A Wolfgirl’s Pet Witch Ch. 02

January 17, 2021

<< Chapter 1 

- CHAPTER 2 -

I had to admit, I was a little nervous about this.

After transforming into the white wolf the previous night, the moon had finally risen so I couldn’t turn back into my human form. But I also didn’t want to hang around the village with all the people staring at me terrified. It was obvious they knew I’d just saved their lives, but they’d lived in fear of the wolf for decades. A little over sixty years, in fact.

At least no one was stupid enough to try attacking me.

I suspected it helped that I’d just slain three monsters almost single-handedly, making them all very aware of who was alpha. I was the dominant one, not them.

So instead, they just all stared at me in defensive stances, uncertain of what I was going to do. They were also clearly confused by the fact that the apparent witch, who had also helped save them, was clinging to me like it was no big deal.

But I knew we couldn’t stay there. We needed to leave, at least for the night. Otherwise, the villagers wouldn’t be able to recover from the trauma they’d just suffered. My presence wasn’t going to bring them comfort when they didn’t trust me.

I wasn’t even fully sure they should trust me anyway.

Because I didn't kill the monsters for them.

I did it because those demons had invaded my territory. The people here were just pests residing in my domain.

After about a minute, I slowly freed my snout from Rose’s embrace after she hugged me, and then began nudging her to my side. She looked up at me in confusion as I lowered myself onto my belly, stretching out my paws in front of me.

“You want me to get on?” she asked in disbelief.

I nodded, causing her to hesitate before attempting to climb onto my back. But I was still too big for her to easily straddle.

Impatient, I quickly shoved my snout underneath her ass and hoisted her up, causing her to squeal in surprise. She grabbed a hold of my snow-white fur tightly, trying to keep herself from falling off the other side.

I waited until she readjusted herself and then slowly stood up.

Taking a careful step forward, I snorted briefly at the group before me.

All the men who had dragged me to the meadow earlier parted ways in response to my behavior. I was pleased they were at least intelligent enough to understand what I was trying to do. They certainly weren’t about to stand in the way of me leaving.

It would only result in their deaths.

However, just as we passed them, Rose spoke to me quietly.

“Wait,” she whispered.

I stopped, prompting her to twist her upper body to face the villagers, many of whom had bravely gathered at the edges of the courtyard, since I wasn’t showing any signs of hostility.

Her voice was loud and firm.

“Ariana is not the wolf who demands yearly sacrifices!” she announced. “The bad wolf is dead! And now only Ariana is left! She has never killed a person! And she just saved your asses from being slaughtered by those monsters! You should be thanking her!”

She then patted me on the shoulder, and I resumed walking.

Now, nearly twelve hours later, I was back in my human form early in the morning.

The sun had just risen, and I was unfortunately naked with no stash of clothing to dress myself prior to exiting the forest.

At least, I’d been at first.

I’d gone to the main creek, that flowed off the river by the village, to rinse off in the cool water warmed slightly by the late spring heat, only for Rose to join me and offer her undergarments once we were done. Small women’s trousers, made of white linen, coupled with a strip of cloth torn from her black dress for my small breasts. However, I was still exposed far more than I was used to, and we were now standing at the tree line of the forest in plain sight, patiently waiting at the edge of the finger of trees that stretched out so close to the nearby buildings.

One of the villagers had already seen us when he went out to tend to the fields, so we were presently watching as a larger and larger crowd gathered together just outside the nearest building. A few of them brought shovels, hoes, and other farm tools, but none of them were wielding the makeshift weapons aggressively.

And no axes.

I couldn’t blame them for not showing up completely unarmed though. No one in their right mind would do that. They didn’t know me -- not really. And there was no way they could know Rose had been telling the truth last night.

At least my age should be enough proof though.

I’d been born in this village, so they knew I couldn’t have been the one terrorizing them for so long.

Unexpectedly, the crowd parted, and Mr. Fairburne came walking forward with my mother right behind him in shackles. She looked deeply stressed, but otherwise unharmed. The mayor, Bartolomeu, was right with her, seeming upset by her situation.

It made me wonder who was really in control between the two men.

Rose and I began walking forward now to meet the three of them halfway.

Or rather, most of the way.

The three humans stopped just a few feet from the crowd, while we stopped halfway between them and the forest -- close enough to talk comfortably without having to shout, while also being far enough away that we could make an escape if needed.

By no means was I afraid of them, but I was sincerely worried about Rose getting hurt in a conflict. Especially since I wasn’t sure that I could protect her against so many people at once.

I immediately crossed my arms over the small cloth wrapped over my chest, noticing the knife in Fairburne’s hand.

My mother was a hostage.

She was their fallback plan, to prevent me from attacking them.

I scoffed at him. “I don’t care what happens to her,” I sneered. My mother just gawked at me in disbelief, causing me to continue even louder. “I’m a wolf!” I announced loudly. “She means nothing to me.”

That wasn’t entirely true, but they didn’t need to know that.

Mr. Fairburne just stared at me in disbelief too. They all did.

He finally spoke up. “You mean to tell me, this isn’t your mother?”

I shook my head. “No, she gave birth to me alright, but I’m not human anymore. I’ve been a werewolf for over a year now, living alongside you without incident.” I grinned at him. “If I wanted to hurt any of you, I would have done it long ago!”

He hesitated then, evaluating me.

He had no reason not to believe me. For all he knew, I’d been like this much longer than that even.

“And who was the other wolf?” he finally asked. “The black one.”

I was surprised he knew my grandmother’s fur was black. Supposedly, that was the normal color for werewolves. I was an impossible exception. But then, after a second of thought, I realized that made sense that he would know. Obviously, she would have been required to show herself occasionally or else they wouldn’t believe she existed.

There was actually a nightmare tale for how our people came to exist here, as well as an explanation for how the sacrifices started, but I’d never heard the full story. None of the surviving men and women from that time, some sixty years ago, dared speak of it. And the middle-aged adults who knew the story likewise rarely shared. Certainly not with the children, and I was only recently old enough for someone to consider tell me.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a topic that had yet come up prior to that fire leaving me as the only werewolf around.

