralt likes this Jaskier far better.

“Fine, I’ll get you a boring beer,” Jaskier says, rising to his feet with a sigh.

“Maybe some paper towels too.” Geralt pointedly looks at the strawberry daiquiri sloshed down his arm.

“But it looks good on you! Adds some color to your palette.” Jaskier’s smile gets wider when Geralt rolls his eyes. “Fine, a boring beer and some paper towels. I’ll be right back.”

Geralt watches him walk away, trying and failing not to notice how tiny those shorts are. He’s going to need to contact Vesemir as soon as they get back to the cabin, to tell him that Alfred Pankratz is up to something. And then when they dock in Novigrad at the end of the week, he’ll have to start planning how to deal with Pankratz once and for all.

But for now, he thinks he’s going to let himself enjoy his honeymoon, ballroom dancing and all.

Trope Mashup Prompts

Tag list: @kueble @mollymawkwrites @feral-jaskier @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde @dawnofbards @thisislisa @mosaicscale @tsukiwolf42 @rockysstupidity @fontegagrilledcheese @kuripon @help-i-need-a-cool-username @julek

[nogitzune]

Snippet Sunday

Tagged by @beaconfeels to share a WIP--unfortunately I haven't added anything else to the twilight au, BUT I have more heartbeat verse to share.

Peter stands in the doorway. Stiles can hear Derek’s tinny voice from his phone, talking or saying something, but he’s not processing it. Peter’s standing. Behind him in the hall hospital workers carry on like a comatose man isn’t moving and standing right before their eyes. Stiles can feel as his jaw drops in surprise, and watches as Peter smirks at the sight. “Hello, Stiles.” Peter’s voice is cool, and something in Stiles’s chest seems to pulse at the words--a reassuring balm spreading from it. “You’re--you--what?” Stiles can’t wrap his head around it. The adrenaline rush from seeing the room empty is still coursing through his veins, the worry at Peter’s absence still ringing in his head.  “Yes, shocking, I know.” Something about Peter’s voice makes Stiles’s head fuzzy, he can’t seem to focus. “What a good little beta you are; staying by your pack's side; bringing me another beta that night.”  “Scott? I didn’t--I didn’t /mean/ to--” “Didn’t you?” Peter asks calmly, stepping into the room and closer to Stiles. Stiles thinks he should probably be backing away, if the angry tone to Derek’s voice on the phone is anything to go by. “It was your idea to go into the woods that night, and you can’t deny the wonders it’s done him.” “We weren’t supposed to--he wasn’t supposed to be a werewolf--I didn’t even know about werewolves!” Stiles can’t get his thoughts straight.  “--And if you did? It’s done him so well; first line; new girlfriend; no asthma; wouldn’t you have wanted that for him?” Peter walks closer with every word, slow and sure of himself. Stiles can’t tear his eyes away from Peter’s stare. “So loyal--making sure he remains undetected; looking after me; watching over the pack.” Peter’s voice turns sultry at the end, hungry and wanting. His eyes begin to glow, not blue like Derek’s or gold like Scott’s, but red. Burning red. “I--alpha. You’re the alpha.” Stiles finally realizes, mind working slowly under the fog suddenly consuming it. He isn’t scared--something’s wrong, why isn’t he scared--he knows he should be worried but he can’t feel anything past the warm balm spreading from his chest. It grows with every step Peter takes closer. “You’re the one killing people.” “Yes.” Peter stands before him, close enough to touch, and Stiles can only watch as Peter reaches for him. He feels Peter’s hand as it caresses his check, a mockery of the first time Peter did this on that first full moon. It’s softer, smaller, this time, as Peter rests it cupped around Stiles’s throat. “And you’re going to help me.” Claws sink into the back of Stiles’s neck, and all he knows is fire.

Don't you just love being manipulated by pack bonds you don't even know are there 😊

[chimcess]

→ Chapter Six: Beside Him Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Werewolf!Jimin, Witch!Reader, Shifter!Reader, Shifter!Jimin, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha!Jimin Genre: Supernatural!AU, Werewolf!AU, Angst, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Smut, Word Count: 17.7k+ Synopsis: Within the four realms of Lustra lay the Bangtan forest home to the Foxglove pack of the north and known as the “land of magic.” It is also home to the Bridd, a powerful witch from a cursed bloodline who is one of the sacred guardians of the forest. Y/N is the newest Bridd, a young girl who was given her position too early. Now a woman, Y/N is revered amongst the wolves as the most powerful witch they have ever known, but hiding under the surface is a woman who has to battle between her duty and her heart. Warnings: Injured characters, death, PTSD, flashbacks, self-hatred, guilt, ANGST, hurt/comfort, strong language, scars, sexism, virginity mentioned, sex mentioned, kissing, groping, arguments, mood swings, emotional outbursts, mentioning of su*c*dial thoughts (in passing and not seriously), toxic views on love, new characters introduced, hospital scene, near death experiences leave people messed up, conflicting feelings, I love writing these characters so much, Callisto is my sweet baby angel, anything else might spoil, let me know if I missed something A/N: Even if there’s not too many people interested in it, this fic is my comfort piece since I know everyone so well. I love writing for this world, and I never want it to end (but it will one day, sadly). Sigh, at least we still have plenty of adventures to go on first.

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Opening my eyes, I could feel just how tired my arms were. Every inch of my body was heavy and weighed down by some invisible force. Looking around me, I knew that I was in some sort of medical setting. Surrounded by bodies, I closed my eyes once more and breathed a sigh of relief. 

I was alive. I was free. I made it.

Moans of pain filled the room, but I could not figure out where they were coming from. Everyone else was either quiet or talking in hushed whispers with their loved ones. I opened my eyes again. There was no one at my bedside.

Forcing myself up, I groaned in agony as I did so. My head still had some dull aches, and my bones cracked and popped with each movement I made. Glancing around, I did not see a familiar face in sight. I could only hope it was due to others being too busy to stay holed up in the medical unit with me and not because far more serious tragedies had been met.

Twisting and turning, I slowly stretched and relaxed the tense muscles in my body. The headache lingered, but it became more bearable as the time went by. The woman beside me woke up a few minutes later. Most of her body was scarred from burns. She had been caught in a fire when she was evacuating her children from the village. 

“You’ve been here for two days now,” The woman coughed, her voice like crushed cement.

“What happened?” My throat was dry, and I wished I could find a glass of water. “I got back after the elves left,” I rubbed my eyes and stretched my arms a second time, “What’s your name?”

“Do-yun,” She gave me a strained smile, and I asked if she would like for me to help her feel better. “No, thank you. You have done more than enough, Bridd.”

Guilt ate me alive as I eyed her burnt, red, peeling skin. Do-yun was wrong. I had been too cowardly to do everything I could. There was no way she could have known that, and it made my self-hatred grow. What would have happened if I had told Jimin what had been bothering me?

“Bridd?” Do-yun called out, concern written on her face.

I smiled weakly, unable to meet her eyes anymore, “Sorry. I got stuck in my head.”

She nodded at me, and I knew she would understand. Many in the village would be able to feel what I have felt for years. Her burns served to remind me of my own responsibility in this and I wanted to vomit. Disgusted with myself, I came to the horrific realization that their nightmares were my fault. When Do-yun cried, her screams bouncing off her bedroom walls, and her skin covered in a faint sheen of sweat I knew without a shadow of a doubt that their sleepless nights were because of my own failing. 

“The elves haven’t come back,” I struggled to hear her small voice. “The Elders said they’ve moved to Northorn and are making their way back south. Alpha Jimin thinks they wanted to weaken our defenses before invading the north, and Alpha Taehyung agrees with him.”

I was glad to hear they were doing well. The last time I had seen both of them they were in one piece, but things could change in two days. The fact that Jimin was well enough to have war meetings only made my heart that much lighter. Do-yun seemed pleased by my reaction and I was afraid I had been caught. The woman winked but did not say anything more.

“That would make sense,” I nodded.

Testing the waters, I went to stand and smiled at my small victory. My body had recovered nicely from the magical drain. It would have taken much longer before. I guessed it had something to do with the power that had been taken from me. I was able to regain it much better now. Looking down at the woman, I frowned.

“Are you sure I can’t help you?” I asked.

She shook her head, “It’s a sign of honor to have lived. I will wear the pain and scars with pride.”

My own scars came to mind, and my frown deepened. I had never thought of them that way. My thoughts then shifted to Shiloh, and it almost brought me to my knees. I never got the chance to say goodbye. Pushing my tears away, I told myself that I would give myself time to grieve later.

“Have you seen Jimin recently?” I asked her, willing my voice to stay calm.

She smiled at me, the side of her face that was burned far too tight and red to lift with the other. She had a beautiful smile once, and I felt rage like I never had before. I wished I could rip apart the elf that had made this happen to her. 

“He’s here most of the time,” Do-yun replied. “Taehyung called upon him this morning for an important meeting. He should be back soon.”

“Thank you,” I eyed the woman again and felt the need to ask, “Are your children doing well?”

“Yes,” Her smile widened, and her face tensed making it look more like a grimace, “They’re with their father trying to get our home put back together.”

“How bad is it?”

Do-yun sighed, “Tae-moo says there’s hardly anything left. Apparently, your friends have been talking with other witches in Moland and Syrena to come here and help but Elder Bo has been giving them hell about it.”

I huffed in annoyance. If there was ever a time and place to put your pride to the side, it would be here and now. Those witches would be a Godsend to this village, and I could tell Do-yun was unhappy about this. Taehyung’s word would override the other councilman, but I doubted he would want to cause arguments during a time of war. Jimin would have to put his foot down in order to get anything done and I had a feeling the other alphas would be on his side.

“She’s lost her daughter, so I try to be understanding of her poor decisions,” Do-yun frowned, “But I can’t pretend to be thrilled about them. If witches want to help, then they should- tradition be damned.”

“I guess she is not happy about my being here then?”

Do-yun shook her head, “We are supposed to act like nothing was said, but she was unhappy to hear about you and Jimin’s courtship.”

So, the village knew of our relationship. I sighed and sat down on my cot. I did not believe Jimin would have been happy with the woman right now, and I had to be careful with who I spoke with. I did not know how people reacted to the news or how much faith they had in our connection. 

“Most of us can’t understand why she’s so angry,” Do-yun grinned at me. “Truth be told, we are all blessed to have such strong women in the council, but Bo holds onto the belief that wolves cannot love another more than a wolf.”

I hated to agree with Bo, but she was not incorrect. A pair of wolves shared a connection unlike anything else and once mated they felt every feeling one another held. They became one. I did not know enough about different hybrid couplings to understand the complexity of the bonds that were held between them, but I knew from my own experiences that Jimin did not hero-worship me the same way he would have a woman from his pack. It bothered me but I was confident enough in our connection to let the jealousy go.

“So, she doesn’t think our bond is real?” I scoffed with an eye roll. 

Do-yun chuckled, “She and a select few but no one is listening to them. All of us are grateful to you and the others for coming here and giving up so much for our people.”

I nodded and made up my mind to go and look for anyone else that could still be in the ward. I asked her about Thelma and Yoongi, but she paid little mind to the witches. They had been gone by the time she had come to. Settling on finding my friends first, I began the treacherous task of walking through the bodies.

“See you soon, Oxur Park,” I smiled weakly and waved goodbye.

Many were badly injured, missing limbs, or burned beyond recognition. Some children had gone blind from spells, others were paralyzed and being worked on constantly by the Quietus in order to reverse it, and some were so badly injured they were only receiving pain relief until they died. It became too hard to look at and so I stopped. Staring straight ahead, I forced myself from looking down at the cots littered around me.

“I’m happy you’re awake,” said a voice from behind me.

I turned with great care and found Cadoc standing there. The shadow surrounding him was gone now and replaced by gentle white smoke that danced. It was shocking just how different he looked when he was fighting. Now, his skin had life and flushed in the sun, the pale color less like marble, and his eyes were the color of sapphires. His hair was still midnight and hung just at his shoulders. It danced in the breeze that surrounded him. He smiled at me.

“Cadoc,” I greeted him, unable to return his enthusiasm. “I’m happy to see you.”

He approached me cautiously and began to look over my body. His hands felt like a gentle breeze in the fall, his fingers as soft as leaves, and I could hardly feel any pressure as he methodically went over me. I was appreciative of the caution, and I belatedly realized that I was unaware of what had happened to me. I could have been injured without realizing it. Maybe I was not free to leave after all.

“You seem fine,” He said, his strange echoing voice all the same. “I would refrain from any and all magic use unless necessary.”

I nodded obediently.

“Thank you again,” I managed a small grin. “I appreciate you coming to my aid in the field.”

He nodded at me, “You saved my life. I thought it was only fair.”

Nodding, I turned away.

“Before you leave,” He called out. I turned back around. “Sam would like to see you. I think she’s quite fond of you.”

This time, I smiled.

“After I see my loved ones, I’ll be sure to make some time for her.”

Cadoc chuckled, “Goodluck. My sister is not known for her patience. My condolences to your family over the loss.”

I nodded, looking at the grass under my feet. Suddenly images of fire and black spots in the grass replaced the fresh green beneath my feet. There was screaming and flashes of white running away from the village. My hands were cold and heavy and when I blinked my eyes, I saw a face before the vision was gone. Gasping for air, I placed a hand over my chest to steady my breathing. 

Oh, Wendy would be completely beside herself. I knew I needed to get to them quickly. We should be together right now. Oh my God, Cordelia.

“Was it only the woman?” I asked, sniffling, and hoping he would know what I meant.

“She was the only one who died,” He replied. “Your friend is blind, one was badly injured and is still receiving care, and another was burned on her leg.”

“Who’s here?” I demanded, looking back up. I wanted to see them before I left.

“His name is Tae-jin, I think.”

My eyes closed on their own. I needed to get to Seokjin and make sure he was alright. His mother had to be in hysterics by now. Torn between seeing Tae-jin and going to comfort his family, my body moved on its own to go back into the tent. A hand on my arm stopped me.

Cadoc was pressed very closely against my body, his strange figure formed around my own, and I had to suppress a shiver. He was ice cold. I felt his lips brush against my ear as he whispered, his body far too close to mine. Within a second, he completely vanished from sight.

“They’re here.”

I turned my head towards his mouth, waiting for him to say more.

He elaborated, “I’m not sure who it is, but there’s someone in this village working with the elves.”

“How do you know that?” My voice was hardly audible, lips unmoving.

“I’ll explain later.”

I nodded. We were not in the best place for this conversation. Pulling away from his embrace, I pulled a face to make my pause look less suspicious. It was not difficult to look heartbroken when all I saw was devastation. What felt like fingers grazed my cheek.

“Meet me in your meadow tonight,” He urged.

I nodded my head once. Seemingly satisfied with my answer, the cold chill that surrounded me was gone. Pushing the conversation to the back of my mind, I started walking once more. Whatever the Quietus was talking about would have to wait until I saw everyone alive and well. At least, well enough that they would live.

I found Tae-jin a few minutes later after asking anyone who was well enough to guide me to his cot. He was still asleep, a large gash on his face that was red and raised, but I was happy that his breathing was normal. I was sure he would wake up and be alright, but the scars from that night would haunt all of us forever. Cordelia’s face came to me again and I shivered. I could only hope that would be our only fall- it was the only one the witches could handle. I looked at him for a few minutes more before turning to leave the medical tent. I had a family who needed me right now and I would have to trust that the team here would be enough for Tae-jin. 

Stepping into the daylight, I was shocked by the desolation. Everything had been destroyed. Not a single building had been left in-tact and I knew many of the villagers would be unable to fix their homes. They were far too injured. Choking back a sob, I reminded myself of what I needed to do. I could fall apart later, right now my family needs me to be strong. 

Eyes followed me with rapt attention as I passed a small group of villagers. I recognized none of them, but I assumed they knew who I was. I never was able to learn the names of the wolves in the village outside of the ones I had helped through the change. The women were older, rounder, and probably no longer shifted if I had to guess. Looking ahead, I pointedly ignored them. I had no time for local gossip.

“They’re in the Park house,” One of the women called out. Looking at the group once more, I straighten my back. None of them were unkind, in fact, I could only find grief in their eyes. I did not know who they lost, but I hoped they would be able to recover. “It’s the only house left down the main road to your right. Be careful, there’s a lot of debris.”

I nodded, “Thank you.”

“No,” Another woman cried, her eyes as red as her sunburnt face. “Thank you. The one called Cadoc told us what you did. We are forever in your debt.”

I smiled at the group sadly before walking away. The praise did not feel nice. It should have, but it did nothing to settle my unease. None of this should have happened. I should have said something. I cringed at that thought and stopped walking to pull myself together. Not here. Not now. Later.

