Blanche snickered, as they always say, time makes the heart grow fonder. The more they teased each other it was clear the more they wanted each other. She couldn’t help but raise a brow at the finger pointed at her, adjusting herself a little before gently nipping at it. “It’s rude to point you know, I might just have to go even slower,” she teased, slowly starting to trail kisses down Josephine’s arm, making sure to drag each one out as she made her way up to the woman’s shoulder, her lips finding her collarbone. Her hands kept themselves busy, roaming Josephine’s body freely. She couldn’t help but smirk against the soft skin, kissing where her neck met her shoulder. Blanche nipped at the area, a little harder than the gentle nips but not hard enough to leave a mark. That was until she began gently sucking and nipping at the certain spot some more, savouring Josephine’s taste for a few moments.

It wasn’t the kind of mark she so desperately wanted to leave but she controlled herself but it would linger there for a while and eased some of the possessiveness she felt over the woman. It wasn’t permanent like she truly wanted but that also needed permission and would be hard to hide. She couldn’t do that to Josephine right now, especially just before she had to leave. The way her name was said only made it harder to fight back her instincts and she had to pull away a little, closing her eyes with a shaky breath passing her lips. “You have no idea what you are doing to me, my little rose,” she hummed, opening her eyes and looking deep into Josephine’s. This wasn’t fair. Her mortal enemy was the one woman she had ever truly wanted. It was typical and she couldn’t help but curse the moon for giving them such a fate.

When she looked back to Josephine her heart dropped even more, the frown on her face only bringing one to her own. With a soft sigh, she brought her hand up to cup the vampire’s cheek. Brushing her thumb gently across the skin, she offered a weak smile. “I really don’t want to but he will find me, no matter what or who he has to go through,” she told her. Blanche knew her father more than anyone and if he found her here it would throw him into a blind rage, he would kill anyone in his path and it wouldn’t end well for anyone. Especially after him explicitly telling her to avoid vampires at all costs. Yet here she was, in the vampire king's home with his daughter. Blanche truly didn’t want to leave, as much as she hated staying indoors she would have happily stayed in Josephine’s room forever if it meant staying with her but she couldn’t.

Feeling Josephine’s lips against her skin let all those thoughts slip away for a little while, savouring the feeling as if it was the last time she would ever get to hold her like this. Her hands trailed up and down the woman’s back, letting her nails drag along the skin. Blanche Let her eyes close, pushing her hair out of the way and tilting her head a little, giving more room for Josephine. The feeling of fangs digging into her skin made Blanche gasp slightly, her grip tightening on the woman above her. In some way it was a pleasant feeling and couldn’t help but enjoy it, craving more. “You are making it so much harder,” she whispered, the want to stay with her only intensified. Every kiss and every mark had her longing for more, she knew it was going to be even more painful to leave.

The sad look in the woman’s oh so beautiful eyes made her frown once more, her hand moving from Josephine’s back to cup her cheek. “This won’t be the last time you see me, even if I have to sneak in here myself,” she said softly, trying to reassure her that she wouldn’t let this be the last time. Blanche returned the short and sweet kiss, leaning up to keep the vampire's lip against hers just a moment longer. “Hmm I don’t know, if you were in the cage with me, I don’t think I could complain,” she replied with a small chuckle to try and lighten the mood. Besides, she could hardly call staying there with her a cage, she would enjoy every second but it wasn’t safe, for anyone. If any ham came to Josephine she would never forgive herself.

Blanche shivered at the feeling of Josephine’s claw, a quiet hum passing her lips, the smile finding her lips again at the woman’s promise. The chuckle that she heard from her only made the air around them a little lighter. “I will keep you to that promise, otherwise I’ll just have to take my time the next time too,” she smirked, making her own promise that she intended to keep. Feeling the woman’s body leave hers, she couldn’t help but feel cold for the first time in her life. She wanted her back in her arms, she wanted the skin back against her skin, she wanted to completely forget about her father and let them finish what they had started. Knowing she couldn’t made her frown, slowly pushing her body up so she sat up, looking over to Josephine as she did.

