#werewolf frankie

[something-tofightfor]

Liminality: Part 14

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 8,392

Rating: R - the general themes and tones of the previous chapters carry over, but there's no outright violence or sex.

Summary: As the plan comes together, and you and Frankie attempt to get his friends on board, decisions are made that not everyone agrees with.

And when you two take some time apart to give everyone breathing room, you make a discovery that gives you plenty of new information, and the chance to make the first move.

But as is typical with Frankie and his friends ... nothing goes according to plan.

Author’s note:

Here we go.

I really like this chapter, and I hope you do, too.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

The time apart from Frankie gave you a chance to think clearly. 

Even though it was only a couple days, you used them wisely - and thanks to the rain, you spent the majority of them indoors. He’d been right; the storm had been little more than rain and some wind, and while the lights in your hotel had gone off briefly, you hadn’t been in the dark for long. 

And Frankie called you during those two days, checking in in the morning and before bed, along with sending photos and texts throughout the day. In another situation, it would have been overkill, and made you feel like he was trying too hard. But you understood that he was doing it to prove to himself that you were alright, and to let you know that even though you were apart, he was still thinking of you. 

Will sent you a few messages, too, asking how your leg was doing and how you were enjoying your trip. You knew that those replies were going to the entire group, all of them on alert thanks to what you’d revealed about Tom. 

You wondered if they were sending updates to Tom, too - like they had in the past. But you didn’t dwell on that, because instead, you went back to what you’d been doing for years prior to meeting Frankie: going over your notes and findings.

Having all of your research - and Alec’s - in front of you was helpful, as was the opportunity to focus on it. 

You hadn’t had so much time to yourself in months, and you used it wisely. You were almost certain that Tom had met the wolf that turned him at a prior realtor’s conference, and you spent hours poring over his social media friends and photos. There were tons with the men you knew, both in uniform and out. There were even more with Molly and Tessa, and people that you assumed were extended family based on facial features and last names. 

But Tom was also tagged in photos from the conferences and even a few dinners throughout the years, and it was those you paid the most attention to. You made a list of all of the people that had started to appear in his photos and comment on his content in the previous 16 months, and your search was made much easier when you realized that he’d joined a group specifically for realtor friends…and its members list was public. 

Three of the names popped up repeatedly, and when you searched them further, two of them were connected to each other in different ways, too. It was a man and a woman, her long auburn hair braided and hanging over her shoulder in nearly every photo. He was taller and stocky, with piercing eyes and a smile that didn’t reach them. 

They’d gone to college together, their photos going back well over a decade, and at about 3 am on your second night in Punta Gorda, you found it. 

The photos were grainy, since they were from 2013 and 2014, but they clearly showed the man’s arm wrapped in a bandage and the woman pointing at it with a look of mock horror on her face, and then, a few months later, the two of them relaxing on a boat somewhere, his arm exposed … and a brand new scar that looked suspiciously like a bite mark near his elbow. 

The second photo also showed what looked like a long-healed mark on the woman’s inner thigh, which meant that if you were correct, and they were Tom’s connection to the Chaos line, she had been the one to bite the first man. 

From there, you researched as much as you could into her history, and after an hour of searching through that, you got your confirmation. The woman’s name was linked with one that had shown up in Alec’s research as a possible Chaos wolf. I’ve got him. I’ve got him and if I want, I’ve got them, too. 

You didn’t know where Tom’s bite was, or how he’d hidden it from Molly, but it had to be in a place that would have been covered, even if he went to the gym or the beach with any of the guys. His inner thigh, like hers? Or maybe his side? You frowned, thinking. His back or chest? 

You took one more look through Tom’s recent photos, foot tapping restlessly on the floor while you scrolled. In the previous year and a half, he’d posted a variety of pictures from different locations, including a few from the beach with his family. 

After taking a much closer look than you would have liked at one of him sitting on a low chair, legs spread, you determined that the bite wasn’t there. So it’s on his upper body. 

There were a few shirtless images, too, and in all of them, his left arm was never raised. There was only one that showed a somewhat clear view of that side of his body, and when you zoomed in on it, you saw what could have been a discoloration from scar tissue. But that could have been from anything. Shrapnel, getting shot, something going wrong during the missions… there’s no way to know. 

But it hadn’t been there in earlier photos. It hadn’t even been there when Tom had posted a picture of the tattoo on his shoulder. It was a small thing, but it gave you something to go off of, and you made a note of it to show Frankie and the others. 

You went to sleep at 5 that morning and woke up a few hours later, quickly packing your room and carrying your things back to the car. It was still drizzling, but it seemed that the worst of the rain was over, which would make your drive back to Tampa simpler than the one south had been. 

You used that time to think, too, trying to come up with a plan that would work to draw Tom back out to the RV during the next full moon. He’d never gone back to the previous month’s crime scene before, but he’d also never attacked anyone that any of the guys knew before, either. And now that he knows I’m planning on staying, and that I’ll be out there with Frankie as often as I can … 

What you didn’t know was what Tom’s end game was. You didn’t know what he hoped to achieve by hurting you - or continuing to hurt others. Part of you wondered if he was just doing it for fun and because he could. Another part of you wondered if he was making up for the fact that he was no longer in uniform and getting sent out on missions where he was able to do whatever it took to complete them. 

The others had settled into life after the military, but Tom was the exception.

Frankie was doing what he loved, Pope was able to take care of his family and kept himself busy with Yovanna and the small logistics company he ran. Benny and Will had the bar - and the fighting and training - which kept them focused and fit. 

Tom had the same dead-end career that he’d taken up before the South America trip, and by his own admission, wasn’t very good at it. He had the money to do whatever it was that he wanted - in any part of the world he wanted to go to - but he’d stayed in Tampa with his family, and continued to work in a job that he didn’t need and didn’t make him happy. But he chose to do that. He could have decided anything else, and being unhappy doesn’t mean that the only solution was to become a wolf and hurt people. 

As you passed Bradenton, it clicked. 

Tom was doing it for the attention. He’d been the group’s defacto leader throughout their entire enlisted time together, and then afterward, too. But when they’d come home from South America and been forced to deal with Frankie’s bite - and wolf status - the focus had shifted from them looking to Tom for leadership to doing whatever was necessary to help Frankie find answers, and to keep him safe and hidden. 

You probably wouldn’t ever know for sure because there was no way to ask him without playing your hand, but all of his behaviors added up. He wanted to be a leader again. He wanted to have people following his orders and doing what he said. He wanted people to fear him and what he was capable of. He’d proven himself over and over during mission and assignments - by the admission of everyone in their group… and once the need to do that was gone, he’d had no purpose. 

And even though the Chaos line was well established and likely didn’t need someone to lead, they needed other things that Tom could provide: strength, ruthlessness and financial support. He’d traded one group for another, and didn’t seem to care what he’d given up in order to achieve his goals. But hurting me still doesn’t make sense. He has to know Frankie would care. He has to know that he’d want to do something about it. Going after me was a risk. 

Drumming your fingertips against the steering wheel, you bit your lip. There was a solution, and you knew Frankie wouldn’t like it. But it has to be mentioned … and I need someone on my side. 

Reaching for your car’s touchscreen, you dialed out and waited for an answer on the other end. 

“Hello? Is everything alright?” 

“Hey, Yovanna. Everything’s great.” You closed your eyes and nodded. “But I need your help. Are you going to be home in about an hour and a half? I need to run something by you.” 

— 

“He’s going to fucking kill me.” Pope’s words were muffled because his hands covered his face, but you still understood all of them. “He’s going to kill me and then bring me back just so he can kill me again.” 

“He is not.” Yovanna swatted at him, her expression set into a glare that you never wanted to be on the receiving end of. “It is a good plan.” 

The three of you were waiting outside on Pope’s back deck, untouched glasses of lemonade on the table. They were beside each other on the larger couch and you were curled up on one of the single chairs, the sun just beginning to set. 

Frankie was planning on meeting you when he got back from visiting Carmen, and though the plan was for the four of you to head out to dinner, you didn’t know if that was going to happen. 

“It’s not a good plan. It’s a stupid one, but it’s the only way I -” Pope cut you off, looking up and at you from between his fingers.

“It’s not stupid.” He sighed, sitting straight up. “It’s actually really smart. He’s just not going to like it.” 

You agreed, and even though you knew it would be difficult to make Frankie understand, you thought it was possible. “There’s still a lot to work through,  but unless we start now, there’s no way we finish before the next full moon and I just … I want this over. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” 

You heard a car door slam, and all three of you listened for a few seconds, waiting to see if it was Frankie arriving. It’s got to be. He said he was close. 

“Here we go.” Pope closed his eyes and then leaned over, kissing the side of Yovanna’s head. “Hope you’re ready to see Frankie lose his shit.” 

Turning in your seat, you watched as he opened the gate and stepped into the back yard. Your breath caught at the sight of him, even though it had only been a couple days since you’d said goodbye. He wasn’t wearing a hat that night and his curls were exceptionally tousled, sticking out wildly over his ears. His facial hair was longer than you’d gotten used to, too, and as he got closer, you bit your lip at the sight of him, repositioning yourself so that you could stand. 

“Stay right there.” He held up a hand and shook his head, speeding up as he stepped up and onto the patio. “I’m comin’ to you.” He leaned over when he made it to the chair and used both hands to brace himself on the arms. “Missed you.” 

He didn’t say anything else before he kissed you, but as soon as your mouths met, it was clear that he didn’t need to. Missed you too, Francisco. You stroked the back of his head before he pulled away and then took a seat, jerking his chin in the direction of Pope and Yovanna. “How was your trip?” 

“Great.” He grinned, running his fingers through his hair. “Carmen was excited and it didn’t rain for one of the days, so we went to the zoo.” His grin widened. “She’s getting so damn big and wants to run everywhere.” Pope laughed and you grinned back at him, heart breaking at the fact that in only a few seconds, you’d ruin the few days of peace that he’d had. But I have to rip the bandaid off. “See you made it back in one piece, too. Rain bad down there?”

“Not really, no.” You reached for the drink in front of you, lifting it and taking a small sip. “But I still spent a lot of time inside, thinking.” His expression fell slightly, but Frankie didn’t say anything. “There’s something I need to talk to you about, Frankie. You’re not going to like it, but -”

“That doesn’t sound good.” He frowned, leaning in, and you watched his eyes flick over to Pope and then back to you, his jaw twitching before he spoke. “Did you change your mind? Are you leaving? Are we -”

“No, Francisco.” You moved before he’d even finished, scooting to the edge of your seat and reaching over to cover his hand with yours. “Of course I’m not leaving you. That’s the last thing I want.” It hurt that his first thought was that you were going to abandon him, and you wondered if that was a constant fear of his - specifically when it came to you. I hope not. “I love you. I told you I was staying here and I meant it.” He put his other hand atop yours and curled his fingers against it. 

“Then what do you need to talk to me about? And why here? In front of them?” 

“I needed backup, Frankie.” Wetting your lips, you reached over with your other hand and actually took his, linking your fingers together. “Because you’re not going to like this at all.” 

Time was against you, and even though it wasn’t the way you would have liked to explain your plan to him, you had no other option. 

“I’m going to remind you, ‘Fish, that this is my parents’ place. So you have got to keep it together, alright?” Pope cut in, warning - and a little amusement - in his tone. “Let her talk.” You felt his fingers flex, but Frankie only nodded at his friend, never taking his eyes off of you. 

“The moon is less than two weeks away, and all we’ve gotten so far is that we think Tom will come back to the RV and try to finish me off.” It was a crude way to describe your situation, but it was the truth. “But we can’t know for sure, especially since he’s supposed to be in Orlando that night.” 

He nodded slowly, but stayed quiet. You could almost feel the tension in the air, and when you risked a glance over at Pope and Yova, you saw her give you a slight nod, though there was apprehension in her eyes. Here we go. 

“I think he’s doing this because he misses the way he felt when you were enlisted and he was the go-to guy. I think he sought the Chaos wolves out because he wanted to feel important again, even if none of you knew it. And I think, Frankie, that he wanted to attack me to prove to you that he’s always one step ahead of you, and that even though you’re … different now, you still couldn’t keep me safe from something like him.” 

It didn’t entirely explain why Tom had attacked the others throughout the summer months, but it was a start, and despite his uncertainty, you could tell that Frankie agreed with you. That’s good. 

“You need answers, and to get those answers, we need confirmation that Tom’s a wolf. He’s not going to admit it if any one of you confronts him. He’s too stubborn, so you … we have to catch him during a full moon, and to do that, we need to know exactly where he’ll be.” Frankie was frowning, the lines between his brows deepening by the second. But I’m right. Pope and Yova agreed with me and I think Will would too. “Frankie, I need to make him want to come back to the RV on the full moon.” You took a deep breath, closing your eyes. “I need to piss him off so he’ll come after me again.” 

“No.” He pulled his hands free and stood up, holding one out toward you, pointing with a single finger. “No, that’s not going to happen. You’re not using yourself as fucking bait for a werewolf that we can’t -”

“It’s the only thing that’s going to make sure he comes back to the RV.” Pope sighed, leaning forward and rubbing his eyes. “If he thinks she’s a danger to you - or to himself - he’ll act. We saw how he fucking reacted when we questioned him with Lorea and the money. This will be the same.” 

“I can’t believe you’re just going to agree to her doing this. She could get hurt, Pope. I can’t be there, because Tom won’t show up if he can smell me. And if one of you fucking shoots him before I get back, we won’t get answers. This isn’t going to work.” He looked back at you, head whipping back and forth. “You’re not doing this.” 

“I am, Frankie.” Even though your heart was racing and you hated going against what you knew was only him trying to make sure you were safe, you didn’t budge. “I’ll meet with him under the guise of talking about another apartment, and I’ll just … casually mention something that’s intended to rile him up.”

“What would you even say?” He scoffed. “And that means you’d be alone with him. He doesn’t deserve to be in the same room as you, and you want to meet him somewhere and -” 

“Tom won’t hurt me while he’s human.” You were sure of it. “He -”

“‘Fish, she’s right.” Pope leaned forward in his seat, hands hanging between his knees. “He’s hiding behind the wolf the same fucking way he hid behind the uniform and behind the secrecy of the shit we did after.” He cleared his throat. “Pissing him off gets results. How many times have we seen it before?” 

Frankie didn’t reply right away, instead looking between the three of you with a pained expression on his face. You wondered what he wanted to say. You wondered what was running through his mind and how he was going to try to convince you not to do what you’d suggested. 

