A/N: So this isn't a totally original idea but I didn't realize the similarities I brought in the witches. If you've ever read it, it's called Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. It's not exactly witches in her book and the wolves are something they created in her series, but it's pretty much the same thing. Even down to the savior with a strange tattoo. But the emblem, the tattoo, is what originally gave me the idea (before I remembered Cremer's book at all). It was a heart surrounded by the rays of a sun and it was very, very pretty. It was in the chapel and it was during adoration, but I couldn't help but sketch it. It got stuck in my head and this is what came from it.
Anyway, onto the summary.
Young, naïve, nineteen year old Maka Albarn has moved to the city and finds herself immersed in her new life. With longtime online friend Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Maka quickly adjusts after having lived in a small, close knit country town for her entire life. And meanwhile, a white haired red eyed wolf-boy by the name of Soul has finally come of age and has learned that his pack's leaders are conspiring to get rid of some kind of opponent before he leaves for his second rite of passage, one that includes less ceremony and more proving himself as a man. That's when he meets the girl with the sun lit heart on her back in inky black on her upper back. He starts a relationship with her, even though it's against his pack's laws—a law that, if broken, could result in death. But when the witches start telling the pack about an enemy with a sunlit heart inked on the girl's upper back, Soul knows that something is wrong. It's then that he immerses Maka in a life she's never heard of and a plot to kill her that she doesn't understand. And Soul will do anything to protect her from all of it.
So, sound good? I think it does. Albeit, a little bit of a lengthy description but I like it.
Now, time for the story.
Chapter 1
The long drive over, Maka dragged her feet as she shuffled towards the door marked by the number 106. She pulled her bags behind her and carried one on her shoulder. Yawning, she found that they seemed to be getting heavier and heavier with each step. She barely made it to the door and knocked before she leaned against the doorway, finally resting. And then the door was open and she was staring at the girl she'd been messaging for years.
"Maka?" The girl nearly yelled, eyes wide with surprise. "You…you're here. In the city. What happened?"
"My parents freaked over something stupid. So I'm here," She murmured, staring up into the face of the dark haired Tsubaki, the girl she knew better than her own family. She looked up with her usually bright emerald eyes dull with exhaustion. "You mind if I crash…here?" She asked sleepily, almost falling to her knees as she slipped closer and closer to unconsciousness.
"No. Come on, before you collapse at the front door. Use the guest room," She said, taking Maka's bags as she led the girl through her apartment and to the room she'd spoken of. But when she turned around to tell her, she found the girl gone. She put down the heavy bags before she returned to the living room, finding Maka passed out on the couch with her ashy blonde hair spread around her head in a wild array.
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll just show you to your room tomorrow then. Sleep tight," She murmured quietly, turning off the living room light and heading to her own bedroom.
It was a couple of weeks later and Maka was bright eyed and her hair was up, a sign that she was no longer exhausted from lack of sleep. Instead she was rather lively, excited for the day's events.
She was finally moving into the city, her own apartment under her name.
Maka could barely comprehend how fast everything was moving. It hadn't been but a couple of weeks since she'd first come to the city to escape the small town she'd grown up in and now she was living on her own only a couple of blocks from one of her long time friends.
"You sure seem happy," Tsubaki said as she brought in one of the last boxes and placed it next to the door with the rest of the unopened ones. "I can tell that you're relieved to be away from your hometown."
Sighing happily, Maka nodded. "They freaked out because I had a secret friend in the city. More because it was a secret and that everyone didn't know about. I'm not that open about my feelings and I don't want to be. So I got out when I saw their true ways. Just took me nineteen years to realize it," She replied quickly, pushing the boxes against the wall to keep them out of the way.
"If I would've known that they would react like that I…" Tsubaki said, trying to shoulder the problem herself even though it was in no way her fault.
"If you would've known we wouldn't have messaged each other for so long. Plus, it was nice to have someone to talk to other than the trash in our town. Plus I was related to half of the town; I'd have to move out if I wanted to marry and have kids," She joked lightly, pulling open another box as she set everything in its place on the counter or mantle of the—surprisingly nice—fire place set into the wall.