I sighed, dropping my arms. “My grandmother,” I admitted loudly.

They all gasped in complete shock, only for me to realize I may have made a mistake by telling them that.

"And she didn't really die in a fire!" I lied. "She was much older than she appeared, and died of age!"

“And your father?” he asked immediately, having recovered the fastest.

“No,” I said firmly. “Of course, he wasn’t a werewolf. He died just like all the other sacrifices.” I paused, trying not to let the bitterness leak through, raising my voice again. “And I’m not my grandmother!” I added loudly. “She was evil! She killed her own son because he was chosen! But unlike her, I don’t crave human blood!”

Really, meat was meat, but I wasn’t going to tell them that.

Because part of me wanted to make this work out somehow, and if that meant I’d have to avoid killing people then I was fine with that. After all, I didn’t really have anywhere else to go, and while I did like the idea of roughing it with Rose on our own, I’d much rather be with her in a normal setting.

To live with her, in a normal house.

I waited briefly for my claim of innocence to register, before continuing. “So, as the new wolf in this territory, I’m abolishing the need for human sacrifices!” I added.

“On what conditions?” Bartolomeu unexpectedly demanded, speaking up for the first time.

He was a smart man after all.

I grinned at him. “Provide us with a house to live in. And allow me the freedom to move among you as I have already done all my life.” My grin widened. “I can feed myself.”

Everyone seemed uneasy then, and I began to wonder if they were going to accept my proposal.

I sighed. “Look, obviously you need my protection.” I quickly glanced up at Rose, correcting myself as I hooked my arm around hers. “Our protection,” I corrected. She gave me a weak smile, prompting me to focus back on the crowd. “I don’t know what in the hell those monsters were last night, but I’m sure there are more of them. If you won’t meet my demands, then I still won’t require human sacrifices. However, I will leave you to face them yourselves the next time when they come to slaughter this village.”

It got loud faster than I was expecting as everyone in the crowd started whispering amongst themselves. Both men looked over their shoulders at all the people and then turned back toward me.

Bartolomeu was the one to respond. “Give us the day,” he announced loudly. “We’ll give you our decision before sunset.”

I smirked at him. “Just keep in mind,” I replied just as loudly. “That the previous wolf took whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She didn’t give you decisions.”

Bartolomeu unexpectedly bowed, shocking everyone, me included.

“Of course, Ariana the Wolf. But please understand that I cannot build a house by myself, if that is what you wish.”

Recovering from my shock, I couldn’t help but grin at him.

That’s what I was talking about.

If he wanted to start treating me like a goddess, then I was all for it. Now, he just needed to make everyone else realize the position they were in. I didn’t have to be nice. I could take what I wanted. This was really just a kind gesture and nothing more.

He at least understood that.

Shit, I almost wanted to tell him to build me a temple instead, but I held my tongue.

I stood up straighter as I acknowledged his submission, speaking firmly. “Very well, mayor. Rose and I will return at sunset. The only other things I demand right now are some garments, as well as a knife and flint.”

I didn’t want Rose to starve all day, and I knew she couldn’t eat raw meat like I could. Technically, I could look for some flint that hadn’t already been collected by the river, but I still needed an iron knife to start a fire.

I was looking forward to us hanging out in the woods next to a campfire while a few rabbits, squirrels, or whatever else I caught, were cooking over the flames, if for no other reason than so we could have time to talk.

Because, even though I had been awake all night, with Rose sleeping against my furry side for most of it, the two of us hadn’t been able to communicate. I wasn't able to talk to her while in my werewolf form, and I couldn’t return to normal while the full moon was out. So, I was really looking forward to discussing everything with her, thankful she was silently taking my lead so far.

Almost like the pet I viewed her as.

Obeying her mistress.

Bartolomeu nodded in acknowledgement to my request, understanding perfectly why I was demanding these necessities. He then looked up at Mr. Fairburne, surprising me by exerting his authority for once.

“Release Helen, so she can get her daughter some clothing, and then get the girl the knife and flint she’s requested.”

Mr. Fairburne hesitated briefly, seeming to evaluate the situation all over again, before finally complying without a word. I suspected that if he wanted to argue, then he was wise enough to not do it in front of me, given the seriousness of the situation. However, in the end, I suspected he’d see reason either way.

It was only some of the less intelligent villagers, with irrational fears, who might never be fully convinced. But I didn’t care about them anyway.

All I wanted was to live in peace with my best friend, and preferably reside in the village where I had grown up.

And potentially be worshiped as a goddess as well.

None of that seemed like too much to ask of these people.

A handful of minutes later, once I’d been given the knife and flint, along with my mother bringing some clothing, I returned to the forest with Rose, the woman who raised me calling out for me to wait, clearly wanting to talk about all this.

But I didn’t want to talk to her.

Ever since my father was chosen as the sacrifice, and then after I’d become a wolf and found out his killer was actually my tyrannical grandmother, I’d distanced myself from my mother. I supposed part of the reason was for fear of feeling that pain again, wanting to not care in the event my mom was ever chosen and I was left without anyone.

Already an only child, unlike most, ultimately orphaned.

Although, part of the reason was also just because we didn’t get along, since she wanted me to get married and have children, constantly pressuring me about it, and I just wanted to live my life apart from all that nonsense.

Apart from some man who would try to control what I did.

Because I was alpha, not some random asshole.

However, those same emotions that pushed me away from my mom actually seemed to have the opposite effect with Rose, causing me to cling to her friendship more firmly, even if we actually spent less time together nowadays.

I wasn’t sure why, but I’d found myself cherishing the moments we shared together more and more.

Of course, I wasn’t happy when I found out a couple of months ago that she’d been arranged to marry Mr. Fairburne’s son, Troy, but unfortunately there wasn’t much I could do about it, and I knew it was probably better that I begin keeping my distance anyway.

However, now everything was different.

Rose was really a witch, and more importantly she now knew my secret, and even accepted me.

