@etienneulven location: the woods notes: pre-siege
For the course of the full moon, Alucard waited and he watched. He stood by and forced himself to stare as Etienne's body seemingly took to betray itself with the violent contortions that twisted it into the shape of a wolf. For company, Goose was nearby, joined by the wolves that Alucard had conjured forth from Shadowfell. Etienne's mournful cries turned into depraved howls as Alucard studied the transformation that he'd previously only read about. This wasn't a research subject though, he was here to protect Etienne from those who'd happen upon a werewolf chained to a tree and do something drastic. And, naturally, to ensure that Etienne didn't run free.
But the difficulty of standing by while the body of the person you cared about, betrayed them, could not be dismissed. Alucard watched as the transformation went from man to wolf and all the rage that followed until the beast tired himself out. Defeated, deflated, and resigned to turn inward.
Dawn began its crest and Etienne's metamorphosis was upon them again. Now Alucard approached, unsure of what to do but moving on instinct. The dhampir did not need to breathe, or even blink, and he'd done neither the entirety of the night as he floated idly by and watched the other below.
"I'm here," Alucard comforted as he threaded his fingers through the fur that changed back into hair. A wolf should not spend its life in chains, but Alucard did not know what else to do. So instead he knelt at Etienne's side and pulled the other's broken, twisting body against his own. "I've got you."
