8 comments/ 24543 views/ 18 favorites The Wrong Kind of Curse By: LoveTheSun "We've got to get out of here..." Kathryn Devencourt stumbled out of the parlour and up the old set of servant's steps which ran around the back of the house, avoiding the main part of the building. "Come on, Mary!" She grabbed at the young maid's sleeve, dragging her along behind, the two women finding it hard to run in their long skirts, but after everything they had just witnessed, they were determined to at least try. Their footsteps echoed hollowly on the cold stone floor as they skittered like two frightened shadows up towards the first floor of the grand old house in which they lived, the estate having been home to the Devencourt family for seven generations. The study was where Robert- Kathryn's husband of two months- had said to meet them, before he and the other men of the house had gathered any weapons they could find, and had set off after whatever it was that had left the bloody remains of the scullery maid lying on the courtyard steps. Most of the staff had gone back to their own quarters for the night, before the attack, and whatever unfortunate errand the poor murdered girl had been forced to run, the look of sheer terror on her face had been enough for those who had found her to realise that her last moments had not been at all peaceful. "I can hear it...I can hear it..." Mary breathed, her voice echoing in the small passageway, making her words sound all the more distressing. "It's just in your mind, Mary. Do hurry, there's a good girl." The lady of the house gripped her maid's hand firmly enough to prove she would not be having any nonsense, and continued to pull her along. But then, Kathryn could hardly blame the poor girl for being so frightened. As they had been making their way to a safer part of the house they had found the gardener- pitchfork still in hand- with his throat torn out, thrown across the kitchen stove, bloody paw-prints everywhere. That was enough to scare anyone senseless. "Will Sir Robert know what to do?" "I hope so," Kathryn replied, trying to keep both their spirits up, as she had no idea if the screams they had heard as they fled through the house had been ones of her husband or of anyone else unfortunate enough to come across this evil creature. "The curse...I never thought it was true..." "Mary...hush," Kathryn replied warningly, checking that everything was still and silent before running from doorway to doorway and up yet another flight of stairs. But the girl carried on regardless, her large brown eyes reflecting her anxiety. "My father told me the story when I was little, to make sure I did not stay out late at night. He said that every ten years a creature would come to this place, a beast, damned and with a lust for human blood. It would prey on the innocent, for all eternity, or until one pure of heart could have the courage to destroy it for good." "Folk-law and superstition," Kathryn uttered. "I have heard many such tales, all the same. They are stories to scare children and nothing more." "Then what is that creature my lady, what IS that thing?" Kathryn turned round sharply and gripped Mary's wrist hard, making the girl almost yelp from the pinching pain. "Our only hope to survive this night is to keep our heads. When we found Graveston, God rest his soul, I saw blood, dark thick blood- which was not his own- also on the kitchen floor. The shots we heard being fired must have injured this...thing...which means if it can be hurt, then it can be killed too. You also saw how frightened Graveston was when we left the men...fear is what it follows, it can smell it, I am sure. And I will not let this cursed beast, if that is what it is, get the better of me. I am the lady of this house and I will not begin my life here as either a slave to my own fear, or as a corpse. Do I make myself clear?" Mary bobbed her head, gulping hard, her mistress's eyes burning her. "Yes m'arm." "Good. Now we must find Robert." With a determined fire burning from the very core of her soul, Kathryn made her way out onto the main landing of the second floor. The study was just round the corner, the master bedroom to their left. They passed one of the high windows and as Mary looked out, she saw yet another body littering the entrance, a torch still smouldering beside it, the main doors looking to have been smashed open like they were little more than matchwood. Whatever it was that was hunting them, it certainly wasn't human. "Kathryn is that you?" The young woman jumped, her hand going to her heart. "Robert?" From around the corner, a previously well dressed young man appeared, his shirt and jacket now caked in dirt and blood. By his side he carried a beautiful basket-hilt rapier, in his hand, a rifle. He seemed comfortable with both, and it was only due to his prowess in the fighting arts that he had survived up until now and had saved the lives he had. "Where are the others?" Sir Robert gladly grasped his wife's hand, holding her close to him for a moment. She was safe, and so was Mary. The two briefly looked at each other for a moment, wanting to continue their embrace yet knew they had little time to express their feelings for each other, their reasons justified or not. "The ones who are left I sent down to the cellars," Robert informed them quickly, "The doors are strong and there are things they can barricade the entrance with. But even if that fails there is a passage down there which will lead them away from here, to Garrison's farm, should the worse come to the worst. My great grandfather had it made during the wars, as another way out, just