Blood Of The Moon (ch3)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!

I appreciate anyone who's giving this story a chance! The first two chapters were a trip, but now finally the two of them will have their first interaction!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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							Chapter 3. Curses

The girl in Maya's bed remains wide-eyed in fright for several long seconds, during which Maya can tell her heart is pounding.

She still has a hold of one of the girl's hands, which is clenched and shaking. Maya can only assume she hasn't yanked it away yet only because she's still so shocked about all of this and trying to process it.

Maya maintains a firm grip on her hand, not to force her, but simply because she truly wants her to stay and talk to her.

The girl heaves in a few more deep, frazzled breaths before the pain coursing through her body must begin to register. She flinches, pitching forward to cross her arm across her stomach, over the worst of the wounds Maya had found. A groan tumbles from her lips and her eyes fall shut in pain. Maya tenses, reaching out in an effort to help her.

"Are you all right-?"

Immediately the girl rounds on her, snapping her teeth as though she were in her canine state, her eyes burning with hatred. At the same time she wrenches her hand from Maya's grip, scrambling away with such ferocity that Maya fears she'll fall off the bed and reopen all of her wounds.

But her actions do not stem from any sort of ill intent. Maya can tell as much. This girl is acting only out of deep-rooted fear for her own life. She's merely trying to defend herself. Just like back in the forest, her eyes have that same look of warning, and as she heaves for breath through the pain, she now voices the very same message in words.

"Get away from me-"

Her voice is taught and rasping, as if it's clawing its way up her throat and leaving scratches behind on her insides. Her tone is low and guttural, and her lips curl back in another snarl.

But past all of that, Maya can decipher the voice of the girl beneath it all. Had she not been so petrified and ridden with anxiety, Maya is certain her normal, unhinged voice would be rather pleasant to listen to.

In order to not have the girl hurt herself in an effort to escape, Maya obeys and withdraws her hands, holding both of them up in surrender.

The girl clutches her chest, still breathing hard. She glares at Maya for a long moment, until she must understand she isn't going to make a move, then casts her gaze around the room with a hunted look in her eyes.

Maya keeps a bit of distance between them on the bed, doing her best to give off a calming air. She tries to explain herself.

"You see, I-"

"What are you-?" The girl growls again, probably so used to doing so in her wolf form that it just comes naturally to her now. Though it still sounds like it's hurting her throat a good amount.

'What' am I? Maya raises an eyebrow. Not 'who'? Now that is an interesting way of phrasing it.

Keeping her tone level, Maya voices her thoughts.

"'What' am I? What exactly do you mean by that?"

The girl hesitates, her rose-colored gaze flitting around like a panicked mouse.

"I'm not sure," she rasps. "But you're… you're not human. I can tell that much. Your scent is different somehow. You smell like blood-" She tapers off panting, as though speaking even that much had robbed her of her breath.

Maya keeps her voice calm.

"Are you certain it isn't your own blood you're smelling? After all, you were in quite an awful state when I found you. I feared you might not survive. But I'm very glad you did."

Now, for the first time since she'd opened her eyes, something comes across the girl's expression that outweighs the fear. She seems genuinely confused, and her tight-knit brow loosens just a little.

"What are you talking about? I was-" She cuts herself off, as if biting back something she shouldn't say. Seeming to remember all of the pain shooting through her, she dares to look away from Maya and down at herself. She finds herself covered in bandages and unfamiliar clothes. She grabs at the shirt on her chest, curling in her nails and giving a tug as if trying to rip it clean off, but must decide against it for how soft it is.

Her movements make her flinch, and a sharp gasp flies from her throat. Once again she hunches forward, holding onto her stomach with one hand and her head with the other.

Maya's heart twists. She wants to help her but knows she may very well only make things worse with the state of panic this girl is still in. She reaches out, not touching her, but letting it be known that she would if she was given permission to.

"Is there something I can do? Shall I fetch you some water?"

The girl heaves a painful breath and lifts her head, the distrust and hatred once again swirling in her gaze.

"What do you want-?" Her voice doesn't hold quite the same passion as it had moments earlier. Now it seems to be fading into more of a whimper. "You did this… you brought me here and wrapped my wounds, didn't you?"

