84. True Love’s Bite

Paul - The Retezat Mountains
Auburn leaves fall kissed by the cold winds. A cold mountain that still hasn’t welcomed winter. An owl hoots a few times and, as I pass, flies away, out of reach. I can feel the change in the air, now thick with the scent of incoming rain.
The sky above the tree’s canopy is gathering heavy clouds, soon to be released in a torrent of droplets. The first few stars peeking through the dark gray curtains are a sign that I don’t have much time left to find Laura.
I know I'm close. To her. And I know why she ran away, putting distance between us. Because I'm possessive and selfish, not wanting to give her what she needs. I can't give her what she wants without losing everything I love. And I love her. But it seems I'm doomed to lose her anyhow.
I've lost so much time denying reality, turning a blind eye to the truth.
"I'm coming, Laura," I whisper to myself.
The trees seem to go on forever, the forest floor stretching into the distance. Laura is nowhere in sight. I push on, determined to find her before the rain hits.
It’s a long walk through the forest. After passing a few trees, the ground suddenly changes beneath my feet. The earth gives way to something soft and fluffy—the roots of a tree growing on top of the dirt.
I keep going, my feet sinking into the soft ground and my boots sticking to the roots. As I continue, the evergreens take over, the forest floor turning into a cushiony mattress of pine needles and moss.
As I stumble forward, a familiar aroma hits my nostrils—the scent of lilac. I stop in my tracks and close my eyes, the fragrance wafting through my mind and unveiling the path toward Laura.
The rain starts falling lightly but steadily, washing away Laura's scent. The drops hit and bounce from the tees to the ground. It has gotten windier too, the branches whipping around and the wind whistling between the trees.
My nose aches for the lilac aroma. The downpour can drag on my search, and my time is short. The full moon would rise soon in the night sky.
Fortuitously, my nostrils pick up her scent, and I stealthily track it. The scent grows stronger, and I'm confident the path leads me to her. With every step, the smell intensifies, and the memories of our time together flood my mind.
I stop by the edge of a giant pine when I sense her just a few feet away. I lean against the tree and listen to the rain, the sound soothing my aching heart.
As I glimpse beyond the trees, relief floods me, and I almost cry with joy, my guts twisting in delight. Taking a deep calming breath, I look over at her figure. The raindrops splatter more powerful than before, but the world goes silent.
She's perched on a fallen log, her head resting on her hands, probably tired of searching for a legendary, non-existent wolf.
I thought I might never see her again. But here she sits before me, simply stunning with her long copper hair blowing in the wind.
Her voice breaks the rhythm of the rain. “I can hear your beating heart, Paul. Come out.”
“We need to talk,” I say and take a step forward.
The raindrops fall from my hair and onto her face as she looks at me with a mixture of wonder and sadness.
“What’s there to talk about? We both know exactly where we stand. We’re not on the same page.”
Droplets gather on her hair, and all I want to do is reach out and touch her. I’m afraid to move and break the spell.
“When we first kissed, it felt like I had taken my first breath. I won’t ever let you be alone again. Not even in death.” My voice is gentle, and the rain patters against the leaves above us. “Is this what you really want, Laura?”
“What I want?” she shouts as the wind picks up, pulling at her hair. “I want to die, but I don’t want to die. I want you to let me go, but I don’t want you to let me go. I do know I want to be yours completely, whatever it takes, whether in life or death. Bite me!”
I close the distance between us until I stand right before her. She stares at me, unblinking as if she is trying to read my mind and see if I’m ready to grant her wish.
When I lay my lips on her neck, she moans. Her fingers tighten around my hair.
“Not yet,” I whisper, my heart thundering in my chest. “But soon.”
My fingers dig into her back, drawing her closer as my mouth crashes onto hers.
Her tongue dares to slip past my lips, and our tongues entwine. I press against her, pushing her back as she helplessly grips my shirt.
Her clothes are soaking wet as I turn her around and push her against the tree. Her soft surprised cry is swept away by the wind.
I’m not going to let this chance pass me by. If she wants me to bite her, I’m doing it my way.
The coldness of her skin against my palms is refreshing as ever when I clasp my hands over her hips to move them on my own accord.
There’s not much more time left before the bloody full moon comes up. Oh, how I wish I could remain in this moment forever. I want to freeze this moment in time and never let it go.
Brushing away her hair, I reveal her enticing nape.
I lower my head and whisper, “I’ll give you what you want.”
She lets out a lecherous cry, and I take it as permission to continue.
I’ve always fought against the urge to claim her as mine every time we made love. But tonight, I surrender to the pull of my wolf.
Climax approaching, I lick her nape as she’s trapped between the tree and my body. With my last thrust, my teeth sink deep through her skin and into her flesh.
My senses go wild until I have her essence on my tongue. The pleasure is too intense, and I can't hold myself up. I can feel the sweet, salty blood flowing down my tongue, and my heart is pounding against my ribs.
The reality of what I did sinks in. I bit her. And I can't undo it.
I remain like that, frozen in place, for several excruciating seconds. Laura hasn’t made a sound, and I step back.
Her body is too light to make a sound when she falls on the wet leaves, but my heart cracks as if a glass cup had shattered with a loud bang.
My legs give way. I sink to my knees and crawl toward her, cradling her head as she appears asleep. It’s like the moment we met for the first time, but this time I’m more afraid—I might not be able to wake her up.
I caress her face as water streams down my cheeks—be it tears or raindrops, I do not know or care.
The pull of the moon piercing the horizon is getting stronger. The last gasp of my human self is fading away. My wolf wants to join the moon and howl his despair.
My body changes in the blink of an eye, but I don’t want to give up the reins of control. It takes everything I’ve got to stay on top of my senses.
Laura’s blood lingers on my tongue, and I savor it like a fine wine. I lower my muzzle and lick her face. Air is rushing into her nostrils, and her chest heaves with a strong, deep breath.
The tick of her heart joins the rhythm of the rain.
Her eyes blink open, and I take a step back using all four limbs. I’m afraid—afraid I’ve lost my mind, and everything I’m seeing is merely an illusion.
As if to make things even harder for me to believe, white light shines in the darkness, shrouding her out of my sight.
I blink, and now a wolf is standing where Laura was a moment ago, its fur a fiery copper. We reach out our muzzles and sniff each other. My wolf recognizes her as his one true mate.
With our coats already soaking wet, we brush our heads together, our breaths mingling.
The gypsy witch told me love would break any curse, but she didn’t say how.
True love’s kiss is a fairytale. True love’s bite is the real thing.