“He needs to feel like he is smarter than you. Than all of you.” Yovanna spoke up, standing and stepping in front of Frankie. “He wanted to kill me and my brother instead of leaving us in Peru. He would have done it and he would not have been sorry.” You looked over at Pope, watching as his lips parted and he stared at the woman, eyes wide in surprise. “She has obviously done something to make him mad already, Francisco. He would not feel threatened by her otherwise.” 

“Threatened by what?” Frankie threw his hands up, shaking his head. “She’s done nothing but come here and -”

“He is threatened because he feels like she is taking you away from him.” Yovanna reached out, putting her hands on Frankie’s arms, just above his elbows. “You have told no one for years, not even me. But her? Yovanna leaned in, looking up at Frankie. “You told her after only weeks. You told her and you spend all of your time with her and she accepts you. And that means you do not need him as much. Whatever he thought would happen by becoming a wolf doesn’t matter anymore, and that scares him.” 

It made perfect sense. It was about more than Tom needing or wanting to be in charge and the one they all looked to in a pinch. It was about more than protecting Frankie’s secret or keeping their secret about Lorea. It was all about Tom’s ego, and it seemed that Yovanna had figured things out long before anyone else had. I understand why Pope loves her so much.

“Maybe he wants you to figure it out.” You spoke as soon as the thought entered your mind. “Maybe he thinks that if you figure out that he’s the other wolf, the two of you can … bond or something? He probably figures that you’d understand wh-”

“I haven’t killed a single goddamn thing that isn’t furry or feathered since South America.” Frankie reached up and gently removed Yovanna’s hands before he sat back down, dragging his fingers through his hair. “Why the fuck would he think I’d be alright with him going out of his way to kill people? How could he think I’d forgive him for hurting … fuck. Is he really that stupid?”

You had an opinion about that, and if her expression was any indication, so did Yovanna - but neither of you spoke. 

The yard was silent for almost a minute, even as Yovanna retreated back to the couch and sat down, Pope pulling her onto his lap. It was you that finally broke the silence, scooting all the way to the edge of your seat and reaching for Frankie’s hands. 

“I’m going to do it with or without your agreement, Francisco.” Linking your fingers together, you squeezed. “But it would mean a hell of a lot to know that you’re on board with it.” 

“What if you’re wrong?” He looked up at you, and you gasped at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes. He’s crying over this? “What if all of you are wrong and this backfires? What if he hurts you and then runs, and then we have to worry about him coming back and hurting someone else that we care about?” He gestured to Yovanna. “You? Or Will’s wife? Fucking Carmen?” 

Frankie pulled his hands free from yours, the loss of contact hurting more than you thought it would. “We won’t let that happen.” You whispered the words, lowering your head. “He wouldn’t run. He wouldn’t do anything that makes him look weak.”

“And if he even went near Carmen, it wouldn’t just be you that was fucking angry.” Pope cleared his throat, saying Frankie’s name. “We can figure out the details in the next couple days, but as much as I don’t want to admit it, I think … I think this is the best option. Put Tom on edge. Make it so he has to act.” He sighed. “It fucking sucks, but … it’s the best shot we’ve got.” 

“Wait.” Frankie cleared his throat. “If he’s going to Orlando for the conference, how can he come to the RV? They track attendance at that shit.” 

“The registration fee was only a couple hundred bucks, Frankie. Even with a hotel I don’t think he’s going to be too concerned about that.” You took a breath. “The only issue will be whether or not he reaches out to the woman that turned him, because -”

“You know who it was?” Pope cut in, eyes narrowed. “How?” 

It only took a few minutes for you to explain what you’d found, and bring up the Facebook profiles. They looked through them wordlessly while you watched, chewing on your lower lip. “And if he tells her? Or this other guy? Or someone else that he reports to?” Frankie handed you your phone back, his face set in a scowl. “What happens when a whole pack of wolves comes here looking for him or looking for me because of what I fucking do to him?” 

“They don’t …” You sighed, rubbing your temples. “As far as we know, the Chaos wolves don’t stay in packs. It’s not like Ashley’s group, or other smaller family units.” You paused, looking between the three of them. “That’s one of the reasons it’s so hard to find them. They’re usually alone, and from what we’ve gathered throughout the years, it’s … why there’s so much turnover.” You sighed. “To them, Tom’s just one of many. He hasn’t interacted publicly with either of the two in just about a year, so to be honest, she probably just recruited him and then he went somewhere else to learn from -”

“He was gone for three weeks last year.” Pope snapped his fingers and then pointed at Frankie. “Remember? Molly took Tessa somewhere on vacation, and then he said he was going to make the most of the time they were gone?” He laughed, swearing under his breath. “We thought that asshole went to a fucking cabin somewhere up north, but instead he went to werewolf bootcamp?” 

It shouldn’t have made you laugh but it did - and the sound seemed to ease the tension between all of you. Thank God. “It makes sense.” You swallowed hard and then took a deep breath. “And so does no one coming to his rescue if he’s in trouble. They’re known for drawing focus to themselves, but what Tom’s doing is … too much. They won’t want the attention and sending multiple wolves to -”

“He would not call anyone.” Yovanna laughed, the sound bitter. “He would never tell them he needs help or can’t handle a human woman.” She curled her lip and looked directly at you. “He has too much pride.” She nodded slowly. “This is a good plan.” 

There wasn’t much more to say, and so a few minutes later, you stood, taking a slow breath. “I’m going to go. I know it’s early, and we were supposed to get dinner but today’s been a lot.” You got a sympathetic smile from Yovanna, but it was Frankie that spoke up. 

“Which house you going to? Because if it’s the one you’re renting, I’m going with you.” You hated to admit how much you liked it when he got protective, but the look in Frankie’s eyes as he said his piece made your chest burn. 

“I…” Shaking your head to clear it, you sighed. “I need to get clothes, so mine.” You’d moved a few things into Frankie’s place, but the majority of your small amount of possessions were still in the rented apartment. “But I don’t need to stay there tonight.” 

“Well, then.” Pope stood, crossing his arms. “The four of us can get dinner later this week. Yova and I are hungry now, though. So… get the fuck out of here.” He was joking, and with some good-natured grumbling on Frankie’s part, the four of you began saying your goodbyes. 

He paused next to his truck when you got to your car, but after a few seconds, he closed his eyes. “I’ll follow you, alright?” You wanted to question his hesitation but chose not to, agreeing before you climbed in and started the ignition. 

The drive over wasn’t long enough to get lost in thought, but by the time you parked, you knew that you needed to say something. And when he parked behind you, the door of his truck slamming as you got out of your own car, you started. “Frankie, we need to -” 

“Not now.” He was on alert, his eyes bright and his fingers curled into loose fists by his size. “I need to focus.” It was the closest he’d ever been to actually being rude to you, but you let it slide when he beelined it for the front door, positioning himself between it and you. “Key?” You handed it to him, and when he used it to open the lock, Frankie stepped inside without turning back to look at you. 

You followed closely, eyeing the interior of the space, and trying to figure out if anything was amiss. The living room looked fine, but when your eyes made it to the kitchen, and then to the bedroom, you froze. “The door is open.” He was here. “Frankie, I closed the bedroom door before I left. I’m sure of it.” 

He moved in that direction without speaking, and when he pushed the door all the way open and disappeared into the bedroom, you stayed put, waiting. Did he think I was lying about going out of town? “If he was in here, he didn’t fuck with anything.” At the sound of Frankie’s voice, you moved again, taking the few steps necessary to reach the bedroom. “I don’t smell anything, nothing’s torn up. Your suitcase is still closed and -”

“He moved it.” You entered, walking over to where the luggage was and pointing. “The zipper pocket was facing out. I always leave it like that when I leave my stuff in hotels or rentals. It’s just me being paranoid usually, but … not this time.” 

“What the fuck was he looking for?” He took his hat off, scratching at the side of his head. “There’s no way he knows what you’re really doing in Florida, so what the fuck would he have found?”

“Maybe…” You sat on the edge of the bed, shivering at the thought that he’d done the same. “Maybe he was seeing if I’d written anything about you down? I don’t know what he thinks I would have found, but… I don’t know.” 

Frankie sat beside you, waiting a few seconds before reaching over to settle his hand on your knee. “I really don’t like the idea of you meeting him alone.” 

You’d wondered how long it would take for him to bring it up, but the fact that he’d pivoted from finding out that Tom had actually been in your apartment while you were gone back to your potential meeting with him spoke volumes about just how worried he was. I get it but it has to happen. 

“I don’t like it either. But we need to get him to that RV, and he’s already attacked me once, Frankie. If I give him a reason to come out and finish the -”

“Don’t even think that.” His fingers curled, Frankie hissing out the words. “I get it, but I can’t… I don’t want to hear it. The fucking thought of him…” He trailed off, and when you looked over, you saw that his head was lowered, his eyes on the floor. “I don’t think he’ll attack you when he’s human, either. I think he’s got too much to lose if he did it as Tom. But he’s so fucking unpredictable, I can’t know for sure.” He sighed, the sound heavy. “I wish I could go with you.” 

“I know you do.” You put your hand atop his, keeping your voice soft. “And there’s no way to know for sure. But it’s a risk we need to take, Frankie. Because even if you never know why he’s doing this, you still need to … stop it.” 

“What are you going to say to him?” He looked over at you then, meeting your eyes. The look in his almost broke your heart; he didn’t just look sad, he looked scared, the fear making them glisten. “And when are you going to ask to meet?”

“As close to the full moon as possible.” He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. I know. “And before you tell me just how dangerous that is, I get it. But the less time I give him to figure out how to react, the better. He seems like he responds emotionally, and that’s what I’m counting on.” 

“You fit right in.” He smiled, though it was brief. “With us, I mean. You might only have half a plan, but you’re focusing on the important shit.” That made you laugh, and as you did, you leaned over and rested your head against his shoulder. “Get your clothes and let’s go back to my place.” He kissed the top of your head, sighing again. “And I don’t know why you pulled that bullshit at Pope’s - I know you’ve gotta be hungry, so we’re gonna drop your car off at home and then go get something. How’s that sound?”

You didn’t miss the way he’d casually called his house home after inviting you there. Oh, Frankie. It was deflecting from the seriousness of the situation you were in, and both of you knew it. But we’ve still got more than a week until the full moon … so for tonight, it’s fine. 

—  

The morning you were supposed to meet Tom, you woke up with a ball of apprehension in your chest. 

It persisted even as Frankie pulled you tighter against his body, arms wrapped around you and urging you to tuck your face against the side of his neck. “Cancel.” He whispered the word, mouth hovering just above your ear. “Don’t meet him today.” His hold on you tightened and you exhaled, concentrating on the steady beat of his heart. 

“I have to.” You pressed your lips against his bare skin, keeping your eyes closed. “This is our best shot at ending this.”

“I’d rather never end this than risk losing you.” He backed away, saying your name, and when you’d locked eyes with him in the early morning light, he spoke again. “I fucking mean it. Your life is worth more than -” Oh, Frankie. 

“To you it is.” What he was saying loosened the tightness in your chest, but it didn’t change the truth. “Frankie, the people that he’s killed in the last couple months also had people in their lives that felt the same.” You repositioned yourself so that you were comfortable on the pillows and could look over at him without lifting your head. “If … when this is over, you’re stopping him from hurting anyone else, not just me.” 

“I don’t care about anyone else. I care about you.” 

“That’s not true. You care about Carmen. You care about Becca. You care about Pope and Yova and Benny and W-”

“What are you going to tell him?” He sighed, running his hand slowly up and down your bare arm. “Have you figured it out yet?” 

“That I’m going to start looking into wolves. That I’m going to see if I can use my contacts from past projects to look into the paranormal and figure out if there’s anyone I can put you into contact with or anyone we can maybe get more information from.”

“But we’ve all been looking for years, and found nothing. Why would that scare him into stopping you?” He frowned. “It’s a start, but it’s not enough, and -”

“I’m going to tell him I found someone out west, maybe somewhere in Oregon or some shit, to talk to. That they seemed to know something, and that after this next moon, I’m going out there to investigate.” 

“Why Oregon?” 

“Because between me and Alec, we’ve got information about wolves out there, and if we were able to find it, then Tom and his connections probably know about them, too.” You paused, thinking. “I’m not sure they’re still there, but it wouldn’t surprise me, and I think, Frankie, that Tom will want to keep me from finding anything out. I think he’s been purposely misleading you this whole time to keep you in the dark, because how else would he have found something and no one else did? And if I tell him that I know something, even if it’s an unverified lead, I think it’ll scare him.” 

“Do you know how much I hate to admit that this is a decent plan?” He reached up, following the line of your brow with his fingertips. “You’re playing at his ego. You’re giving him a lead to chase that won’t go anywhere, but it’ll still make him want to stop you from finding that out. Why the fuck are you so willing to do this? You’re putting yourself in danger, and -”

“Because I love you. Because I understand how dangerous he and other wolves like him are. The Chaos line isn’t usually this ruthless, Frankie. They start shit and they hurt people but they’re not usually serial killers.” Saying it out loud made it real for you, and if the look in Frankie’s eyes was anything to go by, it made it real for him, too. “We have to stop him, and if that means doing something unpleasant to give you the chance, I… I’ll do it.” 

“You’re brave as shit, d’you know that?” He was still scared for you, you could tell by the way he held you, but he spoke like he’d resigned himself to your decision. It won’t always be like this. “What time are you meeting?” 

“Two.” You twisted one of his curls around your finger, biting your lip. “And we’re meeting close to Ironhead’s so if I need to make an escape… Will’s working today.” He nodded. “I’m going to be alright, Frankie. I’ll update you as soon as I’m done.” 

“He’s going to be a little unpredictable since the moon’s the day after tomorrow.” Frankie swallowed and then curled his lip. “I’m fuckin’ wound up, so I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.” You’d counted on that - Tom’s emotions getting the better of him and causing him to think and act irrationally. “And if you can, pay attention to your heartbeat. He’ll sense anxiety. He’ll … fuck. If he thinks -”

“Frankie.” You inched closer, hooking one leg over both of his. “Of course I’d be anxious. I’m about to go back into the woods with you after being attacked. And I’m also contemplating going alone to a different state to seek out other wolves. This is all supposed to be new to me, so if I wasn’t nervous?” You laughed, head moving across the pillow toward him.  “There would be a problem.” 

“Good point.” He mumbled the words before kissing you briefly. “I know that we’ve been talking about some pretty serious shit, but…” He rocked his hips forward, grunting. “You’re naked in my bed, and -”

“I could use the distraction.” And I know you can, too. You kissed him again, nodding. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” 

— 

You were early to your meeting with Tom, and you used the time to try and calm your breathing, like Frankie had suggested. It was easier said than done, but when you reminded yourself that it was literal lives on the line - including yours and Frankie’s - you were able to focus. 

