Wolf-mother, where you been?
You look so worn, so thin
You're a taker, devils-maker
Let me hear you sing
Summary: Carmilla and Laura had broken up and to get her mind off things, Carmilla goes for a walk in the woods. However, she comes across a friendly face
Pairing: Lawstein
Word Count: 1,066
AO3 Link
Chapter 12/? of Always for You: A Carmilla Playlist
It had been a few days since Carmilla finally decided it was time for her and Laura to end things. It wasn’t an easy choice, Laura had been her everything since...well since the day they had met. Carmilla’s whole world suddenly revolved around Laura and at the time she wouldn’t have traded that for anything. Only, after graduation things had started to change. It was gradual, but slowly she seemed less interested in the life Carm was trying to build with her and more so focused on herself and her own career. She stayed later at the office, went on more frequent and longer trips, claiming she was chasing another story and never had much time to talk. Carm could feel the relationship slipping away. It was better to rip the bandaid off all in one go than to let it slowly peel and degrade. So she did just that.
The next time Laura was finally in town, barely unpacked and already preparing for her next trip, Carmilla broke the news. Seeing the confusion in her eyes hurt. Carm’s heart dropped into her stomach as the sea there churned. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat, knowing she had to buckle down. She couldn’t let Laura’s desperate eyes change her mind. The sad, pathetic puppy-dog look couldn’t win this time.
“I mean it, Laura, it's over. I can’t keep pretending to be in a relationship with someone who’s hardly here and never has time for me anymore.” That seemed to shut her up. Carmilla let out a heavy sigh and straightened up, standing taller.
“You can stay here for the night if you want, but I...I don’t want you to come back.” She said, trying to keep her voice steady. Carmilla couldn’t let Laura see her cry, she had to stay strong. The tears were already streaming down Laura’s cheeks. She hurriedly closed her suitcase and hulled it off the bed.
“Y-you...you don’t have to worry about that. I’m going to Kirch’s.” And that was the last thing she had said. Carmilla watched as Laura turned on her heel and fled from the bedroom. She heard the keys jingle and the door slam, hard enough to shake part of the house. Carm forced her feet to move, crossing the room to peer out the window. Her car pulled out of the driveway, tearing off down the street. Only then did she allow the tears to fall.
The house had felt empty since then. Even when Laura was off on one of her trips it felt empty, but knowing she was never coming back made it seem so much more so. It had grown so bad, she finally forced herself to wander through the woods. Anything to not be in that house anymore. It must have been hours since she left, wandering aimlessly through the surprisingly clear underbrush. Carmilla wasn’t even sure if she had been walking in a straight line or circles by now, but that didn’t matter. It's not like she could die out here or just poof back into that hauntingly empty bedroom.
Nothing would stop her from wandering, not even the setting sun, growing closer and closer to the horizon, casting its long orange light through the trees. Nothing...except for the loud snapping of a tree branch and the low growling that came from her left. She froze in her tracks. Most animals tend to keep a distance, sensing the death that came with being a vampire.
Slowly, she turned her head to see what dared to challenge her. Though, Carmilla didn’t expect to see a five foot, red colored wolf staring her down. It’s icy blue eyes pierced into her and its muzzle was twisted up in a snarl, its sharp teeth all on display. She stood still as its fur rose on its back. It was larger than any regular wolf and something about it felt...off. Especially its coloration. She had never known any normal wolves to be that red. No, there was only one wolf she recalled ever looking like that. As she stared into the eyes of the beast, she recognized how they seemed faintly human.
“Hey there, Xena. That’s not the best way to greet someone.” She said, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket. The wolf snarled again, taking a step closer, the little bit of humanity that was briefly in her eyes, flashed and disappeared. Carmilla’s brows furrowed and she put her hands up in a defensive position.
“Easy, Lawrence. You really don’t recognize me do you?” She asked, watching a moment. “How long have you been in that body, Gingersnap? Too long I take it.” The wolf’s body was still tensed, coiled like a spring ready to pounce, but her growl quieted.
She frowned. Why hadn’t she transformed back? Lawrence had always been one to effortlessly shift between forms, not caring about the condition of most of her clothes. Had she really been in the wolf form for so long that she forgot? Carm wasn't completely sure, it had been nearly two years since she had last seen Danny, let alone heard from her.
She dropped her hands to her side; Danny’s eyes still cautiously watching. Carmilla vaguely recalled an old English myth about werewolves, something about calling them by their name. But that was only supposed to work if that wolf trusted you. Carmilla and Danny rarely saw eye to eye, plus she wasn't even sure if that old wives tale was true. There had been many myths about werewolves and she never really bothered to learn which ones were true. Though, it couldn’t hurt to try.
A shallow, shaky breath passed her lips as she extended a hand out to the wolf. It flinched and started to growl.
“Hey now, Xena, I’m trying to help you out here,” Carmilla said. The wolf eased up a bit. “It’s time to come home now, Danele.”
Something flashed across the wolf’s face. The hair on its back flattened, her ears were still back but her tail dropped and she lowered herself to press her belly into the ground. She looked pathetic to say the least. A paw reached forward, flesh slowly replacing the red fur and soon a human hand took its place. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lip as she closed her hand around Danny’s.