So, as far as I was concerned, she wouldn’t be marrying anyone anytime soon. She was my pet now, and if she was going to be under anyone’s thumb, then it’d be mine. Granted, I knew I might push her away if I let her know how I really viewed her now, so I tried to do my best to act normal.

Tried to do my best to not let the alpha wolf in me take over, even though I knew that was who I really was now.

Returning to a small outcropping of rocks near the creek, I left her to start a fire while I stripped off what little undergarments I was wearing and went to go find some food in my wolf form. I didn’t want to stray far though, keeping an ear out for danger even if I knew she was capable of protecting herself.

When I returned with three rabbits -- having caught one, stashed it away, only to catch another, repeating the process -- I set them down and then shifted back into my human form.

Rose was watching me as I returned to my normal shape, continuing to keep her gaze on me when I grabbed the knife and went to work skinning my catches, having decided that putting my undergarments back on was too much of a hassle since I’d probably rinse off in the creek again after I was done.

A small fire was already going, so I ignored Rose while I worked until I was finished gutting my catches. Standing up with the skinned rabbits, I walked over to her, surprised when she focused on my small chest, prompting me to glance at her cleavage, the magical marking clearly visible on her tan skin. Both the black marking and black dress complemented her complexion perfectly, almost matching her extremely dark hair.

She glanced down as well, quickly looking back up to meet my gaze, seeming unexpectedly embarrassed.

“Please don’t be envious,” she whispered, looking almost ashamed.

I stared at her in shock. “What? Envious of what? Your tits?”

I mean, people still sometimes mistook me for a kid, considering my height and smaller chest, but I didn’t really have a problem with my body. My hips were shapely, my thighs strong and thick for my overall size.

Rose’s face flushed, seeming flustered now. “Well, umm, I just mean, because…”

I focused down at my chest again, affirming to myself that I was more than happy to have my shapely breasts, even if they were small compared to hers. I then scoffed. “Seriously, Rose? I’m more than content with my own body. Why would you think I’d be envious?”

Her face was still red. “I’m…I’m sorry. Just recently some of the girls have been whispering about it, and you haven’t been around much, so…” She paused, only to sigh. “I think they’re just jealous, because it seems like every girl in the village wants to marry Troy. They think he chose to wed me for…” Her voice trailed off.

“Everyone wants to marry him?” I scoffed again. “Do you?”

She looked up at me in surprise. “Well, no, not really, but…” Her voice trailed off.

“Then don’t,” I retorted.

She sighed. “I mean, yeah I probably won’t now. I doubt he will even want to marry me after finding out my secret, although if he did still expect it, then…” Her voice trailed off again as her brow furrowed, seeming pensive as she appeared to evaluate her options.

And I didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking, my predator mindset setting back in. “You won’t marry him,” I said firmly, causing her to look up at me in surprise. “I won’t allow it,” I added.

Her brown eyes widened even more, before her tan face flushed all over again.

“O-Okay,” she stammered.

I frowned at her reaction, afraid I’d overstepped a boundary, but also not wanting to take back my statement.

No, my command.

Thus, instead of apologizing, I handed her the rabbits, leaving her to skewer them while I turned around and headed off to take a dip in the water. I could feel her eyes on me as I walked, but once I was in mostly submerged in the creek she began cooking her meal, the grumbling of her stomach seeming to remind her that she hadn’t eaten yet.

By the time she was chewing, only working on one rabbit, the sun was beginning to peek through the opening in the trees, warming my skin even more, causing the cool water to feel even nicer on my body. I had a nice spot on the rocky creek-bed, and didn’t really have anything to do today, except wait, so I was more than happy to remain in the water since I’d eaten plenty last night.

Rose joined me a little while after that, stripping as well and sinking into the clear flowing liquid a few feet away, taking a deep breath as she bent down to blow bubbles into the surface like a kid.

It was something I knew she’d always done when she was stressed.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to break the peaceful silence.

“Thanks, by the way,” I whispered.

She looked over at me in surprise. “For what?” she asked seriously.

My brow furrowed as I tried to explain, uncertain of how to put it into words without sounding pathetic. I then sighed, deciding to just be honest. “For believing me when I told you I wasn’t the bad wolf. And for accepting me,” I added, averting my gaze.

She gave me a small smile. “Of course, Ariana. You’re my best friend and always have been. There’s no one in the world more important to me.”

“Really?” I said in surprise.

She nodded, only to grimace. “It’s one of the reasons why I’ve been so reluctant to marry Troy,” she admitted, sighing heavily. “Because I know it changes things. My mother certainly doesn’t spend time with her friends like she used to when she was young, and certainly none of those relationships are as close as what I share with you.” She frowned. “A husband kind of ruins everything.”

“Agreed,” I replied without hesitation. “The only way I was ever going to end up marrying was if my grandmother demanded it, so that I could continue the lineage.”

Rose looked at me in surprise. “Wait, you really weren’t going to get married at all? Is that why you never liked discussing boys?”

I shrugged. “I mean, why do I have to live with a man, in order to exist in the world? Why is that a requirement?”

“I-It’s not,” she replied. “But it’s hard to make a living without one. And impossible to have kids.”

I laughed at that, prompting her to crack a grin too.

Of course, we were both well aware it was impossible to have children naturally without a man. After all, that was the biggest selling point for most women, who all seemed to reach an age where they actually wanted children.

As for me? No thanks.

I had enough shit to worry about, without trying to take care of a baby.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to answer what I knew she really wanted to know. “I didn’t have any plans at all,” I admitted quietly, my tone somber. “My grandmother made me a wolf a little over a year ago, around the time when I might have started thinking more seriously about the future. And with her, it was mostly about preparing me to take her spot.” I grimaced. “Not to mention, I’m not sure I see the appeal of bearing a man’s child, taking care of his home, and otherwise being at his beck and call whenever he wants.”

She nodded slowly. “I don’t mind the idea so much,” she replied. “But I’d like to actually want to be around the man I marry, and I really don’t care much to be around Troy.”

I scoffed. “Well don’t worry about it, because you’re not marrying him,” I grumbled.

She gave me another confused look, seeming like she wanted to say something, but then decided against it.

