A man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night
May still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright

-Valerie-

I hummed lightly to myself, the knitting needles moving swiftly through my deft fingers as I finished the strawberry red hood. Life in the woods had been quiet since Peter had returned. We lived in solitude, letting all our friends and family believe that eventually we had both simply died. It was hard staying away from the life I had once known, but I'd give anything to protect Peter.

There was a time when I hadn't been sure if I could stay. The changes had been hard for him at first and it was difficult to keep him from charging for the village that we'd once called home. And then Harriet had come along. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Born right here in the cabin, she was healthy and happy and the absolute center of our lives. Once she'd joined our family, Peter had made an extreme effort to be less wolfish. He'd learned to control himself during the wolf moon. For the most part he would just wonder the area, howling longingly at the sky. He rarely wondered into the village, but every once and a while he would at my request. It wasn't that I wanted to scare my old friends, but keeping the legend of the wolf alive kept them all safe inside my childhood home. I thought only for the best.

Still sometimes I worried about him. In the last few years, he'd stopped thinking of his wolf form as less of a curse and more of a gift. Like my father had. It didn't worry me so much though. Over all, the last thirteen years of our life had been very peaceful. I smiled at this fact as I bit the thread of the new cloak. Holding it out in front of me, I beamed at the idea of my daughter wearing it.

"Valerie." Turning in my chair, I smiled as Peter stepped in through the front door. It was the week of the wolf moon, and I rarely got to see him. This was the first time he'd been home in two days.

"Peter," I breathed in relief, abandoning my seat and hurrying to him. He enveloped me in a warm embrace and I roamed my hands across his broad back. "I've missed you," I sighed into his chest, finally feeling completely at ease now that he'd returned.

"I thought you might say that," he chuckled, burying his face in my hair as his arms encircled me. I laughed as well, glad that the change had not altered his sense of humor. "Where's Harriet?"

"She's-" I didn't get to answer, as the front door once again burst open and our daughter came dashing through it with a cry of 'Papa!'.

Peter released me just in time to catch his daughter in his arms and lift her over his head. She squealed in delight, blonde hair falling down into her face as she giggled. She was ten years old now, the age I had been when I'd first met Peter, and growing every day. I placed my hands over my mouth to keep from laughing as Peter spun her around in the air with little to no effort before placing her down. She stood about as tall as his waist, taller than I had been at that age. No doubt thanks to Peter's own genes.

"Hello, sweetie," he said, kissing the crown of her head lovingly as she bounced up and down excitedly. She'd always been a ball of energy. Running here and there, climbing trees and jumping across streams. She was so like me that Peter liked to tease that she was in fact me reincarnated. It was true in a way. Looking her in the face, there could be no denying she was mine and Peter's daughter, which that was probably my favorite thing about her.

"I missed you," she cried, hugging him around the waist in delight. We both shared an adoring smile before turning to her again. Peter untangled her from his legs before lifting her up again.

"I missed you too," he admitted, kissing her cheek which caused her to smile happily. The week of the wolf moon was always difficult for her. She knew everything about her father and the curse, but didn't understand why he couldn't just 'sleep in the yard'.

"Is the wolf moon almost over?" she pouted, laying her head on his shoulder. Walking over, I patted her back sympathetically. I knew how she felt. Peter gave me an apologetic look, but only shook his head at our daughter's question.

"No, I'm sorry, Harri, five more days." She huffed in annoyance, motioning to be put down as she dug into her cloak pocket. Pulling her hand out again, she pulled out a fist full of flowers that looked suspiciously like the ones that came from my garden.

"These are for you, papa." I felt the strings of my heart pull in affection as my daughter presented the frail flowers to her father. I didn't think it was possible for me to love them anymore than I already did at that moment. Peter took the flowers, putting them to his face in an exaggerated show of smelling them.

"Why don't you go pick some for mama?" he suggest, smiling at her over the blooms, deep brown eyes meeting their clones. She was ecstatic at the idea, immediately turning on her heal to rush to the door.

"Wait!" I called to her, turning back to the chair where I had laid the cloak. "I've made something for you." I picked up the garment, hearing her tiny feet move closer behind me. Peaking over my shoulder, I smiled at her curiously excited expression. I turned, bringing the cloak before her eyes in the flourish.

