You're Mine Now

You’re Mine Now



         Lily crashed through the underbrush, her heart and head pounding as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. The branches retaliated as she crashed into them, whipping against her delicate, pale skin, lashing her, causing cuts and bruises, but her mind was numb to the pain. All she cared about was getting away from him now. She knew he was still after her and she wouldn’t stop running until she was sure he was truly gone.
         She could hear him crashing through the underbrush, not far behind. His deep growls and loud breathing only encouraged her to push herself faster. She didn’t want to be his! She couldn’t be his, not now, not ever.
         She came to a large clearing in the center of the woods and it was here that she suddenly found the urge to stop. Her lungs were on fire and her legs felt like jelly. Her heart was pounding in her ears, blocking off almost all external sounds. She whipped her head from side to side in a frantic motion, desperate for another escape route. There were no roads... it was all just woodland in front of her. She knew she couldn’t stand still too long and dashed to the other side of the clearing. She didn’t make it, however, for he jumped in front of her. She recoiled in fear in surprise, jumping back away from him, her hand over her heart. “Victor!” she shouted, her eyes focusing on the huge creature in front of her.
         His deep chuckle made her shudder. In the half moon’s faint light, she could perfectly make out his features. She had to tilt her head upwards to make eye contact with the beast since he was a full foot higher than her. She found herself unable to keep her gaze on him for long, however, his cold, deadly, golden eyes a reflection of the moon above them. She took a step backwards and he took a step forward, that one stride covering twice the distance that her step had. His tail lashed from side to side in a triumphant fashion and his lips were curled back in a vicious smile, showing off every one of his pointed fangs. His muscles rippled, as if he was getting ready to pounce on her at any moment and his fur swayed this way and that, guided by the gentle breeze of the night. His deep, growling voice cut through the calm night like a sword through flesh. “Hello again, Lilian.”
         Lily felt her blood run cold at the sound that, up until last night, had warmed her and made her feel safe and welcomed. “Don’t call me that, you monster!” she shouted at him. She started to step back again, back towards the foliage.
         Victor’s huge frame recoiled, as if a physical blow had been dealt to him. “A monster? Is that what you think of me? Come now, Lilian, I thought we were a bit more civil towards each other than that.”
         Lily’s hand clenched and she moved a few strands of her long, black hair out of her eyes. “Shut up! Leave me alone, Victor! Stop chasing me!”
         Victor’s lip curled back in a wolfish grin, showing off his pointed teeth again. They glittered in the moonlight, the perfect picture of nature’s vice grip. He started to circle her, moving slowly, but with large evident movements, letting her know exactly what she was doing. “I figured, the way you were screaming for more underneath me last night, you would want me to chase you now.”
         Despite her rather dire situation, Lily felt a blush rise to her cheeks, reminded of the passion that she had shared with him the night before... back when he had looked a little more like a human being. “I thought you were human! You deceived me... you gave me no indication that you were... were a...” she swallowed, unable to accept the fact herself.
         “A werewolf?” Victor supplied helpfully. He had made a complete circle around her now and was starting a second one.
         Lily shuddered at the word. “But... you aren’t real! Werewolves are folklore, a legend!”
         Victor’s grin only grew. “Oh? A legend am I? Then tell me, dear Lilian, what stands before you now?”
         Lily had managed to back up far enough so that she was right next to the foliage at the edge of the clearing. “A werewolf that lied to me and tricked me into bed with him.”
         Victor smirked. “I didn’t lie. It was your fault that this came about. You merely assumed from how I looked before that I was human. You never thought that I could be something more, something superior.”
         Lily raised an eyebrow. “Superior?” she asked, tensing up, preparing to turn. “That’s a load of crap!”
         Victor gave her a mock-hurt look. “Crap, is it? Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are my mate now. You shared passion with me, my dear. You belong to me now. So stop running and accept the final part of the ritual.”
