hey there little red riding hood

Cursed. Ellie/Jake. 4/?

Tue, 01 May 2012 02:05:13 GMT

Lupus Femina
CURSED
It's hard to run from a werewolf. M/F (Adult)

Chapter Four: Bite Me

"Jake," she panted, lurching against him. The short, furious burst of movement died shortly; he simply resettled against her even more securely than before. "What are you doing here?"

"Easy there," he chided, and she thumped back against the bed and glared murderously at him through the thick cobwebbing shadows of the darkened hotel room.

"Get off me," she hissed.

"Not hardly." He released her wrists abruptly, his elbows thumping against the mattress as he braced his weight against them and smiled. Her hands were now free - she could go for his eyes, try to claw her way free - but she hesitated for that exact reason. The thick, pleased curve of Jake's mouth boded ill. She didn't trust it. "What," he said. "Didn't you miss me?"

Ellie tried to headbutt him. Oh god, she had to get him out of here before her little brother got back. Jake was probably going to kill them both.

He laughed at her. The absolute shit. Ellie itched for silver, for something sharp, for anything, and her fury gave her just the boost of strength she needed to throw him off.

She was pretty sure it surprised him, but she was busy scrambling over the bed. A big, hard hand locked around her ankle and Ellie muffled a shriek as she was dragged backwards - grabbing the night table and swinging it around with all the supernatural force in her.

It smashed spectacularly against his shoulders and face. His hand vanished from her ankle. He was cursing and reaching for his face and Ellie should have run, she really should have, except that rage that had gotten her free was holding the reins and she lunged for his throat instead.

He grunted as she landed on him, slamming her knee into his ribcage to thump him over onto his back and straddle him.

"What," she panted vindictively, digging her hands into his neck. "Not as easy when your victim isn't already in excruciating pain?"

He ripped a splinter as long as her thumb out of his cheekbone. Ellie flinched reflexively - that looked like it had hurt, and for a second he looked like her boyfriend again, cringing lightly as he touched the blood on his skin - but then his eyes sank into a sullen yellow and his lips curled back from big white teeth. His hands locked onto her wrists. "You're stronger," he rasped through the constriction. "But you really don't know anything about hurting people."

Then he threw her across the room.

Her head, her torso, her hips cracked against the wall, driving the breath spectacularly out of her lungs. She slid to the floor, her chest fighting furiously to expand again, gulping for air, and somehow over the blaring need for oxygen she had time to think oh, no -

Because Jake, of course, didn't need the recess. And he was already crouching beside her, mock-tenderly stirring dark strands of hair out of his face with sharp claws.

"Ellie, Ellie, Ellie," he chided, shaking his head. "This would have been so much simpler if you'd just let me kill you back in L.A."

"We're not a," Ellie gasped for breath, went on through gritted teeth. " - threat to you, Jake. Why are you here?"

"That's a good question, actually," he said mildly, his fingers curving around her shoulders and solicitously guiding her upwards. "Wolves don't really fixate on prey. We know when to find a tastier - " His smile flashed, cold and dark. " - easier meal. But then..."

Ellie jumped when his thumb landed on her lower lip, her mouth opening to avoid getting cut over by the edge of his nail. He stroked her mouth, lingering, and Ellie was too tense to even register impatience, waiting so tightly for the next action.

"...there's nothing tastier than you, Ellie," he said, and he gave her his big grin, the one that folded his eyes up and warmed his whole face, and it looked terrifyingly genuine. "Funny - I'm glad I didn't kill you, because think if I found that out too late."

"Go to hell," Ellie said, voice strangled, and he swung suddenly onto his feet. His grip on her arm dragged her with him.

"Afraid our chitchat is winding to a close. Better go."

He was serious. Ellie lashed out with her free hand and Jake jerked - but he didn't release her, he yanked her closer into the curve of his body, and when she gripped his wrist to try and jerk his fingers free her hand slipped in blood.

Belatedly, she looked down and realized her nails had carved deep runnels through the flesh of his forearm.

She jerked her head up when she felt him burying his nose in her hair. He evaded the crack of her forehead with ease and his eyes were yellow again, face darkening and shifting - literally. He didn't look pissed, which was almost scarier than the low rumble of his voice as he said, "don't do that again."