When Tom’s truck pulled into the parking lot and drove by your car, you took a final deep breath, put your phone into your bag and reached for the handle. Here we fucking go. 

He was dressed casually, wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt, and you wondered if, like Frankie, the closer he got to a full moon, the warmer he ran. Probably. It’s gotta be a wolf thing. “Hey.” He jerked his chin at you, the lopsided smile on his face making you want to throw up. “Isn’t this the same Dunkin’ we met at the first time?”

“It is.” You got closer, walking with him to the door. “I thought since it was close to your office, it would be easy for you to meet here before you go back to work.” 

“I’m not working today, actually.” He opened the door and waited for you to step inside before he followed. “I’m meeting you and then going back home to pack. I’m driving to Orlando tonight.” 

You joined the short line and stood in silence as you ordered your coffees, making sure to pay for Tom’s as well as yours. He didn’t even offer. “Checking in early for your conference?” He nodded while you waited, his eyes moving over the few people seated around the restaurant. “Well I won’t keep you long.” I can’t. I can’t physically… 

“We should go sit outside.” He pointed using the hand holding his coffee. “Couple tables out there.” That suited you just fine, and when you were both sitting on opposite sides of the table, he spoke again. “You could have just emailed me.” He sipped his drink, watching you over the lid. “We could have set something up for when I get back.” 

“We could have.” You lifted your cup, agreeing. “But I wanted to do it now, just in case any leads come up over the weekend while you’re in Orlando.” Just fucking get to it. The sooner you do this the sooner you can leave. “I’m staying in Tampa, Tom. Frankie and I are …” You didn’t want to elaborate on your relationship, but you knew you had to. “Neither of us planned on it turning out this way, but I’m going to need a more long-term place to stay.” 

“No shit. You’re staying?” He laughed, his smile wide. It’s so goddamn fake. “Just like that? What will your family think?” 

“It’s pretty much just me. I’ve got some cousins, but I don’t see them much. None of them are going to care what I do.” Alec cares, but it’ll make him happy to know I’m finally doing something for myself. “And after … everything, I think me staying is best, don’t you?” You swiped your thumb over the plastic of your cup, wiping off a bed of water. “That’s a pretty big thing to walk away from.” 

“It is.” He drank again. “I’d be pretty upset if I was him and I’d told you everything and you just … left.” He tipped his head to the side, eyes narrow. “Be pretty shitty of you to abandon him after he trusted you with a secret like that.” Fuck you. “So you want me to look for an apartment for you? Where? What’s the budget?” 

You gave him some bullshit numbers, telling him you wanted to stay within fifteen or twenty minutes of Frankie’s place and to his credit, Tom actually took notes on his phone, nodding along as he typed. He repeated the information before he set his phone down on the tabletop, reaching for his cup. Time to change the subject. “Benny’s going with us to the RV.”   

“Yeah?” You nodded as he shrugged. “I’m surprised Pope doesn’t want to go.” 

“He did. But Yovanna’s got plans out of town or something.” You waved a hand in the air, sighing. “And since Will went last time and you’ll be in Orlando…” 

“I’m kinda shocked you’re going.” He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. “After last time. You’re not afraid it’ll come back?” He’s fishing. He’s too fucking cocky. Unbelievable. 

“I’m going because I want to be there for Frankie, Tom.” You spun your straw around, the frown on your face deepening. “I need him to know I accept what he is. And no, I’m not afraid it’ll come back, because that hasn’t been the pattern. All of the other attacks that have been in the news have been at different locations, never the same one twice.”

“You really looked into this shit.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, still eyeing you. “Talking about patterns and attacks and -”

“I did. That’s what I do. And …” Ok, here goes nothing. “And I think I found something else, too.” His eyes flashed in the sunlight, but Tom stayed quiet, waiting. “I think I found more wolves.” 

“What?” He stiffened, narrowing his eyes, and you could almost feel the change in the air. “More wolves?”

“I didn’t want to tell Frankie until I was sure, because I didn’t want to get his hopes up, but yeah. I think… I’ve been emailing with someone for a little while, and I’m almost positive that they’ll be able to tell me more about wolves in general and about why one of them would be doing what the other wolf in Florida is doing.” 

“Did you tell them? About ‘Fish I mean?” He leaned in, nostrils flaring. “Because you said you wouldn’t.” 

“Not about Frankie specifically, no.” You leaned back to put distance between you - the motion reactionary, and not one you could stop. “I just strongly hinted that I’ve been in contact with a wolf, and that there’s a second one that’s causing chaos and bringing a lot of unnecessary attention, and the two -”

“You fucking idiot.” He hissed the words out, lip curled into a snarl. “All they’ll have to do is look up an increase in animal attacks and they’ll know where we are. You just put a target on his -”

“I did not.” You stood, pointing a finger at him. “I haven’t once mentioned him by name. I haven’t used my real name. And when I meet them in person, I’m still going to be careful, because I’m not stupid, Tom. But he deserves to know more about being a wolf. He deserves to have some help, and if it can give him an advantage when it comes to getting rid of the other piece of shit wolf that tried to kill me last month, I’ll do whatever it takes.” He scoffed, leaning all the way back and crossing  his arms, head moving back and forth slowly. “What? What’s that look for?” 

“You really think you can just come here and be his fucking savior?” Tom rolled his eyes. “Do you know how many women have tried that? How many times we’ve tried that? He probably wouldn’t even still be clean if he hadn’t gotten bitten, and -” How dare you. 

“You’re a shitty fucking friend to him.” You grabbed your cup, fingers tightening around the plastic. “In a lot of ways. But this is…” You leaned in, the anger blooming in your chest, and stared straight into his eyes. “This is something else.” Tom laughed again, tilting his head back briefly. But when he met your gaze, there was no mistaking the reddish tint to them, and it froze you in place. Get out of here. Get out of here now. “I thought you’d understand, because you’ve been trying to help him since South America. I thought you’d be happy that I might have found answers for him.” But first … “Unless you don’t want him to learn more about wolves, Tom. Is that it? Are you so fucking desperate to keep him in the dark about it and relying on your protection that you purposely keep information from him?” 

“Don’t say another goddamn word.” His eyes narrowed. “You need to stop right fucking now.” 

“Or what?” You set the cup down, the anger flowing through your body and making your heart pound. “Are you going to attack me again, Tom? I bet not, since it’s broad fucking daylight and you can’t hide behind the wolf this time.” 

You realized what you said as the words were coming out of your mouth. Shit. Shit shit shit. Straightening up, you took a step backward and toward the parking lot, never breaking eye contact. Oh, fuck. “Well that’s a surprise.” He smiled, but there was no warmth to it. “And you still came here today?” He leaned over the table, the smile widening. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or think you’re really fucking stupid.” 

“I’m not afraid of you.” You inched forward again, even though every muscle in your body was screaming at you to turn and run the other way. “I think you’re a coward.” Tom was silent for a few seconds and then he cleared his throat, his shoulders relaxing. 

“You should be. And so should he.” He gestured to the parking lot. “Go. I’m not going to stop you.” He rubbed his jaw with one hand, nodding. “Not today, at least.” You glared at him for a few more seconds before turning and walking back toward your car, fighting the urge to sprint. He said your name after you’d taken a couple steps, and you paused long enough to look back over your shoulder at him. “Tell ‘Fish I’ll see you both in a couple days, alright?” 

He laughed then, covering his face with both hands, and you took the opportunity to get back to your car, sitting down and locking the door before you put your seatbelt on. “Fuck!” You yelped the word out as you started the ignition, pulling out of the space and going back toward the road without giving Tom another look. “Fucking idiot. How could I be so stupid?” 

You held it together the entire length of the drive to Ironhead’s, parking and then walking across the lot on shaking legs. Will was behind the bar when you entered, the blonde talking to a brunette sitting on one of the stools - but when he saw you he immediately excused himself and headed in your direction. 

“Are you alright?” He put both hands on your shoulders, concern evident on his face. “You look -”

“I fucked up. Will, I really fucked up. I just met with Tom, and …” He swore quietly before putting an arm around you and guiding you down the hallway and toward the office. Once you were inside, he locked the door behind you before turning to face you again. There was no kindness in his eyes then, just cold, steely resolve. 

“What happened?” 

“Will, it slipped. He knows that I know. He -”

“I guess that means we won’t have a problem getting him out to the RV this week, hmm?” Benny appeared from the smaller room, leaning against the doorframe as he spoke. “Shit’s about to get real, isn’t it.” 

—

[chaoticgeminate]

HI YES HELLO I AM LOSING MY MIND OVER THESE TAGS

AAAAAAAAAA

"Come here, Nerys."

In response to the command a bark of defiance sounded from the pool, making you giggle behind your hand as Adelia sat beside you in the lounger with Oscar in her arms. The pair of werewolves had put you on bed rest following the birth of the twins, your mate and his daughter -and his pack- tending to nearly everything so you could recover.

It had been pretty damn traumatic, and you were still going through therapy because post partum depression was an ugly reality, but you had the support you needed to keep going and that was what mattered.

"Just pick her up, it's a kiddie pool."

"That's her territory, amor, I won't enter it without her express permission. Just like the big pool is yours. Werewolf thing."

"I'll get her then."

"You will not, I can do this, she needs to learn pack hierarchy."

"I don't take my seal skin off for three weeks, Frankie, my mother had to Change to feed me."

His brows shot up at the mention, it wasn't often you discussed your parents and even less after everything that happened once you'd learned your own history. But you knew it was important since this was your daughter, and he had no idea how to raise a selkie.

"Nerys, mija, come here please."

Another bark and the sound of claws scraping at plastic made you roll your eyes skyward, it was honestly just too cute. But you got up anyway, walking over to the pool, and crouched down beside your mate.

Your little one was rolling around the dry portion of the pool, trying to get to one of her toys, and her big eyes honed in on you the moment you waved.

"Nerys, do you want to swim with Mama?"

You extended your hands and smiled as she scrambled to come closer, the kiddie pool was shallow and barely let her swim properly per Frankie's paranoia. But she was a selkie, your little one, and you knew she could handle the pool.

Frankie shot you a jealous look but you knew that Nerys would bond with you more, just like Oscar would bond with his papa and half sister more since he was a werewolf. Frankie kissed your cheek and took your place on the lounger but his eyes were alert, trained on you and Nerys.

Your little pack was going to be fine.

[seealandraw]

your favorite ghouls!

[yandere-wishes]

𝕐𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℍ𝕚𝕘𝕙

❤️‍🩹Characters: Yandere! MH Ghouls x GN! Reader

❤️‍🩹Summary: There's something ancient within you. Lost and forgotten. You're an eldritch creature living amongst monsters. A piece of you lives within each of them. And a piece of each of them lives inside you...

❤️‍🩹Warnings: Yandere behavior, obsessive tendencies, Body horror in Frankie's part, slight gore and blood in the rest, angst, super cryptic.

❤️‍🩹Could be read as romantic or platonic.

I am a monster, for now and forever. I am a monster, what a terrible being.〜♡॰ॱ

There's something ancient within you. Lost and forgotten. ~❣✧❣

⚡︎Frankie Stein ⚡︎

There's something ancient within you. Lost and forgotten. Frankie is desperate to unravel it. To crack it open. She feels you in every one of her limbs. Feels you in the stems of her patchwork heart. That has to account for something right? 

Your melancholy seeps through you, tainting the tiles in shades of gold. 

Frankie blames the binding of your skin, she's always found it too loose. 

Nothing extramundane, to tether your essence within yourself. She wouldn't mind taking you apart and stitching you back together. Recreating you into something perfect. She's grown wry of watching you crack your ribcage open, shoving astral celestials where your heart should be. You mutter things, things she doesn't understand, things she's scared she'll never understand. Her bones rattle, a rouge spark runs down her spine. Every piece of you haunts her...

Frankie use to believe, verily childishly, that parts of her were salvaged from you. She knows now that that's impossible, yet she still wishes every night for the childish dream to come true.

In many ways, Frankie has always been bound to you. Your first friend, your first confidant, your first punishment, your first comprehension. Even when you'd been too young to understand the cacophony of the world, you'd still know the two of you were connected. 

It had only taken a lifetime to understand why. 

Bones collapse into constellations. Somehow she feels you slipping away. Her slender fingers trace the stitches across the hollow of your chest. A meteoric reminder of her work. "It's okay I'll have you fixed in no time." Frankie doubts you find any truth in her incentive. You've always been drawn to pessimism. Still, she feeds the needle through skin and muscle. Praying she remembers the stronghold pattern her mother taught her. 

The shade they used for your blood is too bright. You bleed in rivers, 

flowing with no end insight. You wash away her sorrows with farfetched promises. Awakening a longing, she never knew she had. 

Frankie wishes she could pluck out your spine. Kiss each vertebra like an iridescent pear. Maybe then your souls would tether, maybe then everything will go back to the way it once was. The needle snags across bones, marring your skin in star-kissed bruises. She pecks each one, muttering a sorry across cold flesh. You feel like home under her lips. A home she never got to know. 

Yet the echoes of its brilliance linger faintly in the hearts of those who once knew its warmth.

Frankie smiles as your eyes crack open. Dizzy and distant, you've yet to notice your enhancements. The pieces of herself she tethered onto you. She wonders when you'll notice the new eye, the new leg, the mismatched fingers. Her heart sparks thumbing loudly in her ribcage. 

She sinks down, by the operation table,skinning her knees. You feel like home, now more than ever. 

Your fingers find her head, patting the matted hair, she smiles something solemn and forlorn. She trails her fingers over one of the stitches on your arm, prying her slender digits between the threads and into the gaping tissue. Her fingers release a spark, your body arches off the table. After all, blood has always been a good conductor for electricity. "It's just a power boost. You'll be right up in a few minutes." a giggle rips from her throat, as you mummble an acknowledgment. Eyes overcast with equal parts grief and glee. 

She always knew she loved you how could she not? You'd been linked to her for as long as she had a conscience. You had always been her everything. Sometimes she wonders how you both ended up like this. Stitching pieces of yourselves into each other. 

Frankie closes her eyes. Her mind struggling to regain control. Her deep breaths waver as she hears shifting from the table. 

"It's alive..."

𓆩❤︎𓆪Draculaura𓆩❤︎𓆪

Draculaura can smell the ethereal ichor now. Maybe it's always been there. Hidden under bygone layers and golden sand. She wonders if now, knowing what you know, makes you see her as anything less. You're older now, smarter. Maybe you understand the world just a little bit better than she ever could. 

Despite her gifted immortality, Draculaura likes to think that she's grown, too. No longer the little batling who faints at the mere scent of blood. Yet the urge to vomit is still there, an acidic reflex in the back of her throat. She's been avoiding you lately, simply because you make the urges go away. 

