So this is what happens when I try writing for Hollence. I don't know what happened. Maybe I should stick to Hollstein. Enjoy!
The life of a bookstore employee didn't get much more interesting than the story or two from customers who came in searching for a certain book. Laura was always ready to assist them. Her older brother, Will, started the shop ever since their parents passed away. Being the oldest he felt it was his responsibility to take care of his little sister so they found a small building that they turned into a bookstore that also had a loft above. Working together gained them a lot of well-paying customers and regulars who knew they would get the best service around. They were always prepared had the books arranged in such a way that made it easy for anyone to find what they needed. Laura spent her days showing people their selection with a smile that most were glad to step into the store and see. Inside it was a nice change of scenery from the constantly bustling city that awaited them outside. The shop was colorful and fresh; the scent of coffee strong but not overwhelming. Laura's bright smile just added to it all.
Will knew this and made sure that Laura was front and center in the front of the shop most days while he took over working in the back. This was how it always went. The day it changed started out the same but progressed differently. Laura woke up early, made breakfast for her and her brother, then got ready for the day. They made sure they were ready to go straight downstairs as soon as they finished eating then went to their posts after opening up shop. About halfway through the day the bell over the door chimed. Laura looked up from arranging some books to stare with wide eyes at the girl who walked in. She must have been around Laura's age, barely twenty. Her red hair contrasted with her pale skin and her deep blue eyes drew Laura in. The color alone was rich but the way she used them was what really caught her attention. She opened her mouth to greet the customer like she usually did, but this time, the words were stuck. The girl smirked, the expression knowing, amused, and far too attractive.
"H-hey," Laura finally forced out, blushing a moment later. The girl's brow quirked and one side of her lips pulled up a little more.
"I'm looking for a book on archery. Do you have any? I've tried almost every bookstore I've come across and haven't found any suitable," she asked.
"Hmm, well, they might be over here in the sports section. Or wait, they may even be over there…well, the other bookstore you went to must not have had a good variety," Laura replied, slightly distracted by her mental catalogue.
"What about over here?" the girl wondered, pointing out a section.
"Oh yeah! Thanks," Laura replied brightly, apparently over her shyness. The red head's smirk turned into a warm smile.
"Lead the way," she said, waiting for Laura to show her. She jumped to attention and then ran to the back corner of the shop, her customer following.
"There's archery as a weapon, as a sport, as a hobby, or used in tournaments. They still do that? I didn't know they did that," Laura rambled, pointing out each one but stopping to pull out the one about tournaments. Her customer watched on silently, internally laughing at the short girl's fumbling speech pattern.
"Were you looking for something in particular?" Laura wondered suddenly. The tall red head tilted her head to glance at Laura before shaking her head.
"Ok, I just, I thought I should ask just in case," she informed her.
"Thanks, but I'll just flip through these and see if I find anything interesting," the girl replied. Laura nodded. It was quiet between them while she skimmed the books. Laura didn't want to walk away should she be needed again.
"I can't seem to decide on archery as a weapon or as a sport…" she mumbled.
"As a sport seems more interesting to me. I guess it's because I don't really like history and if you choose the one about it as a weapon you might just get a timeline of when it was created and what role it played a part in through historic battles and whatnot," Laura offered with a one sided shrug. Her customer quirked a brow.
"That's what you would choose?" the girl inquired, her attention fully on Laura again.
"Um, uh, yeah," Laura stammered, blushing again. Her customer chuckled.
"Ok then, I'll take it. I'll read it and remember that it was the better choice because I wasn't getting a history lesson," she stated with that smirk. Laura felt herself blush even more so she busied herself with taking the book and rushing it over to the cash register. As she walked she was acutely aware of the girl watching her every movement. After ringing it up she mumbled the price. She was handed the money and she returned the change.
"My name's Danny Lawrence by the way. It was nice meeting you..." the beautiful girl began to say, waiting for Laura to introduce herself.
"Oh! My name's Laura, Laura Hollis," she scrambled to reply.
"Laura. Well it was nice meeting you Laura," Danny responded. Laura couldn't believe how nice her name sounded being spoken by Danny.
"Y-yeah, uh, it was nice meeting you too," she replied. Danny smiled.