I sighed. “What?"

She frowned. “Well, with the other girls, I’d assume it was because they wanted to be with him instead, but today is kind of the first time you’ve voiced your opinion on my arranged marriage, and I’m not entirely sure why you seem so against it.” She paused. “Not that I mind,” she added quietly.

I winced at the idea of admitting the truth, suspecting she might not like being viewed as property. Or as an animal. So instead, I acted like it was a dumb question.

“We already talked about it, didn’t we?” I said seriously, averting my gaze. “Everything changes when you wed. For the worse in my opinion.” I then glanced at her from the corner of my eye, feeling vulnerable as I decided to at least be a little honest. “You are kind of the only human I have,” I said quietly. “Of course I wasn’t thrilled to find out I was going to lose you to that jackass.”

She smiled warmly at me. “I would have still been your friend, Ariana. Always.”

“It’s not the same,” I mumbled, hugging my knees under the water. “And you probably wouldn’t have liked me if my grandmother was still alive.”

She gave me a confused look.

I sighed. “She was my alpha, whether I liked it or not. I pretty much had to do whatever she said.” I gritted my teeth then, feeling aggression rise up within my chest. “But I’m the alpha now, and I won’t ever let anyone take that away from me.”

“Alpha?” she said in confusion, tilting her head slightly.

I looked at her in surprise, only to realize that wasn’t a normal word people in the village used. “Oh, sorry. It means leader, but it’s a bit different than a normal leader. Or rather, it means something different for werewolves. My grandmother said the idea comes from some other language or something.”

Rose nodded, her brow furrowed. “So, is it like the mayor? Or more like a husband?” she asked hesitantly.

I frowned at that. “I guess it could be either one. I mean, the mayor is a husband after all, but he’s also the mayor.”

She nodded, her brown eyes wide. “R-Right. That makes sense.”

I tightened my embrace around my knees. “I don’t want to be a mayor though,” I whispered. “And if I ever end up being someone’s alpha, then I think I’d rather it be just one close person.”

“Like a husband,” Rose said quietly, almost like an afterthought.

I looked at her in surprise, seeing she was averting her gaze, before sighing. “Umm, yeah, I guess,” I agreed, only to flinch when I heard a twig snap behind me in the woods.

Darting to my feet, splashing a startled Rose in the process, I stared directly at the source in the distance, feeling my eyes grow warm as I transformed them to see further and clearer into the thick brush. I was surprised when I recognized the intruders, three guys a couple of years older than me, including one guy in particular who we’d just been talking about.

Troy, along with a couple of his buddies.

And they were armed with axes, though I knew it might just be for their own protection.

However, while they were technically concealed to normal eyes in the brush, they’d seen me react, since I was out in the open. That also meant, they saw all of my naked body, as well as my now glowing gold eyes.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Troy’s buddies staring down at me longer than seemed appropriate, but Troy recovered quickly, moving forward since he could tell he’d been caught.

“What do you want?” I asked seriously, long before he was in plain sight.

Rose spoke up from next to me, having dropped lower in the water so that her chin was fully submerged, her lips coming up just barely as she whispered to me. “Who is it?” she asked nervously.

I ignored her, watching as Troy hesitated briefly, before tensing his grip on his axe, his arms bulging as he did so. Honestly, I’d never paid much attention to his physique, but I could understand why women were attracted to him.

All of his body was about as perfect as it could be.

It was his attitude that was the problem.

His voice was just as loud as mine. “To come get my betrothed,” he snapped firmly, causing Rose to flinch in the water next to me. “And to deliver a message,” he added.

“What’s the message?” I asked seriously, crossing my arms over my exposed chest, not at all concerned about concealing the rest of my naked body.

His buddies had finally caught up to him, hanging back a couple of steps, but they were still staring down at my waist, as if it was the first time they’d ever seen a naked woman. One of them actually tripped and almost fell forward, but barely managed to catch himself.

I supposed my hips and thighs were something alluring to look at.

Coupled with my thin waist and short stature, I felt like I’d at least be attracted to myself.

Hard to know for sure how I looked to them though, since I’d only ever seen my reflection in the river’s surface, and I only knew of a few girls who had my general figure.

Troy’s tone was full of reluctance as he responded. “Everyone has decided to let you stay in the Widow Thornburgh’s house, since she’s recently passed of old age and has no family. You can go there at any time and no one will bother you. The mayor also said he would visit to make sure you had everything you need,” he added, spitting on the ground.

“Wonderful,” I replied evenly. “Now you can leave.”

“I’ll leave with my betrothed,” he hissed firmly, stepping out of the brush and into the rocky clearing, squaring his shoulders more.

“No, she’s with me,” I snapped back. “And she’ll live with me too,” I added. “Go find a different set of tits to play with.”

His face began turning red at that, prompting him to take another step forward. “It’s bad enough I have to wait to have her! You will not take her away from me! She’s mine!”

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Rose’s brown eyes widen in sincere surprise at the way he said that, seeming shocked that he appeared to truly view her as property. She then twisted more toward him, her expression becoming hard as she spoke to him herself, keeping her body mostly submerged from the shoulders down.

“No, I can’t wed you,” she said firmly. “I used magic to protect everyone last night, and it’ll now result in all our children being cursed. You need to find someone else to wed.”

He gawked at her in shock, becoming flustered as he attempted a response. “B-But, we don’t, I mean, we can…shit!”

I’d been around Rose plenty long enough to know when she was lying, and she was watching him evenly like a hawk, looking for any signs that he didn’t believe the tale she was spinning.

“You heard her,” I quickly added when I saw doubt appear in his eyes. “Now get out of here. Plenty of other tits in the village for you to play with.”

He glared at me again, only to take another step forward. “I’ll find a cleric to bless her. I’ll find someone to remove the curse.”

I laughed humorlessly at that. “What? By burning her at the stake?” I scoffed. “You know that’s how they remove the curse, right? With fire?” I didn’t wait for him to respond, my tone dropping. “Now get the hell out of here, before I show you hell,” I snarled.

