Valentina awoke the next morning in a comfortable embrace. She curled back into the body of her lover, begging sleep to claim her once again. She remembered drifting to sleep in Ellerie's arms, remembered the safety and comfort they offered. It was a new feeling as compared to how she grew with her grandmother. Never once did she feel safe with the old crone.

She wondered how the woman got along before her mother died--if she had another person doing her bidding or she did it herself. And if she had another, what happened to them?

Did everyone in the village hate her? Did they know she was still alive or did they think she dead?

"Hush," Ellerie mumbled, pulling the brunette closer to her body, as if that were even possible. "You think too loud."

A small giggle was pulled out of Val's throat. "As if you could hear. Or does that come with being a wolf?"

"It does not, but I have enough intuition to know that you are thinking of something that has no importance at this moment. So I'll repeat myself--hush, love."

Valentina settled her mind, sighing in contentment. They continued to lay, soaking in the serenity one brought to the other, at least until she spoke again.

"What will your family say when you go home?"

Streams of morning light was beginning to flood in through the window. The slightest sound of chirping birds started the day. A faint breeze snuck past the panes, petrichor lingering in the air. It wouldn't be long before the women had to awaken and start their days--Ellerie traveling back home and Valentina stuck in her cottage-decorated dungeon.

"I'm sure they will be pleased to know I returned."

The younger woman turned to her other side, staring into pools of gold. "Will they not be upset? You have never been here over the night."

Naturally intense eyes softened. "I do not care if they are upset--my only concern for the time being is you."

Val's heart swooned, almost bursting in her chest at the devotion.

"Now may we go back to sleep?"

Soft lips grazed a thinner set. "You are lucky I do not need to go to the bakery today."

Both women laughed, their bodies slack underneath each other and the blankets. Comfortable silence enveloped the room.

Ellerie stilled, her heart slowing to a restful tempo and Val willed her body to react the same way. Though it never came, she laid as still as her lover, watching the way her eyes fluttered and lips parted as she slept.

Never had she been more grateful for one person in her life. She had found so much in Ellerie--more than what she expected to gain from their acquaintanceship. The woman had given herself as a friend, a confidante, a lover. She was certain the hybrid was her soulmate, only having started believing in such a thing when they had developed their friendship.

I've done nothing to deserve you, she thought, her lips pulling into a small smile, but I assure you that I will stay with you as long as you allow me to.

She continued observing until a procession of knocks on the door interrupted them. Ellerie 's eyes flashed open and Valentina sprung from the bed. Her feet hurried around, tiding her room as best as possible while the blonde made the bed and slipped shoes on. The pounding continued. Val shouted her presence, opening the window for her love to leave through.

"You're late!" Her grandmother hollered, aggravation and pure hatred rolling off her tongue.

Ellerie placed a chaste kiss on the pink lips. "What have you to do today?"

"I must gather firewood and groceries." Her eyes motioned for the woman to leave, but her feet remained planted on the wooden floor.

"You'll leave soon, no?"

"After I prepare breakfast, yes."

Long legs finally climbed over the windowsill, removing her slip as soon as her feet hit the ground. "I'll grab the wood, wait for me in our spot."

Before Val could ask for any kind of clarification on the spot or her nudity, Ellerie sprinted into the forest. It was faint, but between the brush and trees, the brunette could make out the hybrid as she transformed, her skeleton reshaping and body becoming that of a wolf.

With a sigh, she closed the window and moved fervently to the kitchen, a pit developing in her stomach. She was dreading the woman, especially since she had acted out of turn the night prior. Her "discipline" was sure to be uncomfortable and unpleasant, to say the very least.

She reached the kitchen and the crone was rocking in her chair, brooding. Val attempted to ignore it,  working as quickly as possible. She cut some of the leftover fruit and paired it with a few sweet knots in hopes to lessen her punishment. Her hands were trembling as she journeyed over to the woman, plate hand.

Her grandmother accepted it with a scowl, eating greedily. With her distracted, Valentina prepared the fire for the evening and cleaned up the kitchen. When everything was complete, she grabbed her red cloak and a handful of coins. She was ready to leave when her grandmother stopped her.

"My back is stiff—get me out of this chair."

