Vex

Chapter Three: Deal or No Deal

Later that night, I finally finished my chores and decided to do a little roaming. I will live here practically until I'm old and senile, so why not explore my new home. I knew not to wander off near the sleeping area because I would run into that Alpha or the other children. They seem nice, but looks are always a facade. I wandered down the halls admiring the artwork they have collected over the years. They had paintings, swords, and armor along their walls; it was almost daunting not to reach out and touch them. I kept walking down the halls until I spotted a half-cracked door.

I peered inside, trying not to draw too much attention, and spotted something that made my heart leap. It was walls and walls of books, and a smile etched across my face. I slipped into the beautiful library and sighed in contentment. They had a big window cast in the moonlight, and the library itself was dark. If it weren't for that pool of light from the moon, you wouldn't be able to see anything. I instantly went to the shelves and touched them as I walked through the rows of books. I wonder if the books were organized by category or were they alphabetized. Who was this library for? I can only see maybe two out of the seven children reading anything from here. Perhaps the King was an avid reader before he passed.

-

Almost on cue, I spot the maid from earlier wandering around the library. I had been speaking with Draci, but I noticed that I was not the only one looking over at that little maid. She was interesting. Draci had that look of want, which rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not a fan of competition. I cleared my throat, and he looked over at me,

"What?"

"Why are you looking at her like that?" I question, and Draci laughs,

"Why do you ask?"

"You don't even...entertain humans."

"I don't, but she's...interesting," he remarks, and I scoff. That's the same thing that I said.

"But if you want to try your luck, be my guest, brother." Draci remarks, and I narrow my eyes at him. It felt like he was challenging me. Like I didn't have a chance at her. We both know that I could get her if I wanted to. We were both considered ladies' men, but I didn't want to compete over a human. I stood up from the loveseat we were sharing and tiptoed over to the little maid. I watched her fingers grace over the bookshelf as she read each title, her big brown eyes filled with enthusiasm and wonder, and I almost felt like I would intrude on her if I did interrupt. I didn't know why she intrigued me so much, but she was just someone I wanted to know.

"Find anything interesting?" I questioned, and she gasped before removing her hand

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"No, you're fine. Exploring the castle, huh?" I smile to ease her tension. Humans are so fearful. She smiled lightly,

"Yes, actually. I never knew you guys had a library. Is it used often?" She asks

"Not as much as it should be. It used to be me and Altho using it, but now he has his little collection upstairs in his room, so it's mostly just me."

"Wow, your own personal library. I am a bit jealous." she jokes as she laughs a little. I tried not to stare as she laughed, but her laugh was just cute. She was pretty, and I decided right then and there to pursue her. Not to date her, of course, that would ruin my mother's and my reputation. If mother took me as a joke now, she would take me as one if I showed up courting a human. I returned her smile,

"You're welcome to visit anytime you like."

"Really-" We were interrupted by a scream. Draci, Vex, and I ran out of the library and peered up the stairs to spot one of the wolf guards clutching his thigh. Krea had a dagger pointing at him, and the skittish maid from earlier was standing behind her, wrapped in a sheet. The guard was almost naked with no shirt or trousers on, just his undies. Krea pointed the dagger down at the guard's member,