The house was easy to find. Surrounded by ashes and uninhabitable houses, the Park home stood as a shining beacon of hope within it all. Of course, the little house was worse for wear. The entire yard had been scorched by the flames that surrounded it, most of the walls burnt and weak, and there was a hole where you could see straight through into the home. I could see Seokjin sitting at a table with Wendy in his lap. They were talking but I was still too far away to hear anything. 

Deciding to use the front door, I frowned at the burnt wood. The house must have been the last one to go up in flames. I knocked and waited. Inside, everything stilled, and a singular set of steps echoed. I braced myself for an onslaught of hugs and kisses from everyone, the never-ending tears, and having to keep myself in one piece. I was expected to know what to do, how to behave, and I would do whatever I needed in order to calm everyone inside.

Callisto answered the door. Her eyes were heavy with bags underneath them and her chocolate hair clipped back messily. Despite her obvious exhaustion, her blue eyes lit up as she took me in. Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around my neck and cried out in what sounded like relief.

“Oh, thank Goddess,” She cried, her voice thick with emotion. “My brother will be so happy to see you. Oh, we were so worried.”

Hesitantly, I hugged the young girl back. She was so small and underweight I felt uncomfortable holding her too tightly. I could imagine her bones were just as frail as she was. She was off of me as quickly as she scooped me into her arms and took my hand in hers as if we had known one another for years. She made my presence known so cheerfully I felt embarrassed. No one had been this excited to see me in my entire life.

“Bridd,” It was Wendy, her eyes wild, who spotted me first. 

I ran to her immediately. The sea witch crumbled in my arms, sobs making her entire body shake as she held onto me for dear life. Her hair had been cut, the blonde strands ending at her shoulders instead of flowing down her back, and I could still feel how dirty they were. She was frail, every bit as shaken as I felt, and seemed frenzied in her attack. I did not know if I should tell her that I had been the one to find Cordelia or not. I thought of her face again, her green eyes with their thousand-yard stare, and a flash of red broke through. Her hair had always been ostentatious, frizzled and going every which way with a curtain of bangs that hid a fair amount of her face. That night they were caked in dirt, the orange glowing red under the fire, and stuck to her skin like leather. I shivered and held Wendy tighter. I prayed she had never seen her mentor like that.

“She-she-” She gasped, her pain piercing my heart.

“I know,” I croaked, running my fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm her. “I know, Wendy Byrd.”

Looking over her shoulder now, I was pleased to see the rest of the witches huddled around a small fireplace. All of them looked at us now aside from Yoongi. His eyes were unfocused still and I remembered Cadoc telling me he was still blinded. Whispering to Wendy, I slowly removed her vice grip around my neck so I could go to them all. Seokjin was standing beside us and took her from me easily. He patted my head with his large hand and held the broken woman close. She was falling apart right before my eyes, and I would not be able to comfort her. I would surely fall apart, too.

I went to Hoji first. Her husband was ill in the medical tent, and I was sure she was frazzled. Seokjin would be too busy mourning the loss of our friend to fuss over his father, especially since we all knew it was a matter of time before he woke up. Cordelia would never wake up. She was so heavy. I shuddered and adjusted the shirt I was wearing. I was practically naked still and I frowned at the state I was in. I was still not wearing any undergarments or pants and the shirt Samanya had given me was covered in soot.

Heji reached out to me from beside her sister and smiled sadly. They had always looked the same, their faces virtually indistinguishable, but this moment they were the same woman to me. They were haunted, their eyes dull and sorrowful, and there would be no one to keep the other in check. No sarcastic comments followed by a gentle chastising. Right now, they were one woman mourning a shared loss. 

Yoona was at her son’s side and pointed me in Thelma’s direction. Taking a look at Yoongi, he was hurt and sad, but I was not sure what else could be happening inside of his head. His eyes had always been so expressive. I nodded at her and went to the woman beside her. Enver was missing from the group, and she whispered that he was asleep.

“Thank you,” Thelma whispered fiercely, almost like she was afraid of talking any louder. “You kept him away from the brunt of it all.”

I nodded but said nothing. Thelma did not reach for me like the others. She was never one to rely on comfort, but I knew how devastated she was. Cordelia was a good friend of hers, one she had known for many years, and she was not there to help her. Thelma had a self-blaming streak. I would talk with her later but for now I was content with letting her feel however she wanted.

I thought of Shiloh again and sighed heavily. I was so angry with myself for not getting a proper goodbye. I missed her so dearly, so acutely, and I could feel the hole in my heart she left with her leaving. I would again have no closure. Unlike Aldara, however, Shiloh and I had fought together fiercely and made our peace in the forest. She was safe and back where she belonged. It gave me little comfort.

“Y/N?” Yoongi called out, raising a hesitant hand.

I was at his side quickly. He looked so much younger right now. I reached out and took his hand in my own.

“I’m here, Yoon.”

Reaching out his other hand, I took it with ease. Another oddity. Yoongi never offered physical affection like this before. Looking at his face I frowned. I guess he had no choice at the moment. I squeezed them comfortingly.

“Are you alright?” His mother asked, squeezing my shoulder. “We were worried, but Cadoc said you’d be fine with rest.”

I nodded but spoke for Yoongi’s benefit.

“I’m fine,” I whispered. I understood Thelma’s hesitance to break the silence. It could bring more unknowns and that was a frightening idea. “Physically speaking. I don’t really know outside of that.”

Yoongi’s grip on my hands tightened.

“How are you feeling, Yoon?” I asked him.

He shook his head, “I’m scared.”

I inched closer to him. Our knees touched, both of us kneeling on the floor, and I took one of my hands back. I smoothed down his bedhead and caressed his cheek. He reminded me of the little boy from the meadow who cried when he saw bees. I felt the tears falling from my eyes and surrendered to my pain. I could cry, if only a little bit, right now. Yoongi would always catch my tears.

“Me too,” I admitted, voice so soft I was not sure if anyone heard me.

“Thelma told us about your visions,” I heard Hoji say. “We’re all sorry you had to deal with this alone.”

I shook my head, the force of my guilt rearing its ugly head.

“I saw nothing. I knew something bad was happening, but I was blind and stupid. I should have said something. I should have-”

“We are all responsible,” Thelma interrupted. “I take full responsibility for you keeping your mouth shut. It was my choice to do so because of my own misplaced biases. I should have known better than to assume anything.”

“And we all knew you were lying about Aldara’s book,” Yoona chimed in. “All of us knew you were hiding something. If we’re playing the blame game, then you can charge us all.”

“But Cordelia,” I choked.

“It’s not your fault,” Wendy cried, her voice small and weak. “Those things-” she snarled, “-killed her. Not you.”

Turning to look at her, I knew I was doing a horrible job at keeping everything at bay. My heartache was too much, and everything felt like it was closing in on me. I would have to tell Jimin that I lied to him. I’d have to tell him his village was in ruin because of me. I’d have to become a traitor now. Taehyung might as well throw me to the elves because of my mistakes. And yet, I knew they would not. Taehyung would be understanding, his comfort a warm blanket around me. Sol would be happy it led her mate back to her and so things would naturally become alright between us. Jimin adored me, but would he be able to look at me the same way?

“The elves were coming,” Hoji said, her voice frail and hoarse. “They would have attacked regardless of you telling these people anything. It wasn’t like any of you were on good terms. God knows those wolves would have had a fight on their hands.”

I tried to let the words sink in and ease my guilt. It never happened. Having had enough of this pity party, I took a deep breath and readied for my next plan. I had to see Jimin, and he was with Taehyung at the palace.

“I’m going to check on the others,” My voice was stronger than I felt. “I came here straight away, and I think Jimin will worry if he sees me missing.”

Thelma nodded, “Will you be back?”

“I will try to be back tonight,” I assured her. “If not then first thing tomorrow morning.”

“And we will talk,” Jin’s voice was hard, but his eyes only held grief. 

He was someone I owed the biggest apology to. I had not given him the benefit of the doubt, and like Thelma, I let my own biases make decisions for me. If I had been more honest with the people around me then maybe I could have come up with a better plan. Maybe Cordelia wouldn’t be dead, a voice hissed at me. I swallowed the bile in my throat and nodded at Jin.

“Be safe, Birdie,” Yoongi whispered, and I sucked in a harsh breath.

It had been years since he had called me that. My lower lip wobbled, and I hugged my friend tightly. Maybe if I had done more than he would be able to see me crying into his neck. His fingers played with the tattered cotton at my neck, and I crumbled when he rested his head against my shoulders.

“You should change before you leave,” I jumped back at the sound of Callisto’s bell-like voice. “Come. Our socrus might have something that could fit you, but if not I’m sure Ji-Hyun will be fine to give up something of his.”

Moving out of the living area, my mood only dropped as I saw how destroyed the house was. It was hardly standing, and I wanted to get it back up as soon as possible. Enver would have fun helping me out, but it would have to wait. I would bring it up when I came back later.

“The water is out,” Callisto looked back at me, “But we live very close to the stream. We will go and wash up there and come back to get dressed.”

I nodded. I admired her tenacity and the brightness her eyes still held. It was impossible to know if I was right or not, but I would like to think that she was stronger than I was. Callisto was so strong she would look in the mirror and only want to get rid of the pests that caused this, and she would never close her eyes and smell smoke sticking to her clothes. I would never ask but if she did, I was sure I would see it in her gaze when she glazed over. 

“Pink or blue?” She asked, lifting up two pieces of fabric.

I shook my head, “Whichever your mother likes less.”

“Blue then,” She smiled mischievously. “It’s a good thing it’s my levir’s favorite.”

I did not speak Latin well, but I knew the word for brother well enough. I heard it often in my time at the village and it was enough to make me crack a smile. Leave it to the girl to be thinking about making me presentable to my mate. Seeing my face, Callisto’s smile only grew.

“I’ll grab a set of Ji-Hyun’s clothes just in case. Jimin will hate it but I think he’d hate you walking around in rags even more.”

She was back quickly with a knitted bag around her shoulder and a bottle in her hand. I could smell the floral scent coming off of it and smiled softly. She was really trying to make me feel better even if it was through hygiene. I liked her even more than I thought I would.

We left through the back, and I was saddened at the state of their yard. Everything was dead and whatever memories had been held in this patch of grass was long gone. Callisto grabbed ahold of my hand and guided me in the direction of the rushing water.

“Where’s Jimin’s mom?” I asked.

Callisto shrugged, “Who knows? She left this morning to help some of her friends gather supplies to begin their rebuild but knowing her she’s been all over the place today. You’ll like her a lot.”

I could not tell if she meant it or was trying to convince me. Jimin had been confident in his family’s support of our relationship, and I was happy that Callisto has been so welcoming to me. I had no doubt Ji-Hyun would be equally kind, but a mother’s love could be burdensome. She would want what was best for Jimin, and I was unsure I would make the cut.

“Would she like me?” I whispered, embarrassed.

The girl laughed, “Oh, trust me, she already does. The way Jimin speaks of you is enough for her, so don’t worry about that, okay?”

She had a simple way of looking at things. It was admirable and I desperately wanted to live in her mind for just a few moments. I would do anything to make these thoughts go away. With every fleeting moment of fire taking over my mind, every flash of Cordelia’s disfigured face, and Aldara’s arm under the moonlight I wanted to go back to sleep. Then I remembered I heard the way they screamed when my eyes were closed and all thoughts of that went away. I again fed into the fantasy that Callisto was strong enough to make these thoughts disappear and wished I could live in her mind for a few moments.

“Are you okay?” Callisto asked.

I had not realized I was zoning out again. “No, but that’s the way things are sometimes.”

She cocked her head, “Not if you don’t want them to be.”

I laughed without humor, “It is never that simple for everyone, Callisto. I am glad you seem to be an exception to my rules, though. I would not wish it on anyone.”

Then again, she had not lost those she held dearest. The elves left the humans alone, so her family was perfectly safe, both her mate and his family survived the carnage, and she did not seem to be mourning any friends. Faulting her for not grieving what I have grieved would be wrong.

We walked in silence but Callisto’s grip on my hand tightened. I could already tell she was an overly affectionate person and for once the thought did not bother me. It suited her. The stream finally came into view, and we began to strip once we were at the bank.

“Oh,” I heard her choke.

Looking around, I tried to find what bothered the girl so much, but we were completely alone. Glancing down, I stared at my arms with a withering expression. They were burned and scarred, the skintight and textured with random splatters. The iron had burned me more than I thought it had. My palms were the worst of it and I followed the blobs of scarred skin until I could no longer see my body. 

Running a finger down my chest, I followed a few ridges of scarred skin until I found a large, raised gash on my abdomen. Hunching over, I whimpered at the sight. The jagged edges of the stab wound were like rocks against the pads of my fingers. They were darker than the center of the scar and I traced over them over and over again. Callisto called out to me, and I tore my gaze away from the cut.

“I’m sorry for saying anything,” She rushed, forcing her eyes to look at the water. “It was rude.”

“It’s fine,” I answered harshly- far harsher than I anticipated. Taking a deep breath, I made a great effort to soften my tone. “I will wear them with pride.”

The lie seemed to placate her, and her shifting gaze stopped. Stepping into the water, Callisto motioned for me to join her. The water was warmer than I was expecting, and I rejoiced in the feeling against my skin. Using my hands, I wiped at the dirt that was caked on me. I had to clench my jaw to stop myself from voicing the pain the friction caused my damaged skin. I did not want the human girl worrying over me. We used the flowery wash, and I was happy with how clean my body was and refreshed my mind seemed to be.

The dress fit me a bit loosely, but it was an easy adjustment. I was not keen on wearing another man’s clothes even if it was Jimin’s brother’s. Somehow it made it worse. Callisto was excited to help me lace the back up and fretted over it falling down my body properly. I liked the flowy fabric that fell to my ankles, but the top was much tighter than I would have chosen. After helping me into the dress, I helped Callisto into her own muted-green dress before we set back off for the house. 

“I’ll wash the shirt,” She offered.

I shook my head, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll replace it later.”

Callisto nodded, took my head, and remained quiet. I noticed how quiet the rest of the forest was as well. There were no birds chirping, no frogs croaking, and no bugs buzzing. I could not hear any deer hooves against the grass or hear the rustling of a rabbit in the shrubs. The forest was as silent as we were, and it was eerie. Bangtan was always swimming with life and now there was nothing.

The house came back into view, and I tensed up once again. I was not ready to face my friends again, and my need to see Jimin was growing. I needed to explain myself before anyone else could tell him about what was going on with me. I stopped walking. It dawned on me then that Callisto had overheard my talk with the others, and she knew more than I thought she had. Stopping with me, the young girl looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

“Does Jimin know?” I demanded, taking my hand out of hers.

“What?”

“Does Jimin know about-” I struggled to find the right words. How do you describe the wind speaking to you without sounding crazy? “Does he know about me?”

Callisto’s eyes softened. Reaching out to me, she took my hand back and rubbed my knuckles. I did not deserve her kindness, but I selfishly accepted it. Her tender gaze was so understanding, so kind, and I almost believed I could be forgiven. I also knew that her silence answered my question for me. Still, I pushed.

“Yes,” She answered, “Jimin knows. The entire family does. Don’t take anything Hyun says to heart, he is not known for being sensitive to others. I promise to keep him on a leash.”

My world momentarily tilted on its axis. I wanted to be the person to tell Jimin. I wanted to be able to be honest without being told on, and now I was facing the reality where that would never happen. Callisto’s warm hand was reassuring but that did not change anything. Even if Jimin loved me, even if he had forgiven me already, it did nothing to stop the all-encompassing guilt that I felt. I almost wished they had turned me away and blamed me for their hardships- that would be far easier to understand. Ji-Hyun’s dislike for me made complete sense.

“Cali!”

Our moment was broken, and Callisto early let go of my hand. She was practically running away from me now and I looked to find who had caught her attention so easily. The brunette ran into the arms of a man who swung her around.

He was huge, towering over the tiny woman, his muscles massive and bulging. He was very tanned, skin reminding me of a bronze medal, that contrasted completely with his light hair. It was a strange mixture of colors ranging from a taupe brown, gentle great, and stark white. Cropped short and slicked back from his face, the man smiled down at Callisto, and it stopped me dead in my tracks. His smile was wide, his teeth perfectly straight, and a small dimple appeared on his left cheek. The way his eyes smiled with him made me want to run as fast as I could toward the palace. I was looking at Jimin’s younger brother who looked everything and nothing like him.

Seeming to notice me, the wolf’s attention snapped to me straight away. Callisto, following his gaze, gave me a blinding smile. Outside, her eyes looked bluer than they had before, and I belatedly realized they were a strange hazel. The man still seemed weary of me but did not immediately question why I was at his house.

“Bridd?” He called out, his voice deeper and rougher than Jimin’s. His eyes were also a light greenish brown that shone prettily in the sun. “What are you doing here?”

