《Hunted》 History of the Wolfkin History of the Wolfkin A Prologue The Wolfkin species was discovered in Mysteria 50 years after its discovery. They¡¯d lived in seclusion from human settlements for a few years before they were discovered by an expedition group. They had a similar appearance to humans with the only differences being their elven shaped ears, slightly longer canines, and usual eye color. Communication was established between them and the humans. The humans were surprised the Wolfkin were able to communicate in the native tongue of humans. The Wolfkin didn¡¯t trust the humans, and they had every right not to. Enough stories had been spread about how destructive the humans were to warrant them not to make contact with them. Their distant cousins, the Werewolves, had been driven away from their original homeland as the humans took up more space on Mysteria. Not only had they been driven away but hunted almost to the brink of extinction. To combat this, the Werewolves realized they needed to blend in with the humans. On every night of the full moon, they begged their goddess for a way to appear more human. Finally, they were blessed with the ability to shift between their True Forms and to a human form. They had no distinct features that gave away to their true heritage. They began to assimilate amongst the humans and rebuild their population in secret. The Wolfkin derived from those that didn¡¯t wish to assimilate amongst the humans. These werewolves desired a form of a human but still wanted to keep most of their physical characteristics intact. In the hierarchy of the supernatural world, they were deemed as 2nd class werewolves, a class above the 3rd class werewolves who had taken full human forms. 1st class werewolves were dubbed the True Kin. They had no desire to shed their wolf skin for the skin of a human. True Kin were considered rare and stayed hidden from the human eye. Their rarity made them a prime hunting target for human hunters.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The humans had promised peace between them and the Wolfkin. The Wolfkin gave their trust to the humans and settled down in the human settlements. It wasn¡¯t long before the humans turned on them and captured them. They were auctioned off among the humans and used as slaves. Some were put into illegal underground fighting rings for profit. Others were even killed to allow human scientist to study them. The Wolfkin had grown tired of their enslavement and constant mistreatment at the hands of the humans. They soon gathered their strength and began to fight back. They slaughtered every human they came across until the population was dwindling. The humans soon surrendered to the Wolfkin, and the Wolfkin made themselves the dominant species from that point forward. They stripped the humans of all their rights and essentially enslaved the humans as well. The Wolfkin took over the human settlements and made them their own. They set in place the laws that all citizens, human or Wolfkin, had to abide by. The Separation Purity Act was put in place first. With this law, humans and Wolfkin were not allowed to share the same space, nor could they produce offspring together. It would keep both bloodlines pure while also making a point that Wolfkin got the better end of this law. In the end, the humans had bowed to the will of the Wolfkin and the Wolfkin proved that they were, for all intents and purposes, the true dominant species. We are the bringers of purity. Humans Are Creatures of Greed July 11th, 2016. The strong scent of copper hit my nose. I feel the bones give away under the force of my knuckles, the satisfying crack reaching my elven ears, making them twitch slightly. I was deaf to everything else around me. My sole focus was on the pathetic human who¡¯s nose I had just broken. Nathan Scott was his name. If it weren¡¯t for him, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess right now. The grin on my face was soon replaced with a grimace as I was tackled to the floor by Task Force officers. A howl of pain escapes me at the burning sensation on my wrists as silver shackles were cuffed on them. I wiggle around like a worm on the floor when they try to slip the muzzle around my mouth. A deep growl resonates within me once they were able to latch it on. The officers yank me to my feet and push through the crowd of bystanders to exit the council building. I fight against their hold, growling and snarling at everyone close by. Outside, they shove me into the back of the Task Force van. Silver shackles are latched onto my ankles as well as a collar that was attached to the wall of the van. I was going to have some nasty burn marks from all the silver I was coming in contact with. An officer flanked me on each side of the bench I was sitting on. They were Wolfkin like me. The van rumbles to life, jostling my body as it pulls off. I already knew the destination. The Correctional Facility. It was practically my second home. With that being said, I doubt I¡¯d make bail tonight unless Seth, my older twin brother, was able to convince our sweet mother to bail me out. I had no hope of that happening since she despised every breath of air I took. Resigning myself to my fate, I rest my head on the wall of the van and shut my eyes, allowing the rumble from the van¡¯s engine to lull me into a light sleep.