She can't live with that.

Can't live with what you make her. 

You trace the heart on her cheek. Your fingers feel like divinity sinking into her skin. You try to reason with her, tell her the truths of the crypt. "Surly Draculaura, you must know who you really are. Isn't it silly that you persist in this nativity?" Your words are harsh. Good intentions wrapped in silver blades. She bites her tongue, killing the queries before they dare spill. 

You make her crave things. 

Things she's avoided her whole life.

There's blood on your lips, dripping onto the ground. She fights the urge to kiss you. The heat of the sun amplifies the scent of the decaying flesh. Her stomach growls, this isn't right. The grip on her parasol tigtens. There is justice behind your actions, not one she can make herself understand. She watches as you tear into the decomposing body. "Don't", it's nothing less of a prayer. She feels her fangs elongate. How she wishes the world would turn to black.

Can a vampire be haunted? 

Surly they can, it's the only answer to your staunch lingering. 

Draculaura's coffin feels too snug, like a home and a prison encapsulated in one. She wishes she could feel cold dirt under her nails, feel the thrill of digging her way out of a grave. It's your fault, it has to be. Why must you awaken such ancient sensations? Such horrid cravings, such primal needs. 

Why must she see divinity in your face, liquid darkness shimmering behind enigmatic eyes? You are something terrifying, something painful. You are what she was supposed to be, what she's fled from her whole life.  

Your silhouette is a curse and a blessing. A reminder of a lineage she was thrusted into. A legacy she never wanted. Everything about you is a hunting familiarity for a family she never knew. She wonders if she would have been the prettiest girl in the morgue. She wonders if her father should have let her die all those eons ago.

 "I used to be human" She confesses one night. She doesn't know why you agreed to come over. Why seeing you in your pajamas sparks one too many fond memories.

"So?" your tone is one of perplexity. She feels foolish under your gaze. You glide the makeup brush across her cheeks. dusting them with faded nostalgia. "I can't eat them. It'll feel like I'm eating myself" How long has it been since the transformation occurred? how long has it been since she shedded the body of that sickly fragile girl? She's been a vampire for centuries yet still can't get used to the title. 

"You can eat these ones..." Something ancient within her stirs, her bones rattle with comprehension. She knows what you mean and it fills her with a need to scream. 

Draculaura can't see her reflection, can't gauge how different she is now. You used to help her with her makeup back in high school. Back when the shade of your lipstick determined your personality for the day. She's never seen her face. She prays it's identical to yours. She prays that someday she can embody you...

There's a deathly hunger within her. Bubbling in her stomach. She needs to let it out before it kills her. Can she even die? She's almost sure she wants to. You almost make her want to succumb to the impulse of quitting her humanity all toghter. Your presence makes her all so hungry. She's gotten better at hiding it under school-ghoul gossip and trend talk. 

She settles for a kiss tonight, a rushed peck on the cheek. Some vampire she is, instead of bleeding you dry she's pouring her sorrows into you. She wonders if you take note. See the ghosts jouncing within her soul. 

Draculaura's nails pick at the skin of her birthmark.

The skin cracks.

blood trickles. 

Can a vampire even be haunted?

Yes. 

She knew the charade wouldn't last forever. 

Knew that one day the lights would dim and the stage would fade to black

A final curtain call. An impending doom.

The final nail in her glass coffin. Rendering it to shards.

And she'll be left plucking fragments from her eternal flesh.

There's a small joy in knowing you'll be her effacer. 

The one to put an end to 2,000 years of pretend. 

"And then he was all like "You know?" and I was like "Whatever" and he was-" 

"Draculaura, I have no idea what you are talking about." She turns to face you, your smile is a crushing weight. On her shoulders crave. You throw your head back and laugh. Laughing at how little she's changed since you shared a desk in class. Since your most eminent concern was fearleading practice and algebra tests. Draculaura should laugh too, this she knows. Yet she remains distracted by your neck and all the glory it holds. 

Just a small bite won't hurt...

☾🐾☽Clawdeen Wolf☾🐾☽

Clawdeen is protective to a fault. A trait she could never identify as innate or habit. Still, the urge to stalk you persists. Pricking away at her fur like wolfsbane. 

Clawdeen's been brought up to believe in legacy, to worship the moon and the stars and their maker. Ancient things have a way of lasting lifetimes. She knows this now, finds its evidence when she unravels her family, her pack, herself...you. Her kind has been known to nurture those they love, to birth and raise every great warrior. She ponders again if this was originally encrypted in their blood or if her species picked it up throughout the years. 

All she knows is that something inside her awakens when she sees you. A testament to an ancient love, long since stifled under sand and snow. 

She wonders if that's what she's done with you all these years. If, in her own way, she's raised you to become some sort of warrior, a great beast living amongst subsidiary. 

The two of you sit beside the bay window. Her newest sketchbook draped across her lap. You lean in resting your head on her shoulder, listening as she explains the inspiration behind each design. 

You feel like you've been mauled. A piece of you thrown in every direction. Only to morph into the creations of your hunter. "You remember your first design?" you ask, closing your eyes to still the world. "Wasn't that when we wrapped Howleen in a red blanket and my mom's scarf?" Her claws prick her upper lip as she stifles a giggle. "And made her walk around the house like it was a Scaris runway" You add, relishing in the bygone recollection. 

Your childhood memories together are coated in ichor. Jejune days 

when you'd watch her tumble over herself trying to be everything she could never be. Even back then, you'd known something was amiss with the world. Seen the ancient wolf that lay dormant within her. felt its bonds call out to you, pulling you in deeper. You'd cling to her like a frightened child to a teddy bear. 

But you're older now. Instead of the scared child, you've turned into the monster under the bed. Funny how everyone's heritage catches up with them at some point. Even when you grow unaware of its presence. Legacy still tends to echo in your bones. You're both the same in that regard.

"I can never tell if I'm alive or dead." You tell her one night. 

"Neither" Clawdeen's voice is rigid, stiff. She can feel your awakening and rebirth. It sings in her head, more vital than a howl. "creatures like us don't die so easily. We only transform." She remembers the legends, the wars, they rattle in her bones sending shivers up her spine. Neither of you have ever died. You've survived every tribulation. 

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" you reply, Clawdeen notes the embers that burn behind your eyes. How they spread across your body like a wildfire.

"What doesn't kill me, simply gives me a reason to kill it" She swears she sees the moon flicker in retort. 

Clawdeen slits her throat with her claws. 

Choking on moondust and half-fallen stars. 

Her father once told her heritage is everything before giving her a golden ring fashioned as a wolf's head. She still doesn't know what he means. 

She knows her kind was born from misplaced love. 

She's just glad your fates are entwined. 

"Someday you'll have red eyes." You trace your thumb over her lashes as you speak. Trailing down to play with her curls. She knows what you mean. Oh how, she wants to devour the hope you offer so freely. Rip it from your heart and feel it pulsing under her fangs. Maybe then her stars will align and she'll truly understand what she is. 

 Clawdeen's feelings grow teeth, gnawing at her carnivorously as she pulls you close. Muttering a 'thanks' as if it holds the weight of the world. There's comfort in the thought that she's molded you. Helped nourish your flames until they grew so potent. She's ever only been the middle child of the moon. But with you, she feels like so much more. Like something celestial, something ancient. An heirloom made of blood and moonrock. 

Above you the clouds part. Giving way to the full moon. 

₊˚.༄Lagoona Blue₊˚.༄

The air in her lungs feels synthetic, dry. She chokes off the sand and ozone, blinded by the unfiltered light, leaving burns on her frail, scaled, skin. She wonders if this is how a fish feels as it's being reeled on land. She wonders if she's any different now.

Her heart hammers when she sees you, cracking her ribs in hysteria.

Water lilies bloom from their marrow, she counts them just to distract from the stars burning in your eyes. Her teeth catch her bottom lip, gnawing the pink flesh like a shark does its prey.

Her eyes burn when she catches a glimpse of you by the pond. Gazing conflicted at three-eyed frogs. She can't help but see you as a cacophony of unmarked graves. Too many ghosts linger across your body, they're prints evident in the afternoon sun.

You leave a water lily behind her ear as you brush past her in the hallway. She thinks your perfection is exaggerated, artificial like the air. The kind daydreaming divers pray to find in rogue oysters. Lagoona is sure you're the last of your kind. An endangered creature too proud to ask for help. She clumsily fingers the flower's petals. The wave of nostalgia that invades, has her gasping for air.

The ocean she once called home is overrun by rot. She too is infected by the pollution that plugs her gills. In her dreams, she treads through clean oceans, webbed fingers entwined with yours. There is no corrosion here, no death. Just you and her and everything that entails the definition of good. When she wakes up she notices that her gills are falling one by one. Pastel blue glints scattered, floating across her bed like the empty husks of sea stars.

She too is the last of her kind.

She too is destined to perish in agony.

She wonders if you hear her tears. Hear them fall into the abyssal sea. Feel their reverberations as they create rings on the surface. She can't expect such a thing from you. You're in your own world struggling with your own scars. You left her another flower today, nymphoides indica, she doesn't understand what you're trying to tell her.

The pond has started to bleed too. Its decaying scent is pungent from miles away.

has it bled into her?

Is she infected too?

You're there again today, worlds apart yet close enough to touch. Her body stiffens as she kneels next to you. Desperate for your attention, desperate for you to tell her what she is. Maybe, just maybe she can confess her love in time to share a grave with you.

"I used to be so beautiful.." Your voice sounds evasive. A final cry for help before the ocean consumes you. Your reflection in the pond is muddled over. A glitch in reality, something Frankie would have more experience with. "you still are mate…you still are" Her words are earnest, yet she doubts they bring you solace. "If it's any consolation, I'm polluted too..". You laugh so condescending it makes her stomach churn. She rolls the words in her mouth again, tasting them for misunderstandings.

"We're all polluted Lagoona. We always have been."

You're made of one too many pieces, all doused in poison. You rearrange the water lilies on her head. Your fingers feel like home threading through her hair. "The last of our kind." Lagoona giggles, her body is growing dryer, desperate, the moisturizer and hydration station have long since stopped working. Now she awaits the poison to take over fully. You're her memento mori another helpless creature awaiting death.

And yet, to her, you're still as radiant as the first day she met you.

Lagoona's grave will be in the sea. It's a last wish one you decide to honor. You kiss her on the cheek as she turns to you. Body half submerged in her home. She hugs you, with all the longing her frail corpse can muster. It's only too late when you notice that you too are being submerged. Dragged into the eternal depths. Lagoona refuses to part with you. This is her final gift, the last present she will give you. A quick and painless death. One with a comforting presence.

Her father used to tell her strange tales of bizarre men who'd come to their ancestrial home, seeking answers far too advanced for them. She wonders if she's had the answers all along. Maybe she just had to look a little deeper.

It doesn't matter now. For her final breaths, she is at peace. She is content to end like this. With you in her arms.

𓂀𓆣☥Cleo De Nile☥𓆣𓂀

Cleo likes to think she's come a long way from her former self. No longer an autocrat cheerleader with stary eyes and a need to be worshipped.

She likes to think she's filled out the role of queen, of sovereign, of absolute. 

She's done her dynasty proud...

Shattered and transformed herself into the perfect vessel. 

It's not until she catches her rogue reflection in the gleam of your eyes, that she realizes she's still the same. Eons have passed yet Cleo still remains the same frail cowardly daughter bearing the burden of the D'Nile name. 

You look every bit a queen, a sovereign, an absolute. You've grown to fill the role you never knew you had. 

Cleo bleeds gold. She always has. 

Little did she know, you did too. 

You always had.

There's a crushing weight, something that makes her long for entombment. "I wish I were a mere child once more." her tone is sand on sand. So faint you think it nothing more than a mirage of sound. Her head lays on your lap bleeding out her sins as she prays for the sun to melt her. Feeble, unstable thing she is. Hailing from a feeble unstable place.

Maybe it would do you both some good to forgo the past. To embrace a thundering, grotesque future. Maybe it's time to retire the thrones and gold bangles. Maybe it's time to depart. 

she laughs at such a preposterous notion. 

Cleo's Icoffine lays in a pool of shards and wires and golden beads. Her bandaged fingers wrapped tightly around your bicep, tugging you closer until the scent of spices and flora became overbearing. "it's...okay" you lie through the rage bubbling in your throat. Through the tears that sting the corners of your eyes. "It's not-it's...it's never been okay", the words feel like boulders crushing her bones. turning her body and bandages back to dust. 

You've known Cleo to always wear a broken crown. Funny how, after a millennia, the cracks still keep growing. Only now they bleed into her corpse, cut through bandages, and aim for the heart. You want to wipe her tears away. To whisper glory and purpose into her bejeweled ears.

Cleo lies on the golden floor. It's cold, frigid, she doesn't remember gold to be so unwelcoming, so petrifying. You pull her hand to your heart, hovering above her. Watching as she melts and hardens in the same breath. 

"Allow me the pleasure of death once more. Allow me the luxury of being the only monster you ever have to know." Cleo doesn't remember missing her sarcophagi so much. Her lungs fill with broken promises as her eyes sting from mulish obsoletes. "I've been so blind for so long." She confesses, free hand fiddling with the jewels on her blouse. Running them along her nails waiting to see which will scratch first. "As have I, there's no need to-" her voice is harsh as she sits up. The undead rising from its bejeweled grave. Her hands cup your face. She tries to be gentle, to cradle you like a flower petal. "I'm-I-" her breath hitches as her fractured mind screams. "I hate myself all so very much. Yet I love you with every bit of the heart I thought I lost all those millennia ago."

Chaos has a way of squirming through her veins. 

Her dreams are tainted in rubies, seeing you lying in the sand. 

The noise above is defining. She hates that she's not used to it by now. 

It can't be fair. 

The world can't take you from her. 

You're the only lifeline she has left. 

The only hope that remains. 

You tell Cleo you want to die one starless night, she understands the sentiment. You don't know why that makes you cry. Her lips leave phantom kisses across your eyelids. Spilling gold pleated secretes into your skin. Cleo wishes she kept you entombed next to her, rotting away far from every disaster. Yet she knows she can't, not now at least. You've morphed her into her purpose better than her omnipotent father and cruel sister ever could. With you by her side, she's truly become a queen, a sovereign, an absolute. While you rein above her, some all-knowing creature who she can't help but worship. 

Maybe someday, decades from now. 

The love you share will be dethroned

How unlikely such a feat seems.

Taglist: @hadesnewpersephone @feedmestraycats @deathangelraven @itotallysleepenough @yuuka29 @umgatochamadopercyval

[noisyghost]

random assortment of old (2020-2022 ish) werewolf sketches that never made their way here bc im lazy :')

[the-shy-wolf]

My first attempt at making info sheets!

