Human

Chapter three- flowers

Walking out the front door was harder than it should've been after I had come to the realization that this could be the last time I lay eyes on my parents, my brothers. That hurt more than I thought it would. I found myself looking back more than once at my father, who was standing there with his hands on his hips, and my mother, who was staring with that blank look of hers. Not at us, it was almost like she saw through, like she wasn't even looking at anything at all.

"did you... pay for a cab?" Isaiah pointed at the black vehicle on the road in front of our house, still running, I knew who would be in there before we were able to see his face. somehow this one lycan man has shown up repeatedly. Which can't be a good sign, interest is never good when it comes to them.

I shook my head to my older brother, and his question was answered when the tall policeman that had saved me just yesterday clicked open the door and stepped out. He was dressed similarly to my brother actually, wearing a new suit that probably cost more than a few thousand dollars. Isaiah stared him down, and he stared right back. Suspicion was clear in both of their gazes.

"I thought I would be your escort to the ball, I didn't want you walking alone again, I've already filed you guys in so you don't have to go through the check-in." he didn't ask if we would go with him, it wasn't in their nature to ask for things, judging by the way this guy carries himself he is of a higher rank in the closest pack, they never ask for things. they just take. not that I am complaining this time, I've heard that the human check-in process is god awful, there are so many of us, and so little time to get in, you're just being shoved through the front doors. or so I've been told.

"Hm. thank you" Isaiah titled his head up and puffed his chest out as I spoke, he's adopted many tendencies from the werewolves he works with, trying to express dominance, trying to protect me. Surprisingly enough, the mysterious driver didn't punish him for doing so and nodded as if he understood my brother's reluctance to let an unmated werewolf male near me, or him for that case.

"No problem, it's my job to keep you and your sister safe, she is... your sister right?" he questioned, opening the car door for me and saying to file in, I just nodded and smiled at him. isn't it odd how you can be scared of someone and be grateful to someone at the same time?

and like that, the conversation was over, again, it was like the dreary car ride home yesterday, just with each wondering why the sudden interest, and this man, this lycan, seemed a little off. A little on edge, you could say, like something worrying him, like someone was worrying him. I caught myself staring from the backseat, my eyes flicking down his suit, noticing the royal guards logo printed on the cuffs of his sleeves, and the ID badge hung by a chain, reading "head of security: Maven ross: royal guard beta". Immediately I saw my brother's eyes widen in realization, and I assume mine was doing the same.

I knew he was of high rank, I thought maybe a soldier or a son of someone high up in whatever kind of system those things had. I didn't think... oh my god, this is THE beta, The alpha king's right-hand man, holy shit. me and Isaiah locked eyes for a few seconds then retreated into our respected corners of the car. Now not only were we terrified that if we make one wrong move will be beheaded along without family, but now the high royals know we exist. making us easy peasy targets. goddamn it.

as the car ride progressed so did the tense atmosphere, I chose to stare out the window in an attempt to distract myself, absentmindedly picking at my nails, they were already knawed down from a mixture of my terrible habits, working all day stripping down fabrics, and doing pretty cut everything with my hands. I watched the city as we drove, as it slowly progressed from the human government-funded slums I lived in, to a gorgeous town, a place where I knew I didn't belong, but I wanted to stay anyway.