Rain poured down from the gloomy March sky. The panes of my window wept under the onslaught, thunder rattling the loose glass with each boom. The warped wood of the frame was soft with rot. The pile of rags I slept in was quickly becoming damp from the growing puddle on the cracked linoleum. Sometimes I wish I’d never survived.
I blinked twice before selecting the two worst rags from the pile and used them to mop up what water I could in an effort to salvage the remainder of my bedding. Using the soaked rags I did my best to create a barrier around the puddle. It would at least slow the inevitable. The closet I called a room was barely wide enough for me to lay down in, a mere six paces wide and only four paces across. I knew I would be soaked in the morning when I awoke; I only hoped this time I wouldn’t become sick as I had in the past.
The family I lived with, the Liviers, tried to be understanding whenever I became ill. However, without their supernatural healing abilities, I remained sickly much longer than the others. A soft rapping from the wall beside my door startled me from my thoughts. Blinking owlishly, I turned, “Darrien?”
“Hey, Emi, I thought you might be cold, so I brought you one of the towels from my room.” My adoptive brother stated, holding out what used to be a rather luxurious grey bath sheet.
“You don’t have to—” I began before he cut me off with a wave.
“I’m going to sleep in my wolf form tonight, I’ll be plenty warm.” He interjected. “Besides, your room is draftier than mine. At least my window doesn’t leak.”
I nodded and wrapped the pseudo blanket around myself. It warded off the worst of the chill as my meager body heat worked to keep me from hypothermia. “Thank you.”
“Yeah,” He replied softly. He lingered in my doorway, the expression on his face giving away his thoughts. Darrien hated how desperately poor we were. I’d lost count of the times he’s told me how he was sorry for the state of my room, the state of the house, and for being in the servant class of his pack. While Darrien’s parents merely tolerated me I could often find true care in my adoptive brother. He hesitated a moment longer before offering, “You could always sleep in my room, with me. It would be warmer, and you’d stay dry.”
“Darrien,” I protested softly, memories of my past encounters with his wolf form flooding my mind. I’d found out only a year after being taken in by Darrien and his family that werewolves were nothing like what I’d thought. While at their most powerful during the full moon, these creatures could take on their wolf form whenever they chose; and not only did their bodies transform, the mind did as well. Darrien was a completely different person in his wolf form.
It was a beautiful autumn day, warm sunlight filtered through the colorful maple leaves above us. My slight, ten-year-old frame was sprawled among the roots of the ancient tree. The rough bark bit into the flesh on my back and thighs while my hair lay slew in the rich soil. I kept my eyes closed and willed the Earth beneath me to swallow me whole, for as much as I tried I couldn’t quell the shaking in my limbs or the terror spilling off of me in waves. I didn’t dare move.
Darrien hovered over me, fully wolf. His hackles raised to reveal wickedly sharp teeth lining a powerful jaw that could rip me apart effortlessly. Warm saliva dripped from his lips. I didn’t have the nerve to wipe it from my face, trying not to breathe as it rolled down my cheek. I could feel his eyes on me, just as I could feel his growl reverberating in my bones.
“D, pl-pl-please.” I gasped, tears welling behind my eyelids as I felt him shift his stance. “Do-do-don’t, do-do-don’t dddddddddddd- dddddddddddd-, p-p-p-p-p.”
My breath caught in my chest, strangling the words as I desperately tried to force them out. I didn’t know if Darrien could understand me, or if he cared to in this state. I’d been a fool when I’d asked to see his wolf. My stupid human curiosity was going to get me killed. I sobbed, unable to bite it back in time, violent trembling took over my body as terror finished seeping its way through my very core. A soft breeze ruffled my hair. A remorseful sigh filtered through my thoughts. The drying spittle was wiped from my face, along with my tears.
“Emi,” his voice came. I didn’t dare look, instead curling in on myself. “Emilia, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should never have agreed to show you, my wolf. Please tell me I didn’t hurt you. Please Emi….”
“You know why I can’t do that,” I said, unable to meet his eyes.
“That was before,” Darrien argued. “I was thirteen and I didn’t know you in my wolf form. I’d never hurt you Emi, you know that.”
“I know,” I replied. I pulled the towel tighter across my back. I tried not to flinch when he reached for me.
