Jade:
"Miss Jade," someone's deep voice. I turn, expecting Eric only to find his brother, Chase, coming this way.
"Yes sir," I call back, my voice all too cheerful. He looks so much like Eric, but I have to keep in mind this isn't the kind-merciful wolf, Eric. This is just another one like them.
"Just what are you doing, lingering in the hallway?" Chase demands to know.
"Cleaning bedrooms," I state, my voice forward and direct. No, Chase doesn't share his brother's mercy for humans.
"Fine, but don't talk to me like that. I will not be spoken to so casually by a human," Chase declares, his brown eyes lightening with yellow flecks.
"Y-yes Sir," I blurt out, bowing respectfully. He storms past me, shoving past me so that I stumble. A pain snaps in my ankle. I gasp, clutching my ankle, as I rock back and forth. Inhaling a hiss of air, I try to hold back a cry of grief.
"Jade!" Hunter calls, "Come along, we're hunting." Leaning against the wall, I pick myself up. I brush off dust and dirt from my tunic while Lilly is leading the children from the playroom downstairs.
"Where might you be going?" one of the small children wonders.
"Hunting," Lily answers.
"Can we come!" they begin to whine and plead, following at her heels.
"No, but one day you will go hunting when you are ready," she promises, hugging the children before she leaves. I follow at a distance behind Lilly and Hunter. Their bodies shift partially, showing off their fangs and claws, their wolfish sides. The two, chatting casually, so at ease. We travel some distance away before they begin the hunt. Lilly perks up, her keen nose pointed toward the bushes. She crouches her hand against the Earth, and her ears twitching as her brown eyes shift yellow and focus. Hunter watches breathlessly as she shoots forward, her speed absurd. The rabbit dashes away. Lilly pushes harder, nearly on top of her prey. Her fangs snapping, she lands the kill the rabbit lies. I hurry to retrieve our prey in a large sack to carry back. I look from Lilly, to the rabbit, and to Hunter. This was such a clean, easy kill, not like Hunter's last one. She's not the savage they are. Lilly turns to me to carry her catch.
"You better not drop that," Hunter growls. His eyes narrow on me, his nose wrinkled as if he'd caught a bad scent.
"Ye-es S-sir," I stutter. I throat the bag over my shoulder and continue tagging along.
"You have such loyal servants. They're so polite," Lily comments, "Tell me, Miss Jade, is your work hard?" Lilly asks.
"I um-" I mutter.
"Don't be shy. Tell me, is it hard?" Lilly inquires.
"Sometimes, miss," I admit. My eyes flicker to Hunter, and he averts his eyes like I'm some sort of frightful monster.
"Lily, please don't bother talking to it," Hunter complains, "The humans are to serve and not be seen," he adds, and she makes a disappointed face.
"No, it's fine. Thank you, Miss Jade, for your services, that bag looks awfully heavy," Lilly notes.
"I most appreciate working for you, Miss Brook," I admit, beaming at her graciousness. Hunter shoots her a look when something else catches her attention. He takes off. Something off in the distance chitters, chatters, and cries out before it goes silent. Hunter returns with a raccoon, massacred bloody and torn to shreds. I load up the bag, but it's becoming heavy. I struggle and shift my weight, but it's too much, and I drop it.
"Did we ask you not to drop the bag?" Lilly inquires, her glowing face now like a stone. I blink, and my back hits the nearest tree.
"Wha-what are you doing," I wheeze, "I thought- I,"
"Incompetence is not tolerated," Lilly snarls at me. Her shoulders hunch up, and a loud popping rumbles through her back. Her face twists. I collapse to the ground, my back against the tree while she shifts into this massive blonde furred wolf. Her gorgeous dress tears at the seams. Lilly lunges forward, nipping my leg. Someone's scream pierces the air. I curl up, my fingers trace puncture wounds, and my eyes are blurred by falling tears. I was wrong about you.
"Lilly," Hunter snaps at her. She snaps to his direction, her ears stuck out flat. Hunter growls, his lips twitching into a snarl. He approaches and Lilly whines. What's happening with these wolves? The wolves growl, their annoyance burbling and rumbling in their chests. Lilly's eyes shift to something else, another wolf is coming. Its blond fur is darker, and he stands taller than her. This wolf gives a low warning growl, slowly pacing until he stops right in front of me. The wolf casts its eyes on me, gazing into to my own eyes, seeing me. And I see you, Eric?
"Just who do you think you're challenging?" Hunter demands. There's a ripple down Eric's body with a popping sound. I watched, transfixed on the body of an animal becoming human. He's still part-wolf, covered in fur with fangs and claws, but he's also a man. I avert my eyes, my face feeling flushed.
"You're such an idiot, you're always confused with people," Eric snarls back.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Hunter roars back. Lilly slowly eases around them, resting behind Hunter, but her eyes are trained on me. I can see it. She isn't hiding. No, she's waiting to pounce again.
"Hunter stops this before people get hurt," Eric warns, holding his ground between Hunter and us two girls. Hunter glances at us two, eyes flickering between us, and something in him relaxes. With this, Eric sighs and storms off, shaking his head.
"I suggest you return with him, go clean yourself up," Hunter suggests, waving me off. He scoops up the bag and turns his back.