¡°Alright, Stevenson. You know the drill,¡± a gruff voice says. I empty my pockets of my personal belongings. Keys, wallet, phone, and a pack of gum I had forgotten about into the plastic bin on the table in front of me. Next, were fingerprints. Well, pawprints in my case. Once I was given the go-ahead, I was instructed to shift into my True Form. My hands that were tipped with sharp, deadly claws transform into a pair of paws covered in soft silver fur. My bones break and rearrange themselves¡ªforcing me on all fours. More fur covers my body as my ears shift to the top of my head and my mouth elongates into the shape of a snout. A tail sprouts from my tailbone and the rest of my bones settle as the transformation finishes. My small five foot and four-inch human body is replaced by a massive wolf about the size of a tow truck. A larger silver collar is placed around my neck. The scent of my singed fur reaches my nose, causing a growl of displeasure to escape me. ¡°Quit complaining, Stevenson. It¡¯s protocol,¡± the same gruff voice from before says. Just because it was protocol didn¡¯t mean I had to like it. I was being treated like a rabid dog by my own kin. I¡¯m flanked by four Wolfkin officers as they lead me down the bleak hallway to have my pawprints taken. Inside the scanning room, there was an electronic scanner that kept a record of everyone brought in. I place one of my hefty paws on the scanner. All my information is pulled up on a screen that was viewable to everyone. One of the officers lets out a low whistle. ¡°Sheesh, Stevenson. Fifteen times this month you¡¯ve been arrested. That must be a new record for you.¡± I ignore her comment and stay silent as they lead me down the next hall that would take us to the holding cells. Since I was a frequent occupant at the facility, I was given the same cell each time. The lighting in the holding cells is dim. There weren¡¯t any windows, so we had no real sense of time. We reach my cell and an officer scans their ID card to allow the silver gate to lift open. ¡°In you go, Stevenson,¡± one of them says. I walk in obediently. There was no need for me to cause another scene. I was in enough trouble already. The gate shut behind me once I was fully inside. The floor is made of plain concrete while the walls were made of the highest quality silver. That, coupled with the collar I wore, was enough to make me as weak as a newborn human child. I should¡¯ve expected I¡¯d get locked up again, especially since my attack on Nathan wouldn¡¯t put the Wolfkin in a good light after today¡¯s major decision. Just a few hours earlier, I was standing outside the Wolfkin Council¡¯s meeting room with my brother as a heated debate took place inside. Amongst the two hundred members in that room, our mother was inside. Inside, the members of the council were arguing to keep Separation Purity in place or to get rid of it entirely. It was the only thing in place that kept humans and Wolfkin from mixing. In this society, humans were at the bottom of the hierarchy. It hadn¡¯t always been like that, though. Years ago, our ancestors rose from the shackles of being enslaved by humanity and slaughtered them until the remains of the human population surrendered control to the Wolfkin. Since then, we¡¯ve managed to build an entirely new society where we held all the power and the humans had to bend to our will. Now, that power was being threatened. The Traitor Kin, those that sympathized with the humans, had convinced most of the council to get rid of Separation Purity. With its removal, humans would gain the rights we had stripped away from them so long ago and it would no longer be illegal for our two bloodlines to mix. Just the thought of Wolfkin and humans creating offspring together made me feel ill. This debate that had gone on for many months was ignited by one human. Nathan Scott. He had approached the council with his proposal of removing Separation Purity. He claimed that we needed to leave our past behind us and learn to coexist in harmony with each other. We couldn¡¯t coexist with humans. Their ancestors had once promised peace between our two kinds. Only for them to turn on us make us their slaves. Humans couldn¡¯t be trusted. All they desired was power. They were, after all, creatures of greed. I had been outraged to hear about the removal of Separation Purity. My mother had said they did everything they could to keep most of the council from being persuaded to agree to its removal. In the end, the Traitor Kin had gotten their way. I¡¯d stormed away from my mother and brother, fueled by nothing but pure rage. I had vaguely remembered my mother mentioning that Nathan would be present in the building for an interview. I let my anger dictate my actions which brought me to my current predicament of being locked up.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. There was nothing else I could do but wait for bail in the morning. With that thought in mind, I curl up in the back corner of the room and settle down to sleep.