"I can tell," she remarked, prompting the blush to return to Laura's cheeks. She held a hand up in a gesture of farewell then left, leaving Laura to stand there staring at the door. She watched Danny walk past the glass front and disappear from sight. She sighed.
"What are you doing standing around?" Will's voice suddenly boomed in her ear. She jumped and skittered away. Her brother stood there with his arms crossed.
"S-sorry, I just…" she stammered.
"Just make sure you're head isn't in the clouds when customers come in," Will told her. Laura nodded and Will went into the back. She let out a relieved breath. She couldn't let Will know when she liked anyone. She was bound to be more embarrassed than she already would be on her own should Will get involved. He meant well, Laura knew, but still. She was a painfully shy person unless she was talking about books because it was the only subject she was confident about. Other than that, she found it hard to converse, especially if it was with an attractive person like Danny. Laura never got along with others. Even growing up she was made fun of by the other kids her age for being so reclusive.
Now that she was older it didn't really get any better. She was an outcast with just her brother as her only real connection to society. Will was always going on and on about what was happening beyond their little store; whether it was art, movies, or the occasional sport team. All Laura knew was books. How to take care of them, how much each type cost, where the best place to store them would be, and when a new shipment came in. It was the only knowledge she needed. Laura didn't think she would ever see Danny again so she was surprised when she came in two weeks later. They were leaving autumn behind now and trading it in for winter so she entered wearing a long trench coat. Her vivid red hair curled over her shoulders under a grey beanie.
"Hey, do you still have that other archery book?" she asked with a small smile. Laura nodded dumbly then shook off the shock to get it.
"Nothing else?" she muttered, looking anywhere but at Danny.
"How about those mint chocolates? They'll match the season," Danny answered. Laura nodded and picked out the requested treats. She moved to ring them up and saw that Danny already had the amount ready.
"So, I kinda just moved here with my mother. I don't know anyone here and the only person I really talked to since coming here was you so I was wondering if you wanted to show me around?" Danny mentioned, lightly running her finger over the cover of a nearby leather bound book. Laura looked up just in time to meet Danny's eyes over the counter. She was struck mute for a moment, wondering how she had gotten so lucky. Now she just had to convince Will for a day off.
"Are you ok?" Danny questioned, knowing why Laura had gone quiet again. Her shyness was rather cute. It was the reason she resolved to ask her for a tour of sorts. She could always ask her friend, Kirsch, but she really wasn't willing to talk to him. He was being too clingy recently.
"Uh, um, y-yeah, I'm fine! Of course, I'd love to show you around!" Laura replied with a big smile. Danny laughed under her breath, taking the book and treat before Laura dropped them from her slackening grasp. At that moment Will burst out of the back.
"Laura, I need your help moving those boxes. There's too many and it's taking too long," he complained, stopping in his tracks when he felt the atmosphere of the room. He was quickly caught up to speed the moment he took in Laura's smile and her flushed face. He knew his little sister well. That look meant she was infatuated.
"The boxes, Laur," he repeated, snapping his fingers in front of Laura's face. That seemed to do the trick. Laura's brows came down over her nose and she pushed her brother's hand away.
"Will, sending me to go do it won't make it go any faster," Laura retorted. Her miffed tone made Danny raise a brow. All she could think was that she even sounded cute when she was mad.
"Regardless, go get them sorted and I'll handle the customer. Go on," Will replied, nudging at Laura to get going. She grumbled but did as she was told.
"Did you find what you needed?" Will asked. Danny nodded.
"Anything else?" the he questioned next.
"No. It's more of a request," Danny responded.
"And that is?" Will wondered.
"Give Laura a day off tomorrow," Danny answered. Will opened his mouth to deny the request when Danny cut across him.
"At least a half day. I'll cover any loss in profits," she persisted. Will was interested by that.
"Are you saying you'd pay to spend a day with my sister?" he inquired, slightly amused.
"If you want to see it that way. Look, are you going to agree or not? Because either way she won't be here tomorrow," Danny stated, crossing her arms.
"Fine," Will agreed.
"Good, then I'll be back early tomorrow," Danny spat, turning on her heel to leave.