incase. Well, it was either that or he foresaw this day..." "And what of us?" "I left a distraction for the creature, to gain us some time so that we can get down to the horses in the stables. We can ride to the town and raise the alarm. I took all the fresh meat from the kitchens and laid it down in the hallway, sadly poor Graveston lost his life defending me there. I managed to shoot the damn thing before it got me though." Kathryn looked at Mary knowingly. "Come," Robert beaconed them, "This way. Even you do not know all the secret passages this place has, Mary. Do not be frightened dear child, we will away long before-" But he never finished his sentence as from behind them they heard the sound of heavy padding footsteps, coupled by the snort of heavy breathing. "Oh no..." All three backed away, back down along the hallway, towards the study. "How did it find us..." Kathryn whispered; even so close to this kind of danger, her voice level and steady. Mary looked down at her hand, and Kathryn caught her glance. "You're bleeding..." "I only caught it on some broken glass in the kitchen m'arm...I didn't mention it as you grabbed my sleeve and told me to run...I didn't think...I..." "You foolish girl," Kathryn almost cried, but looked more in pity at the girl than with true anger. "You should have told me immediately. It has smelt you." "Please...please don't let it kill me...please...I am sorry...I'm...so...sorry..." "Hush..." the other young woman comforted, holding Mary close to her, Robert standing protectively in front of them, glancing round to look at his wife. His expression was pained, like he was torn between two choices and it was killing him inside. His vivid blue eyes and dark swathe of thick brown hair made him look all the more handsome in the role of their guardian, yet that was a position even Robert himself was unsure if he could fill. They froze as a bulky black shape appeared, its movements animalistic and predatory. It sniffed the air before lounging a little closer, passing through the light of an open window. The beast stood still for a moment, its fur mangy and unkempt, blood crusted across its muzzle, as the light of the full moon reflected hauntingly in its savage red-tinged eyes. Its feral brain recognised the fact that its prey no longer had anywhere to run. They were trapped and their fear could now be smelt in the air; a stench so powerful it made the animal sniff again, then lick a thick pink tongue across its fangs. A length of saliva dribbled out of its mouth as it tasted the air once more, its breathing now hard and rough, a light growling beginning to rumble from the back of its throat. "Get inside the study and lock the door." "No...no..." Kathryn uttered grappling pathetically at her husbands arm. She knew he was going to try and fight the beast off himself. It would be pointless, he would be ripped apart like every other member of their household staff who had already attempted it. "I can't lose you...Robert. It's been two months...only two months..." Her husband pretended not to hear her words and shook his head sadly, placing one last tender kiss on his wife's lips. "It is my duty to protect you. Stay in that room no matter what happens. I'm sorry, my darling. Take her, Mary." The young maid, suddenly finding she was the one in charge, pulled her mistress into the nearby room and shut the door, Robert hearing the bolt snap shut. He was glad to hear the scraping of furniture also, as they barricaded the door. Hopefully they would be safe in there. If they could stay in that room until dawn they would survive, and the longer he could hold off this evil beast the better. He had always dreaded this moment, the time when he would have to search his soul for the strength to fight such a terrible creature. Ten years ago his own father had been cursed with the same task; of defending Devencourt House and the nearby towns and villages from this evil abomination. Killing werewolves, (Sir Robert was not squeamish when coming to admit what it was he was fighting) was a family tradition and it went back generations...seven in fact, but every time one of these werewolves was killed, another one seemed to take its place. It matched his own family, generation for generation, and without a son to follow him as of yet, Robert knew that if he did not win, only destruction would follow. But the timing was all wrong, he had only just married Kathryn...and he hadn't had a chance to tell her of his family's plight...nor of their other dark secret. "Why?" Robert accused the werewolf, its cold claws glistening as it flexed them menacingly. Already he had drawn his sword, but instead of holding it out threateningly, he simply threw it to the floor, as he then did his jacket and his belt, until he stood there in just his shirt and breeches, his trembling hands rolling up the sleeves of his baggy white shirt. "I was happy...I was so happy..." The creature padded towards him, snarling, pacing, yet with a slight hesitancy, as if this prey was different from the others. It sniffed the air and its wiry fur bristled. "That's right...it's all becoming clear now isn't it?" Robert laughed, mocking the creature as he began to take control of the situation instead. There was a window just to his left and as Robert stepped forwards, a beam of moonlight broke through the clouds and bathed him in its delicate silvery rays, his skin turning white. He looked calmly out at the view, as if it were a nice spring morning and he had just risen from a peaceful slumber to admire his house and gardens. He gazed across the hills and the nearby forest, then up at the brilliant full