The pain slowly crept itself back inside of her, starting with a dull ache running through every joint to her shoulder throbbing violently. Blanche bit her lip lightly, bringing her hand up to her shoulder only to feel how swollen it was. She winced at the touch and cringed at the idea of how it looked, wondering if Josephine could see how swollen she felt it was. Blanche didn’t have time to worry about that though and had to keep ignoring it. Hopefully shifting would fix it later on, no matter how painful the process was going to be. It wasn’t going to be something she could avoid and the pain would pass once she had. Another, closer howl snapped her thoughts out her mind, her head turning to the window once again. It was deeper this time, holding more authority to it and it was hard for her to fight the wolf part of her wanting to run to his call. “He’s getting closer,” she whispered, a small whimper surpassing her lips.

Turning back to the woman next to her, her eyes held such a deep sadness. “I wish I could stay with you,” she said before slowly slipping herself off of the bed. Blanche reached for Josephine’s legs, gently pulling her to the edge before lifting her into her arms, not caring how much it hurt to do so. She wrapped the woman’s legs around her waist with one arm keeping the rest of her up. Lifting the spare hand, she brushed the dark hair out of the vampire’s face, running her fingers through her hair. “No matter what, I’ll always be able to find you, count on that,” she told her, bringing their faces together and pressing a gentle kiss against her lips. She would eventually get out of her fathers grasp, no matter how mad he was going to be with her. He would certainly smell Josephine on her but the clothes were something she could fix. She planned on letting herself turn before going to her father, the clothes would need to come off before that otherwise they would just tear.

Blanche could only just hear Josephine’s words and if she was anyone else she wouldn’t have. It pained her to not just give in and stay but it wasn’t safe, for either of them. She let out a soft whimper, “I want to, more than I’ve ever wanted anything but I’ve put you in danger, we aren’t going to see eachother again if either of us gets killed tonight,” she said softly, not wanting to upset the woman more but to reassure her that this was the only decision. There was no doubt Blanche could find Josephine again, her scent became ingrained into her mind and she would track it to the end of the earth if need be. “I assure you, wherever you go or are, I’ll be able to find you. I promise you that,” she told her, lifting her head a little to brush their noses together. A silly gesture but an affectionate one.

She was just glad their last moments weren’t the saddest, that they had joked around a little first. Leaving things on such a sad note wouldn’t sit right and would eat away at her until they saw each other again. The second howl had cut their time so much shorter and even Blanche could hear the footsteps of another, most likely Josephine’s father. If she was going to get out it was going to be relatively soon. Blanche didn’t want this war to worsen because of the two of them, it would only make everyone's lives that much harder. “Trust me, my little rose, there is nothing in the world that could stop me finding you. I’ll have you in my arms again,” she reassured again, whispering the last part. She meant every word, she refused to believe that this was the last time she held this certain vampire. No matter how long it took.

The first thing that came to her mind when she heard the vampire king's voice and was ushered to the balcony was Romeo and Juliet. She just hoped they didn’t share the same fate, even if it was one of her favourites. All of Shakespeare was. Her thought was interrupted as she was spun around and leaned against the stone railing, her eyes finding Josephine’s before they closed. Blanche pulled the woman close for a moment, returning the passionate kiss, not wasting any second and savouring the last kiss. Blanche gave a sad smile as the other pulled away before glancing over the edge. Blanche pulled herself up, swinging one leg over the railing. Despite how high it was, she had the confidence in herself to know she could do it. Her attention turned back to the woman she had to leave. “Until next time, my sweet Juliet,” was all she managed to say before Josephine quickly left. Blanche followed suit.

