The Crown's Obsession (WN)

The werewolf that had been caged turned bigger and bigger until it couldn't fit itself in the closed space and finally broke itself free from it. Oh no, came the dull realization from Madeline as it continued to growl.

Madeline heard her grandmother say, "There's a saying in the fallen angels that if we cannot kill people, put them in the coffin. And if that doesn't work, it is the creature that howls at the moon that will take care of the demons and the angels with its fatal bite."

Madeline didn't hear the rest of it as the werewolf jumped out of its cage and landed straight in front of her. She turned sharp on her heel and started to make her way out of the cave. She didn't know what her grandmother did, that James' body had turned bigger, and he looked worse than ferocious as if he could barely wait to have his meal. Madeline started to run away as quick as she could, holding the front of her dress while she heard the growls of the werewolf coming behind her.

Madeline doubted she would be able to reach the castle in time, considering the distance from where she was right now. Turning around she waved her hand in the air towards the werewolf, and a bunch of dried leaves that were on the ground came to hover in front of the creature like it was getting wrapped by the leaves and the growls of the werewolf only turned agitated. She quickly hid behind the tree, trying to catch her breath before taking a careful peek to see where the werewolf was.

She wondered if Calhoun heard the howl of the werewolf and while trying to take a peek, she noticed the werewolf wasn't there anymore. Did it perhaps prowl forward and away in search of her? Madeline asked herself.

The forest appeared quiet except for the rustling of leaves. Her brown eyes took in her surroundings when she heard branches creek above her. Hearing a snap, Madeline looked up to see the werewolf there.

Looking at the werewolf above, Madeline felt her heart drop from her chest, and she didn't know if she should not move or run away from here. Previously she had some advantage with the leaves, but with their proximity where the werewolf got down from the tree, she doubted running away was a good idea. It was something Calhoun had taught her. Not to run away.

She placed one foot of hers as carefully as possible behind her, trying to move away from it.

"I know you must still be there, James," Madeline spoke to the werewolf carefully that looked unapproachable due to its height and its rage-filled expression. "Please return to your human self," she whispered, but the werewolf didn't look happy. The next second, the werewolf let out a loud growl which was enough to wake up the entire forest. When it snarled, she took it as her cue to turn and bolt from there.

Madeline could hear the werewolf's prancing as it chased her. She couldn't go far as she tripped on one of the branches that had grown on the forest floors. The werewolf jumped right towards her and she closed her eyes while having her hand up to stop it, realizing she was going to be eaten by the ferocious-looking creature. Her heart thudded in her chest, beating loud enough that she could hear it.

Her hand came in contact with the fur, and after two seconds passed by, she opened her eyes slowly to see the werewolf growling lowly at her. Her hand shook out of fear and nervousness, waiting for the werewolf to rip her head off her body, but that didn't happen.

"Tear her apart!"

It was the voice of the older woman who had escaped from her own cage. The gate of her cage had opened when the werewolf had been rattling its own cage to break free from the iron grills around it.

Madeline didn't know whom she was supposed to concentrate on, her grandmother or James the werewolf who looked like he was ready to kill her. She could still hear the growls coming from the creature as its face was close to hers.

"Kill her this very instant, and I will turn you back to what you want!" ordered her grandmother as if she was controlling him right now.

In return, Madeline tried to steady both her hands that were on the werewolf's neck, and she looked straight into his eyes, "Please turn back to your human self, James," she pleaded, not knowing if James could even hear her now. The werewolf opened its mouth, snarling to show its teeth and saliva that moved between its teeth, "I am sorry," she whispered, "I never meant any harm to you. Not then, not now, and I wish you can return to yourself. To live life the way you want."

"What are you doing, you stupid mutt!" her grandmother appeared impatient, and she raised her hands to where Madeline and the wolf was.

The werewolf snapped its head from Madeline to look at the old woman. She shouted, "I command thee to be by serv-" The woman couldn't complete her words as the werewolf left Madeline's side and it pounced right at her grandmother's arm that was outstretched towards them, "AHHH!!!"

The feral creature had bitten into the woman's arm and torn it away, leaving her in agony. Blood dripped down on the floor of the forest, "How dare you to disobey me!" screeched Madeline's grandmother, and she used her other good hand to run a spell against the werewolf. The werewolf howled as if in pain.

Madeline quickly stood up, "Stop hurting him! You can turn him back, isn't it?" she asked her grandmother.

"I know where the antidote lies. The werewolf's cure," said her grandmother and Madeline's eyes widened, "But I won't tell it. I was stuck in the cage, which I couldn't get out of. The vampire seems to know more than what he led me to believe—using components to impriosn angel or demon without making use of their magic. I will kill all of you for killing my husband. And that will start with this mutt."

"Don't do this," Madeline tried to persuade her grandmother, who seemed to have lost her mind.

Her grandmother stared at the werewolf, twisting her hands to elicit another long howl from the creature, "Kill the girl," came the harsh order that could have broken Madeline's heart but it didn't. Madeline raised her own hand and seeing this her grandmother chuckled, "Showing your true intentions now."

"Like it or not, you are my grandmother. I won't allow to harm him," suddenly the leaves that were around Madeline blew away from where she stood. The velocity of the wind around her started to increase, "You cannot harm people who have nothing to do with this fight of yours." When she moved her right hand, James stopped howling as if the link between her grandmother and him had broken.

Her grandmother was intent on killing her, and she wouldn't stop until Madeline was dead or buried back in the coffin.

"I hope God can forgive your sins," Madeline whispered before commanding the werewolf, "You can tear her up now."