"Trust me when I say you won't have that problem here in the city. There's plenty enough men for you to find a guy. Just watch out for the assholes and you should be fine," Tsubaki said, kneeling to dig through another box. "I'm just happy that you managed to get used to the city so soon. Now you just have to get to know it."
"I know. It's so big compared to my hometown that I don't know if I'll be able to know all about it. I barely knew my own town, but that was mainly cuz I didn't like the place. Ever since I met you on the internet, my home became very, very boring. But, anyway, back to what you were planning for tonight. Did you really mean it when you said I had to wear that outfit to the bar? It covers almost nothing," She said, pointing lazily in the direction of a bag that she'd inspected earlier—much to her disappointment and embarrassment.
"Yes, I did. And since you reminded me, it's time we got ready. We need to get there before eight or else it's gonna be filled to the brim with people. And they actually listen to the laws so when they hit the limit, that's it. So go get dressed while I put my dress on and come out to show me. I want to see my handiwork," She commented before snagging her own dress off of the armrest of Maka's couch—which, Maka finally remembered, needed to be pulled out before they left in case Maka came home drunk and couldn't remember where to sleep.
Walking into her bedroom, completely furnished except for the full sized bed they had coming in soon, was set up nicely with dark cream colored walls light cream colored furniture. It was dark and soothing to Maka who, in a town of family, grew up in a bright, sunny environment that she just wouldn't thrive in on her own. Even when she turned on the light, the room had a darker feeling to it, soft and smooth.
Within moments Maka was stripped down to nothing but her underwear and she was pulling on the tank top and miniskirt with little difficulty. Then she looked at herself in the mirror and she wanted to rip off the clothes to be replaced with something a little more…chaste.
The top was dark red and sequined, thin spaghetti straps that revealed the straps of her bra. It revealed more than enough cleavage and hugged her non-existent curves that she almost tried to hide. And then there was the skirt, a mini that was made of nothing but pure black leather. It was short and barely reached the top of her thigh, revealing her lengthy, mile long legs that ended with her feet in dark strappy high heels. While other girls might have thought she looked gorgeous, Maka balked at the idea of walking around outside with an outfit like it.
"Tsubaki?" She called from her room, turning this way and that in front of the mirror to check her outfit over and over. "Is the skirt supposed to be this short?"
"How short is it?" Tsubaki's voice replied, muffled through the door.
"It barely reaches my thighs!" She remarked, scowling when she heard laughter right outside her bedroom door. When it opened, it revealed the smiling face of Tsubaki. "Clothes are supposed to cover skin, Tsubaki!"
Tsubaki shook her head and walked closer, still smiling. "Tonight, it's not. Tonight, Maka, your goal is to get a guy to break in this place," She replied, watching with glee as Maka shrilled something about how it wasn't appropriate or something of the like. "Come on Maka! It's what needs to be done to get your thoughts off of the little town you came from. It works. Trust me."
Sighing, Maka looked into the mirror once more and tried to put on a grin. "Well, at least it makes me look like I have curves," She muttered, sitting down on the chair place in front of the vanity. "Okay, so you said you'd do my hair? I want to get rid of this old hairstyle and get something fresh. A new start. And something I won't be compelled to put up, kay?"
Tsubaki nodded and picked up a pair of scissors, a critical eye looking over her ashy blonde hair. "Have you ever thought about highlights? They'd make your hair look great."
Maka shrugged, thoughtful. "I thought about it once or twice but no one in my hometown knew how to do it for cheap. But I might try now that I'm in the city," She replied as Tsubaki pulled her hair out of the twin pigtails her hair was usually tied up in. "The only problem would be keeping it up too often for my liking," Maka muttered, chatting with the brunette as she found her hair being cut, albeit very little. It seemed like Tsubaki was styling it while keeping its length.
"Okay, so I'm done. How do you like?" Tsubaki finally said, turning Maka around to show her the hair that, once cut all one length, was now layered, sleek and straight. "I thought you'd look good like this and I was pretty much right. Plus, it makes your eyes pop," She said, watching her speechless friend stare at herself in the mirror.