"Why on earth would I go with you," she said, voice more shaky than she wanted.

"Because as much as you hate me," he breathed, even closer - Ellie refused to look away - "you hate the idea of me ripping out your little brother's throat when he comes back and finds us even more."

Her stomach plunged in sickening fear. She could just picture it; she knew she wouldn't be fast enough or strong enough to stop him, not with Jake's years of experience and practice with violence. She'd watch him die, and then Jake would - what? Kill her in the frenzy? Drag her off somewhere?

She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and he raised his eyebrows. "I swear - " Her voice trembled. "If you touch him - "

"Easy solution," he said, gripping her wrist and applying pressure. Pain screeched down her nerve endings to alight in her elbow. Her fingers popped open without conscious direction from her brain. "And you know you're going to take it."

"You're a real shit, you know that?" Ellie hissed. "God, I can't believe I ever dated you."

"Simple." He gripped her arm at the elbow and towed her towards the door. Ellie reached for her purse halfway there, then dropped it instead. Jimmy would need the car keys. "You needed stability, Ellie, and I provided it. After all - " he turned towards her, smoothly pivoting them towards a dark corner of the parking lot. "I really find there's nothing like the confidence of an animal who knows he can kill anything that gets in the way. Don't you?"

"If you're expecting me to chime in on your delusions - " Ellie started.

Jake casually slung her the last few feet, slamming her into the side of a car. He pinned her there in a second, his hips against hers; she could smell the musk of his scent. God, he smelled good.

Ellie felt her stomach lurch. The moon. The moon is just this close to full. That was why she could smell him so clearly.

"I expect you, Ellie - " Like a magician's trick, he produced a set of keys with a flick of his fingers - still smiling, voice still confidently genial. "To drive the goddamned car."

She took the keys.

Cursed. Ellie/Jake. 3/?

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:13:13 GMT

Lupus Femina
CURSED
It's hard to run from a werewolf. M/F (Adult)

Chapter Three: Little Shocks

In which Jake appears and Ellie suffers some stress and disillusionment.

Jimmy was sprawled out on the bed when she finished cooking dinner, her sleeves rolled up and cheese almost dripping off the burgers. "I wonder how much I could benchpress," he said, flipping channels idly. His phone, never far from him at this point, had been dropped by his elbow. Alone in a new town, not yet enrolled in school--still living in hotels--Jimmy considered his biggest problem to be boredom, and Ellie was amazed his incessant attention hadn't caused Brooke--or Bo, for that matter, considering sometimes he switched off to pestering him--to dump his ass.

"Who knows? Dinner's ready." Ellie carried the plates to their little table and sat down. "If you need any supplies for tomorrow night, tell me and I'll run out to the grocery store on the way home."

Jimmy dragged himself off of the bed with a theatrical groan. "Okay, okay....I was thinking just hot dogs or something." He made a face at the salad on the table, an expression which was quelled with a single narrowed look. "Anyway, that comic shop called back."

"Oh, good!" Ellie smiled at him. "It'll give you something to do, at least."

He took a huge, sloppy bite out of his burger. "It'll be good to have a paycheck. Maybe we could afford an apartment."

Ellie hesitated, but finally nodded. She didn't think she'd ever shake the need to run more run more run more, but the shine had worn off their nomadic lifestyle for Jimmy, and she had to admit she was beginning to feel the drag.

Besides...obviously they weren't going to pose a danger to Jake, fleeing and unable to expose him. Surely they weren't important enough to keep pursuing. Ellie pursed her lips and took a bite of her own, reaching for the cheap plastic salad tongs as she chewed. Honestly, they were probably out of danger. If they stuck to the mountains, small towns near more desolated areas, they'd do okay with the changes. It had only happened once since then, but they'd ended up near their car again--and this time with enough clarity that Ellie knew she hadn't harmed another human being, which uncoiled a bolt of fear that she'd been carrying around since she first heard her own bones crackle warningly--either by their own will or a wolf's instinct for safety and familiarity.

They could handle this. Ellie was almost certain of it.