I guessed he had little reason to go to the medical ward recently. From the look on Callisto’s face, she was agitated with him and the way he was speaking. I quickly put things together from there. Jimin’s brother had always known about us, even before we had gotten together, but he was used to keeping it to himself. Out here things were much more likely to be overheard. I was filled with gratitude at the small gesture even if I thought it was no longer necessary. Jimin, it seemed, had already made our connection public knowledge. It made me feel even shittier since he did not like me.

“I needed to see everyone before going to the palace,” I replied. “You must be Ji-Hyun, then?”

He nodded, a small, obviously forced smile on his face. He was looking me up and down and I felt self-conscious. I had yet to see myself in a mirror but the once over I had given myself earlier showed me plenty. Ji-Hyun’s eyes stayed on my hands for a second too long and I folded them behind my back. Callisto slapped his chest this time and hissed at him to stop. I chuckled.

“Jimin spoke of you often,” I continued.

Ji-Hyun looked away bashfully. “I’ve heard plenty about you as well.”

“You should be going,” Callisto said, giving her mate a look. “My brother is going to be so happy to see you up and walking around.”

Ji-Hyun laughed at this, and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. Biting my lip, I nodded and started walking again. Callisto again hit the wolf and chastised him for being “such a boy.” I laughed gently and met Ji-Hyun’s melodramatic pout with a grin. 

“I swear,” She groaned. “You’re always so unencumbered by the thought process.”

Ji-Hyun laughed, “Don’t start pulling out the Namjoon insults on me.”

She rolled her eyes, “If you were Namjoon, I’d been far more likely to punch you in the face. Broken hand be damned.”

The two of them faded as I got further away. They were an odd couple. Obviously very much in love, and childish to an extent, but it still brought a smile to my face. At least two of us could find a sense of humor right now. At least they still had each other. I hoped their mother was as joyous as they were, but I did not keep my hopes up.

A few villagers were beginning to move debris from the roads and put back together a few small buildings. I saw Namjoon amongst the builders and kept walking. I had little to say to the wolf right now and he was busy. Up ahead, Jungkook was throwing things out. It was a rare occurrence to see the omega outside of the palace’s heavily guarded walls, even rarer still away from Sol’s side, but I could imagine they had some distance now that Taehyung was back home. Jungkook no longer needed to shadow and protect Sol anymore. 

I wondered about Hoseok and Hyuna. I trusted Shiloh to heal him, but I had heard nothing about them since I woke up. I doubted the witches would know much with the state our group was in. We had our own casualties so the news of a wolf’s death would die on their ears. My conversation with Da-yun eased my mind slightly. The woman would have said something about Hoseok’s death.

I climbed the hill to get to the palace with great care. I would have liked to use magic, but I was respecting Cadoc’s wishes. No magic unless necessary. It would be for the best. I remembered the conversation the elves were having in the forest and quickened my steps. If their plans were already in motion, I needed to get as much information as possible in order to warn the pack. Whatever the elves were planning, I had a feeling this was just a taste of their power, and I would need all of my strength in order to fight back. Using my magic for things like this would be off-limits.

Halfway up, someone noticed me climbing and came to my aid after asking who I was. The young woman shifted, her gray and brown fur looked pretty in the sun and offered her back to me. The rest of the way up, which would have taken me at least fifteen minutes, was spanned in three. The wolf girl was massive.

She let me down before making her way back down the hill. She had to have been helping the others dealing with the destruction and I felt bad for taking her away from her duties. The girl had not seemed to mind, however, so I decided to let it go. I had far more pressing matters to attend to anyway.

There were a few wolves guarding the outside of the palace. One of them looked at me but paid little attention once they recognized me. I was able to walk inside without a hitch, the doors to the palace heavy and loud. 

The air still smelled of soot, and I was thrust into a swarm of people running around the palace floors. I had only been here during the night and never saw the help that shuffled through the halls. Now, that help was busy scrubbing walls, cleaning fabrics, and grabbing documents. Wrinkling my nose, I did not expect the level of disgust I felt. These people should be taking care of their homes- not polishing these stone floors.

“Can I help you?” I heard a gentle voice call out to me.

She was a large woman, three heads bigger than me, and built like a bear. Her body was muscular and broad, and I found her short, silky, black hair beautiful. Giving me a small smile, her lines and wrinkles revealed her to be older than most in the village. I was happy she had survived the fight. Many of the elderly had not.

“I’m looking for Alpha Jimin,” I replied.

The woman nodded, her face grim and evenly set. I had a feeling I would not be seeing him anytime soon. Figuring I would exhaust all of my options before letting her lead me out, I introduced myself as well as my title. The maid jumped, her fear palpable, and a pang of anger hit me. What had they done to this woman?

“I’m so sorry,” She rushed, her eyes pleading. “I did not know.”

I waved away her concerns.

“There’s no crime,” I soothed. She visibly relaxed and I grit my teeth. I would need to discuss this with Taehyung. No one would be made to fear me so long as I had anything to say about it. “Please, I need to see him.”

She nodded, “Of course, Uxor Park.”

“Excuse me?”

Seemingly embarrassed, the woman tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She started walking up the grand staircase and I followed her closely. 

“My apologies,” She spoke once we were at the top. She kept her voice low, and I struggled to hear her. “I forgot you have been recovering from battle. Alpha Jimin has announced your bond, and your wedding arrangements are being prepared, Oxur Park.”

“I’m not his wife,” I frowned, “Stop calling me that. What’s your name?”

“Koda, daughter of Ammon.”

I hummed, “Well, Koda, I have a name and I would prefer to be called by it.”

Koda looked scandalized. I was unsure of pack etiquette on this level. I had never cared much about it before. Thinking about Jimin, I recalled the nickname he used for me often and asked the maid what it meant.

“It means ‘loved friend,’” She replied, pleasantly. “We use it when talking of our closest loved ones. It’s a platonic nickname.”

The word platonic was distasteful. I had hoped it meant something more. Knowing Jimin would have called any of the copiae ‘amica’ put a bad taste in my mouth. Seeming to notice my discomfort, Koda smiled my way.

“It is something the Alpha would take seriously. I’ve never heard him use nicknames for anyone outside of his family, and never amica. He might find other words too intense before a bonding ceremony.”

I cocked an eyebrow at the large woman who chuckled fondly. The tension from earlier seemed to be gone now and I hoped she knew I would never raise my voice to her. I would not put it past Ahn to lay hands on their workers. He was a vile little man.

“He’s very traditional,” Koda continued. “He’s been going about your union in the most courteous way imaginable and had refused to publicly announce your partnership until you woke up.”

“Of course,” She grumbled, “That was until Bo decided to throw a fit.”

His hesitance both pleased and displeased me. While I understood his fears about the pack’s reactions I could not act as though it was not hurtful. He had said he would choose me over everybody and yet when faced with that reality he would rather hide. This Bo woman was beginning to piss me off. I would have rather Jimin decide he wanted to publicly claim me as his own not because someone else wanted to cause a political war right after an attack.

“Even knowing how careful he is, I'm surprised the bond has not been completed,” Koda spoke away without much care if I replied or not. I could imagine she never gossiped with people outside of the maids. “He really is such a gentleman. His mother raised both of those boys well.”

“What are you talking about?” I finally spoke again, entertained by the woman. The young wolves always seemed uptight regarding sex and their rituals, but Koda’s age made her less self-conscious. 

“I know many wolves,” Koda’s voice dropped even lower now. “Most are dreadful mates. Men are raised to believe they own their wives, but times are changing. Alpha Jimin is one of the best men I know.”

“You know him well?”

“No,” She admitted, “But he’s one of the few wolves who have never laid a hand on me.”

“Why don’t you leave this place?” I breathed, trying to keep our conversation as private as we could.

She sighed, “It’s my duty to serve.”

Instantly, I felt a kinship to this woman. While I was never hit, no one had ever even thought of laying a finger to me, I did understand what it felt like to be trapped. Here she was in her prison, and she could find little solace in her place in society. I thought of Ahn again and wanted nothing more than to kill him myself.

“Is the vermin alive?” I sneered, anger getting the best of me. 

“Ahn?” She hissed, her fear palpable. Then just as quickly she relaxed. “No, he’s dead. It is only Kim Yong-Seok, Namjoon’s father, and Bo Ha-Joon. She has been struggling greatly. She lost a child.”

I felt a great amount of guilt again. That poor woman. I tried picking her face out in my mind but could not remember who she was. There were three women on the council table, but Ahn never allowed them to speak. He must have been one of those dreadful mates Koda had been speaking about. I never hated the man, had never really liked him either, but my loyalties to Taehyung would always sway my bias now. If Kim Yong-Seok wanted a problem, then I would be sure he knew exactly who he would be up against. Then again, it had been Bo causing the uproar.

I thought of Namjoon and knew my worries would be unnecessary once things started up again. We had all lost something, and from Namjoon’s apologies I would hope his father would honor his son’s wishes. I would have to thank the alpha for helping me during the fight.

“Taehyung is a good man,” Koda was rushed now, and I assumed we were approaching the others. “A very, very good man. Sol is lucky.”

I could not agree with her more. After spending as much time with the boy as I had there was no denying his potential. What he lacked in aggression he made up for in heart. Sure, he was gullible and prone to random outbursts that led to nowhere, but I knew what he had inside of him. The way he fought was only one facet of his life. When I thought of his strength the way he held Sol in his arms came to mind. She was as precious to him as silk, and he made sure to hold her tightly enough to stop her from regretting hurting another.

“However,” Her voice was practically gone from how softly she spoke now. I had to lean into her and tap into the animal within me to make out everything she said. “His sweetness will be used against him in these coming months. Tell me, Bridd, do you believe in him?”

I answered without hesitation, “More than anyone in Lustra.”

“Even more than your Jimin?”

I smiled, “Taehyung will give your people something Jimin never will.”

“And what’s that?”

I looked at her now. I had a feeling I would be in this place more than ever, and I would want to keep her close to me. She was a comfort that I never had. We understood each other. 

“Peace of mind.”

I meant every word. If Jimin had been alpha I was sure this entire village would have been to Northorn by now. The fight would have never ended. Everything would have revolved around war. Jimin would give them strength and hope, but his own desire to end things as quickly as possible would place people in danger. No one would be prepared to do the right thing- wait and plan. I doubted any of the witches would be here either. I would certainly still be in my cottage.

Taehyung was methodical. He always came off as goofy or passive, but I knew better. Those eyes saw everything, and information was precious to him. He listened to your every word and took it to heart. He would want to be sure as many people could be helped, that those who can’t help themselves would be hidden, and look at every avenue of support he could. He was able to get around my love’s vital flaw- pride. Taehyung had plenty of it, but he was as humble as they come. I smiled fondly thinking of him. 

I was so happy we had made it through this.

“What happens now?” I asked, a large set of wooden doors coming into view as we turned into a quiet hallway.

“You will meet with the council as a new Oxur,” Koda began, a professionalism in her voice that had faded as we spoke now back. I could sense her nerves as we got closer to the room. “After that you will begin planning your wedding. Of course, with everything going on that may be postponed or rushed. You and Bo will discuss your options at some point.

“You will live in this palace as things play out. You and Jimin will not be permitted to be alone together without a chaperone present. Again, things might be different with the fallout. Ahn made these rules, but Taehyung will likely ignore them. He and the Luna wedded yesterday to establish their bond as quickly as possible. Bo was not happy but understood. Kim just wanted to be sure the Luna was feeling better since being near him once more.”

I nodded, trying to keep up. The strange need for virgins here was odd. I had never met a wolf who had actually waited for their wedding to bond with their mate. Hoseok and Hyuna were inseparable from what I heard. Sol and Taehyung had no choice, but from her reaction to him I was sure they would be on one another the second they were alone. Jimin, however, had kept his distance. I smiled. He was trying to protect what he perceived as “my honor,” even if I thought the whole process was dripping in misogyny.

“Kim is not angry about your union,” She continued, speaking quickly. “In fact, he was quite pleased. He believes your children will be very strong and that will be vital if this war continues.

“You and Jimin must meet with his family to discuss arrangements after the wedding. Oftentimes, a woman will be asked to become a servant to the family for the first year of marriage in exchange for a lifetime of loyalty. Mi-Jeong will not do that to you. She is a very good, strong woman and will be happy you have made her son happy.

“I will say that she can be a wildcard. Quick tempered and straight to the point. I adore her but she can come off abrasive. It’s why she and your sister-in-law get along so well. 

“From what I have heard she is already on your side. She dislikes Bo so much that she is your biggest fan. What’s the saying? An enemy of my enemy is my friend?”

I struggled to keep up with the rules. Was this what Sol had been taught her entire life? I scoffed. Taehyung could care less about how “lady like” the girl was, and I was sure Jimin cared even less about my own manners. It was funny to hear about his mother’s temperament, but it still bothered me how little she knew of our bond. The fact that Bo told her instead of Jimin broke my heart.

“The most important thing will be your intentions. You will be one of the most important women in the village now, and everyone will have to trust and respect you for this to ever work. I believe most have seen what you have done for us and were easily swayed. I cannot promise all will be satisfied, but this war is more important than petty things like this.”

I could only pray Koda was right. Reaching the door, Koda gestured for me to be quiet as she knocked. The gentle chatter inside ceased. After announcing my presence, the room exploded. I grinned when I heard Sol’s voice over them all begging to be the one to greet me. 

“I need to apologize,” She stated, already deciding she had won this fight. “Besides, you’ve both had her long enough.”

The door opened with a loud whoosh. The heavy doors seemed to weigh nothing under the Luna’s hands. Sol was glowing, her golden skin plump and dewy, and I saw the sun in her eyes. A huge smile on her face, Sol wasted little time running into my body, her arms wrapping around me tightly. I hugged the girl back, my face hot from the attention. Koda stood beside us and did not utter a word. If I was expected to stay locked away in here, then that would be changing rather soon.

“I’m so sorry,” Sol exclaimed, practically shaking in her excitement. She was so happy, so overjoyed that it was difficult to believe a war was happening in Lustra. I wondered just how sheltered she was being in here. “I can’t believe I scratched you.”

I scoffed, “There’s nothing to forgive. That was the least important thing that happened.”

Sol pouted, “I still needed to apologize. You’ve done too much for me to be treated that way.”

I hoped my eyes could convey just how much I understood what she meant. I did not need her apologies, did not want them, and I would never speak of this incident again. I took Taehyung in because I wanted to, and no one would be indebted to me as far as I was concerned. To her I had saved her entire universe. To me I had harbored a fugitive because it was the right thing to do.

“Enough about that,” I waved her off. “I’m here to see Jimin.”

I heard a sharp intake of breath but shrugged it off. I hadn’t said anything wrong according to our relationship. If Jimin had an issue, then we would talk about it. Until then, I was unbothered by the thoughts of others. 

“I’d like to be excused now.”

Sol was momentarily forgotten as she clung to my side. He was so tired. His voice was rugged and slow and so, so defeated. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair and kiss his nose. I knew that would be too rude in front of the others, but I did untangle myself from Sol to get closer to him.

“After,” The deep, masculine voice was not to be argued with. “It will only take a few moments, Alpha.”

Finally stepping into the room, I felt better with Jimin in sight. His hair was tied back so I could see his wilted expression with full clarity. There would be no hiding from me right now. I wanted to rush to his side and let him know that I was fine. Catching Taehyung’s eyes, I held myself back. This would be quick.

Raising to his feet, Taehyung bowed to me. I bowed back, knowing that we would not hug again. It was disrespectful to do so, and he would want to be sure his mate would be comfortable with that level of familiarity.

Jimin stayed seated but his eyes never left me. This would be difficult for him. The two of us had gone through hell a few days ago, and I had not held him since. A gentle voice called out to me.

“It’s so wonderful to see you alive Bridd,” An elderly woman, who I could only guess was Bo, greeted. “The Council was beginning to worry.”

I gave the woman a small smile and hoped my expression was neutral.

“I am quite well,” I assured. 

“We are grateful for your service,” The voice from before said.

Turning around, I was greeted by an older man. His hair was going gray, and lines had become more pronounced. It took one look to know this was Namjoon’s father. They shared the same mono-lidded eyes, both of them just as serious and stoic as the other, but that was where the similarities ended. I could only imagine how his mother looked and the strength of those genes.

“I don’t believe we have had the pleasure of a formal introduction,” Kim approached and bowed deeply. I returned the gesture. 

“I am Kim Yong-Seok, Namjoon’s father. I’ve served this council since the time of the previous Bridd, and I am honored to have fought alongside you.”

“I am Y/N,” I replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yong-Seok.”

“Elder Kim is quite alright,” Bo’s voice was too sweet, and I resisted the urge to scowl.

The man sat down in one of the many chairs in the room. There was a large table in the middle of it all, but no one seemed interested in the papers on it. I stayed standing. I had not noticed Sol’s return to the room and grinned. She was curled in Taehyung’s lap not listening to a word we were saying. I was very jealous, and my patience was thinning. Jimin had still not said a word.