"It's perfect!" Maka squealed, jumping up and hugging her friend with a huge grin on her face. "If I showed up in town with this hairstyle everyone would freak. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She nearly yelled, running her fingers through the soft locks. "Well, as far as I know I'm ready to go. You almost done Tsubaki?"
The friend nodded, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail, leaving her bangs to frame her face. "I'm already done. Let's head out so we can make it before the crowds," Tsubaki happily replied, pulling out a pair of car keys. "I'll drive, since you don't know the way," She offered, leaving through the front door with Maka not far behind.
"And before sunset you must bring back a full grown deer for this rite of passage, before you can truly be considered one of the pack. You have nearly five hours before your deadline. Please, begin before time escapes you."
And then you get to drag it back, the white wolf thought unhappily, licking at the blood staining his maw red as he stared at the buck that he'd dragged almost a mile before stopping for a rest. Where his jaws had been locked the flesh was nearly gone, pulled apart from being dragged. The buck was huge and weighed quite a bit, making it hard to pull without tearing away flesh.
Which was why, in a moment of annoyance, the white wolf changed until his fur disappeared and he could walk on two legs, his snout gone. The hair on his head lengthened, turning into spiky locks that went this way and that. He was clothed from the waist down, in jeans that were covered in huge holes and maroon colored stains splattered here and there. Around his jaws he could still taste the blood, what he'd missed moment earlier while cleaning his maw. His tasted cold and metallic, the fresh taste still there even though he'd been dragging the carcass for nearly half an hour.
With a groan he pushed himself onto his feet and stood over the carcass before finally taking it and slinging it across his shoulders. The weight was easier to carry and he found it a breeze in comparison to dragging it on four legs. Before long he found himself halfway through the forest and almost back to his pack. But that was when he heard the voices, hushed and quiet in the otherwise silent forest.
"We can't let her find out about our armies, Arachne! If we do it'll open the door to—"
"Don't tell me what I already know Medusa," Soul heard, stiffening at the mention of the snake eyed witch that looked over his family's pack, laying down rules that they were to follow. In the end, though, Soul knew her as nothing but a sadistic bitch that he had no choice but to listen to. Otherwise, those snakes of hers were liable to get him in his sleep. "We've kept her away long enough. Now is the perfect time to kill her, while she's vulnerable and before anyone can influence her. We especially do not want our younger sister to get a hold of her, Medusa."
The three sisters, of course, Soul thought to himself quietly, almost letting loose a growl at the thought of the three of them together. Medusa alone was cruel enough; the three together were sadistic, feeding off each other's joys of inflicting pain to those who deserved it—and sometimes those who didn't.
For a few minutes there was nothing coming from the clearing, not even the sounds of breathing. Thinking it was safe to move, Soul took a step—only to flinch as he heard the harsh snap of a twig and the familiar hiss of the witch Soul nearly feared. "There's someone listening to us, Arachne!"
Soul checked the wind frantically, finding that he was thankfully downwind from the two sisters. But their scent was strong, flowing straight towards him from the north. Which meant that if he kept on traveling in the direction he'd been heading, he'd stay out of their way. "Leave it, Medusa. It was probably just some stray deer or the like. Now get to warning your pack about the threat. We'll need them to dispatch it immediately," She said before her scent disappeared suddenly, as if the wind had carried the smell away.
It wasn't long before Medusa's scent was gone and Soul let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Then he was walking back to his pack with the buck over his shoulders, covering ground faster than before in case Medusa decided to come back and investigate.
His pack had made quick work of the buck, only tearing in once he and his parents had gotten their fill. If it was one positive of being the next Alpha, he was allowed to eat as he pleased, not being pushed aside and starved because of his lack of position.
It wasn't long before the 'ceremony' was over and Soul was looked at by the rest of his pack as one of the pack. Then he was dismissed along with the rest of the pack for the rest of the night's rite of passage. But that wouldn't take place in the pack's forest territory. Instead, it would take place in the city, under the cover of alley darkness and strange scents of their underworld. The part of the city lovingly known as the Black Light District.
"Black Light District? Why the hell would you call it that?" Maka asked as they walked from their car to the alley behind a very, very large club called Howl. People were lined up till the front door, dressed in clothes not very different from the clothes Maka was dressed in. Actually, her clothes covered more, which the nineteen year old found rather funny seeing as how, even in the clothes she was wearing, her parents would have killed her if they'd seen her.