He glared at me, a look of pure hatred and spite appearing in his eyes, prompting me to suddenly realize I needed to make it clear right here and now who was alpha. Because otherwise I could see problems arising, even if nothing came of it now.

Like a taut bowstring, all my muscles suddenly tensed, only for me to fly straight out of the water far higher than a normal human could jump, rapidly transforming in the blink of an eye in midair.

Suddenly, I was landing on the streambank on all fours, much closer to him than he anticipated, causing him to scream like a woman as he fell backward on his ass. Similarly, his buddies also shrieked and ran away without hesitation, abandoning Troy to his fate.

Coming face-to-face with a wolf larger than a horse was no joke.

I knew because I’d been similarly terrified of my grandmother when she was alive.

My jaws were large enough to literally bite him in half, and she’d been even larger than I currently was. The size of two horses.

Shaking off the excessive water that had come with me as I leapt from the creek, I stared him down as a low growl erupted out of my throat, sounding far deeper and more menacing than a mere dog-sized wolf.

No, I sounded like a demon from hell.

“O-Okay!” he exclaimed, struggling to move himself backward on his ass, leaving his axe behind as he did so. “You can have her! I’ll leave! Just don’t kill me!”

I jerked with my head toward the trees, nonverbally telling him to get his ass out of here, only for him to scramble to his feet and take off running. However, I wasn’t done terrorizing him yet, deciding to rush forward after him, my growling growing even louder and louder as I kept on his heels, snapping my jaws shut menacingly a few times.

He began whimpering and shrieking in panic and horror, cutting his arm on a branch as he stumbled away as fast as he could, begging for his life now.

“Please! Please, I’ll leave you alone! Just please, don’t kill me! I won’t ever bother you ever again! I’ll leave you both alone!”

I slowed down my pace then, having heard what I wanted to hear, allowing him to get further ahead of me. However, he continued whimpering and blubbering as he moved further into the brush at a reckless speed, not bothering to look back to ensure I really wasn’t following him.

Hopefully, he’d remember this moment for the rest of his life, so that we didn’t have any other issues moving forward. Because I’d rough him up next time, assuming I didn’t just flat out kill him to remove the problem.

Making my way back to the creek, I found Rose out of the water as well, one of her hands clasped over the symbol on her chest, only partially covering up her shapely plump tits as she looked up at me anxiously. However, when I stopped and shifted back to my human form, walking back toward the water without meeting her gaze, she didn’t say anything.

Instead, she simply stood there for a long few seconds, before following after me and slowly lowering herself back into the water at my side.

It was obvious she seemed uneasy, so I spoke up with a heavy sigh.

“No, I didn’t kill him,” I retorted, feeling glum now. “Just scared him a little.”

“I…I know,” she whispered.

I glanced at her in surprise. “You did?”

She nodded hesitantly, staring down at the clear water in front of her. “Umm, yeah. You didn’t go very far to begin with, and I’m sure I would have heard it if you’d…” Her voice trailed off, only for her to continue in barely a whisper. “Besides, there was no blood on your face,” she added.

I grimaced. “Sorry if I scare you,” I replied quietly.

She abruptly looked up at me in alarm. “You don’t scare me, Ariana. And I’ll always be your friend no matter what, even if you do…” She grimaced.

I sighed. “Well, we will have to move if I kill anyone, so I’ll do my best to avoid it.”

She gave me a weak smile, knowing I was trying to insert some distasteful humor into the conversation. She then took a deep breath. “So then, I guess we have a place to stay now…” Her cheeks flushed slightly. “When do you want to go h-home?” she wondered, her voice breaking at the end.

I focused on her more fully for a few seconds, before smiling warmly as an intense thrill rushed through my gut. “How about we dry off in the sun, and then get dressed, and go?” I suggested cheerfully.

She returned the smile. “Okay,” she said simply.

“And I’ll cook you dinner,” I added, excited by the idea of feeding her…much like how I’d take care of a dog or cat. “I’m not sure if you’ve ever eaten my cooking,” I continued, trying to remember if she’d ever been over when I took charge of the kitchen, especially since I’d always preferred to be at her house.

Around her stepsisters and mother, as opposed to my own empty house with a mother I didn’t much like with all her pestering questions and pleas for marriage and grandchildren.

Rose seemed flustered. “O-Oh, I can cook for you instead,” she replied hesitantly.

I shook my head. “I actually ate a whole deer last night, so I’m alright for now. You can cook other meals, if you want. But I want to make something for you for dinner tonight.”

She gulped audibly, before nodding.

I wasn’t sure if she was worried about my cooking skills, or if her reaction was because of my little disclosure about what I’d recently eaten, but I decided to not worry about it, having full trust in my own abilities over a hot flame.

And if her issue was the deer thing, then she’d just have to get over that.

“Alright then,” I said, standing back out of the water to lay down on a rock. “Dry off and then we’ll go. I can’t wait.”

“M-Me too,” she agreed, slowly following my lead, but seeming more embarrassed about her nakedness now.

I ignored her reaction, deciding to enjoy the warmth of the sun while I could, trying not to stress about what the future held, since I had no doubt Troy would return and tell everyone I tried to kill him. Or maybe he’d be smart about it and keep his mouth shut.

I wasn’t sure, but didn’t want to worry about it right now.

Rose was much quieter for the rest of the late morning and into the afternoon, walking with me silently after we’d dressed and started making our way back to the village with the two rabbits she hadn’t eaten, staying on the outskirts by the fields until we found the Widow Thornburgh’s old home.

I actually hadn’t known she’d passed recently, but was more than happy to accept her place as an inheritance, knowing she had a leather-making trade that allowed her to keep the place well-furnished and maintained.

And sure enough, the place was perfect, the porch appearing as if it had been recently repaired. And the house itself was far enough away from the other buildings that it didn’t feel like we were intruding in anyone’s space, while also being close enough that it was no more than a stone’s throw to get to the nearest alleyway.

Definitely a perfect spot.

And it was our home now, mine and Rose’s.