“Come on, I won’t be able to live with myself if you get sick because of this. Besides, you know the pack’s annual spring equinox ball is next week; so you won’t be able to rest if you do catch a cold.” He pressed, lightly gripping my free hand. I felt the natural warmth Darrien’s hand exuded radiating up my arm. Damn these cold nights. Damn werewolves and their insufferable festivals. Damn them and their unnaturally high body temperatures. Damn this house and its leaky windows. Damn it all. A curt nod was my only reply.
With a warm grin, Darrien pulled me from the cramped space and into the hallway. I followed him around the corner and into his equally ramshackle room. Darrien’s room was barely bigger than mine, the torn twin mattress taking up at least half the floor space, but at least it was dry. I adverted my eyes as he pulled his shirt over his head. We had little to spare and Darrien had lost shirts through transformation in the past. I heard him remove the remainder of his clothing from my position by the wall. A soft woof caught my attention.
I glanced hesitantly at the large, shaggy grey wolf beside me; my hands trembled beneath the towel. Darrien looked up at me from his four-legged form, his eyes seemed to plead my trust. I allowed him to lead me over to his mattress. His snout nudged my knees, instructing me to sit. Hesitantly I complied, perching on the edge of the worn mattress. Darrien climbed up beside me and curled up. His head rested on his front paws as he watched me. I felt the tension in my muscles, ready to bolt if he became aggressive or territorial. Darrien snorted at me indignantly, I knew he could smell my fear.
He shifted, which caused the mattress to creak in protest. I felt his teeth gently gripping the towel and released it on instinct. I knew wolves were extremely possessive of their things; I also knew it would crush Darrien if I tried to leave. I jumped when I felt his teeth around my forearm, anticipating a sickening crunch and extreme pain. Instead, he merely tugged me closer. I allowed him to guide me into a reclining position, resting my head by his shoulders. Darrien’s fur was surprisingly soft as it tickled my cheek. I felt myself relaxing into his fur, instinctively snuggling in closer. For the first time in six months, I didn’t feel cold.
Wan sunlight filtered through the thick glass of Darrien’s window. It spilled across the bed where I lazily blinked the sleep from my eyes. Darrien snored softly beneath me, my body rose and fell with his breath. Courageous in the morning light I ran my fingers through his grey pelt. I desperately wanted to lay against his wolfen form for the duration of the day; however, I knew there was much to be done in preparation for the festival, nor did I fancy beginning my day with a beating for being lazy. I sat and stretched the sleep from my limbs before getting to my feet. I glanced over my shoulder to see if I needed to wake Darrien. His wolf eyes watched me; a yawn revealed his sharp teeth. I suppressed the urge to shudder at the sight of his gaping maw, and found myself chuckling instead when Darrien finished his yawn by licking his nose. Sparing me a grouchy glance he shook out his coat and transformed back into his human state. “Darrien!” I shrieked, turning away and covering my fa
I wandered through the back streets away from the multitude of boutiques that lined the main roads of the pack’s village. Despite having been ordered to find something nice to wear while visiting packs were present I couldn’t bring myself to enter any of the chic window shops that lined the market area of the village. So instead, I settled for schlepping flowers to the festival grounds while doing my best to stay out of sight. As I was carrying my third basket laden with lilies, daisies, and tulips Darrien caught up to me. “Em,” he called. I did my best to pretend I hadn’t heard and kept walking toward the garland makers' booth. I heard him jog to catch up with me and felt his grip on my shoulders. I stopped walking, still, I refused to look at my adoptive brother. “Emilia, please, we need to talk.” He stated as he tried to take the basket from me. “I have nothing to say, Darrien,” I replied. I refused to relinquish my grasp on the handles. “I’m working.” “Yeah, I can see that; an
I swallowed thickly, unable to shake the feeling that I was in the same position as a fly caught in a spider’s web. “Sure, but Ava-“I was cut off with a wave of her manicured hand. “I’m doing this for myself as much as I am for Darrien. I know we’ve never really talked in the past, but I promise I’m not going to try and swindle you out of your wages.”I nodded hesitantly, “What do you mean, exactly?”She had been sorting the items into stacks of tops, bottoms, lingerie sets, and evening wear; but paused when I asked about her intentions. With a wistful sigh, she turned back to me, “Darrien is strong and he’s a great guy, but my family won’t let us be together unless he passes the warrior exam and begins his official training. Here, try this on first.”I took the clothes she offered; a simple black turtleneck with dark wash jeans and a black lacy underwear set. I opened my mouth to protest. The jeans and turtleneck I might do, but new undergarments were out of the question as far as m