Putting a fake smile on, she approached and reached behind the aged woman, helping to lift her up. A groan came from her lips, and Val had to hide her satisfaction—the old witch deserved whatever pain she was in. When she was stable, the brunette gave her a once over.

"Are you fine?"

"I will be," she snapped, "after this."

Before Valentina could register, the woman's fist hurled, connecting violently with her jaw. Her head swung to the left. Green eyes filled with tears and were wide with astonishment. Her jaw was stiff and tingled, as if millions of tiny ants were crawling underneath her skin. Her head spun a little, her brain clouded by an indistinguishable fog. A pale, trembling hand grabbed at the impacted skin.

The old woman shook her hand out, satisfaction on her face, and sat back in her chair, in no obvious pain.

"Get outta my sight," she hissed.

Slightly disoriented, she hobbled out of the cottage and walked to the only place, asides from with Ellerie, that she felt safe—her little oasis.

Her feet drove her past the tree resembling an old man's face and around an obscurely large rock. Branches from the overgrown bushes scrapped past her sides as she emerged, revealing the familiar clearing and her worn blanket. Val swiftly plopped down on the fabric, comfort flooding her. It was simple and minuscule, but the atmosphere the clearing provided was like lavender and long embraces--soothing to the soul.

There was no movement in the forest around her. Unusually so, the trees and sky were vacant of birds. There was no wind to rustle the leaves or brush. The distinct humming of insect wings was also missing. It felt foreign to the young woman. She thought, perhaps, that the had witnessed her encounter with her grandmother, despite how implausible it was. Perhaps they maintained silence and distance because they too felt the abuse the brunette endured.

Val stayed there for an unknown period of time, at least until a familiar beast stepped through the bushes. It's black chest sprinkled with grey and gold eyes practically illuminating the clearing. Strong jaws held a blue slip, the fabric barely grazing the ground.

The wolf approached her, dropping the material onto the blanket before sitting, black tail dancing. The woman reached forward, curious as to what Ellerie felt like. Was her fur that of a sheep--downy and soft--or mirror the coarse texture of a goat? Did she smell of pine and leaves--would that scent cling to her wolf form as it did her human?

Fingertips cautiously caressed the beast. Velvet greeted the brunette, and she sighed. Her touch became more confident, fingers gliding up the peppered fur until the reached the base of Ellerie's neck. Emerald eyes connected wit gold, bewilderment and gratitude flowing between them. Before Valentina could speak, the wolf stood and pranced into the trees, slip in tow. It was still quiet, but she could hear the faint sound of cracking, similar to how her grandmother's bones shifted when she moved. The noise came a gone, quiet until Ellerie returned clad in blue.

She looked gorgeous--blue elucidated her already extravagant features.

"Stop staring," the raven-haired woman laughed, her eyes glittering with mirth until she got closer. Her expression shifted, rage filling her. "Who did that?"

Val wasn't completely sure what she was referring to until her mishap with her grandmother replayed in her mind. Her hand instinctively covered her cheek, eyes wide. How had Ellerie not noticed when she was but inches away moments ago?

"It's nothing," she dismissed, attempting to sound convincing. "I was clumsy and slipped in the kitchen."

Despite the look of distrust, Ellerie nodded her head. "What did you fall on that would cause such an ugly mark?"

"I--I can not remember."

"Tell me the truth. Please."

"I can't."

"Did you come straight here, from your home?"

The brunette nodded.

The hybrid kneeled beside her, eyes scanning her face. A soft hand held Val's chin, moving it so she could get a better view of the bruising skin. "She did this to you." It wasn't a question, it was a fact, and the tone made Valentina's heart break.

"I could kill her."

The younger woman grabbed both her lover's hands, pleading as strongly as she could. "No,"she rasped, "you can not. I can handle her until I leave."

"And when will you leave?"

"When I have the opportunity to do so. I should have saved enough by next year, provided this coming winter is not as awful as last."

Ellerie offered no rebuttle. She nodded her head, and Val took that as a good sign. "There is wood near the cottage--I did not want to get too close."

"That is understandable. Will you accompany me to get groceries then?"

They stood together, the taller woman linking arms with the other. "That would be delightful," and they were off.