"It's just like yours!" she gasped, round face lighting up in wonder. I smirked at Peter before draping it over her shoulders. It was a task tying it under her throat as she kept trying to turn around. "I love it, mama!"

"I'm glad," I chuckled, stroking her face lovingly before straitening up again. She spun on the spot, her hair and her cape whipping out behind her.

"I love this hood, I love this color, I love this cloak!" she all but yelled, jumping up and down. "Thank you!" she knocked me back with a quick hug before running out the door again, no doubt to pick a special bunch of flowers for me. I grinned after her, turning my eyes to Peter who shared my expression.

"I think she likes it," he drawled, stepping forward again to twist his arms around my hips. I leaned into him, taking in the smell I'd come to live with.

"Let's hope it lasts longer than the last one," I joked, swaying slightly on the spot with him. He chuckled deep in his chest, rubbing soothing circles into my back. We stayed like that, a perfect moment in time just for us. I wanted it to last forever.

"It's the blood moon." That one sentence shattered my perfect instant and I pulled away from him. I stared at him, eyes filled with worry and fear for us and those in the village. I backed away from him, not out of fear for myself but of what was to come. The blood moon was a serious time, and a man bitten was a man cursed. We both knew too well what this week could bring down upon us and anyone within the area. It brought a chill to my heart just thinking about it.

"Have you bitten anyone?" I asked shakily, turning away from him as my mind raced on ahead of me. If he had we would have to flee the forest immediately, we couldn't risk the exposure. But where would we go? We'd chosen to stay here in the forrest because we both knew it like the back of our hands. Sure, Peter had traveled further when he was trying to learn to control the change, but he'd never spoken to me of where he'd gone. I figured it had been a dark time for him and chose not to bring it up to often. Now I was curious. I thought on this as I pulled my own trusty hood on, the familiar scratchiness of the fabric bringing me comfort in my hour of need.

"No," his deep voice came from behind me. I let out the breath I'd been holding. "But I plan to." I froze, fingertips barely brushing the arm of the chair. He knew better than anyone that being bitten could very well be the end of life as you knew it. A moment of tense silence passed between us that I spent trying reason with myself. Turning to him, my eyes searching I tried to decipher why he would do such a thing. I looked to him in confusion when I could think of no answer only to find that he already had one."You and Harriet."

The words fell with a loud clatter like crates in a silent barn. They ricocheted off the walls of the cabin, slamming back to me and echoing through my ear. They pounded against my brain like drums and I found myself again shaking my head to rid myself of the awful phantom noise, a pain beginning to rise behind my eyes. "What?" I stammered, stumbling backwards in shock. Picturing my own daughter morphing into a hideous beast struck a chord deep within my chest and I was struggling to breathe. "Why would you-"

"We shouldn't have to live in fear of the villagers," he growled, not meeting my eyes as he turned to face the door where Harriet had disappeared. "Together, we could be stronger. We could protect ourselves."

"You protect us," I replied icily, feeling my heart begin to grow cold with betrayal. Why was he doing this?

"But I'm not here all the time," he snapped in frustration turning to me again. My mouth had gone dry and I couldn't form a coherent sentence so instead I just shook my head in denial.

"No," I murmured. "No you can't do that to us."

"Think of Harriet," he went on, moving towards me. I backed away warily, feeling trapped in my own home for the first time in thirteen years. Peter was trapping me. "If I change her, she'd never have to fear anyone hurting her."

"She's only a little girl," I replied. "It wouldn't be fair to turn her into a…" I trailed off, trying to remember the feeling I'd had only a few minutes ago as panic began to set in. We had been so happy, why was he trying to ruin it?

"A what?" Peter challenged, moving forward again. I moved around the back of the chair, putting it between us. I looked up at him pleadingly, not wanting any ill to come of this. I loved Peter with all my soul, but in that moment I was afraid of him. Afraid of the father of my child. Afraid of the love of my life. "Say it."

"Peter, I-"

"Say it!" he threw the chair aside and I jumped as it smashed into the empty fireplace. His temper was almost in full swing now and I knew better than to keep denying him what he wanted. Turning back to him, I shivered as I noticed his eyes had gone yellow.

