The Dark Ages of Wolves

What The Wolf Wants

Hunter:

Once again, I feel uneasy. My head still throbs with my inner wolf's restlessness, and I still can't figure it out. Fresh air, I just need fresh air.

"Isn't the day lovely? The chilly air feels wonderful," Lilly beams, her face glowing in the morning fall sun. I drape my arm around Lilly's waist and pull her close to me. She's warm, her hair smells like fresh soaps, and she's smiling. Morgan runs about, busy trying to grab the falling leaves. The child doesn't speak much except when she can reach Jade. Everyone is hoping that she'll open up to the family eventually. The leaves crunch behind us with the human servant tallying long behind us. I can feel my wolf whining inside. Gah, it's that same longing desire. She looks... terrible. Her arms are cut up, her cheek bruised, she's limping worse. Oh, she's putting a brave little face on... Every now and then I hear her make these small sounds when her body pains her. The girl is quick to silence herself or stifle it in the back of her hand. However, I know she's hurting in there. I hate this. I should trouble myself with worrying over a human. Father would say something like, "What is one human life when you can always find another human servant," or something like that. He'd made up something about how they multiplied like rabbits in the field. I'd go along with it because I never felt anything close to them. I just trusted my father's guidance.

"Are you okay?" Lilly questions. I give her an assuring smile.

"I'm just fine," I promise her, leaning forward to kiss her lips. She leans into me, biting my bottom lip. I feel her warmth, energy, and urgency to love me. But I haven't the same urge, and I pull away all too quickly. Lilly frowns, her eyes questioning, but easily distracted by Morgan's play. The kid's chasing after something now.

"She'll be a fine hunter, I'm sure," I tell Lilly, but she doesn't respond. I catch her lips again, and she comes back to me. The moment is short, cold, and forced. I think it should spark yearning, desire, and warmth; only it doesn't. All this is, are two people following motions and actions of love and wanting. Lilly pulls away after a few moments letting us both catch our breath. We avert our eyes from each other, and awkwardness tingles along my spine. Now Morgan's coming up to us, running with a mangled up squirrel she's either caught or found. It hardly looks likes much, but she holds it up like a trophy.

"You can't eat that Morgan; it's all torn up. It smells of disease, too," Lilly criticizes. Morgan frowns, pulling it close to herself protectively. Morgan sticks out her lip, pouting now at Lilly's disapproval, "Now, put it down," Lilly demands, "You're getting its blood all over yourself,"

"Lilly I-" I begin. I gently place my hand on her shoulder, but she pays me no attention. She's too worked up; her focus is all on Morgan. When Morgan doesn't listen, Lilly slaps her hand, forcing Morgan to drop it. She snatches the squirrel away and tosses it. Morgan drops herself to the ground, crying silently when Jade rushes to her. Jade wipes away Morgan's tears, whispering soft words.

"Miss Jade, you aren't to be around the children," Lilly warns her, storming toward her.

"Don't you ever touch her," Jade snaps at her. Lilly jumps a bit, taken aback by Jade's sudden audacity.

"We are wolves. Our young are to listen and show respect. Who are you, an outsider to tell me how to discipline her?" Lilly fires back. Jade shoots up to her feet. Morgan hides behind her shaking. "Now Jade-," Lilly begins, and a set of knuckles slam into her face. My jaw drops. Lilly pops back up howling, clutching her face.

"Jade," I snarl. I start forward, but I stop. My chest burns. I breathe deeply, my face twisting into a snarl. I can' stop Jade, but I can't stop Lilly either. A furious fierceness burns in Jade's eyes. What a look of strength! She is incredible. There is something powerful in her gaze that stops even me from acting. Perhaps it is valor, magnificence, or something else I don't understand.

"Don't you touch her! Don't you touch her, she's but a child!" Jade screams, a rage burning hotter than the kitchen ovens in her eyes. Lilly kicks Jade off, sending her stumbling.

"Lilly," I snap at her without meaning to, but it's too late.

"Hunter?" Lilly scoffs at me, "Really?" she chuckles. I shrug, not sure how to explain my behavior to her or myself, "And you," Lilly resumes with Jade. The uneasy queasiness is coming back, oh, I'm going to be sick. "So, what if I scold her? Her behavior mustn't be tolerated. I mean to attach herself to a human? It's not normal," Lilly seethes, "You haven't any right to tell me what to do and certainly not over one of ours," Lilly scolds Jade. Lilly makes a move forward, and Jade launch forth, and I gawk at her bold audacity. She's incredible, I can't help it, what a bold move! Without any warning, Eric grabs Jade making her gasp and frantically struggle to free herself. I rock forward but catch myself. What am I doing?

"Easy now, come on, easy," Eric pleads, and she starts to calm down. Thank God it's only Eric, and I'm thankful for someone with some sense here. However, why is he here?

"Lilly, come on, calm down, please," I blurt out, "This is too much," I complain, grimacing at the situation. I rub at my chest, where it feels like my wolf is sitting. Lilly whirls around on me.

"Discipline, she needed discipline. She wouldn't listen!" Lilly snaps. Lilly tears herself free and shoves me backward. "That dirty human girl should be allowed to touch another wolf. It's unheard of, and I plan to deal with her," she threatens before turning to go for Jade.

"You will not," I stop her, growling at Lilly, the tension welling up in my chest, lighting my bones on fire. Eric lets go of Jade to face me. My lips curl up into a silent snarl, and my body starts to shift, to become more wolfish. No, no, no, this isn't happening. I can't stop what's coming, there's no turning back now. My mind dives backward into cool, icy waters where my thoughts are submerged.

"I said enough, I've had it," I growl, low and guttural. Lilly's lip twitches, and I hear this quiet growling in the bottom of her chest.

"Hunter, snap out of it. Stay in control!" Eric urges, but I shove him aside. My focus trains on Lilly. Her heart races with nervousness. I'm going to make her eat those threats. How dare she threaten her, she's mine. Jade rushes forward suddenly.

"Jade no, he's gone, what are you doing!" Eric yells after her, trying to pull her back, but he misses. My nose twitches, and I go silent. There she is. She is mine.

"Master Lakefall, please," Jade pleads, "Please, we're sorry. This won't happen again," she blurts out. I raise a hand to strike Lilly when Jade grabs my other arm. My focus snaps to Jade, her soft and delicate touch on my arm. I snarl at Lilly again, and Jade shakes like a leaf in the wind. I'm scaring her. My hand drops, and his face relaxes. "Please, I-I'm sorry," Jade stammers, her heart racing. Beautiful Jade, mine, I want her. Anything, I'll do anything for her. The longer I gaze at her, the cooler my wolf becomes. I take a deep breath as if I'd been holding my breath under chilling waters. Jade's hand lightly touching my shoulder, she soothes the monstrous wolf. My wolf, riled up and annoyed with Lilly, suddenly backs off. The heat in my chest subsides to nothing. With my inner wolf cooling down and checking out, I feel my will claw its way back to control. I blink blankly at Jade, and there it is again, that longing desire within my wolf. I glance at Eric, who looks at me with a knowing look on his face. Even he knows, and actually, he must have somehow known all along- he must have known... I look from Lilly to Jade. Jade's scent, my wolf, it wants to have her, not Lilly. Everything, all these feelings bubbling and stirring in me point straight to Jade. How can a moment's touch, less intimate than a passionate kiss with my lover, feel like so much more? Where there was nothing in a sweet kiss, there is heat and desiring for this one. Oh, no, what is this? This can't be right, but it would explain why I've felt so off these last few days. It's because my wolf picked Jade over Lilly.