“I would like to tell you how much I appreciate you for taking Alpha Taehyung in,” Kim continued. “My son was not acting rationally, and he had many voices in his ear, but I tried to make him see reason. Ahn was the one who took the letter you sent him. Ha-Joon found it in his things yesterday morning.”

My jaw clenched. The man was dead, and I would try not to speak ill of him right now. Everyone was mourning and my anger would solve nothing. It still did not sit well with me that either one of these elders lived. They could not shift anymore and would be easy targets for the elves. I had heard little of them before and Namjoon had said everyone was being irrational. Not once had he talked of his father or Bo Ha-Joon. I did not trust these two and I thought back to Cadoc.

We had a spy amongst us.

The conversation the elves had come back to me as well, and I knew I needed to say something. Aldara had said I needed to find Naida, whoever that may be, and hopefully it would lead me to answers. I decided I would need to talk with Cadoc about that later. I glanced at Jimin and bit my lip. Sneaking away may be a challenge.

If Koda was right then it would not be as difficult, but Ahn was the one in charge of these rules. I did not know Kim or Bo well enough to say if they felt similarly. I heard Bo shifting behind me but said nothing. She did not talk very much.

“I understand,” I would keep those thoughts to myself. “All is forgiven. I actually have some things to discuss if that would be alright with you.”

The man nodded.

“I overheard the elves talking when I went to find Jimin’s party out in the woods,” I sighed when I heard Bo’s noise of disapproval. She was uncomfortable with the way I addressed Jimin it seemed. I ignored her. 

“They were speaking in Lustrian. Unfortunately, their dialect is different from mine so I could not pick up everything they were saying, but I heard enough. They are moving to attack Northorn and four days after they are going to come back to Bangtan.”

“Four days after what?” Bo’s voice startled me.

I shrugged, “I can’t say for sure, but it would have to be if they were successful in the siege. That’s the only thing that would make sense.”

“So, four days after the take Northorn they are coming back?” Taehyung clarified. 

“Again, I can’t say for sure, but it’s what it sounded like. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Finally, he spoke. “You’re not infallible. Thank you for telling us what you do know.”

“Yes,” Kim nodded his agreement. “We will have to prepare. The attack on Northorn began last night.”

Chief Kim stood; his intimidating figure tall enough to reach the ceiling. He looked past me, obviously to the other Chief, and they had some kind of silent conversation. My eyes stayed on Jimin now. I knew this meeting would be over soon.

“I think it would be best if Oxur Park stayed in her own suite,” I heard Bo say.

I did not like that woman.

“I agree,” Chief Kim replied.

I did not like him either.

“They should be separated until their union,” She continued. “The witch needs to learn proper etiquette before touching the Alpha.”

I hated her.

Jimin looked as impressed as I did. With a deep scowl, Jimin disagreed vehemently. Taehyung took his side as well as Sol. They cited the war and bloodshed. Why waste time with these nonsensical rules when we had lived together for two months? I chose to stay quiet.

Kim finally said his peace, “Separating them is not an option. The Luna is right, they have already lived intimately, and I will not break their bonds for the sake of tradition.”

“But they have not completed anything,” Bo argued, sending a hateful look my way.

It was obvious she would be someone to look out for. I could not understand what I had done to make her dislike me so, but I did not care enough to figure it out. Jimin was mine and nothing would change that. 

“We both know that it is not the only part of the bond,” Kim scolded. “They will sleep separately but we need both of them present for this war. Forcing them apart will be detrimental.”

I was still weary of them both, but I was far more inclined to like Kim. Bo was not satisfied with his answer but chose to keep her mouth shut. With that decided, the Elder dismissed us so he would have time to think. Taehyung and Sol stayed behind.

“Alpha Jimin,” I wanted to groan in frustration.

Having just stood up, Jimin was still too far away for my liking. Growing tired of holding back, I walked to his side. He reached out and took my hand. Bo frowned at the contact. 

“Yes, Yong-Seok?”

“Come back in an hour. We have much to discuss regarding this revelation.”

He nodded, “Of course.”

Just like that, the two of us were cut off from the remaining conversation. Kim wanted to speak with Taehyung about an upcoming fight, and I was sure this would be better with Jimin here. My own selfishness was jumping for joy at being alone with him again, but I was worried how this short break may affect this war. 

Again, this Naida came to mind. Aldara had said I would have to find her, which meant she was not in Bangtan. I doubted I would find her in Moland either. Everyone knew everyone in the swamp and the name had never come up before. Naida was in the beyond, someplace within Lustra that I had never seen before, and it scared me. I would have to reference some of my mentor’s old books to figure out who she is.

Jimin led me out of the room, and I was sad to see Koda had already disappeared. She must have left once I went into the room. Wrapping an arm around my waist, Jimin pulled me to his side and quickened his pace. I struggled to keep up, but I pushed my worries to the side. For now, I would allow myself to be happy to just be near him. 

“So,” I whispered, forcing myself to smile, “I’m your wife now?”

His ears reddened.

“It’s just a formality,” He replied, voice suspiciously even. I giggled at his flushed face and calmed easily. We were just us right now and that would have to be enough. I would worry about Cadoc once the sun set. “I had planned on proposing properly once this war was over.”

Slowing down, Jimin opened a door and pulled me inside. It was a dimly lit room with only candlelight and a large bed within it. Fresh sheets smelled of cotton and lavender and I was unhappy with how barren it was. Only two pillows and a thin blanket. I was already itching to go back to my cabin and nest in my thick quilts.

Thinking about the cabin made me think about Shiloh. I had never gotten the chance to say goodbye. I knew I should be happy to be with my mate again, but I was so tired of plastering on a face of good health. It was so hard to remain calm when my body kept getting pushed and pulled in every which way. One moment I was angry and the next so sad I did not know what to do with it. 

“Come here,” Jimin whispered, hands running down my sides.

Looking at him, I saw something change in his gaze. He looked hungry and for once I was not interested in feeding him. What was the point if he was going to pull away? I tried to take a step back, but he only pulled me closer.

“What’s wrong, amica?” He purred, nuzzling the top of my head.

“I don’t want to be left hanging again, alpha,” I breathed, breath hitching as he fingers grazed the side of my breast. “I know how you feel about my ‘honor.’”

I could not keep the venom out of my voice. I hated that he believed I would somehow be ruined if he took things further. My mind screamed that he would never think that, but his actions proved otherwise. Why else would he be so afraid of loving me openly? Instead, he took me into a dark, damp room in a palace filled with people who would whisper about me behind my back. He was fine with us being separated when I would rather die.

“That’s what you think this is about?” He pulled away abruptly. 

“Isn’t it?” I spat, my anger coming back with a vengeance.

Jimin shook his head and cupped my cheek. I turned away and tried to push his body away from my own. I knew I was being irrational. I knew how badly I just wanted to touch him, but I could not stop myself from running. His rejections hurt but today they felt like they would kill me. I felt so inadequate and unwanted. Why was he not talking about my betrayal?

“No, mea columba,” He cooed, “You will always be someone I am proud to be with. No matter what.”

Scoffing, I took another step back only for Jimin’s grip to grow stronger.

“Is that why everyone found out about us because of that vile woman?” I struggled in his grip until he finally let me go. “You’re so proud you’d rather keep me your little secret?”

Confused, Jimin reached for me, “Where is this coming from?”

I wanted to tell him I didn’t know; that I had no idea why I was so angry when moments ago I had been so happy to see him. I wanted to tell him I just needed him to need me. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was for lying and keeping things from him. I wanted to tell him I was waiting for him to yell at me, to reject me for killing his people and my friend, and that was the reason he did not want to tell everyone of our relationship. Instead, I cowered away from him.

“You said you would pick me over everyone and when it came down to it you didn’t,” I spit. “You didn’t even tell your mother! The only reason she even likes me is because of her dislike of Bo!”

Jimin reached for me again and this time did not stop when I backed away. Grabbing my arm, the two of us made eye contact and whatever I had wanted to say died on my lips. He looked fierce and I could see the tears forming in my eyes. 

“Stop it,” His voice was scarily calm, “I hate it when you speak of yourself like this.”

Thrown, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I could feel myself crying but I was not sure why. Everything felt like it was too much and too little. Was I going crazy?

“I am sorry that they found out this way, but you have to believe me when I say I had every intention of telling them. I just wanted to wait until you woke up, carissima.”

I knew that, hadn’t I? Koda had said that already, and I had believed her. I was supposed to be angry at Bo, but instead here I was taking it out on my boyfriend. Why was I so angry? What is wrong with me?

“You’re overwhelmed,” Jimin pulled me back into his embrace. “I just want to help you relax, carissima.”

I nodded and melted into his chest. I felt so exhausted despite sleeping for two days. Jimin rubbed my back and pressed kisses into my head, but it did nothing to calm my racing heart. 

“Amica means friend,” I cried, violent sobs racking through my body, “Is that what I am to you? A friend?”

Jimin chuckled darkly, “Of course you’re my friend, Y/N. My dearest, most loved friend. Is that a problem?”

I nodded, my tears still falling. I felt like a hurricane was raging inside of me and nothing could calm it. My stomach was tied and twisted into knots and I felt like I was going to vomit. Shaking, I closed my eyes and saw Cordelia’s face. Gasping, I flinched away from Jimin but his hold on me was steady. I knew then that I was going crazy. This was just like Aldara’s death all over again. Whimpering, I gripped Jimin’s shirt and sobbed.

“Can’t we be both?” He whispered. “Can’t you be my very best friend and my lover at once?”

I nodded again when words failed me. I could not stop myself from crying and the shaking only grew worse. Outside I could hear people walking around but I could not find it in me to stop. The dam had been broken down now and all I wanted was to run away and hide. I wanted to stay in his arms for eternity. Why had I pushed him away?

“Sweet girl,” His lips brushed my ear, “I’m not upset with you.”

And I could breathe easier. I curled into his body and finally wrapped my arms around him. My hands pressed against his strong back and I felt the muscles twitch underneath them. Jimin let out a large sigh and dropped his head on my shoulder. With his new position, I put my face into his neck and breathed him in. My cries started to calm.

“Fall apart,” He whispered. “I’ll be here to hold you together.”

And for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to bask in his love and adoration without guilt hanging over my head.

“I forgive you,” He kissed my cheek. “I’m sorry you were hurting.”

“I’m so sorry, Jimin,” I choked out.

He answered me with a kiss on my collarbone and a nip on my jaw.

The moon was high in the sky. Sitting in the faceless room, which I now knew as my own, I stared out the lone window and waited for a sign of Cadoc. It should not be too much longer before I get out of here. The walls were suffocating without Jimin around to hold me. 

He stayed for the entire hour and held me. I cried until I could no longer produce tears and then I wailed. I told everything then. I told him about my visions before everything had hit, how I had kept things from him out of fear for his safety, and all of the ways I had gone out of my way to keep everyone in the dark. I stuttered my way through the way I fought off the elf, how much it had hurt to kill myself, and the way Aldara looked like an angel.

He held me tightly when I told him about Taehyung and I fighting our way through the elves to get to Sol, how she had bitten and swung at me like a stranger, and just how tiny she was. I felt him flinch when we talked about finding Yoongi and he cried with me when I got to dragging Cordelia’s body from a pile of the dead.

“She was so heavy,” I blubbered, rocking back and forth in his arms. “So, so heavy.”

He did not want to leave me, but he had duties to attend to. He offered to send someone up to sit with me but I declined the offer. I did not want anyone but him to step foot in this room. This would be my new nest and it was mine to decide what to do with and who to allow. I would make an exception for Koda, but only to keep her away from Bo and Kim’s hands. I doubted my friends would ever come here to find me, not when I was so desperate to get away from this castle.

Finally, I caught sight of a shadowy figure running through the village. Without waiting for a signal or call sign, I shifted. My bird flew around easily and made no noise as it glided through the dark palace. I had to shift back once I reached the main door. I knew it would be impossible to open without alerting someone to my disappearance, so I needed to find another way. The window in my room did not open, but hopefully one of these would. After checking a few, I found that one was completely missing from its spot. They must have been repairing it.

Taking advantage of the opening, I shifted and took off to the forest. It was dead silent tonight and I hoped my friends were safe. Patto would be fine but Delinah could have been injured or killed in the attack. Elves ate deer. I did not want to ponder on the thought any further. 

Cadoc was waiting for me in my meadow. The cottage was still destroyed but otherwise seemed completely untouched. Sniffing the air I was sure that no one else had been around here for days. The others must have thought me dead and left the cottage alone once they thought it was useless. Magic and spells were of no use to them, especially my silly little grimoires filled with potions and strange teleports.

“No one’s been out here,” Cadoc shouted once he saw me coming. 

I shifted once I was close enough to the ground. The clothing spell had never been more useful to me. Cadoc was dressed in dark clothes now and blended into the trees. That weird translucent quality he had the first time we met was back. I hoped we were safe enough but kept up my guard just in case. I fondled the iron ring I was wearing.

“What do you know?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.

“Not much,” He admitted. “Samanya is suspicious of the female chief, but I believe that is too easy a target. Lorcan is untrusting of humans, but his own bias is affecting his judgment. Both of them are going to our queen living deep in Moland to discuss their theories.”

I pursed my lips. That did not bode well for our case. If none of them can agree on who they think is wrong how could their queen be of use? Why was she still in Moland when the fight was in Foxglove? None of it made sense, but I could not say Bo or the humans had done anything wrong. Even if I disliked the older woman, I could not deny her loyalty to her pack and its traditions. It was hard to believe she would do anything to destroy that or kill her child.

“What evidence is there that anyone was involved?”

“They came in through the cave systems. No army could have gone through them that quietly without knowing where to go. How were no wolves able to pick up on them? It’s too strange for us to ignore the possibilities.”

I hated to agree with him but it was odd. The cave was echoey and loud. There were few things that could be quiet enough to invade without someone hearing something. The wolves would have been ready for a cave ambush if they made a single sound, but they did not. You would have to know where to go in order to take advantage of that vantage point. That would also rule out any humans in the village as they were forbidden from entering the cave. Their two biggest leads were already thrown out of the window and it unsettled me.

“You believe me,” Cadoc always sounded so surprised about my trust. 

“You make good points,” I replied. “I just don’t understand why someone would use elves against their own people.”

“The same reason the elves turn on their own: Power.”

Elves were disgusting creatures. Aldara had always said a Quietus kills for vengeance while an elf kills for glory. Their kind believed in mass genocide and hated what they called “halflings” and “hybrids.” Their country of Etelin were the first to attack during the Century War where they stole the land of Korika from the wolves and foxes living there. Lustra had never fallen but those who once ruled these lands had diminished. Quietus were amongst these populations and a few groups had become highly aggressive towards anyone who was not an elemental.

Those were the ones Aldara killed. She always reminded me that there were good people, good Quietus, but it was so hard to imagine as a child. Everything was black and white then, but looking at Cadoc I knew she was right. I had yet to see a shred of mirth from him and he had always given me unwavering support in a fight. Still, I kept the idea of a quietus being involved to myself. I did not want our people fighting one another when the real threat was still out there. Whoever it was would be caught in time.

“What did your ancestor show you?” He asked. “The little witch boy said you would have seen her in the spirit world.”

I frowned, “She told me to find someone called Naida.”

I had no idea who this could be, but Cadoc’s expression told me that he did. The name was familiar but I did not know where I had heard it before. Aldara would always tell me stories of Lustra and the ones that found it, but names were never the focal point of any of them. The only name that came to mind was Keld, the fire dragon who guarded King Omar’s grave in Briar Glen Beach. I wondered if the elves realized they were encroaching on a dragon’s territory and this time their Sarkan friends were not with them. As far as I could tell, the humans were still in their home country while their cousins in Northorn were getting obliterated. 

“And she said you specifically?”

I nodded wearily. Cadoc began to pace and mumble to himself. In the dark on the significance of this name, I grew annoyed. I wished he would get over himself and talk to me. I stayed quiet in fear I would say something rude and tried to be patient. My emotional whiplash was beginning to weigh heavily upon my shoulders.

“You’re going to have to go to the Ozryn Mountains,” He finally said. “Finding Naida is impossible without Khione. She’s in the Mountains near Idris and you may be able to convince her to take you to Naida if you tell her of the situation here in Bangtan.”

I scoffed, “What are you talking about? Who are these people?”

“Khione is an elemental who bends. She is Naida’s closest and oldest friend, and will be easier to find.”

I sighed in frustration. I did not like being out of the loop and after the day I had my patience has run dry. I wanted to get back to Foxglove and sneak into Jimin’s house for the night. Bo be damned, I needed to see him. Especially if I would have to leave soon. The thought made me want to cry. Angered by the wave of emotions slamming into me at once, I clenched my jaw and groaned.