My ears twitch on top of my head at the sound of the gate lifting. I peel my eyes open and raise my head from its place on top of my paws. An officer is standing outside my cell. ¡°You¡¯ve been bailed out,¡± he says. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Confusion muddles my thoughts as I stand and trot from my cell. The singular officer is my only escort from the holding cells. Before reaching the main area of the Correctional Facility, I was taken to a room where I was instructed to shift back into my human form. A plain black t-shirt, sweatpants, socks, and a pair of running shoes were provided since we shredded all our clothes when we shifted to our True Forms. Once I was decent, the officer steps into the plain room with me to remove my collar. It falls to the ground with a loud clank, and he uses a pair of metal tongs that had been attached to his belt to pick it up and place it in a bin filled with other collars. I follow silently behind him as we approach the end of the hallway, a single door being the only thing present. He scans his ID and a loud buzz filled the air, followed by the click of the lock on the door. ¡°Try not to end up back here again, Stevenson,¡± the officer comments as he opens the door. ¡°Your things are at the front desk.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back here before you know it,¡± I quip. ¡°Try not to miss me too much.¡± I step out into the main area as the officer shuts the door behind me. I hadn¡¯t been expecting to be bailed out so soon and I wondered who was responsible for it. The main area only had a few people milling about. A small waiting room was to the left of the exit while the main desk was to the right. The white linoleum floors were polished to perfection while the walls were coated in light gray paint. ¡°Ari.¡± I know that deep, gentle voice. My gaze settles on the boy that is in the waiting area. His hair is the same shade of silver as mine, just shorter and a little messy since it looked like he ran his hand through his hair a hundred times. Identical molten gold eyes stare into mine, and when he stands from his seat, he is at least at five foot and eight inches. A pair of drawstring khaki shorts hang low on his slim hips with a plain white sleeveless t-shirt that shows off his toned biceps. ¡°Seth,¡± I call out, knowing full well he could hear me from this distance. All it took was four quick strides and he was sweeping me into his arms. The comforting scent of lemon and pine wafts into my nose and I all but melt into my brother¡¯s arms. My cheek rests against his chest, allowing me to feel the steady beat of his heart against it. His chest rumbles as he speaks. ¡°I was worried about you.¡± He releases me from his grasp and looks me over, frowning when he notices the burn marks around my wrists and neck. ¡°I hate these marks.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll heal up in a few weeks. No big deal,¡± I tell him, shrugging my shoulders. I ignore the way he narrows his eyes at my casual statement. ¡°Did you bail me out?¡± ¡°Not exactly. I had to convince Mom to bail you out. She was hellbent on letting you stay locked up for at least a month.¡± It was my turn to frown. She really made sure I knew how much she despised me. ¡°You should¡¯ve just let her do it. It¡¯s not like she cares about me anyway.¡± ¡°Ari-¡± ¡°No, Seth. I¡¯m not having this conversation with you again.¡± He sighs, but he doesn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°Come on. Mom¡¯s waiting for us in the car.¡± He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together before pulling me towards the front desk. Once I had collected my things, Seth pulls me to the exit. The humid summer air greets us when we step outside. I immediately spot the black Escalade parked a few feet away in the parking lot. Our driver, Spencer, stood outside the car awaiting our arrival. We approach the car as a heavy silence settles over us. My stomach twists into violent knots, anticipating how the encounter with our mother would go. ¡°Master Seth,¡± Spencer greets my brother respectfully. A cold gaze and a sneer were the only thing I got from him. It was to be expected since I treated him so poorly as a human servant to my family. He pulls the door open for us and Seth let me slide inside first before scooting in next to me. We had the inside custom made so we had seats facing the front and back of the car. Unfortunately for me, I was directly across from my mother. Her gaze was unreadable, yet I could feel the fury radiating from her body, making the hairs on my body raise. The door shut once we were settled, and with the tinted windows, there was barely any light flowing into the car. My mother¡¯s eyes gleamed in the darkness; silver tendrils of her hair framed her face as the rest was up in an elegant bun. Her black tie and the collar of her turquoise blouse peaked from underneath her black vest. Paired with feminine tailored black slacks and four-inch black heels and her legs crossed, her essence screamed respect and power. ¡°Arianna.¡± My name on her lips was icy with a hint of underlying anger. ¡°Explain to me why you assaulted Nathan Scott.