Chapter two

[Avira]

Beta Maverick pushed the door a few more times, and when he got no response, he left, and I soon began to hear my name in the not-too-far distance.

I sat on the low stool in the kitchen while heaving heavily to calm my uneven breathing. The smoke from the steamy cup seemed to be inviting me for a continuation, and so did the slice of bread which was all that was left.

I took a big bite of the slice, and emptied the cup in one large gulp. It was not as hot as it was before, but it was still hot enough for me to feel a slight sting on my tongue.

I blew air into the already made fire, and placed the big pot which contained herbs on it. It was for Beta Maverick, and I knew exactly what the herbs were for, even though I was not supposed to.

I stepped out of the kitchen afterwards, to respond to Beta Maverick's call, after rinsing my mouth out with fresh water. Unless I was ready to suffer a miserable death, he must not think for a second that I defied the pack's laws and ate.

I found him in front of his bedroom, looking relaxed. Too relaxed in fact for someone who had forcefully pushed the kitchen door to get it open only a few seconds ago.

"I heard you calling," I said, muttering every show of innocence I could. I had gotten to him, and hoped nothing would give out the fact that I had just defied the pack's law against having breakfast.

He looked at me closely, his face grim, and his teeth clenched. Now this was the expression I was expecting to see in his face, even though it made me shiver in fear.

"Are you done with the chores?" He asked. His voice and attention seemed distant, like he was thinking about something else.

"I'm yet to make lunch, and I'm yet to clean out the rooms." I replied, relieved that he noticed nothing.

He waved, and I took his dismissal clue and went back to the kitchen, wondering why he had actually called me. It definitely wasn't to ask about chores.

Since when did he care?

I fetched herb water from the big pot which was now steaming on the fire, and took it to Beta Maverick. Just when I stretched the cup to him, I realized my mistake.

"Stupid girl," he barked. "What the fuck were you thinking, bringing this to me before noon? Do you want the Alpha's curse to fall upon me?" He asked, and I faced down. It was really stupid of me to forget. Really, what was I thinking? Noon was over three hours away, how could I not remember that?

I turned back to return to the kitchen with the steamy cup still in my hand but his voice stopped me.

"And where are you going with that?

He thundered, and I sighed. Really, what is wrong with me today? Or did I eat too much for breakfast?

I poured the herb water away, and continued my walk back to the kitchen. I could feel the beta's eyes boring into my back but I did not turn to look at him, I was only relieved that my mistake didn't earn me a whip.

Back in the kitchen, I brought down the pot, and since I had over three hours before noon, cleaning out the rooms now didn't sound like a bad idea.

I started with the rooms no one occupied, three in all. Every last one of the rooms looked like two vicious beasts had locked horns in them, and smelled even worse. But it wasn't a surprise. I have seen worse, I mean worst.

The smell of a wolf in the room meant that the Beta had shifted last night again without the presence of a full moon. It had rained heavily last night, and the sky had been so dark and wet that there had been no moon, not even a tiny thread appeared in the sky, and yet Beta Maverick had shifted. It was the reason I had to place that big pot full of herbs on the fire, and serve him the steamy herb water twice each day.

I swept out the debris which consisted of torn pieces of clothes, furs, and several drops of blood. The items in the room was also scattered about, the bed was upturned, and so were the chairs.

Beta Maverick definitely knew just what would happen to him if Alpha Demian found out about his abnormal shifting and going rogue, and even though he wouldn't bring himself to ask me, I knew I had to guard his secret with my life.

I gathered the debris into a big bag, and headed for the next room. The condition of the room was similar to the first which was no surprise at all- furnitures were upturned with pieces of clothes and furs scattered about. There were drops of blood as well but not as much as the first room. I cleaned out the room, and arranged the furnitures after which I headed for the next room.

This third room was the worst of all, covered in wolf's fur and blood. He must have become really violent and got himself wounded, I thought as I swept out the debris. It took me thrice the time I used for the other rooms to get this one clean. I was tired, and my whole body ached but I had to finish cleaning out the rooms.

I gathered up the debris from the rooms and put them in a bag after which I kept the bag under Beta Maverick's rocking chair to properly dispose it later.

I could not burn it, the smell of fur will rise with the smoke, and the other members of the pack would easily detect it just by sniffing. I could not bury it either, it would be easily detected during one of the pack's hunt.

I went back to Beta Maverick, ready to clean his personal room, although I doubted that it needed to be cleaned. Whatever was wrong with him, and making him shift abnormally could not have affected his brain. He wouldn't dare shift in his own room.

QAs the pack's Beta, and next in command to Alpha Demian, he was accustomed to receiving guests at any time of the day, and he wouldn't want any member of the pack telling the others or worse, Alpha Demian that he had taken to shifting abnormally.

Just as I predicted, the Beta's bedroom was clean, not a piece of paper needed to be lifted as everything was perfectly in order. A quick look at the clock showed that I still had an hour before it was noon.

heading for my bedroom to tidy up. Now that I had time, My room could use some cleaning out, I said. But the Beta had a different instruction for me.

"Hurry up, Alpha Demian has asked that we assemble in his palace at exactly noon." Beta Maverick instructed, and I stared at him, concealing my disbelief behind an expressionless face.

Alpha Demian can't seriously call for an assembly at exactly noon when every other pack members had patiently waited for noon to have brunch, since breakfast was forbidden in the pack.

But what is so important about this assembly?