“I don’t know who any of these people are!” I shouted. “Talk to me, Cadoc. I’m lost and you’re saying I need to leave Bangtan to go and find some elemental.”

The Quietus paused his pacing to stare at me. I was missing something important, but it was hard to explain how little I knew about the world outside of the forest. I found the politics of Northorn boring and talks of war made me uncomfortable. I knew, however, that these women were not in positions of power within the statehoods. The only woman that came to mind was Queen Elizabeth of Northorn.

“You are too young to remember the age of the dragons,” Cadoc said and I realized he thought I was much older than I was. I wondered if I looked like Heidi or Griselda enough to have him confused, or perhaps he thought I had been the one to come after them. “Naida is the mother of them all. She was the first dragon-shifter to ever live, and Khione is a distant relative born of a dragon and quietus couple thousands of years ago. Their ancestors are the mighty dragons that went extinct during the First War.”

“I didn’t ask for a history lesson, Cadoc,” I grunted.

“It’s important that you understand who you’re dealing with,” He assured.

“There’s no Naida living in Alcona,” I snapped, ignoring his stupid rebuttal.

The Quietus chortled good-naturedly. Disarmed, I realized I was acting strangely again and flushed hot. I smiled sheepishly and scratched behind my ear. Satisfied by my response, Cadoc carried on.

“Naida is a water dragon,” He explained. “Khione is an elemental who cannot shift as her bloodline was diluted by air elemental blood.”

Dragon shifters, as far as I knew, were fire elementals that lived in the Alcona Islands. Aldara had said during the Century War they had been enslaved and used as weapons of war once the elves learned how to force them to their will with the help of Sarkan weaponry. Water and air were far more difficult to control, and we had always assumed they were the only dragons to survive the war. I had never known of these water tribes within Ozryn. It reminded me of the rumors of hybrids living deep in the mountains after the first Quietus Invasion.

“The people of Alcona are familiar with her,” Cadoc continued. “Queen Affra is her godchild but they do not see one another often. Naida mourns the death of her kin and holds a mean grudge against Etelin for what they have done to Lustra.”

I was doubtful I would be able to find this dragon woman. I had hardly stepped foot out of the forest and the furthest I had gone was Moland. I had no maps or points of reference to guide me along the journey. Then there was the very real chance I was not allowed to go. Jimin would fight tooth and nail to keep me in Bangtan, and I would need to find a way around him. Cadoc seemed to be following my train of thought.

“Samanya will have the maps you will need for the journey. She may even offer to go with you.”

“No,” I shook my head. “If I’m not here then I want to be sure all of the strongest fighters are. I will go off on my own and write when I can.”

“I can speak with King Hadeon. He can offer up his consort-”

“No,” I emphasize my point once more. “I will do this alone. I can only choose my own fate. If I die then that will be so, no need to pull anybody away from Foxglove.”

Cadoc seemed upset by my resolve but moved on. I would not budge from this. Another reason I could be denied would be lack of hands and I would be sure mine would be the only ones gone. Cogs turning, I was sure I could convince Kim and Bo to allow me passage so long as I promised to return with help no matter what. I could use the excuse of sending for help from Viridi Gramine, but I knew Taehyung would see through the lie. He was another factor I would need to consider.

“You’re braver than you look,” He finally settled on.

“I don’t feel that way,” I replied.

Ignoring the comment, Cadoc continued.

“You will need to get to Clarcton first. There you can find lodging. The elves are still at the northern tip of Northorn to avoid Briar Glen Beach. Keld resides there and he will alert Affra.

“Pack for the cold, buy some clothes, and try to find a guide to the mountains. No one will give you passage, but you might be able to get some help finding your way. Once you’re in the mountains stay south and find the narrow passageway to Idris.”

“How will I know I’m going the right way?”

“Dwarf caves are all over the place. You would be able to hear them during the day. Do not walk at night. You will die. If you’re lucky, someone will be curious and ask why you’re there. Tell them you are looking for Khione. It’s alright to say it’s elves- dwarves hate them more than we do.

“If not, keep going until you see a light in the distance. That is Khione’s tower where the guiding light shines for travelers. At this point you will probably believe you’re going to die, and you will cry in relief. Ozryn is tumultuous even during this time of year. We are lucky they attacked in summer instead of winter or your journey would be impossible.”

This plan was forming itself already. Tonight I would gather grimoires from inside of the cellar and ask Cadoc to take them back with me. For the next two days I would study harder than I ever had in my life in order to prepare for a fight. I would have to pick two or three books to bring along with me that would be my own companions. I would have to get started soon if I had any hope of sorting through my things before sunrise.

“Stand out here,” I told Cadoc. “I need to gather a few things.”

“Heidi would have better information,” He said. “I remember her well from the war. The little girl with her would be okay, too.”

I walked inside and opened the cellar. I would bring along a few of my knives and craft a new one. Thelma’s order for iron had been made and there were two iron sconces in my room I could melt down. My magic was fickle, and I would have no room for mistakes. I took three feathers I found in Shiloh’s nest on my way out.

“Look,” Cadoc started again once we began the trek back to the village, “I understand why you want to do this by yourself, but at least consider bringing along a friend.”

Annoyed by him bringing it up again, I huffed.

“Do you think I’m too weak to do this on my own?” I challenged.

“Absolutely not,” He sounded so sincere I almost believed him. “I do, however, think you are loyal to a fault. You’re starting to act recklessly for the sake of saving everybody else.”

“Well,” I sighed, “It’s my duty to protect this forest and that includes the people within it.”

It sounded weak even to my own ears. I did not know why the thought bothered me so much, but I had this feeling I needed to go alone. Something was telling me what to do, but I was not sure how to explain this to someone like Cadoc. Elementals were not known for being the most spiritual people out there and I doubted he would understand.

“Tell me, how would your wolf feel about this?”

“He would never allow it,” I replied curtly. “In fact, Jimin would forbid it even if I had an entire army on my side. Overprotective fool.”

“And what does that make you?” Cadoc’s voice had taken on an edge. He was upset with me about this. “A prideful martyr? An overzealous know-it-all?”

I breathed through my nose and tried to keep my temper in check. It has already caused me enough problems. First Namjoon, then Jimin, and now Cadoc? Still, I could not deny that his words cut me more than I thought they would. 

“Are you suicidal or something?” He continued to mock me. “I know you have been through a lot of suffering, and I’m sorry you had to see a friend like that, but you don’t mean to die, do you? You’re much more useful alive.”

My face pinched together, and I threw my hands up. The books in my hands felt like boulders, and they came back down quickly. My eyes stung and I was even angrier by the tears.

“Why does everyone treat me like glass?” I seethed. 

“Do they?” Cadoc dead-panned.

Glaring at the man, I was not happy to shake my head. I was becoming irrational again and I was not sure how to stop it. It was as if I were watching someone else’s life and seeing the world through their eyes. I did not feel like myself.

“But your wolf does?”

I closed my eyes and stopped walking, “Not exactly. I just… I’m tired of being coddled by him. He’s always so kind and understanding, and it makes me feel like I never have to work for anything with him.”

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, but his eyes remained stony. Cadoc’s eyes were stranger at night than during the day and I was taken aback by the faint shine that came off of them. I could hardly see him once we were in the trees, and I used a flame spell to light our way. The heat felt uncomfortable on my skin, but I tried my best to push through the growing discomfort.

“Does one need to work for love?” He asked.

I pursed my lips, “Everything in life takes work.”

“Sure,” He quipped, “But do you think you have to earn his love? Fight for it or what have you?”

“I-” I stammered. “I thought we all fight for what we want.”

Aldara said anything I ever wanted could only be obtained through hard work. If I wanted to conquer my powers, push my limits, or learn how to make potions then I needed to earn my keep. If I wanted to get better, then I needed to work hard for it. Nothing in life came easy to me, but it did not bother me much. Earning Jimin’s affections would be the same way, and I had plenty to make up for after what happened.

“Do you think Jimin wants you to fight for his love or has he given it to you freely?”

After a beat of silence, I whispered, “He’s always given it freely though I don’t deserve it.”

“Would you like to talk about that?”

I told Cadoc of my nightmares and how the spirits came to me. He did not cut in at any point of my story. When I told him how I cried every night in shame as Jimin held me, he seemed sympathetic, but I hated it. I deserved no one’s pity. This entire situation was my fault. If I had just told my boys, we could have done something. When I said as such, Cadoc scowled at me.

“You can’t seriously believe this is all your fault, can you?” He hissed at me.

“I can and do,” I shot back, my defenses already hackling. “And you can’t attempt to take any of the blame off of my back. I deserve to feel this way, Cadoc. I don’t care what anybody says, if I-”

“You’re throwing your entire life away on a ‘what-if’ scenario?” He growled. “In case you haven’t noticed no matter what you would have done the elves would have attacked. In fact, if they knew the wolves were ready for them it would have been far worse. You can’t change what’s been done, Bridd.”

“But I can atone for it,” I mumbled, the fire within me going out. I was tired again and wanted to fall asleep. I wanted Jimin. 

“I will tell your boyfriend,” Cadoc suddenly threatened. “Unless you allow someone to help you.”

Glowering, I used the last bit of strength I had to shout at him.

“Why are you so pushy?”

“You saved my life,” Cadoc reasoned like it was the most obvious thing ever. “I told you that I owe you, and I think a life for a life is the only real trade off.”

I could see I was not going to win this battle. If he told Jimin there was no way I could leave the village, but if I went without someone else then I was putting them in danger, too. Feeling helpless, I nodded and accepted my fate. What was one more death on my shoulders? I trembled at the thought and forced it away. 

“I have final say in who goes.”

Cadoc smiled triumphantly. I felt sick. Each step felt heavier and heavier, and I knew I would not make it much further. Luckily, the village came into view.

“You have yourself a deal, Bridd. We will decide in two days.”

“Two days,” I affirmed.

I found his home easily. Even with the bungalow in disarray and heavily damaged, I could see the care people had taken in trying to hold it together temporarily. I did not think it would withstand much of anything, but I could hope it would be enough for Jimin to be safe. Other copiae were in the palace as their homes were too damaged. Bo did not want us sleeping under the same roof, so Jimin had to stay out here.

I went to the bedroom window I had flown to all of those months ago. A lot had changed since then. The thought filled me with both joy and pain. Jimin was at his desk again, quill in hand and hair tied up. I loved the way the candles lit his face. 

Cadoc took my things to my room for me. After picking out five of Heidi’s books, one of Griselda’s, and two more of Aldara’s journals, the two of us came back to the village. His powers made gliding soundlessly easy. My bird would never have been able to make that work. Along with the books, I also took my spare trousers, my jewelry box, and my quilts. This room would be mine for a few days and I would make it look as such. I hoped it would bring Jimin comfort in my absence. I knocked on the glass.

Jimin looked at me and stood up. He pointed to the front door, and I walked around the small house. The door was already open and Jimin’s arms outstretched for me. 

“You were gone when I came to check on you,” He said.

I walked into his chest, kicking the door closed behind me, and wrapped myself around him. His warmth was nice, and I breathed him in. I would be away from him for so long…

“I snuck away,” I grinned. “I wanted to get some of my things. Hopefully Bo won’t be too upset with me.”

Jimin chuckled, “Ignore her. She’s hurting and trying to distract herself with other feelings.”

“Like hate?” I rested my chin on his chest and looked up at him. “Disgust? Disdain?”

He kissed my forehead. 

“Jealousy,” He sniffed my hair and stiffened. “You weren’t alone on your outing.”

I shook my head, “No. Cadoc wanted to meet with me regarding some… issues they were having.”

“Can we talk about it?”

I nodded and forced myself out of his arms. I would never be able to focus on anything like this. I yawned but waved off his grooming. Jimin, like everyone else in my life, treated me like a glass house in a tornado. Normally, I appreciated his pampering, but we needed to have a serious talk and it would make me lose my train of thought.

“They believe there’s a whistleblower,” I started, sitting down on his sofa. “Using caves was a risky choice and they’re talking with their Queen about it now.”

“Taehyung and I were talking about that possibility as well,” He mused, looking over at me. “Was that all?”

Again, I was faced with two choices. I could lie to him again and break the trust we share even more, or I could be honest and deal with the possibility of a fight. I did not have the energy for a good one tonight, but I was sure I could gather up the strength to plead my case.

“I might have to do something in the next few days,” I looked at my hands. “It won’t be fun, or easy, but you need to trust me, okay?”

“You need to give trust to get it.”

Looking at him, I was sad to see the defeat in his eyes. Keeping things from him had made this situation so much worse than they should have been. Even if he never admits it, even if we never acknowledged this fact right now, I knew him. He was hurt by me keeping quiet and not trusting him enough to defend the both of us. All this time I was keeping him safe without ever thinking about the fact that he wanted to make sure I was okay, too. Taking a deep breath, I knew what I was about to say would not ease his mind, but I could hope it would ease his worries.

“I can’t tell you much of anything right now,” I grabbed his hand. “I don’t really know enough about it myself, but when I do, I’ll let you know. There are some things I need to figure out first, okay?”

I saw his heart break. His face dropped and his eyes dimmed, but I knew I was doing the right thing. I wanted us to have a good conversation where I could reassure him. Tonight, would not be the right time. I was too tired and emotional for it to work out. I didn’t even know where I was going or who I was going with. I could not let Jimin’s protectiveness get in the way of my mission.

“I can live with that,” He breathed.

“It won’t be like last time,” I promised. 

Jimin looked into my eyes. “You look exhausted.”

Sagging in relief, I allowed Jimin to pick my body up off of the sofa. Setting me down on his make-shift cot, the wolf grabbed my feet and started rubbing my arch. He did not seem to mind the dirt and I was too astonished by his touch to care. It had been so long since anybody had touched me like this. 

“I’m sorry for this morning,” I murmured. “I’m just… so tired. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Lifting my foot, Jimin pressed a kiss to the top of it before dropping it back into his lap. The cot was nothing more than a few blankets stacked one on top of the other, the hard floor uncomfortable on my back, and the thinnest pillow I had ever used to rest my head on. Now, though, I could say I had never been more relaxed before bed.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” He grinned at me. “I love you even when you’re angry and frustrated with the world.”

Choking back a sob, I reached my arms out to him.

“Can you please just hold me? Just for a little while?”

We laid on the ground for the rest of the night, talking and caressing one another. I had missed a lot during my slumber, and I was happy to get the rundown. With Koda’s words from earlier I felt less insecure about our snail’s pace. Jimin truly believed he was honoring me this way and I would let him have this.

“Jimin?” I called out, voice hoarse from overuse.

“Hm?” He hummed, half-asleep and barely able to keep his eyes open.

“I love you too.”

He chuckled, the sound deep in his chest and felt through my entire body. With a kiss to my head, the wolf turned on his side and pulled my back flushed against his chest. His warmth was almost suffocating, and I was happy we had no blanket over the top of us. I would surely be sweating by now. With another kiss to the back of my head, Jimin breathed heavily and then his gentle snores filled the room. That morning, I fell asleep as the sun came up and smiled when I thought of Bo finding my room empty.

Translations:

Socrus - Mother-in-law

Levir - Brother

Mea columba - My Dove

Carissima - Dearest

Disclaimer: I can’t speak Latin at all. I try to research as much as I can, but that doesn’t mean I’m always right. I do attempt to keep it as close as possible without relying on Google Translate (it’s not the best source either). The Lustrian language is a made up language based on Old English. None of it is accurate, but I don’t think that matters all that much.

Taglist: @greezenini @adventures-in-bookland @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @zae007live @jimin-neverout @nikkiordonez12 @canarystwin @yamekomz @chimthicc @michiiedreamer @amorieus @mima795 @i-never-post-but-i-am-here​

© chimcess, 2023. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[streamat4am]

for shes the man enid's dong id probably go for wednesday if u dont mind. or yoko if u prefer

I gotchu mate :)

Tags: wednesday being a tease, enid being sensitive asf and having a not so human ding dong, usual things. Enid switches to he/him pronouns in wednesdays POV bc she crossdresses and tries to pass as a man for au reasons

-

"You don't have to do this," Enid mumbles and her face lit aflame when wednesday hums. Her eyes isn't even looking at her face! it shouldn't be a bother, except Wednesday is literally looking at something else, something more intimate.

A whine pulls from the werewolf's lips when cold fingers brushed at her tip, that thumb rubbing and pressed at the slit with a curiosity that has Enid being jealous. Pre spills and Enid can't stop a whine of concern when she watches it pool around the creases of Wednesday's hand.

Is this really okay? Like she didn't mind but this is a special thing after all. She doesn't remember girls doing this in her shows... But then again, Enid isn't supposed to be acting as a girl at all.

The thought of Wednesday doing this with others has her tensing her jaw though.