"'S good," Jimmy mumbled through his mouthful. Ellie looked up, jarred out of her thoughts, and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Jimmy. Don't forget the salad."

"Ellie! Order up!"

The steam and cooking food made her stomach rumble pleasantly, but Ellie ignored it. She had to eat more now--she didn't know whether it was magic or metabolism or what. Her acute sense of smell didn't help, either, and the wolf thought almost anything smelled good. Even things that would have made Ellie cringe with her normal senses were generally labeled under interesting by the new animal pulse beneath her thoughts.

One of her coworkers have her a hasty nod as they passed, an older woman with bleached blonde hair falling out of her bun, a warm lined face and a faintly frayed apron. She was carrying bowls of steaming soup. As the doorbell jingled Ellie carefully hastened her step, setting down dishes for a family of four and already reaching for her pad and pen as she turned.

The man was sitting down at a table, his back to her, wearing a dark coat. His dark hair was cut short and she wove through tables to reach him, the hair on the back of her neck was beginning to prickle with something like fear.

She remembered approaching Jake from behind like this--when he was sitting she might kiss the back of his neck, or say something in his ear, and he'd turn to her, sinuous, and grin up at her--

Ellie got, "excuse me sir--" out and then the man turned.

She jolted back, biting back a shriek as Jake's warm, deceptive grin curled at her. Her fingers bit into her pad, and she was lucky the pen didn't snap; she'd done that a few times.

And then a stranger blinked at her, concerned, and said, "miss are you all right?"

"Yes," she said, numbly. "Yes, I'm--I'm fine. You just reminded me of someone for a minute there."

He looked taken aback. She could only imagine what her expression had looked like, and mustered up a smile from some well of endurance she hadn't even known she had a few weeks ago. "Again, I'm sorry. Can I take your order?"

"Are you all right, honey?" The blonde waitress--Anna--hissed at her when their paths intersected again. Her eyes were full of concern. Good lord, Ellie must look even worse than she'd thought, or she'd made more of a scene. Neither thought was appealing.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just--tired, you know." She gave her a crooked smile. "Jumpy. Some bad memories."

Anna nodded slowly, her eyes still worried but looking somewhat appeased. Apparently Ellie had hit the right mix of wry and comfortable. "Well, you get some rest."

And then, thankfully, they separated again.

"Hey, Ellie," Jimmy yelled from the back as she opened the door, shoulders slumped, key gratingly loud in the lock to her tired ears, "I got it!"

"Good for you!" She called back, shutting the door behind her. It rejuvenated her a little, the announcement. They could always use a little extra money.

He appeared in the doorway to the bathroom, looking sheepish. "But I, uh, kinda forgot about dinner."

Ellie rubbed at her forehead. "It's okay. I'm just gonna go to bed." She dumped her coat on the chair and rifled through her purse for her wad of tips. "Here. Go to the pizza parlour or something. My treat."

She took the opportunity to land a smacking kiss on his cheek as he crowded in to grab the money, beaming. "Thanks! Man, it's been so long since we had pizza..."

She laughed and waved him out. "Shoo. Shoo. I'm tired."

He bounded for the door.

Ellie peeled out of her clothes slowly, biting her lip. She took the time to carefully fold them away in the laundry as she ran the day through her head. She'd been tired, and a little worried over the whole 'apartment' thing, and she'd jumped to conclusions and seen something that wasn't there. She pulled her nightshirt over her head, tugging her hair out of its neck, and pulled back the blankets. She hated hotel blankets but they'd have to spend money on new ones if they moved to an apartment.

She slid into sleep turning this peculiar balance of minutiae pros and cons over in her head.

Jake was curled up in bed with her.

She didn't get that often. Usually their schedules were a little too conflicting. He spent rare nights over, and sometimes she spent the night at his place, curled up in his big bed. She loved waking up to Jake in a long line of heat against her back, big hand spread across her belly, head tucked against the curve of her shoulder. It was very dark--neither of them had great curtains, so it must be really early--and she rolled over with a sleepy murmur, nuzzling into his throat. His smell enveloped her, and she relaxed into the reassurance of his presence, curling her body into his.

