Peter's entire life had collapsed around him within the span of a single night. One moment he'd been ready to accept his title as heir apparent to the Clan, and the next moment his parents were dead and his sister was a prisoner.
Now here he was, running through the Forest of the Goddess, half transformed under her moonlight, and begging her for some sort of intervention. Peter didn't even care if he regained his title or throne- he was most concerned for his sister. He wouldn't put it past the bastards who betrayed his parents to marry her off to one of the coup members. It would legitimize their reign and effectively turn poor Coella into a pawn to control the people.
Peter snarled at the very thought. Over his dead body would that happen. They made a mistake in not killing him when they had the chance. He intended to pay them back by ripping each of their throats out, personally.
When Peter made it to a clearing, he stopped just outside it to catch his breath and center himself. He could only barely hold back his full transformation under the full moon. His will fought desperately against his body as his bones struggled to snap into a new place and fur seemed to be straining to grow just underneath his smooth, tan skin. He panted with the effort of simply not transforming when something in the clearing caught his eye.
It was a girl.
This woman was easily the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld. Her hair cascaded down her creamy skin in an emerald waterfall, shimmering and swishing with every movement she made. Her lithe form moved gracefully about the clearing in a dance that made Peter's heart thunder. If he didn't know better, he would think he was gazing at the Goddess of Beauty.
Entranced by her strange dance, Peter found himself relaxing. Without even realizing it, his monthly transformation had stopped completely, leaving him between the form of a human and the form of the beast. His gaze traveled from the top of her head down to the tips of her feet, noting that she was dragging her feet about in a peculiar manner as she danced.
Then it hit him. She wasn't dancing.
She was a magician, and she was forming a magical circle.
Peter grew excited as hope blossomed in his chest. Depending on the skill of this young woman, she could help him save his sister and avenge his parents. All he needed to do was go out there, lay on the charm-
"There he is!" A low, gruff bark came from behind him. Peter's blood ran cold. They found him.
New plan: He was going to take the girl and run. Only the Goddess knew what they'd do to her. She was currently in just as much danger as he was.
Without another thought, Peter burst into the clearing. He was thankful for his half-transformed body now- it was faster, stronger- not more so than the wolves pursuing him, but good enough.
The girl's eyes widened as she saw him barreling towards her. Close up, Peter realized what a beautiful shade of pink they were. They reminded him of rose petals.
Before she could say anything or scream, Peter caught her into his arms and lifted her into his arms. He continued to run, glancing behind them every few steps to gauge how far away their pursuers were. The girl was oddly quiet for someone who, let's face it, had just been kidnapped. Peter spared her a small glance to ensure she hadn't fainted. It didn't look like she had, but she was staring at him with a weird expression that looked a bit dazed out. At least she hadn't fainted, he supposed.
It felt like he'd run for hours when Peter finally slowed down. For now, it looked like he'd lost them, but Peter knew that they wouldn't be safe for long. Their pursuers undoubtedly came from the number of insurrectors that had destroyed his family and future. Anger flooded his veins as he snarled once more. They'd pay for what they'd done.
"Please don't hurt me," a soft voice came from his arms, startling Peter from his thoughts. He'd been so enthralled by his vengeful thoughts that he'd, for a moment, forgotten about the poor girl.
Peter immediately felt guilty. He'd probably looked like he wanted to eat her. Suddenly, Peter felt self-conscious about his current appearance. He'd somehow managed to avoid transforming fully, but that meant he likely looked like some sort of hideous half-man half-wolf. Peter didn't want her to find him ugly, not when he found her so captivating.
He quickly shook those thoughts off. Now was not the time.
"I'm very sorry, my lady, I don't plan to hurt you. Quite the contrary. There were others pursuing me. I had to take you with me to ensure your safety, I don't know what they would have done had they discovered you," Peter replied, trying his best to explain himself as he set the woman down on her own two feet. Part of him wished that he could continue to carry her. He told that part of himself to shut up. "Might I ask for my lady's name?"
"I'm- I'm-" The woman stammered, blinking dazedly up at Peter before she seemed to come into full consciousness all at once and took a few steps back away from him. "I am n-not your lady! Shouldn't you be introducing yourself to me first?"
"Of course, my apologies." Peter felt incredibly stupid. What was the point of being a Prince (or a deposed Prince, if he wanted to be technical about it,) if he couldn't speak to women without making a complete bellend of himself? "I'm Prince Peter of the Northern Clan. Or, I used to be. There have been a few… political complications. I know we just met, but I couldn't help but notice that you're a magician, and- and I know we're strangers, but I need your help. My sister, she's-"
"You'll need to stop right there," the girl interjected. Though her tone was stern, her rose petal eyes seemed sympathetic to his plight as she spoke. "You've kidnapped me from an important Ritual for me and my people. I will not be going or doing anything with you until you bring me back to my temple."