"Does this bother you?" Wednesday wonders, her eyes finally straying to look into dilated blue. "You're free to back out whenever."

Enid shakes her head, an instant no escaping her lips before she can think

"I just-" the wolf chokes on her words, not expecting Wednesday to start stroking . Her hands clung onto the chair, digging in as her nails dug deep into the plush seats. Already can she feel her teeth growing with her arousal, scraping at her bottom lip with a want and it aches as she zeroes into Wednesday's skin.

"Yes?" Wednesday says and Enid gasps when a finger brushes against the little bump that rests on her base. It was her knot, the one thing that made this happen in the first place.

See Enid was born with a rather curious condition, instead of manifesting her more wolfish features once a month, it instead decides to pop in or even stay at times depending on her mood. This one? was on the more permanent side. It wasn't as big as it should be if she shifts but its noticeable alright- noticeable enough that when she got pantsed a week ago, her gang caught an eyeful.

She didn't think that such a prank would lead to this.

"tell me Enid," Wednesday starts and Enid nods, trying her best to listen through the beat in her ears and haze over her mind. Her bestie's fingers continue to prod and it is simply so hard to keep a straight mind when her hands start to pump. "have you ever used this?"

"Used?" Enid whimpers and her hips jerk when those hands squeezed at the tip.

Too lost to the feeling, the werewolf pressed her eyes shut, unaware of the way Wednesday tilts her head. She does it again and Enid leaks all the more, shaking and trembling in the chair.

"have you?" Wednesday repeats, a whisper of a smile growing on her face when Enid does his best to breathe in reply instead before slowly shaking his head no.

Beautiful, as it should.

Enid has always been so steadfast, never one to falter so to think that she was one to bring such a boy to this state makes something pleasant to curl inside her. He looked like a mess, with his hair frazzled and parts of his stomach exposed, allowing her to eye the happy trail that led to her current fascination.

His lenght is heavy in her hands and she squeezes at the knot that laid in her palm.

At first, she was curious about his biology. She has taken werewolf class and from what she remembers, most don't have this feature so to see it in Enid.. she simply couldn't let this chance go.

Not to mention, she wanted an excuse to touch him where no one else has.

What? Wednesday is opportunistic so when the urge to taste overtakes her, she allows herself to dive in and give a broad lick up the shaft.

The sound Enid makes is delicious as he bucks his hips up. Needy dog, Wednesday thinks, laying her hands on his thighs and pushing him back into place. It takes a moment for her tongue to reach the tip before she caught the precum that leaked.

The stream kept going at a steady pace and a part of her wondered if he was in rut. It'd explain the knot and why he was so reactive. A heat bloomed at her skin and she breathes a tiny bit harder when she licks her lips, savouring the tang of something not so bitter sticking on her mouth.

She wanted more.

"weds?-" Enid whispers, those eyes of his trying to spark into something with clarity.

Wednesday shushes in reply and without warning, she wraps her lips around the tip, holding the head with the flat of her tongue as she suckled. Enid choked, his words unable to bumble out as he whined and jerked in her hold.

"Wednesday!" Enid gasps and oh does her name sound absolutely tantalizing in his mouth, spilling out like he was begging for more. Just for him, she's willing to indulge so she hums and took more of his lenght. Enough to for it to sit snugly in the back of her throat as the rest of her fingers pressed against the knot just a few inches away from her mouth.

All he can say to that is a whimper and his hands that were clinging so tightly to the chair now run through her hair. She feels the way those claws tempt to dig and heat burns at her skin at the thought as Enid shakily brushes her bangs back..

Wednesday's eyes snapped up to watch, to see her boy bite his lip so hard that blood must've pooled. How she wishes she could kiss and sample what it would've tasted. The thought was enough to make her moan and immediately Enid folded, his shoulders shaking as he gasps with flushed cheeks.

Wednesday simply suckles, enjoy the way he leaks in her mouth as she rubbed circles along his thighs, feeling how it tenses in want.

It's then that Wednesday is assured that only she can see Enid like this. Gone was the straight laced confidence of before, instead all that was left was a shaking wolf so easily held down. It's endearing, it's addicting and it's hers.

“Willa - ” Enid whined and finally, his fingers curl along the base of her hair to tug. “I think im-”

Wednesday didn't need to think twice before opening her jaw even more to try and take the rest of him in.

"ohmygos-" spills from Enid's lips and Wednesday's eyes go wide when she feels herself get pulled so deep that her mouth nudges against the swollen knot. It's bigger up close and she wonders what'd it'd feel inside as the head of his cock nestled deep in the back of her throat.

Wednesday doesn't gag but her throat tenses at the intrusion anyways and like a seasoned pro for someone who hasn't at all done this, she inhales through her nose before licking and sucking the thing that's going to haunt her nightmares.

Enid cries out and with one last call of "Wednesday!" he cums straight into her stomach. Wednesday pulls back, enough to keep the head inbetween her lips and swallow the rest of his seed with every greedy bob of her throat.

When all is done, she presses a kiss on his steadily growing flaccid cock before standing up and straightening her uniform. She eyes the knot that lays ever so present but it was smaller now. She remembers the size it held from before and bets that it would leave a pleasant stretch whenever he pulls out.

Enid lays there, mouth agape and looking like he ran a marathon with how flushed his face was.

"we should do this again, Enid," Wednesday says, her head tilting and she can still taste him on her tongue with every word she says. He needs to take responsibility for the addiction that's growing.

All Enid can do is nod and when she felt the familiar tensing of a body part, immediately pulled her pants up.

"let's," Enid giggles in disbelief because wtf just happened. It isn't until Enid sees Wednesday in passing a few hours later does she realize that what happened wasn't some dream because there is no way, Wednesday Addams just mimicked what she did this morning.

... Maybe pranks aren't so bad after all, if it lead them to her.

[streaminn]

Or Maybe Its Your Words (That Keeps Me Up at Night) Bodyguard Enid au - 1

Wednesday doesn't come back to Nevermore for the next semester.

Enid was definitely hurt when she comes back to an empty room but its been like...

What? nine? No, ten years. A decade has passed and she has never been one to hold a grudge. Instead, she'll think back to that sophomore year and wonder if her roomie for such a short moment remembers her as much as Enid does to her.

Wednesday Addams is definitely a person. Her being in danger was the catalyst of her wolfing out and its hard to forget someone like that. Not to mention that she hasn't at all met another person like her.

Yoko says that she had a crush, Enid feels like that's a gross oversimplification. What she felt wasn't a crush. Gratitude? definitely, she taught Enid so much in the tiny time they spent time together. Admiration? maybe, there's alot to admire about someone who doesn't at all care about what other people thinks. But saying that what she felt was a crush?

that was too..

tiny.

Yes, a tiny way to explain it.

Honestly, she's a little embarrassed now that she's older. Sure, what she felt was too wrong to call a crush but it was those feelings that drove her through life.

Protecting someone, protecting Wednesday showed her that she could be more than a girl with aspirations and bark. So the pipeline of protecting your crush to protecting people wasn't that surprising.

So here she is, Enid of Nowhere lounging in her bed for today.

A decade does a lot to a person and well, if Enid Sinclair were to see her, Enid knew that she'd be unrecognizable. Not at all surprising, Yoko definitely didn't believe that she was who she said she was during the five year reunion either.

Speaking of reunion, the next one was coming up.

Would Bianca join them this time? Maybe Xavier? Who knows but the idea of meeting her friends in so long does spark something in her. An excitement that has dulled overtime but it doesn't stop a smile from growing on her face.

Then her phone rings and Enid rolls over with disappointment. She doesn't hear the familiar chorus of 'Money' by Lisa, instead it had the dull tune of her work phone.

Boring, here she thought Yoko was reaching out.

She swipes to answer and brings it to her ear with a "Yes, boss?"

Boss as always, is straight to the point. "You're assigned a practice run for some fancy upshot, so be on your best behaviour tomorrow."

She winces then she pouts, "You make it sound like I'm a trouble maker! I'll have you know that I get the job done!"

"You get the job done, sure," he drawls, thick with what is most likely a recent smoke. Addict. "Except this is a blueblood, so keep to yourself and be professional okay? I'd rather not have my prized employee be sued to hell and back."

The werewolf clicks her tongue, sitting up to lean onto her headboard. "Which blueblood: A royal? The President's family?" she jokes. "I didn't think I was that good to be reached by such people."

Boss scoffs. "Your record is spot clean, you're young and an outcast built like a wall- People need that kind of protection nowadays."

"You didn't answer my question," Enid points out, shifting her phone to her shoulder as she digs into her pockets for a packet.

"Its an Addams." At that the werewolf stills, swiftly pulling her hand back to properly press the phone into her ear.

"Excuse me?" she whispers and the steady beat of her heart began to rise, slowly but surely. There was no way. There must be tons of Addams in this continent. The world must not be that cruel as to give her the opportunity to meet Wednesday again. She was excited yes but at the same time..

See, Enid had this little problem of being a coward.

Just a teeny bit.

A part of her always wanted to reach out, maybe ask Wednesday why she didn't come back to the school but the moment she finally gained courage to do so, it was two years later and she was graduating.

Some things aren't meant to be y'know? Maybe their friendship was meant to last that short semester.

Enid would groan if she could as her grip tightened on the phone. Why is she so hung up over that?

Its just a girl, dangit! She really shouldn't be sulking over this. Its been years!

"Will you forget about me?"

"Enid, the mark you have left on me is indelible-"

Boss sighs and that's enough for Enid to listen once again. "Listen, I know that Addams have their eccentrics but you're there to act as a blocker. Both for Ms Addams and the crowd."

"i didn't know she'd need a bodyguard." If she remembers correctly, Wednesday did beat up a bunch of kids back in Jericho. The sight of her beating up some pap has her smiling.

"She doesn't," is Boss' sharp answer. "Like I just said, you're there to keep the annoying people away so she doesn't end up with a different body count."

A laugh comes from her. Yeah no, that's Wednesday alright. With up quirked lips, she humms with curiosity in her mind. "Why me?"

Does she remember me?

Did she pick me out specifically?

"She doesn't like men," Boss says and with that, her expectation falls. Right, right. That makes more sense. "You're bulky enough that if she ever does decide to stab you for acting out of hand you'll be fine!" he pauses then he offhandly mentions, "Speaking from experience, we know that you won't bleed out as easily."

Enid winces at that.

She was used to the occasional stab, like there was this lady who hired her to protect her and her family because of a stalker. In the end it was some dumbass pack in freaky masks but luckily she sniffed them out and now they're all dead.

Hm.

Thinking on it now, that sounds rather callous but it is what happened.

She should really check up on the sisters.

"Now you're making me reconsider," Enid wonders.

Boss immediately cuts himself off. "Which are all speculation! she would treat you absolutely golden, Enid. You should take the job."

Enid lets out a breath, "How much is the pay?" she wasn't struggling, sure but as a lone wolf, she has her needs too. She definitely was not trying to find an excuse to turn it down or anything, like no way!

Aha..

Then boss listed out so many zeroes that it leaves Enid's mouth agape, practically turning into the same zero that was just stated.

"But you need to pass the test run first," Boss stresses. "Pass the test run and you'll get paid that sum and more."

"Rich people are crazy," Enid murmurs with brows reaching all the way up to her hairline.

"Rich people are crazy," he agrees.

"..."

A sigh. "Is that a yes? Are you coming tomorrow?"

Enid pauses. "Are you going to pick me up?"

"..Sure."

"Can we get mcdonalds too?"

Boss sighs.

"Sure, Enid."

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

For the Vampire au

Can you do (trick) for vampFinrod x reader

With prompt "Why are you impressed? You should be terrified."

Not dark please and thank you

"Revelation"

Pairing: Vampire! Finrod x Reader (Guest of Finrod / Second person POV)

Location and time: 19th century England

Prompt : 6 - " Why are you impressed? You should be terrified."

Themes: Angst-ish | Happy ending

Warnings: Vampirism

Wordcount: 1000+ words

Summary:

Minors DNI | You are responsible for the media you consume

A/n: this is for the @fellowshipofthefics October challenge. Two more slots are available for requests, but prompts 4 and 6 (for Vampire! Manwë and Vampire! Finrod) are out. The rules and prompts for requests can be read here.

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Finrod's study was a dimly lit sea of wonders, full of ancient treasures. There was an impressive tapestry covering the expanse of one wall. A dark but mighty beast lay on the ground. Above it, a magnificent white horse reared, its rider bringing down their sword to deliver the killing blow. You could not help but walk up to it and admire the scene portrayed in centuries-old wool.

The tapestry was always there whenever you called on your mentor of an evening, but you never thought to observe its beauty so closely till now.

“Ahh! I see you have found the Demon of the Island."

You shivered. “Was that its name?”

“That and worse.” Finrod appeared by your shoulder without even making a sound. It was as if he moved without even stirring the air around him. You startled. “My ancestor slayed it many a century ago and was richly rewarded for it.”

You turned to face him and gave him a measured look. “What happened?”

“A werewolf happened. That was what the beast was. A werewolf.” Finrod walked over to a chest of drawers by the window and picked up a crystal decanter full of clear, amber liquid. He offered you a glass. You refused. “He terrorized the good people of Tol-in-Gaurhoth for months before my ancestor brought it to heel.”

“Your ancestor slayed him?” You looked at the tapestry again. The warrior was exceedingly fair to look upon, and his hair fell free about his shoulders like molten gold. His eyes were a vivid cornflower blue. They also looked familiar. Too familiar. You study it even more, taking in the warrior’s countenance, the shape of his eyes, his lips. Finrod’s own was a replica of them all.

It is as if I am staring at the same person. 

“Indeed.” Finrod moved to sit by a large fireplace, and invited you to join him. “Lord Edennil was the only warrior who challenged the creature and lived to talk of it.”

“Edennil?” Fear slowly bloomed and surged just beneath your skin, prompting you to stop mid-stride. “Is that not one of your names, sir?”

It was Finrod’s turn to startle, but he quickly regained his composure. “I do not know what you mean, y/n.”

“Yes, you do.” You continued with growing alarm after stealing another glance at the tapestry. The hair, the sword, and the demeanor all screamed of him. “Edennil. It was what that stranger called you when they stopped by your door two nights ago. I know of that word. My governess taught me. It means friend of men.”

Finrod took a step toward you, his eyes widening in shock. “That visit was in the dead of night! How did you even know of it?”

“I was in the library searching for a book.” You took a step back and looked for the doors. They were near, but if Finrod was not what he appeared to be, a mild-mannered wealthy nobleman from a foreign land, would you have time to make it to the doors and the outside world? “And that warrior looks like you in every way. Is it you, sir? Are you the warrior in that tapestry?"

Finrod blanched.

“What are you, sir?” You demanded and took a another step toward the doors. “The truth, now. All of it. That is all I ask.”

The nobleman made no move to come near you. He stood where he was, his eyes full of gloom, and said, “Yes. Yes. I am the warrior in the tapestry. Is that what you wanted to hear? I slayed the werewolf. All of that was my doing.”

“And your late-night visitor?”

“A fellow warrior met by chance on the road. He stood beside me, shoulder to shoulder, as we fought the beast and its minions. Beren was badly wounded, and I…I saved his life. He has been a faithful friend since then.”

“That is all well and good, but it still does not answer my question.”

“Which is?”

“What are you?”

Finrod sighed in defeat. “I suppose my secret would come into the light sooner or later. Very well. You desire to know the real me. Well, this is the real me, y/n.”

He hissed like a large, wild cat and bared his teeth. Pearly white fangs glistened in the light of the fire. You took a step toward him, curious despite your fear.

A vampire. My host is a vampire. After so many years of us writing letters and him teaching me music, I remained in the dark until now.

“Most impressive,” you declared after your curiosity had been satisfied.

"Why are you impressed?” Finrod sputtered in disbelief. “You should be terrified."

“Should I be terrified?”

“No. I would never harm you, y/n.” He went back to his place by the fire. “But I cannot let you go, either. Not when you know what I am.”

Can I blame him for wanting to shield himself from the judgment and fear of others? And perhaps living with him may not be so terrible, after all. I could learn so much from him.

“Then... Then perhaps I can make myself useful to you,” you offered. “You rarely go out during the day because—"

"Sunlight weakens my constitution," he supplied.

"I see." It certainly provided more clarity and explained some of his strange behavior, like the thick curtains that were always drawn together during lessons in his music room. "I could run errands for you. See to any visitors that come calling during that time. Mind the house and the servants for you while you rest.”

Finrod regarded you with suspicion. “Is this a trick?”

“No, sir,” you told him. “I give you my word that it is not.”

He turned away and took his time to consider your proposal. Finally, after what seemed like an age, he said, “There will be a ceremony binding you and me as master and familiar. No harm will come to you, but this ritual is necessary. Do you understand?”

You nodded and wondered what this ceremony would entail and what you would have to dress. “I accept.”