moon, blazing down from the thick black velvet sky. But as his eyes flicked back to face his enemy, they were no longer the cool and friendly shade of blue they had previously been, instead they flashed a vivid amber for a second; wide and savage and inhuman. "You chose the wrong man to mess with," Robert snarled, shuddering as he felt his whole body tense, a sharp yet somehow comforting pain running down the back of his spine as he craned his neck upwards and closed his eyes. He had never done this before, but before his father had died, he had told him that when the time came, he would have to willingly accept their own curse to protect the ones he held dear, even if it meant risking being injustly hunted for the crimes of another. The werewolf took another pace forwards, but the look its eyes held within them showed the first signs of its own realization. "You came to the wrong house, fiend..." Robert just managed to growl, as every bone and every muscle began to snap and bend and contort, a sleek wash of thick fur appearing and covering every inch of his writhing body. "It was already cursed." From inside the boarded up room, Kathryn and Mary huddled together in one corner. They could hear some quite horrific noises, but none quite as frightening as a gut wrenching howl which seemed to shake the foundations of the house itself. It sounded as if some poor animal was being tortured to death. "What...what's happening?" Mary whispered, Kathryn's arms wrapped round the frightened girl. "I do not know," her mistress replied, but it sounded as if there was a fight going on. A terrible crash made both women jump, the door bowing in slightly as something was thrown up against it from the other side. Cold savage snarls could be heard and an incessant scraping of claws down the woodwork. "It wants to get in..." Mary sobbed, covering her eyes. Without warning there was another loud crash, this time of broken glass and splintering wood. There was the sound of ripping flesh and yet another cold, inhuman howl as Mary sobbed even louder, Kathryn's comforting murmurs not enough to keep pictures of the beast tearing Sir Robert apart, from the fragile girl's mind. But Kathryn had seen what that creature could do to a human being, and Robert might be an excellent swordsman but he was no match for a werewolf. He should have been dead by now. That was why she was very quiet, a cold flush having crept over and coated every nerve in her body. She had not heard her beloved husband scream or cry out once...but she was sure she had heard two very different howls ringing out into the night. Suddenly the door was ripped off its hinges, the furniture behind it tossed away by the beast that now stood before them, blood dripping from its jaws. Mary fainted, but Kathryn just gazed in wide-eyed, silent terror. Yet as it went to pounce forwards, another dark shape appeared from behind it, grabbing the other creature in its claws and dragging it to the ground. The two rolled over and over, smashing into vases and plates, everything either splintering, snarling or breaking. With a sudden snap, one of the creatures brought its jaws down hard around the other's neck, the werewolf's large furred body shaking itself viciously to get free, a claw swiping up and catching the other sharply across the muzzle. Panting and bleeding and with a fatal looking gash running through its throat, the more mangy looking of the two beasts ran, loping on a mixture of two and four legs, and jumped straight out the window, glass and wood exploding everywhere once more. Then everything was silent. The remaining creature held the side of its muzzle with a paw-like hand, licking the blood away with its tongue. It was covered in wounds and scratches, and tried to calmly clean itself, small shards of broken glass clinging to its fur and glittering in the pale moonlight. Kathryn had been trying to keep very still, but as she placed her hand down, to shift to a more comfortable position, the floorboards creaked and the creature sharply turned its head towards her, fixing her in a calm, level gaze, almost as if it hadn't realised she had been there at all. The young woman noticed for the first time that unlike the other beast, this one was a lot darker in its colouring, a very thick grey fur rippling across its fearsome muscled torso. There was also something much more intelligent about it too, as the second it laid eyes on Kathryn an almost pained expression washed over its face, its beautiful and distinctive blue eyes gazing back at her from behind a sleek and handsome muzzle. There was no mistaking it now. "Robert...Oh my word..." The creature sadly lowered its head as it paced slowly towards where the trembling Kathryn was crouched. He stopped before her and closed his eyes, letting the young woman gently reach out and touch the soft fur of his cheek, his breathing low and deep and unthreatening. "It can't be..." He was soft and warm and Kathryn found herself curling her fingers deep into the sleek fur of his chest, a comforting strength washing over her as he pressed his fearsome wolfish muzzle against the side of her face and licked her cheek, his warm breath moving her hair. "Why...why?" she uttered. "But you can't be like that...that other creature." His eyes sadly met her own and he regretfully turned his head away as if ashamed of what he was. "Sweetheart...Robert..." Cold, silent tears began to run down Kathryn's cheeks, but she still had her fingers curled deeply in Robert's thick fur, the only sliver of comfort she could gain being from his reassuring presence. She wanted to hold him, she wanted to feel his