Author: Pirate Turner
Dedicated To: My most beloved, wonderous Birthday Boy, Captain, husband, and soul mate, Jack
Rating: R due to nudity
Summary: Prue gets a wish for her birthday, and another to last forever.
Warnings: Het, Original Character
Word Count: 2,723
Date Written: 13 January, 2011
Timeline: Takes place after the author's "A Blessing or a Curse?", "The Day After", "Howling From A Distance", "Unsaveable", "Howling Hopes For The Future", and "True Love's Power".
Disclaimer: Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell, Cole Turner, Leo Wyatt, the Power of Three, the Charmed Ones, Charmed, and Cinderella are & TM their respective owners, not the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. Brendan Richards/the Werewolf and everything else are & TM the author and may not be used without permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
"Where are you going?"
The softly spoken query stopped Prue dead in her tracks. She froze with her hand still clutching the door knob in mid-turn. "I . . . " Her eyes darted around the room, to the door that led to the main club, to the ceiling, to the door that went deeper into the kitchen, to the floor beneath their feet, anywhere but at her little sister's questing gaze.
"Prue?" Piper demanded.
"I was just going out for a breath of fresh air, Piper," Prue said with a nonchalant shrug. "I'll be right back," she promised. "It's just that it's kind of stuffy in there with everybody."
Piper smiled, but an understanding sadness glimmered in her deep, brown eyes. "It's okay, Prue," she assured her. "Just make sure you're back in time for the cake, okay?"
Prue nodded. "'Course," she said, her forced grin brightening. "I wouldn't want to miss a bite of any of your cakes, Piper! They're all so delicious!" Her face fell as a sudden, disturbing thought hit her. "Wait a minute," she said. Then she questioned, without missing so much as a breath between the sentences, "You did do the cake yourself, right? Please tell me you didn't let Phoebe pick my cake!"
Piper laughed, her eyes dancing, and Prue's smile returned in honesty. "I did your cake, Prue," Piper assured her. "I didn't let Phoebe anywhere near it. I know you don't want any man but Brendan jumping out of your cake."
Prue let out an audible breath of relief. "Good. Phoebe can have a man jumping out of her own cake when her birthday comes, but I just want good, clean cake and ice cream for my birthday."
"And a little wine?" Piper suggested.
Prue laughed and winked. "Of course!" She opened the door a little wider and edged toward it.
"You'll be right back, right?" Piper questioned.
"Of course," Prue assured her. "I'm just going out for a bit, and I'll be right back. You won't even have time to miss me, sister!" She slipped out, shutting the door behind her, before Piper could bombard her with any more questions.
Prue sighed, her head hanging as she let go of the strain of maintaining expectant joy that had rarely touched her heart in the last few weeks. After the last time they'd been together and Brendan had actually kissed her, Prue had thought that everything was going to go better for them. Sure, he was a Werewolf, but he was a good Werewolf and he knew that his species didn't bother her.
Prue raked shaking fingers through her long, raven hair as she let out a ragged breath. He knew it didn't bother her, but evidently it still bothered him. The guys had told her that he'd been scared to death to even attempt to be near her when he was wolfed out, and her sisters had both supported their stories and had told her of how they'd talked him into daring to kiss her. Although she knew he wanted her as badly as she wanted him, Brendan had only kissed her to save her life, and Prue had not seen him since.
Prue knew he was avoiding her, and though she'd tried everything in her book of tricks, even going as far as to do a locating spell, she had yet to be able to catch him off guard. She missed him more badly than she'd ever missed anybody in her entire life, and his absence left a gaping hole not only in her life and heart but in her very soul! Prue closed her eyes, a tear trickling down her chilled face. She missed him so much that it hurt, and she loved him more than she'd ever really thought she'd love anybody! She wanted to be with him more than she wanted her next breath, and yet she couldn't find a way to get him to do so much as even say "hi" to her in passing.
She stomped her foot angrily. Her head rolled, and she shot a fierce glare up at what little of the night sky could be seen from her place in the alley way behind P3. It was all because of the damned curse! It was all because of Them! Magick was interfering in her life yet again, and as always, where magick was involved in her lovelife, it totally sucked!
A soft whimper caught Prue's ears, and she whirled to peer into the shadows behind the dumpster. Something scurried away from her, but she had moved in time to see a pair of glowing, yellow eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and then sped up, hammering in her throat and ears the way it always did when the man of her dreams was near. "Br-Brendan?" she called and took a step closer when another whimper answered her.