         Lily’s eyes widened. “Ritual? What ritual?” she asked, her foot moving slightly towards the foliage behind her again.
         Victor took one giant step towards her, leaving only about a foot between them. “We shared passion, but you insisted on leaving before I could complete the last part...” He licked his lips. “One little bit is all it will take, my dear. One bite and you will be just like me.”
         Lily’s eyes widened. “No!” she shouted, turning and dashing back into the woods, crashing through branches and small thorn bushes as she went.
         Even as she ran she could faintly hear Victor calling after her, “Run as fast as you can, dear. I have your scent and I’ll find you no matter where you go to. I’ll play this game a little longer, but sooner or later, our playing cat and mouse will have to end.”
         His little speech only made her pump her pale legs faster. She could hear nothing beyond her own heart beating and the rustling of the leaves and branches she caused as she darted past the trees around her. The mere thought of becoming like him scared her beyond all belief. She didn’t want to be his... she would never allow him to have her. But how would she prevent this? She knew that at least part of what he said was true, he could sniff her out easily enough. He was covered in her scent and she couldn’t run forever. Even now, after that short break in action, her lungs were on the verge of bursting again and her legs felt like they might give way underneath her if she stopped moving them at all.
         Over the din of her frantic heart, she heard more rustling in the bushes, but she dared not look back, afraid of what she might see. Was he already so close behind her? How could he be so fast? Perhaps it was time to accept the fact that he was a werewolf, perfectly capable of tracking her down and killing her if he so desired, though that didn’t seem to be part of his plans for her.
         She saw another break in the woods ahead of her and dashed for it, praying that it would be a place where she could hide. She realized now what a horrible move leaving the main streets had been. She could have gone for help had she stayed on the main road... then again, who would have believed her had she said she was being pursued by a demented werewolf? She rushed through the woods and into the next clearing, only to discover, to her slight horror, that it was a graveyard. Headstones of all shapes and sizes littered the site around her. Judging by the tall grass and ill-kempt condition of the headstones, no one had been here in ages. She looked up, following a small dirt pathway that led through the graveyard to see a huge church there. It looked just as old and forgotten as the graves that surrounded it, but it was still a place to hide! She ran for it, hearing rustling behind her again. Victor was catching up.
         She ran to the door of the church, glancing back. Victor was still not in sight. She grasped the handle and pulled. The door creaked heavily, but opened without a struggle. She practically threw herself inside and slammed the ancient door, causing a few pieces to splinter off of it. She looked down and found an old plank of wood. Desperate to keep the wolf from pursuing her, she lifted the heavy plank up and set it in the large braces on the door, effectively locking it.
         She turned and examined her surroundings. Many of the wooden benches lining the aisle down to the pedestal where the preacher would stand had moss growing on them. She began to wonder just how old a place she was in now. The stained glass windows lining the walls to her side were cracked, missing pieces, and dirty. Up above her, a few of the rafters looked ready to give way. Time had been very cruel to this place, evidently.
         She jumped as a huge banging noise reached her ears. She turned to the door to see it shuttering, as if someone was pulling at the handle. The plank, however, held and prevented whoever it was from entering. Lily breathed a sigh of relief and was about to turn away when she saw a huge, grey furred hand shoot through the weakened wood of the door. She screamed and backed away.
         Victor’s eyes peered through the newly formed hole. “Little girl, would you like to come out and play?” he asked in a very sweet, but somehow nauseating way. His powerful arms reached through the hole and started to pull the old wood away from the door.
         Lily let out a small scream and, panic-stricken, her eyes began to dart from one area of the church to another, looking for some way to escape. Her eyes came to rest on an old ladder that was propped against the wall. It was just as old and rickety as everything else in the church and apparently led up into a loft of some sort. It was the only other way out of the church that she saw. All the windows were closed and looked quite sturdy despite the age of the place. She ran up past the preacher’s pedestal and grasped the ladder firmly. It felt sturdy enough, but then again she was in a bit of a hurry so she didn’t have much time to assess it. She could hear Victor tearing away at the door and she knew it wouldn’t be long before he broke through. She took a deep breath and started to climb upwards.
