"HE IMPRINTED ON HER!" Clawdeen slammed open the door to Duncan's room in shock.
"He what? Are you sure? It's Christina and-"
"I know"
"Where is Shaggy now?"
"They took him to his room to cool off"
"And Christy?"
"In her dorm, she finally fell asleep"
"What do we do?"
"I have no idea"
...
A few days later, Christina was tending the egg in the hatchery. Sitting back on her heels she carefully watched the egg rock back and forth and side to side.
"you can do it, little one," she encouraged softly, stroking the shell, "Come on"
Slowly, the egg started to crack, bits of the shell crumbling away. It toppled end over end, the baby coming out tail first, getting its head stuck. Biting back a laugh, Christina gently broke the remaining shell apart scooping the baby into her arms as she did so.
"You did wonderfully," she smiled at the dragon.
The dragon had black scales, tinted a deep blue, the same color as the small flame it burped, purple eyes widening in surprise. Christina patted its back before offering it a large bottle which it greedily accepted, sucking down every last drop of the special school-made formula. Carefully Christina stood, settling the babe into a basket. Newborn dragons needed 24/7 observation especially ones whose clutch was put in perilous trouble as such the dragon was staying in her dorm instead of the stables.
"I think I'll call you...Prince"
...
Clawdeen tried her best to appear confident. After much consideration, she had decided it was best to be forthcoming with the truth. Maybe Shaggy wouldn't glower at Christina anymore if he knew what imprinting meant. For the safety of the other students, however, they were doing it in an empty classroom as far away from their peers as they could get while still being on school grounds. Duncan strong-armed Shaggy into the room, kicking the door closed behind Scooby.
"What do you want now?" Shaggy snarled slumping into the nearest chair.
"Look," Clawdeen sank gracefully into her chair, "I know that you were cursed into this form but for the time being you are a werewolf, and that comes with the same set of abilities and weaknesses that any werewolf has imprinting included"
Shaggy growled, his claws scratching deep grooves into the cherry wood handles of the chair he was sitting in, "I don't care"
Taking a calming breath, Clawdeen pressed on, "Imprinting is love at first sight for werewolves, we ONLY imprint on our destined mates and it would seem..."
"NO"
"Shaggy-"
"NO LIKE, I'M NOT SPENDING THE REST OF MY LIFE TIED TO A WITCH"
Duncan took a half step forward only for Clawdeen to stop him.
"Christina isn't a witch," Clawdeen spoke sternly, inwardly pleased when Shaggy deflated back into his chair although she hated having to impose her will on him so often, "She's a hybrid and one of the sweetest ghouls I know"
"I like, still don't care how sweet you think she is! I want nothing to do with her!"
"You're going to kill yourself denying it"
"SO WHAT IF I DO? THAT'S BETTER THAN THIS! BETTER THAN THIS CURSE!"
"Shaggy, you don't understand.."
But, Shaggy stormed out, angrier than when he'd arrived.
"Should I go after him?"
"No,find Christina and DON'T leave her alone, I'll get the headmaster"
...
Christina was halfway back to the school when one of the side doors slammed open. Christina's blood turned to ice, heart pounding in her ears. Shaggy, that was his name she'd heard from whispers, he was barreling right for her with a savage scowl on his face. Trembling, she dropped the basket, falling to the ground she shrunk in on herself, trying to become as small as she could.
"You!"
"D-d-d-d-don't-don't hurt me, please, please don't hurt me"
"BACK OFF!" a fireball exploded mere inches from where Prince slept in his basket,
Christina peeked finding Duncan standing over her another fireball at the ready.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Shaggy roared ignoring Scooby's attempts to get him to calm down.
"Look, I know you're angry but Christina isn;t the witch who cursed you and you know deep, deep, deep down that you don't want to hurt her"
"YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU LIKE, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT"
"I know you want your curse broken, I know you want Clawdeen and I to leave and I know you don't have it in you to hurt Christina"
Shaggy continued to advance on them, claws glinting dangerously in the sunshine. Much to Christina's horror, Duncan stepped aside leaving her exposed. Her magic didn't work when she was panicked. Shaking horribly, Christina shielded her eyes, bracing herself for a blow that never came. Instead, everything had gone pin-drop silent. When she looked, tears streaming down her face, Shaggy stood over her, arm raised to attack but shaking.
"Well?" Duncan challenged, arms crossed over his chest, "I'm waiting"
Slowly, the rage, the malice, and hatred drained from Shaggy's face. He dropped his shaking arm, stood there for a pause then ran. Ran faster than he came outside. Back into the school presumably to his dorm if not to the headmaster's office. Christina mentally counted to one hundred before she found the strength to rise from the ground. Still scared out of her wits, she ignored Duncan, scooping Prince's basket from the ground. She had to get him settled into her dorm. There was no time for apologies, explanations, or pleasantries.
There was a letter to send.
...
"YOU DID WHAT?" Clawdeen had half a mind to smack Duncan into next year.
"We both know he wasn't going to hurt her-"
"That's not the point, think of how Christina saw it"
"O-oh"
"Yeah!" Clawdeen slumped onto her bed with a pout, "You owe her an apology, big time"
"I know"
...
Shaggy paced his room long into the night. So many confusing, unwelcome emotions were at war within him, his mind in a fog as he replayed the earlier events. He'd been ready to do it, to slice his claws through Christina, to wound her, to show Duncan he meant it. But then, then she had looked at him, her eyes wide with fear, tears pouring down her face and he froze. Something, something strange deep inside wanted to comfort her, to apologize and hold her until she felt better. The thought of such an action made him want to vomit now. He didn't care how sweet Clawdeen said Christina was, he was DONE with dark creatures. They were dirty tricksters out for their own gain. He didn't need Christina, he didn't want her. She was as bad as Ivy.