"Just be careful with her. She's easily hurt. If you have any intention of getting closer to her you better remember that if you hurt her in any way I'll be there to kick your butt," Will warned, his voice turning sharp.
"It hadn't even crossed my mind," Danny told him while stopping at the door. She looked back at Will then pushed her way out. The rest of the day Laura found it hard to concentrate. Danny wanted to spend time with her. How had she gotten so lucky? As a result of her distraction she dropped some books, acquired new paper cuts, and even dumped a box of graphic novels everywhere. Will just huffed and cursed the tall red head girl who made Laura so clumsy. Later that night when Will and Laura were sitting at the table Will decided to get a little more insight into his sister's admirer.
"I guess I can't blame you for being love struck," he teased. Laura gaped at him.
"I am not in love with her! At least…not yet," she disagreed, her voice going quiet towards the end. Will snickered.
"What's her name anyway?" he asked.
"Danny Lawrence," Laura replied, her voice now going soft so that she practically sighed the name. Will rolled his eyes.
"She seems a little moody don't you think?" he commented.
"Just because she didn't like you doesn't mean she's moody," Laura pointed out.
"Whatever. I'm just saying. She's a Lawrence," Will scoffed, eyebrows creasing.
"Wait, how would you know anything about her if you just met her?" Laura questioned, suspicious.
"I thought she looked familiar. Now that I know she's a Lawrence it all makes sense. She has to be the daughter of that woman who beat mother out of her job all those years ago," Will replied with a jab of his fork.
"She had a family to provide for too Will. You can't fault her for that!" Laura snapped, throwing down her own and pushing back her chair to stand.
"All I'm saying is be careful!" Will yelled, standing now too.
"Is that all? Tell me how you really feel," Laura demanded, her hands now splayed on the table as she leaned on it.
"You know what, there is more. I don't like the idea of you having the hots for that witch's spawn," Will seethed. Laura crossed her arms and looked away.
"I guess if that's how you feel we won't be agreeing on this so let's just drop it," she grumbled.
"Laura, I'm not forbidding you from seeing her. I just want you to keep an eye out and be careful that she doesn't hurt you," Will said, walking around the table to lay a hand on his sister's arm. Laura nodded and dropped her arms to her sides.
"I know," she mumbled. They traded apologies and cleaned up so that they could start getting ready for bed. The next day Will gave Laura the day off and Danny showed up just as she said she would. Laura was ecstatic, like a hyper puppy ready to go for a walk. Danny found it endearing. She followed Laura with a content smile, watching as she pointed out things along their walk. When Danny offered to get her lunch she tried to decline but Danny insisted so that they found themselves sitting in a café eating little sandwiches and drinking tea.
"Wow, these are actually pretty good," Danny remarked. Laura's smile brightened.
"I know, right? I always used to go here but stopped when it got busy at the shop," she replied.
"Maybe I'll bring you some when I'm around to visit," Danny suggested, throwing the idea out there like it wasn't a big deal. But for the first time, Laura caught Danny blushing.
"I'd like that," Laura told her, hesitating but eventually finding the courage to reach over and rest her hand on Danny's. Danny looked up at the contact and smiled. They finished up at the café and went back out to travel further together. Laura told Danny about all the weird orders they had gotten and Danny shared what it was like to be form fitted into the same mold as her mother. At the mention of her, Laura lost a little of her pep. Danny noticed but didn't want to press until Laura told her on her own, which she did. No matter what Will said, she felt like she could trust Danny. So she told her the past connections they had with Danny's mother. She listened silently with nothing to say on the topic until Laura was finished.
"I didn't know. And to think, I told her about you. She didn't seem to react to your name but I should have known better. She probably hid any reaction from me," Danny responded, eyes on the ground.
"It's ok. It's in the past. My mother found somewhere to work up until she…well, she did a good job supporting us while she could," Laura said, a sad smile in place.
"Is she…?" Danny spoke carefully. Laura just nodded.
"Yeah, and my dad," she confirmed, thankfully without having to say it.
"What happened? I mean, if you want to tell me. It's fine if you don't," Danny questioned but hastily tried to make up for being nosy. Laura shook her head.