Feeling overly excited, I opened the front door, only to turn around and sweep the slightly taller girl right off her feet, carrying her inside with a huge grin on my face. However, it appeared as if I’d made her really flustered, so after I checked the rooms, I mostly left her alone while I began working on dinner, deciding to make a rabbit and vegetable soup, since there were more than enough ingredients already in the house.

We had a couple of visitors while I cooked, including Rose’s mother at one point, and then the mayor a little while later, but I let Rose deal with her mom and kept the conversation short with Bartolomeu.

Thus, about an hour later, I was finally sitting down at our new table, a little surprise by the quality of the wooden chairs, eagerly watching Rose slurp and chew on the meal I’d made for her. Unsurprisingly, she’d tried to get me to eat too, but I’d only reminded her of the meal I’d had last night, prompting her to focus on her own food uneasily.

She seemed to sincerely like the thick soup though.

I was still a little surprised by the quick decision to let us stay here, but I felt confident the message Troy delivered was sincere. Especially due to the mayor’s visit, like I’d been told, just before Rose started eating, asking if we needed anything.

I told him we were fine for now, but that he should check by tomorrow afternoon.

I also explained to him the situation with Troy, handing the asshole’s axe to Bartolomeu, and informed him I wouldn’t cause any problems so long as the villagers didn’t cause me problems, but that I also had the right to protect myself. Of course, the mayor agreed, though I wasn’t sure if he would have disagreed to my face, even if he was of a different mindset.

Granted, he did promise to make sure we weren’t bothered.

I was also surprised to hear that most of the villagers were actually in favor of me staying.

Like, it was almost too good to believe.

Although, as I thought about it more while Rose ate, I supposed it helped that I hadn’t hurt anyone last night, and overall hadn’t shown them hostility, not to mention that I was obviously the lesser of two evils in comparison to the monsters that attacked.

And really, I suspected that was probably the biggest factor affecting their decision, with the cleanup of the corpses, and the news that ‘Ariana the Wolf’ was the one responsible for protecting the village, being enough to influence the majority of the people.

Notably, the news that I’d abolished the yearly sacrifices had also spread, which I suspected was a huge relief all on its own. Because with the arrival of the white wolf, the evil curse plaguing this village had finally been lifted.

Except, no doubt they knew I might change my mind if they weren’t careful with how they handled the situation. Unfortunately, only time would tell if I’d be able to continue living here in peace, though I hoped that being around them without incident would further increase their trust, even if not everyone came to fully trust me.

But for now, it wasn’t my concern.

All I cared about in this moment was watching my friend eat the food I’d prepared for her.

The previous visit from Rose’s mother was more stressful than the mayor, with the woman being concerned for a variety of reasons, between her only daughter’s secret getting out -- that she was a witch, and by extension that her family might practice the art -- coupled with the fact that I was a werewolf.

Of course, I was extra polite when Mrs. Liz Monroe was around, not saying much, in hopes that it might ease her nerves, since I was well aware she could try to make Rose go home with her. But thankfully it appeared I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to go back to our old lives, with Rose seeming eager to live with me just as much as I was with her.

All her stepsisters were older anyway, so no one really lived at home anymore, except for one other. An orphaned girl who wasn’t related to them at all, same age as me, one year younger than Rose, but who had lived with their family for practically all her life. I knew the girl even called Mrs. Monroe ‘mom.’

But thankfully, it didn’t seem like Rose wanted to go back home.

At least, that’s what I gathered from her very clear message to her mother that this was her home now.

Taking a deep breath, I presently watched as Rose grew more and more hesitant while she ate, seeming to become increasingly uncomfortable under the weight of my dark blue gaze. I wasn’t sure if I should bring it up, but also wasn’t interested in looking away either, ultimately allowing her to be the one to break the silence.

However, it wasn’t until she’d eaten half her bowl.

“Ariana…” she began tentatively.

“Yes?” I prompted, brushing some of my dark brown hair off the side of my face.

She looked embarrassed for a moment, before glancing down at her food. “This is really good, but I don’t think I can eat this much by myself.”

“That’s alright,” I replied warmly, kicking my feet a little underneath the table. “I was just eager to cook for you. I’m really looking forward to living together,” I added sincerely.

She nodded hesitantly. “Me too,” she agreed.

“Something wrong?” I wondered, cocking my head slightly. “You’re not…” I paused. “Like, you’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

She looked up at me in alarm, her deep brown eyes wide. “What? No, of course not. It’s nice knowing your secret, and it’s nice to be able to share mine. Although I suppose they aren’t secrets anymore. But still…I want to live with you, just the two of us.”

“Me too,” I agreed with a grin. However, when she still seemed like something was wrong, I sighed. “So then, what’s the issue?” I asked more seriously.

She finally took a deep breath, averting her gaze. “Promise you won’t be mad?”

“What? No, I won’t be mad.”

She nodded hesitantly, her eyes tightening. “Umm, well, it’s just how you’re looking at me, sort of like you’re hungry.”

I froze solid.

“Rose,” I gasped. “I would never hurt you.”

Unexpectedly, she looked at me in shock. “Oh, no! I’m sorry! That was a bad choice of words. I didn’t mean like actually hungry, but kind of like…well, like how the boys look at me sometimes.” She grimaced. “How Troy looks at me,” she added quietly.

I gawked at what she was implying, only to grow pensive, knowing she wasn’t far off the mark, as much as I didn’t want to admit that out loud. When I didn’t respond right away, she quickly spoke up again.

“Which would be fine if it’s you,” she quickly added. “But I guess it would just be nice to know, umm, sort of how you feel about me.”

I frowned at that, beginning to chew on my bottom lip as I looked away, prompting her to reach out toward me, setting her hand down on the table with her palm up, fingers curled slightly.

“Ariana, I’m still your friend no matter what,” she whispered.

I glanced at her hand and then met her deep brown gaze, seeing the sincerity in her beautiful eyes.

After a moment, I reached out to take her hand, with her giving mine a tight squeeze, prompting me to take a deep breath.

“I’m not sure you’ll like the truth,” I admitted quietly.

“I’ll be okay with it,” she countered. “I just want to know.”