Making sure to hold onto the stone, she swung the other leg over and lowered herself down a little, finding a lower ledge to lower down on before finding her footing. Thankfully for her there were a few loose bricks and vines to secure herself on. Trying to get a little lower before pushing herself off of the wall entirely, jumping and landing almost flawlessly. The training seemed to be of good use and in these moments she was glad for them. Once on the ground, keeping herself low and hurriedly moving towards the wall so she was out of sight, using the shadows to camouflage herself.

Blanche was about to head for the gate when a shadow caught her eye, heading closer towards Josephine's stables. As much as she knew she had to continue on, she couldn't fight her curiosity. Besides, the sheer size of the shadow indicated that it was a werewolf. As she snuck closer, she inhaled deeply and looked for any sign of familiarity but there was none. Once near the stables she saw a werewolf, one that was definitely from her pack and one she hadn't seen before stalking the horses, making them cry and thrash. Blanche knew just how much the vampire cared for these horses and couldn't let any harm come to them under her watch, especially by her very own species. With that, the wolf made her presence known to the male, stepping out in front of the stables as if blocking his path. Potentially a bad idea but if her dad was good at anything it was training her. She knew how to handle herself as much as she hated fighting.

"Are you stupid?" She growled in a low tone but couldn't help notice as his eyes travelled over her body, realising the sweater wasn't on her still. He stared hungrily, taking a threatening step forward. Observing the situation, this wolf must be a rogue that no longer cares about their life or a newbie, one that doesn't know the laws or anything for that matter. With the hunger in their eyes Blanche placed her bets on the later but either way this needed to be handled swiftly. The vampires would come out and handle it for her otherwise. "Leave," she growled again but he only growled back and took another step in her direction. Clearly this werewolf didn't know who he was dealing with, he clearly didn't know her status and was making a big mistake. Blanche had the authority to kill him then and there if she chose to, those who challenged royalty deserved no less punishment. Thankfully for him she wasn't like that.

There was only one other way and for her to do that meant letting the control up and getting out of there as soon as she could afterwards. It wasn't something she wanted to do, glancing in the direction of Josephine's balcony. A mistake on her half as the male reached out, digging his sharp claws into her arm. A hiss of pain had her shooting her gaze back to him. That was all it took for her to lose it at him, a loud and dominating roar rose from her chest, probably scaring the horses more but saving them nonetheless. The male let go of her arm and threw himself backwards, forced into a bow before her before running off, leaving wherever he came from. Blanche looked at her arm with a wince, watching as blood trailed down her skin. There was no time left, she needed to leave now or she was never getting out. With that, she spun on her heels and headed for the gate Josephine mentioned. Her eyes set on the tree line in the distance and she made her way for it. Home was a distance away but she just needed to get far away enough from the castle. Blanche could feel every shred of control she had fade away, like a row of strings being cut one by one.

Once further away from the castle, as far as she could get that is. Her knees gave way and she collapsed onto the ground, debris scrapping her knees through the thin sweatpants she had on. Digging her fingers into the forest floor, she braced herself. She couldn't take it anymore, the pull was far too strong and she was no longer able to fight against her instincts, each little rope had been cut bar one and everything was hanging by a thread. Blanche’s chest tightened as the heat grew, the rain doing nothing to soothe her body. By this point she was hunched over, knowing what was about to happen and with how much her shoulder hurt earlier she had to brace herself. Not that it did much.

A loud, piercing scream erupted from her as the transformation began, there was no doubt it travelled far out, reaching any ears within a few miles. Her father most certainly heard it and just hoped it would be over by the time he got there, her scent would be covered for a little while once she turned as even her own scent changed but once morning came and she was back, she knew she would have Josephine’s scent all over her. Blanche couldn’t worry about that now though, the pain was far too much and she felt as though it could kill her. Death would be less painful. She knew it wouldn’t though, it was simply her punishment for refusing her nature.