arms around her, to hear his voice and for him to tell her everything would be alright. "M...m'arm..?" The werewolf instantly sprang back, startled, as Mary stirred, a slight growl at the back of its throat. It took one final glance at the two women before retreating back down the corridor and out of the window, dropping easily to the ground, before loping away into the darkness of the night, Kathryn's tear streaked face haunting its still human soul. "I've got to go after him..." "After who? What happened? M'arm?" Kathryn scrabbled to her feet and went to the window. From it she could see only darkness, but it would not be long before the soft rays of dawn began to colour the horizon. "Mary...you must stay here. Find all those who remain and stay in the cellar until dawn is upon us. Then go to the village and buy what you need to clean the house, do everything as you would normally do. Get Henry to start mending these windows and call in on Father Keely, we will need fitting burials for those who lost their lives here tonight. But I want everything to continue as normal. This beast will not stop us from living our lives." "But Lady Kathryn...that was the beast, the one of legend...I know you are not from around these parts, but-" "I will have no more talk, Mary," Kathryn said, almost icily, cutting the girl off. "We have more important things to take care of. Now go and do my bidding. There will be no more deaths tonight, and woe betide that creature if it lays a claw on anyone else I care about. Now please...just go and stay safe." "But...what of you?!" Kathryn had already buttoned her collar up tightly up and was heading down the hallway, Mary following hot on her heels. "Lady Kathryn?!" But Kathryn was not listening, she ran into her bedroom and went to the closet, pulling out a large winter coat before running round to the other side of the grand four poster bed and pulling out from the nearby dresser a loaded pistol. She dragged on the coat and slotted the pistol into a belt she found in Robert's closet, fastening it tightly round her waist. "Do not ask me questions, Mary. If I do not return then that is because the fates have decreed it so. I will be with my husband either way. Now go." She shooed the girl away, before making sure she had all she needed. Robert's sword lay discarded along with his jacket and other clothes in a small tattered pile. Kathryn bent down to pick up the fine blade- any weapon would help her- but as she did so she noticed the other remnants of ripped clothing, and fur lying scattered about just by the door, claw marks too, long scratches in the doorframe. It had to be true...her husband was no longer human. Kathryn closed her eyes in pain, but refused to cry. She would find him...yes...and she would bring him back and they would get to the bottom of this once and for all. She was not scared that the night still held its dangers, she just wanted to be with the man she loved, and if that came at a price then so be it. The Wrong Kind of Curse "I don't' care what he is," she whispered to the night, touching her wedding ring for comfort. "He saved my life...I owe him to return the favour." Kathryn left the house quickly and quietly, her footfall soft and fleeting; her destination the wooded area just at the back of the estate, the forest also being owned by the Devencourt family. When she and Robert had been courting, he had brought her down to these woods and there they had spent many a long afternoon together doing little more than enjoying each others company. She just hoped that was where she might find him now. It seemed the most sensible place for a werewolf to hide, after all it was the only covered part of land between the house and the nearby village, the rest being flat farmland. As for the other beast, the one which had attacked the house, Kathryn decided she would take her chances. It was missing half its throat, and besides, in the driveway there had been two sets of tracks; one heading the way Kathryn was already going, and one towards the river, splatters of blood marking the trail. Kathryn liked to think she was a smart young woman, and had put two and two together in assuming that her husband was not the one wanting to go and take a midnight bathe. For now, she believed she was safe, but having a gun by her side was still somewhat reassuring. Still, Robert wasn't human any more and she couldn't let her feelings get in the way of her judgement. If he would end up just as evil as that creature which had run amok throughout the house, she knew what she must do. She cocked the trigger resolutely...then felt guilty for it. He was her husband. She screwed up her eyes in pain and confusion for a moment, not knowing which way to walk as she reached a fork in the path. What would she do even if she found him? A scuffling noise made her flinch, then turn round, pointing the gun at any shadow that looked menacing. A fox darted out from behind a tree and into its hole and Kathryn let out a sigh of relief. Now her mind was playing tricks on her as well. She relaxed. Kathryn continued to walk for another ten minutes, her eyes now getting used to her dark surroundings, and she could now distinguish the outlines of the trees and where the path curved, with relative ease. The light of the moon guided her, yet in her heart she longed to see the sun. Her mind began to think of other things too, and she wondered if she had not become a little lost, for she was in a part of the forest she did not recognise. But then everything did look a little strange anyway. She paused for a few moments to get her bearings, lowing her gun to rub a tired