I took another deep breath, averting my gaze. “Well, ever since I became like this, it’s been difficult for me to view humans as equals…”

“I’m listening,” she whispered when I didn’t continue right away.

I finally met her gaze, being reassured by what I saw in her eyes.

“I do still think of you as a friend,” I promised. “But also…kind of like a pet. And kind of like a wife too, I guess, if you want to go with our comparison earlier…” I paused. “Like, I have the urge to be your alpha,” I clarified. "Your husband."

Her eyes widened just slightly before she recovered, squeezing my hand again, but also beginning to tremble a little.

I wasn’t sure how to interpret her reaction, kind of surprised that I’d just blurted it out like that without a problem. Thus, we both just held each other’s gaze for a long few moments before she finally responded, her voice barely audible.

“I’m okay with that, Ariana. I’ll…I’ll be your pet, if you want.” Her face flushed. “A-And your w-wife t-too…” she whispered.

“Really?” I said in shock, suddenly feeling that familiar thrill in my gut again.

She nodded, trembling a little more. “A-And I don’t mind if you look at me like the boys do either,” she added, beginning to sound out of breath, her pulse becoming visible in her slim tan neck.

I gawked at her for a moment, seeing the intensity in her expression, and the embarrassment, only for a heat to begin rising inside me, unsettling my nerves and making me…

Well, I supposed hungry.

She was okay with being my pet, and I suddenly had the desire to truly make her my pet. And my wife too.

My pet wife.

My pet witch.

“Wait here,” I said quietly, letting go of her hand as I stood up.

She looked at me in slight confusion, but obeyed, sitting more upright as I disappeared into the other room. Since the old widow had continued her leathermaking trade pretty much until the day she passed away, there were a number of leather belts in the second bedroom that she used for her craft, some of them for wearing, while others had been designed to hang stuff, though most appeared unused.

And then there were even some made for dogs, even though the old woman didn’t have any pets.

I suspected most of these held sentimental value for the widow, but now that she was gone, I had other ideas for them.

Returning to the table with a few strips of polished leather in hand, Rose looked at me in absolute confusion as I picked out a thick shiny black one that was only a little over half a foot long, most likely a dog collar, and just long enough to wrap around her thin neck.

Instantly, as I held the collar up, realization crossed her expression, her shock quickly turning to intense submission as she raised her chin for me to secure it to her. Then, once it was clasped in place, I curled my fingers underneath the polished dark leather, at first to make sure it wasn’t too tight, but then just to control her movement, yanking her toward me a little.

She was beginning to tremble again, her hands now folded in her lap, making it obvious that she was allowing me to do as I wanted.

It was rapidly causing me to begin feeling drunk on the sensation of dominance, but I also wanted to make sure I wasn’t scaring her.

My expression softened slightly. “Is this okay?” I whispered.

“Y-Yes,” she croaked out.

“Can I do more?” I wondered hesitantly.

“Yes,” she said almost inaudibly. “Whatever you want…mistress.”

The word sent another thrill through me, the overwhelming dominance I was experiencing returning in full force. With my free hand, I grabbed the other belts on the table, while tugging on the leather collar around her neck. She got up in response to the gesture, and followed after me as I led her into the main bedroom where there was only a single bed.

I hadn’t put much thought into it yet, but I realized this was our bed now, since I wouldn’t be making her sleep on the floor. On the contrary, I wanted to snuggle with her every night from now on.

Pushing her down onto the thick feather mattress, I climbed on top of her, straddling her thighs as I began to secure a leather belt around each of her wrists, enjoying her trembling as I tied them together around the headboard, using a decorative piece of wood at the top to secure them.

With the black leather collar still around her neck, as well as now having her arms tied above her head, I continued to straddle her while I held her gaze, growing even more excited as she stared up at me in complete submission.

More than that.

Her expression was intense, submissive, but also…longing.

I wasn’t sure how we’d gotten to this point so quickly, but suddenly felt like a lot of things made sense now. I suspected we both wanted this deep down, and we’d both been reluctant to admit it, even as we continued to show it in small ways, like her reluctance to be wed to someone else.

However, now that we were in this situation, I really wasn’t sure what to do with her, just soaking up her submission as I stared her down.

But then, without realizing it, I slowly began lowering my upper body, until my face was just inches away from hers, my pelvis repositioning to press firmly against her.

The sensation between my thighs was amazing, causing me to press down again, even as she moaned softly, biting her lower lip. Both of our hearts were racing, our breathing coming out in small gasps.

I honestly wasn’t sure how to continue, but with my face so close to hers, I felt like the tension was only building, never decreasing. Until it became too much for my pet.

Unexpectedly, she closed the gap, just lifting her head an inch, and pressed her soft lips to mine.

I knew what to do then.

Slipping my tongue in her mouth, I began to kiss her roughly, only to pull away to give her air, while starting to work on nibbling at her jawline instead, feeling like I was starving as I moved down her neck, licking and kissing her delicate tan skin.

Truly overwhelmed with the sensation of dominance, I didn’t even care whether she was okay with it anymore, even though I had no reason to think she wasn’t. Thus, after only kissing for a handful of seconds, I quickly sat up and began bunching her black dress all the way up past her plump tits, with her lifting her ass to help, until nearly her entire tan body was exposed, with me starting to plant my lips on her stomach aggressively before moving up slowly to her nipples.

Feeling her tits against my face felt so wonderful.

Without hesitation, I moved my mouth to one of her large firm nipples, and sucked on it hard, beginning to nurse roughly, as if I actually expected to get some milk out of it if I only sucked hard enough. Immediately, her upper body bowed upward into me as she moaned loudly, gasping from the unexpected pleasure it seemed to give her.

I then switched to the other nipple and began sucking just as greedily, feeling her squirm underneath my pelvis. Shit, no wonder everyone wanted these tits. They were perfect.

I then started to kiss underneath her large tits, shifting my body carefully between her tan thighs as I started to kiss back down her smooth stomach, moving lower and lower until I was holding her thighs apart while sucking on the delicate tan skin of her inner leg.