         The ladder creaked and groaned underneath her weight and she held her breath, fearing for a moment that it might come crashing down from underneath her if she continued onward. The ladder held, however, and she moved upward at a steady pace. As she reached around the halfway mark, she heard a thunderous howl and a huge crash. Against her better judgment, she turned back to see what had happened and paled at the sight. Victor stood there, pieces of the broken church door lying all around his feet. He started walking towards her, unhindered and painfully slow. “I’m growing tired of this game of cat and mouse, dear Lily. I am afraid that if this continues, I might just have to end the game myself. Please be a good girl and come down to me.”
         Lily shuddered at the honey-coated words and continued to climb. As she ascended, a chilling thought occurred to her. He was, for all intents and purposes, toying with her. He ripped that door apart like it was merely a few bits of cardboard. He could easily catch her if he wanted to; he was just enjoying the chase now. This thought made her very soul shiver.
         As she reached the top of the ladder, she peaked up over the edge. At the top was a huge loft, filled with old chests, a few spare bells, stacks of biblical texts, the standard church setup. She felt the ladder lurch a bit and froze, slowly turning her head downward. Victor had reached the ladder and was on his way up. “Stay away from me!” she shouted, hoisting herself up over the side of the loft. What now? There was a single window that looked out on the cemetery in the back of the church, but that was it.
         She looked down the ladder again. Victor was halfway there. “Why me?” she asked, attempting to stall his climb as much as possible.
         Victor did stop his climb, giving her that nasty grin again, the one that showed off his demonic fangs perfectly. “Why? Because it was easy. I’m not interested in your human version of love. I just need a bitch to be by me, bear my pups, and be close at hand whenever I feel frisky. Don’t get me wrong, I would treat you well. You’d have food, a place to sleep, and you’d be perfectly safe from anything that would harm you.
         Lily shuddered in fear at the indignity of his answer. “Never!” she proclaimed, glaring down at him as if it would make a difference. “I refuse to be nothing but a slave for you to use as you see fit, Victor!”
         Victor laughed, making her flinch. His laugh was harsh, cold, almost completely devoid of humor. “I don’t think you have much of a choice in the matter, my feisty little girl.” He licked his fangs and continued to climb. “Resign yourself, Lily. You have nowhere left to run and even if you did, where would you go? I can pursue you to hell itself if I need to.”
         Lily’s hands curled into fists. “Well, if it’s hell, then why don’t you go first!” She gripped the top of the ladder with both hands and braced herself.
         Victor frowned. “What are you doing now?” he asked, his voice showing that he was now completely bored with the chase.
         Lily pushed as hard as she could. The ladder was so unstable that it didn’t take much for the foundation to crumble. With the force of her push and the added advantage of Victor’s weight, the wood at the base began to splinter and the entire ladder itself began to fall forward. “Tell the devil I sent you!” she shouted at him, drawing back.
         Victor let out a howl of rage and surprise as the ladder tumbled backwards. He landed right on top of one of the benches near the center of the church, causing it to splinter and crack.
         Lily didn’t move. She merely stared down at the spot where the werewolf had landed. She couldn’t make out much through the cloud of dust and wood chips that had been sent flying up upon the impact. Nothing moved, however, and she took a deep breath, thanking whatever divine entity was above her that this was all over. Now, back to the problem at hand, how to get down from the loft without killing herself?
         Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a loud rustling and groaning from down in the benches. She tensed and paled. “It... it can’t be. No one could have survived a fall like that!”
         The dust cloud cleared. Victor was raising himself out of the ruins of the benches and was staring straight up at her. “Once again, you underestimate my ability, dear Lilian. But I do confess, that stung a bit.” He grinned sadistically. “Little girls who hurt others should be punished.” He started to walk towards the loft again.
