Written For:

- Day 29 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Bitter

- Chocolate Frog Cards: Red Cap (challenge): Use the story of Little Red Riding Hood as inspiration for your story.

- Candy from the Trolley: Sour Rind Watermelon (challenge): Write about a nice person in a bad situation.

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Once Upon a Time: "My happy ending is finally feeling at home in the world." - Regina

- Word Prompt Express: nice

Pairings/Characters: Orion/Walburga

Word Count: 488

Notes: Werewolf!AU


Howl

The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound, I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallowed ground.

Orion hovered outside the cave, where he knew that Walburga slept. In his hand, he held the fresh corpse of a dove—in his mind, a suitable offering for the creature he had grown to adore. A slim, pale arm extended from the darkness of the cave, and the long fingers grasped the feathery body of the bird.

The ominous sounds of tiny bones splintering and the wet squelch of her tongue on the meat could be heard from the cave, and Orion tried not to shudder as he imagined her eating the defenceless creature. Shortly after the sounds ceased, she exited the mouth of the cave, blinking in the sunlight.

Orion felt awe wash over him. Even in the morning after the full moon, in her sickly-pale splendour, he thought she was beautiful. Her lips were curled back in a defensive snarl, there was blood smeared on her cheek and teeth. Her jet-black hair was lank and ruffled, and she was protecting her modesty with a ragged, brown blanket. "What are you doing here, Orion?" she question—just like she questioned him every day.

"I wanted to see you."

"You shouldn't be here. I'm dangerous. I could hurt you," she lifted an arm to wipe the blood from her face. "You're too nice for me, Orion."

Orion didn't reply. He knew that there was truth behind that statement - he was a good person, who came from a good family—and Walburga was nothing but bad news. But he still couldn't tear himself away from her. "I could make you happy. I don't care about what you are. You don't have to live in a cave like an animal."

"I am an animal!" she hissed, and she flew at him suddenly. Orion knew that she expected him to flinch and appear afraid, but he remained still. She hovered, mere inches away from his face.

"You don't have to be the big bad wolf," he murmured, glancing down at her bloody lips. "Don't you want a happy ending?"

"My happy ending is finally feeling at home in the world," Walburga whispered, her voice cracking a little. "And that will never be so."

Before she could turn away, Orion grasped her head and pulled her forwards, crashing his lips into hers. Her mouth was still at first, but after a moment she kissed him back, gently at first, but then it grew hot and domineering. He could taste the bitter, coppery blood in her mouth, and he knew it should scare him, but it only excited him further. When they broke apart for air, Orion pressed his forehead to hers and gripped her upper arms, preventing her from rushing back into the darkness of her cave.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I will take care of you."