[hulkster000]

Alll of them together now🫶🏻🫶🏻

[juletheghoul]

a/n: I saw a post a few weeks ago (if anyone sees it please send it to me and I'll tag it) about a partner turning into a monster little by little and becoming increasingly aggressive and this came to me. Hope you enjoy! 🩷🩷

warnings: a little bite, mentions of sex, language (let me know if I missed anything)

Frankie x f!reader

-

It was only a scratch.

The dog had come out of nowhere, scared him half to death but he’d managed to get away before it bit his leg off. Big fucker, biggest dog he’d ever fucking seen but he’d gotten away. Had gotten in his car and driven the fuck away.

It was only a scratch.

It healed without issue, but he still felt it. The ghost of sharp, yellow teeth gouging out a tiny bit of the skin of his shin. It followed him throughout the week, every day a little more visceral, a little more corporeal.

It was only a scratch.

He dreams about the dog, it haunts him in his sleep. It stalks him as he lays in bed, the one place he cannot get away. The dog is a spectre as the days go by, an omen at the edge of his vision and it slowly heats his blood. It cooks him from the inside and he swears he’s never been so fucking angry in all his life.

It was only a scratch.

Aggression grows, and he’s almost a different person. You notice it, it’s so blatant. The sweet, soft man you’d fallen in love with is hidden behind the curtain of his eyes. He’s still in there, somewhere but as the days turn into weeks, it’s harder and harder to find him.

It was only a scratch.

There’s no more lovemaking. He fucks. He rails and makes you take everything he has to give. He gives you his anger and his terrifying devotion, and as far away as his eyes get you’ve never been wetter. It’s so good, it’s so rough, it’s so fucking consuming you think he might eat you alive.

It was only a scratch.

He disappeared for three days. The moon is full, but your bed is empty and something in you is frozen with fear. He’s never been gone like this, your Frankie has never just left without an explanation. Something howls outside while you worry about him in bed and the sound is so sad, it raises the hairs on the back of your neck.

It was only a scratch.

He comes back and it’s like the sun touches your face for the first time because it’s him. The real him. The smiley, soft, caring man you love and you’re so happy you forget all of the worry, all of the strangeness and bask in the safety of his arms. He keeps touching his shin, rubbing at a spot under his sweats.

“Everything okay?” You ask him.

“Yes, it’s only a scratch.”

-

[godteri-takk]

Happy pride to all monsters!!! Words cannot describe how happy i am about the queernes of monster high, both canon and fanon <3 in this drawing they're aged up a bit (only cus I wanna draw them like that) LOVE THEM<3

Click images for better quality, image description in ALT!

[pedroshotwifey]

Hungry Like The...

Pairing: Werewolf!Frankie Morales x AFAB!Reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Tags/Warnings: Smut, PIV sex, oral sex (f receiving), fluff, established relationship, no use of y/n, Frankie has a monster cock, im missing stuff but I want to go to bed so...

Summary: You and Frankie decide to attend an 80s themed Halloween party. Through all of the excitement, you must have forgotten what day the full moon falls on.

A/N: I'm gonna go ahead and say that I rushed the absolute fuck out of this one, but I think it turned out pretty good. I really kind of jumped outside of my comfort zone with this, so I'm kinda proud that I did that. That being said, please feel free to call me out on anything that might not make sense or anything that I should change at all because I'm half clueless with this kind of stuff. Please consider reposting and/or liking. Thank you for reading and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! <3

***

You have no idea where Frankie snuck off too. 

He claimed he was going to get the two of you more drinks, but that was about ten minutes ago. You’re well aware that it should have taken less than half of that for him to find his way to the refreshment table, pick up some drinks, and bring them back to you. 

Right now, though, you’re too blissed out to care—not that you have much to worry about with your loving boyfriend anyway. The lights are almost blinding as you spin around beneath them, but they transform into a nice glow thanks to the buzz you’re sporting. “Mony Mony,” is blaring through the speakers and you're in your zone as you swing your hips to the beat. 

You’re glad that Frankie had suggested that you two attend this party specifically. The only requirements were that you had to dress up as an 80’s character in order to fit the era the party revolves around. 80’s costumes, 80’s music, 80’s decor. Luckily for you, the 80’s is one of your absolute favorite decades, and you’re pretty sure Frankie knew that when he signed the two of you up. 

The dance floor is packed with people to the point where you can’t stretch out all the way without bumping into someone. Usually, that would irk you, but you can’t find it in you to mind tonight. It’s not like anybody else does. 

As you snap your hips to the beat, you look around at all the different costumes in the crowd. You see a handful of Star Wars characters, a couple of Freddy Kruegers, some Ghost Busters, and—of course—a shit ton of Madonnas. The rest, for the most part, are pretty original. 

You’re pretty proud of your own costume, to be honest. You had spent a couple of weeks configuring a custom-made Storm costume. You’ve been an X-Men fan for as long as you can remember, and it made you so happy to try on your costume for the first time a few days ago. It’s pretty damn spot-on. 

Frankie, on the other hand, had insisted on being a werewolf. Like turning into one once a month wasn’t enough already. You had simply rolled your eyes and asked him what he had in mind so you could make his costume. It was worth it to see the way he lit up, even though he’s cutting it close with the party’s theme. 

After the year he had, he deserves to be happy—even if it means you have to endure his stupid jokes every now and again. When he gets tipsy, his goofy humor always makes an appearance. It’s one of your favorite parts about nights out with your boyfriend. He never fails to make you laugh. 

Just as you begin to worry that he might have gotten lost in the crowd, you feel a hand spin you around. You’re getting ready to tell someone off until you come face to face with those irresistible brown eyes. 

“Hey there, Hermosa,” he says as he cuddles up to you, swaying you to the song. “Having fun, sweetheart?” 

You giggle as he bends down and nuzzles his face into your neck. Glancing down, you almost aren’t surprised to see that he doesn’t have any drinks. 

“Frankie?” You ask casually as you throw your arms around him. 

“Hmm?” 

“Did you find the drinks?” 

Suddenly, he stops moving and stands up straight again, a playful smile plastered across his face. 

“Guess not,” he says. “Found something to eat, though,” he winks and you playfully roll your eyes as he throws himself back onto you. As the song changes to “When Doves Cry”, he begins to dance with you. Frankie has never been the best dancer, but it's better this way. Neither of you take anything seriously as you push and pull your bodies together, giving eachother flirty kisses every now and again. 

You laugh as you bump into someone and flash them an apologetic look. Frankie really loves to bring out your careless side. You honestly didn’t know you were capable of being so care-free until you had met him. Sometimes he makes you feel as if nothing else matters but you and him. It’s times like these that you really realize just how lucky you are to have him. 

“Alright, baby,” Frankie says after a moment, bringing you out of your thoughts. “I’m going to go get us those drinks now.” 

Instead of answering him, you get up on your tip-toes and kiss him. He begins to wrap his arms around you again, but you gently push him off, giving him a faux stern look. 

“Alright, alright, I get it, baby, I’m going!” he says over the music before turning around to scamper away.

You have to suppress a giggle when he jolts as you deliver a light slap to his ass. He turns just enough to flash you a dirty look, and you give him one of feigned innocence in return, well aware he’ll get you back for that eventually if you continue to tease. 

“Hurry up, wolfboy!” you shout after him. 

***

Alright, you’re actually about to be pissed this time. 

There’s absolutely no way he lost you—or rather, you lost him—twice. He has to be playing with you, right? Whatever, if that’s the case, two can play at that game. 

You’ll just pretend like you don’t even notice something is missing. Maybe once he sees you where he left you, completely unaffected by his absence, he’ll stop being such an ass. 

Perfect. Perfect plan. 

You shake your head and dance as the song ends. You can have fun by yourself if your boyfriend wants to be immature. 

Well, it would have been a perfect plan. 

As if he could somehow read your mind—which you almost wouldn’t doubt at this point—you spot Frankie in your vision once again. However, this time, he’s not coming over to you. 

He has a familiar dark look in his eyes that immediately soaks you, despite yourself. You stop dancing because as quick as you see him, he’s gone again. You spin in a panicked circle as the song changes to one by Duran Duran. You almost laugh at the irony as “Hungry Like the Wolf” blares through the speakers. 

Your phone buzzes in the small pocket of your bodysuit, and you pause your quick search to look at it. Your brow furrows as you see that it’s a text from Frankie. What the fuck is he playing at? Quickly, you unlock your phone and open your messages. 

“Better start running, baby,” the text reads. You look up, your eyes frantically scanning the crowd around you. Maybe the song choice isn’t so ironic after all. 

“Don’t let me catch you… feeling hungry like the wolf tonight…”

You don’t stop to think before you make a mad dash toward the exit, your heart dropping to your stomach as you go. You get some pissed looks as you shove through people, your heart hammering in your chest and your eyes darting every which way. 

You have no idea where he could be at this point. Maybe he’s somewhere inside, having missed your exit. He could be trailing right behind you, ready to grab you at any moment.

Soon enough, it is revealed that he is, once again, always one step ahead of you. As soon as you step out of the doors, a large body is engulfing yours and carrying you to a secluded spot on the patio, though there’s nobody outside anyway. 

You would scream if not for the large hand that covers your lips when he grabs you. You know it’s Frankie, of course, but the exhilaration that comes from the scare really adds to the game the two of you just started. 

You ignore the heat simmering between your legs as he sets you down on your own feet and removes his hand from your mouth. Neither of you move, you don’t look up, he doesn’t crouch down. You just stand there, breathing heavily as Frankie embraces your figure. 

You can’t help but lean back into him, letting your guard down probably isn’t the best idea right now, but you can’t find it in you to care about that fact at the moment. 

The fresh air feels nice on your heated cheeks, but Frankie's front against your back feels even better. The music continues to play faintly behind you as you sway side to side, Frankie’s arms wrapped tightly around you, his head resting on your shoulder. 

You swear you could stay here forever. Actually, you could stay anywhere, as long as you had Frankie. But right now, you can’t imagine anything more perfect than this. As long as you have your boyfriend’s arms around you, you would do anything or go anywhere he wants to. 

Your body may be his, but you decided a long time ago that your soul belongs to him as well. He can pick it up and do whatever he wishes with it, and you know he could never do anything that would cause your trust or love for him to dull.

“Look up, sweetheart,” Frankie’s soft voice brings you out of your thoughts, making you open your eyes. You hadn’t realized they had slid shut in the first place. 

The sight of the full moon high up in the night sky confirms your suspicions. Frankie’s going to turn tonight. 

Fuck, you’re screwed, your subconscious automatically screams at you. 

You can't miss the way your panties dampen as the thought crosses your mind. Your body stiffens as you fight the urge to run, the adrenaline getting the best of you.

Frankie must feel the way you tense up because his arms immediately tighten around you. 

“It’s alright, hermosa,” he whispers into your ear. “Just means we’ll have a bit more fun than usual.”

You try but fail to stifle your grin at his menacing tone. Just because you know you’re screwed doesn’t mean you don't enjoy it. 

“Probably got less than ten minutes now,” Frankie says far too casually. “Let’s pick up on our little chase, yeah?” 

He lets you out of his grasp this time, and you turn around to give him a peck on his cheek, allowing your hand to brush past his erection as you pull away. The touch is just enough for Frankie to grit his teeth as he hisses out. The warning glance he gives you makes arousal burn deep into your core, only serving to make you more excited. 

“I’ll give you a head start, sweetheart,” he says, his tone giving you a warning, “I’d take it if I were you.”

With his word, you spin on your heel, ready to plummet into the forest, but you only get about a foot before he has a large hand wrapped around your wrist. Your heart beats louder in your chest as you turn to look at him, his eyes dark with lust. 

“Don’t let me catch you this time,” he says, pulling you close enough for his lips to flutter across your ear as he speaks. “I won’t go easy on you.”

You ignore the shiver in your spine as you pull back as much as you can. 

“Maybe I don't want you to go easy on me,” you whisper back, earning a slight growl from Frankie. He lets his hand linger on you for only a moment more before letting go, this time allowing you to back away. 

“Don’t push yourself too hard then, because I’m going to fucking exaust you when I catch up.” 

You smile before turning once again, pushing yourself into the trees without looking back. 

***

The sound of your heartbeat is deafening as you run through the otherwise silent forest. The steady pitter-patter of the organ combined with your ragged breathing and your frantic footsteps make a horrifying symphony. Even those sounds seem muffled, though, with the amount of pure adrenaline that courses through your veins and drowns out your senses. 

Frankie can’t be too far behind you now. You guess you’ve been running for about fifteen minutes. There’s no doubt that he has turned at this point; he proved it with the howl you heard bellowing through the woods a couple minutes ago. 

Since then, you haven't stopped to take a breath. There is pure fear in the fact that you have a beast on your trail, but also excitement in knowing what will likely happen once he catches up. 

For now though, fear is the dominant emotion. It’s prominent enough to keep you going even as your hair gets tugged by branches and your skin gets scratched and torn by twigs and thorns. None of it seems to matter right now just as long as you can keep your distance from the monster hunting you down. 

Suddenly, you hear a snap from somewhere behind you. The noise is sharp, a twig snapping beneath heavy weight. It reverberates all around you, sending a shiver down your spine. Soon after, You pick up on the steady thumping of what sounds to be an animal hot on your tail. 

The sound gets closer and closer even as you push yourself to run faster. Your entire body is shaking and you can feel tears welling up in your eyes. You can practically feel Frankie’s breath on your neck, the sensation almost more powerful than the ache overtaking your legs and abdomen. 

“Please, leave me alone!” You cry out the plea over your shoulder, your voice bordering a sob. Your gut is curling with a mixture of panic and arousal. The responding growl makes the tears you have been holding spill over and your knees buckle. 

For a second, you’re worried that you might fall, but you’re pushed into the ground before you have the chance to do it yourself. The weight of Frankie pouncing on top of you knocks the wind out of you, a sharp cry leaving your lips as your breath is taken. 

In the time that it takes you to get your breath back, Frankie has your bodysuit torn enough to pry off of your shaking body, and your lacy panties shoved–or ripped–down your legs. Luckily, the bodysuit was the cheapest and easiest to find component of your costume. You can feel a whisper of his claws against your skin as he drags scraps away from where he needs you most.

Your arms flail wildly, your fingers trying to grasp a handful of fur from the beast atop you. Frankie sees what you’re trying to do, and with a growl, he ducks down and slides toward your feet, away from your hands. 

Before you can question what he’s doing, you feel something thick, wet, and warm against your bare, soaked cunt. 

A high pitched moan tumbles from your lips as Frankie drags his tongue across your pussy before dipping it into your core.