         Lily relaxed a little bit and actually managed a weak grin. “How do you plan on getting up here?” she asked. “The ladder splintered when you fell.”
         Victor looked back to his landing spot. Indeed, the entire ladder had cracked and splintered, unable to withstand the force of the rough landing. “That’s true, very true.” He put his hand over his forehead in a very dramatic manner and raised his free hand up. “Oh woe is me! I shall never reach her now!” He grinned. “Unless of course, I was able to jump.” He bent down, placing his hands on the ground so that he was on all fours, looking much more like a natural wolf now. His muscles tensed and bulged.
         Lily watched, not daring to move. It wasn’t that she was scared--she doubted that he could reach her now--but she was curious as to what he was going to do now.
         Victor suddenly pounced, shooting up into the air like a bottle rocket at a fourth of July picnic. He extended his claws and snarled, his mouth opening wide. Lily screamed as he shot towards her and jumped back. Victor never appeared over the side, however, and she heard a small thump, signifying that he had missed the jump. She breathed a sigh of relief, but when she heard him chuckle, she tensed again. His voice fluttered up to her like a disfigured butterfly. “No matter I just have to try again.”
         She knew he wouldn’t miss a second time. She looked around the room again, her eyes resting on the one window at the back. It was her only way out now. She dashed for it as she heard Victor’s soft footsteps cease, guessing he was getting ready for his second lunge. She grabbed it and tried to force it open, but it was jammed, the years of neglect all but permanently sealing it shut. She pulled and pulled, but no matter how hard she did, it did not budge.
         She heard victor snarl again and a split second later, she saw his fingers appear over the side of the loft. Her heart started to pound in her ears as he started to crawl over the side. His head appeared, his golden eyes glinting in what could have been the thrill of a nearly acquired victory.
         Desperation overthrew all rational thought within her mind and she grabbed the closest thing she could find that was hard and oblong, which happened to be a large bible. She reared back and whispered a small apology to the lord for using his holy scripture for such a purpose, and bashed it as hard as she could against the window. The silence of the ancient building was shattered along with the glass as the window came apart, piece after piece of the broken glass falling from the lofty height down to the ground. The window in its entirety was destroyed, only a few small pieces of glass on the very edge of it remaining.
         Lily climbed over the edge of the broken window, attempting to slide through the narrow space, wincing as the few shards of glass remaining on the window cut into her palms. As she climbed, she chanced a glance back. Victor had just hoisted himself into the loft and was standing up, looking at her with a mildly disappointed look on his face. “Oh, breaking windows now? My, you really are desperate to stay away from this wonderful wolf, aren’t you?”
         Lily didn’t answer. She had already pulled herself through the window and was now balancing on the thin edge of the church loft, slowly making her way around to the slanted roof, attempting to climb up to the top. The shingles were loose and very slick, but somehow, though the foundation of the roof itself was weak, she managed to hoist herself up to the very top of the church, hugging the weather vain for safety. The wind was howling now, though the sky above stayed clear and unobstructed.
         She heard a loud crash from the loft, but she couldn’t see what had caused it. Her blood ran cold again. Was victor still pursuing her? She chanced a glance over the edge of the roof, holding the weather vain with one hand to keep herself steady. Her eyes widened. Victor had ripped the entire window setting off of the wall and had thrown it down to the ground. His furred head poked out of the resulting hole and he grinned. “Mmm, I can smell you, Lily. That sweet scent of fear, mixed with just a hint of blood. Yes, that’s heavenly.” He licked his lips and started to scale the side of the church, easily avoiding slipping on the loose shingles.
         Lily leaned back as he poked his head up over the top of the roof, staring at her. “Nowhere left to run, dear. You’re out of options. It was fun while it lasted, but our little game has come to an end.”
         Lily looked around her. There truly was nowhere she could run to now. There was nowhere to go... nowhere except down. Her eyes took on a serene look, as if she had just come to a realization. “You are right, Victor, I have nowhere to run to. But the game is not over yet. I still have one final trump card I can play.”
