One Shots (+18)

Mate

I double-checked though, adjusting everything into place as I went. I left nothing to chance. My father's threat was scarily unusual. The most extreme he went was starving me for a week in the dungeon and that was because the entire sitting area was filthy with dirt that the boys brought after I'd finished cleaning. There were guests from neighbouring packs coming over that day, so the dirty floor wasn't a good impression. My father didn't see reason, slapping me in front of strangers then manhandling me down to the dungeons where they kept trespassers and rogues and locked me down there for a week. It was the worst week I've ever lived.

After my second pass, I was asked into the kitchen to help with dinner. I learned from Mrs. Jones the cook that the Crimson Shadow pack was visiting. Having no idea who they were, she quickly explained that they were one of the biggest, most fearful packs in the entire country, who offered protection to packs they're associating with. My guess would be that my pack wanted in on the protection.

The Moon Stone pack, where I lived, had roughly fifty members, which was a relatively small number. Rouge attacks have always been at an all-time high compared to our neighbouring packs, becoming more frequent as of late. With our limited numbers and resources, of course alpha Dawson would be seeking help from such a powerful pack.

Now my father's threat made sense. He wanted no hitch so the alliance would go smoothly. How pathetic was it that I got pack news from the cook instead of my own high-ranking father. Sigh...

"Lily, dear, could you go fetch some fresh veggies from the garden?" Mrs. Jones asked me. She was the only nice person in the entire house and the only person I cared for after my mother.

"Sure," I agreed.

The garden was actually in a secluded area in the woods. As I made my way outside the house, the sun has already set, the moon illuminating my path through the forest.

Although the woods were a scary place to be at night, the garden was an incomparable sight. The moonflowers would bloom, filling the air with a fragrant, relaxing aroma. The variety of beautifully-coloured flowers made for a panoramic view that was unparalleled in beauty. I wish I lived in the garden, I would be the happiest person alive to be surrounded by all the beauty.

I sighed loudly, wanting to enjoy the garden longer, but the clock was ticking. Begrudgingly, I grabbed the pruning shears and cut a selection of vegetables. I found the fruits had ripened so I harvested some too —they would make for a beautiful fruit tray.

As I was cutting, I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand at attention. My quiet, reserved wolf was antsy inside of me. My breath was coming out as short, shallow pants, as if I've just ran a marathon. My first instinct was another rogue attack, but I scented nobody nearby. I started feeling uneasy. I didn't want to be alone in the woods anymore.

I waited a beat to make sure there were no attackers then quickly made my way back to the house. "You're finally here, quickly help me finish the food, they're almost here," Mrs. Jones hurried. I immediately powered through, forgetting the incident at the garden, cleaning then cutting the vegetables then leaving her to finish the main course while I handled dessert. At 8 o'clock on the dot, I was putting the last dish on the elaborate mahogany dining table.

"Now go take a quick shower and come back to finish the desserts," she murmured. Although they hated to admit it, everyone in the pack house loved my desserts. I was known for making the most scrumptious treats that not even my father could refuse.

I nodded, sweat and raw onions filling my nostrils when I inhaled. As I climbed up the stairs to my room, the bell rang, startling me. Against my better judgement, I waited by the banister, obscured by the dark, as I watched alpha Dawson himself get the door.