Maya keeps her voice soft, and her eyes softer.

"Yes."

"Why?" she spits. "What the hell- do you want from me-?"

Maya shakes her head, lowering her hands down into her lap again.

"All I wanted," she says honestly. "Was for you to wake up again."

The girl sucks in a breath which seems to catch in her throat, clearly surprised by the answer. She's quiet for a moment, once again looking down at herself, feeling just how many bandages are there.

Maya trusts she understands now, that she'd been injured so severely she probably would never have opened her eyes again if someone hadn't done something to help her.

The girl heaves in several more shaking breaths, slowly straightening herself up again. Maya remains put, giving her her space, but stays close enough to reach out and help her if it becomes absolutely necessary.

"You saved my life…" she mutters. But instead of sounding grateful or relieved, Maya detects only dread and bitterness in her tone. The girl gives her a miserable look. "I owe you my life… So what do you plan to do with me…?"

Several things surprise Maya about that response.

Firstly, that the girl would adhere to the unspoken rule that saving one's life meant they were indebted to that person. She didn't intend to struggle or try to escape or fight Maya for her freedom. She is clearly genuine about hearing Maya's response and doing whatever it is she demands her to do in compensation for saving her life.

And secondly, Maya is taken aback by the sadness in her voice, the dread and the bitterness she'd heard. This girl didn't like to be indebted to anyone, but she'd pay her dues properly.

But what Maya feared was more likely to be the case was that this girl was now expecting horrible things, like that Maya would make her a slave in order to repay her debt. It's evident that, no matter how grueling the request Maya might make of her, this girl is prepared to carry it out obediently.

It's a law of the jungle, so to speak, of the darker world where creatures like them reside. As soon as the girl had understood her debt she'd stopped trying to resist or fend Maya off.

Maya can't help but flinch at the slight ache in her chest at seeing the girl so dejected and hopeless. That hadn't been the kind of expression she'd wanted to see on her anymore than the fear had been.

When Maya is quiet for a long moment, the girl must presume she's thinking of the terms of the services she will have to provide Maya for the remainder of her life now. She lifts her face very slightly, like a dog to its master, though her eyes are sad and scared. Maya only shakes her head.

"What do I plan to do with you…?" she repeats. "Well, for starters, I plan to give you something to eat and to let you rest until your injuries have healed. How does that sound to begin with?"

The girl blinks at her once, then twice, clearly not believing what she'd heard.

"Wh… What? What kind of game are you playing?"

"I assure you, I am doing nothing of the sort," Maya says honestly.

It occurs to her then that this girl still isn't aware that Maya knows what she is. And with the way she keeps glancing to the window and then down at herself, Maya can assume the girl keeps expecting she might transform into a wolf at any moment, and is debating what to do if that does end up happening.

Based on that, Maya can ascertain that her transformations likely aren't voluntary, and that she probably would have transformed again tonight regardless of the moon's shape had her body been physically well enough to do so.

For now, Maya wants to get her something to eat or drink, since it doesn't seem like she's going to try and bolt anymore.

Maya begins moving her legs in an effort to get up from the bed, but instantly the other girl shrinks back defensively, the panic resurfacing in her eyes twice as strongly. Maya quickly explains herself.

"There is no need for you to worry. I simply wanted to get you something to drink. You lost quite a lot of blood." She still needs to ask her about what had happened, but perhaps after she's given the girl something to fill her aching stomach.

Keeping both of her hands up in a display of peace, Maya slowly gets off the bed and walks across the room. All the while the other girl glowers at her, but she must end up glaring so intently she gives herself a fresh headache. With a moan she slumps forward again, catching her head in her hands with a shudder. Maya takes a step back toward her.

"Are you-?" But she never finishes the question, as the girl suddenly jolts with a gasp so deep and sudden it must flip her stomach over.

"Where-?" She clutches her head, her shaking fingers curling and uncurling along her scalp, tugging at her matted hair. "Where is it-? Where is it-?"

Perplexed, Maya is about to inquire when the girl snaps her head up with such force it makes Maya jump.

"Please-!" the girl yelps, and Maya is startled to see tears brimming in her eyes suddenly. "M-Maman gave it to me-"

Suddenly she is beside herself with sorrow and breaks down into breathless sobs.

