Biting Sacrifice

Chapter II - The Sisters

There was a strange man looking at her.

As she made her way to her sister's workplace, with brisk steps and head held high, she couldn't help but feel the stare that followed her. It was her weekly "non-scheduled" scheduled visit to make sure her little sister was still alive and kicking. In between cobbled streets with little to no customers wandering about, stood Greyback's Apothecary. If one didn't know what to look for, they would surely miss it.

And she was still being watched. It added to her gloomy mood, making her feel incredible on edge at the prospective conversation that was to come.

Greyback's was a tiny space filled with herbs and powders disorganized in such a particularly way that it seemed as if one wanted to ensure that no particular item could actually be found. It smelled of weird incense, most likely the product of sorcerers. She didn't know how her sister could stand it. It was triggering her need to sneeze and once she started she would not be able to stop.

"Hey Mae" started Tabitha with a mischievous grin on her face "How may I be of service today?"

With raised eyebrows she looked at her little sister. Then proceeded to sneeze.

"Ah the incense is working properly" Tabitha continued.

"What is that anyway? It smells particularly funky."

"It's uh, a new creation. Courtesy of Maxwell, of course. You see, we've been having some... furry problems lately. It overwhelms their sense of smell and it shadows... ours. It's a hit with the ladies - so much so that we're running out already."

"Please, for the love of God, tell me it doesn't contain Wolfsbane. We're having enough problems as it is without you deciding to illegaly sell-" Tabitha quickly pointed at the door while waving her arms around.

"Maeve, I garantee you that we are not selling illegal substances in this establishment. I pinky promise you" Tabitha assured her sister with a not so subtle high-pitched voice while deliberately crossing her middle and pointy finger. "You know I'm no expert, I'd have to run it trough with Maxwell, but it's definitely those witchy things that they use".

Maeve exhaled heavily. She lowered her voice and looked with frowned eyebrows at her sister.

"Does that furry problem have anything to do with that man outside? Tabitha, you know I worry about you. Please tell me you are not getting into any trouble."

"Mae, I'm just looking out for us. I got this." The younger woman replied in a lower tune.

Maeve sighed. She knew who she was from a very young age. As an older sister born into a semi-functional family, it was her duty to not only make sure her sister's safety was guaranteed, but also her people's. So it brought her great displeasure as she reached into the pocket of her long coat. She wished that they could be children again, shielded from the dangers of their world.

"I am sorry Tabi" Maeve struggled "Don't be a stranger, come to mine for dinner tonight."

She placed the piece of paper on Tabitha's limp hands and pressed a kiss to her temple. Maeve wished she could change it, she really did, but this time it was out of her hands. And as it seemed, even her sister wouldn't be able to evade it this time. She sneezed one more time, just as the bells on the front door rang once more.

Soon Tabitha found herself alone, with a crumpled letter in now thight fists. She was mad, enraged even. She knew it was coming, but after two years of successfully not participating in the Run, her anxiety spiked.

The Run was an event that took place yearly, where unmated wolves and humans alike were the stars of the show. It was hosted a providence away from where both sisters lived, home to a great dense forest, known for being particularly liked by the animals and not very much so by the humans. Once turned eighteen one was obliged to participate every year until claimed by one of the wolves. It was absolutely dreadful.

That's where Tabitha came in. She was not as charming as her sister. She did not have a way with her words. But creative? That she was. Tabitha knew she had a duty towards her people. It was carved in her blood, though unlike Maeve, she knew that she wasn't made to be in the frontlines of the legal fight for their rights. She was made to help the normal human that would come to her in need of help - to flee, to maim, to dissuade the wolves. That's what she was made for.

For the past years Tabitha played around with the rules. The first year, a week after her letter arrived, she conjured herself a little concotion without even having to bug Maxwell for help! And then boom, she was so sick that she had to stay in the hospital for over a week! A great feat that made her miss the event. The year after Tabitha knew that she would not be allowed to repeat it - you see, not participating brought attention to yourself, it was inevitable. It made people question it. And altough that made people come to Greyback's to seek her help - albeit illegal help - it also made the King's guards look into her. That meant questioning her, her sister, her associates, and going through the apothecary, where some not so legal susbtances were aprehended. That meant that she could not be sick for the second year in a row. So, she did the next logical thing - she threw herself out of a balcony, resulting in a broken leg, thus a surgery and lengthy stay at the hospital.

Her story was spread around to people that, just like her family, were awfully scared of what being claimed meant. The main problem that irked people like Tabitha and Maeve was that humans are legally bound to go with the wolves that claim them, having to submit to them fully. And altough not every story ends badly, being soulmates does not make a relationship free of problems, unbalanced power dynamics, and psychological abuse.

This meant that the attention she received after evading it her first year, increased tenfold in her second. And now, the third was just around the corner. As she greeted Mrs. Dove while preparing her usual package, Tabitha used the time to think. She could not get sick, she couldn't break her bones. She definitely couldn't run away, that was too out of her league. Maybe she could pay someone to kidnap her? A consented kidnapping?

"Uh-hum" Mrs. Dove cleared her throat.

Tabitha quickly glanced at the door "Sorry, Mrs. Dove, how else may I be of help?".

"I was wondering if the book club meeting was still in place. You see, I'm really anxious to talk about it. It has definitely been an emotional roller coaster." she fiddled with her ring.

"Of couse." She presented a shaky smile "Same time as always. Have a good afternoon, Mrs.!".

A kidnapping would not work. She had to go, just as many women and men before her had done. She had ran out of options.

The hours passed unbearably slow, with a pressure in her lungs growing and making it hard for her to take a deep breath. Leaving her letter open on the counter with the name Maxwell written over it in her too big of a handwriting, Tabitha prepared for what was to come.

Firstly she grabbed the incense that so ardently annoyed her sister, and then she picked up a hidden stash of powdered Wolfsbane, storing it in her intimate clothing. She'd repay Maxwell later on, but now she was late to the book club. As she mentally apologized to her worried sister, she set on her way home.