“Good. Now come, join me by the fire.” Finrod smiled mildly. “I have much to tell you about me and my strange life."

[hazardworld]

Monster Town AU. Vibes.

------

He was being obvious, right?

It’s not like Steve ever needed to hide it in a hidden away town full of monsters.

It was well-known the Harringtons were a family from old old money, so why else would they live somewhere so random in the middle of the midwest?

And while yeah, Steve knew that was could be a more nuanced thing to realize, he thought he’d made it glaringly obvious during his whole reign as "King Steve." How else did anyone think he got so many girls, or convince the Hawkins High halls he was top dog, or pull Nancy Wheeler to even notice him in the first place?

His teeth and nails were pretty obvious of inhumanity, if anything else failed!

All this to say, Dustin was staring at him wide-eyed, slack jawed, ears alert, and his bushy, curly tail, usually happily wagging now slack, when all Steve had done was grab a snack from the freezer and bitten into it.

"Steve…?" Steve swallowed his cold bite.

"Yeah, Dust? …everything good?" He raised his eyebrows expectingly, but nothing changed about Dustin’s expression.

"Why—you—Steve, you just bit into the head of a raw fish. A raw live fish." Steve blinked and looked back down at the fish. Wasn’t alive anymore, was it? He shrugged and looked back at the rising sophomore in front of him.

"Yeah, so?" Dustin sputtered, hands moving wildly in front of him.

"So? SO? Steve, Steve, you bit the head off a live raw fish and all you say is so?!" Steve took another bite of the fish as he watched Dustin’s flabbergasted expression grow into disgust, savoring the fresh, vibrant taste and the crunch of the bones under his teeth.

"Dude, don’t hate on my eating habits!" He said, food in his mouth, and swallowed, "You eat raw meat man, it’s literally the same thing." He finished off the tail with a satisfying crunch and moved to wash his hands as he waited for Dustin’s response.

"Steve, that’s…different! You know it is!" Steve snorted and turned, trying his hands on his mother’s dish towel.

"How the fuck is that different, Henderson?" Dustin rolled his eyes.

"I eat raw meat because I’m a werewolf! It’s in my nature! Last time I checked though, humans don’t eat raw live fish, man!" Steve recoiled. Human? Human? Dustin, his pseudo little brother of three years, who he coached on form shifting, taught how to shave, tried to teach to be confident in himself (though that eventually fell to Eddie), thought he was human??

“What the fuck? Dustin? You can’t seriously be that dumb man!” Dustin blinked, stepping back slowly, looking him up and down, studying him.

“I thought…you haven’t been human all this time and you didn’t tell me??? STEVE!” Dustin launched into him, squeezing him tight with what could only be attributed as a combination of love and werewolf induced strength. It was a little suffocating, but breathing through his mouth gave Steve enough air to get by. He ruffled Dustin’s hair and laughed.

“It’s not like I was hiding it!” Dustin leaned back, releasing his grip but still touching Steve (he had to admit made it a little easier to breathe). He gave Steve a puzzled look, as if what Steve had said was false, but it hadn’t been!

“Yeah, you kinda were, Steve. I don’t even know what you are, man.” Steve frowned.

“Wasn’t King Steve glaringly obvious? Like why else do you think I pulled babes in high school, and the minute I have respect for other people I don’t?” Dustin blinked, thinking, and shook his head.

“I dunno. Stupid high school politics? Upside Down residue smell?” Steve groaned.

“Dude, you’re the little shit genius kid, and you’re being super dumb right now.” He paused and Dustin shook his head again, lost, “fine, fine. Just…go grab me a towel, and meet me poolside.” Dustin frowned, but left anyway over to the public linen closet, where all the personally monogrammed Harrington towels laid.

Steve himself made his way outside, and yanked off his shirt, gills fluttering open in the outdoor, clean air. It  then dawned on Steve that the last time they’d been this exposed to the outside, they’d taken in ashes and shitty gunk from the Upside Down.

He dove into the water, and felt his gills and ears and hands expanded like they usually did in the shower to their full form. His gums throbbed as his second and third set of fangs extended, happy to exist in their natural places again.

Steve concentrated: it had been awhile since his last full shift. He usually let his form run where it felt most comfortable, and luckily, it agreed with his parents’ sentiments of human forms always being better.

He breathed into the sore sensation of his legs stretching and shifting, accompanied by the incessant itching across his cheekbones, upper arms, and chest. Soon, Steve felt the (relieving? He felt really calm, like almost too calm) heavy swish of his long, muscular, scaled tail, and opened his eyes. The sight of it made him giddy: he’d been swimming with two legs for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to see it attached to him.

Its color was gorgeous, a bright medium blue, with flecks of purple, navy, and yellow scales scattered here and there for extra depth, and each scale reflected the sunlight that fell into the pool like a tiny disco ball: bright and holographic. The scales trailed up the center of his chest and his arms, and along his cheekbones to his ears, where his hair had once been, and where the itching sensation from before had subsided.

He looked up above him, to the ripples of the surface, to see Dustin peering over the edge, gaping again, and Steve ginned, rising his head above the surface. Dustin backed up with him, tail wagging wildly, as Steve hung his hands (or, claws now, really) and head over the pool’s edge.

"Dude—dude, you’re a merman!" Steve laughed.

"Siren, actually. Mermaids—that’s gender neutral, like witches, by the way—are way more eye-pleasing, and have to stay near coastlines." Dustin tilted his head in what Steve liked to call his 'puppy confusion' face.

"Eye-pleasing?"

"Less gruesome looking. More pleasing to a human’s eye. Obviously, we all grew up in Hawkins, and with all the Upside Down shit, your opinions of eye-pleasing are pretty skewed, but like, they don’t have claws, or as many fangs, shorter tails, stuff like that." Dustin nodded, understanding.

"I read somewhere mermaids are from freshwater and sirens are from saltwater, is that true?" Steve shook his head.

"No man, absolutely not. As long as the body of water is big and deep enough, you can find either. Mermaids are usually closer to shorelines, whereas sirens prefer deeper, colder waters," Dustin nodded, as if he was taking it all down in a little notebook in his head, which was a look he made often. He moved closer to the edge now, sitting criss-crossed in front of Steve with his face in his hands.

"So...how often to you have to shift like this? Cause you know about me and stuff, I wanna know about you." Steve smiled at this. Obviously, Dustin felt some sort of embarrassment asking him, otherwise he wouldn’t have said the last part so sheepishly.

"Well, as long as I shower often enough, I’m good. I kinda just let my form rest where it wants. My parents always said human forms were the best forms, so I guess it sorta settled there." He shrugged as Dustin’s face turned into something absolutely horrified. What? Was something behind him? He checked, and nothing bad was there. Had something bad happened? Could he smell something Steve couldn’t?

"Steve, that’s not ok!" He blinked. What? Did he do something bad?

"What’s not ok?" He swished his tail a bit to ensure he hadn’t caught it on something, but it was free, so that couldn’t be it.

"Steve, Steve—" Dustin leaned across and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "That’s not fucking healthy, man!"

"I’m still very confused, Henderson."

"You’re completely binding your form without any breaks! That’s not healthy!" Steve frowned. No, no he wasn’t! His parents said that’s what he had to do, let his form go human, it was natural, as it should be…

Oh, he was binding his form, wasn’t he?

"Oh, shit." He stared at the edge of the pool, eyes wide, as Dustin reacted above him.

"You’re just now realizing this? Jesus, Steve!" He tutted angrily before grasping Steve’s jaw and forcing him to look Dustin straight in the eyes. "We’re going inside, and I’m calling Robin. We’re getting you a proper everyday siren form." Before Steve could protest, Dustin was up and storming back inside, leaving Steve to get out and go after him.

Part 1/Part 2/Part 3

[emerald-evans]

I saw this blog

So…how about a headcannon for CE Characters in werewolf au? 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤

It's full moon afterall, time for making baby😌💖

pairing - alpha!andy barber x reader

word count - 1.7k

warnings - 18+, explicit smut, feral andy is a warning himself

a/n - ok this is definitely not what you asked for as it turned more into an alpha/omegaverse thing since I know  n o t h i n g  about wolves. whoops lol

Andy. Your darling hubby Andy. Being a lawyer takes up a lot of his time, and being around people so much causes him to get caught up in the human world. The full moon approaches quicker than he anticipated. The stressful nature of his job, his inner wolf pent up from the lack of action, and you. His sweet wife who smells so fucking nice.

After a successful trial verdict, all it takes is for him to step onto your front porch to smell you, your scent strong enough for him to recognize the lavender and burnt sugar in an instant. His wife, His mate.

You could smell him before he entered. Your hindbrain going into overdrive as his overpowering scent of amber, teakwood, and a dash of cashmere, starts to permeate the air. Shit... he is in rut. Turning off the television, you hear the door slam open. Your heart pounds in your chest and you wait for the sound of rapid footsteps down the hall. 

Just as you’re about to rise from the couch he growls your name. Deep and urgent. Goosebumps scatter along your arms as the hair on the back of your neck rise. 

“Run.”

Without turning around, you sprint out the back patio door and into the array of trees behind your home. He gives you a moment to run before losing all rational thought, his primal instinct taking over. 

Take, take, take. 

Running through the trees, he easily followed your route, your scent mixing with the trees and soil. Wanting to enjoy the trill of the chase, Andy continues to stay a few steps behind as he follows you. 

Winding through the forest you try to hide behind a tree. Hearing a branch snap from somewhere behind the bushels of green, your breath hitches in your throat. You don’t dare move a muscle as he slowly revealing himself from behind.

You have been there for years to help Andy through his ruts, but this. This is something different. You take in your husbands’ feral state, his large hands in tight fists against his side, his jacket long gone, and the top buttons of his shirt are popped off, the stain of dirt and earth grazing across his chest. 

His deep blue eyes rake over you, pressed tightly against the large tree in just your nightie. 

“Alpha?” you question, trying to find another way to escape, before he closes in to your space with two large steps. Feeling the heat come off his body, you lick your suddenly dry lips. “I told you to run didn’t I? What if it wasn’t me at the door? What if it was a big, bad, man who wanted to take a bite out of my sweet wife?”. You hear the familiar clinks of his belt before he pulls it off in one swift motion. You could’t miss the size of his bulge, growing more excited with every passing second. So close you could almost taste it. Taste him. 

“What if some monster caught you, hmm? They would never let you go.” His voice deepens as he exposes his swollen cock, thick and leaking. You try to move, your chest rapidly rising and falling, he cages you in. “And neither will I.”

He pounces on you.

Unable to wait any longer, he shoves your nightie up your waist, before twisting your panties to the side and slapping your bare cunt. “Present for me, omega.”

Quickly twisting yourself onto all fours, grinding your ass against him, you silently beg for his cock. Without saying a word, he lines up his hard cock against your sopping wet pussy, before pushing in with one firm, hard, stroke. His broken moan matching your sob of relief.

“That’s it ‘mega, such a good fucking slut.” He breaths out, easing out of you painfully slow, inch by inch, before slamming right back in. His firm grip on your hips allows him to angle deep into your belly as he watches himself disappear into your tight hole stretched around his cock.

“Oh god, o-oh fuck, alpha please.” You struggle to keep yourself upright, he continues to pound into you. The new angle pressing the tip of his cock right against your sensitive spot until you’re a babbling mess underneath him.

“You’re only mine, omega.” He growls, one of his large hand wrapping around your hair, yanking you against his chest before he smashes his lips against yours. My omega. 

Mine. mine. mine.

The world around you spins, the rhythmic sound of his hips snapping against yours. Andy dips his nose along your cheek as his lips hover over the tears leaking down your cheeks, his tongue swiping across the salty drops. Crashing his lips onto yours, his tongue exploring deep in your mouth being the only thing that keep you from passing out. Every swipe of his tongue and movement of his hips has you tumbling closer to the edge.

“Good omega, so good for her alpha. Come on.” He brings one hand around your front to rub harsh circles around your clit, matching the speed of his thrusts, your weeping hole creaming around his cock. “Want you to cum on my cock before you take my knot inside you. You want my seed don’t you? Want you to be round and swollen with my pups.”

You barely nod out a yes, unable to move away from his brutal pace, you grab at his arms around you trying to focus on climbing higher towards your peak. His coarse beard rubs against the sensitive flesh of your neck as his grunts flood your ears. “Fuck- take it, take my knot.”

You begin to shake as your mind scrambles with overstimulation. You can feel your stomach tightening at your impending release, your wetness soaking down your thighs. The base of his cock expands as his knot begins to take shape, he was close too. A few more swipes at your clit is all it takes for you to meet your limit and you let out a strangled cry as you’re consumed with the fiery pleasure making it’s way from the tips of your toes, to the bright flashes behind your eyes. 

Your release triggers Andy’s, his cock twitching as his cum fills your cunt full, his knot locking you together in a tight embrace. 

Both exhausted but barely begun, Andy shuffles the two of you lay back in silence as you feel his dewy skin melt against yours. Your leg hitched up against his hips to keep his cock as deep as possible. His lips find your bond mark, hot and pulsing against your neck, and sinks his teeth to reaffirm your bond, your body flooding with need again as the hormones buzz through your system. The bond broken wide open, the stream of adoration, lust, and possessiveness of Andy’s love flow through your system like a current as his cock hardens inside of you again. 

“It’s real bright out tonight, honey. and we are just getting started.”

—————

Bonus - you know who would be extra cuddly and sweet during the full moon…

This mother fucker right here. Now usually Bobby takes his role as the beast he is quite seriously, razor sharp claws and teeth- you both loving the way he marks your skin. But the full moon happens to come right after his rut, so you get a whole 5 days of a cuddly, fucked out, soft(ish), Bobby 🥰 all he wants is to be taken back to your nest and hold him until sundown, when he can then let’s you take control and passionately ride him and lay on his chest with his knot still buried within you.

banners by the wonderful @/maysdigitalarts

dividers by the wonderful @/firefly-graphics

[changethecircumstances]

WWDITS AU idea with a focus on Izzy/Frenchie

Ed, Izzy, Fang, and Ivan are vampires when Ed gets the manic idea of making a documentary

the film crew consists of Lucius (director), Pete (cinematographer), Frenchie (sound guy), and Roach (provides food and medical support because shit gets wild with vampires and they obviously never have food lying around)

Lucius keeps getting onto Frenchie for talking during interviews and getting in shots because he's constantly asking about confirmation on his superstitions

any time Izzy tells Frenchie one of his superstitions is wrong, Frenchie rationalizes it by saying Izzy isn't as smart or world traveled as he thought he was and usually Fang and Ivan have to hold him back

Roach is actually a vampire hunter (none of the humans know that) and there's constantly stuff on and off camera of him looking like he's nearly going to kill one of the vampires before he just shoves the meat cleaver behind his back

Izzy is the only one catching on but when he confronts Lucius and Pete they just say "that's ridiculous, Roach is just quirky like that"

Stede shows up one day and Izzy loses his goddamn mind because Stede was supposed to just be some stupid fling Ed had 70 years ago how the fuck is he still alive

turns out Ed accidently changed him so now Stede's a weird vampire werewolf hybrid

there's one day where Ed decides everybody needs to dress more hip and modern so they go on a shopping trip with Lucius

Izzy immediately burns the clothes they get him but everyone notices when one of Frenchie's scarves go missing and suddenly Izzy has a splash of color on him

Swede shows up and is an energy vampire that Ed takes pity on and invites to live with them before asking anyone

cut to Izzy, Fang, and Ivan running all over the house to try and avoid him and Ed constantly falling asleep around Swede cause he's trying to be nice and listen but also dear god it's draining

Buttons is a next door neighbor of Frenchie's and when Izzy meets him he immediately asks "How are you terrified of witches but ok living next to one" and Frenchie tries to laugh it off and is like "You're not a witch Buttons, right?" and Buttons just gives him a long stare down his nose and Frenchie screams

Oluwande and Jim were originally a 2 person werewolf pack but they end up including Stede because his weird ass hybrid thing means larger packs don't fuck with them or vampires

though it starts out as them just using him, Oluwande and Jim do slowly grow to like Stede, though they still don't understand his relationship with the vampires

the vampires don't have any familiars in part because Izzy will get too annoyed and is of the mindset 'why have someone else do the job when i know i can do it better'

but really it's because Ed has a terrible track record and somehow always ends up accidently killing any familiars they've ever had

a lot of them Ed doesn't even realize he accidently killed because Izzy will take the fall because he knows it makes Ed sad so everyone thinks Izzy just kills familiars left and right even though it's not completely true

the Badmintons are head of the vampiric counsel and don't like Ed's group of vampires

when they finally hear of Ed making a vampire/werewolf hybrid they use that as an excuse to get rid of all of them

during the escape, Roach kills most of the vampires but Ed, Izzy, Ivan, and Fang only see Frenchie accidently killing Nigel with his clumsiness and now everyone thinks he's a vampire hunter and Izzy is basically the 'mark me down as scared and horny' meme while Roach is in the background getting zero credit and just going 'for fuck's sake'

Jack is a human that keeps getting reincarnated and every time he comes around him and Ed get really chaotic

Ed finds out it isn't bad luck that Jack keeps getting killed but because Izzy keeps killing him because he's a jealous fucker

when Jack dies again but comes back as a ghost this time, Izzy and Stede reluctantly work together to try and get rid of him because he's annoying as fuck

they also do the whole ghost self needing to find peace thing and Frenchie just sees 2 Izzy's and is like 'ayeeee' and both Izzy's are like 'absolutely fucking not'

because everyone thinks Frenchie is a vampire hunter, Roach actually starts teaching him so he can better defend himself against other vampires

Wee John is Frenchie's roommate and thinks every time Frenchie tells some ridiculous story it's just his silly superstitions again and John just gives a polite laugh and enjoys the story while having no idea any of it is actually real

[r0-boat]

*kicks down door*

More N food yknow why I’m here Ro

But I will also consider

Batmas AU 🦇

Fluffy lil fruit bat hybrids <3

I give your free reign of creativity in that head of yours, be it sfw or nsfw

~ Lite anon

I do like the idea of vampire bat Submas. But Sprout already gave us some food so another day

For now I'm going to go for N instead if you don't mind.