¡± My mouth was suddenly dry, and I couldn¡¯t seem to get my mouth to work to formulate a sentence. Her presence alone made me feel fear like I¡¯d never felt before. ¡°Speak. Now.¡± ¡°I was angry,¡± I whisper weakly as I lower my gaze to the floor. ¡°Look at me when you speak.¡± I lift my eyes quickly. ¡°Do you have any idea what your little stunt has caused? Answer me, Arianna.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shrink back in my seat. I hate it when she calls me by my full name. Her smile is sardonic. ¡°Traitor Kin and humans alike have gathered in front of our council building¡ªprotesting that you be severely punished for your actions. They think your attack on Nathan was planned if things went sour during the debate.¡± She moves some hair behind her ear. ¡°We make the rules for this society, Arianna, and we all have to abide by them whether we like it or not. Now, it looks as if we threw the human¡¯s offering of peace back in their face.¡± My spine straightens and I was ready to argue. ¡°We don¡¯t need their-¡± ¡°Did I tell you to speak?¡± I hold my tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll make a public announcement of your punishment tomorrow morning,¡± she finishes. ¡°Is there anything else you wish to say?¡± ¡°No,¡± I grumble. ¡°Good.¡± It all happened so quickly. The force of her slap twists my head painfully to the side, causing me to slash the inside of my cheek with my canines. I feel the sting of claw marks on my cheek and blood dribbles from the cuts and down my face. She grips my chin and levels her gaze with mine. ¡°The next time you make a fool out of the Wolfkin, I will personally beat some sense into you. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I bite out. Her grip tightens and I feel her claws puncture my skin. ¡°Yes, what?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± She let me go then and I lean as far back as I could in my seat as if I could escape her wrath. Seth grips onto my wrist and I had almost forgotten he was here with us. He¡¯d been as silent as a ghost. He may have been our mother¡¯s favorite and he didn¡¯t like it when she was nasty with me, but we both knew that standing in her way would end up poorly for us both. He wouldn¡¯t cross her with my safety on the line. Interference meant a harsher punishment for me. Needing my brother¡¯s comfort, I slide over to him and hide my face in his chest while he rests his arm over me protectively. I could feel the tightness in his muscles. It was taking everything in him to keep from lashing out. ¡°Spencer, take us home,¡± our mother orders. The car rumbles to life. Seth and I are silent as Spencer drives us home, yet our mother¡¯s eyes continue to burn a hole into my back. My dependence on Seth was another chink in my armor that she loved to poke at. ¡°He can¡¯t protect you forever, Arianna,¡± she speaks, referring to Seth. ¡°One day, he¡¯ll leave you and you¡¯ll be all alone. Just how you were always meant to be.¡± ¡°Mother,¡± Seth says sternly, ¡°enough.¡± He pulls me closer to him. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave my sister and I¡¯ll always protect her. Even if it means standing between her and you.¡± ¡°Bold words for you to speak, yet you know better than to cross me, boy. Don¡¯t go down the same path as your sister. You won¡¯t like what you find at the end.¡± It was a threat. We both knew it was. She may have never landed a hand on Seth, but she knew she could hurt him through me. As if sensing my thoughts, I felt Seth squeeze my arm. He wouldn¡¯t let her hurt me anymore than she already had, and I wouldn¡¯t let her break my brother¡¯s spirit. We were in this together, Seth and me. No matter what we¡¯d be there for each other. Always. The Proposal July 12th, 2016 Sethius¡¯ POV I awake the following morning at 5 AM sharp. It was a habit I started back when I was younger and when my father was still around. As expected, Ari did everything that I did so it wasn¡¯t long before she was waking up with me. Our father was always an early riser, so it became a tradition for the three of us. We¡¯d start the morning off with a jog and then return home for breakfast. It was such a simple, mundane thing. Almost human-like. After things started to get bad between our parents, our morning tradition soon stopped. Ari had stopped waking early after he left. I kept up the tradition. It was the only thing that helped me stay connected to Father. It was during my morning runs where I would think back to the happier times our family had before everything changed. Those times now seem like a distant memory. I dressed in a pair of grey running shorts with a matching sleeveless grey shirt. I slip my running shoes on before I exit my room. As I pass by Ari¡¯s room, a small smile stretches across my face at the sound of her deep snores coming through the bedroom door. She always said she didn¡¯t snore, but we both knew that was a lie. The house was silent, save for Ari¡¯s snores. Mother wouldn¡¯t be up for another hour so I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with her until I came back from my run. I head downstairs, my footsteps echoing against the polished hardwood stairs. I caught her scent first before I heard her voice. ¡°Sethius.