After days in bed regaining her strength, Avery studied her reflection in the bathing room mirror, the steam of her shower fading from the sides. The Cabin did not have a mirror.
Her long auburn hair was combed out and hung down past her shoulders in a dark curtain. There was a small crook in her lip and her nose didn't look entirely straight. Compared to the perfect sapiens she felt like she was pieced together with leftovers. While there were no dark circles under her eyes anymore her face looked slightly hollow and pale from so many days lying in bed.
She turned to the side and looked over her shoulder to get glimpse of her back. Her stomach clenched at the sight of the patchwork of scars. They travelled up her shoulders and even crossed over to the back of her arms in places. The pattern could almost be considered beautiful, like a work of art. Avery swallowed the bile back down and turned away from the mirror.
Sari was standing by the wardrobe rifling through the hangers when Avery stepped out of the bathroom wearing only the towel. The sapien frowned at the clothes, unsatisfied with the selection.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sari apologised. "I should have knocked and waited outside. I guess I'm not used to you being up and about on your own."
"It's alright, I appreciate your help." Avery approached the wardrobe and looked at the clothes hanging there. A rainbow of colours overwhelmed her vision and her breath caught for a moment as she took in the options. She ran her fingers across the fabrics, her calloused hands unable to fully appreciate the fine cloth and craftwork there. There were shirts and pants, sweaters, skirts, dresses for all temperatures and occasions.
Sari pulled off a short dress and held it up in front of Avery, the frown returning to her face.
"Hmm. Seems we're going to have to get these tailored to fit a human body. You're a bit shorter and stouter than Niamh." Sari shrugged. "I'll send these out first thing tomorrow, but for supper tonight this dress will do fine. It's just family anyway," she concluded and pulled it off the rack to help Avery slide it on.
Avery glanced at herself in the wardrobe mirror, her knobby knees covered by the too-long skirt. She wetted her lips.
"Um 'family' seems to have a rather lose definition around here. Who's coming?" The idea of a crowd was not appealing.
Sari chuckled. "Fair enough! An alpha's pack can be made up of all sorts of people. But tonight it's just Roedin, Adelyn, and Arctos. Hayden and Niamh are away on business right now."
Avery exhaled in relief, scanning her memory for Roedin's descriptions of these people. Sari handed her a pair of light slip-on shoes and then led the way to the door.
"Ember Place may be busy but we actually have only a handful of staff," Sari explained as they walked. "Cora is the housekeeper and true master of the house—she keeps us all in line. And we have Nicholas, the most wonderful cook in the world. Thank the Ancestors for that, because no one else around here is very good in the kitchen."
Sari chatted on, talking about the alpha house known as Ember Place, and how everyone in the pack had their own room even though they also kept their own homes in town. Avery listened with half an ear, distracted by the beautifully rich carpet and paintings spaced between the various bedrooms. The house was not ostentatious but definitely large enough accommodate several guests. They walked out to a balcony that looked down over a high-ceilinged foyer and a grand staircase leading to the front landing. Lively chatter leaked out of the dining room to the side of the foyer.
The long dining table was clearly designed for larger gatherings so they had clustered the place settings at the far end, close to an unlit fireplace. A trio of people stood by the open window that looked out on to a quiet cobblestone street. Beside Roedin was a female with long blonde hair that hung off her shoulders in waves. She wore a flowing blue shirt and tight pants that stopped at her ankles with simple sandals.
The female's smile was dazzling as she approached. "Hello Avery, I'm Adelyn. It's nice to formally meet you." She leaned in and Avery stepped back quickly, unsure why the sapien was so close.
Adelyn stopped. "Sorry, my mistake. I forgot that humans shake hands instead of kissing on the cheeks. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She offered her hand.
"I wouldn't know," Avery mumbled as she shook the female's hand.
Adelyn glanced up at Sari then back at the human. She quickly leaned in and brushed her cheek against Avery's, first right then left, and stepped back. "Like that."
Avery flushed bright red in surprise. Her eyes followed Adelyn as the alpha prime picked up her drink again and resumed her spot next to Roedin. Avery was so mesmerized by the beautiful female that it caught her off guard when a huge male scooped her up in a hug.
"That is how Ursids greet each other," the male said jovially. "None that delicate scent sharing!"
Before she could react he placed her back on her feet and Avery looked up at the face of a huge male. Though his brown hair was short and his beard neatly trimmed, his colour and size reminded her that Arctos was half-Ursid. His muscled arms and barrel chest were barely contained by his shirt, with the buttons threatening to pop off if he moved suddenly. Though she hadn't made a sound Avery's eyes were huge in panic at the sudden close contact.
"Arctos, you're terrifying her!" Adelyn admonished.
"I'm just so happy she didn't die!" He clapped Avery on the back, nearly knocking her off her feet. "Way to go, Half Pint! Had us worried there for a while!"
He walked back to the table and picked up his drink. The ale mug seemed minute in his massive hands as he lifted it to salute the human. Avery spotted creases at the corners of his light blue eyes that crinkled in laughter. Her surprise subsided and she managed a small smile.
"This is Arctos," Roedin pointed out, shooting his brother a sharp look. "He's been told to be on his best behaviour, though what an Ursid considers best behaviour leaves something to be desired."
Arctos swallowed loudly and smacked his lips, reaching for a refill. "I've had a hard day—a hard month, for that matter—and I feel this beer is well deserved. You can either join me or watch me, but I'll give you a hint as to which is more fun!"
He guffawed at his own joke and took another drink. Avery bit her lip to hide a giggle.
"On that civilized note, shall we eat?" Sari sighed.