Maya's jaw drops a bit. This girl hadn't shed a single tear when she'd been mauled half to death, nor when she'd woken up in a stranger's apartment expecting to be made into a slave for the rest of her life. But this had reduced her to tears in seconds.

It doesn't take long for Maya to understand what she's asking for with the way her hands are clutching the crown of her head. Maya hurries to the nightstand and picks up the black headband she'd removed from her earlier.

"Please-!" she exclaims. "Don't hurt yourself. Is this what you're looking for?" She holds the headband out to her with caution. The girl gasps as she looks up sharply, recognition and relief swelling as a few of the tears spill over. She reaches out as if to snatch her treasure from Maya, but her hands are trembling so much she ends up taking it from her much more gently, like a child who thought they'd lost their most precious toy.

The girl breathes heavily, clutching the headband to her chest for a moment as she tries to stop the tears, then slips the trinket back onto her head where it belongs. She swallows several times, trying to get her breath back, then catches Maya's eye from the side.

"Thank you…"

Maya is at a loss. She wouldn't thank her for saving her, but for giving that object back to her. Maya understands it must be more precious to her than her own life.

For now, she dips her head and takes a few steps back, giving the girl her space.

"I'll just be a moment. Please take care not to hurt yourself."

With this request, Maya turns and heads for the kitchen.

She moves quickly, fearing the girl will be gone by the time she returns to the bedroom. She pulls out a bottle of water from the refrigerator, then thinks quickly about food. If this girl really is a wolf, Maya decides on meat.

Working at a grocery store had its benefits in terms of employee discounts at the very least, and Maya still has some pork dumplings leftover from yesterday. She heats them up and puts them into a bowl, feeling that would be the most practical way to contain them if they're going to be eaten by an injured girl in bed.

With something in each hand, Maya walks briskly back to the bedroom, fearing it might be vacant.

But thankfully her guest is still there, still looking quite frazzled, but not nearly as pained. One hand still clutches her stomach, but the other is touching her headband much more gently.

When Maya enters, the girl looks up, her thick hair bouncing over her shoulders. Her eyes brighten with hunger and caution, as if she doesn't trust Maya to actually let her eat. Maya combats those doubts by walking straight up to her and offering her the bowl of steaming dumplings.

"Please eat," she says.

The girl eyes her warily, trying not to seem as excited by the prospect of eating as she must feel. Maya passes her the bowl, feeling the way her hands are still quivering through their shared contact of the object.

Once she has it in her lap, the girl picks up the chopsticks Maya had set inside the bowl, but her fingers don't cooperate enough to pick up the dumpling, so she ends up skewering it instead. Her mouth is already open, but she stops before the food touches her lips. She looks to Maya and then back to the dumpling, then must reason it can't possibly be poisoned, because if Maya had wanted her dead she wouldn't have bothered to help her in the first place.

But even then she refrains from taking a bite, and Maya soon understands it's because she's too close to her. The girl must fear she'll be ambushed when she has her guard down. Though again, if Maya had wanted to attack her, she would have done it when the girl was unconscious, but nonetheless she understands that fear.

So she takes a step back, putting the water bottle onto the nightstand and keeping a bit of space between them.

Only then is the starving girl satisfied enough to sink her teeth into the first bite.

Maya can't be certain, but she almost thinks she sees tears in her eyes again as she eats, tears of sheer relief this time. She downs the first dumpling in only a few bites, then begins on the next one, tearing into them so ravenously it forces Maya to wonder when the last time she'd eaten was.

Maya watches her for a moment, then slowly steps toward the bed. She motions to the mattress right beside the girl's knees.

"May I sit here?"

The girl looks up as if she'd been so invested in her meal she'd forgotten Maya's presence for a moment.

"It's your bed. Do whatever you want…"

"Perhaps it is my bed," Maya agrees. "But what I am inquiring about here is your level of comfort. Or would you prefer I move further away?"

The girl swallows her current mouthful with a wild look in her eyes, the look of an animal gorging itself as though it knows this could be its last meal. But when Maya speaks to her, the tension seems to drain from her body, just a little.