         Victor looked curious. “Oh? And just what exactly is this ‘trump card’ of yours?”
         Lily smiled at him, a smile devoid of all joy or serenity, one that was as false as his gentle words were. “Why, that is very simple, Victor. If I can’t outrun you, there is still one other way I can keep you from having me.”
         Victor’s curious look turned to one of caution. Ah, so now he was no the defensive was he? A bit late now, wolf. “You aren’t implying what I think you are, are you, Lily?” he asked, his voice soothing, as if he were trying to negotiate his way out of a hostage situation.
         Lily let out a gentle sigh of acceptance. “But I am. I’ll see you in hell, wolf!” She turned and jumped, throwing herself over the edge of the church before Victor had time to lunge at her. She had originally thought she’d be screaming like mad the entire way down, but as she fell, she didn’t make a sound. She felt somehow calmer, more at peace with herself than she had felt in ages. She felt free, unbound, able to do anything. She closed her eyes and let her body go limp as she neared the ever-growing ground. Then, she felt a huge jolt of pain rocket up her back, all through her body... and finally, she felt nothing at all.
****
         Victor let out a loud howl of anger that made the entire church rattle. How dare she? How dare she take away what was rightfully his, what he had claimed? She had been his from the moment she had come to bed with him, yet she had denied him his claim. He shouldn’t have wasted all that time chasing her. He should have pinned her down and taken what he wanted the moment he had transformed. But he had let the thrill of the chase override his good judgment. Very well then, she might have escaped him in one way, but he didn’t plan on letting her body go to waste.
         He hopped down off of the church, landing gracefully beside her broken body... and stopped. He sniffed the air around her. Life! She was still breathing. The impact had failed to kill her right away. Victor grinned. There was still time to make her his. He licked his lips and pushed her hair out of the way, tearing off the part of her lovely sweater that hid her shoulder. He bared his fangs. She would be his yet.

****
Lily groaned. Where was she? Was she dead at last? No, she still felt pain all over her body. Why wasn’t she dead? She had jumped from the very top of the church, all the way to the ground, and had landed on her back! She decided that thinking about it wouldn’t do her any good. She opened her eyes. “Where... am I?” she wondered aloud as she noticed a cavernous ceiling above her. Her head pounded and she clamped her eyes shut for another few seconds, her hand moving to her head. She stopped as she felt her head. That was odd... her forehead felt much more hairy than normal. She lifted her hand to examine it and nearly screamed. It was covered in grey fur, all around. The palm, the fingers, the wrist... everything was covered in a coat of grey fur, not a speck of skin showing. She turned a fearful gaze down towards the rest of her body. This time, she did scream. “What’s happened to me?!” she shouted, leaping up as she laid eyes on the thick coat of fur that now covered her.
There was a deep, familiar chuckle from behind her and she whirled around, her throbbing head forgotten as she set eyes on Victor. He looked just the same as he did before, his body covered in fur, his face wolfish, a tail swaying about behind her. She had a very uneasy feeling that she was almost looking into a mirror now. Her ears, which she now noted were on top of her head, flattened as he spoke. “Why, dear Lily, do you really need me to spell it out for you?” he asked.
Lily felt a growl rise up through her throat, but attempted to suppress it, to no avail, not wanting to convince herself any more of what she already knew was the horrible truth. “You... you’ve destroyed me!” she shouted, her fur standing on end. She shivered a little, feeling a cool breeze flow past the fur.
Victor’s brow rose. “Destroyed you? No, I believe the word you should use is ‘improved’ you. You are no longer a weak human, like the rest of them, but are like me. You are a Lycanthrope.”
Lily wanted nothing more now than to lunge at the smug wolf and rip his throat out. “How? I was dead!”
