She had been nine when she killed for the first time. Following after her friend who followed after a man promising the ripest, sweetest peaches. His flesh had been sweet and hot between her teeth, strangely delicate as blood coated her throat and tongue.
She had been nine when her wolf awakened, three whole months short of the youngest age to survive triggering. And that boy's wolf had been weak. The son of an un-triggered father and human mother, born of one of the more diluted bloodlines. And still he nearly died that first year.
But her wolf had been a wild thing in her chest, from the moment the man's heart stilled, the last feeble pump of blood against her lips, she could feel her beast in her chest. Already clawing for freedom, howling with want to run and hunt. A descendant of a triggered alpha and in turn a member of one of the original seven bloodlines.
Caroline should have died, torn apart by her very nature.
Caroline snagged one of the ripe Georgian peaches from a crate, tracing its soft, fuzzy skin. The fruit had just the right amount of give and she knew it would be bursting with flavor. Taking a bite, the flesh was indeed sweet and juicy on her tongue, a bit warm with the summer sun.
Chewing and swallowing, Caroline continued to nibble on her peach as she weaved among the crowds of humans, just another face in a sea of them, no one paying her any attention.
Something within her gave a little twinge, as she marveled that these oblivious humans had pack when she didn't. Marveled as she did every year passing through the festival, pretending she was always there because she liked peaches and not because she was remembering.
Her ear twitched, her sensitive hearing catching the tail end of frantic whispers.
"-The Hybrid, he's hunting wolves."
"It seems he's been prowling along the east coast. Be careful."
The Hybrid, huh?
Chucking the pit of her finished peach into the nearest bin, Caroline almost laughed. She well remembered the shock the more well-informed of the supernatural world all felt when The Klaus was apparently both a wolf and a vamp. As if he hadn't been terrifying enough to most. Remembered how she felt more hope than fear even as she admonished herself for foolish dreams.
Because see, she hadn't died, then. Back when she was nine on the cusp of ten.
Instead, her father had hunted down a dark talisman to drain her wolf of strength, the poor creature too weak to shift her form when the full moon came calling each month. And on her tenth birthday her father attempted to unbind the artifact from her, only to discover her wolf had devoured that which made it weak. Claiming its power for her own.
Her birthday gift that year was five flatlines, she and her wolf at war as they tried to gain dominance over the other. And in a compromise to survive they found an uneasy middle ground, power absorbed and transferred from wolf to girl as she grew older, struggling to balance her two natures.
But it wasn't a perfect solution.
Her wolf grew too rapidly in strength, attempting to overcome the drain as the girl turned woman was flooded with feral power, sometimes feeling more lupine than human even as she walked on two legs not four.
The witches called her an abomination. So did the wolves, the handful she encountered. Vampires, she avoided and the few she had met either left her presence oblivious or dead from her envenomed fangs.
And now she was dying, some fifteen or so years late perhaps. Her mortality making her body too weak to keep up.
So, if the newfound Hybrid was hunting for wolves…
Well, then she intended to hunt for him.
Caroline swallowed a scream of frustration, her naked and dirt streaked body surrounded by corpses.
Once again she had been too late, having been a step behind the Hybrid ever since the peach festival two months ago. She had been so close this time too, maybe only hours behind, when the full moon caught up to her.
She and her wolf may be far more in sync than most, but not even she could negotiate like that. The whole lack of verbal speech a bit of a problem.
Although, she thought looking around at the camp of dead werewolves, perhaps it's better I never managed to catch up.
Caroline walked over to the nearest body, knelt down in the dirt to examine their pained expression. Eyes red and bulging, congealed blood cooled in thick trails from their eyes, nose, and mouth. Clearly, something had gone wrong. Instead of turning as Klaus must have hoped for, they died instead. Quite horribly from what she could see.
She pursed her lips in thought before she turned to stalk back toward her stowed car. Plans being formed and discarded as she walked. She would find Klaus, but hanging back until surviving the transition was ensured certainly wouldn't hurt.
Surviving Klaus would be another matter of course.
Caroline bit her lip even as she internally scolded herself for the tell, nervous despite herself as she stared at the perfectly normal front door.
It had taken Klaus a week to work out how to successfully turn wolves. Impressive, even by Caroline's high standards. His first triumph though was that Lockwood boy, an infant of a wolf. So, she had hung back until she witnessed a few more successful turnings. Watched as wolves of all ages rose from death with new fangs.
Now, she was standing on Klaus' doorstep, certainly not a thing she had ever expected to do, gathering her courage to ring the doorbell. But she had a feeling he knew she was there and she refused to show anymore weakness.
Her finger jabbed the little white button, muffled but cheery chimes echoing from beyond the door.
A moment passed. Two. And then a rush of displaced air sounded in the silence.
The door opened.
A tall brunet stood in the entryway, one of Klaus' earlier made hybrids. With his brown hair and eyes, he was neither particularly attractive nor particularly intimidating.
She stared directly into his eyes, her chin lifted.
"I wish to speak with Klaus."
He glowered at her.
"Who do you think you are? To demand an audience with-"
His growls were cut off as they both heard a voice sound from somewhere deeper in the house.
