The silvery glow of the crescent moon bathed the maple woods in a dim-lit manner casting its low light ambience over the towering trees scattered across Silver Brook Forest. The distant chirping of crickets in the shrubs and the constant hooting of an owl perched on a tree gave a sense of eeriness throughout the forest.
Elias Blackwood lay on his back, head resting on his hand, his green eyes fixated on the crescent shape of the moon above. A couple of hair strand danced across his face from the gentle breeze accompanying the moonlight. Beside him, a square jawed blonde rested on his chest cozying up to him like a child tugs at their mother. Elizabeth Andrews always enjoyed his company as it allows her to be free and unapologetically herself. The scent of the surrounding nature filled the air, mixing with the faint musk of his werewolf nature.
"Ever thought about leaving this town, starting a life together elsewhere." Elizabeth murmured, her fingers tracing unknown patterns on his chest.
Elias adjusted his head a little, his green eyes dimming a bit. "Sometimes" he admitted, gazing away at her small even lips. "Just both of us, somewhere far from this godforsaken town."
Elizabeth sighed, raising herself off his chest.
"Then let's leave. Tonight." she whispered.
Elias exhaled sharply, struggling to believe her words.
"You're next in line to be mayor of our town. Why would you let that go by following me to an unknown town?" He asked, reminding her of her sense of duty.
Her blue eyes calmed, like she anticipated that exact question.
"We've talked about this remember. I'm not interested in my family mayoral inheritance. I love you and I want to be with only you."
A moment of peace settled between them and as the two locked lips, they believed that nothing was going to break their blissful romance, they couldn't be more mistaken.
The snap of multiple twigs, footsteps increasing towards their direction. They were close and they was more than one man.
Elias' werewolf instincts kicked in. Swiftly, he sprang to his feet scanning the dark bushes ahead of them waiting to spot someone.
"Is something wrong?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled by his quick rise to alertness.
Elias sniffed the air, and, in that moment, he realized that they were truly coming. The scent of iron, gunpowder, and something worse; something dangerous to his existence as a werewolf - wolfsbane - filled his nose cementing the presence of hunters.
"Elizabeth," he murmured, his voice deeper and sterner, he closed his eyes and out came sharp claws from his hands, his face shifting from your normal high school teenager to something else- a face capable of intimidating even the bravest of men with its sharp canine. He stood protectively in front of her "We're not alone."
Before she could react, shadows appeared from different directions through the treeline - figures draped in camouflage clothing, their weapons visible under the moonlight. Hunters, at least five of them encased the couple in the middle of their formed circle. Leading the charge was Simon Andrew, Elizabeth's father and town mayor, his face disgusted at his daughter and Elias.
"Dad- Elizabeth began but was quickly silenced by her father.
"Elias, no child of mine can relate with a hideous monster like you. Monsters don't get to dream of happily ever after." He paused, moving closer to him "Monster's get put down and killed for the good of everyone."
A rage-filled growl rumbled from Elias' chest. He extended his hands, his claws waiting to grab Simon's neck on his orders. He stared back at Elizabeth, expecting fear which was exactly what he saw. A look that added to his already growing fury.
As Elias turned around to face Simon square, Elizabeth moved seemingly to beg her father to let him go, however that wasn't her intention.
The gunshot roared loudly scattering a flock of ravens from their nests.
Pain exploded through Elias' back as the first bullet tore into him, the familiar burn of wolfsbane coursing through his veins faster than it ever had. It felt different, maybe because the wolfsbane has been chemically engineered to be more lethal than the traditional one or because it was his girl that shot him in the back.
He turned to face her, trying to fight through the excruciating pain. No sooner their eyes locked, the second shot came right in his chest, pushing him further behind, he struggled to breathe, his green eyes now yellow and fading, then came the third. His knees grew weak, his world dizzying all he focused on was the smoking gun steady in Elizabeth's grasp.
"I tho.... I.. I thought.... you.. Loved....me" he stuttered weakly as he fell to the floor, his vision blurring.
Smiling menacingly, Elizabeth placed a foot on his chest "You really thought I considered you anything more than a disgusting force of nature? You're a monster and I'm an Andrew, I kill monsters." Her voice soft, almost sweet, but the malice in her eyes sliced deeper than the bullets ever could.
Elias' lips parted, a faint breath escaping as the wolfsbane kept him helpless and defenceless.
"Did you really have to shoot him thrice?" Simon asked as he collected the gun from his daughter
"Better safe than sorry. Besides he's lucky I didn't shoot him in the head." She responded sinisterly. "He's all yours." She said, walking away into the forest.
The last thing Elias saw was the father-daughter duo chatting as the night swallowed him whole.