The hot muscle digs deep into your cunt, curling once it's in all the way. You can feel his nose bobbing up and down against your ass as he starts to work his tongue in and out of your cunt.

“F-Frankie, fuck!” You scream, feeling your orgasm building embarrassingly quickly.

The way his tongue swirls and scrapes against your walls is absolutely delicious, and that combined with the tip of the muscle prodding against your g-spot? You’re fucking done for. 

You’re writhing as Frankie brings his tongue out to swallow down the slick he’s collected, and you can feel the way a combination of your arousal and his saliva leaks out of your pulsing cunt, coming down to collect at your clit and make you shudder. You’re so close to coming, a warm feeling that can only be described as pure euphoria making a home deep in your lower abdomen. 

Almost as soon as he was gone, Frankie shoves his tongue back inside of you, meticulously prodding all the right places. You’re gasping and moaning so loud you have half the mind to feel bad for whatever critters might reside in these woods. 

That thought passes quickly, though, once you feel yourself returning to the edge. Frankie flicks his tongue one more time and you’re suddenly convulsing around him. The high seems to go on forever, your toes curling and your fingers grasping at the leafy ground in front of you. 

The beast doesn’t pull away as you come, instead, he allows you to rock your hips back and forth in order to prolong your pleasure for as long as possible. You don’t even notice that you moved your arm until you feel one hand entangled in soft fur, your subconscious mind telling you to hold him to you. 

You hear Frankie whine from behind you and you have to suppress the urge to giggle. He’s always liked it when you tug at his hair, and apparently, being in this form leaves no room for exceptions. 

Your body goes limp as Frankie backs away from you, making it easy for him to nudge you to prop you up where he wants you. Hands and knees, of course. He wastes no time in getting into position behind you, crowding you in with his massive form. 

The tip of his cock feels massive against your swollen cunt, but it only takes a few swipes of the beast’s hips before he is notched into your entrance. With one more thrust, he’s pushing in all the way, making you scream as your pussy stretches to accommodate his girth. 

Frankie lets out a series of whimpers as he starts a brutal pace, not giving you a second to adjust. Your hands come up to grasp above his paws, which are positioned on either side of your head, and then up a little. 

“F-Frankie!” Your moan comes out more like a screech, the pain quickly turning into a sick pleasure as he rips you open on his cock. Each time he thrusts, it’s accompanied by a puff of breath which fans out across your cheek. 

The sound of his whines and ragged breathing mix with the squelching noises coming from your cunt and the panting coming from your lips, everything combined making the filthiest symphony you’ve ever heard. 

Your second orgasm starts to build rapidly, your cunt beginning to flutter around Frankie’s unforgiving length. With each punch, the tip of his cock touches something heavenly within you, making your eyes roll to the back of your head. 

You’re pretty sure you’re drooling, but you find that every limb has turned to jelly, preventing you from bringing your hand up to check. If not for the monster above you impaling you on his length, you would likely be flat on the forest floor right now. 

Every thought that had previously occupied your mind is forced out of you as Frankie effortlessly pries another orgasm from you. He doesn’t slow or pause as you squeeze around his cock like a vice. If anything, it only spurs him on and gets him going faster, if that's even possible. 

With each slam of his hips, you feel your body being sent forward, only stabilized by your palms, which are somehow still firmly planted on the ground. 

‘Oh god, Frankie,” your voice sounds hazy to your own ears. “F-feels so fucking good, Francisco.”

You hear him grunt at the sound of his full name, something you usually only call him in bed—or in this case, in the middle of nowhere. 

It does feel good, his cock feels absolutely massive. You know that it is definitely bigger than when he’s in his human form—the size of which should be considered supernatural in it’s own way. Right now, though, he feels bigger than ever, thicker, longer. The only thought occupying your mind at the moment is how badly you want to suck his cock. 

How the fuck does this man fuck you so good to the point where you fantasize about giving him a blowjob while he’s already inside of you? Next time, you’ll have to get his dick in your mouth before he shoves it into your cunt. 

Your eyes droop as your second orgasm morphs into a third, your body growing weaker with each movement from Frankie. You ignore the shaking to spread your legs wider to allow him better access, which results in him getting to a deeper spot with the new angle. 

Your mouth drops open as you begin to come again, a silent scream getting stuck in your throat. This time, as you constrict around his monstrous cock, you can feel his hips stutter. He’s getting close, which is probably a good thing considering you’re about to pass out from both pleasure and exhaustion. 

“C-come on, Frankie, f-fill me up,” you command through moans. It very obviously eggs him on because before you know it, he’s stilling inside of you, howling into the trees, and blowing his massive load deep into your core. 

The feeling of his cum painting your walls is fucking heavenly. Spurt after spurt of his warm seed fills you to the brim until it eventually starts to seep out around the base of his cock. If you thought you had felt full before, that was nothing compared to now. 

Frankie gives you a few minutes to calm down before he starts to lower himself to the ground, laying on his side and tugging you with him. Your body and mind are equally compliant with his request. 

As your eyes shut once again, you can feel Frankie starting to shift behind you, probably making his transformation back to his human form. Try as you might, you know you won’t have enough energy to wait for him to be done, so you make the most of it and snuggle into his soft fur. You know that you’ll wake up safe and sound in your bed, tangled with your kind, attentive, and very much human boyfriend.

[val00r]

Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen and Cleo as college students.

[something-tofightfor]

Liminality: Part 12

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 8,426

Rating: R - for violence, injury, blood, fear etc... but there's also feelings.

Summary: In the aftermath of your attack by the Chaos Wolf, you and Frankie have a long - and important - heart to heart.

And when you meet up with all of his friends to recount your story and begin to plan for what will happen next, you realize that what you plan for may not always be possible.

Author’s note:

Happy full moon + partial eclipse. Tonight is the best possible night to release this chapter, and I'm so glad it all lined up.

I'm so excited for you to read this chapter. I have been waiting a long time to get to this point. Thank you for being patient, and for sticking around. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Wanna talk about Wolf Frankie or his friends? My inbox is always open.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

You both slept most of the day, and when you woke up later, there were multiple missed messages on his phone from his friends. He answered them while the two of you waited for dinner to be delivered, and it gave you a chance to check your phone, too. 

There was a text from Alec, and with some hesitation, you decided to tell him the truth about what happened. You sent him a voice note outlining the previous night, and by the time you finished it, Frankie’s attention was back on you, his mouth set in a deep frown as he listened. At least I only have to explain once. 

“Can I see the video?” His voice was even, but you heard the unease in it, Frankie’s posture rigid. “See what it looks like?” 

“Yes.” Scooting closer to him on the couch, you opened your camera and then the video, hanging your phone over. “But you need to watch the beginning, too. Before the wolf. It’s important.” 

He pressed play, eyes on the screen and at the sound of your own voice, you looked away, staring out the window. You had no desire to watch your attack, and even though it was the truth, you were somewhat embarrassed at the way you’d bared your feelings to him before the wolf had found you. So I’ll just let him watch and listen. 

You stared out the window until you heard yourself scream for Will, and then you looked back at Frankie, watching his reaction to what he was seeing onscreen. It was subtle, but you saw the way his body stiffened, watched the color of his eyes briefly change again, flashing gold for a few seconds as his nostrils flared, your screaming and the wolf’s growling louder than you thought it would be through your phone’s speakers. 

The sound of a gunshot rang out, and for the second time, you heard the wolf react to getting shot, followed by the sound of Will’s voice and yours, the video ending abruptly and plunging the room into silence. Frankie didn’t speak right away, but when he did, it was to whisper your name and then pull you into his lap, his arms going around you before pulling you tight against his chest.

“You’re so fucking brave, do you know that?” He spoke into your ear, the tip of his nose grazing the shell of it. “Most people would have dropped the phone. Most people would have been too afraid to fight back. Most people would have run screaming when they saw what I go through every month.” Frankie pressed his lips to your cheek. “You didn’t. You weren’t. You stayed. You got the other wolf on video. I don’t even know how to…” His arms tightened around you. “Tell me what you were going to say.”

“What?” It took you by surprise, and you backed away, meeting his gaze. “What do -”

“You got cut off when the wolf showed up.” He swallowed hard, unblinking. “That’s the second time you’ve been in the middle of saying something to me and you got interrupted.” You’re not really doing this now, are you? “D’you want to finish that sentence?” 

“I do, but...” Pressing a hand to his chest, you could feel his heartbeat thrumming beneath your palm, though the rest of him gave almost nothing away. He’s anxious. He’s … why? What does he expect? You stared at him, thinking, and wondered what he saw in your expression. I already told Pope. “I’m scared, Francisco.” You spoke quietly, but didn’t look away. “It -”

“I’ve read up on a lot of shit over the past couple years.” He cleared his throat, the hand on your back moving in a slow circle. “Just to try and see how similar my behavior is to a regular wolf’s. I’ve seen videos of myself while I’m not human, and I remember what happens, so…” He shrugged. “And it’s pretty typical for both.” You nodded, unsure of where he was going. “But the more time that passed, I started noticing that I was doing … different things, even when I’m human.” He frowned, but quickly erased the expression from his face though the furrow in his brow didn’t lessen any. “My sense of smell’s better. My vision’s improved, even though it was damn good before. My reflexes are back to what they were when I first joined the Army, or better, maybe.” 

“That’s good for a pilot.” He nodded, still stroking your back.

“I figured that since it’s always in me, the longer it was there and the more used to it I got, the more … we’d mesh.” His other hand moved down to your hip and squeezed. “I’ve always been protective of my family, but when I came back, the first time I saw Carmen? I’d never felt anything like that before. It was like … I can’t explain it. And I thought that the same would be true for Becca, because even though we had problems, I still … we’d been together forever, y’know? Mother of my kid and everything, but it wasn’t like that. Ever. I didn’t have the same … drive when it came to her as I did for Carmen and even the guys. Losing any of them would have been fucking awful, but my relationship with Becca? It sucked when it ended but I wasn’t…” 

“Frankie, you don’t -”

“No, I do. Let me explain.” He swallowed hard, and then took a deep breath. “I want to protect you. I’ve told you that before, but it …” He closed his eyes, swearing under his breath. “The first night I met you. Do you remember what happened?’

“Yeah. You fucked me in front of your fireplace and we both pretended it was going to just be a casual hookup.” He smiled, his eyes flashing with amusement. 

“I bit you.” His gaze dropped, lingering on your neck for a few seconds before it rose again. “I bit your neck.” He smiled. “Actually, I paid a lot of attention to your neck, and -” Just like he did last night when he turned. Was that the wolf’s interest in me from the very beginning? Fuck. “And I didn’t want to go into the bedroom with you, I -”

“You wanted me on the floor.” Your eyes widened. “And it didn’t feel right until you were behind me, and…” It was all coming together for you, and you were stunned. It shouldn’t have taken this long. I should have realized. “It was a wolf’s instincts from the beginning. And you’re… it’s just… fuck, Frankie.” 

“Some part of me knew from the beginning how I’d… how important you were going to be to me. It doesn’t make sense. None of this does.” He leaned in, resting his forehead against yours. “But if it’s the wolf and it’s making everything I already do and feel stronger, then…” He took another breath and let it out, the sound shaky. “I treated you like a mate from the very first night, and you reacted the way that I hoped you would, even if I didn’t realize I was doing it at first.”

“You scented me last night.” Your jaw dropped. “I thought you were trying to hug me, but when you put your paws on me, it was because …” You wanted me to smell like you. Oh, Frankie. 

“I asked you to stay.” His heartbeat had slowed and Frankie’s voice was steady, but you could feel his tension. “Everything else might be the wolf, but that was all -”

“No.” You leaned in, shaking your head. “It’s you, Frankie. The wolf, the man, all of it’s the same thing.” Are you really going to do this? “I don’t have friends. I don’t have people I can count on, except for Alec, and even that’s spotty.” Biting the inside of your lip, you narrowed your eyes. “But ever since I first got here, it felt different.” You’re going to do this. “I’ve never been as scared as I was last night. And yeah, I thought I was going to die for a second, but it was more than that.” 

“You didn’t, though. You did what you needed to do.” He squeezed your hip. “You were perfect.” 

“It’s too soon to say any of this, and I understand that.” You steadied yourself, closing your eyes and taking a breath . “But if I didn’t say it and I never got to, I’d regret it.” He hummed but didn’t interrupt, and so you continued, opening your eyes and meeting his. “I was scared I was going to die last night before I got to tell you I love you. I thought it days ago, but after last night, after seeing you in that clearing, I … I know it.” 

It felt good to say the words. Admitting to the truth was freeing, but Frankie’s silence unnerved you. He wasn’t expecting that. Why would he? It’s been two months. “Repeat that.” He wet his lips and then drew the lower one back and between his teeth. “Please.” 

“I love you, Francisco Morales. And believe it or not, I want to protect you just as much as -”

“The first time we met, when I sat next to you at the bar? I knew it was different.” He shook his head, looking down and then back up. “There was something about you, about the way you smelled, and because it was only a couple days after a full moon, it … there was no way I could miss it.”

“I missed it, though. I just thought you were shit at hiding being attracted to someone.” He laughed quietly, rolling his eyes. “We both tried pretty hard that night to play it cool, didn’t we.” Frankie nodded, the look in his eyes soft. “All I wanted to do that next morning was kiss you.” You looked down, nerves catching up to you as you registered the fact that he still hadn’t replied to the fact that you’d told him you loved him. “I just thought you should know. I -” 

He reached up and used one knuckle beneath your chin to urge you gaze back to his face. “You shouldn’t have stopped yourself the other night in bed.” Oh. really? “I didn’t think it was fair to put any of this shit on you before you saw everything, though, so I didn’t ask you about it.” He steadied himself with one deep breath, nodding as he said your name. “You still feel that way after yesterday? After … you got attacked?”

“Yes.” Your answer was immediate, eyes going wide as you spoke. “That had nothing to do with you, Frankie. Why would it change how I feel about you?”

“Because you know what one of us can do to someone. You’ve seen the way it changes me, and it’s not going to stop. This is my life for as long as I’m living, and if you love me, that means you accept that, and the chance that I might turn on you at some point.” 

“You won’t. If you were going to, you would have yesterday. I trust you.” He still hasn’t said anything back. All he’s done is try to talk me out of feeling this way. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, the look in his eyes sad. “It is, especially coming from you. You shouldn’t love me. You shouldn’t love someone like me, especially after you’ve been looking for wolves to -”

You stood abruptly, wincing as you put weight onto your leg - and distance between the two of you. “No, not just any wolves, Frankie. The Chaos wolves. You’re not one of them. You proved that.” You moved further away, your back to him to hide the fact that you were in pain. “And if you’ve been treating me like your mate since the beginning, you obviously would have noticed if I’d had any reservations about that, or about you or about being with you.” 