"Let her in, Tony."
Caroline raised a pointed eyebrow, gracefully stepping past Tony's form when he barely shifted in place. She could feel him right behind her, though she paid him no mind as she wandered in the direction the voice had sounded.
Eventually she came to her destination, the space open concept and a blend of sitting room, dining room, and kitchen. Her eyes immediately settled on the man who had to be Klaus, as even casually sprawled in a chair his form radiated power.
He didn't look up as she entered, seeming to be contemplating a glass of bourbon, though he obviously knew she was there.
"You may go, Tony," he dismissed, taking a sip of his drink after he spoke. It took a few more swallows for him to finish the glass, all the while refusing to acknowledge her.
It left both the woman and the wolf bristling, on the precipice of snapping out something likely unwise. Right before she could snarl though, the man looked up, setting his glass on the table beside him as he contemplated her instead.
"You're either very brave or very stupid, little wolf." He rose from his seat then, his steps slow and predatory as he shortened the distance between them. "But I find myself rather curious that you have sought me out. The rumors tend to send your kind fleeing from me not straight to my door."
Klaus struck a far more attractive and intimidating figure than Tony, but Caroline met his gaze all the same. She refused to submit so easily.
Instead, she gave a casual roll of her shoulders, shrugging as if she had not a care in the world. "I can't speak for other wolves. They don't tend to like me much, really."
And then she decided to be blunt. The worst he was likely to do to some no-name wolf was kill her, which meant nothing seeing as she was a dead woman walking.
A dead woman walking with nothing to lose. Her human mother loved her in her own way, but didn't know what to do with her. Her father was long dead, having gotten in over his head while he tried to hunt down increasingly esoteric solutions to her problem. And she had no friends to speak of.
"I'm dying, Klaus," she said, "and what limited accelerated healing I have is not enough." She continued to stare him dead in the eye, letting him read her sincerity. "I don't want to die."
Klaus silently regarded the odd blonde wolf in front of him. Her claims were certainly curious, but a bit suspicious too. What wolf landed in his lap, all but begging him to turn her?
He continued to stare at her as he thought, a bit impressed when she simply stood impassive, refusing to squirm or fidget. And then, he came to a decision, saying nothing as he stepped behind her. She tensed, but didn't turn to face him, recognizing it as the test it was.
It would be a shame to let such daring, loveliness simply die, supposing her story was true. And if it wasn't, if it was some plot, then she would be bound to him and susceptible to his compulsion.
His fangs descended as he bit into his forearm with a wet crunch, filling the air with the scent of his magic-seeped blood. He wrapped an arm around the she-wolf's waist, pulling her back against him as he set the rapidly closing wound against her lips.
She drank, almost kittenish licks turning to greedy, gulping mouthfuls. And he smirked in response, delighted by her bloodthirst.
He had a feeling he might like this one.
Crack
Her neck snapped and she slumped against him, his fingers petting where he had gripped her jaw. Shifting over to place her body on the settee, he brushed a strand of blonde hair from her face. He grinned down at her temporarily dead form, something wild and feral glinting in his gold-ringed eyes.
Welcome to eternity, little wolf.
Title means "Wolf Home" in Cherokee as that's supposedly where Inadu came from. I've aged up Caroline a few years to make it fit the timeline I wanted, so she's now born Oct. 10, 1985. And thus is 24 in this story. For the Cherokee translation, I took the phonetic spelling/sound from which has a lexicon by word translation. The actual script is apparently something like this: ᏩᏯ ᎣᏪᏅᏒ.
3/15/2020 Mini-sequel additional content below.
Contains smut! This smut has some phrasing that can be read as dubcon, though it is NOT. However, if you are sensitive to such content this may not be the piece for you.
Caroline heard the crack of her neck, had the world go black and lost all sensation from her body, but she had a feeling her transition wasn't normal. Not unless everyone experienced spirit quest visions with their Wolf.
Said Wolf trotted out of the darkness, blood staining the silver fur of her muzzle and belly, eyes glowing golden as they met Caroline's. The woman could feel her own eyes shift, nails turning to claws as her teeth sharpened.
The Wolf dipped her head to drink from the stream of blood that snaked bright and luminescent from the shadows. She cocked her head as Caroline crouched to join her.
An image of Klaus flashed in her mind.
Maker. Pack. Alpha?
The blood ran hot and sweet down her human throat and she could feel the growing bond; though it was effortless to savage part of the connection. For all that she was grateful for her life and would offer the Hybrid her loyalty, she would not have it forced from her.
As she drank new power pooled in her stomach, feeling like fire as it spread through her limbs. She could feel veins on her face tense and bulge, teeth transforming into true fangs. Across from her, the Wolf seemed to swell slightly, new strength in her limbs. They snarled at one another, daring each other to submit.
But it was not in their nature to offer submission, it had to be earned.
At some unspoken signal the two launched themselves at the other, tumbling in a ball of snapping fangs and gouging claws. Woman under Wolf then Wolf under Woman. The two fought with feral aggression, jumping away only to re-engage once more.