She took her seat and motioned for the others to join her. Dishes of all colours and flavours steamed as though fresh out of the oven. The group seemed to be waiting for Avery to choose something but she didn't know where to start. She glanced up at Sari for guidance and found the sapien hostess watching her closely.
Caught spying, Sari quickly straightened and blushed. "We didn't know what you liked, so our cook Nicholas prepared a variety of things."
Avery looked back at the dishes. "Thank you, that's very kind. I -- " She laughed nervously. "I don't even know what these are."
Arctos, Adelyn, and Roedin took that as their cue to dive in. They piled food on their plates pointing out their favourites and squabbling over which restaurant prepared the better version. Avery copied what they took but in much smaller portions, attempting to try everything. She watched the others around the table carefully noting how they piled the food on their forks and which dishes complemented each other.
"You don't like the roast?" she asked Roedin when he passed on the dish.
Arctos reached across the table and took the platter.
"Roedin's a vegetarian," he said, placing a few slices on his own plate.
Roedin glared at his brother.
Avery's mouth fell open in horror. "You never said—"
"I eat meat, just not a lot of it. Myotes are related to fruit bats, so I've never had much interest in meat."
Avery cringed. "I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," Roedin practically growled, still cutting Arctos a death glare.
Between bites they talked about various events or activities in the city and Avery listened intently, enjoying the lively chatter. Eventually the conversation turned to politics and the conflict between territories.
"The fighting between Taraque and Croesus has intensified. Faunid herds are being pushed out of their home ranges and migratory routes are cut off. The change is overflowing into our lands and some faunids are even coming into Corinth to find work. I'm not jumping to conclusions, but there's been an increase in petty crime. Theft, break-ins, brawls, nothing too dramatic but the kind of thing that desperate people do," Arctos reported.
Adelyn considered this carefully. "I'm hoping that Hayden learns something more about what's going on Taraque while he's there. The bandits harassing the colonies are getting bolder. We've deployed a few more guards to the villages but faunid soldiers aren't interested in protecting towns when their own herds are vulnerable."
Arctos nodded in understanding. "The tension is spilling over into the cities. If this continues I'm dreading mating season."
"Now there's something I never thought I'd hear!" said a voice from the doorway.
A tall male sapien stepped into the room, grinning as he dropped his bag on the floor and approached the table. He bent and kissed Sari quickly on each cheek while sneaking a piece of ham off her plate.
He was the male version of Adelyn. His short blond hair was darker, but his eyes were the same deep green. His fine features mirrored his twin's and he quickly brushed cheeks with her as well before turning to the human.
"Hello Avery. I'm Hayden. Don't believe anything Roedin has told you about me," he joked.
Avery's eyes lit up with delight. "So you aren't dashingly handsome with a stunning smile?"
Hayden gaped at her but Arctos shot beer out his nose.
Roedin started blubbering beside her. "I didn't say--that's not how I described--"
Adelyn's clutched her stomach in silently laughter. "Oh, I like her! She's going to fit right in here!"
Roedin was still stammering when Sari got up from her seat. "If that's how the night is going to progress I think I'm going to need a more comfortable seat."
The group pushed their chairs back and headed out of the dining room. As they were making their way across the front foyer a light knock sounded on the door. Hayden opened it to find a young male standing on the front step. His chin-length blonde hair was combed and tucked behind his ears and he was neatly dressed with a medical bag at his side.
"Good evening, Dellane. What brings you by?"
"Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to drop off some more ointment for Roedin's wings. I'll admit to not wanting to make the trek up the steep stairs to his apartment on the mountain, so I thought I'd drop it off at Ember Place for him to pick up," he explained.
Hayden moved back to let him inside. "Your timing is perfect then. Roedin happens to be here for dinner. Again."
He smirked at his brother who stepped up to accept the jar of ointment.
As Dellane handed it over he spotted Avery by the stairs and smiled in surprise. "Hello there! It's good to see you on your feet. You probably don't remember me, but I'm Dellane."
Avery didn't respond, her body frozen in terror. A male. Tall. Pale skin. Long blond hair. That voice. She couldn't make her feet move. Images of the male at the Cabin flashed in her mind and her hands began to shake. Her chin trembled as she inched herself away from Dellane.
It's not him. It's not him. It's not him. It looks like him, but it's not.
Her fear flooded the room and the sapiens watched her in confusion. Dellane took a step closer as if brush cheeks, but Roedin stopped him. Sari crossed the foyer and reached for Avery's hand but she pulled away, stumbling backward and tripping over the bottom stair. Before anyone could help her up she scrambled to her feet and raced up the stairs leaving the sapiens dumbfounded in the foyer below.
She flew past her bed directly to the bathroom where she collapsed to her knees and heaved up her supper. The panic had twisted her insides into knots and her muscles shivered in terror. She could feel his rough hands clamping down on her throat, the stench of his breath filling her nose.
His hand touched her back and she screamed in agony and scrambled away, wedging herself into a corner with her arms over her head in protection. She squeezed her eyes shut while she gasped for air.
Someone draped a heavy blanket around her and she clutched it like a shield. A low voice rumbled in the distance. Not in the distance, right in front of her.
"...the old male stood tall, throwing his cane aside. 'I shall grant you three wishes,' he proclaimed, the light growing around him as the magic swelled."
Avery listened, focusing solely on the story and letting the memory of the Cabin fade away. Her breathing slowed and she cracked open her eyes. Roedin was sitting on the bathroom floor, awkwardly leaning against the tub reading from a youngling's book. The dim light softened his dark features but his shoulders were hunched in stress and he kept glancing up. He stopped reading when he saw Avery's eyes.
"I—" Her voice caught. "I thought I saw--" She couldn't say it. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologise for anything."
She rested her forehead on her knees. "The food was better on the way down."