"No one really knows. It's been called that since I've been born and not even my grandparents remembered a time when it wasn't know by that. It's just stuck for at least a century," Tsubaki explained as they walked, finally stopping the blonde haired girl as they came to the opening of a dark alley. Maka watched as she looked in and then either way on the sidewalk before nodding. "Okay, coast is clear. Now, I need you to stay here while I go find the backdoor. There's no way we're getting in before they start sending people away so this is the only way we can get in. I'll be right back," Tsubaki said before vanishing into the darkness, leaving Maka to standing in the near darkness.
Annoyed, Maka stood where she'd been told to and just waited for a few minutes. It was quiet out here behind the club, away from the excited chatter of the crowd waiting to get in. She could hear music coming from inside, deep and booming sounds that went straight through Maka, putting a smile on her once scowling lips.
But then she heard the almost silent click clack of something like heels on concrete, yet quieter and just different. So she turned to face it, only to find herself staring into the crimson red eyes of a snowy white wolf the size of a large pony.
The thing didn't pause even when she followed it with her eyes, watching it lope across the concrete with grace that she utterly lacked. She watched it stop and sniff at a garbage bag then the corner of a bricked wall before it finally went stiff, turning abruptly to stare at Maka with those strange eyes. It was frozen in place, reminding Maka of a deer caught in headlights as she stared at the wolf in return. And it was minutes that their eyes remained connected, a battle of wills that Maka was unwilling to give up, but for reasons even she couldn't comprehend in that moment.
But then the high pitched voice of Tsubaki called from the alley and the wolf turned tail and ran right where the Tsubaki was coming from. When the brunette appeared, she was smiling bright, apparently happy even though a wolf had just passed within feet of her. "So, I found the door and it's unlocked. So we're totally getting in," She said, motioning for Maka to follow her—until she saw the pale complexion of her friend's face and the look of fright she was giving off. "Honey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Yeah, if by ghost you mean a huge white dog with red eyes that remind you of the devil, then yeah, Maka thought tersely to herself, collecting her nerves before putting on a brave front. "Oh, I just felt a little sick that's all. But I'm good; I'm ready to get inside already!"
Tsubaki chuckled, already walking back into the shadows. "You seem excited all of a sudden. But I guess it's a good thing. Maybe you'll actually get the nerve to bring a guy home," She commented, hearing a sigh from her long time friend.
"Yeah, maybe I will. Anything to get my mind off of anything!" She replied dryly, stretching under the darkness of the alley until they finally came to a stop at a door in the wall behind the club, Howl. Tsubaki inched it open easily and took some careful steps down into the even darker abyss below.
"Okay, just make sure you don't fall down the stairs. They're pretty steep and almost everyone trips down them once or twice. Just be careful in your heels," Tsubaki warned, giggling as she heard Maka's heel hit the ground and a curse from the blonde girl as she most likely tripped. "I told you."
Soul quietly snuck into the balcony but it wasn't long before his packmates were hooting and hollering, slapping him on the back as they congratulated him. He felt the corners of his lips turning up, involuntarily smiling from the comments. Even Kim, the melancholy girl with short chopped hair was smiling, but Soul was pretty sure it was more because of the booze than being proud of him.
"Hey, quiet down, quiet down," Soul said, the others becoming quiet and staring towards him with admiration clear in their eyes. "While I know you guys love to compliment me so much, I just wanted to tell you all that drinks are on me for the rest of the night. We're celebrating!" He whooped, watching his second in command—the blue haired Blackstar with hair spikier than his own—jump onto a table and yell something about how great he was; but not, he corrected himself, as great as his future alpha.
Rolling his eyes, Soul got a waiter to bring him something strong to drink and settled himself on the balcony, watching over the crowd as he leaned on the railing. He could feel eyes on him from below, occasionally skimming over him. But he felt the eyes on him from the balcony, watching him as he chose his 'prey'.
This prey wasn't nearly as easy to choose, nor was this rite of passage less complicated. Actually, in Soul's opinion, it was pretty much worse in every way.
