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Black fur replaced skin, and wild blood ran through our veins.
We were human, but another part of us belonged to something more feral; born from a disease spread long ago.
I was born like this; the same with Var. Brue wasn't. He was the only one who lived like us through borrowed time.
While Var and I had no choice but to remain in our feral skins permanently, Brue had the freedom of shedding his and living two seperate lives.
Even though I should have loved what was the same, I couldn't chose between them. My heart refused to let either of them go.
Brue was mysterious and gave me the protection I wanted. He made me feel giddy having a knight so willing to save me.
Var was savage and thrilled my wild side. He made danger fun, and wasn't afraid to show Brue he was serious on keeping me for himself.
I hated to see them fight, but I wanted to be won over. Power radiated from them and blanketed me.
I liked the thrill of it. I liked having both of them snapping at shadows and making me feel safe between them.
I rested my head on Brue's shoulder while my hand slipped onto Var's. Brue's head pressed against mine and Var's fingers ran over my fur before he adjusted himself to be touching my left.
Bubbles bounced in my stomach that radiated from thier warmth pressed into me. I wanted more of this giddy feeling flooding through me.
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The distant howl of wolves caught our attention. It dipped, dying, as the animals sang out to the moonlight gleaming over the jungle.
Brue answered the call, long and loud. He gave himself to it until he pulled free and nuzzled me, running his body under my chin from his head to his tail.
Var snarled and snapped at it, barely missing tearing out the fur that passed by slyly.
Brue was on borrowed time. He had to leave.
His blue eyes lingered on me sadly until he peeled from us and leapt down from our outlook to scamper back through the jungle.
I watched his shining fur flit between the trees, whimpering as I watched him dissappear.
Var glared at my longing and pushed me towards him to bring my attention back.
Even through Var's warmth and scent filled my mind, my eyes couldn't tear from where Brue had left me, and that infuriated him.
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With my fur tangled into Var's, I couldn't stop thinking about Brue.
The sun was high and the jungle was teaming with the song of birds and squeaks of wolf pups learning to hunt. I could smell the fresh greenary in every breath I took nuzzled into Var's sleeping body.
Carefully peeling myself from him, I sat at the entrance of the cave we had found ourselves in last night.
Brue would have returned to his human form. He wouldn't be back until the full moon was born to greet him again.
Once the full moon died, so would he, until the next one the month after.
He'd be trapped, and I'd miss every moment he wasn't here.
I wanted to see him. I knew it was madness yearning to seek him out in a place swarming with humans, but I was desperate.
It fogged my brain and made me think of only him. I wanted to unashamedly love him when I didn't have Var around to chase Brue away.
With Var still deep asleep, I took one last look and dropped down to the soft ground below.
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Three nights was all I had with Brue. It's all I could think about when I pushed my body to its limits to sprint through the undergrowth.
It felt like I was being robbed out of every brief meeting. As soon as Brue was here, he was running off again through the jungle and back to civilization.
I took the same path he did, keeping his scent locked in my memory so I could track it further away from safety.
It had my heart leaping into my throat, and all of my nerves surging electricity to my fingertips ripping through the dirt.
I couldn't wait thirty days. The longer the time, the more my mind threatened to forget about Brue completely until he came rushing back into my life. Last night had been the third; his final one until his next forced shift.
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Wolves ran through the jungle by my sides, racing to keep up with me before I broke through the last of the growth and pulled out at the edge of the jungle.
Even the wolves weren't dumb enough to brave the human world stretching before me. They quickly disappeared back into the darkness while I peered at the town ahead.
It was nestled along a river that divided us both. A large bridge kept the two connected that I stretched towards, trying to keep Brue's scent locked while it was tangled with so many others.
I'd be so exposed out there. I didn't have a choice if I wanted to follow this trail.
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The screams and panic that echoed off the buildings burned into my brain and rattled my bones.
I scurried for the darker alleys, using them to catch my breath and snatch up Brue's trail again before darting back into the chaos to follow it.
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The trail was strong here. Amongst the mud and stench of livestock, I found a home swarming with the familiar smell.
Darting over to it, I scratched at the door and whined like a lost puppy begging to be let in.
I didn't care how belittling it was. I wanted Brue to know he really did matter to me, no matter what form he was in.
Noise caught my attention, but it wasn't from the house.
It came from the town that panicked again as searching howls rose from it, begging me to respond to it.
I knew immediately it was Var coming for me. I heard the fear, but also the rage, in each howl bobbing closer to where I meekly sat.
It was getting more demanding the closer he got to breaking free from the town. 193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTVlfOjadM
I answered his call, cutting him off with my mournful song, to give him my location.
With Var now in sight and bolting for me, I couldn't let myself be vulnerable. I shrunk down when he approached me, already snarling, before sinking his teeth into the back of my neck in warning.
He was furious, and rightly so. His deep red eyes made his anger pierce through me in ways Brue's blue couldn't.
Whimpering and glancing to the door beside us, I made it obvious why I was here.
Var glared at it, then to me, and shoved himself against me to move me away from the house. He snapped at my throat and glued his side to mine when he walked, forcing me to move properly and not drag my feet.
Looking back in defeat, the door still hadn't opened.
Maybe Brue was he done with us when he wasn't shifted? Did he really keep everything so seperate?
All this and for nothing.
Anger boiled inside me and I finally listened to Var's insistent pushing to get us away from this dangerous place and back to safety.
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The wolves howled thier slow song to the moon that night, as they always did.
It carried further than the jungle. With the melody, even the town would hear it ring out through the night.
From the mouth of the cave, I cried with the wolves. All of my anger and sadness twisted together to be carried into the soft breeze flitting through the trees.
Var listened in silence from within our cave. His own deep red eyes watched me with sorrow, until he too joined in; making sure that even Brue on the other side of town would hear how much I missed him.
Then, there was a reply.
My ears perked up at the familiar sound and I looked to Var in confusion.
He frowned back and moved to the entrance, blocking my way so he could scan the darkness.
Another howl rose up, closer. It was Brue.
His time was gone. He couldn't have shifted tonight. Three nights had passed already.
I saw blue eyes break through the darkness before the black fur followed. Excited, I went to rush for him, until Var stopped me.
Var's concern was obvious. He kept himself between us and pushed me back towards the cave.
There was nothing to be worried about. Any extra time was a blessing in disguise.
Brue approached happily, but Var snarled to halt him. They glared to each other, and I slipped past to eagerly greet Brue.
His head pressed to me and I ran my body around his happily, my tail wagging like an excited puppy.
The scent was unmistakable. Brue's fur felt incredible against my own that wanted to trap his touch against me forever.
But, there was something else here. The scent of human lingered beneath the surface of the one familiar to me.
It shouldn't have been this strong, even for someone who shifted.
Something was wrong.
Var didn't wait to attack. He bolted down the cave and snapped his jaws into Brue's fur to peel it from him effortlessly.
I backed up when Brue swiped for it; yanking it back over himself hurridly while fixing it in place like a coat.
He looked and smelled like us, but he wasn't. He was using the skin and scent of a dead werewolf to fool us both into trusting him.
He was hunting his next pelt, and I had blindly let him in.
I was a fool to chase a lost feeling I thought was true.
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