That dynamic always hinges on ancient animosity, a conflict bred into the bone. In the stories I'm drawn to, it's not just a family or pack forbidding it; it's the magic itself that might recoil. Their very natures could be antithetical—a witch's power drawn from will and ceremony, a werewolf's from lunar instinct and physical transformation. That creates a fascinating internal struggle alongside the external prejudice.
I remember a webnovel where the witch protagonist's protective wards actually caused her werewolf lover physical pain. The tension wasn't just about hiding; it was about her power, which defined her, being a literal source of his suffering. The unfolding involved them finding a third, unstable path—maybe her learning blood magic (taboo in her own coven) because it resonated with his primal nature, or him seeking a fae artifact to temper the moon's call. The cost is always enormous.
It rarely ends with simple acceptance. More often, one of them has to sacrifice a core part of their identity, or they create a new, isolated space entirely, forever caught between worlds. The appeal is watching two people fight not just society, but the universe's own rules to carve out a sliver of possibility. The fallout from that fight leaves permanent scars, which is why the healing or comfort phases in those tales feel so hard-won.