"Brendan?" Prue called again, this time more firmly. "It's okay," she said. She walked closer, but the yellow eyes appeared to have vanished. She was almost ready to dismiss what she had seen as a figment of her persistently hopeful imagination when her ears caught another soft whimper.
She smiled even as tears brimmed in her green eyes. "Brendan, it's okay," she repeated, holding her hands out toward the shadows. "It's okay. I know what you are, and I'm okay with it. I'm not scared of you."
But he was more than enough afraid of himself for the both of them, she remembered sadly. "You don't have to be afraid, Brendan. I can handle myself. I can protect myself from you if need be."
He had fallen silent again and still wasn't moving, but she was so close to him at long last that, after being separated from him for all this time, Prue was determined not to lose him. She wasn't going to let him slip away from her this easily! She knew what he was, and he suspected what she was, though he did not yet have all the answers. She didn't care if he knew exactly who and what she was, and in truth, Prue realized, if he found out, it might help him to believe that he didn't need to be afraid of hurting her.
She stepped closer, threw up her left hand, and slung it through the air. The dumpster slid across the alley and slammed into the next building. "Like I said . . . " Prue started to say, and then her breath left her in a sharp, surprised gasp as the full moon slipped out from behind the clouds.
Brendan stood before her in all of his lupine glory. He had not come to her in man form but in beast. Prue's heart hammered even more loudly inside of her, and she was certain he must hear it racing and pounding as his perked ears strained in her direction. She stood, frozen, as the Werewolf slowly raised from his crouched position. She gulped as the silver moonlight caressed Brendan's every inch, including the feral, huge mound between his furry thighs.
"B-Buh-Br-Brendan . . . " Prue stammered. She took a step back but then froze again as the Werewolf whimpered. Concern filled her eyes. "Are you hurt?" she asked though she saw no sign of blood.
Their eyes met from the distance that still stood between them, and Prue understood instantly. He was most definitely in pain, but it wasn't caused by any physical injury. He loved, needed, and desired her as much as she did him, and although the man part of him was determined to keep her safe by staying as far away from her as he possibly could - darn his hide! -, the Werewolf had come seeking his mate and yet remained fearful not of hurting her but of being rejected by her.
"Brendan," Prue spoke more firmly and forced the smile on her face to turn from one of mixed sorrow to one that only showed how happy she was to be with him again at long last and how infinitely much she loved him. She stepped forward once, then twice, and yet again and held out her arms to him. "I've been waiting for you," she said, fighting to keep from trembling.
The Werewolf cocked his head to one side. He whined softly, and his tail gave a hopeful thump that sent a trash can barreling down the alley.
"Yes," Prue said, coming nearer still, "I've been waiting for you. Were you looking for me?"
Another plaintive, hopeful whine answered her, but yet the Werewolf dared not move toward her. Prue watched as he stood, seemingly riveted to the spot, and forced herself to walk the distance to, and for, her man. Though she'd sworn not to be afraid of Brendan, fear still tingled inside of her, and every small step came through a victory of her determined will. She loved this man, rather he was wolf or man, and she would be with him!
Reaching him at last, she raised her hands to his and touched his fur with trembling fingertips. "Brendan," she whispered and, gazing up into his yellowed eyes, she wondered if the man she loved could really hear her or if she was only talking to his wolf. "I love you!" She said the words any way, just in case he could hear her, and knowing, though the realization broke her heart, that it might be the only time she'd ever get to tell him. That thought brought another tear falling down her cheek.
Prue gasped in surprise and tingled in delight as the Werewolf's razor-sharp claw gently caught her tear. She stood before him, naked though clothed, and watched, trembling inside, as he licked her tear from his claw. Would she taste, the thought flittered frighteningly through her mind, as good as her tear?
The Werewolf whimpered, and Prue swore that she could understand him in that second spent with their two hearts beating as one. "Iwuvyoo."
Suddenly, she was no longer afraid. A monster stood before her, but she knew he was no monster. He was the man she loved, no matter how he was clad. She reached a hand up to his furry cheek and lovingly stroked his fur, careful to run her touch with his fur and not against it. His massive hand covered her hand, dwarfing her dainty size, and then he took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and licked the back of her hand.
