Fear The Old Blood

1-Hurt, Found, Safe

Chapter 1
Word Count: 3010

She walked through the town farmers market collecting breads and vegetables from the venders.
The bustle of people was almost overwhelming but she knew why. Tonight's event was the answer to that. Everyone was sticking up in case and seeing their close family and friends before, just in case.

Her shopping bag had become nearly full but she still had one last vender to visit.

James Cook.
A twenty some odd man who worked with his father farming the lands of the country. He waved the girl over with a huge smile and Florence happily skipped her way to him. He wiped his hands on his white apron and happily started chatting up Florence. She smiled brightly back and went around his table of many different assortment of cheeses and hugged the brown haired boy.

"James! I haven't seen you in weeks! Where have you been?" She exaggerated while playfully hitting him on the chest. He laughed at her silliness and raised his arms into the air in surrender. "Sorry Flor but my dad has needed me back at the farm for the past few weeks." He scratched try back of his neck with a toothy grin and simply looked adoringly upon Florence. Her smile lit up an entire room and her laugh was melodic, bringing people's spirits up within seconds.

"Well it's great to see you again! I just need my usual pick up and then I'm off." She said cheerfully, eyeing the lovely looking cheeses that were on display.

She looked intriguingly at the display, debating which one to take when James interrupted her thoughts.
"What are you thinking about tonight Flor?" The question made her freeze in her spot. She looked down and made a gloomy expression upon her face. James instantly felt guilty. He didn't want Florence to feel gloomy or upset of any matter.

Tonight was the Mating Find and Claim. The werewolves would cross into the human territory, on the hunt for their mates. All werewolves were male. They came in packs, searching all night looking for the one they wanted to claim. Florence had just turned of age. Twenty two. Wolves searched years for their mate, every year coming back into the human territory until they found their mate. The longer it took for them to find the girl, the more their wolf spirit inside them took over their body, controlling them, making them more out of control, dominant and possessive.

Florence was nervous for tonight. Not all females were chosen as mates to the wolves but three quarters of the female human population was, every year. A pit had grown in her stomach. Underneath her happy, bubbly attitude, she was truly afraid for the event of tonight.
She didn't want to become the mate to a werewolf simply because she didn't want to be left out and treated like nothing but scum. She had heard that not every wolf was kind to their mates and that they were kept in large rooms, never to leave but only visited once a day by their mate because the wolf didn't trust his mate enough.

Florence shuddered at the idea of doing against her will. She shrugged at James and still went on searching for what she needed. Florence wasn't lonely in the little town. She had James who was decently handsome. Standing at five foot eleven, he too towered over  Florence, but really, anybody did. His sharp jawline, pointed nose, curved face, and swished back brown hair along with his warm blue eyes, he did catch women's attention.

James knew what Florence was hiding and why so he didn't press the matter any more. He crossed his arms and watched his friend move along the tables edges, looking at the display with a hint of amusement. Her smile turned soft and pleased when she looked at a specific one and reached out to what she had picked. The newly made gouda cheese. One of James' specialities. He smirked internally, happy that Florence was taking a liking to it.