A bloodcurdling snap echoed through the trees as the first of her bones cracked and reconfigured into an abnormal fashion, changing her very skeleton. It was as painful as her first shift, her screams and cries growing louder with each bone. She couldn't control them anymore, even trying just made the pain more intense. Blanche's skin began to burn at an accelerated pace, making her want to tear it away from her body. The sweats she was wearing were quickly clawed off to try and alleviate the pain while deep red fur began sprouting from her body. The double set of canines grew longer and stronger, her mouth elongating to that of a muzzle in the process, making room for the canines. The excruciating pain made her whole body shake, her chest rising and falling in a rapid motion as everything began to change. Blanche's legs grew, her ankles snapping and stretching in a way where she was only able to walk on her toes.

Soon enough the chilling screams turned to a loud and long howl, the pain was instantly gone and she felt more strong and powerful as ever. Blanche let out another howl, calling her father to her. Despite the complete primal state she was in, werewolves always recognised their kin which was why he had been calling for her in the first place. Packs stuck together, full moon or not. Every shred of her humanity was lost in this moment and all she wanted to do was kill, to hunt and run. It was a free feeling but one Blanche didn't enjoy personally, she just had no choice. If there was any choice she would still be up there with Josephine. Despite not being in control, she pushed herself to continue on away from the castle, her father was going to know she was around a vampire either way so getting away from where she was would throw him off her being exactly where she was. Seeing him angry was not on her bucket list tonight. That was her last sane thought before she took off, her father's howl telling her exactly where he was.

He was considerably close, clearly having heard her screams. The wolf ran towards her, not once slowing down his gait as he did so, concern written in his dark eyes. Once he reached Blanche he practically tackled her to the ground, earning him a disapproving growl but it was a growl he completely ignored as he checked over. As he did, Blanche noticed other werewolves that were also shifted start filling in from different directions, it was their pack and it was clear to her that he had sent out a whole search party. Something he wouldn't usually do so quickly. Something must have caused him to worry more but that wasn't something she cared about right now.

With a growl, she pushed her lump of her father off of her, getting up onto her toes. She easily stood at 7ft now, all sense of elegance or beauty was lost. A raging beast in its finest, one she was forced to let out of its cage. All the others seemed to sense it, her eyes locked onto her father's and before he knew he she shot off ahead, running as fast as she could through the trees, picking up all the different scents around her. The thundering of her father and the pack closely behind was a comforting one. It was time to hunt. The rain was soothing, soaking all of their fur but it didn’t stop them, if anything it heightened every sense, every urge, every desire.

The next morning came as a blur and a certain werewolf awoke with a start as screams from last night replayed in her mind, the only memory she had from shifting. Josephine, they were hers at first and if she was in any sort of control she would have charged back there without a second thought. The taste of metal in her mouth soon became apparent and Blanche gagged on it, quickly rolling herself over to try and spit out as much as she could. This was the worst part, the not remembering, the blank spot in her head. A great wave of concern filled within her and she looked off in the distance. She hoped, prayed even that the other woman was okay. She had to be, she didn’t know how she would ever live with herself if she wasn’t. Yet she couldn’t even go and check, not for a while and that pained her more than anything.

All the pain in her muscles and joints were gone, the beast within her was finally satisfied. Rolling back onto her back, Blanche let out a sigh, looking up at the now bright sky. The moon was gone and it was all over for a month. She laid there for a moment, not a care in the world that she was naked which was rather natural for her species. With all their clothes tearing at every shift, they would always shift back with nothing and so they needed to have pride in themselves. As much as she didn’t care for others staring at her, it also felt natural and usually just walked back home without doing anything to cover herself. Thankfully they always stopped near their pack house.

It was a rather large building with enough rooms for the immediate pack. It was purposely built within a few acres of forest, every acre was private land and for good reason, anyone that trespassed held the punishment of their life. The building itself was beautiful in its own right and was handbuilt, being passed down through the generations. It fit in with its surroundings as it was made of the wood from them, keeping their raw look. It was basically a cabin but in the form of a grand mansion. There was no need for insulation as those that lived there had all the body heat they needed. It certainly wasn’t as lavish as the castle where Josephine lived but it was home.