“There’s no way,” I retorted, “It was over a thousand dollars when you first rang everything out.” Ava grinned at me cheekily, “It’s my shop. Besides, you can’t honestly tell me you’ll be back in three months to use your birthday discount.” “Well, I- I mean, well- th-that is- I” My mouth snapped shut when I felt my words begin to catch in my chest as I became more flustered. Ava smiled kindly, the warmth of her smile made her hazel eyes sparkle. “Exactly,” she said softly, “truthfully Emilia, it’s no secret that you’re planning to leave when the pack recognizes you as nineteen, and I don’t blame you. I couldn’t imagine having to live among those who weren’t my own kind. Let me do this, please?” “Okay,” I consented. I pulled out my pack ID and tapped it on the reader. Relief that I was only losing a week’s wages allowed the tension in my shoulders to dissipate. A small ding from the register let me know the transaction had gone through. “Why don’t you go change into something and
The rest of the week passed in a blur. I did notice a few new faces among the streets and within the dining hall’s kitchen, but nothing substantial until three days before the equinox. It began that morning while in the kitchen. I overheard an argument between Willow and some unknown male.“This is my kitchen!” Willow growled, “and I will not serve undercooked food. I don’t care how the lord prefers it, the lowest I will cook it is rare.”“This is simply unacceptable; you knew we were coming.” The man replied, “Alpha Lucas brought his own blood slaves, as your pack requested. Out of courtesy, he is making a point to join your meals.”“So you want me to slap a completely raw steak onto a serving platter and give it to him?” Willow challenged, her hands balled in fists on her hips, and her lithe frame looked ready to pounce at the slightest provocation.The man sighed and shook his head, loose honey-blond curls bounced around his face as he did so. “Will you at least have one of your co
I had just finished the arrangement of tulips and lilies for the next garland when he found me. It was the cheerful tune he hummed that pulled my attention away from my task. I glanced up to see a newly familiar face with a sweet smile that revealed his elongated canines, just as it had this morning. He commented pleasantly, “There you are! I’ve been searching for you since that incident at breakfast, I never imagined they would squirrel you away out here.” “I don’t know what you mean.” I replied respectfully, “I’ve been assisting with the flower arrangements for the equinox since preparations began.” “Oh?” He inquired, an eyebrow arched gracefully to show his disbelief. I was thankful when he didn’t press the issue, instead, he informed me I was needed for the noon meal. “I apologize, sir-“ “Eskal,” he corrected. I paused cautiously before I continued, “I apologize Eskal, however, Willow has instructed me to assist here until she calls for me.” The smile Eskal was sporting vani
“Perhaps not,” Eskal stated as he snatched the dish from me before it clattered to the floor and ruined the meal. “You should train your staff better mutt.” He sneered at me from where I sat on the ground, dazed from the disgust at what I’d poured into a mug to be consumed. Vampires a second realization hit me. Vampires were the only beings besides demons to regularly consume blood in any form. My confusion grew at the realization. Vampires had a tenuous relationship with werewolves at best. It must be about the war with the band of demons on the pack’s border. It was the only reason vampires would be allowed to enter pack lands, which meant the negotiations were over an alliance to help rid the pack of the band. No one in the pack spoke openly about the matter. I knew the situation had worsened by the longer hours Darrien spent training, as well as the frequent injuries he came home with. I took a deep breath to regain my composure and carefully placed my feet under myself once mor
The night of the equinox had finally arrived. The air hummed with excitement from the wolves as they dashed about in their finery. I was thankful for the simplicity of the gown Ava had practically given me as well as the comfort of the lace block heels since I would remain on kitchen duty throughout the night. Willow had apologized to me, though we both knew I would have worked the festival regardless. Equinox, Solstice, and other formal events paid triple the normal hourly rate for those who had to work the events. I slipped on my designated outfit for the night, a slight shiver ran through me at the thought of having my neck bare around Eskal, the other vampire, and whatever Alpha Lucas was. I glanced in the mirror of the Lykfos changing room, Ava had offered to allow me to change there since it was closer to the dining hall than the house. She had also helped me tastefully apply the makeup she claimed was a standard birthday gift from the boutique and curled my hair so it hung in