Chapter 2

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 face.

“Emi, I swear, you’re the only one in the pack with an unnatural propensity against nudity.” He sighed. I could hear him tugging on his clothes from the day before and waited until I was certain he finished dressing before turning back to face him, an indignant expression plastered across my face.

“I’m also the only one in your ‘pack’ that isn’t one of you.” I replied, “I’m only human D, and no matter how ‘natural’ werewolves find nudity I refuse to incline myself towards your animalistic ways.”

Darrien rolled his eyes at me, running his fingers through his shaggy ash-blond hair to comb it from his face. Before he could say anything I shot an accusatory glance at him and added, “I’ve never understood why you all insist on giving into your feral instincts anyways; you’re people.”

“We’re wolves too Emi.” Darrien retorted. “We have to balance the nature of both sides. I know you don’t understand, but it’s different for us. That’s why we keep to ourselves and don’t mingle with humans.”

“Then why-“ I cut myself off, my hand plastered over my mouth in an effort to keep the unspoken accusation that hung between us at bay. Then why did you take me in? Why did you save me that day instead of leaving me to die with the rest of the town? I turned abruptly, not wanting to see the rift I’d caused between us. I stepped out of his room, “I’m going to hang my bedding so it can dry while we’re gone today.”

I swallowed around the lump in my throat while pressing my tongue to my clenched teeth in an effort to keep my lip from quivering. I inhaled heavily through my nose. I had just destroyed the one good relationship I had left in the world. I gathered my bedding, rivulets trickled down my arms from the ragged waterlogged towels and blankets. I reveled in the icy paths that ran over my skin and soaked my threadbare clothing. I deserved this, just as I deserved every ounce of pain I’ve carried for the past fifteen years.

After stringing up my wool coverlet with the other throws and pieces of cloth I made my way to the dining hall. I was greeted with a curt nod by Willow as I entered the kitchen at the back of the hall. She pointed toward a pile of fruit that was to be sliced and arranged for the eight long tables in the front of the hall. I nodded, washed my hands, and began meticulously slicing pears, apples, blood oranges, kiwi, persimmons, grapefruit, and pomegranates. As I finished each plating the dishes were whisked away by wolves who’d been assigned to serve the meal that morning. I allowed my mind to wander as I completed my task. I noticed the pile of fruit was larger this morning. There were also more wolves running about the kitchen than normal. Perhaps some of the neighboring packs have already arrived to help with preparations for the festival I mused as I separated pomegranate seeds from the membrane that made up the chambers of the fruit. I dumped a slew of them into a large crystal bowl, opened three more to look like stars and arranged them in the center of the dish before it too was whisked away.

I could smell the sweet juice that coated my hands combined with the cooked foods wafting through the air. I bit my tongue to keep from licking my fingers as my stomach clenched in protest. I would volunteer for dish duty after the meal and be able to pick through what was left after everyone else ate their fill. Willow appeared out of the corner of my eye. I set down my paring knife and rinsed my hands in the basin on the counter before toweling them dry.

“Ma’am?” I inquired as politely as possible. Willow stood, arms crossed, scrutinizing me. Her deep brown eyes raked over me three times before she spoke.

“When is the last time you purchased a meal?” Her tone was more of a statement than a question as we both knew I didn’t purchase food or anything else for that matter. I was too afraid of draining my account. In lieu of a reply, I simply blinked at her. “You know Omegas are paid weekly so they can cover any expenses they might have. Yet I never see you eat. I never see you buy food or anything else for that matter.”

“I’ll be nineteen in three months.” I protested weakly. At nineteen I could cash out my account and leave. I could start over in the human realm.

“Yes, and I know that you are terrified of Charolette taking your wages again, but you know that guardians only have access to a minor’s account until they turn eight.” I nodded in response. She continued, “There will be lots of unfamiliar faces running around, more so in the next week as the equinox approaches. You need to go buy some new clothes at the very least. Something that actually fits you. Remember that you represent our pack. Don’t let me see you like this again.”

Without waiting for my reply she turned on her heal and left me to my duties. Willow was right, I did have the money to buy myself clothes, as did Darrien. Between the two of us, we likely had enough to fix the house we lived in. The only thing that stopped us was the fear of ending up like Charolette and Devin. They had been given full access to their wage accounts at age eight, like all pack members, and had blown through all their wages as well as obscene amounts of credit by the time they were in their late teens. Too much to ever be able to pay back at their status, thus binding them to service within the pack for the remainder of their lives. I refused to allow that same fate to befall me. Upon the pack recognizing me as nineteen, I would cash out my account and leave this place. I would find another human town, or maybe a city, and do my damndest to forget these past fifteen years.

I finished the prep work and took my knives to the industrial sink before returning to my water basin. I scrawled my name under the dishwashing log and began to fill the large sinks with steaming water. I started with the dishes that had been used to cook the food. I knew several wolves would be finishing their breakfasts soon and their dishes would begin filtering back. I slogged through the stacks of ceramicware, scraping half-eaten food into the trash beside the counter. Whenever a serving dish came back with food remaining I allowed myself a couple of bites. Willow may have ordered me to buy some new clothes, but she’d said nothing about my eating habits.