hand across her bleary eyes. But that was a fatal mistake as out of the darkness, like a bolt of lightening, shot a snarling furred body. It rammed into Kathryn knocking her straight to the ground, the gun spinning away out of her grasp and firing off harmlessly into the night. She rolled, losing the sword too, the blade wrenched from her hand. All the breath was forced from her body and she lay panting, uttering a little prayer in her mind, believing the next few moments to be her last. But nothing happened. The werewolf had backed away a little and was pacing just in front of her, its hackles raised, a low growl at the back of its throat. Kathryn scrabbled to her knees, trying not to act frightened. If this had not been her husband she would have been dead by now, she was sure of it. As it was, the creature was watching her, an intrigued air about its movements, yet also unwilling to get any closer. So, with a smooth slowness she held out her hand towards him, offering it for him to smell. She knew he was in there somewhere, he just had to realise this too. "See it's just me..." she whispered, watching the creature wearily pad over to her. It gave her hand a good sniff, then pressed its wet nose against her fingers, its whiskers tickling her palm. "I'm sorry if you think I brought those weapons to hurt you...they were really just for my own protection...I didn't know, I..." His damp nose pressed up against her cheek, snuffling into her hair, and she instantly stopped talking, realising that he was checking her scent. She reached up slowly, but heard his growl warning her not to touch, yet it was a halfhearted sound and the look in his eyes made her continue. "See, I won't hurt you," she whispered, as with the gentlest of touches she stroked his fur. "Please don't be scared of me when I have done my best not to be afraid and come out into the night to find you." The growl turned into a rumble of contentment as he allowed this woman to caress his soft ears and press her face close into the warm fur of his shoulder, slipping her arms around his thick neck until she was hugging him closely. He raised a large paw and curled it round her, pressing her close to him, protecting her with his body and remembering the soft sweet smell of her scent as he lovingly licked her face. This was his mate and she made him feel safe. "You saved our lives tonight," she told him proudly, "and I could not just forsake you. I was worried you might have thought I hated you, or was frightened, but I don't and I'm not. I took my vows for better and for worse and I will keep them always..." she paused, then smiled, "although maybe they should have been 'in human or in werewolf'..." She sighed and allowed him to curl his body gently round hers, trapping her with his fearsome claws as he gathered her delicate form up close, his tail flicking round and over her feet. Kathryn relaxed back against him, finding it quite pleasant to be held in such a way. She trusted him implicitly now, and knew he would never harm her, even though he looked truly frightening. "Hey...that tickles," she smiled as he pressed his whiskery muzzle against her neck, nuzzling her, as his teeth bit down carefully into the material of her coat, pulling it open. He rubbed his furry cheek against her chest, his hot breath seeping through the thin material of her blouse, making her shiver. There was something strangely needful about his actions, a desire to be close to his Kathryn, almost as if he was reassuring himself, and her, that they were a couple. He wanted to protect her and make her his own. "Robert..." she murmured as she felt his snout move lower, gently nipping at her with his sharp teeth, the action being as close to kissing as he could manage. In return she took his sleek muzzle in the palm of her hand and planted her own soft kiss just between his eyes. She loved the crush of his fur against her bare skin as she kissed him again and again, nuzzling him back in return. "I need you my love," she whispered. "I want to share everything with you, I want to be part of this secret of yours and help you. Whatever you need of me I..." But she never finished what she was saying, and instead she let out a small gasp of shock, as with a careful claw, Robert had reached up to the neck of her blouse and had torn carefully down to the bottom. Kathryn almost fainted as his rough tongue scratched down her chest and over the firm fleshy mounds of her breasts, now exposed to him. The night air was cool against her skin but the comforting warmth of his own body made up for the chill. "Is this what you need from me," she whispered, reaching down and exposing more of her pale flesh, slipping her arms from her clothes and reaching up around Robert's neck. Bare to the waist, Kathryn felt a tremble run from her neck to the base of her spine as a soft paw held her behind the back and pressed her beautiful feminine body up against a firm yet softly toned chest, the werewolf's delicate fur brushing over her tingling skin. "Oh Robert..." she uttered, running her hands across his chest, just as lovingly as if they had been in their own bedroom back at the house, his claws caressing her in a similar fashion, his rough pads creating a very strange sensation, as did the cool sharp scraping of his claws down her back. Still, he was very gentle, knowing that he could easily harm her if he was not careful, but there was also an animal like urgency in his eyes. He needed her so much. The werewolf rolled onto his back, taking Kathryn with him so that she now lay straddled across his chest, her skirts ballooning out around them like a silvery