With a grunt, Blanche pulled herself into a seated position, letting every memory of being the shift to flood to her. Oh how she wished she was back with the vampire, holding her and waking up to her beautiful eyes instead of the taste of blood. Her hand went to her neck as everything replayed and she quickly realised she couldn’t just waltz back home, that she would need to sneak into her bedroom window and get dressed. Remembering Josephine’s gentle bite brought a shiver up her spine, she knew there was most likely a mark there and if she could shower, maybe her father wouldn’t smell her at all. The idea of washing her scent away was a sad one but it was safer and she may be able to see Josephine sooner. It was that thought that had her getting up in a hurry.

The wolf took the moment to look around reluctantly, seeing if any of the damage she had done was around her. To her disgust it was and an awful sight it was. She could have thrown up then and there if she hadn’t composed herself. Around her lay the body parts of different animals, scattered across the ground as if she had just ripped them apart for the fun of it. Blood stained the green grass and so was she, there was so much blood she couldn’t even tell if any of it was her own. However, the most disturbing sight was a human arm, completely torn from whoever it came from without the rest of the body anywhere to be seen. Her curiosity got the best of her and she approached the limb, crouching down before inhaling deeply. The blood was strong and she couldn’t smell anything but it. “Focus,” she muttered to herself, inhaling once more.

That's when it hit her, the werewolf from last night with the horses. As much as she didn’t remember anything, she must have found him again. Her primal instinct wasn’t so kind and must have killed him from the disrespect. Blanche squeezed her eyes shut, she couldn’t let herself believe that this was her. Shaking her head, she quickly stood and stepped away. It wasn’t true, it couldn’t be. This wasn’t her. Blanche lifted her hand to her arm and remembered how they had dug her claws into it. Maybe her father did this, after all he was overprotective. Whether that was the case or not, she had to believe that one, it was the only thing that would keep her sane.

Blanche looked down to her blood stained body and cringed, she needed to get home and clean fast. She needed the blood gone. Without so much as a look back, Blanche started running home, passing a few still sleeping pack members that were all just as bloodied. It was a vile sight and she understood the vampire's hatred for them. Focusing on getting home, she sped up and came up to the front of her home. Much to her surprise, her father was sitting on the step leading up to the entrance, one hand in the other as he stared down at them. He was already cleaned up and dressed, seemingly waiting for her. With a hard swallow, she forced herself to slow down. For the first time she hoped the blood was covering up any mark and any scent from the vampire.

Walking up to her father, she put one foot up on the step beside him, trying to just walk past him silently. She should have just known it wasn’t going to work as a hand snapped to her ankle, firmly but gently holding her in her place. “You and I, little miss, are going to talk, go get yourself cleaned up and dressed then come straight down,” he ordered, his gaze never fleeting the ground. It was scariest when he was calm, when he was thinking and Blanche quickly nodded. “Yes sir,” she replied and with that he let her go, instantly having her jog up to the door. Letting herself in, she made her way up into her room. Despite it being rather small, she had her own bathroom and for that she was thankful. Cleanliness was important to her and she couldn’t wait for the hot water, prepared to scrub her skin raw.

Turning the shower to its hottest setting, Blanche turned to the cabinet under her skin, getting a few things out while she waited for it to heat up. Her first aid kit and some make up, she wasn't one to typically wear makeup but she got it out just in case Josephine had left a mark on her neck. All the now dried blood covered it at the moment but she would soon rid herself of that. Stepping into the shower, a heavy sigh left her lips at the feeling of the water hitting her skin, steam from the very heat of the water slowly filling the room. For a moment she just stood there, staring at the white tiles that surrounded her as memories of Josephine flooded her mind. The scream. The only memory she had of the night since she left and it was as if it was right there. Blanche squeezed her eyes shut tight, bracing herself against the wall. She needed to check on her, just to see that she was okay. That nothing bad happened to her. Even if that meant sneaking herself away.