It hurt - not that he hadn’t immediately told you that he loved you, too, but that you’d bared your feelings to him, and all Frankie had done was question your admission. Especially after how he’s noticed he’s been treating me. Especially with what I thought he felt toward me. You stood in front of the fireplace, crossing your arms over your chest and blinking back tears.

The room was silent, thick with tension and almost uncomfortable, but moments later it was shattered by the ringing of the doorbell. Food’s here. Rubbing at the bridge of your nose, you lowered your head and closed your eyes. I’m not hungry. I should go. “Let me know what I owe you for dinner, Frankie. I think I’m going to go back to my -”

“Please don’t.” You heard the couch springs creak and then a few footsteps as he made his way to where you were, stopping before he got close enough to touch you. “Please don’t leave.” You turned slowly to face him, unsure of what to expect. 

It certainly wasn’t a look of unease on his face, or his lower lip trembling. And it also wasn’t his slumped shoulders or the nervous shuffling of his feet, Frankie shaking his head as he stared at you. “Why? I just bared my goddamn emotions to you, Frankie, and all I get in return is you telling me that I shouldn’t feel a certain way, or that I couldn’t possibly understand what I’m getting myself into with you. That’s what love is, right? Taking a chance and going into things unprepared and trusting yourself to navigate through it all with the person you’re with?”

“Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “But it’s not usually with someone like me.”

“Alec and Ashley seem to be perfectly happy together.” You swiped a hand over your face, the sadness turning into anger. “He was raised in the same damn way I was and he’s having a baby with a wolf. Fuck, Frankie, you’re not the only person in this world that -”

“We stole hundreds of millions of dollars from a drug lord.” He stepped even closer, straightening up. “So I’m also thinking of that when I consider how the fuck I feel about you, and how close it’s safe to let you get.” His lip curled, and Frankie’s head moved back and forth a few times. “It’s not just that I’m a wolf. I might also have a target on my back for a lot of other reasons, and bringing you into my life fully puts that on you, too.” 

You hadn’t considered that, and you knew that your expression gave it away. Fuck. He’s right. “Frankie, I -”

“I’m fucking in love with you, and every time I’ve thought about telling you that these past couple weeks, I’ve convinced myself not to for multiple reasons. And hearing you say it first, I … fuck.” You gasped, a shaky breath escaping you, and when Frankie took another step forward, you nodded, tears filling your eyes. “I wasn’t looking for this. I’m not ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, but you’re right. It doesn’t matter. You need to know. You deserve to know.” 

“You’re in love with me?” He nodded, one large hand rising so that he could slide his fingers along your jaw, his thumb catching briefly on your lower lip. “Really?” He nodded again, unblinking. “Well that’s good to hear.” 

Silence hung between you for a few tense seconds and then he laughed, his other arm going around you. He took the final step and closed the distance completely, crushing you to his chest without forcing you to take a step on your injured leg. Your tears started falling when he lowered his head to speak into your ear, murmuring that he didn’t know what to fucking do with you, but you were too overwhelmed to speak. He’s in love with me. He’s in love with me but was scared to tell me because of everything he’s been through and done and … fuck. I shouldn’t have pushed. I shouldn’t have forced him to… “Hey.” 

“Yeah?” You backed off, meeting his gaze again. “Hmm?” 

“That’s not how I wanted to tell you any of this.” Frankie used one knuckle to brush tears from your cheeks. “I’m not happy I’m a wolf now, but I’ve made peace with it, y’know? I just sort of figured that I’d never really have anyone permanent in my life again, and then you …” He swore quietly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “You showed up and just …” 

You understood immediately, Frankie’s desire to protect you winning out over his emotional detachment. And he doesn’t know what to be more worried about, the drug money or the wolf, which is …God, I can’t even imagine what he must be thinking. “We can start over.” Your voice low, you tightened your hold on him, fingers gripping the material of his shirt. “This conversation anyway. Start at the beginning, and -”

“I’m in love with you. I want you to stay here, in Florida with me. I want to find this wolf and get rid of it and then figure out what comes next, but …” Frankie took a deep breath, nodding. “I want to be with you. There’s so much shit I still need to tell you, that I want to tell you.” He paused, wetting his lips with a flash of his tongue. “If you’ll let me.” 

“I will.” Your heart was pounding in your chest, eyes locked with his. “If you’re honest with me, I’m more than happy to listen to whatever you’ve got to say.” Here goes nothing. “That’s what happens when you love someone, right?” He nodded slowly, never looking away from you. “Then yeah, Francisco. We’ll do that.” 

“Good.” He bit down on the inside of his lip, narrowing his eyes. “Do you actually want to go, or were you just trying to bow out because you thought I wasn’t going to say anything back to you?”

“I don’t want to go anywhere.” You looked up, eyes on the ceiling for a few seconds as you thought. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome, but the idea of being alone right now isn’t appealing, either.” 

He didn’t say anything right away, instead leaning in and kissing your forehead, his lips lingering. “Why don’t we eat dinner, and then we can decide what to do next, alright?” Frankie spoke quietly, sighing as he straightened up. “We’ve got a month to figure this shit out.” 

— 

“Frankie, we’re going to have to get out of this bed at some point.” You sighed, reaching down to drag your fingers through his damp curls. “We have plans tonight.” He was wrapped around you, cheek resting against your chest. “And to be honest, I need a couple hours of rest, because -”

“You weren’t complaining earlier.” Tightening his hold on you, he tipped his head back so that he could catch your eye. “Or this morning, or -” He wasn’t wrong. Since you’d admitted the truth to each other the night after the full moon, the two of you had barely been able to keep your hands off of each other when you were in the same room. 

You’d lost count of the number of times you’d been together, the hours slipping away as you spent them tangled up in his bed and shower. It was like a barrier had been broken down completely, freeing you to not only act on your true feelings, but to stop hiding them, too. He whispered that he loved you over and over between kisses, and hearing his voice repeat it at full volume before he left for work and when he got home in reply to your greeting made you feel at peace in a way that you’d never anticipated. 

But the truth was that you were tired, despite getting good sleep, and you knew that he was, too. “I’m still not complaining.” You sighed, pulling on a curl. “But we need to go and meet your friends, and I’d like to be alert for that conversation.” He laughed, finally letting go of you and sitting up to stretch. “Is this how it’s going to be every month after the moon? Because if it is, I might need to take some extra vitamins, or buy stock in electrolytes or -” 

“Might be.” He wrinkled his nose, reaching up to ruffle his own hair. “Donno yet.” He was joking, and the two of you laughed together, Frankie leaning down to kiss you softly on the mouth. “It’s just nice not to have to hide anything, and I know that when we go over there, it won’t be like that.” 

You sat up, too, leaning against his headboard and pulling the blankets up to cover your chest. “I get it.” You shrugged, nodding. “But I do think it’s for the best.” 

The two of you were meeting his friends for the first time since your attack to fill them in on all the details. You were going to be honest with them about everything - except for why you were in Florida. While in truth, it would only be Benny and Tom that didn’t know the whole story, widening the circle of trust even that much further seemed risky. It wasn’t because Frankie didn’t trust the two of them; instead, it was because he didn’t want to make you explain your entire family’s history, or bring Ashley and Alec into it without their permission. 

Will’s knowledge of the situation had been the result of circumstance, and though you were glad that he knew, part of you wished that you hadn’t slipped up in front of him. Because it feels like too many people know, and nothing’s changed as a result. “I’m gonna jump in the shower.” He stood up, giving you a lengthy opportunity to stare at his bare ass, and then headed for the bathroom. “You wanna come with me and conserve some water?” 

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” You grinned and got out of the bed, too. “Saving the environment?”

“It can be.” He waited at the door for you, reaching back so that you co uld take his hand. “Just for tonight.” Both of you were laughing as you entered the bathroom, Frankie flipping the lightswitch up before you shut the door behind you. 

— 

“Where’s Molly?” You looked out the window at Tom’s place, eyeing the well-kept lawn and pristine house. “You guys don’t come over here to meet up often, right?”

“She’s gone for a couple days with her friends, I think?” He pulled up to the curb, parking his truck. “And Tessa’s in college now, so she only comes home on weekends to do her laundry.” He laughed. “They moved her into her dorm a little while ago.” You hadn’t realized that - but you were thankful that there was a place that all of you could talk without interruptions. Not that Yovanna is an interruption, but … “And he’s always looking for an excuse to use his grill, so it worked out.” 

You made your way to the gate that led to the back yard, Frankie walking slower than usual to accommodate your injury. It felt much better, and he’d re-bandaged it for you twice, checking on the state of it and reporting back to Will, but it still hurt, and there was no reason to push it. 

The others were already there when you rounded the garage and made it to the back lawn, and you and Frankie were greeted with a chorus of hellos, Benny lifting his beer bottle in salute. But the smile on his face froze when he got a good look at you, his gaze going immediately to your bandaged leg. Here we go. 

“What the fuck happened to you?” He frowned, looking at Frankie. “‘Fish? Wh-”

“That’s her story to tell.” He pulled your chair out for you, waiting until you were seated to drop into the one next to it. “Figured it’d be better to do it in person.” You gave Benny a smile and then looked in Pope’s direction, nodding before letting your eyes move to Will and finally to Tom, who was standing next to the grill with one hand on his hip. He looked curious, holding your gaze for longer than he usually did before shaking his head and clearing his throat. 

“Well we’re all here and in person.” He stepped toward you. “And we’re listening.” You felt Frankie’s hand on your knee, the pressure welcome as he squeezed it. “What happened to you?” There was no way to sugarcoat it, and no real reason to, and so you didn’t, opening your mouth and letting the words tumble out. 

“I got attacked by the other wolf in the clearing outside the RV.” It sounded impossible, even by your standards, and that feeling only grew when you continued. “It didn’t bite me, though. It just clawed at me, and then Will shot it, and -” 

“WHAT?” Benny was on his feet, fingers balled into fists by his sides. “You what? My brother did what? And we’re just now hearing about -”

“Benjamin.” Frankie’s voice was quiet, but you heard the power behind it. “Calm down.” The younger Miller stilled, though his expression didn’t soften. “Nobody said anything because we wanted to tell the story once. And we took a few days to recover, but none of the three of us thought that a phone call or a text message was the right way to talk about this.” 

Benny finally nodded before dropping back into his chair, his gaze focused on your injury. It was Pope that spoke up next, reaching across the table to touch your hand before saying anything. “Are you alright?”

“I am. It was a little scary for a couple minutes, but as soon as Will scared it off, it was … better.” He nodded, leaning back. “No, you know what?” You closed your eyes, steeling yourself before you pressed your lips together and nodded. “It was really fucking scary for a few minutes. I thought … I didn’t think I was going to make it.” 

“But you did.” Tom crossed his arms low across his chest, tilting his head to the right. “It didn’t try to bite you? Really?”

“Really.” Flattening your hands on the tabletop, you looked between the four other guys again, taking a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “If you come and sit I’ll tell you all exactly what happened.” For a second, you didn’t think he’d join you - but then Tom crossed the patio and pulled out his own chair, dropping into it without looking away. 

It took a little while because they all interrupted you, but with Will and Frankie’s help, you recounted the events from the night you’d been attacked. And when you pulled your phone out, opening the cropped video and pressing play, they were all locked in, eyes on the tiny screen throughout the duration of it. It played once for all of them, and then each man took your phone in turn, the device held up close to their faces as they analyzed the other wolf’s attack. Benny’s response was anger, his lip curling while his head whipped back and forth. Pope just seemed sad, his large brown eyes filled with emotion as he winced at the sound of your screams. Will’s expression was full of intrigue, his brows knit as he used both fingers to zoom in on your screen toward the end, mumbling the words I should have aimed higher before he handed it to Tom. 

And Tom’s response shocked you most of all, his posture rigid as he stared at the screen, teeth digging into his lower lip. When he set your phone down and slid it toward you, he finally spoke, leaning in to lock eyes with you. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because it’s a good thing, but why the fuck didn’t it bite you?” 

Frankie growled from next to you, but you murmured his name, head moving slowly back and forth. “I don’t know. I’ve tried to figure that out for the last couple days, and all I’ve come up with is that maybe it didn’t want to? I don’t think it wanted to turn me the way the kid that bit Frankie did, I think it just … wanted to hurt me.” Lowering your eyes to where your fingers were linked on the scarred wood, you took a deep breath. “And it did. But not like it… he has hurt the other people he’s attacked.” The guys all nodded in agreement, but none of them spoke before you went on. “At least now you all know what it looks like. You know for a fact that it’s not Frankie attacking anyone. I don’t know what good that will do, but -”

“How did it know you’d be there?” Tom’s voice was soft, the the fingers of one hand rhythmically tapping the table. “That RV isn’t even in a real camping spot, we had to bribe them to approve the space for it.” He rubbed at his forehead. “It doesn’t make any fucking sense.” 

“It does.” Frankie spoke up, leaning forward so that he could look at Tom. “Based on the pattern.” He explained your theory about the other wolf working his way through local parks that had campsites, explaining that Richloam was one of the final ones in the area that hadn’t been an attack site in the past. “And I can smell people from miles away those nights, so he probably smelled all of us, maybe even me as a wolf, and came running.” 

Tom looked thoughtful, his attention moving between you and Frankie for long moments before he swiped a hand over his face. “Fuck.” 

“So what do we do now?” Pope leaned back in his chair, exhaling. “Frankie, you said there was a pattern to the places the other wolf’s been attacking? Do you think we can use that to figure out where he’ll be next month?”

“Maybe.” Frankie leaned in, nodding. “There were only two or three that were left that are similar to the ones he’s already been to, but Richloam was the most likely. I just didn’t think … I didn’t think our campsite would be where he went first.” Frankie looked over at you, wetting his lips and then lowering his gaze to the tabletop. “He’s either going to branch out and find places further away, or start the pattern again.” He looked up, meeting the eyes of each of his friends in turn. “It’s what I’d do.” 

“Makes sense.” Will agreed, scratching the side of his head. “To someone that’s not looking for a wolf, the attacks seem like random animals, and I’m sure at least a couple of the parks and swamps have had others since the first one we noticed that are just shit like big cats and things fucking with campsites.” You hadn’t looked into that, and made a mental note to do so when you got back to Frankie’s. I should have already thought of it. 