pool of water. He leant his neck back and Kathryn playfully growled at him, pouncing down upon him and softly mouthing little nips up the length of his throat. A wonderful soft growl, almost like cat's purr, filled the night air as he lay in complete submission, showing Kathryn that he trusted her beyond all doubt, and that they truly were equal, offering himself to her like she had done to him. Then, without any warning, Kathryn found her wrists grasped hard in one huge padded paw, and pushed over to the ground, the werewolf's entire bulk covering her own. He was careful not to squash her, but held her hands stretched out above her head so that as he lowered himself down onto her, he trapped her firmly against the ground. The sensation of having his weight on top of her sent a rippling pulse of desire surging hard through Kathryn's body. Was it wrong to feel this way? He might be a werewolf but he was still her lover, and he seemed to posses some kind of human thought. He was intelligent and they both needed some kind reassurance that their lives would not be changed by what had happened this night. They needed an affirmation for their being...they... Kathryn closed her eyes feeling the lustful weight of his form bearing down on her, moving against her own small body, the friction between her skin and his fur making her desire for him even more unignorable. She heard the soft ripping of material as he ran his claws along the seam of her skirt, from the waistband to the hem, before running his claws back along the soft length of her leg, up to her thigh, the material falling away, no long a hindrance. Kathryn's body twitched, her exposed flesh feeling every movement of the werewolf who now held her legs closed between his own, the soft flicks of his tail brushing over her ankles and toes as he slowly began to lick his way down her body. She was completely at his mercy and could hardly move, even when his rough tongue swept over her stomach, all she seemed capable of was a lustful moan. "Robert..." she muttered again, her aching for him beginning to become almost painful. She managed to free one of her hands and pulled his shaggy head back up to her own, feeling his muzzle at her neck, licking and caressing her, but as he did so, the feelings slowly changed and after a few moments she felt a quite distinctive kiss touch her lips. His weight shifted too, became lighter and less of an incumbrance and the sweet warmth of his fur melted away. Kathryn's eyes flicked open and she found herself staring into the face of her beloved husband. "My love... she whispered and went to hold him, but found he still held her hands tightly against the ground, his naked body covering her own. "I need you Kathryn," he snarled softly, the young woman realising that dawn was upon them and for a few magical minutes they would be bathed in twilight- the time between light and darkness when all the world stands still. "Can questions wait?" "Of course they can, my handsome wolf..." He smiled down at her and she noticed his eyes still retained that feral glint to them, the lines of his neck still rippling with a soft swathe of fur, his hands not quite having changed back to being completely human either. Small tufts of fur still covered his arms, legs and chest, and his voice was a little deeper than usual. "It was my first time..." he smiled a little awkwardly. "I apologise if I was a little rough...the effects haven't worn off yet." "You were a perfect gentleman," Kathryn smiled back. "Now are you going to take me or not?" She tried to struggle but found Robert already biting gently down against her neck, growling. "Not so fast." Kathryn found her legs thrust apart as Robert lifted himself up and stroked his hand along a very fine looking shaft, now no longer hidden from her sight, an animalistic look about him as he watched his wife submissive beneath him, gazing up at his hard length. This also retained a little of its wolfish characteristics, being longer and more pointed than Kathryn remembered, the skin smooth and slightly damp at the tip, a slight swelling, like a knot, at the base. "Do you like the look of what I have to offer you, my love?" "Very much," she replied, knowing even in his true human form, Robert was quite substantial and easily met her requirements in a lover, but then he had always been so gentle and soft with her, almost as if he thought he might break her. This had been fine, after all, that was how a woman should be treated, but secretly she had always longer for him to be a little more aggressive towards her, and now it looked as if she were about to get her wish. "Normally I would take my time fantasizing over what I was going to do to you, but this can't wait. I need to feel your sweet flesh wrapped round me, I need to claim you, Kathryn, I need to make you mine." "I'm already yours...you think I would have offered myself to you as a wolf if I was not?" "Hmmm," he growled softly, "true...although maybe you just liked the thought of being licked all over..." Kathryn felt her cheeks flush and she reddened. They had never spoken like this before to one another. After all, it wasn't really the done thing among people of their status, and besides, they had only been together for a couple of months. Still, Kathryn obliged, finding this kind of talk equally arousing while the tension rose between them, both wanting to join with the other. "Oh I did..." she murmured back. "You liked my tongue grazing your delicate pale skin...pinching those plump nipples?" "Yes..." "You liked it when my fur brushed over your body?" "Oh yes..." she murmured, remembering the wonderful