PROMPT: Okay, so you said that there were other wolves out there? Any chance you can write something about that?
The thick scent of coffee filled Chloe's lungs, pain wracking her already achy body. It was as if her cells were fighting her off- struggling to keep their natural form as she completed her normal routine. All she had to do was keep the heat down for a few more hours, the pull of the moon never over her resilience to it.
Beca and Aubrey always had the tendency to keep her calm, the lull back the natural instinct that begged for a way out, something that she didn't always possess. It was hard, not only to stay composed in a public place but to swallow down something that would cause more pain if it was bottled up.
"Beale?" The barista interrupted the young wolf's thoughts, her deep cerulean eyes flashing up to the kind and tired ones of another. She wasn't sure how long the kid had been working but noted that the extra dollar in her pocket was worth it for his effort. He had bags under his eyes and gave her a genuine smile the second she dropped a few bucks into the little jar that read 'tips'.
With that, she busied herself with gathering a few packets of sugar from the little stand, paying more attention to the steam that rose from the cup the moment she popped off the shined black lid. It filled her lungs with the thick scent of hazelnut and preservatives, just what she needed to keep herself away.
"Ow! Buckle down, Chick!" The hurried voice of a male filled her ears, the whole coffee shop slowing as Chloe perked her ears up, not just catching the hostility in the words, but the strength of a scent that she hadn't smelt in a long while. One that wasn't familiar but reminding her of enough to turn slightly and look at the situation.
A young male had a large coffee stain on the front of his t-shirt, the scalding liquid making him hold the offending item as far away from his chest as possible. He had an annoyed expression on his youthful features, something combined with anger and annoyance. The woman who stood in front of him was taller, long brown hair that was straight and pushed back away from coffee brown eyes- so pure they were almost gold.
Chloe tilted her head to the side, watching the interaction carefully. The rest of the coffee house returning to a lull of conversation as the redhead honed her hearing, making sure she wasn't pushing too far past her boundaries. The uneasy feeling in her stomach motivating her.
"You ran into me!" The girl defended, her voice strained. "Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass long enough to-"
"What's your problem?" He hissed, forgetting about the coffee stain as she clenched his jaw harder than it had been before. "Psycho Bitch."
The woman let out a soft growl, solidifying the cold feeling in Chloe's stomach, her coffee forgotten as the stranger surged forward and grasped the man's collar, his breath catching in his throat as tired eyes widened to the point of saucers. "What did you just call me?
The rest of the patrons were oblivious at this point; exhausted eyes focusing on dim cell phones and the occasional newspaper. The interaction pricked behind Chloe's soft blue eyes as she shoved one of her hands in her pocket, the coffee still resting behind her, head shifted to the side.
This young stranger; the one who carried herself like she was in pain, had something dark behind her stare- her breath a deep grown as the man who had shoved into her in the first place was filled instantly with a type of fear so strong you could smell it in the air. Her eyes flashed from their honey brown to their horrible gold.
Chloe took this moment to step forward, her shoulders pulled back as her fingers found a way to the woman's neck, cold and strong as that flashing gaze flipped towards Chloe's with sharp intensity. Her chest was heaving up and down, jaw clenched as if not to control her breath.
The older of the two held her grasp strong, she pulled back softly, not paying much attention to the death glare. "Sorry about that sir," Chloe beamed, wrapping her arm around the woman's neck, almost in a headlock as she pulled against the hold to no avail. "My friend here is kind of a beast when she doesn't get her morning coffee."
The girl dug into her back pocket, feeling around for the business cards that her accounting course instilled, she hated to admit it, but they came in handy when she had to give her information out- which wasn't often. Somehow, little pieces of cardstock gave her an air of pride. The kid stepped back slightly, rubbing the raw spot his collar created.
"Here is my number." Chloe held out the card, he took it with hesitance, eyes flashing between the two with skepticism. "Don't hesitate to call me and we can work out some way to get your dry cleaning covered."
A struggled grunt came from the stranger to her side, Chloe's arm hanging lazily off her shoulders, not hesitating to tighten her grip without anyone noticing.
"Thanks, I guess." He shook the card out slightly, giving one more stare to the stranger before walking towards the door, ready to brave the cold that brushed through the small coffee shop each time it opened to the outside.
She could almost smell the ice in the air, smile falling from her lips as she pulled the woman towards the back hallway- a single stalled bathroom protected by a large mahogany door. "Let go of me." The brunette snarled a dark bite to her breath. Chloe rolled her eyes, not paying her much mind.
She was finally let go as Chloe shoved her forward, the scent of lemon from off-brand air fresheners coated both of their lungs as the woman stumbled, regaining her composure against the sink. Chloe had her back to her, fingers cold on the latch as she flipped it shut.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Ah, I would watch your tone." Chloe tilted her head, turning to face the wild and ominous eyes of her counterpart. "How long?"
"What?"
"How long have you been dealing with this?" She was exhausted at this point, wolf going wild at the scent of another. The sight of someone who was so young and inexperienced. It made her want to nurture her or hit her upside the head. She wasn't quite sure yet. Chloe raised her eyebrows, looking for a name. Something.
"Emily," The woman reluctantly gave up. "And I don't know what you're talking about."
Chloe took a slight step forward, Emily pressing her back closer to the granite countertop. Something in her told her to do so, to cower under the assertive stare of this woman she had just met a few moments ago. She looked powerful; felt powerful. "Please, I could smell you from a mile away, pup."
Emily swallowed roughly, averting her gaze.
"If I could pick up on your scent, chances are, so could someone else. And if you-"Chloe drew in a small breath "If you had lost it out there, you have no idea what the world would have done."
"They're not completely ignorant." The brunette eased out in response. "I… I've heard the stories about this and seen all the movies that I could count. But I didn't know it felt like- this."
"Weren't you?" Chloe asked, voiced strained "Ignorant?"
Emily's eyes weren't so filled with rage anymore; not the uncontrollable kind that usually plagued her body. They were softer and scared. Her heart rate was strong, even to the young wolf. It was almost dominating compared to the silence of the small room.
The shorter of the two crossed her arms over her chest, breathing in carefully. She dropped her shoulders, taking in the pale complexion and shaky fingers. She was a different shade of grey that Chloe hadn't seen before, bottom lip shaking and purple. Unhealthy, like a runt in a pack.
"You've never changed before, have you?"
"I uh," Emily swallowed roughly, not making eye contact, "I thought it was something different, you know? After I got attacked by that, that thing, I started to feel weird. Thought it was the drugs or just my body healing. Not fucking lycanthropy." Emily sniffed loudly "I started to feel worse this past week, angrier, and scared."
Chloe nodded slowly, understanding. The pull of the moon not showing any type of mercy when it came to its forces. This girl was a shell of herself, not eating, or sleeping. Not giving her mind a second to catch up with what her body was going through.
"I would have never talked to that man out there like that, not the way that I did." She shook her head quickly, eyes glazing over as she stared down at her palms, fingers trembling against the weight of anxiety. Her voice cracked "I don't know what's happening to me."
A sharp sob escaped her lips, Emily didn't break quietly, the tears streaming past her cheeks and dripping off her chin as she folded forward. Chloe didn't waste a second, wrapping her strong arms around the young pup who trembled at the warmth that filled her at the unexpected contact.
She dug her nose into Chloe's neck, breathing in her scent as she shook against her, finally letting all the pent-up emotion escape, her throat raw and stomach dropping every second. She was soothed by the small circles rubbed on her back, eyes dark as Chloe held her up.
"You're not going to do this alone." Chloe soothed, a low whisper she knew the girl could hear. "I promise."