With another sigh, Blanche pushed herself off of the wall and looked down, the watered down crimson swirling at her feet as it slid down the drain. Picking up her loofah, Blanche began scrubbing relentlessly, not caring about her skin at that moment. She needed all of it gone, she needed to be clean. It didn't take too much scrubbing thankfully and soon enough all blood was free from her body. Turning the water back off, Blanche grabbed her towel and stepped out, looking at herself in the full body mirror situated by the door. She couldn't help but cringe. Last night must have been a rough one and that other wolf clearly put up a fight but there was nothing life threatening. The claw marks on her upper arm were most likely going to scar but if she looked after the wound that scarring should be minimal. That wasn't her only wound though, just the worst. Other than that there were a few scrapes and grazes along with some heavy bruising going up her side and on her legs. Her jaw also had a nice purple bruise running across it, something she couldn’t just hide with clothing.

Turning to her sink, she looked in the mirror that hung above it, getting a closer look at her neck. Raising a hand, her thumb gently brushed against the mark Josephine had left, a sad smile finding her lips as she remembered their night together. The two little puncture marks were quite visibly from a vampire and needed covering. Her father knowing she spoke to vampires would be one thing but he would lose it if he saw she had been bitten by one, no matter how gentle it was. It would put them both in more danger than they already had been in. Blanche didn’t want to cover it but she had to. With another sigh, she decided to tend to the wound on her arm first.

Pulling out a cotton pad and some rubbing alcohol, she dabbed some onto the piece of cotton before cleaning around and over each of the claw marks there. Blanche winced at first but the pain was manageable, just a sharp sting. Deeming it clean enough, she placed some gauze over it, using most of her supply. “I'm going to need to restock,” she muttered to herself, a habit she had since she was little. With the gauze in place, she wrapped a bandage around the area a couple times to keep it in place and to stop her messing with it. Blanche was taking longer than she realised and soon enough heard footsteps heading up to her room. Turning to the bathroom door, she locked it, something she hadn’t felt completely necessary earlier but knowing her father he would just walk in if he wanted to, that was if it was him.

Going back to her sink she quickly got some make up out, doing her best to cover up the mark that was left on her neck. It worked well for now but she wasn’t too sure how long it would last. Soon enough her bedroom door opened without so much of a knock and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, wrapping the towel around her body just to cover herself up a little while she stayed in the bathroom, waiting for whoever it was to announce themselves. She was tired and if she wanted to she could easily find out who it was but just didn’t have the energy to. “B?” A familiar voice called out, knocking on the bathroom door and trying the handle. There were only a fair few that used that nickname on her and she internally groaned. Her usual people person attitude was too much energy for her right now, she just wanted to get through the day.

While it wasn’t her father, it was his second in command, beta in other words. He was a younger man for his position but proved himself time and time again. His loyalty was undying and he had an amazing work ethic. Yet he was also a man she could confide in at times, thinking the war was just as silly as she did which was comforting in a way. She saw him as a slightly older brother figure more than anything so put away her makeup and other bits before unlocking the door for him. “It's open,” she called out, checking her face and neck once more in the mirror. Sol didn’t waste any time, stepping into the bathroom and looking her over. Glancing over to him she couldn’t help but seen a glisten of sadness within his eyes, causing her to frown a little. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

Her question seemed to catch the man off guard and he quickly composed himself. “I’ll talk to you about it later,” he quickly said, only making her more concerned but she covered that up. Knowing if he wanted to, he would tell her. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, he quickly beat her to it. “Your father is growing impatient, he wants to talk to us both but is waiting for you,” he explained, looking her over once more as she turned to face him, holding the towel tightly around herself. “I just need to get dressed,” she replied, going to step around him but before she could, he cupped her chin, lifting her head a little. At first she panicked, thinking he could see the mark on her neck but she managed to keep that feeling hidden, praying it wasn’t the case.