"It's alright. They, um, they were in a car accident," she explained. Danny couldn't help but think that that was always the way but she didn't say it out loud. She was pretty sure by the look on Laura's face that she was thinking the same thing already. She took Laura by the hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Let's start heading back. It's getting late," she said. Laura just nodded and let Danny turn them around. They got a few streets down when Danny stood stumped.
"What's wrong?" Laura asked her.
"I can't remember where to go past here. I guess it was easy to remember up to this because I had such a good time. Everything after that was great too," Danny answered. Laura was pulled out of her sadness with wide eyes. Danny waited expectantly, and soon, a light blush stained her cheeks.
"Danny…" Laura whined, covering her face. Danny just laughed.
"Smile Laura. You shouldn't be sad. It doesn't suit you," she said with a nudge. Laura laughed and nudged Danny in return. Laura took the lead from there until they were standing outside the bookstore again. It was close to closing time.
"Can we do this again sometime?" Laura asked, shy once more. Danny nodded.
"I don't see why not. It's not like I won't see you again. I'll be sure to look through more books from time to time," she replied.
"Ok, um, see you around then?" Laura mumbled, her hands playing with the hem of her jacket nervously. Danny chuckled and held a hand over them to stop her.
"Yeah, see you around," she responded, leaning down to kiss Laura on the cheek. That garnered a blush that turned Laura into a tomato. Danny laughed as she walked away, leaving Laura to rush into the store. The next few days passed with Danny coming in every other day. That first day she was ready to pay any lost revenue and did so without hesitation, surprising Will who thought she was just making up anything to get Laura out of work. Danny really didn't have a reason to hang around as much as she did besides talking to Laura. Every time she showed up she brought Laura's favorite sandwich and green tea with her like she said she would. Will complained about Danny getting in the way but Laura wasn't slowed by her. On the contrary, she worked harder in hopes of getting another day off to spend with Danny. There were times when Danny just dropped in to say a quick hello because she was busy that day, but the fact that she still came in made Laura happy. She was sure that with every passing day she was falling in love with Danny.
Will watched the development between them with a mix of amusement and worry. Sure, he wanted to wish his sister luck and tell her to just kiss the girl already, but at the same time he still wasn't comfortable with who it was. Danny's mother was a force to be reckoned with and he was sure Danny wouldn't be any different. On top of that, girls with hidden intent were known to string someone along until they broke their heart and Will didn't want that someone to be his little sister. But his warnings fell on deaf ears and Laura's days began to revolve around the times Danny came into the store. It took one grey and cloudy Danny-less morning for Laura to become concerned. At first, Laura thought she was a few minutes late. Then she thought that maybe she might have been more busy than usual that day. But as the hours wore on with no sign of her Laura felt as gloomy as the rain outside. She moped the rest of the day and wasn't nearly as peppy with customers like she usually was. She only snapped out of it when Will poked her in the side with the handle of a broom, making her yelp.
"Geez Laura, way to bring in the customers by mimicking the weather! They want to see some light not more clouds! You're worse than useless without that Lawrence girl around. Here, take the day off and give her this," Will exclaimed, shoving Danny's preferred mint chocolate in Laura's hands. Laura picked out a caramel one too. Will began to complain but Laura ignored him.
"Just take it out of my paycheck," she tossed over her shoulder as she ran out the door. She pulled out her phone while she jogged down the street looking for a taxi. She called Danny's number, something she was over the moon about receiving, because when Danny wasn't around to talk to she was texting her instead. It rang three times before Danny's answered.
"Yeah?"
"Hey Danny! I got the rest of the day off so I thought I could drop by. You didn't come in though. Were you busy today?" Laura said, running to flag down a nearby taxi.
"I was, but you know, I could always find some time for you."
Laura smiled wide at that. Danny never failed to make her blush, whether she was right there speaking, talking over the phone, or texting. It was ok because Laura didn't mind it now.
"Awesome, uh, but, where are you?" Laura questioned meekly. Danny's laugh rang through the phone.
"Did you find a ride?"
"Yes," Laura replied while sliding into a waiting taxi.
"Ok, this is the address…"
Danny told her and she reiterated it to the driver. He nodded and drove off.