Victor wagged his finger in her face, a gesture that annoyed Lily far more than even his honey-sweetened voice did. “Oh no you didn’t. Despite that wonderful effort you made, the landing wasn’t clean. You were still alive long enough for me to land that one crucial bite I needed to not only mark you as my mate, but also to change you into what you are now. Take a deep breath and let the scents fill you, dearest. I want you to know what this place smells like should you ever get lost.” He laughed.
Lily’s nose crinkled. Stench defined this place better than smell did. It reeked. She found that even the most subtle of smells, even the dirt she had been laying on, made her want to gag from discomfort. “So you finally got me. But I belong to no one, Victor, least of all you.”
Victor laughed again. “Guess again, Lily. Feel your shoulder... feel that scar there? The one that is just barely noticeable through that beautiful fur you now have? Yes, that is my mark. That is where my fangs first tainted your blood with the curse that has befallen many over the centuries.” He drew closer to her and her muscles tightened, ready to jump away should he move to grab her. “Welcome to the family.”
Lily growled again, this time not bothering to try and swallow it. “I prefer to be an only child, thank you.”
Victor sighed, wagging his finger at her again. She felt the urge to bite it off so tempting right now. “You fail to see the position you are in. I own you now, Lily. You are mine. I caught you fair and square. You can’t run and you cannot hide from me.”
Lily growled. “Just try and keep me from running!” She turned and made a dash for the entrance to this bizarre cave that Victor called a den. She barely made it half way before Victor grabbed her by her new tail and threw her back, back into the cave. “I told you... you’re mine now.” He licked his lips and advanced on her.
Lily groaned, pain shooting up her leg when she landed. “And I believe that I told you... I belong to no one.” When he got close enough, she exploited the one weakness that all males had in common. She thrust her leg up and kicked him as hard as she could right between the legs.
She grinned as he howled and pain, doubling over and clutching at his assaulted areas. “You... you bitch...” he droned, coughing and gagging at the intense fire that her kick had created.
Lily stood up and kicked him in the side once, for good measure. She delighted in seeing him in pain. She reached down and grabbed his hair, her now golden eyes glinting. She could see a hint of fear in his own eyes. Oh yes... she could smell it now, his fear, his glorious fear. “Bitch, hmm?” she asked. She drew her claw down and pushed the tip of the sharpened nail right against his windpipe. “Apparently, you aren’t that strong to me anymore.”
Lily could have almost burst out laughing as he whimpered like a blind pup looking for its mother. “Please, Lily...” he begged, trying to crawl away, but in too much pain to do so. “Please, don’t kill me!”
Lily licked her lips. “Not as invincible as you thought, are you?” she asked, putting a bit more pressure on the tip. It would be so easy to kill him now, with this new body. All she had to do was thrust in and... no, she decided. She didn’t want to kill him, even after all he had done to her, even after he had chased her, and had almost killed her. As loathe as she was to admit it, he had saved her life and this body wasn’t as bad as she had first thought it would be. “You disgust me, Victor.” She released him and he crawled away.
Victor gulped and looked up at her, fear now plain in his eyes. He made no move to try and hide it. Yes, Lily now had total control over him. He had thought he would be stronger than her still, even after he had changed her, that she would be easily dominated. Oh how the tables had turned. “Victor... I am not yours... nor will I ever be yours.”
Victor nodded quickly. “Of... of course!” he said, pointing to the exit. “Please... please go if you wish!”
Lily looked from him to the exit. She shook her head and suddenly lunged at him, pinning him to the ground with her powerful arms. She straddled his stomach and licked her lips as she peered down into his fearful eyes. “No, I don’t think I’ll leave. I have a much better idea, Victor.” She leaned in close to his ear and breathed onto it, making it twitch as the hot air flowed over it. “You belong to me now, Victor. You’re mine now.”
She felt his heart pounding in his chest. She basked in his fear and his sudden reversal of roles. She was the hunter now. He was the hunted. He was hers. And she didn’t plan on letting her prey escape from her... ever.”

THE END