It's evident to Maya that this girl hasn't encountered anyone who would consider her comfort before. She seems inclined to tell Maya to get as far away from her as possible. However, when she pauses to consider the bandages and the water and the food and the headband…

The girl draws in a deep, deep breath, then exhales slowly.

"You can sit there…"

Maya smiles.

"Thank you. Then please don't mind if I do."

Like before, Maya chooses a spot that is close enough that she'll be able to reach out for her if she suddenly suffers another bout of pain, but far enough away to let her breathe.

She sits quietly, watching as the girl finishes the dumplings, then exchanges the bowl for the water. She drinks all of it, then puts the empty bottle aside and faces Maya warily, with the understanding that now that she's been patched up and fed by her that she'll need to start answering questions. Maya dips her head and starts with the obvious.

"First of all, what is your name, if you will? As I mentioned before, mine is Tendo Maya."

The girl keeps her mouth clamped shut for a moment, as if gathering her composure.

"Saijou," she mutters at last. "Saijou Claudine."

"Saijou-san, then," Maya says. "I wish we could have met under more favorable circumstances, but as things stand now, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The girl - Claudine - continues staring at her, but doesn't return the greeting.

"You asked me a question," she grunts. "Now it's my turn."

"That seems fair," Maya agrees. "Go ahead."

Claudine heads straight to the heart of the matter.

"What are you?"

The same question from earlier. Maya debates on the best way to answer that won't get her guest worked up too badly.

"I'm the same as you," she replies. "Though, not exactly. But similar enough, I would say."

Claudine glowers, but the wariness in her gaze is joined by an in-concealable curiosity now.

"Like me?" She scoffs at first, then changes her tone. "You can't be. There's no way you're-" She stops herself again before she can say anything too incriminating. Maya doesn't want to rush this for fear of missing important details, so she gladly rewinds a little.

"You see, when I first met you, you were not exactly… in your current state of appearance."

Once she mentions that, Claudine seems to regain her memories of when Maya had found her in the forest, huddled beneath a bramble thicket.

"So that was you-" she chokes, her eyes once again filling with anxiety. "You saw-"

"Indeed," Maya affirms, keeping her tone calm. "I witnessed your transformation the moment dawn broke. You were beautiful even as a wolf, but even more so as a girl."

Now it's truly undeniable. Before, they had mutually treaded in ambiguity, but now with the word 'wolf' out in the open, there's no more hiding it.

Claudine tenses, looking once more like she's about to try and bolt. But Maya holds a hand up to pacify her.

"Please. There is no need for you to worry. As I've mentioned, my situation is very similar to yours, Saijou-san."

Claudine bristles, breathing quickly.

"'Don't worry-'? You're telling me not to worry? If anyone finds out about it, I'm supposed to kill them before they can-"

"Please, slow down," Maya says gently. "I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to kill me even if you were in peak health, Saijou-san."

Claudine narrows her eyes.

"And what makes you say that, now that you know what I am? Are you challenging me?"

"I wouldn't say that." Maya remains calm, but there is a hint of warning in her voice now. "As I've mentioned, I am no ordinary human girl either. I could easily hold my own against you, if not best you on the spot."

"Sounds like you're full of it," Claudine growls. "How conceited can you be?"

"Quite," Maya admits. "But I promise you, it is not conceitedness. This is the truth." With this, she opens her mouth, holding up her lip to clearly reveal the sharp fangs.

Initially, Claudine is skeptical, but as soon as she sees the elongated teeth she gasps.

"You- You can't be-" She shakes her head, then gives the air another sniff. "You aren't a werewolf. I'm the only one for miles- possibly the only one in all of Japan. So how can you-?"

"Not a werewolf," Maya says quietly. "You would probably refer to me as a vampire."

Claudine stops breathing, and a shadow falls over her expression. Maya stays put, wondering what this revelation means for her. Immediately, Claudine brings a hand to the side of her neck, which is covered in bandages.

"You… Did you bite me?"

Maya shakes her head honestly.

"I did not. You were so terribly injured I feared for your life. Feeding off you was the last thing on my mind. Well, perhaps not the last, but it certainly was not at the forefront at the time."

"And what about now?"

Maya shakes her head again.

