Lupo

Chapter Seven: Mates

Copyright SJCLewis

The dining room was huge, by far the biggest room yet. 

Darcie sat, sobbing piteously, at one end of an impossibly large, polished-oak table, which looked as if it would seat tens, if not hundreds of people. Leala was stood on one side of her, her hand resting lightly on Darcie's shoulder, and Tito was stood on the other, shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot and twisting his grubby fingers together in agitation. Across from them, Nikolai was seated between Maya, who was now back to her human self again, and Bash, who's face had returned to normal and who's eyes were back to their former grey. His expression was thunderous.

Nikolai was the first to speak.

"Darcie you're safe. No-one's going to hurt you." he began gently and emphatically, smiling that easy smile, his eyes twinkling. "I can understand you must have a lot of questions..."

Darcie cut him off with a choked sob and Maya frowned at her. 

"Now, stop crying!" she scolded, rather impatiently, and for some reason Darcie felt compelled to do as she was told. She sat then, trembling with fright, wiping her damp face with the back of her sleeve and sniffing miserably . She felt Leala squeeze her shoulder, in what was intended to be a gesture of comfort, but Darcie went rigid beneath her touch and shied away. There was an awkward pause before Nikolai cleared his throat and continued, his smile unwavering.

"...I know this must all seem very frightening for you. Trust me it's just as scary for us too! We don't usually reveal our true selves to humans." He gestured towards her and his smile widened.

"If we did most humans would probably react similarly to how you just did, or else try and destroy us. You see, in your cultures we exist only in legend; in films and in folklore. To human's, we are monsters. But for the most part, I promise, we're all very harmless and civilised. In many ways, we're just like you!"

Darcie stole a glance towards Maya, who was surveying her husband with a severe expression upon her beautiful face, and shivered.

"What are you?" she whispered eventually, her voice hoarse and a major part of her reluctant to know the answer. "Are you..?"

Nikolai spread his hands.

"We're Lycans." he replied simply, with as much pomp as if he was telling her the time of day. "You human's commonly refer to us as 'werewolves.'"

Darcie blinked at him. She half expected, or rather wished, that someone would start laughing and reveal it all as a bad joke, but no one did. Nikolai read her expression and smiled again, this time a little sadly. He gestured towards his wife.

"You've seen it with your own eyes." he reminded her, alluding to Maya's grotesque transformation. "It's the absolute truth. All of us here are the same. Myself, Tito, Bash and Leala are all Lycans too."

Darcie blanched at the word and then peered up at Tito at her right shoulder. He gazed down at her with an almost apologetic expression and nodded solemnly. Darcie squirmed. They had never been close but it felt strange, having known him for so long without really knowing who he was. Tito offered her a tentative smile which she did not return. She shook her head violently.

"No you're not." was her reply, although her tone was uncertain. "This isn't real. I mean...you can't be. That...I mean, you don't exist!" By 'you' she meant 'werewolf', but she found herself unable to say the word aloud. It was too ludicrous. Shaking her head again, she desperately sought out Tito's gaze, willing him to break character, laugh and admit it was all a bad joke, but he was refusing to look at her.