He made a sound, low and pleasantly rumbling, in his chest. Ellie closed her eyes, feeling the solid warmth of him wake a pleasant little ache between her legs, and sleepily slid one leg over his hip, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. His hand slid up her side, cupping her breast, and she shivered as he drew slow circles around her nipple with his thumb, drawing it into a tight peak.

He smelled familiar. Before her nose hadn't been half as keen, but she knew it well enough for it to still carry back-brain associations with it; happiness, love, sex. And she could feel him beginning to respond, cock hardening against her inner thigh.

Before?

Before he'd gotten her turned into a werewolf and then tried to kill her.

Ellie went wild, struggling, kicking out viciously. His body tightened instantly and he rolled her; she might be strong enough to lift a car one-handed, as she'd mistakenly learned, but she wasn't a match for him. Whether it was experience or simply because supernatural strength was also proportional to form didn't matter much at the moment. He pinned her down, effortlessly. His forearms pinned her arms, hand still buried in her hair, and his hips pinned hers. He was a warm, solid weight above her, fingers of one hand locked around both of her wrists. He bore her down into the mattress, and the smell of him filled her lungs. Ellie stared up, panting, watching as the light peeking through the curtains from streetlamps flashed off of dark, inhuman eyes. His grin was slow and sardonic.

"Hello, Ellie," he said softly, and her heart lurched into her throat.

Cursed. Ellie/Jake. 2/?

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:17:49 GMT

Lupus Femina
CURSED
It's hard to run from a werewolf. M/F (Adult)

Chapter Two: On the Run

Beside her, Jimmy was snoring in the seat.

Ellie drummed her nails restlessly on the steering wheel, watching the road reel out in front of them, dim but familiar. Comforting, even. She could have turned on the radio, but she didn't want to wake her brother; it was a moment of uncommon and wholly welcome peace between them.

She felt like she was still reeling, still in shock. How did you get over the guy you--your boyfriend trying to kill you? Being a monster? Putting an animal in your heart, in your veins, making you a monster too, right along with him?

Jake had been so much that he never should have been. That she never should have allowed. A friend, for one. A confidante. A partner. She'd joked with him over late night B movies, with popcorn and beers, kissed him in his big bed, let him rub her shoulders after a long day at work, murmuring out her worries into the curve of his shoulder. He'd given her the best sex of her life, for another. And if the little sound he made when he came, a vibrating rumble close to a suppressed growl, made sense in retrospect, just remembering it also still made her press her thighs together and bite her lip, hard.

So stupid. Of all the people--of all the things--to fall in love with, she had to go head over heels for a murderous animal. Brilliant, Ellie. Just stacking up the bright choices here.

She rubbed at her eyes, tired beyond measure. She really wanted to reach the next town before they crashed in a motel; they'd hit two before this, sleeping brief uneasy nights. Jimmy was tired and edgy, and she was scared and pissed off at once, and they'd barely talked since they left town the first time, in borrowed clothes.

Ellie wondered what the cops had thought of their house. She wondered if they had--pipe dreams--found Jake still there and apprehended him. If he was tucked away in jail, unable to pursue them. The truth being that if the cops grabbed Jake, he'd have no qualms about killing them to get free.

The signal for the turnoff approached and she let out a gusty sigh of relief. "Jimmy," she said softly, jostling him. "Jimmy, up. We're going to have to check in soon."

He stirred, groaning, and she resolutely kept her eyes on the road. She didn't want to see his flash with the light, the way they did at night now--for both of them.

Ellie picked her way across the parking lot, jingling the keys in her palm. The groceries they'd picked up rustled as they bumped against her leg, and it took two tries for her to figure out the key, her mind was so sleep fogged.

"Awesome," Jimmy mumbled when he saw the bed. Ellie bit her lip, the little sting of pain giving her some measure of awareness, and pointed toward the kitchenette.

"Fridge," she said, voice husky. He gave a companionable moan and staggered off toward it. She tossed his toothbrush on the bed, dumped her bag of bread and toiletries on the counter, and went off into the bathroom.

When she came out, Jimmy was flopped out on one of the bed, snoring faintly, and the only lights were streetlights peeking slyly through the half-drawn curtains. She tugged them fully closed after a long, empty look into the rain slicked night, and changed into a nightgown, pushing back the covers.