¡± I stop at the bottom of the stairs as my eyes lock onto my mother¡¯s hard and emotionless gaze. I never expected her to wake up this early. ¡°Mother,¡± I say in greeting. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± She was dressed in a feminine tailored grey suit with matching heels and a black tie. Her hair was in its usual elegant bun with tendrils of her hair coming down to frame her face. She was a stunning woman, yet everything about her was ice cold. ¡°Yes. I know you normally wake up around this time to go for a run.¡± She places her hands into her pockets. ¡°I needed to speak with you before your sister wakes up.¡± I had a strong feeling she wanted to discuss what happened yesterday. I never really spoke out against her but seeing her slap Ari like that made my blood boil. ¡°If it¡¯s about yesterday then I apologize for what I said. I just don¡¯t like it when you abuse Ari,¡± I say to her as respectfully as possible. ¡°Although I¡¯m grateful for your apology, that isn¡¯t what I wanted to speak with you about. Come with me,¡± she orders as she begins to leave me behind in the foyer. It didn¡¯t take me long to catch with her. I stay a few feet behind her as we head through the various hallways in our house to get to her home office. Her heels strike forcefully against the floor and briefly flashback to a moment in my childhood when hearing the clicks of her heels sent fear into the very depths of my soul. Even now, her very essence demanded power and respect. As the second seat on the Wolfkin Council, Mother was the most feared Wolfkin in the city of North Liotnai. We walk past the den before we reach her office. It was grand and spacious. Mother possessed a large redwood desk that sat in the center of the room with a leather chair that was a darker shade of red. A hand-woven Indra rug was spread out across the dark raven-colored floor. It had intricate symbols of the twelve Greek Gods and Goddesses woven into it. The built-in shelves that covered the left and right walls were filled to the brim with books from various periods. Many of them were in Greek or Latin. The wall behind her desk was covered by a large, light tapestry that depicted the lunar cycle. She strides over to her chair behind her desk and gracefully sits down with her hands resting on top of the desk, clasped. I sit in the leather chair in front of her desk and wait for her to start speaking. ¡°I will no longer be announcing Arianna¡¯s punishment for her behavior yesterday,¡± she begins, and I keep the look of shock from showing on my face. ¡°Nathan¡¯s family approached me after yesterday¡¯s incident to request a meeting with Arianna and me, so I will be postponing the announcement for her punishment until after we¡¯ve met with them.¡± I was beyond confused as to why she would agree to meet with Nathan¡¯s family. For them to boldly request a meeting with someone like my mother they had to be out of their minds. She didn¡¯t spare humans an ounce of her time. What made them so special? ¡°Why did you agree to meet with them? They¡¯re nothing but lowly humans. They don¡¯t deserve your time, nor will Ari like the idea of being requested to meet with them. You know how she is when it comes to humans, Mother,¡± I say to her in hopes that she may reconsider this. ¡°I¡¯m aware of how Arianna is. However, she won¡¯t have the option to decline. As for why I agreed to meet with them, I can only assume they wish to stay in good graces with the Wolfkin Council. They likely wish to apologize despite not causing any issues to begin with.¡± ¡°Their family has had nothing but a long history of conflict with Wolfkin. I doubt they care what standing they have with the Wolfkin Council.¡± I scratch my head. ¡°Maybe they have an ulterior motive.¡± ¡°Whatever it may be, I will hear them out. If it seems out of the ordinary then I will inform the Council immediately,¡± she says with finality. I wasn¡¯t going to be able to talk her out of this. The request was rubbing me the wrong way. As the only male in the household, it was my job to protect both Mother and Ari. If she was going through with this, then I would insist on tagging along to the meeting. ¡°At least allow me to come to the meeting,¡± I state. ¡°You¡¯re just as protective as your father was,¡± she comments with fondness in her tone. There was a faraway look in her eyes before it vanished quickly and was replaced with her usual iciness. ¡°Very well. You can attend. It will be better if you do. Arianna will be more likely to keep her composure with both of us present.¡± Yeah, I doubt that. She¡¯ll do whatever she wants and worry about the consequences later. ¡°The meeting is set for today at 1:00 in the afternoon,¡± she continues. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to hold the meeting here in my office. I¡¯ll be busy most of the day until then. Tell your sister and make sure she¡¯ll be on her best behavior if she wants to avoid being punished yet again. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll make sure she behaves.¡± And that was going to be a challenge.