feeling. "You made me so hard, Kathryn," he whispered, biting at her ear lobe. "If I hadn't changed back I might have just taken you anyway..." She squirmed in desire for him, she felt so dirty, but so intimate too. She wanted Robert so much now, it was unbearable. "And I would have taken all of you, my love...come on...do you want to know what that feels like? I'm so wet for you...so warm and tight...waiting for you to prize me apart..." "Hmm that's what I want to hear," he responded, moving his hips closer so he could enter her, Kathryn wrapping her legs around his own, feeling herself willing him to enter her. She felt a soft prod before something thin and pointed began to work its way in. It widened quickly and began to stretch her apart, the initial twang of pain of this making Kathryn wince, but with every soft stroke, a little more entered her, and she felt her body begin to open and accommodate him, responding to his movements. When she seemed comfortable, Robert thrust a little harder, a soft growl beginning to rise in his throat, his teeth bared, showing off his sharp white canines, another part of him that hadn't quite changed back yet. Kathryn let out a little whimper of lust as he moved hard inside her body, his length now fully inside her, its strange shape touching parts Kathryn had never felt stimulated before, and she moaned a little harder, her fingers balling into fists. She could feel the strain of his oddly shaped knot banging against her too. It was too big to enter her, yet was straining with every thrust to lock them together. Already her lips were trying to suck him into her, her slickness coating him in trails of shining wetness as he continued to pound down upon her, thrust after thrust. "Kiss me..." Kathryn uttered, and found herself savagely locked in an impassioned kiss, Robert's fangs biting at her lip, his snarling and growling only making her more wet, feeling him slide in and out of her with ease. There was no rhythm as such, but hard thrusts, sometimes fast, then sometimes slower, and Kathryn- for the first time in her life- knew what it felt like to be mated. Not wanting to be passive, she thrust her hips back at Robert, meeting his powerful grinds. His hard groin rubbed against her mound and she almost cried out as a tiny part of his knot entered her, then sprang back out. Her lips were throbbing from the battering, yet the feeling just kept building Kathryn higher and higher. Maybe she would take all of him...just like she had said earlier. Maybe she would even allow her mind to fantasize what it would have been like if he had just taken her in his other form. She ran a hand along his back, feeling the soft clumps of fur beneath her palm, curling her fingers into them and stroking them down. "Oh...oh you feel so good," she cried. "You like it, don't you?" he panted back, licking his dry lips. "I have never felt like this before. You've never just taken me...and it's good...so good." Robert smiled wickedly, the light gleaming in his wolfish eyes, a certain pride about him, knowing he was fulfilling his role, giving his mate the pleasure she wanted, while satisfying his own lust. She was perfect for him. "Get on your knees," he commanded suddenly, withdrawing from her with a slick motion that left Kathryn feeling empty. However, she did as he commanded and watched a little apprehensively as he came up behind her, then mounted her with a harshness she had not expected. Luckily she was still slick with her desire for him and his first thrust did nothing but make her cry out in a pleasured moan, slipping inside her with no resistance. "Quiet," he snarled, his fangs at her throat, as she felt herself taken in a way she had never been before. Robert's hands grasped Kathryn's fine breasts, running his still claw-like fingers across her firm nipples, flicking and pinching them, loving the way this made her writhe beneath him. Grasping her hips he pressed his hardness deep inside her, holding it there for a few seconds as she tried to release herself, wanting to feel his thrusts. He teased her and tormented her, a mixture of his human and wolfish instincts taking Kathryn right to the edge time after time. Kathryn whimpered as she felt a hand rake down her spine, the pain highly arousing as she arched her back, luxuriating in the feelings this caused inside her. She could feel Robert's rutting beginning to become even faster, even more needful, as she herself began to feel her pleasure building more and more too. Her fingers sunk deep into the soft earth, and she moaned out loud for her husband to take her, hard and deep. Everything was so different, being outside, the morning air, the whole natural element, it was exhilarating and the beginnings of her climax began to work through Kathryn's body. "Don't stop..." she whimpered as her first spasm almost drove Robert from her completely, but he dove back in with a long powerful thrust. It was with this movement that Kathryn finally felt herself parted fully and a hard ball of flesh slipped inside her with a wet thunk, their bodies now joined completely. Robert tried to pull back but they were now stuck together, his movements limited, but being buried so deep inside Kathryn still kept his hips lunging hard at her, the friction and sweat building between their two bodies. Kathryn was in pleasured agony as wave after wave of sheer bliss washed over her tired form, shuddering as she felt herself wracked with quivering pulses of delight, clenching hard around Robert's length, her body drawing him deeper inside her as he finally released in warm aggressive spurts. She had been so caught