“Well there’s your answer standing in front of you,” I stared at her hoping that she was kidding, obviously not as she just shrugged and stepped back with David to watch Daniel rip me to shreds. I stared at Daniel watching him open his jaws wide and tensing his body, ready to jump upon me and end my miserable life.
I stared wide eyed into the gaping maw of a werewolf,oh great you’re really screwed Trish, you can’t get out of this one easily, I thought callously, kicking myself mentally. I started to struggle against my bonds hoping that Ben had made a loose knot somewhere that would allow me to wriggle free.
“Ok Daniel the joke is over, change back,” David said sternly. I started to breathe a little easier as David said this. When Daniel did not comply he too started to change, Unlike Daniel, David’s wolf was sleek and glossy with huge muscles lining his sinewy frame. Daniel noticed David’s wolf and slunk back into the shadows, changing back as he went, obviously common sense won out over hunger. David followed him and gave him a good talking to, when they came back, Daniel and David had changed into some fresh clothes, Daniel held his head low, he now had scratches on his face from where David had slapped him with his giant wolf paw.
“Sorry about the scare but Daniel hasn’t fed for quite a number of days as he has been punished so he must fast,” David explained,
I just stared at them, how can they do that to me, I haven’t done anything to them to make them want to kill me, I thought in shocked anger.“And in answer to your question, why you? It is because He wills it so we must do as He commands,” Jennifer continued as if this explained everything, but her answer just raised more questions,
“Who is this ‘He’ you keep talking about?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me,
Jennifer looked at me and smirked, she turned to David and said,
“If she doesn’t know who He is than she is ignorant of all our ways, which means her parents neglected their duty to tell her who and what she was,” David nodded in agreement,
“But that still doesn’t tell us how and why she survived the crash that we caused,” he said with puzzlement. This had clearly been on his mind for a while.
“You caused my parents to die?” I shouted in astonishment,
“Why yes, dear child,” David said, surprised that I should ask,
“So that means that those shadows I saw were you lot, and that you and Jennifer were the ones who caused Dad to lose focus!” I said, piecing the facts together, just as Dad had taught me too. Dad had told me repeatedly ‘Don’t ever jump to conclusions; first you must piece the facts together.’ I was not about to ignore his wise words.
“Yes, and I took great pleasure in ordering my servants to do so,” an unknown voice said, it was a soft spoken voice that belonged to someone who didn’t have to raise their voice for a command to be followed, but it sounded sweet, pure and musical. Everyone in the room dropped to the floor in fear and awe, bowing down to the newcomer.
I was afraid to turn my head and look at who they were, but I didn’t need to, I knew that it was Jennifer and David’s’ master, the one called ‘He’. I couldn’t help it, I turned my head and looked at the figure that had appeared next to my head, what I saw was black pants and a highly muscled stomach, and I looked up to see a torso that was equally muscled. I swallowed and looked at the face, I was expecting a harsh, evil face, but what I saw nearly made my eyes pop out of their sockets, he smiled. I stared at that face, I thought that I would never get enough of it; I sat there drinking in the facial structure and committing it to memory so that I knew whom to look for in hell. His face was truly beautiful, in a sinful, destructive kind of way, and I did not know what I would do, I was caught by his beauty, caught in his trap like a fly in a spider’s web. He clicked his fingers and everyone rose, I took advantage of his distraction and looked down blushing for no reason. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shake his head in wonder.
* * *
The cave was cold and miserable, just how he liked it; he didn’t mind the cold of the cave as he could regulate his temperature and as for the plainness of it, he didn’t care for he was almost lost, his mind was almost shattered. He no longer could see the good in the world, his soul was one great big ugly black stain full of holes from all the sinning he had done, he had been banished from his pack when he came of age to compete for alpha position. He had broken every single law of the people, the Elders were not happy but they can’t do anything about it or him, they had to wait until he came and turned himself in before they could execute him. He had one chance to redeem himself: find a mate and raise a lawful pack, but he had no hope. Hopeless, homeless, he wouldn’t survive much longer. If he didn’t find a mate, he would become corrupted and have to turn to the ranks of the enemy to live, he was close, oh how tempting it was to just give in, if it would save him this torture then he would give in without a thought. The only thing stopping him from doing so was his rational side of thinking. If he went to the ranks of the enemy, what was stopping them from killing him or turning him in, as much as they needed new recruits they could turn on him in the blink of an eye and before he would know it, he would be in The Prison awaiting execution.
His servants were almost like him, they were the ones he had chosen, not truly werewolves but not truly humans, they were the humans he had chosen because he was lonely, some of them were worse than others. Daniel had been corrupted and was very close to turning, he had not long to go, maybe a few more weeks left. Daniel was a good kid, but he was misguided and hot headed. If he could save Daniel then he would.