Arianna¡¯s POV The sun was already high in the sky by the time I woke up. I used to love watching the sunrise when I was a pup, but that changed after Father had left. His absence only served as a reminder for the turmoil I caused within our family. I get myself ready for the day with hopes of being able to spend some time with Seth before Mother announced my punishment to the whole city. The scratches on my cheek had healed up nicely overnight and you could barely see them. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I had watch scars like these heal. I gave Mother plenty of opportunities to physically punish me. I dress in a simple pair of blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt. I forgo putting on any socks since I preferred being barefoot while I was at home. I tie my hair back into a ponytail and once I was satisfied with how I looked; I exit my room to head downstairs for some much-needed breakfast. A coppery scent hits my nose when I¡¯m halfway down the steps and my mouth waters at the smell. The sound of movement from the kitchen makes my ears twitch slightly and concentrating beyond the scent of blood, I could make out my brother¡¯s scent. I pad through the foyer and pass the living room before I arrive at the kitchen. The coldness of the stone tile floor didn¡¯t bother me as I enter the kitchen and see Seth removing a fresh pound of bacon from its package and onto an empty plate. ¡°Morning, sleepyhead,¡± he greets with a smile. ¡°Morning, Sethy,¡± I greet back teasingly and chuckle when he frowns at me. ¡°I wish you¡¯d stop with that ridiculous nickname.¡± He throws the empty bacon package into the trash and washes his hands before grabbing two forks from the draw where we kept the silverware. ¡°I spoke with Mother this morning before my run.¡± I raise an eyebrow in surprise as I hop up onto the empty barstool next to Seth as he hands me one of the forks. I stab a piece of blood-soaked bacon and chuck it into my mouth. ¡°That¡¯s surprising. She¡¯s never up that early.¡± ¡°Trust me, it caught me by surprise too. She wanted to talk to me before you woke up.¡± Typical, I think to myself. She likes to keep things from me and then have Seth tell me about it. It was her way of not having to deal with me unless it was necessary. ¡°And what did she have to say about me this time? That she should¡¯ve just beat me to a pulp like she wanted to yesterday?¡± I ask, already feeling my annoyance growing.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Seth eyes me disapprovingly. ¡°You know I would never let her do that. It took a lot of restraint to keep from lashing out at her after she slapped you.¡± Seth picks at some of the bacon on the plate but never makes a move to grab any which was something he did when he felt troubled. I sit my fork down and twist my body to face him. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± He sighs and mimics my movements and his knees bump my own. With his familiar troubled look on his face, he opens his mouth to speak. ¡°Nathan¡¯s family approached Mother yesterday.¡± Of all the things I had expected him to say that was the last thing I thought would come out of his mouth. For one, I couldn¡¯t believe Nathan¡¯s family dared to approach someone like Mother. Two, I found it downright disrespectful that they thought they could just approach her so openly. As humans, they didn¡¯t have the right to do that. I didn¡¯t care that humans would soon be getting the rights they were stripped of so long ago. They were still beneath us in my eyes and the eyes of many others in our community. ¡°They seriously dared to approach her after what I did to Nathan?¡± I snort. ¡°Humans are dumber than I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like Mother was going to attack them like you attacked Nathan. I find it more upsetting that she took the time to speak with them.¡± ¡°What did they want?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he pauses and scratches the back of his head while nibbling on his bottom lip. A nervous tick of his. ¡°They requested a meeting.¡± Another pause. ¡°With Mother.¡± Pause. ¡°And you.¡± I blink. Once. Twice. And then, I explode. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? Who the hell do they think they are to ask for a meeting with us? I broke Nathan¡¯s nose!¡± I was beyond livid. They didn¡¯t deserve our time. Stupid humans. They just didn¡¯t know their place. ¡°She agreed. Didn¡¯t she?¡± I ask, waiting for the answer I knew he¡¯d give. ¡°It¡¯s this afternoon at 1:00. She¡¯s holding the meeting in her office,¡± he says as he reaches out to place his hand on my shoulder. ¡°I asked Mother to allow me to attend as well. Something about this is rubbing me the wrong way and I have to make sure you two are safe.¡± With the family history Nathan¡¯s family had, it was no wonder Seth would want to be there in case anything went wrong. The Scott family wasn¡¯t exactly known for their fondness of Wolfkin. Just the thought of them being in our home made my skin crawl in discomfort. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep you both safe, okay?¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll look out for you,¡± I say firmly. Again, he looks at me with disapproval. He took the role of being the sole protector of our household very seriously, especially after Father left. After all, all males were charged with protecting the females of their respective households. I, however, wasn¡¯t the typical female Wolfkin. I wasn¡¯t afraid to get into fights and stand up for myself which, to Seth¡¯s annoyance, made it harder for him to keep me safe. ¡°Fine. Just don¡¯t do anything rash and try to stay on your best behavior. Mother has already threatened to punish you if you act out during the meeting, so promise me that you¡¯ll at least try to behave.¡± There was no guarantee that I would behave during the entire meeting. Even with the threat of a possible punishment. I would give no human an ounce of respect and I damn sure wouldn¡¯t do it in my own home. ¡°I¡¯ll try to behave. I promise.¡± I then hold up my hand and offer my pinky to him. He rolls his eyes but locks his pinky with mine. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still make pinky promises.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± I say playfully and unhook my pinky from his. ¡°Let¡¯s finish up breakfast. I wanna spend some time outside before this nightmare of a meeting later.¡±
Around noon, Seth and I went out to the backyard to enjoy the nice summer weather. We had laid out on the grass and just watched the clouds move freely across the sky. We decided to forget about everything else and just talked about numerous things that had caught our interest lately. We were in the middle of discussing what we expected to happen during the upcoming school year when we both felt Mother¡¯s aura brush against ours. ¡°Guess it¡¯s time,¡± Seth says as he sits up. ¡°You ready for this?¡± ¡°No, but I don¡¯t have much a choice,¡± I answer, pulling myself up from the ground. ¡°We better hurry before we make her angry.¡± We start to head back to the house for the meeting. I was a little nervous if I had to be honest, but Seth¡¯s presence eased my nerves a little. We enter through the backdoor and I¡¯m immediately bombarded with new scents. The only one I recognized was Nathan¡¯s. The other two were unknown. The unknown scents set me on edge, and I could feel my hackles rising. There¡¯s a familiar itch under my skin from the urge I had to shift into my True Form. ¡°Relax, Ari,¡± Seth says gently. Easier said than done. I knew Seth was feeling the same way I was. He was just better at keeping his composure. Wolfkin didn¡¯t take too kindly to outsiders being in their territory. We¡¯d instinctively be on the defensive and be seconds away from shifting. I don¡¯t know what Mother was thinking when she decided to hold the meeting here. One wrong move and Nathan and whoever he brought with him would have their throats ripped out. We make our way through the kitchen and down the hallway and pass the door to the library before we reach the door to Mother¡¯s office. I pick up the sound of four heartbeats as Seth and I stand outside the office door. Seth steps in front of me protectively as he grabs the door handle and twists it before he pushes the door open. He steps in first while I follow quickly behind him. Mother is sitting behind her desk and her eyes are already locked with mine. A slight chill travels down my spine and I advert my gaze down to the floor in a clear sign of submission. ¡°Sethius. Arianna. Come stand next to me,¡± she orders. We both follow her directions without uttering a single word. I feel eyes on me as I travel to stand behind Mother¡¯s desk. I¡¯m to her right as Seth stands to her left. I had kept my eyes lowered to the ground the entire time until I faced the front of the room. My eyes landed on Nathan¡¯s form. A splint covered his broken nose and I was surprised to see that his jade green eyes were focused on my amber ones. The look in them was kind, friendly even which baffled me. I stare daggers at him in return, only for him to offer me a quick smile in return before I tear my gaze from his. What kind of game was he playing? ¡°I suppose introductions are in order,¡± Mother begins, her tone authoritative. ¡°I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re well-acquainted with my youngest, Arianna, and this is my oldest, Sethius.¡± I mumble a ¡®hello¡¯ under my breath as Seth gives a more polite and proper greeting. I didn¡¯t even spare the humans in the room a glance. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be able to put a face to a name now,¡± a rough, but amused voice comments. I decide to spare the owner of the voice a glance and see that he also was looking in my direction. Although he sounded kind, his eyes didn¡¯t reflect it. They were the same color as Nathan¡¯s, yet his had a harder look to them as well as a few bags under them. ¡°I¡¯m Grant, Nathan¡¯s father, and over there is my wife, Patricia,¡± he continues. ¡°And you already know Nathan, of course.