up in her own ecstasy that she wasn't sure, but Kathryn was almost ceratin that he had howled as he had released into her; a thought that made her shudder one final time, as her body squeezed yet another contraction out of her throbbing insides. The Wrong Kind of Curse Robert held her for a good minute, their sweat slicked bodies glistening in the twilight, the both of them panting slightly, getting their breath back, a red flush of pleasure remaining on each of their faces. They were both still locked together and had to wait until Robert's shaft softened and shrank back. Kathryn moaned as he finally slid wetly from her, her parted lips aching from being so utterly consumed by his knot, but it was a good feeling and one she would be all to willing to experience again. Rolling her over so he could hold her face to face, Robert planted loving kisses all over his wife's face and neck. She had been his mate and she had been everything he could have wanted, her firm young body having once again taken him beyond even his wildest imaginings of pleasure. As they lay together the first ray of sunlight hit the forest and bathed them in its gentle warmth, Robert squirming slightly as his body returned completely to normal, the remaining fur falling from him as if it were cut grass being blown away in the wind. Kathryn laid a gentle hand across his chest and curled herself round him. "Dawn. We made it. The darkness is behind us now," she whispered and kissed his hand, tucking it under her chin, finding it almost strange not to worry about his claws any more. "But I think you have a little explaining to do." "Yes," Robert sighed. "I just can't believe I'm still alive. My father...he died fighting off a beast like that. Those from the local village thought he was the monster and shot him down, passing on our family curse to me. He managed to get home before he died, he told me on his deathbed that we too could change, but by willingly accepting the curse for whatever reason, we would then be condemned to become something else, every full moon until the day we died. I had no choice back in the house...I couldn't let that monster kill you." "So...that is what happened. That is the truth." "Yes, and I cursed my family for yet another generation." He shook his head, pitifully holding his head in his hands. "But what of your mother...did she know of this curse?" Kathryn asked slowly. "No...the secret has been kept by the male side of our family throughout the years." "Then maybe that's why the curse has not been broken yet," Kathryn replied. "I can help you." "I don't want you to be any part of this," Robert replied firmly. "You could get hurt and I would never forgive myself. That creature will come back, I just wounded it. It looked bad but it will regenerate and its injuries will heal...just like mine have." "Then next full moon we will both hunt it down." Robert looked at his wife and saw the cold feral determination in her eyes. He knew why he had been attracted to her from the very first day he had seen her, out riding on the bridle-way near his home. There was something wild and free in her heart. She had the devotion and strength to be anything she wanted...and she had wanted to be his wife. "We will talk more of this later, sweetheart," Robert replied, running his hand lovingly across his wife's belly, trailing his fingers up the centre of her body. He could touch her for an eternity, she was so smooth and warm. He smiled gently and removed some leaves from her hair, while she carefully, and lovingly traced the scars on his chest, the once vicious wounds now healing nicely. "We will have to come up with a story explaining how I survived." "I will talk to Mary. She was very frightened and I don't know what she thinks she saw, but I believe we can trust her should it come to the truth. Sadly we have a lot of clearing up to do. The village will be curious," Kathryn admitted. "My father dealt with it...so can I." "Now that sounds more like the man I married," Kathryn smiled. "We will get through this, I promise you." Robert nodded, slowly. "I am just relieved I did not harm you. I did not know what would happen, but it seems I do retain some of my human thoughts." "Oh I noticed," Kathryn grinned. "There was only one thing on your mind, as always." "Yes...you," he replied, running a hand through her soft hair. "Yes..I couldn't keep my paws off you." "Down boy," she warned him jokingly. There was a pause. "I'm so glad I married you, Kathryn." The young woman sighed, pressing her back up against her husband's. "I'm glad too." She then smirked up at him. "Although you do know it was just for the money, don't you?" "Oh was it now?" Robert pounced on her, rolling her over and over in the musky morning grass, their laughter echoing through the forest, safe in the knowledge that together they might be able to survive and break the Devencourt curse once and for all. It wouldn't be easy, and out there, somewhere, was the vicious creature that had almost taken from Robert Devencourt everything he held dear. He may have lost a father, but he would not lose a wife. "Robert..." He looked down at his wife, who had become very anxious all of a sudden. "What...what is it Kathryn?" "How are we going to get you back home without any clothes?" He paused for a moment. "Maybe we should wait until nightfall, then go back." "But what would we do until then?" she exclaimed, being quite serious, not knowing that her husband had other ideas. "Oh, I don't know," Robert smiled, his eyes glinting a beautiful shade of amber, "I might be able to think of a few things." Until the next full moon... The End.