"You're very hurt. I wouldn't do such a thing to you. When I drink, my victims never know what I am until after I'm finished, at which point I've already erased their memories." She pauses, looking Claudine over. "But you are very different, Saijou Claudine. You are the first I have told my secret to honestly."

"Why?" Claudine asks. "Why would you tell me?"

"Because we are the same."

Claudine seems like she is about to snap back that they aren't, but then sees the truth in Maya's words.

Maya elaborates.

"Perhaps we are not of the same species," she says. "But neither of us are properly human, isn't that right?"

Claudine is silent for a moment, never taking her burning eyes off of Maya - particularly her mouth and fangs, which Maya is no longer making an effort to conceal.

"I never thought…" She mumbles something and tapers off.

Maya inclines her head.

"Pardon?"

Claudine bites her lip.

"I never thought… your kind existed… I always thought it was better if you didn't. Evidently, we don't mix well, according to legend."

"Legend, you say…?" Maya had read plenty of books in her childhood, only some of which had mentioned vampires. But even fewer had mentioned werewolves; the extent of her knowledge of them was simply that they shifted forms during certain cycles of the moon, but she knew nothing of their interactions with other species such as her own.

Claudine, who seemed to have almost been about to relax a bit earlier, now rebuilds her guard.

"I don't think we should have met," she mumbles. "I don't think we should have anything to do with each other."

Maya frowns, shaking her head slowly.

"I'm afraid it is far too late for that, Saijou-san. You and I are already quite involved with one another now."

Claudine swallows.

"Before… you said you could erase memories…"

Maya tenses.

"Only for those I feed from," she explains. "And I do not intend to drink from you, especially when you have already lost such copious amounts of blood, Saijou-san."

Claudine clicks her tongue.

"So it's a condition like that… Fine. I wouldn't want your fangs anywhere near me anyway. Who knows what kinds of problems it might cause if we have any sort of contact…"

"Contact?" Maya parrots, and the corners of her mouth curve upward into a small smile. "Saijou-san, how do you presume I transported you here from the forest? How do you presume I tended to your wounds and dressed you? If contact with me is what you fear, then I apologize to inform you that I've had no choice but to touch you quite a bit already."

At this, Claudine's face makes an entirely new expression Maya hasn't seen before. Her cheeks and nose turn as pink as her eyes, and her brow furrows rather cutely.

"You-?!" But before she can explode, she must think about it logically and see the sense in that. Claudine draws in a deep, steadying breath. "You did have a choice. You could have just left me there…"

Maya shakes her head.

"That isn't so. I was far too curious about you, that you might be like me. And besides, had I left you there, you surely would have died."

"Then you should've let me!" Vehemence and venom suddenly rip through Claudine's voice. Her eyes harden, then seem to break as a new surge of anguish crashes over her. "You should have just let me die there! If I'm still alive, it just means I have to go back-" She drops her face into her hands and sobs, though Maya isn't sure if there are tears or not.

Though she hardly knows this girl, it still pains her deeply to see her like this. Perhaps it's only because she is cursed like Maya is that she feels such sympathy. She doesn't believe she'd feel such things for just any sobbing human girl.

Tentatively, Maya rests a hand on Claudine's knee beneath the blankets. Claudine flinches, and Maya instantly withdraws, fearing she'd aggravated a wound. She laments her carelessness in silence as the sounds of Claudine's sobs fill the bedroom.

The beams of moonlight coming in through the open curtains suggest it's around 3AM now. Maya waits until Claudine has gotten ahold of herself before addressing her again.

"Saijou-san? Earlier you mentioned you were the only one of your kind. That begs the question: who were those men chasing after you? And how did you get such terrible wounds? Were they not your own kind?"

Just the mere mention of those people has Claudine choking. She clutches her chest, keeping her head bowed low, her hair concealing her face on either side.

"No-" She shakes her head, barely able to gasp out the words. "Those people- they're not-" Her breath hitches again, much more dangerously this time. Suddenly she's rendered unable to breathe properly, the panic gripping her so fiercely that her face drains of color in a split second.

Maya's heart drops.

"Saijou-san-?"

She acts on instinct, moving closer to Claudine, touching her in spite of their previous misgivings. She rests a hand on her back and rubs firmly.

