Unwanted Proposal
The room was dark, still and silent as I lay awake in Hannibal's bed. He sleeps soundly beside me with his arm lying limp across my waist. His breath feels warm and comforting against my skin. Even in sleep he wears a kind expression, his lips curve slightly in a small smile. He is so content with our life together and I am jealous of that contentment. I feel restless.
There is no reason why I should feel this way. We have been lovers for two years now and it's still amazing. Hannibal is good to me and I enjoy being with him. In fact I can't stand to be away from him. I think back to the four years he spent away from us, working in America as a history professor at the University of Main. I cringe at the thought. I had missed him every second, longing to hear his voice and his laugh. I even had dreams about him. Of course my pride would never allow me to tell him about those dreams, for ladies should never speak of such things. I wanted to touch him and kiss him, to hold him close. And that was before we started sleeping together!
He is one of the few people I smile for. He makes me happy and I adore him but I suppose it's the simple fact that I did not chose him that makes me uneasy about marrying him. I would have preferred to have my fate in my own hands. But I will be happy once the wedding is over. My restlessness must be pre-wedding jitters.
The break of Dawn is near, I need to get back to my own room before Olivia wakes up and finds me missing. Hannibal and I were supposed to wait till after we were married but I didn't have that kind of will power. My virginity ended the night he came back from America. I slip out of bed and pull on my discarded nightgown then quietly leave for my bedroom. It's at the other end of the same hallway, which makes sneaking back and forth easy.
Once inside, I write a note to Olivia, telling her that I went out for a morning run in the woods as I so often do. I go to the window and carefully climb out onto the room. Then skillfully leap down to the ground below with very little sound. I sprint into the thick forest surrounding the compound.
As soon as I'm far enough away, I take off my thin nightgown and hang it on a tree branch. I close my eyes to summon the wolf that for the most part sleeps dormant within me. I awaken her and she springs forth from the darkness of my subconscious. My body transforms and she takes control. Our fur is as black as pitch and our eyes glow like small suns in the gloom of the night.
I bound through the trees, my paws hit the ground, and my claws dig into the dirt as I run, increasing my speed. This is when I am happiest, when I am free.
It's a funny thing, being a werewolf. It seems like the only time we feel normal is when we have four legs and a tail. I can still remember with painful detail when I was forbidden to transform. When my mother found out I possessed the gift, she told me never to change. I couldn't do it. It tore me apart. The wolf was so much apart of me; it was like telling me not to breathe. I sneaked out in the middle of the night many times, just so I could run as my wolf self through the forest. One night I found a peaceful brook and sat down for a brief rest. I fell asleep and when I woke up I was not alone. Another wolf with dark brown fur was with me. He brought me home to my real family. Home to the world I truly belonged in.
"Such gorgeous fur!" said a voice in my head. I halted to a stop and searched the forest around me for the source. A large white wolf sat under a pine tree. He grinned wolfishly at me, his silver eyes glimmering with delight. "What do you want, Hector?" I snapped. He chuckled and approached me. With the snap of bones and sickening twisting of muscle, he reshaped himself into his human form. He was a very tall man with lean muscles. His hair was the same shade as his fur and it fell to his shoulders. Three scars, possibly from the claws of another werewolf, slashed deep across his left cheek. He didn't seem ashamed at his nakedness either; he didn't even try to cover himself. I laughed inwardly. He acted proud of it. I wasn't very impressed.
"I'm afraid I left my clothes at home." He chuckled. "Please, slip into something more comfortable so we can speak like civilized people." I snarled and dodged behind some bushes. I transformed back into human form but stayed hidden in the bushes where I was only visible from the shoulders up. "You're awfully modest for someone who runs through the woods naked every night." He said, laughter ringing in his voice.
"Get to your point, Hector, before I decide to eat you." I said, glaring at him, with my arms crossed over my chest. He sat down on a boulder and crossed his legs, thankfully covering some of his nakedness. "You're a very beautiful woman, Anna." Said hector, his eyes looking me up and down as if his pale eyes could see strait through the bush. "Your point Hector!" I hissed, through bared teeth. "I was wondering if you would like to join my pack. Our numbers have dwindled to a handful and we're in dire need of females. I'd like to make you my mate." My glare intensified, "No! I'm taken." I answered quickly. His ears perked and his eyes blinked stupidly as if he couldn't believe what he were hearing. "You're married already?" I shook my head, "Well, no not yet, but I'm already promised to someone." He shifted on the boulder uncomfortably, "Who's the lucky fellow?" he asked, clinching his teeth. "It wouldn't happen to be that dark brown mutt who did this would it?" He asked with venom, showing me his bandaged hand. I smirked, "The very one, his name's not mutt though, it's Hannibal." I looked up at the sliver of moon in the sky, "We'll be getting married at the next full moon." I sighed as a shiver a shiver rolled through me; "I can't wait. It's going to be beautiful."
His eyes were narrowed into slits and his nails dug into the flesh of his arms that were crossed angrily across his chest. "If that's all I'm going to go now." Again I called forth the wolf and bolted into the woods but not before I heard these words spill from Hector's mouth, "Poor little wolf, she's so devoted to her pack, she doesn't know what she wants anymore."