“But what the fuck do we do about it? One of us goes out to each of the most likely places, while ‘Fish picks one of us to come with?” Benny pointed at you, shaking his head. “Do we let you go out by yourself, or always pair you with Frankie because if this fuckin’ thing got your scent, he might be looking? Do we all stay at the camper every full moon so there’s five of us with guns and -”

“I can’t exactly leave my wife once a month on every full fuckin’ moon, Benny.” Tom gestured toward the house, his tone harsh. “She’s not dumb. She’d ask questions, and unlike Morales, I don’t exactly want to tell her wh-”

“Guys.” Will stood, holding his hands out. “Look, we don’t need to decide anything tonight. We know what happened. We know that we need to come up with something before the next full moon. When is that, by the way?” 

“October 28th.” You were the first to answer, certainty in your tone. “The Hunter’s Moon.” You reached for your phone and pulled it back toward you, fingers curling around the device. “And I have every intention of being a part of this plan - whatever it is, because the sooner we deal with this, the sooner Frankie and I can …” 

You trailed off, realizing that you’d just admitted to the fact that you and Frankie were considering a future together. Shit. Did he want that? Did - “The sooner we figure all of this out, the sooner we can figure out how her staying here works.” He reached over and put his hand on top of yours, slowly looking between each of the others. “Because that’s what’s happening. We’re -”

“Hell yeah, brother!” Benny jumped up and circled the table, first clapping Frankie on the shoulder before he put him in a loose headlock, the two of them laughing. When he let go, he moved to you, winding his arms around you from behind and ducking down to press a kiss to the top of your head. “And good for you too. There are plenty of worse guys out there than ‘Fish.”

It made you laugh - Benny lightening the mood significantly, and when you tipped your head back so that you could plant a kiss on his cheek, he grinned and winked before he backed away. “He’s alright.” That made the others laugh, too, and when Pope stood to go and get another drink, the conversation around the table resumed. 

You settled in, Frankie by your side with an arm around your shoulders as all of you caught up with each other. For the next hour, everything was normal, and when Tom stood to preheat the grill, you also pushed away from the table, excusing yourself to use the bathroom. 

“I’ll come with you.” Tom pointed at the grill. “This is ready, so I need to get dinner out of the fridge anyway.” 

There was a small bathroom off of the kitchen, which was bright and cheerful with lots of natural light and greenery. Molly, I’m sure. He was still inside when you finished, and when Tom turned in your direction, holding out a tray of skewered vegetables, you took them happily. “I’ll be honest. I never pictured you as a grill guy, Tom.” 

“Oh yeah?” He grinned at you and you nodded, eyes on him as he picked up a tray of hamburgers and hotdogs. “What did you think I was?” He gestured to the bags of buns before he grabbed a basket full of cutlery and condiments, and then the two of you headed back for the door. He pushed the screen to the side, waiting for you to walk through. 

“I don’t know. I just figured with as much time you spent enlisted, you never had time to learn to cook.” You jerked your chin forward. “Or grill.” He spoke as he followed you, his tone amused. 

“Molly’s the cook. And I’m decent with grilling, but I like it.” You set what you carried down and then turned to reach for the condiments, Tom reaching forward to hand them to you. You caught the wince he tried to hide - slight but still noticeable, his jaw tightening briefly before it relaxed and he spoke again. What did they say happened? Tess and volleyball? “And these assholes will eat just about anything, so as long as I don’t turn their burgers into fucking hockey pucks, it’s fine.” 

Benny snorted but agreed, and even Will nodded briefly, though there was an expression on his face you couldn’t read. You sat down next to Frankie again, and without hesitation he reached over and took your hand, squeezing after linking your fingers together. Ask later. “I’m also not a fan of eating hockey pucks, so…” Tom held up both hands after setting the meat down, muttering the word understood, and then pulled the top of the grill open. 

The conversation continued around you, and as the smell of cooking meat and vegetables filled the air, you fully relaxed. The weather was nice, the company was even nicer, and the fact that everyone was 90% on the same page was a relief. 

“Hey.” Frankie’s voice was quiet in your ear as he leaned in closer, his lips curved upward in a tiny smile. “Ironhead and I are going in to get another round of drinks. You need one?” You did - and told him as much, eyeing the two men as they stood from the table and left you, Pope, Benny and Tom in the back yard. 

When Benny stood to walk over to Tom, you turned your attention to Pope, beginning a conversation about him and Yovanna, and what they’d been up to. He answered enthusiastically, his face lightning up as he spoke, and you were so engrossed in what he was saying that you almost missed Frankie and Will coming back, setting down bottles and cans in front of where everyone was sitting. 

Dinner was ready only a few minutes later, and while you ate, there was none of the lingering tension from the beginning of the conversation, or even any of the uncertainty that you’d seen on Will’s face. You chalked it up as just a product of the situation you’d all found yourselves in, and once again let your guard down. 

It was stupid not to; you were surrounded by a retired Delta Force team and the full moon was weeks away. Nothing was going to happen to you in Tom’s back yard, and even the dull itch of your healing leg wasn’t enough to deter you from that line of thinking. 

As the night went on and dinner was cleared from the table, the six of you moved from the patio and into the yard, sitting in a circle around a small fire pit. You knew that you and Frankie would have to leave earlier than everyone else - he had flights the following morning, and needed to sleep - but the truth was that you didn’t want to leave. 

You’d been to gatherings before, though none of them had been with actual friends. You’d attended bonfires and parties, scoring invites from people you’d met in previous cities in an attempt to strike up conversations with people as they drank or smoked more and let their guard down. But you’d never been to a night like the one that night, and even though you enjoyed yourself, it was also a reminder that no matter how close you got with Frankie and the others, they had true history together, something that you’d never had the opportunity to experience. 

“You alright?” Frankie leaned over, ducking his head to kiss your shoulder. “You’re quiet.” 

“I’m just glad to be here.” You gestured with your bottle, indicating his friends. “It’s a nice change of pace from my usual routine.” You could see that he understood, and while the two of you stared at each other, the firelight flickering in his eyes, you also understood how much the time with his friends in a casual setting meant. “We should probably go soon, though, right?” Chewing on your lip, you took a deep breath. “You’ve got a 10 am, right?” 

“Right.” He leaned back in his chair, stretching. “And that alarm goes off early.” Frankie groaned, reaching up to pull his hat off before using the back of his hand to rub at his eye. “We’re gonna get going.” The other conversation stopped, everyone’s attention going back to you. “We should probably figure out what we’re doing about next month pretty soon, just so we’re all on the same page.”

“Think it’s my turn to head out with you, ‘Fish.” Benny cleared his throat. “But I’m not opposed to turning it into an all play, just to cover our asses.” 

“Might be a good idea.” Pope sighed, rubbing at the space between his eyes. “I think it’s gonna come back and try to see if we’re back at the RV. It had to have smelled wolf-you, Frankie. It might even go back there as a human to scope it out, so -”

“I can head out there in the next couple days.” Tom leaned forward, the hand holding his beer dangling between his knees. “See if everything looks right. Check on the blind, replenish the first aid kit, all that.” Frankie nodded from next to you, and you opened your mouth to speak, but Will beat you to it. 

“Will you be able to get away with us next month, Redfly?” He sipped from his beer, gesturing to the rest of you with it. “Strength in numbers and all that shit?”

“No.” Tom shook his head, staring at the blonde. “There’s a realtor’s conference in Orlando that goes all weekend. Didn’t get to go to the one in August, so I thought this one was a good backup.” He cleared his throat. “I can do whatever you need me to until that Wednesday night, but I won’t be home for the full moon.” 

“Alright.” Will agreed, shrugging. “We’ll do it without you, then.” You could hear the annoyance in his tone, but everyone else ignored it - and so you did, too… at least outwardly. It’s bullshit that Tom hasn’t helped the same ways that the others do. You stood, reaching behind you to move the chair out of the way so that you could head for the fence gate. It seems like he’s just making excuses, and that’s… it’s fucking bullshit. 

It wasn’t your place to say anything, and even though part of you hoped that one of the others would, you didn’t know how likely it was. “Thanks for dinner, Redfly. See you around.” Frankie moved to stand next to you, extending the goodbyes to the rest of his friends. “Let me know what you find at the RV, alright?”

“Sure.” Tom stood, too, sticking one hand in his pocket and jerking his chin at you. “Take care of that leg, alright?” You assured him that you would, and then you started walking again, Frankie’s hand reaching over to take your bottle from you. He dropped them into the trash can next to the back door before you made it to the side of the house, and then he linked his fingers with yours, squeezing. 

“Do you want to go to the car? I need to use the bathroom.” You stopped, turning your head toward where he stood. “Or you can come inside with me, and we’ll go out the front.” 

“That.” You nodded. “Sitting in the car alone feels weird.” He grinned and then changed course, heading for the sliding door. You followed him, moving to lean against the dividing wall between the kitchen and the front hall. The lights were dimmed, but you used the time to look around the room, taking in the details. 

It was cozy and looked lived in in a way that Frankie’s house didn’t. Molly’s influence was all over the decor, and there were fresh flowers in vases scattered around the room, too. I bet Tom doesn’t give a shit about artwork or tile style or - 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of breaking glass, and instinctively, you perked up, craning your neck toward the door leading outside. There was some commotion and then the sound of voices as they got closer to the screen door, and only a few seconds later, you watched as Tom entered, his face set into an angry scowl and one hand curled into a tight fist. “You alright? I -”

“Ironhead dropped a bottle.” He went toward the sink, using his other hand to turn the tap on. “Sliced my fucking finger open helping him pick up glass.” You winced in sympathy for him, watching as he unclenched his fist and stuck his flattened palm under the water, shoulders rising and falling as he rinsed the wound. 

A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened and your attention moved to Frankie, watching as he stepped back into the kitchen, wiping his hands on his jeans. He inhaled sharply and then paused, but he veered past Tom to get back to you, sliding an arm around your waist to pull you closer. Why is he so rigid? What is going on? “You cut yourself, Redfly?”

“Beer bottle. It’s fine.” He groaned and turned the water off, reaching for a paper towel. “Ironhead already offered to stitch me up if I need it.” You laughed quietly, but Frankie didn’t, instead pulling gently on you and leading you toward the door. “Have a good night, you two. Get home safe.” 

The further you got from the kitchen, the tighter Frankie’s hold on you became. And when you were finally inside the truck, he raised both hands to the wheel, gripping it tightly enough that you heard it creak. Ok, what the fuck. “Frankie? What’s -”

“I should have fucking seen it.” He nearly growled the words, squeezing the wheel one more time before letting go and starting the truck’s ignition. “I should have fucking known. It’s been right there, in front of my goddamn face.” What? What is … His hands were shaking as he put it into drive, and even in the low light from the streetlamps, you could see that he was breathing hard. Something happened, but what? 

“Frankie, you’re scaring me.” It was the truth. You hadn’t actually felt fear around him in the entire time you’d known him up to that point. “You were fine before you went into the bathroom, and then Tom -”

“FUCK!” He reached up, pulling his hat off and flinging it at the windshield, the truck jerking to a stop at the end of the block. “I can’t fucking believe that he … goddamn him. He’s lucky I didn’t fucking …” The truck started moving again as Frankie’s head whipped back and forth, the shadows sliding over his features as you headed away from the Davis residence. What the fuck is going on with him right now?  

“Frankie?” Your heart was pounding, and even though you were afraid, you knew that he wouldn’t hurt you. Not with the way that he got me out of that house. Not with the way he got me away from … “Tom.” 

The pieces fell into place in an instant, even though you didn’t know the details. Tom’s the other wolf. Somehow, he figured it out tonight, but what would have … “Take your phone out.” He was still angry, but there was a calm to the way he spoke, and you realized that Frankie had slipped into whatever mindset he’d used to get through each mission he’d been on. He’s in survival mode. And that means he really believes this is true. “Ironhead’s going to call you as soon as he gets into his car because he knows I’m driving.” 

You wanted to reach for him, but instead you did as he told you, digging your phone out and holding it - screen up - in one hand between you. “Where are we going?”

“Back to my place.” He was still holding the wheel with both hands, eyes on the road. “Because if we don’t go there, and he checks, he’ll know.” Before you could reply, your screen lit up, Will’s name and picture on it. “Speaker, please.” 

You answered, saying hello, but you didn’t get a chance to say anything else because Will’s voice filled the cab of the truck, his tone just as calm as Frankie’s. “Well?”

“It’s fucking him. I don’t know how, but it is.” He let out a shaky breath. “Good call on the glass, by the way. I can’t believe it worked.” He smelled the blood. He smelled it the other day, and then again today. 

“Are you sure?” He wasn’t outright questioning Frankie; he was confirming. “Because -”

“I smelled his blood all over that goddamn clearing, and even though my nose isn’t as good right now, I’d know it anywhere.” You covered your mouth with your other hand, turning your head to look out your window. “Tom is the other wolf, Will. He’s been hurting people for months, and he just tried to kill my girl a few days ago. I’m fucking sure.” 

There was a long silence as you and Frankie drove through the darkness, and your fingers tightened around your phone as you waited to see who would break it. You didn’t have long to wait. Before you and Frankie made it through another light, Will’s voice came though the speaker again - just as calm, but with a note of resolve in it. 

“I guess we’ve got to decide how you want to handle it then, don’t we ‘Fish?” 

The cab of the truck was silent for a few seconds longer, and then you watched as Frankie eased his grip on the wheel with his right hand. Tom? It’s Tom? He tried to … “Can you come to my place, Ironhead?” But you said he might check. How… how will this work? “This isn’t a conversation I want to have over the phone.” 

Frankie reached over, settling a hand on your thigh and moving his thumb against it in a slow, possessive arc. His touch was gentle, though, despite the rigidity of every other part of his body. “Yeah. Let me go home and get the bike. I’ll be there in thirty.” 

You hung up then, setting your phone down into one of the cupholders - but you stayed quiet. What is there to say? With both hands free, you moved to clasp them together in your lap, but Frankie didn’t let you, intercepting the movement and capturing one hand with his and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to your knuckles. 

“I meant it, by the way.” His voice was low but even, and when you turned your head toward him, Frankie’s gaze slid to the right and caught yours. It didn’t surprise you that his irises were golden, and you realized in those few moments just how hard he was fighting to hold himself together. 

 You didn’t pull away - and you didn’t flinch, either. “Meant what, Francisco?” He kissed your hand again and then lowered your hands to rest against his thigh, his grip tightening. 

“I’m going to rip his fucking throat out.” 

—

[xfangs]

more mh doodles. visting my family and they only had pink n purple thick markers

[trendsettertessa]

Monster High x Style Savvy! I made some ghouls on Halloween, and just forgot to post them here. These are just my own human-ish takes on them. They're slightly based on specific dolls.

[yandere-wishes]

Monster High Taglist

It's going to be a while before this fic is out. But you guys know the drill. Let me know in the comments if you want to be tagged.

[batofthedead]

Unfinished monster high redesigns 🖤