The only problem was, that Daniel only had a few weeks left until he had to go and kill him then he would have to face obliteration by the hands of the hunters. For surely when the time came, he would destroy Daniel and then that would seal his fate, to be hunted for the rest of his life until he was caught. He had to find a mate so that he could start a pack of his own, so he could survive, but to find a mate he had to have strength, boldness, agility, a sharp mind and hope...the only thing he lacked. When he did find a mate, he would have to choose two more of his kind to become the foundations on which he would build his pack. But he would have to pick from his group of servants, he would have to complete the ritual that would turn them completely, so that they would be his kind, not unlike werewolves but something a little different, but not mutants, the others he would have to destroy. When he destroyed the mutants, the Elders would be a lot happier with him but he would still have to face The Prison.
The only form of amusement in the cave is watching my servants go about doing my bidding through the fire. I have to use magic to do so, and it’s draining but necessary. By the sounds of things, Jennifer and David were arguing again and David was clearly losing as Jennifer was holding the ritual knife threateningly, David gave in and held his palms up in surrender. It was truly amusing to watch David battle with himself, his love for Jennifer clearly held sway over his common sense, Jennifer knew that David had some feelings for her and every chance that she got she would use that against him. I really have to teach that boy how to handle his emotions, and women.
David consented to Jennifer’s demands and stepped back, Jennifer nodded her satisfaction and looked at the girl
“What is it you would like to know about first?” Jennifer asked,
“Well um… who are you and what are you going to do to me?” the girl asked hurriedly,
“Well it’s obvious that we are probably going to maim you and possible even kill you, and as to whom we are well…” Jennifer looked at David; he waved for her to continue.
Oh shit, Daniel you had better stay your hand! I thought furiously as I watched Daniel lurch forward, changing into his wolf form as he went. After a few seconds, Daniel had completed the change and in his place amongst the tatted clothes was a full formed wolf craving blood, capable of ripping the little girl into shreds.
Why must he keep forcing my hand? I thought, thoroughly pissed off I stood up, ready to intervene, but stopped as David changed to his wolf form.
Good on you David, you’re a very promising candidate and if Jennifer would mature more then she will also be on the list of candidates for my pack, I thought as I watched David take command of the situation. David led Daniel over to a corner, gave him a good talking to, and slapped him, they changed back and walked back to the circle, I nodded my head in satisfaction.
“Sorry about the scare but Daniel hasn’t fed for quite a number of days as he has been punished so he must fast,” David explained, the girl just stared at them with shocked anger on her face,
“And in answer to your question, why you, it is because He wills it so we must do as He commands,” Jennifer continued
I smirked, sat back down and continued watching.
“Who is this ‘He’ you keep talking about?” the girl asked,
I laughed so hard at the absurdity of the question that I fell off my seat. Wiping my watering eyes I climbed back onto my seat as my servants continued with their work.
Jennifer looked at her and smirked. She turned to David and said, “If she doesn’t know who He is than she is most likely ignorant of all our ways, which means her parents neglected their duty to tell her who and what she was,” David nodded in agreement,
“But that still doesn’t tell us how and why she survived the crash that we caused,” he said with puzzlement. This had clearly been on his mind for a while.
“You caused my parents to die?” the girl shouted in astonishment,
“Why yes dear child,” David said, astonished that she should ask,
“So that means that those shadows I saw were you lot, and that you and Jennifer were the ones who caused Dad to lose focus!” she said,
I thought that I should go and take command; I ended the spell that allowed me to watch through the fire and walked to the entrance of the cave. I launched myself sky-wards using magic once again to change into mist, I flowed across the countryside to the ramshackle, abused little house that they were in and glided into the room, no one noticing my entry.
“Yes, and I took great pleasure in ordering my servants to do so,” I said as I materialized to a solid form, everyone in the room dropped to the floor, bowing down to me. I noticed with satisfaction that Ben and his expertise with ropes had restrained the girl; she couldn’t move anywhere not even to relieve the lack of sensation that flowed down her arms and legs like water, a trick that Ben had learnt: restrain them firmly to allow them blood flow but tight enough to cause numbness. Ben was another of my likely candidates for my pack, depending on whether he was up to the task would decide it for him. The girl tried not to look up at me, she couldn’t help it, she turned her head and looked at me as I appeared next to her head, I watched as she studied me. What she saw must have gotten her thinking as she looked at me in fascination and revulsion, probably wondering if I was real. She swallowed and looked at my face, she must have been expecting something other than what she saw as her eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and I smiled. She stared at my face, I thought that I would never get enough of it; the attention she gave me, I stood there drinking it all in. I couldn’t stand it any longer, the attention the girl was giving me was like an addictive drug, I would crave it again and again until it consumed me, I had forgotten what it was like to be noticed in this way. I clicked my fingers and everyone rose, she took advantage of my distraction and looked down blushing. I shook my head in wonder, how does a little girl survive a horrific crash that was set in motion by me, one of the most infamous criminals in our society. I almost felt sorry for the poor girl; she is now orphaned because of me and my meddlesome ideas.
When the girl had regained her composure, I noticed her studying my appearance out of the corner of my eye, she was assessing me as one would asses a maggot, and she had a look of distain on her face.
* * *