"When you get here just go up to the front desk and give them my name. They'll send you right up. Can't wait to see you."
Laura almost swooned at the tone of her voice.
"Same," she barely managed to say in return. Danny chuckled and then hung up. She was used to Danny's abrupt end to calls so she pocketed her phone and waited with a grin to arrive at her destination. When she got there she paid the driver and hopped out to rush into the building. Just as Danny said, she gave them her name and they told her which floor to go to and which room to enter. She rushed down the halls and bounced on the balls of her feet in the elevator. Then she was rushing down the halls again, almost crashing into someone on the way. She apologized with a quick glance at the woman and kept going. She came to the room she was looking for but Danny wasn't there. She walked in further and saw that a smaller office branched from the current room. She smiled and walked over but skid to a stop. Through the glass walls she saw that Danny had company. A guy was standing awfully close to her. They hadn't seen her yet so she quickly backed up and used the doorway she had come in to stay hidden. Laura didn't know who the guy was but he had to be someone Danny knew to be able to stand that close. She had told Laura before that she kept a comfortable distance from everyone unless she liked them. Laura knew how it felt to bask in Danny's presence and now this guy was doing the same thing.
What she failed to realize was the frown on Danny's face. Laura was frozen in place when the unknown guy leaned in and kissed her. Laura felt her heart constrict painfully. Her vision blurred with tears but she didn't let them fall. She stomped into the room, slapped down the chocolates on the empty desk, and then stormed out. She let the anger take over so that she wouldn't feel the pain of sadness grip at her. She returned home to ignore Will's questions and fell into bed where she finally let herself cry. The next day Laura didn't even want to get up. Will tried but nothing he said or did got through to her. The pain in Laura's chest wasn't easing up and the tears still fell once in a while no matter how hard she tried to stop them. They were stubborn as long as she thought of Danny, the girl she loved, and she thought about her a lot. She would never love her back. She was stringing her along, just as Will worried might happen. All along she had this guy. But she had been so forward and seemed to really like her. She must have been acting. By that evening Will had enough trying to juggle the responsibilities of the store on top of his worries for his sister so he closed early. He stomped up to the loft and pounded on Laura's door. Laura just buried her face under her pillow which was then snatched away.
"Laura, you didn't come down to the store. What's wrong? Are you sick?" he questioned.
"Just go away," Laura replied, rolling over so that her back was to Will.
"It was that Lawrence girl wasn't it? That witch's spawn. What happened?" Will commanded. Sniffling, Laura told her brother everything, how she walked in on Danny and some guy kissing.
"You were right," she whispered, wiping at her eyes.
"Don't worry about it anymore Laur. I warned her not to hurt you and she did. I'll take care of this. Just say the word and Danny Lawrence won't be allowed back in the store. You'll never have to see her again," Will stated, gripping Laura's hands in his.
"Really?" Laura responded.
"Really," Will assured her.
"Ok," Laura accepted, plopping back on her bed. Will nodded. He rubbed Laura's back then left her alone. When Laura was willing to return to work she realized almost belatedly that Will had kept his word. Danny never came in again. A week later she was still heartsick and tended to expect Danny's arrival. When a customer came in she felt relieved and disappointed every time she looked up to see it wasn't her. She scolded herself for feeling that way, but as days passed, she began to realize that she missed Danny regardless of what happened. Maybe they could never be any closer than friends but Laura would rather have Danny as a friend than not have her around at all. This thought brought Laura to asking Will if she could be allowed back.
"What? You want her back? After what she did to you?" Will replied. Laura shrugged and bowed her head.
"I overreacted. I should talk to her and let her tell her side of the story. I want to apologize for jumping to conclusions," she explained.
"Well you can't. Danny won't even come around here anymore and her witch of a mother doesn't want her to have anything to do with you anyway once she found out who you were. Just forget about her Laura. It's for the best," Will responded harshly. Laura slumped at that. She would never see Danny again. She was gone and she would never get to know how she felt. Laura thought that Danny probably hated her by now, yet she was still sorry. Laura carried on with the day but her heart was heavy. She kept thinking how she would never see Danny's unique smile and hear her hearty laugh. The worst part was knowing that she brought it on herself. Thankfully, Will let her off work early the next day so she took the time to walk over to her favorite café to sit alone. It was dark by the time she headed back home. As she walked she thought she felt someone following her, but when she looked back, no one was there. A few times she saw a shadow darting across the rooftops of the buildings she passed. At one point she deviated to take a different path, hoping to throw off her fear.