"A monster." The term sat like a wall between us, pushing us further and further apart. I clasped my hands in front of me at a loss. I didn't want Peter to think of himself that way, but I wouldn't surrender my daughter to his lifestyle. No matter what he'd grown to believe, it was a curse and nothing more. His eyes slowly faded back to their dark brown as he squared his jaw. With a small nod he began backing away from me, eyes closed off as if I were a stranger. I moved to follow but he turned his back on me, fists clenching at his sides.

"Is that what you think I am?" he questioned, not even bothering to look at me as I floundered for an answer.

"No," I breathed, shaking my head. "No of course not…but Harriet's just a little girl-"

"She's my little girl," he growled, turning to me now, eyes once again glowing a frightening yellow. I glanced at the doorway momentarily before deciding to stand my ground. I wouldn't run from him. Not after all we'd been through. I loved Peter and I trusted him - with my life. Running would be turning my back on everything we had built and abandoning one of the most important people in my life next to my daughter. With that last thought of Harriet, I stood even taller. I wouldn't take her from her father, but I wouldn't let her be cursed either.

"She's our little girl," I countered. "And I won't let you make either of us like you."

A silence fell over us then as we stared each other down. A cold sense of foreboding had crept its way into my chest. I loved Peter, and I knew he love me and Harriet in return. But during the week of the wolf moon, he was unpredictable and frankly dangerous. I knew he would never intentionally hurt me, but everyone could lose control at some point. Slowly he stepped forward, a deep growl vibrating from deep within him. Eyes moving down to his fists, I could see his skin beginning to crawl as if trying to rip itself from his very body. He was changing.

"You won't have a choice." His voice came through to me deep and rasping, halfway to the growl it would become as his shoulders hunched unnaturally. Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched the grotesque process of the man I loved becoming a wolf. His spine bent and elongated to include a tail as his jaw stretched into the snarling mussel of a dog.

"Peter," I sobbed, the sound being covered by the earth shaking growl that sprang from his throat. His front paws scratch at our wood floors as his haunches coiled like a spring ready to pounce. "Please."

I would never get the chance to tell him or our daughter how much I loved them before he lunged.

:::

-Peter—

She laid on her back, her shoulders pressed flat to the floor, but her hips twisted slightly to the side. Her left arm was folded delicately over her stomach, her right splayed out at her side. Her eyes were open wide, pools of crystal blue staring off into nothing. Pink lips parted only slightly and golden hair surrounded her head like a halo. She was beautiful.

"Valerie," I choked, now human hand reaching out to cup her face. When she did not respond, I pulled away as if burned. What had I done? "Oh God."

I hadn't meant to hurt her. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever want to hurt Valerie. I only ever wanted to protect her and make her stronger so she could protect herself. Everything had somehow just spun out of my grasp when she refused the change. An anger I'd never known had built up inside me and come raging out in the form of the wolf. I hadn't come back to myself until I'd heard the sickening 'thud' as her head hit the hard, unforgiving planks. Kneeling by her side, I gripped the hand at her side in mine, head curled down in shame. I had killed her.

All at once it felt like a giant thorn had lodged itself in my heart with a painful twist. My face screwed up in remorse as a strangled cry escaped my lips. The only person I had ever loved and had loved me in return was dead at my hands. She would never look upon me in awe or smile dreamily down at our daughter ever again. The house would be empty of her care free humming, my arms bare of her embrace. As I imagined a life without Valerie I could feel my soul begin to ache. What was the point? All these years of reigning in the beast within for not. The one person I'd sworn to keep safe was gone. I had nothing. Nothing but my little girl.

Thinking of Harriet I began to cry. I had taken her mother from her. She was going to hate me for the rest of her days which were no doubt going to be long and painful. My sobs would block the sound of feet too small to belong to an adult pounding up the front steps. I'd be deaf to the sound of a little girl's happy humming as she crossed the threshold of her beloved home. I wouldn't turn to the door until I heard the sound of a small wicker basket filled with flowers hitting the ground in our doorway. Turning, I would stair blearily at our little girl, looking so much like her mother as she gawked in horror at the site of her beloved mama lying dead on the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Harriet," I whispered before my eyes bled yellow and I let the monster take over.

Ok this is supposed to be a one-shot, but I do have an idea for a full story. It'd be oc/oc mind you, but let me know if you'd be interested in something like that. If not just tell me what you thought of this! A bit sad, I know, but leave a comment yeah?

Thanks for reading!
~monie