Claudine seems to forget her fears of being touched by her - either that, or the more likely scenario being that her fear of being touched by a vampire is nothing compared to her fear of even thinking of those men.

Claudine doesn't shrink away from her, but Maya presumes it's less because she doesn't want to and more because she just can't. The panic seizing her now is relentless to the point of being debilitating. Maya worriedly pats her back and calls out to her.

"Saijou-san? It's all right. Those men won't find you here. I promise."

At the very least, if they weren't werewolves, they wouldn't be able to track her by scent. Even if they did somehow manage to find this place, Maya would fight them in Claudine's defense.

After several moments, Claudine is able to calm down again. And this time, when Maya keeps a hand on the small of her back, Claudine doesn't pull away. When she lifts her head again, tears have wet her cheeks. Maya resists the urge to clear them away, certain it would only make Claudine more uncomfortable.

"Saijou-san," she murmurs. "What did they do to you...?"

Claudine shoots her a glance that almost seems to say 'What do you care?', until she remembers Maya is under a similar curse. There's reluctance at first, but then she must decide they're already this deeply involved with one another, so she might as well talk.

"It happened… when I was 13…" she murmurs. "That was the first time I transformed. I didn't understand what was going on. I was so scared I'd end up hurting my parents that I ran away from home on the spot. It was three days before my birthday…"

As she tapers off for the moment, Maya reflects how Claudine's story is similar to her own.

"It was the same for me," Maya shares. "My curse also awakened when I was 13 years old, and I, too, fled home. It happened a few days after my birthday."

She can't be completely certain, but she almost believes Claudine seems to be a bit more at ease now that Maya is opening up to her as well. After drawing in another breath, Claudine continues.

"I just lived wherever I could, however I could. I stole when I had to, and when I was a wolf I'd even eat from the trash. It all tastes fine when I'm in that form, so I didn't care."

Maya nods in understanding. Claudine goes on.

"Then one night those men found me. I was a wolf at the time. They trapped me and beat me until they could drag me along with them." She stops, and Maya feels a deep shudder run through her back. "They're called the Alphas. They run an underground business. I'm sure you can guess which kind…"

It takes a moment for Maya to put the pieces together, but when she recalls the marks and injuries coating Claudine's body, it becomes all too clear. She feels nauseous, looking at her in horror.

"You don't mean…"

Claudine nods.

"Dog fighting. They found me one night and threw me into the ring. It was either kill or be killed. I didn't want to, but I didn't have a choice-" She chokes again as terrible memories flash through her mind.

Maya can only imagine the terror, the pain, and the grief of being forced to kill an innocent creature.

Once Claudine is able to continue, her voice is lifeless and weak.

"Of course I won every fight that first night… and when it was over, I turned back into a human. The men were freaked out a first, but they tied me up and kept me trapped until they figured out what they wanted to do with me. Since I had the intelligence of a human and impressive strength when I become a wolf, they used me as their top fighter. So long as I fought like they wanted and drew in a crowd and money, they wouldn't reveal my secret. But it wasn't like I had much of a choice anyway…"

Claudine hugs herself and begins to shiver.

"They'd keep me locked in a shack on the property. They gave me food and clothes and shelter, and in exchange I had to fight for them every night. Sometimes I'd only fight once, whichever dog had beaten all the others, and then I'd have to defeat it. And sometimes I fought every match, just so they could boast about how skilled their top fighter was. Sometimes I'd verse three or four at once. And sometimes it'd be other animals, like a tiger or bear…"

Maya can hardly comprehend what she's hearing. With every word out of Claudine's mouth her jaw tightens more and more, and her insides churn with fury and disgust.

Claudine is shivering almost violently now. Maya pulls up the blanket from the bed and drapes it across her shoulders.

"How long-?" Maya rasps. "How long have you been forced to do this…?"

Claudine doesn't look at her, as if she's too ashamed to admit it.

"About seven years now…"

Maya's stomach gnarls. It was no wonder why Claudine had so many terrible scars and wounds all over her body.

Claudine has begun to weep into her palms once again.

"I try not to…" she whispers. "I try not to kill them… I set them free whenever I can… but sometimes-"

"That's enough," Maya begs her. But Claudine needs to confess her guilt.

