Loup Garou.

Vivian sat on the soft grass, bathed in the silver light of a full moon; her ethereal golden eyes fixed on her father as she immersed herself into the story he was telling- the story of how they came to be.

“Before the time of the Loup Garou there were only humans. Our human ancestors devoted themselves to the Moon Goddess, Selene. They gave their entire being to her and so, she gifted them with the ability to be more than just human. They were able to invoke the beast within them, the beast that is present in all of humanity, and bring it to the forefront. Whenever they desired they called upon the beast and turned into wolf-like creatures; beautiful, strong and powerful beings.”

“Selene is the mother of all Loup Garou; it is to honour her that we howl to the full moon.”

“Like our creator the night is our realm. It is at this time, under the watchful eyes of the Goddess, do we truly become Loup Garou.”

The moon, as though listening to his tale, shone more brightly than before and Ivan’s desire to leap into the surrounding forest and change into his wolf-form intensified. He could feel the fur rising on his back but he had to finish telling his daughter the story of the Loup Garou.

“Selene was a very passionate woman, driven by her emotions above all else. And so, her Loup Garou are slave to their emotions. We cannot fight our feelings Vivian; they are stronger and more compelling than those that even the most passionate human experiences.”

Ivan smiled as he watched his little girl widen her eyes and grin. She thought she understood what he was talking about but it would be some time before she understood his full meaning.

****

The star filled sky stretched above Vivian like an immense canopy. Tonight, the Moon Goddess had chosen to hide herself behind the glitter dusted black curtain, to watch her Loup Garou stealthily. Vivian sat perched on a massive boulder, face turned towards the sky, lost in the memory of her father’s story. At her feet lay the mangled corpse of Astrid. Astrid’s eyes were glazed over and her bloody and nearly-decapitated face was contorted with an expression of pure terror. Her body was torn and gashed and covered with deep red marks. She was covered in blood, she was surrounded by blood. Astrid looked nothing like the beauty she had always been.

Her red, fox-like fur was slowly receding as she returned to her human form. The Goddess’ gift was not for the dead. The dead could not be Loup Garou.

Vivian tried to rub off the blood from her muzzle and claws. Her mind was reeling.

“What had happened?”

The pack had met in the woods for the Ordeal, where the males fought for the right to lead the pack and the females fought for the right to be the leader’s mate, to be the ‘Queen Bitch’.

With his formidable strength and power it was no surprise that Gabriel won the Ordeal.

And then, the bitches’ ‘‘Dance’’ began. The females flew at each other- biting, clawing and tearing each other apart. They formed a mass of writhing fur- one indistinguishable from another. Slowly, they broke apart as one female after the other admitted defeat and fell back. Only the auburn Astrid and the honey-coloured Carmen were left and Carmen looked like she wouldn’t last much longer.

Vivian had no desire to take part in the “Dance”. She was fond of Gabriel but she did not desire him as a mate. Yet, at that moment when Astrid was so close to victory, so close to establishing herself as the ‘Queen Bitch’ something changed within Vivian. Emotions she had never known existed took control of her body and mind as she leapt onto Astrid, while Carmen beat a hasty retreat. Vivian fought as she had never fought before. Her claws sunk into Astrid and tore away at her flesh. Her sharp teeth left deep wounds whenever she bit Astrid. The auburn female howled and screamed like never before. As the two wolves fought that fatal battle they moved away from the clearing where the pack was assembled. Vivian beat Astrid mercilessly until she finally killed her.

Now, sitting on the boulder Vivian could not understand what she had done. She was filled with loathing- she hated herself for killing one of her own kind. She hated the killer that lurked within her. For the first time in her life she hated being Loup Garou.

She was “Queen Bitch” now- ‘how fitting’, she thought to herself, bitterly and sarcastically.

A rustle in the bushes to her right caught her attention. From its black middle two ice blue eyes that somehow always radiated warmth peered out at her. There was only one member of the pack who had eyes like that. Gabriel.

Her heart began to beat so fast that Vivian felt that her chest would explode. She was gripped with desire so strong that it took all her willpower to control the urge to howl. Her fur stood on its edge. Vivian’s blood sang in her veins as she was engulfed by Gabe’s heady and spicy scent. She wanted Gabriel.

At that moment Vivian heard her deceased father’s voice, a whisper in her ear, reminding her of a story she had long forgotten. “The Ordeal is won by the two wolves that are the strongest and the most powerful; the two wolves who are soul mates- meant to walk this earth side-by-side and lead the pack together. Selene brings them together- she unearths those emotions buried deep within us.” Vivian finally understood her father’s stories.

She held herself upright, leapt off the boulder and moved towards Gabriel.

Her father. He and her mother had led the pack to great heights. Vivian was his legacy, his heir. She owed this to him, to his memory. Selene had shown her where she was meant to be- by Gabriel’s side, leading the pack; just as her parents had done.

Vivian threw back her head and howled. She howled for Gabriel. Gabriel howled for her too and the night was filled with their howls that blended together in perfect symphony.

(A Blood and Chocolate FanFiction. All credit to Annette Curtis Klause for creating these characters but this is what I wish had happened in the book)