Vampire bat hybrid!N here's some head cannons to do what you wish ; )

A combination of werewolf and vampire.

N was a college classmate you had in your biology class. He had heavy bags under his eyes and always wore that same white polo shirt and that cap spining his pencil or fiddling with his golden cute thing. You never really paid attention except for when talking about nocturnal mammals such as bats he always seem to perk up.

He never spoke never talked always kept to himself even during break hours he sat alone outside. His eyes stared at you wide and unblinking when you sat next to him. "Hi!" You smiled his gray eyes scene to Dart around for a minute as if looking for a response only to put his cap down over his face and Mumble, "H-hi..."

The Man was shy, but over time, after just talking to him, he seemed more open my first; you wouldn't smile, but then he would just stare and listen, smiling. He would never speak, but he would always listen, remembering every little detail you said. A man was able to look you in the eye, and I'll always seem to look at you and follow you around like a lost puppy. He was your shadow, quietly tailing you wherever you went. Only to disappear when it came a time when the day would end.

It was from your dorm window, studying a test when you saw him hopping over the stone fence of your campus and into the dense Woods. Perhaps worried for your friend, curiosity had bitten as you followed him. A branch ever so gently cutting your arm in the process

You see him standing alone N whips his head around when the smell of Sweet Blood triggers his hunger. He looks horrified and fearful. With urgency, he tells you to get away from him. As stubborn as a mule, you Double Down. His eyes don't tear off that wound on your arm ; it smells so good. He hasn't smelled something so good in a while, only feeding off wild animals. His mouth salivates at the taste of human blood. Come to think of it; he hasn't said in a bit, his more human form losing its shape, his nails now sharp claws as he wipes the drool from his face.

N thought he would have more control... but in the end, he was still a slave to his instincts. Your blood wasn't the only thing that was so irresistible. His animalistic brain screamed at him to take you as a mate. And had liked you for a while now. Even before you went up to talk to him, the monster inside of him threatened if he wasn't going to take action, then it was.

"N, what's wrong?" you step back as N slowly approaches you. His pupils waiting into his mouth begins to feel like it's splitting when his teeth grow longer and sharper.

The bones in his arms felt itchy splitting and growing as bones split from his arms with a membrane connecting them. Your eyes wide and losing your footing you fall to the ground, breathless at sight before you. His eyes glow a brite green as he stares down at you. N's he gets down on all forms crawling on top of me.

You don't say anything just shake and whimper Underneath Him and seems to notice your fear nuzzling into your neck.

His voice was deeper but you can still hear just a part of him " So... Hungry can't hold back... your blood..." you sure they're feeling his long tongue drag across your collarbone and neck. "Mine," he growls

His wings seem to cage around you as he grabs a hold of you his grip was strong but careful not pierce you with his claws. you Felt his breath hot against your neck " are you scared?"

"No," tilting your neck just slightly, giving him your permission," you just startled me" his breath grew shaky as he thanks you. You try hard not to let a moan escape when his sharp fangs dig into your skin.

Your blood was sweet and Rich addictive like a drug he had to pull himself away he. Growling at himself as he did so. " please please, I Can Only Hold on for so long... I-i don't know what I might do to you if you stay..."

Your fingers run through his hair, and N practically purrs, leaning into your touch. His eyes were soft, people's blown as he looked at you with an emotion you have seen all too much. N was never really good at being subtle with his feelings... and you would be lying if you said you didn't feel the same. "No" I don't think I will you said with a cheeky smile.

[howyouloveyourdragon]

hey thea bby, it’s me👹 i’m curious to hear who you’d match me with in asoiaf, marauders, and hp!

my pronouns are she/they, i’m bi, and i would describe myself as an introverted and creative person with many hobbies (writing, crocheting, sewing, drawing, reading, dancing). my two loves are cooking and doing makeup looks because i get to let loose and just have fun with it. i’m not super confident in my abilities in general but the one thing i’m certain of is that i’m one hell of a cook lol.

i love listening so sad songs and singing along to them. i’m also very much a musical theatre and pop girlie. i love horror films, but not necessarily jump scares. i am obsessed with death game films (like the werewolf game).

for personality traits..i’d say that i’m quiet once you get to know me because then i’m talkative with a stupid sense of humour. loyal. passionate about things. can be stubborn at times.

i don’t really know what else to add but hopefully this will suffice😅

love uuuuu🖤

mwah hey bby i love youuuuuu, i hope you like 😩 <3

i match you with...*drumroll please* (also help the werewolf game is literally my favourite film ily)

ASOIAF

HOTD – Aemond Targaryen

– I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA GO WITH THE OBVIOUS BUT IT JUST MAKES SENSE – honestly i was thinking about this and aemond just would not leave this lil noggin – it's just so easy to imagine the validation you would give each other – i personally think his love language is quality time so he jumps at the opportunity read your writing (horni or otherwise 👀) and i could pitcure him asking Helaena how to crochet and sewing so he could impress you, though he's not keen on cooking at first, you'll have to persuade him – he actually comes to love it and that only makes him love you more because he knows that you are the only reason he learnt how to do this anyway – if we're talking modern au, he starts knitting you a blanket for christmas and this man is rageful about the process, absolutely going crazy over how annoyed he is when he can't do the loop properly or something goes wrong but this boy is determined to make the best blanket for you, you have ever seen – genuinely thought crocheting and knitting were the same thing for most of his life but he'll never admit that – it'll take awhile before he starts actively pursuing you because he is also quiet but once you have a proper conversation he's hooked – always has a small smile shoot across his lips when he hears you humming or singing a song – he rolls his eye when you tell a stupid joke but grows to love that about you – over time he will finish the punchline to annoy you but then one day there's a very obvious joke hanging out there that you don't point out and he's very concerned if you're alright – A frown pinches his brows together as you look ahead obliviously. "Are you alright?" He asks. You glance at him briefly. "I'm fine. What do you mean?" He lifts a hand to your forehead which you dodge but he succeeds anyway. "What are you–?" "I think you have a temperature." He stands up and waltzes toward an empty bag in the corner before approaching you again and lifting you into both arms. "We're seeing a maester. What do you want to bring?" – he automatically seeks you out in a crowd because he knows you'll both be more comfortable with someone you know and will not leave your side until the night is over – he loves that you're passionate and will sometimes prod you into ranting because he thinks it's just so cute, like if a kitten was trying to scrap with a gorilla (i'm not elaborating) – he's nowhere near as bad as Aegon though when you're introduced – the boy just laughs hysterically while arguing with you and Aemond's in the corner holding onto you by the waist and slowly trying to stop you both – he also grows to love how stubborn you are, it's how he would realise he's falling in love with you, you'll be in the middle of an argument and he mentally goes 'oh shit' – he only dances if you beg him because it makes him uncomfortable in front of people but if you're alone together then he pulls out all these suave motions you didn't even know existed – he sometimes likes to get competitive about it and very serious out of nowhere

BOOKS – Cregan Stark

– also you are so right for this fancast – now this man is a very serious stern little baby who at the end of the day just wants to have a bath with you and listen to you talk about everything and everything – i could see him becoming particularly clingy to a quiet yet passionate s/o so rest assured that this boy is not leaving your side all night – doesn't think you have to share interests but if you partake hunting or other activities with him he will return the favour but he much prefers watching you – he'll stoke a fire while you crochet and he'll swear he's never been happier – i could picture this starting as a slow-burn arranged marriage but the entire time he does genuinely care for you and will court you properly – alike Aemond, it's when he sees your stubborn side that his attraction grows but it's your confidence and humour that cement your place in his heart – he loves his silly goofy spouse and especially when you're alone together – he is also very attracted to loyalty and variety so the fact that you have so many interests is very appealing to him – he also likes to know that you won't be bored when he rarely has to leave you – he would enjoy dancing with you and love if you taught him anything – His brow deepens as his large hand wraps itself awkwardly on your hip. "Like this?" You shake your head, smile growing impish as you move it up to your waist. "Like this." You correct and he huffs childishly. "I'd like to see you try and wield a sword." He grumbles. "What was that?" "Nothing." – at night he enjoys you reading to him with you safely tucked between his arms, and his cock between your– – most of the time he falls asleep like that that every time you pry his arms away so you can return your book, he huffs and they encircle you again – he doesn't care if you're not tired, it's night time and your big puppy man is in need of snuggles

GOT – Theon Greyjoy

– Theon likes that you hold to your own and secretly thinks that it's very cute that you're quiet at first and especially as he is so boisterous – he becomes besotted because you're so much of what he wants to be; he wants to be loyal and passionate and talented – it takes him a while to properly flirt with and court you – he 100% thinks that if he pulls your hair enough you'll fall madly in love with him – it takes Robb talking sense in him to get him to understand and change his approach – he is still persistent and annoying but now he likes to interrupt your reading and trap you beneath him until you promise to show him your needlepoint – when he finds out how much you like music, he employs the help of as many people as possible to serenade you (bestie im so sorry, i love you i swear) – he eventually calms down and will apologise if you are embarrassed and take you for a long chat about yourselves, he actually really admires you, you are gorgeous, loyal and positively the most interesting person he's ever met and he just really wants you to think about him in anyway possible, he's desperate to put himself on your mind as much as you're on his – if you accept him then he grins, sighs in relief and will promise to learn about you deeper than surface level – he'll clean up and request for strolls around the courtyard with you – when Theon comes to realise who you are beyond your image he grows to genuinely care for you and especially your humour, he doesn't like the sophisticated jokes Robb tries to make – but overall he comes to love you because he learns more about himself when he's with you and he likes that side of himself

MARAUDERS – Dorcas Meadowes

– it's your passion that catches her initial attention but she gets excited when you mention that you like writing – she is an avid reader and will absorb all your writing you let her read and will excitedly tell you her thoughts about it – she likes to swap books with you and ask your thoughts – she is also a fan of sad songs, finding something very beautiful in tragedy and will be very happy to talk to you about it – she's a big fan of learning and will drag you through Hogsmeade with her to find a specific find, promising to buy some new records for you and begrudgingly agree to watch the latest horror with you despite not liking them – I get the vibe that she really loves makeup but hates doing it herself so she'd love if you'd straddle her lap and do it for her – no ulterior motives to seeing you on top of her of course – carries little notebooks in her bag everywhere she goes just in case you get inspire – she likes to wrap her arms and legs around you, resting her chin on your shoulder as she peers over trying to sneak a peak at it – she's quite competitive so gets very intense while watching death game films but she doesn't like the gore and will pull a face everytime – she's an ambitious woman and likes to learn new things so long as you're willing to show her – she also very much loves that you can cook, she makes a note of every recipe you show her

HP – Ginny Weasley

– this girl falls head over heels – she just thinks you're so cool, composed and awesome basically – she grew up with rowdy brothers each as insufferable as each other so the calm of befriending someone on the quieter side appeals to her but she soon grows to learn that she feels deeper for you than she feels for Luna – she will beg and plead for you to crochet her stuff and wear in proudly and a beaming grin – she's not the biggest fan of makeup but enjoys playing with colours and making bold statement-like designs on herself – if you cooked for her she would smother you in affection but she respects boundaries and will keep complimenting you with a big cheesy smile on her face – her favourite thing about you would be that you draw however – even if it's just a stickman she's begging you to let her keep it – loves the idea of you drawing her – she likes staying up chatting absolute nonsense with you all night

[wolfpants]

I am slowly becoming more and more obsessed with Bill/Draco and have you to thank for it. I just really love the appeal of it, and also the hilarity? The Weasley's reactions? HARRY'S REACTION? Please. Do you have any thoughts or HC about this ship? Much love xx

You have me to thank for it? Oh anon, you flatter me 😘😌

I think Harry might vaporise on the spot if he caught Bill and Draco at it, quite frankly. That's my first thought when it comes to this ship. and he could join in

Some other observations:

Draco talks a lot. Bill doesn't. Except in bed. Bill's the talker and what comes out of his mouth is like, the filthiest, most eloquent, thoughtful, and often scathing dirty talk you've ever heard.

Bill is obsessed with Draco's hair (aren't we all?). And he might convince him to grow it long.

On a more serious note, I think they'd have quite a lot of trauma to work out together, given what happened to Bill and how it happened. I think that could make a delicious, complicated, tender, and fraught dynamic.

As well as good romantic/sexual partners, I think Bill and Draco work really well as colleagues. Bill's more pragmatic, but Draco isn't afraid to take risks if he thinks the end goal is worth it. I can see them being excellent partners in crime.

LASTLY: VAMPIRE!DRACO AND WEREWOLF BILL AU goodbye

[cinematicnomad]

i got tagged by @woodchoc-magnum​, @tripleaxeldiaz​, and @mellaithwen​ to pick my top 5 fics

taste your beating heart (19/19 | 112k+ | M) AU—Canon Divergence; Spark Stiles Stilinski; Post-Season 3A; Slow Build

Something was wrong in Beacon Hills. Derek was halfway across the country when he felt a call to return to his hometown, and somehow Stiles had been talked into letting the werewolf stay in his guest bedroom. This could lead to nothing good.

it took me 7+ years to write and it’s the longest fic i’ve ever written but i love it 

so show me (family) (1/1 | 16k+ | T) POV Alternating; Soft Eddie Diaz; Buckley Parents; Getting Together

Eddie’s heard these stories before. Buck has a lot of them. The random, wild nonsense that he got up to as a kid. But Eddie’s never considered who’s missing from the stories until it’s pointed out to him: Buck’s parents. They should have been there to reassure him, to hold his hand. But they weren’t. Buck was alone growing up. All alone. Eddie never wants Buck to have to be alone again.

this fic came out EXACTLY how i wanted and explored buck’s relationship with his parents in a way that felt v personal to me 

you never said a word (1/1 | 6.8k+ | T) AU—Human; POV Derek; Mute!Derek; Angst; Group Therapy; Hopeful Ending

Slowly, but surely, they worked themselves around the circle of chairs until eight sessions after the first they found themselves finally sitting next to each other.

(Or the one where Derek and Stiles meet in a counseling support group for teens.)

i remember i kept trying to find someone to write this fic and then eventually i just buckled down and wrote it myself. i still have a soft spot for it

take my hand (take my everything) (1/1 | 10k+ | T) POV Alternating, Injured Evan “Buck” Buckley, Getting Together

When Buck has another near death experience, he decides the smartest thing to do is update his will. It’s not a big deal, really—he just wants to take care of the people who matter most to him: Eddie and Chris. But to Eddie? To Eddie that’s a pretty huge deal.

my first buddie fic that came SO easily to me. also the one where i thought to myself “i can’t write eddie marking buck christopher’s legal guardian, that would be insane!!” and then a year later watched as canon did just that 

finding our way (back home) (5/5 | 91k+ | M) 5.10 Canon Compliant; Slow Burn; Mutual Pining; Minor Buck/Taylor; Angst w/ a Happy Ending

When Eddie left the 118, he promised Buck that nothing would change. But six weeks later, things were strained between them as Eddie tried to adjust to his new role at dispatch while Buck decided to take a major step forward in his relationship. After a series of revelations forced Buck and Eddie to confront what they really wanted out of life, it was up to them to find their way back to each other. Back home.

i wrote this fic in the span of 2 months and am incredibly proud of the final product! 

tagging: @crazyassmurdererwall, @tattooedsiren, @valleydean, @machtaholic, @ellanainthetardis, @gingersnapwolves, @seperis, @isthatbloodonhisshirt, and anyone else who wants to do this