Hunter:
Lilly's body shifts back, her eyes distant and hazy. Her lips are stained with blood, Jade's blood. I've never seen her use her authority like that. I'm sure she will be an exquisite alpha. She really knows how to put someone in their place. She takes a deep breath and sighs. Her small delicate hand brushes her long dark hair behind an ear.
"We should head back for dinner," Lilly suggests, waltzing straight to me. Her hand settles upon my shoulder, and she smiles.
"Here I thought you were fond of humans," I start.
"They are tolerable until they show their incompetence," Lilly states, leaning her head against my shoulder. That being said, she should have put Eric in his place, but she didn't. I nuzzle her hair with my nose. She's anxious, I can feel it.
"Alright, let's head back. And get you dressed," I decide, and we head back with our kills in my hand.
"Pitiful humans, they know nothing," mother goes on, "Why can't they ever settle down," she complains as Chery sets out tonight's dinner. She's by herself it would seem. Jade's not here. Never mind her.
"Speaking of humans, I heard you showed one of the little human here who's alpha," father turns to praise Lilly.
"Yes, Sir Lakefall. She needed to know incompetence would not be tolerated," Lilly states.
"Amazing, you'll be a great Luna for this pack. And someday, their alpha," Eladia chimes. Well, these two are bonding quite well. I scoff at myself, turning to slip out the room after wolfing down my plate. I head back for my bedroom, which is near spotless now. The bed's been made since I left it. I smell her, she's in my room. She shoots up to her feet, still folding sheets and blankets.
"Oh, I-I'll be going now," Jade dismisses herself. My wolf stirs within me, pressing to surface over my consciousness. What does it want?
"It's fine, continue," I suggest with a careless shrug. I should have told Jade to leave.
"Yes sir," She answers and continues with her cleaning. I plop myself down in bed and close my eyes. The room is quiet save for Jade shuffling around the room. I crack an eye open. She dusts off my desk and orders some of the paperwork I should be sorting through before moving onto the floor with cleaner and a cloth. She huffs, stuck on a spot that I recall walking through with mud on my feet.
"Is your work hard?" I wonder.
"Mmm? I'm sorry?" She blurts out. I press my lips into a line. Why are you talking to her, you idiot?
"Is your work around her hard?" I repeat myself. Quit talking to her, she's but a mere human. Her life is insignificant, so why should you care if her work is hard? It's this budding anxiety. I can't stop staring when she finally looks my way. Honey, her eyes are a light honey brown.
"So-s-sometimes," she stutters, dropping her gaze to the floor. She can't even look at me straight.
"Mmm?" is all I can answer with. I sit up and stop myself, "Are you alright?" Jade questions, taking a step toward me, but I hold up a hand for her to stop. The smell of minty cleaner has my head dizzy. I can't have her any closer.
"I'm fine," I lie, but my heart is racing about as fast as I can run through the forest. My nose crinkles and Jade steps back. A wolfish whine slips out.
"I'm fine. Just tired," I turn that whine into a harsh bark, "Take the rest of the evening off,"
"Really- I...?" Jade wonders, her eyes wide with disbelief, so I wave her on dismissively, "Thank you, sir, thank you!" Jade blurts with a surprised gasp. She looks overjoyed. What a pleasant smile. I feel myself smile, and this light, giddy, bubbly feeling flutter in my stomach.
"Just go now. I don't need to hear you ramble on forever," I order, killing Jade's joy instantly. Her smile dies, her wide, surprised eyes are now full of that fear again, and she pulls away further.
"Y-yes, sir, I apologize," Jade stammers. She hurries to race out of my room, but something's wrong with her. She has a limp. She's hurt. I start after her, but I stop in the doorway, watching her hurry off, and finally disappear down the stairs. She looked so upset after I snap at her. I turn back to my bed, I slam my fist into my pillow to release the stress building up. I look in the mirror and run my fingers through my hair. My whole body aches with tension, and a growl of irritation rumbles in my chest. I tear myself away from the mirror for Lilly's room.
"Hey," I murmur.
"Hey, you. Come to ease your stress?" Lilly guesses. I simply shrug, not even sure what I'm doing anymore. "Come on," Lilly giggles, gesturing for me to come to her. At her invitation, I head in and sit on the edge of her bed.
"Do you like the room?" I ask her.
"It's nice and comfortable, thank you," Lilly answers, scooting until she's sitting next to me. Lilly gazes up to me. I cup her face, lifting her chin as I lean in to kiss her. Her breathing hitches faster, and her small hand slides under my shirt up to my chest. She's warm and tender under my hand. Lilly growls softly in my ear, her wolf prying for control now. I pull at her shirt, and she strips it off. My heart pounds hard. Do I keep going with this? With Lilly under me, breathing fast, I could have her right now.
"Come back," Lilly breathes, grabbing the back of my head and pulling my lips to hers. I lean into her, feeling her desire building. I pull back, not intentionally. Lilly pants, catching her breath and some clarity coming back into her gaze. I bring my lips to hers when she stops me.
"Lilly?" I question.
"Let's take a break," she suggests, pulling herself upright.
"I-," I start when she stops me again. Clearly, she can see it in me that I'm not feeling the same. I shut my mouth and nod before I leave her room.