“Uhhh!” she moaned, the sound becoming guttural, tugging against the leather straps as her body tensed and arched again.

Smelling her delicious pussy, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer, immediately going for it, burying my face as I kissed her juicy lips eagerly.

“Oh shit, oh shit! Uhhh!” she began exclaiming, her hips jerking wildly against me.

I’d never done anything like this with anyone before, so I was sincerely shocked when her pussy wetted my lips barely a handful of seconds later, her entire body tensing as she whimpered, only to go limp on the bed, her breathing heavy.

Savoring her taste, I resumed my licking, being softer this time as she started twitching and jerking, enjoying the small noises she made as I tormented her.

“No, wait,” she pleaded.

I hesitated, before deciding to do so, moving down to kiss her a few more times on the inner thigh. I then climbed off her entirely and out of bed, focusing on her partially bound form, seeing that her eyes were closed as she focused on her breathing.

After a moment, she peeked at me, her face flushed.

“M-Mistress,” she whispered. “I’d like to return the favor. Please.”

I looked at her in surprise, not having really thought that far ahead, before grinning at the idea of having her face between my thighs, reaching down to slip off my trousers, having always preferred to dress more like a boy. I then yanked my tunic off too, and climbed onto the bed naked, deciding to carefully stand up and position my feet on her sides.

Grabbing for the wall, I then continued to carefully step forward so that I was standing over her head, my ankles resting against her shoulders now as I stared down at her face directly between my feet.

She gave me that look of absolute submission again as she focused up at me, prompting me to slowly lower myself, carefully getting on my knees and readjusting until her lips were just inches away from my own pussy.

I then reached down to run my fingers through her hair, starting to pet her a few times, and then finally pulled her face against me firmly.

“Lick,” I demanded, grinding a little against her chin and lips, only to shiver from the sensation. Focusing back down on her, I saw her staring up at me, her eyes about all I could see as I felt her tongue going to work.

Sighing heavily, almost feeling relieved to have her face beneath me, I resumed petting her dark hair as I enjoyed what she was doing, realizing this was truly going to be our lives from now on.

Rose was now my pet, and even better than that, she was now my wife too, as far as I was concerned.

My pet wife.

My pet witch.

“You’re going to wear this collar from now on,” I whispered, realizing I wanted to make it clear she was mine, much like a man did with jewelry. I didn’t even care what people would think. “Even if you’re out in public,” I continued. “You’ll wear it. And if anyone asks you about it, then I want you to tell them you’re my pet, understood?” I demanded seriously.

“Yes, mistress,” she mumbled beneath me.

“Might even have you go say hi to Troy from me too, just so he knows you’re mine now.”

Her tan face flushed more. “O-Okay, mistress. Anything you want.”

I smirked at that, focusing intently on her, realizing I enjoyed licking her pussy much more than the other way around, even if this was nice too. “And you’ll let me lick and kiss you whenever I want from now on, and wherever I want. Understood?”

She nodded, her face a deep shade of red. “A-And maybe if you w-wanted to put s-something in m-me, you could d-do that too,” she stammered.

I focused on her in surprise, wondering if she was implying what I thought. “Did you have something in mind?” I wondered seriously.

Her face flushed even more. “U-Umm, I noticed you cleaned a few of c-carrots, but didn’t u-use one of them.”

My surprised quickly shifted to a grin as I decided to climb off her to go do just that, retrieving the thick tapered vegetable. And not only that, I wanted to shove it up her pussy and then maybe make her eat it.

“It can wait!” she called out to me. “I can lick you more first!”

But I was already in the kitchen.

I returned in a flash, thick carrot in hand as I shook my head. “That’s alright. I want to lick you more while I shove this in your pussy.”

She seemed hesitant, unable to respond before I was climbing back in bed and planting a heavy kiss right on her juicy lips again -- the ones between her thighs.

“Uhh!” she exclaimed, bucking her hips. “Oh shit, that feels so good.”

“Tell me if this does too,” I replied, biting off the end of the carrot to eat, and then pressing it between her swollen lips.

She sucked in a deep breath then as I eased it inside, beginning to move her hips around as I stuck it even deeper.

I laughed, a thought occurring to me. “This isn’t the first carrot you’ve had in your pussy, is it?” I asked seriously.

Her face flushed at that, seeming to struggle to respond.

“That’s alright,” I quickly replied. “This is really fun. Now let me kiss you some more while I give you carrot babies.”

She laughed at that only to moan again when I went to work, tensing her hips and thighs as I shoved the carrot in and out, slowly picking up the speed as her groans became louder. When she reached her climax a second time, I pulled the carrot out to examine the result, feeling excited as I moved up to rest at her side, enjoying the fact that she didn’t know what was coming next.

And sure enough, she gave me a confused look as I poked her cheek with it, only to become alarmed when I stuck it against her mouth.

“Suck,” I whispered, causing her eyes to widen, before she obediently parted her full lips. I then leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, while she licked her own juices off the carrot, loving every second of this. Clearing my throat, I continued quietly. “You’re my pet wife now,” I said firmly, saying it out loud for the first time.

Her eyes widened again, before she nodded urgently, moaning for me as she lifted her head up to get the carrot as far back in her mouth as she could manage. Gagging briefly, she pulled away, a longing in her eyes as she focused on my mouth, silently begging for a kiss.

Leaning forward just a little, our lips met and I shoved my tongue against hers, moaning when she began sucking on it, loving that I could taste her pussy in her mouth.

Shit this was amazing, and it was only the first night.

I couldn’t wait to have more fun with her.

Lots of fun.

And thankfully, it seemed as if this would be our new normal -- just me and her, able to live our lives as husband and wife, even though we were both girls.

I wasn’t sure if life could be any more perfect, but I was excited to find out just how amazing it could be as I built a new life as this village’s guardian werewolf, living alone with my pet witch, happy to discover new ways I could dominate her and make her mine.

Starting with all the creative things I might be able to do with common household objects, including everything from vegetables to leather belts.

This was definitely going to be fun.

FEEDBACK: I hope you guys enjoyed these first two chapters! Let me know what you thought!

Chapter 3 >>