And then for the first time, the Woman managed to fully pin the Wolf, sinking fangs into the fur of her neck and biting until blood ran over her tongue. The Woman pulled back, red rivulets running from her lips down her neck, gold eyes meeting gold eyes. The Wolf faded away, her wild presence once more within the Woman.
She threw her head back and howled.
The world snapped back into focus in an instant and Caroline could smell two decadent blood sources in the room. One was her Maker, his taste still coating her tongue, but the other called to her. Her vision tunneled as she stared at the vial in his hand, snatching it from him as he held it out to her.
She drank deep, embracing the second rush of flame through her body, felt fangs and claws and veins. Her Wolf was right beneath her skin and in an instant they Turned. Bones crunched and fur sprouted, Wolf and Woman one being.
They crouched and snarled up at the Hybrid, demanding that he prove himself. With their challenge issued they leapt from the room, darting toward the forest they could sense.
Klaus was stunned to say the least. The she-wolf had woken quicker than any he had seen before. And none had ever shifted after completing the transition. But while the Man reeled, the Wolf howled.
"Keep an eye on the house," he snarled at the hybrid that burst into the room, eyes already burning gold. He blurred outside, body near vibrating as the change washed over him more rapidly than ever. Soon he was flying over the earth, four paws digging into the dirt and grass, the scent of his newest sire calling to him.
They could feel him devouring the distance between them, pleased that the rumors of his prowess were proving true. But they wouldn't make it easy for him, accelerated their pace until it outstripped any they had ever run before, climbing higher into the forested mountains.
Maker. Pack. Alpha?
The Wolf was delighted by his new sire's ferocity, eagerly hunting her down as she ran through the wilds. She was fast, faster than any other he had turned, but not faster than him. His gaze locked onto the flashes of her silver fur through the trees and he sprung forward.
His presence blared behind them, approaching too quickly to dodge. His bulkier form tackled theirs and sent them sprawling. But it was a familiar motion and they rolled with the impact, managing to squirm out from under him. They whirled to face him, refusing to give him their back but aware he had caught them. They crouched, fangs bared, the time for running over.
A growl rumbled up from his throat as he took a few steps toward them.
Submit.
Their head lunged forward to snap at air.
Make me.
He leapt again and they barely managed to scramble out of the way, tried to bite at his exposed underbelly. But he was still faster, his shoulders slammed into them and sent them flying, their body impacting a tree with a sharp crack.
They let out a slight whimper as they tried to get their bearings, yelping as he bore down on them. It was reckless, their own stomach exposed, but they went for his throat, forcing him to jump back from the unexpected move.
Before they could capitalize on his surprise, he was on them again, moving quicker than they could see. His body pinned theirs and his jaw closed in warning around their throat, the vibration of his snarls felt in the fangs digging into them.
Shift back, they felt resonate in their bones, snaps filling the air as they both returned to human form.
Klaus still felt his Wolf in his blood as he pinned his fierce she-wolf with his hand on her throat. She was still baring her teeth at him and he snapped his own at her. Still demanding she submit.
A woman once more, their reaction to the battle was obvious, slick coating their inner thighs. His power was immense and it delighted them.
Maker. Pack. Alpha?
The scent of her arousal was heavy in the air, his Wolf howling.
Take her. Claim her. Mark her. She offered a chase and you caught her, show her who owns her!
He growled, grabbing her wrists with his free hand and pinning them above her head. The hand on her throat trailing down over her breast and hip to lock around her thigh and spread her open.
Maker. Pack. Alpha?
They bucked and writhed beneath him as they felt the hard length of him probe at their entrance, issuing one last challenge. Heat sparked up their spine and they could feel their arousal dripping onto him as he spread their folds with the tip of his cock. A moan caught in their throat as he started to press into them, they nearly let him too, but it was not in their nature to give in so quickly. Not yet.
It was a struggle to maneuver the leg not in his grasp but they managed, kicking up and launching him backward. They flipped over, about to get up, when he was on them again. His weight pressed along their back as he caged their body, forcing their shoulders down.
One hand on their nape, his other slithered across their stomach, shifting their hips and ass toward him. His hand dipped lower, slipping over where they were still slick and aching. They bucked and squirmed with what little room they had, stilling only when he plunged into them, a moan torn from their throat.
They clenched around the hard length of him, feeling delightfully full as his girth stretched their inner walls. Each powerful thrust had them softening under him, little whimpers and groans emerging from their lips.
Flashes danced across the back of their eyelids, feeling as if their every nerve was sparking under his touch.
Maker. Pack. Alpha.
They submitted, willingly baring their throat, as waves of pleasure washed over them. His fangs sunk into their neck just as a final thrust had him spilling deep within them, painting his claim.
The pull of their blood from their veins, the pulsing of his cock. It was overwhelming and they blacked out for a moment, coming to as he rolled them sideways. His cock was still hard and hot within them, but his body was still, just holding them in his embrace.
A pleased rumble echoed in their chest, and they twisted slightly in his arms, tilting their head back to offer a friendly nip to his chin.
Maker. Pack. Alpha. They sent through the bond. His grip tightened as he licked at the slowly healing mark on their throat.
Mine. He sent back.