A million lightning bolts shot through Prue in that instant. She'd never felt anything so wonderful in all of her life, save the one kiss that she had actually been honored to share with Brendan! Then he licked her again and again until Prue was weak in the knees and knew she was about to succumb. She loved him, but despite that love, she didn't think herself ready to mate with his wolf.
"Buh-Br-Brendan." She had to struggle to clear her mind from the erotic haze that perpetrated it enough so that she could even just speak his name. "Brendan, it's my birthday. Did you know that?"
The Werewolf again cocked his head to one side, and Prue realized that that was his way of showing that he was listening to her and trying to understand. "It's my bir-th-day," she repeated, pronunciating the word more slowly this time. She smirked at herself as she silently reflected that Werewolves surely didn't celebrate birthdays. With a small, self-depreciating shrug, Prue plunged onward. "I have a request. I want to dance with you."
The Werewolf blinked. She knew he didn't understand, but she was determined to make him understand. She didn't want him going anywhere and, indeed, wanted to be right with him when he changed, in the morning, back into his man form. Maybe then her beloved Brendan would finally understand that there was no need to be so afraid.
Grasping his huge, furry hands in hers, Prue started walking backwards. The Werewolf followed her obligingly, but when she placed his right arm around her, he just looked at her in confusion. Then she began to sway, and ever so slowly, he moved with her. She led him in the dance, gazing up into his eyes and forgetting, for the time being, that it was the wolf with whom she danced.
She didn't have to close her eyes to imagine. Truthfully, Prue reminded herself, she didn't need to imagine at all for she was dancing, underneath the stars, moon, and city lights, with the man she loved. No matter what shape he was in, her Brendan was still himself, and she refused to let his Werewolf side bother her. It was a fact of her soul mate that she would accept, just as he had accepted so easily that she was a Witch. She accepted him for who and what he was, and she'd not let it stand between them, no matter what it took.
Their seductive, romantic dance came to a close as the music drifting into the alley way from the club stopped, and still they continued to gaze into one another's eyes. Saliva dripped on the Werewolf's jowls, but Prue kept her gaze focused on Brendan's eyes. Slowly his mouth came down towards hers, and she leaned up to meet him, determined to prove to him that she loved him with all of her being no matter what form he held or what secret haunted him.
Then the door opened and Piper called out, "Prue?"
Prue blinked, startled, but what happened next surprised her even more as Brendan's furry fist plowed into his own face. "What the - ?" she cried out as the Werewolf barreled backwards into the wall. She tore her eyes away from the stunned Werewolf only long enough to shout, "PIPER, GO INSIDE!", but when she looked back, he was off of the concrete ground.
"BRENDAN!" she cried, hearing him run. She whirled in the direction of the sound just in time to see his bushy tail ducking around the mouth of the alley. She chased after him, but by the time she reached the street, he was nowhere to be found. She fell forward, catching herself, albeit just barely, from hitting the ground, and rested her hands on her knees as she panted.
She didn't look up as Piper, Phoebe, Cole, and Leo reached her side. "Where'd he go?" she questioned, but they could only shake their heads.
Prue sighed. She'd been so close to kissing him again, but now her Werewolf Prince Charming was gone again, leaving her feeling much as Cinderella had left the Prince, confused, bothered, bewildered, and lonelier than ever before! But he had almost kissed her, she thought, and he had come after her.
Despite the tears that filled her vision, Prue's lips curved back upwards into a huge smile. He had come looking for her! He loved her as much as she loved him! He had to - why else would his wolf have come calling to court her? He'd be back, she realized, wrapping her arms around herself and giving herself a tight hug. He'd be back, she'd be waiting, and this time, she wouldn't let him go no matter what happened!
Piper and Phoebe wrapped their arms around their sister and hugged her, not understanding that Prue's comprehension of her situation had just taken her from being sad and lonely to being incredibly happy though still lonely. "It's okay," Phoebe spoke.
"You'll work it out," Piper added. "He can't keep running forever."
"No, he won't," Prue agreed quietly. "Now where's that cake, sisters?" She grinned widely as the full moon continued to shine and the howl of the wolf she loved came back to her from somewhere deep within the city. "I know just what I'm going to wish for this year and every other year!"
She was going to have Brendan! She was going to claim him as hers, and their love was going to be the most beautiful thing to ever happen! She turned back around and walked back with her sisters, smiling from ear to ear. It was only a matter of time, she thought happily, and when she heard her man howl again, she answered in a joyous howl of her own that left her family grinning with their eyebrows raised!
The End