"I have to," she sobs. "If I don't, then the Alphas will beat me, no matter what form I'm in… They'll beat me for hours, until I can't get up anymore-"

By now Maya has begun to cry as well. She can't help herself from moving closer to her, pulling her in. And Claudine is far too preoccupied by her other thoughts to care.

"I've escaped so many times… But they always find me. Rather- I have to go back, or else…" She inhales, then shudders again, as if remembering something very important. "I have to go back. I don't have a choice… I have to go back…"

To Maya's horror, Claudine actually pulls the blankets off herself and makes an attempt to get up. Maya hastily holds her back.

"Saijou-san-?"

"I have to go back-" Claudine chokes. "If I don't… they'll kill Maman and Papa…"

"Eh…?" Maya blinks. "Those men know your family…?"

Claudine nods heavily.

"They beat it out of me. It hurt so much… so I told them… I shouldn't have told them… I should've just let them kill me instead- I should've just let those dogs tear me to pieces so this could all be over…" Warm tears drip down her face, off of her chin, and land on Maya's arm. "But… I want to… I want to see Maman and Papa again… someday… I want to go home…"

At this point she all but collapses in Maya's arms, shaking and sobbing with the most heart-wrenching sadness.

Maya still can't believe what she's hearing. A girl cursed to become a werewolf, forced by humans to fight and kill for profit and entertainment. If she didn't, they would kill her family, which was unfathomably worse to Claudine than losing her own life.

When Maya had first encountered her in the woods, she'd expected her story to be harrowing. But nothing as gruesome as this.

Maya herself had lived a fairly quiet life in the seven years since her curse had awakened. She'd been able to get a job at a grocery store and work the night shift, and only ever experienced a bit of discomfort here or there at the bars she frequented.

She never imagined another person with a curse could be living such a drastically different life.

No. With what Claudine had told her, she wasn't living a life at all. She was a prisoner, a trophy, a killing machine.

Maya is glad for the fact that she hadn't eaten real food within the past few days, because if she had she was certain she'd be throwing it up right now.

"Unforgivable…" The word tumbles from her lips beneath the sounds of Claudine's sobbing. "I won't let them," Maya vows. "I won't let them do this to you any longer. Saijou-san…"

She pulls her close, and Claudine lets her. She only lifts her face a little bit to catch Maya's gaze. Claudine's eyes are filled with so many emotions, things that seem to ask, 'why would you do that for someone you just met?' and 'you don't have to' and 'it would be hopeless anyway.'

And maybe she's right. Maybe Maya won't be able to do anything for her in the long run.

But at the very least, she can give her a safe place to sleep today.

Dawn breaks a moment later, flooding the room with golden light. Maya swallows thickly as her tears finally come to a stop. Claudine has stopped shaking and is still in her arms now, her expression remaining troubled even in her sleep.

Maya lies her down gently, then gets up to close the open curtains before returning to her side.

She stays awake a while longer, listening to the distant sounds of the town as people wake up and start their cars.

She vows then and there on her curse itself that she'll help Claudine break hers somehow. She isn't sure how, but there must be some way to do it. And until then, she'll keep her safe from the Alphas and their twisted entertainment.

Maya always wondered what it might be like to find someone else like herself. But she never imagined it could ever be as terrible as this.

As she leans back against the headboard, Maya rests her hand on top of Claudine's and watches her sleep, the tear trails still freshly drying on her cheeks. Maya bites her lip and exhales.

"Saijou Claudine… you have my word that I will do everything within my power to free you from your curse. I swear it."

Maya watches over her for as long as she can, until the past two days and nights catch up with her and remind her she hasn't slept once throughout them.

Keeping a firm grip on Claudine's hand, Maya lies herself down beside her and closes her eyes, letting Claudine be the last thing she sees before she drifts off into an uneasy slumber.

Hopefully, she'll still be there when she wakes.

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A/N: I knew from the moment I conceptualized this AU that I'd need Claudine to be forced into dog fighting. I needed to create the most despicable villains ever in the Alphas, and it doesn't get much worse than that.

Hopefully this chapter answered a few of your questions, but created just as many more.