Wasn't she?
...
Christina sat on the floor, the candles burnt low in the holder on her desk as she gave Prince another bottle, her hair tumbled down her back, reaching the floor, in nothing but her long frilless nightgown she nearly blended into the shadows, if not for the direct pool of moonlight from the window. What had Duncan been thinking? She'd nearly been slain! It had taken every ounce of strength in her to haul the wolves back into her dorm. Jade especially who gnashed her teeth, growling as she paced with fur on end. Thankfully, they'd tired themselves out and now slept dog-piled beside her bed. In all the chaos, however, the wolves had knocked the letter into the fireplace where it was reduced to ash before she could rescue it. When she'd sat down to write another Prince had woken wanting to be fed. Then the wolves wanted to be fed. After that, dinner had arrived, Prince was fed again, she bathed, made the wolves do the same, and gave Prince another bottle.
The universe is working against me, she decided, resting her head against the wall now, I'm never going to send a letter if this keeps up.
Prince sucked the bottle dry, falling promptly to sleep. Waving the bottle away, Christina placed him into his basket rising on leaden limbs to climb into her own bed. Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow she would write that letter.
...
Two weeks later the letter still hadn't been written. Something happened to pull Christina away every single time she sat down to write it. So, she had given up. Standing in the middle of the greenhouse with her wolves she skimmed a list of what she needed to do for each plant. Life was slowly but surely returning to the space. Debris had been thrown out, panes of glass replaced, the floor swept and seeds planted. Now there were rows and rows of promising green shoots, the beginnings of trees, flowers, herbs any and everything she could think to plant. I love the feeling of dirt under my nails, she set down her list, grabbing the large watering can.
"Christy-"
"Go away, Duncan before I acidentally incenerate the greenhouse"
"I am sorry-"
"So you've said, three times every day for the last two weeks"
"Please hear me out-"
"NO! He was ready to KILL ME! KNOW my magic doesn't work when I panic and I was PANICKING!" Christina pinched the bridge of her nose with an exasperated breath, "I was this close," she pinched her fingers close together, "To being slain alongside my parents every SINGLE night I relive that OVER AND OVER AND OVER, just GO"
"Christy-"
"GO! NOW!"
"Can't you hear him out?" Thunder asked quietly.
"Thunder!"
"Yes, Christina"
...
"We can sit here and stare at each other or we can talk," Clawdeen glanced at the marble wall clock, ticking away the seconds, "It would go faster if we talk"
Shaggy sat across from her, slumping farther and farther into the plump red sofa in front of the large windows. A dainty, china, tea set, rested on a tray on the table between them. Clawdeen, immaculately put together as ever, delicately sipped the fragrant liquid from a moon-patterned teacup, staring at him intently.
"Like, there's mothing to talk about"
"So you don't want to talk about Christina?"
"No"
"Not even that it hurts you when she runs away?"
"It does not"
"Oh, really?" Clawdeen arched an eyebrow skeptically.
"It does not"
"You don't sound convinced"
Shaggy scowled silently.
"Fine, have it your way"
...
by the time Shaggy was finally released from his torturous hour with Clawdeen, Christina was coming down the hall, her nose in a thick gardening spellbook. Instantly, his heart started to hammer uncomfortably, refexingly he stepped into the limited shadows in the hall, trying to hide. What was wrong with him? He'd gone from hating this girl, to not wanting to scare her and they'd never spoken. Really spoke. When Scooby stepped out of the room he yanked him back by the collar.
"Rouch!"
"Shh"
Christina was right in front of them now, blissfully unaware of their presence as she leafed through pages, searching for something. Shaggy hated how easily he could tell she'd come from the greenhouse. There was dirt under her nails, a single leaf clung to her sleeve; a slight indent in her leg showed she had been sitting on the rough tiles of the greenhouse floor for some time.
She's beautiful, especially when she's happy.
That was the other thing he loathed about this situation. Random intrusive thoughts about Christina popped into his head at the worst times. Wondering what she was doing, what she was wearing, if she had a favorite class, and worst of all how she was feeling!
I don't care, I don't care, I DON'T care!
Just like that, Christina had left the hall, thankfully taking all the strange feelings with her. Heaving a sigh of relief, Shaggy stepped from the shadows to find Clawdeen leaning against the doorframe.
"I thought so"
...
That night, Shaggy snapped awake so suddenly it was a wonder he didn't have whiplash. A rock settled in his gut, fur standing on end. Looking around his dorm he could see no danger. Everything was just as it had been when he'd finally fallen asleep only an hour prior. Every muscle, every nerve, every fiber of his being was ringing an alarm bell yet he didn't know why. So, he tossed and turned convinced this feeling would pass but it only worsened as time dragged on.
Christina, check on Christina that little annoying voice in his head urged but Shaggy refused to budge. Stubbronly remaining where he was. He didn't WANT to check on Christina, he didn't care! The feeling refused to subside, leaving Shaggy itching to tear his skin off, still, he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, watching the sky lighten, listening for the morning chimes. Finally, mercifully they rang giving him an excuse to stumble over Scooby to the adjoining bathroom where he sunk into the magically filled, absurdly froofy bubble bath that greeted him, staying there, just under the water until it was cold, the bubbles nothing more than a thin film over the water.
He bypassed a towel, shaking himself out. Snarling in revulsion at the constant sickly feeling lodged in his gut as he pulled on his clothes and let Scooby drag him to the dining hall.
He wasn't going to check on Christina.
She wasn't worth it.
It would have been better for everyone if she just left.