**Lycanthropy**

[WritingWithLove]

"No problem," she said happily, "I'd do anything for you." She blushed, realizing what she had just said.

Girlfriend.
Girlfriend.
Kiss.
Kiss.
Kiss.

Briar balled her hands into tight fists to stop herself from screwing something up. "You can start heading to Gravestone as soon as you'd like, but I'm coming with you, okay?"  

[Fenrir Shade]

"I was hoping you'd come." he says, taking note of her 'I'd do anything' comment, but not thinking much of it. "I'll see you tomorrow after I recover from the change."  

[WritingWithLove]

"Of course, but would you mind leading me back outta here?" she asked sheepishly. "I'm afraid I can't phase through floors or anything without some assistance."  

[Fenrir Shade]

Fenrir laughs, and leads her back into the basement proper, "Of course." He takes her hand, "But I have to take you through the Shadow realm first. Because I can't reach the ceiling. I have to be touching the object. But I have to warn you, do not listen to anything the Realm says. It will play tricks on your mind. It will bring up memories that you don't want to remember. Just stay focused on me, and you'll be fine. But if you don't want to go through it, we can just take the stairs.  

[WritingWithLove]

Unable to swallow her pride, she replied eagerly, "I can survive anything. We can take the stairs another day!" She squeezed his hand, doing her best to focus on him, which wasn't too hard for her.  

[Fenrir Shade]

"Alright." They began to sink into what seemed like a pitch black bubbling tar pit, slowly being enveloped by shadow. They enter the realm, completely black and featureless, yet they could see eachother clearly.  

[WritingWithLove]

This isn't so bad! Briar thought to herself, I can handle this!

No you can't. Wastes of space can't handle anything.

The voice was like a thousand devilish whispers, and they chilled her to her very core.

I'm no waste!
Sure you're not; at least, not to you.

A memory that she thought she had locked away for good reemerged. She watched her mother take a large knife out of a drawer in their kitchen.
"Rosie, you know what happens when you disobey me?"
"But Mother, I was only late home by a few minutes!"

"F-Fenny," she muttered, "can we leave now?"

"You still disobeyed me, you foolish girl!"
Shing!
Slice!
Rrrip!
"No, Mother, stop it, please! I'm sorry! I'll never be late again!"
"That's what you said last time!"
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
"Mother, you're hurting me! Please stop!"

"Fenny, we need to go!"

Slash!
"Worthless!"
Slash!
"Ungrateful!"
Slash!
"NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU!"
Slash!
Slash!

"Fenrir, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Everyone hates you...
Everyone hates you...
Even him...
No one can be trusted...
No one...  

[Fenrir Shade]

Ferir heard her pleas, but couldn't stop. They were half way through the floor, and he would have killed them if he stopped now. But he had to do something. He could see her pain. The Realm was getting to her. He then shouts at the top of his lungs, "ENOUGH!!" and the realm grew quiet. "I am the master of this realm! Not you dammit! You have caused someone pain for the last time! You will never speak again!" Fenrir's eyes were glowing, and the Realm seemed to recede and become permanently silent. Then the realm lit up with images from his mother's execution, her head rolling off the stage and landing directly in front of him. But Fenrir didn't move, didn't blink, just stood his ground. "I created you! I am your master!" and with that, the Realm returned to emptiness, never to prey on another's pain again. Then they arrived inside Briar's room, and they collapsed ontop of eachother.  

[WritingWithLove]

The promise Briar had made herself earlier shattered as she began to sob. "I-I'm so sorry!" she wailed, "I didn't, I never, I thought, I, I, I can't!" She clung to him and cried deeply, still hearing her mother's voice.
"She was right! N-no one should ever b-be stuck with me! I'm a pain, and useless, a-a-and a jerk! No one could ever l-love someone like that!" Briar whimpered, "I... I'm a monster..."  

[Fenrir Shade]

Fenrir knew it was his fault that she was like this, and he hated himself for it. "No. That is not true. I love being with you. I love talking to you. I love your jokes. I love your eyes. I love everything about you. I love you." he finally admitted it, and he felt good for doing so.  

[WritingWithLove]

"Don't tease me like that!" she snapped. She continued to cry as she said, "Y-you know that I-I have feelings f-for you, and you're j-just sayin' that t-to make me f-feel better!" Her body shook as she leaned on him, and her head pounded.  

[Fenrir Shade]

Fenrir hugs her and pulls her closer, "I'm not lying. I have had feeling for you since the first night you arrived. I just never admitted it."  

[WritingWithLove]

She remembered all of the things she had overheard him say about her, and the way he'd acted around her compared to others.
"I-I..." she said, feeling a bit more under control, "I... I love you too!" She hugged him tighter and added, "I knew there was something amazing about you since the second I saw you! I thought that I might be sick or something, but I guess I knew all along that I had feelings for you! I don't just want you, Fenrir! I NEED you! I promise I'll never betray you, and I'll be supportive, and I'll protect you even if it means I have to die! I love you!"  

[Fenrir Shade]

This was all happening so fast. Fenrir struggled to find words. "I knew there was something special between us since that first night. I didn't know it was love until the following morning. I know you won't betray me, just like I won't betray you. I will support you as well. But I will be the one to protect you. No one will ever harm you again."  

[WritingWithLove]

"No one will ever harm you again."

No one had ever said that to her before. No one had ever said anything like that before, and hell, she hadn't heard anyone tell her "I love you" since she was eight, and even then it was her father.
She grabbed his collar and pulled him close enough so that their faces were only an inch or two away from one another.
"I-I gotta ask you one question, though."