“Blanche,” he breathed out, concern written all over his face as he brushed a thumb gently across the ever darkening bruise on her jaw. With that and the other injury he could see, he grew worried for her. “It’s not like you to be so reckless on a full moon, that's a nasty bruise,” he finally spoke and she held back a sigh of relief, pulling her chin from his grasp. Blanche hadn’t even realised how she had tensed up until she relaxed. With a hard swallow she moved around him to grab some clothes. “I-” She paused, looking in her closet. Sol had always been on her case about her whole control issue and she knew if she told him why she was so reckless, he would be upset with her.

Picking out a simple black hoodie and some dark grey jeans along with some undergarments she turned to look back at him to see him waiting for her to respond properly. “I didn’t let myself shift last moon, I think that has something to do with it, it was like I was shifting for the first time,” she said quickly, avoiding eye contact with the man. “Blanche!” He quickly reprimanded, shaking his head at her. “I told you nothing good ever happens when you fight it for so long, does your father know?” Blanche grimaced at his question and slowly shook her head, knowing he was going to find out whether she or Sol told him. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll be down,” she decided to change the subject for now, knowing it would come back up as soon as her father sat her down. What confused her was why he wanted to see them both.

Sol nodded and she watched him leave. It was going to be a long and tedious day with no room to get out and be on her own. As much as she wanted to at least go check on Josephine she knew it wouldn’t be possible. Not today. With a quiet groan, Blanche dried herself off a bit more, making sure to be gentle with certain areas before getting herself dressed. She couldn’t waste anymore time, especially with her father growing impatient. It wasn’t unlike him but he was always a bit more angsty after a full moon and getting on his bad side for anyone wasn’t a fun ride. He was more lenient with Blanche but he could also be just as stern with her.

Once dressed, Blanche quickly left her room, heading downstairs to her father's office. The hood made for an extra precaution and it was something she hadn't even planned but she was thankful for it. Just in case the makeup rubbed off or anything, the hood kept it hidden underneath it. Outside the office stood Sol, pacing in front of the door. It was a habit of his, one Blanche thought made him look silly. "You are just as impatient as he is," she chuckled, rolling her eyes playfully. It was clear she felt a little better now she had clothes on but it was all a facade, she had to put on a good face. Lying definitely wasn't a strength of hers and everyone knew that. "Finally," the man grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her. If it was anyone else, he would have seemed genuinely annoyed but she simply laughed at him and shook her head, knocking on the door to her father's office.

“Come in,” the grunt of her father showed her he was clearly annoyed and she wasn’t sure if it was because of her or something else entirely. It was definitely time to find out and so Blanche reluctantly opened the door, walking in with Sol behind her. “Give us a moment alone, Sol,” the man said, not once looking in the direction but still knowing he was following in with his daughter. Sol offered Blanche a small smile before nodding. “Yes sir,” he replied and with that he left, closing the door behind him. He was smart enough not to even try and listen in. Besides he was trusted and that was never a concern of anyones. Blanche took a couple steps inside the room, her hands clasped together in front of her.

It was clear to her that he wasn’t going to waste any time, turning to face Blanche with a stern look on his face. However it quickly melted and was replaced with confusion mixed with concern. Walking over to his daughter, he cupped her chin in a firm but gentle grasp, much like Sol had. “I know, I know, it looks bad,” she muttered, taking a step back to pull her chin from his hand. Shaking his head, Harden sighed and moved to lean himself against the oak of his desk. Gripping the edge as he did so. “What happened last night? You didn’t come to either of my calls and then I hear you screaming bloody murder,” Blanche’s father pointed out, his eyes narrowing at the ground. With age, there was better control on the full moon in certain ways. For her father he had grown to be able to remember what he did. She always placed that fact on how he was so in tune with the beast within him and wasn’t afraid to kill to get what he wanted.