She felt awkward, full of aches, her whole body yearning for the softness of the mattress. Sliding between the sheets was a blessing, and she finally let herself relax, closing her eyes.

Miles and miles away. Miles and miles ahead of Jake, she hoped. Surely a little revenge wasn't that important...

She dreamed of running.

Running, putting everything into it, the joy of motion flowing through her long body; legs and spine and vibrating throat one long eagerly trembling aria of exhilaration. She moved between the trees like a ghost, like the wind; she ran ahead of the breath of the air, and nothing could stop her.

She flickered through trunks, cleared fallen trees as though flying, felt the earth give beneath her enough to send her springing forward again. The moon hung above her, full and indulgent, singing her on. The very air was beautiful.

And then she cleared the line of trees, opening out into a full run at the clear ground, and then she was leaping, and the hunger leapt within her, and she landed on the forequarters of her prey.

Paws scrabbling off of powerful, churning haunches; her jaws snapped closed like a steel trap over the spine, unbreakable, anchoring her whole body. The animal gave a shrill scream of pain and fear and reared, shaking itself frantically. The antlers could gore her, the hooves could crush her, the frantic motion could snap her spine; she hung on, elated and starving.

And then the animal folded beneath her, dropped, and when she hit the ground she shifted her grip enough to snap the neck and end the animal's frightened cries.

When she looked up, her breath steaming in the air, a massive dark wolf looked back, dropping the broken leg from his teeth. His eyes shone flat in the darkness, the absolute midnight of his fur stirred softly in the faint breeze, and the power in him as he rose slowly was incredible.

"I knew you'd be beautiful," Jake's voice said, rough and rumbling-low in her ear.

Ellie gave a short, sharp scream and scrambled back as the wolf leapt, but the impact was controlled and suddenly she was sprawled back over their prey, fur and hot blood against her back and shoulders, and black fur was brushed her breasts. The wolf's eyes swallowed the moon, and her heart leapt.

Ellie jolted upright, gasping for breath in panicked heaves. "We have to go," she said, lips numb, fumbling at the covers. The sun was peeking at dawn, at least. They'd got a decent nights sleep. "Jimmy! Up! We've got to keep moving."

She ran for the bathroom, desperate to wash the taste of blood from her mouth.

Cursed. Ellie/Jake. 1/?

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:56:09 GMT

Lupus Femina
CURSED
It's hard to run from a werewolf. M/F (Adult)

This obviously isn't going to be a particularly fluffy, cushy story. Hello, sociopathic werewolf boyfriend? But I'm very fond of Ellie. It will probably turn out all right in some form at the end. With lots of sex in between.

He took another measured step closer. Ellie's breath sawed in and out, painful, bones crunching audibly in her chest. She could feel the changes, unfurling through human flesh, hear the low, rough tones of his voice; it was jarring to hear him--him, the guy she'd heard growling her name during sex and laughing her name during dates--casually threatening her life. And she didn't doubt for a moment that he could kill. That he was good at it, even.

"Unfortunately now you both have to die."

Pain whiplashed down her spine. She almost thought the resounding sound of a blow was just her vertabrae cracking spectacularly, but then it repeated, duller, and Jimmy was dragging at her arm. "Up! Up!" He sounded on the verge of hysteria. "He's out! Come on!"

Her legs felt like they were breaking under her, but somehow they were moving. "I...I don't know if I can drive," she panted, agony writhing up and down her spine.

"Drive, kill Jake, or sit there and wait for Jake to wake up and do us!" Jimmy yelped, pulling hard. They were staggering down the steps now.

"We have to..." She screamed as bones slid and restructured in her spine, legs giving out. He pulled her toward the car, then convulsed into a flop over the hood himself, dropping her roughly to the pavement. "--get somewhere safe. We have to lock ourselves in, Jimmy!"

"Maybe if we find the wood--"

"God, Jimmy, what if he wakes up? And comes looking? No, we have to--we have to find somewhere." She was in the car. She had her keys. How--? Jimmy, pressing them into her hands. Ellie drew in a sobbing breath and started the car.