"So have you chosen one for tonight?" Soul turned his head to find Blackstar walking up to him with a smirk on his face. "I'd suggest picking more than one; most guys go through two or three before they finally find a girl willing to sleep with one of us. Most of them know our reputation around the city; they're scared of us," Blackstar said, leaning on the railing next to Soul as he stared into the crowd. Soul noticed that his eyes were transfixed on someone but he was too lazy to even check. It was nothing new for one of his kind to watch the opposite sex. In fact, it was almost expected.
"It'll be harder for me. They know that I lead our group; more than half the people in this room right now went to high school with us. You of all people know how bad my temper used to be," Soul murmured, wincing from the memories. But he shook them off as quickly as he remembered; he wasn't that boy anymore. Nor was he a mindless soldier.
"You? Look at Liz! It took her nearly seven tries before a guy—a mindless drunk guy at that—before she managed to pull it off. But with your looks, it'll take you two, three tops," Blackstar joked, patting Soul on the back. "Now hurry up and choose one before one of the other guys chooses for you. How about the one with the huge tits over next to the DJ? She looks a bit like a bitch but that's what we like, isn't it?" Blackstar joked, but he noticed that Soul's interest was already taken—by a certain ashy blonde next to the bar. "Are you eyeing up the flat chested chick that looks like she'd rather be anywhere but—my god she just downed a damn shot like it was nothing. Your kind of girl," Blackstar joked, but if he was expecting a reply he was sorely disappointed.
As soon as Soul had been called out by his second in command, the albino had downed a shot from the nearby table and was walking away. Blackstar knew that walk; the future alpha was on a mission. And nothing ever led him astray.
Maka sighed as she caught sight of Tsubaki once more, before she disappeared into the huge crowd that was the club. She'd only separated from the throng to talk to Maka once and to down two drinks, both of which were shots and took barely two seconds to gulp. Then she was gone again, sashaying her way through the people until she disappeared.
And so Maka found herself at the bar, waiting for her friend while also gulping down a drink every so often to get her mind off of how bored she was.
After watching her friend briefly appear for the fifth or sixth time that night, Maka turned back to the bar and found the bartender looking at her expectantly. "I'll order another shot. The best you've got. I need something to get my mind off of the terrible night," She commented tersely, pulling her purse into her lap as she rummaged through it for some cash to pay for the next shot.
But not before an arm reached over her and put some bills on the counter. "Bill, put the girl on my tab for the night. Everything she bought tonight," The voice, deep and husky, spoke from behind her, close enough for her to feel his breath tickling the back of her neck. A little peeved, Maka was ready to return his money without thanks when she turned around. But when she saw his face, she felt as if she was losing her composure, and fast.
The guy was handsome, to put it lightly. His jaw was chiseled squared and he had high cheekbones. He had beautiful eyes that gave him a permanent, scowling look that made him somehow look hotter. They were dark, crimson and alight with mischief that Maka found herself pulled to. But it wasn't his eyes that had her so in awe. Actually, it was his hair. It was styled with spikes that were just a little long, most reaching his chin at the least. And the color. Under the dark blue light it looked the same color, maybe even purple. Maka guessed that it was blonde, maybe platinum blonde.
"You look surprised that a guy would be willing to buy you a few drinks," The guy said, an amused grin pulling at the corners of his lips. "Call me Soul," The guy said, hands in shoved deep into his pockets.
Maka, under the influence of more than two drinks, was quick to grin and reply, "Call me Maka. Now that introductions are done, come dance with me."
Soul was surprised, or at least he looked it from what Maka could see. But it only made her smirk as she grabbed his hand and led him eagerly onto the dance floor.
Soul could tell that everyone was watching him. If it wasn't the feeling of eyes burning on the back of his neck, it was the occasional hoots and hollers that only he or one of his packmates could hear over the loud music. At one point Soul had to hold back the urge to look up at them and growl to keep them quiet. The last thing Soul needed was for them to screw it up for him.
But, Soul had to admit, it was nice to have fun like this again. Ever since Wes had disappeared a few years before, Soul had been told to buckle down and become the new heir to the pack. But with this girl, this petite, tiny blonde girl, grinding back against him to the beat of the music, he found himself enjoying this as more than some stupid rite of passage. He actually found himself liking the girl, Maka, more than he thought he should.