¡± I take in Grant¡¯s appearance. Tall, stocky build. His skin a fawn, light yellow-brown. His hair was sandy and styled in a crew-cut style. If I had to take a guess, he had to have some military background and that¡¯s just based on the family¡¯s profession and their obvious skill for it. ¡°It¡¯s lovely to meet you both,¡± a feminine, cheery voice says. My eyes follow the sound of the voice and meet a pair of striking aquamarine eyes. Compared to Grant, she had a more delicate and tiny build. Her skin was a warm beige color. Ginger blonde hair framed her face and the ends of it were curly. A woman like her seemed too kind and loving to be involved in their family business. Looks can be deceiving, though. ¡°Now that that¡¯s out of the way, we can start this meeting. You may speak first, Grant,¡± Mother instructs. Grant clears his throat. ¡°Thank you. Although it¡¯s unnecessary, I¡¯d like to offer an apology on my family¡¯s behalf. I know our family has caused a lot of turmoil to Wolfkin for many generations now. My hopes for this meeting today are to put our long-standing bloody history to rest and begin a new era of peace.¡± I wanted to comment, but I hold my mouth firmly shut. I made a promise to Seth and was determined to keep it. What Grant was offering was the same thing our ancestors were offered before the humans turned on them and enslaved them. Peace didn¡¯t exist between us and humans. It never would. ¡°Interesting. How exactly will you go about doing that?¡± ¡°I have a proposal I¡¯d like for you to consider. This whole mess started between our children, so why not end with them as well?¡± The hell was this guy on about? Using me and Nathan to establish peace? Fat chance that would ever happen. ¡°Go on.¡± She sounded way too interested. ¡°Patricia and I thought the best way to help ease the tension following the verdict is to have Nathan and Arianna form a sort of friendship, to show that our two species can indeed get along.¡± Grant rests his hand on Nathan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My boy here has fully agreed to participate. He¡¯s quite excited at the chance to get to know Arianna a little better.¡± ¡°Is this your idea of a joke?¡± I hiss angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to do with you filthy humans.¡± ¡°Enough, Arianna. You know better than to speak without having permission to do so,¡± Mother reprimands. I spin to face her. ¡°But Mother-¡± A crushing force suddenly washes over me. The feeling is so powerful that it brings me to my knees. It was like a giant weight was weighing me down and making it impossible for me to breathe. I can just barely lift my head to look at Mother. ¡°I told you to stop talking. Disobey me again and I promise you will suffer. Dearly. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The force gets even stronger and it¡¯s almost impossible for me to keep my head up. She wanted me to submit, but I was too prideful to submit to her in front of Nathan and his parents. ¡°Yes, what?¡± Either her aura was going to crush the life out of me, or I could swallow my pride and submit. Reluctantly, I bow my head in submission. I made a promise to Seth. I was going to keep it. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The crushing force of her aura disappears and I¡¯m able to breathe again. I unsteadily get to my feet but keep my eyes lowered to the floor. I could already feel numerous pairs of eyes on me. I wanted to run and go somewhere where no one could find me. ¡°I think I will be taking you up on that offer. It will be the most suitable punishment for Arianna, especially after the blatant disrespect she just displayed,¡± she says scathingly. ¡°What exactly does this ¡®friendship¡¯ entail?¡± ¡°Well, Nathan is already open and accepting of Wolfkin, so this won¡¯t be an issue for him. However, Arianna has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with humans at all. Think of it as a test for her if you will,¡± Grant explains. ¡°And if she fails that test?¡± ¡°I may be overstepping by saying this but with Arianna¡¯s unruly nature the best course of action to ensure that peace can eventually be established between us may be that she be put down.¡± My eyes widen and I¡¯m sure the look on my face is of pure terror. There wasn¡¯t a Wolfkin in this city who didn¡¯t fear being put down by the Hunter¡¯s Society. There was no way my Mother would ever agree to such a punishment; no matter how much she may have hated me. ¡°Fair enough. I accept your proposal.¡± I lift my eyes and stare at her in complete and utter disbelief. She agreed with no hesitation. ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t be serious. This is Ari¡¯s life we¡¯re discussing!¡± Seth seethes. ¡°Don¡¯t raise your voice at me, boy. If your sister wishes to remain alive then she¡¯ll do her very best to pass this test. To be perfectly honest with you, this test is the perfect fit for her. It¡¯s exactly what she needs to whip her into shape.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a fair test. She¡¯s dealing with a human.¡± ¡°When one¡¯s life is at stake, they will do all that they can to save themselves. Have a little faith in your sister.¡± She had the nerve to look at me then with a smirk on her lips. I felt sick. She was gambling with my life like it was a toy. Any hope that I had that she still cared about me was gone now. I was nothing to her. I tear my eyes away from her and settle them on Nathan. Worry is what I saw in his eyes. Was it for me or was it for himself? I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. All I knew was that from this moment on our lives would be intertwined whether we liked it or not.