It comes and goes. God, please, let it go-- "Jimmy! Help me think!"

"Okay, okay, I--"

They both screamed as hands slapped down on the window. "Jimmy!"

It was a tall, dark haired boy squinting in at them. Jimmy said something under his breath and opened the door, falling out of the car. "Bo!"

"What are you--" The pain threw her against the steering wheel, a long eerie cry tearing from between her teeth. She could feel her hands going again.

"Oh my god!" A girl's voice, sharp and sweet.

"Okay--okay, please help. We're--"

"I know, I know," Bo said. What? "What's going on?"

"We're changing!" Jimmy said, his voice ragged with the pain. "We've gotta get to somewhere, like, secure! Now!" His voice cracked. "He could wake up and come kill us anytime!"

"Shit," Bo said shakily. She could smell his perspiration, the girl's shampoo; the door was opened from the outside and as she fell, startled, she flung out a hand.

Her fingers tore through leather and plastic like hot butter.

"Jesus!" The girl cried, leaping back. "What's--"

"They're werewolves. It's a long story. Somebody needs to drive!" Bo was pushing Jimmy in the backseat.

"My dad's gonna kill me," the girl said in a high, agitated voice. But then she had her arms around Ellie and was dragging her up off the ground, pushing her in the back next to Jimmy. Ellie closed her eyes tightly against the tempting nearness of her soft, blood-flushed throat.

Then the car was moving. Ellie buried her face in the seat and screamed, her voice raw and breaking, and Bo yelped, "watch the road, Brooke!" Over the chorus of their crunching bones.

She found Jimmy's hand and her fingers bit down, hard. "There's a storage--" Bo was saying, his voice Dopplering in and out in waves, suddenly painfully clear, suddenly camouflaged under the sound of her own heart. "--padlocks--"

She closed her eyes and went under the tide of pain.

When she woke up, it was morning, and Jimmy was shaking her shoulder gently. "Ellie? Ellie?"

She made a soft, sleep-blurred sound. Her cheek was on something cold and hard; her body sprawled over gritty concrete. She was naked, and she hurt.

"I brought some clothes," Brooke was saying, and she sounded much steadier than she had the last time Ellie heard her voice.

Of course she did. The sunlight stabbing at her eyes told her that she'd had the whole night to deal with it. Presumably while Ellie ravened and clawed at the walls.

She remembered the sense of darkness, and claustrophobia, and the need to be moving; the need to be free. "Jimmy?" She asked, and her voice was a raw, hoarse gasp.

"Yeah," he said, and she could hear his relief. "I'm right here."

"Good to know," she mumbled into the tangled curtain of her hair. "Now get me those clothes, would you?"

"He'll totally come after us."

Ellie sipped coffee out of a styrofoam cup and took a shaky breath. "No kidding."

Bo looked between them. "And--I mean, the whole werewolf thing--what are you guys gonna do?"

"The only way to stop it is to kill him," Jimmy said, jumping up and pacing animatedly, working the kinks out of his body. That's right--he'd done this before, hadn't he?

Brooke pressed her lips together. She looked spooked. "So your only options are murder and...?"

"Running." Ellie's voice scraped in her throat; she took another sip. "I guess we have to run."

"He was gonna kill me!" Jimmy protested. "I don't see why we can't fight back."

"We are not going to go by his standards of behavior!" Her voice split the early morning air like a whip. She took a steadying breath. "Let's look at it this way; no more high school."

His expression brightened considerably, then darkened as he glanced at Brooke.

Brooke said steadily, "I'll give you my phone number, okay?"

His whole face lit up. Teenagers, Ellie thought with weary exasperation.

"Your car's pretty trashed," Bo said, dropping the keys into her hand.

"Yeah," she said softly. "Thanks." She'd take out money at the next town, get some clothes and supplies, they'd have to...her body felt sparkling clean and fell of a vibrating carbonated energy, but for a second misery swamped her mind. They'd have to leave everything behind.

"Hey," Jimmy said in a small voice, close, "are you okay?"

Ellie looked up and mustered a smile. "Fine," she said. "Let's get moving, yeah?"

It was the only way. And never let it be said that she didn't rise to the challenge.