Soul put his hands on either side of her waist and pulled her closer, putting his lips to her ear. "Let's get out of here," He whispered, feeling her shiver—Soul could only guess that it was from his breath on her neck since he could feel nothing but heat radiating from all the bodies around them.
The girl nodded before pulling out her keys and giggling. "You get to drive babe. I'm practically wasted," She said, holding on tight to his hand as he led them through the crowd. Soul kept on turning his head back to check, always finding her there with her emerald green eyes wide open and taking in everything.
It took only a few minutes before they were outside and in the car, Maka spouting out directions that sent Soul on a wild goose chase until he made her tell him what apartment complex she was living at. When she finally revealed that she lived at one of the better complexes, it only took a little bit of time before they were out of the car and right outside the powder blue door, fumbling for keys as they found each others' lips.
Maka felt his hands everywhere, caressing but also groping at her chest as she moaned from pleasure. When she finally turned the door knob, Soul pushed her into the room before kicking the door closed. Maka felt his sharp teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, gently nipping wherever they went. Then they were falling as Maka's legs met the edge of the pull out bed that she'd barely remembered to pull out. Soul fell on top, careful to keep from collapsing on top of her. But he didn't miss a beat, pulling his shirt over his head as he found Maka struggling to take her own off.
They stayed like that for a while, until Soul was tugging off his pants and Maka was turning to the side to reach into a side table for a small, shiny square package that Soul knew was unnecessary but went along with it for the girl's sake. To keep her from panicking, at least.
After that it was quick and rushed but what was pretty much expected of a drunken one night stand, or at least from what Maka had heard. But what she didn't understand was that it was better than she could have imagined. Pure euphoria, sending her to heights she couldn't have thought of.
Then he was on top of her and they were both breathing hard from their efforts. Soul, having planned on leaving before sleeping, found his plans absolutely ridiculous as he felt exhaustion closing in. He could already tell that Maka was asleep, her breathing deep and rhythmic. It wasn't long before Soul succumbed to sleep too, giving in for a rare moment and letting himself wrap his arms around the girl in a display of affection. He hadn't done such a thing since he'd been pegged as the next Alpha. Nor did he ever expect himself to.
But he did. And he enjoyed every second of it until he fell unconscious.
A/N: So there you have it, chapter 1 :) Please continue reading because I understand that chapter 1 came out crappy. Definitely not my best work. But the plot will definitely thicken within the next couple of chapters. The next is going to be a bit of a filler, just explaining what happens once the two happy one night standers wake up and after. How he tries to hide his affections for the human, how Maka reacts, how Soul reacts to Maka's back, etc. And what the Gorgon sisters have up their sleeves, not to mention how Kid, the Thompson Sisters, and Blackstar come into the picture. I think you'll like slightly quieter, less mischievous Blackstar very much (had to change his personality just a tiny bit to fit his position).
Maka's part in this is a little…complicated. She's kind of clueless yet she's not, kind of. She knows, after meeting a couple of Soul's closest friends, that there's a strange hierarchy of sorts and that it's different from what she's always known. It's only when we get to the main scene in my head that we really find out just what the hell is going on with the pack and how Maka has anything to do with it. And their legends and prophecies. Oh, and the Gorgon Sisters' 'guards' or 'guardians' (I don't remember how I referred to them) are the wolf packs of which they each respectively 'own'. Medusa is the witch of Soul's parents' pack, of which Blackstar and the Thompson sisters also belong. There's also Kim, Harvar, Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder (going to be lovingly referred to as Fire and Thunder, a couple of almost wolf cubs), and a few other characters that will be familiar from the series. And there will be a 'weapon/meister' aspect, albeit very toned down and not one sided, not a black and white 'she's the weapon and he's the meister' kind of thing. More like they can communicate nonverbally and transfer abilities to each other just by being so close emotionally.
So, yeah, there's a lot of slightly complicated aspects to the story but I really like the idea. So I'm going to continue typing it up.
But, anyway, I don't own Soul Eater or Nightshade. They belong to their respective owners.