The Dark Ages of Wolves

Our Feelings

Hunter:

When dinner is served, I find myself hoping to see Jade's face, to maybe whisper an apology to her when no one is around. Though it would be hard to see her face with the guilt I have bubbling up within me, I'm stuck between doing what is right for my family's pack and what is right for my heart. Dinner is served by Chery and Abbey, but Jade isn't here.

"Thank you, Miss Abbey, and Miss Chery," Chase murmurs when they walk by. Jade isn't with them, and when the two girls return to the kitchen, I didn't even see Jade in the kitchen. I hear someone clear their throat, and I look over to see it was Vincent. 'He must have changed the work schedule to keep me from seeing her.

"Is something wrong, son?" Vincent questions, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Father," I speak through clenched teeth. Outside I'm calm, but on the inside, my inner wolf howls in rage and sadness, the emotions threatening to soar out of control. I force myself to eat, reply to others when they speak to me and just look normal as if I weren't troubled.

"How've you been feeling?" Eladia asks Lilly.

"Good, and you?" Lilly replies.

"A bit stressed, I have the house being cleaned right now for your pack and the Schaedler's arrival," Eladia answers. I nearly start choking when she announced that.

"I'm sorry, what mother?" I ask.

"The Brook pack and Schaedler pack's arrival. Oh, that's right; we forgot to tell you all," Eladia chimes, and she chuckles softly.

"The packs should arrive very soon," Vincent adds.

"May I be excused?" I ask, too quickly. My father sighs.

"If you must, then go," Vincent decides, waving me off. I was excused, and I hurried down the hallway to the other side of the castle. Thou entered the old family room; it was dusty and dreary compared to the living room and the newer familiar room that seemed alive with bright colored rugs and a crackling warm fire in the fireplace. Here it was the old room, the fireplace still as the dull grey stone walls and the once colorful rugs and warm wood floors now covered in a light sprinkle of accumulating dust. I took a few deep breaths, a growl rumbling through my chest. I brought up my fist and hit the wall as hard as I could, yet it didn't leave a dent to my surprise. I lean against the cold stone, and it feels good against my skin.

"Why does it have to be so hard, life?" I whisper to myself. I lift my head, nose twitching, and a familiar sweet, distinctive scent reaches my nose. I hear the sound of feet shuffling, books being placed on a shelf, and pillows being brushed off. I turn around to see Jade cleaning the room. 'Had she been here the whole time? I hadn't notice.

"Mommy-Jade, what are you doing?" I hear Morgan's small voice say. Jade sighs,

"You were supposed to be asleep upstairs," Jade replies as she dusted the rug, some of its bright colors were surfacing through the dust. Morgan giggles,

"I was lonely, Mommy-Jade," Morgan tells her. Jade dumps a pile of dirt into a bin and sets it down. She ruffles Morgan's dark brown hair and smiles.

"Well, you're not alone now," Jade tells Morgan, which makes Morgan smile. Jade continued to clean, and Morgan just watched. I wasn't sure what to really do, so I decided I would leave. I begin to creep out of the room when Morgan calls to me,

"Hunter?" Morgan murmurs. Jade looks my way, her eyes full of a fear that made me hate myself. Morgan left the dusted couch and began to pull me towards it, but the closer I came to Jade, the more afraid she became. The sound of footsteps reached my ears.

"Morgan, I have to go," I tell her. I gently take my hand away from her.

Jade:

I'm relieved when Hunter leaves, yet I feel something else. There is a longing for him to return. I chuckle at myself. Someone enters the room, Vincent. Morgan and I are led out of the room to the living room. Morgan sits down with a few children that belonged to the Brook Pack. 'I knew the other packs were coming here, but I didn't know so soon,' I note. I brush off some dust that had gathered on my clothes. I clear most of the dust from the old room, I just hope it's acceptable.

"Mister Vincent Lake fall, good to see you again," says a tall ma, he must be Lilly's father.

"Good to see you as well, Mister Charles Brook, and Misses Mary Brook," Vincent greets them. Eladia shook their hands. Behind them walks in another pair, their heads held tall, their presence rather stately. The Brook's are dressed quite modestly, even Vincent looks quite handsome. Eladia is dressed in loose, flowing fabrics that hugs her body. Her face has been painted for their guests a bit too heavily. Oh, that woman annoys me.

"Mister Luke Schaedler and Misses Jane Schaedler," Vincent and Eladia greet them. The Brook's and Schaedler's bring in their bags and are directed to the guest room they'd be staying in. Abbey, Chery, Edmund, and I were to assist them. Soon after, we return to our basement quarters. I fall into my cot, tired from all of today's work cleaning the old room.

I wake up to cook breakfast. I would be cooking, but I wasn't to serve the family. In the dining room, the alpha pair of the Brooks, Charles, and Mary, and Lilly and Eric have taken a seat. Vincent, Eladia, Hunter, Morgan, Suzah, and Chase have yet to make it down the stairs.

"Eric, please don't sit by me," Lilly says, she refuses to look at him.

"What's wrong with me sitting here?" Eric asks a pain, and confused expression crosses his face.

"You, I don't want you anywhere near me. Y-you're a p-pig," Lilly says, slightly stuttering as she spoke. Lilly's parents chuckle softly and whisper something to the other.

"How could you say something like that?" Eric demanded to know, "I thought-" he began.

"Whatever you thought was wrong, go away. Y-you, disgust me," Lilly snap. Eric recoils away, and the sadness and fear on his face made Charles and Mary Brook begin to laugh quietly. Eric took a seat away from Lilly. A few minutes later, the rest of the family slowly enters. 'How could Lilly be so cruel to him? Isn't Eric supposed to be her mate?' I wondered, but then I saw it. The redness in Lilly's eyes, how puffy and wet her brown eyes look. She was trying not to cry, but I could see it. There is no way she meant what she said, but it evidently hurts none the less. Judging by her parent's soft laughter, she was only doing it to impress her parents? Edmund and Chery walk past me, carrying the food I'd cooked for the family. I frown and only wonder more. I went downstairs to check my chore list, and my eyes widen. I was to clean the bedrooms again, but Vincent has wiped that chore off my list entirely. He must have forgotten to reassign me elsewhere. If I went upstairs to clean the bedrooms again, there was a chance to see Hunter, to make things right between us. I was wrong to be so afraid of him, when he cares, the next time I see him, and no one's around, I'll talk to him, I'll make things okay again.