Blanche was silent for a moment, her hand going to the back of her neck with a rubbing motion. If anyone made her nervous it was her father and now Josephine but that was in a different way. As her mind went back to the woman from last night, she forgot that her father asked her a question and looked through the large window that was situated at the side of the office, a great view of their land could be seen and it had been her favourite to look out when she was young. “Blanche, I do not have patience today,” he growled and she blinked, bringing her attention back to her father. She swallowed hard and looked down to her feet, knowing she would need to give him some sort of answer.

“When I let myself shift, the pain was unbearable. It was like I was shifting for the first time again,” she explained, choosing to look past the part about not answering. Coming up with some awful lie would only make him suspicious. If she wanted to see Josephine again anytime soon she needed to stay trusted. Glancing up from the ground, she tried to read her fathers face, trying to find any sort of reaction before hearing it. “Blanche, please tell me you haven’t been fighting against it all again,” he asked, practically pleading with her to tell him that wasn’t the case. Her face fell and she quickly dropped her head. The answer he was going to get wasn’t going to be one he enjoyed.

With a composing breath she rolled her shoulders and lifted her head, turning to face him. “You know how I was out of town the last moon?” she questioned but didn’t let him respond, quickly continuing so she didn’t end up talking herself out of telling him. His eyes said it all anyway. “Well, I might have managed to stop myself from shifting entirely,” as she spoke, her confidence quickly deteriorated and she took a step back, her feet being the most interesting thing in the room. There was a silence in the air, making it so thick one could choke on it. Silence was always the worst and she couldn’t help but shift on her feet, it was killing her. Her hands grew clammy and how uncomfortable she felt was absolutely ridiculous. She felt pathetic and yet she couldn’t control it.

Yet instead of saying anything, he simply pushed himself off of the desk and turned back to it, walking around to sit in his chair. “Go get Sol,” he ordered from her and she opened her mouth to speak, wanting him to at least say something about the matter but ended up deciding against it. She spun on the balls of her feet and headed for the door, opening it and signalling for Sol to come in. Once they were both inside, Blanche looked over to her father who was staring down at some tedious paperwork. This must have been related to something different entirely as much as it seemed to cause him stress, she knew she had upset him. The quietness made it quite clear and that scared her.

“You are both obviously aware of this continuous war between us and vampires,” he started, leaning back in his chair with his hands placed on his knees. They both gave a short nod, knowing he wasn’t finished. “There are rules about this, laws. When broken they are punishable by death which is the one thing we have in common with that species,” Harden added, the disgust he felt comparing them to vampires was as clear as day. Blanche couldn’t help but grow a little nauseous, her heart sank and she truly hoped this wasn’t about her and Josephine. Surely no one saw them, right?

“Well a werewolf and vampire were seen together, they have dealt with their traitor but ours has seemed to run. Whoever they are deserve no mercy, especially with such cowardness,” he spat the last part, a low growl forming in his throat. Sol and Blanche shared a glance to each other before looking at her father. “Do we have any idea where they went?” Blanche chirped in, wanting to seem like she was on board with her father when really, she wanted nothing to do with the whole ordeal. There was nothing wrong with it and she couldn’t help but grow worried. If that scream she heard was Josephine being killed for someone seeing them, she didn’t quite know what she would do.

Blanche’s father shook his head with a frown. “No but they couldn’t have gone too far and with the running they clearly know the laws so they are part of one of our packs. I need you both to find them, go to the other packs and ask if anyone is missing. Report back to me every day you come up empty handed,” he answered, standing from his seated position only for the two in front of him to straighten themselves up. “Yes sir,” they both said in sync. “If they run, rip their throat out but if they come willingly, bring them to me. You will leave tomorrow, for now prepare and rest up.” He finished, walking over to the door to his office and opening it, signalling them to leave. Grabbing Sol’s arm for a moment to keep him back, waiting for his daughter to get out of earshot so he could talk to him privately.