That's when she saw it. It was a huge shadow against the night sky, something dark and obviously inhuman. Piercing eyes stared down at her from a massive shaggy head, and a long muzzle curled back to reveal shiny fangs as long as fingers. The thing howled into the air, turning Laura's blood to ice, and she ran. Just as before she felt the thing giving chase but couldn't see it. Occasionally she could hear it behind her, its low pants and breathing, its claws scraping against concrete or stone. At one point she had tripped and stumbled trying to get back up. She was terrified that the thing would get her but it only watched her with those keen eyes, toying with her. She had no choice but to keep running, pushed on by the creature's howl as it disappeared into the shadows again. Laura was gasping for air by the time she got home but she made it. However, now her heart skipped a beat for a different reason when she came to a stop outside the back door to the steps leading up into the loft.
She knew the front had been locked for the night so she went around back where the door there would be locked too, but she had the key. It was unneeded though because the door hung on its hinges. She pushed it aside and entered the loft to a grisly sight. There was blood staining the floor but no sight of her brother. Deep down Laura knew that he was most likely killed by that beast, and now she was next. As if proving that thought the shadow that pursued her stalked up the stairs, growling. Laura bolted for her room and slammed the door but it just busted through, claws tearing and jaws snapping, to reveal a wolf creature. Blood dripped from its jaws to spatter the floor and its eyes locked on her. Laura's breath caught when she realized she had seen those eyes before. Then she knew, that woman she clumsily bumped into. She had those eyes. But then what did she want? The wolf snarled, breaking her from her thoughts, and leaped at her. She quickly threw herself at the semi-open window.
She shoved it the rest of the way and crawled out onto the fire escape which she hastily climbed to the top. The wolf howled and jumped out after her, launching itself to each platform effortlessly, but its weight was too much for the rusty structure. It gave and the beast tried to escape, but missed the edge. It tumbled down with the broken pieces of the fire escape, yelping when it hit the ground below. It took some time to get up but eventually it stood with a shake of its head. It glanced back at her before running off into the darkness. Laura let herself collapse into a ball and cry until she couldn't cry anymore. Will was dead and she was certain that it would be back for her. What would she do? She ended up falling asleep from exhaustion but jolted awake when the sun hit her face. She got up slowly and used a sturdy pipe to slide back down. She was glad the building itself wasn't that tall. Back on solid ground she entered the broken back door and stopped inside the shop, just staring at the empty shop. She jumped when she heard a tapping at the front. Looking up she saw Danny outside.
"Laura, open the door," she called through the glass. Laura ran to unlock it, letting Danny inside. She gripped Laura in a hug and held her close before letting her go.
"You're alive," Danny said with relief plain in her tone. Laura just stood there too startled to react.
"I was worried. Look, I have to tell you something about…about my mother," Danny began. Laura nodded and led Danny up the stairs to the loft where she felt safer.
"Sorry about the mess. It's been a…rough night," Laura told her as they climbed the stairs. Danny remained quiet, even after she entered to see the blood covered floor.
"So, um, what about your mother?" Laura asked.
"She lost her position," Danny replied, voice monotone.
"What?" Laura gasped.
"I've told you how much that job meant to her. It's been passed down the family for years. To lose it so suddenly…it destroyed her. I was next in line and it killed her to think that I don't have that future anymore. I didn't like it but I was willing to take over her role," Danny explained. Laura glanced at her to see an off look on her face.
"Your brother ruined it all for her," she continued, eyes flickering with rage. Laura didn't know what to say.
"He came to our office spouting lies and slander about all the horrible things my mother had done to get where she is today. He even managed to throw in how she wronged your family. He was so set on destroying her, thinking she would be the danger, but he was wrong. He should have made a mockery of me too while he was at it instead of ambushing me in an alley and beating me up like the coward he was," Danny stated with a hard smile, her eyes gleaming in the shadows. The expression made Laura take a step back. Danny was blocking the only exit. She had nowhere to go.
"I saw the chocolates you left that day," Danny spoke again, this time softly.
"I knew you had seen me and Kirsch. He had been pursuing me for days, and I wanted to speak with him alone, to tell him to stop chasing me. Just my luck that I was stuck working with him. Mother put him up to it. She liked him. She even made sure we had that little talk," she went on, her voice now bitter. Her mother set them up together. Her mother, the person Laura had bumped into. Now she remembered her peeved expression. She was like an older version of Danny with those eyes and everything. Those eyes that she had seen in the wolf. She wanted revenge, but then, why was Danny here?
"I turned him down and he didn't take it well, which is what you walked in on," Danny continued to explain, her brow furrowed slightly, as if in pain, before smoothing out again.
"I was going to tell you but your brother got to me first, and I never got a chance," she whispered, her eyes hardening in a steely glare.
"I didn't know," Laura whispered.
"It doesn't matter now. You knew what he was capable of. He came for us because of you, Laura," Danny accused, advancing on her.
"No, Danny, I love you," Laura mumbled through the tears, holding out a hand for her to take. Danny gave a small smile, though her eyes started to glow, casting an eerie blue light.
"You know the saddest part? I was really starting to fall for you. But it turns out you're nothing but a Lawrence-hating-Hollis, just like your brother," she murmured. She took a step forward, her form twisting into something that was no longer the girl who had been standing there. Her dark shadow filled the room and Laura screamed, but there was no one around to hear. The wolf launched itself forward, slamming Laura against the wall. Its claws dug into her shoulders and its sharp teeth were inches from her throat. It snarled, the sound resonating in its chest. Laura looked away, tears falling down her face. She begged the creature, her apologies sincere. It growled sharply, pressing into her, and she lost any will to speak. She couldn't even open her eyes and face it. She couldn't believe that it wasn't Danny's mother that had been the wolf but Danny herself. Suddenly, the pressure at her shoulders decreased. A rough hand grabbed at her chin and forced her head forward.
"Open your eyes!" Danny ordered, voice guttural. Laura obeyed, locking eyes with Danny's fierce vivid hues. She gripped Laura by the shoulder harder, digging in sharpened nails. Laura winced.
"I want to hate you so much. You have no idea. Because of you my mother is a wreck. Because of you I'm a wreck. But I can't bring myself to kill you. I can't kill you…" she muttered, her gaze losing some of its feral anger.
"Please Danny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," Laura pleaded, shakily lifting her hands to place on Danny's arms even though the movement caused her pain. A rolling growl left Danny's lips.
"I can't kill you, but I can make you pay in your brother's place," she stated. Laura didn't know what that could possibly mean so she remained quiet. Danny stared at her, eyebrows furrowed. She leaned in, baring sharp teeth. A strong hand forced Laura's head up, and then those teeth were digging into her vulnerable flesh. She screamed but Danny just bit harder, sinking her teeth past muscle to scrape at bone. When she pulled back she shoved Laura against the wall one last time where she slid down in a crumpled heap on the floor. Danny licked the blood from her lips and bloodstained teeth then crouched down to cradle Laura's chin in her hand.
"Your life is mine now and you belong to me. Anything I say goes. Come find me when you turn tomorrow night. You'll know where to go. I'll be waiting," Danny whispered, kissing Laura roughly before standing to leave. She never thought her first kiss from Danny would be anything like that. She thought it would be a loving kiss full of potential, but instead it was a controlling one full of spite. When she was sure Danny was gone she fell over on her side, the pain of turning already settling in her bones. She would be owned by Danny. Her life wouldn't be her own anymore. She didn't know what all would be required of her but she could only hope it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe, with time, Danny could forgive her. Maybe this way, however unfortunate it was, she would have the chance to win Danny's affections again. She would have to try. It was all she had left. The pain scorched her, annihilating her ability to think, and she whimpered. She had a lot to repay for, but she was ready. By the next night a new howl echoed from the now abandoned bookstore. The large shadow that emerged leapt from one building to the next in search of its master; her scent an easy trail to follow on the breeze.