Wolves by Ash Faith (ebook reader 7 inch .TXT) 📖

“I’m not your little Snow White anymore, brothers, I won’t stand for this, you even take the drink of the brothers whilst one is missing? You’re all acting strange.” I barked at them, once again more aggressive than I wanted, earning some sad looks from the burly men.

“But-“Franky started,

“No. No more buts. You’re not welcome if you’re going to act like this, might as well go jump on those cycles of yours and drive over this middle of nowhere town’s bloody horizon.” I sighed, “I love you guys, but I can’t be treated like this, I’m not your little underling to hide under your wing.”

Lan, Mongo and Franky all paused, looking at each other for some kind of acceptance before they spoke.

“We’ve noticed.” Lan said matter of factly,

“You’re much stronger than before,” Franky said proudly,

“And smarter,” Mongo admitted,

“But you still called, you’re not the only one with some questions that need answers, Katalana” Hue stomped over breaking the conversation with his seriousness. He’d used my birthname like an insult, knowing full well I hated him using it. I may have loved these boys like they were my own brothers, but even they weren’t allowed to say it. Let alone know it. I sat silently, trying to figure out the plan he was manifesting.

“You called us,” Hue continued, placing the drinks down, “We won’t be going anywhere” one by one, including one in front of me that was meant for Jye. It was a blood-red, reminding me of the night before, and the colour I’d seen in the Alpha’s eyes. What would soon be in my eyes if I didn’t control myself, I reminded myself. Jye was the head of the group, he was a combination of all the boys, and more deadly, like the rest of them, when they were all together. That’s where people began to call them things like the 5 deadly sins. It was a title, earned by their fearsome motives. And all who knew of them not to mess with their sister, their sixths sense, as they called me. But that was long ago. It’d been years since anyone recognised me.

“If you’ve forgotten, I will remind you of our stubbornness, sis.”

“Fine, stay, but promise me, no more scenes like the one you pulled just before. I want you to be here in silence. There’s people in this town I want you to stay away from, is that clear?” I said, defeated. Only by them, would I ever be defeated in an argument. Only by my brothers, not by blood but by heart. As Hue settled himself down, Jye’s swords clanking at the metal chair’s touch, I stared down at the red shot glass in front of me. “Bottoms up,” Hue said, as each of the boys grabbed their drinks and skulled their mystery shots down. Hue’s being a thick golden mixture, Mongo’s a green thin and chunky liquid, Franky’s a dirt brown muddy looking thing and Lan’s a daring purple with small green speckles floating throughout it. As the drinks disappeared, I knew what I had to, I wasn’t going to drink for Jye, like he was a fallen soldier. I picked the drink up, as their eyes pierced the drink in my hand, and smashed it down onto the silver table, feeling the shards of glass cut at my skin. I forced myself to not heal immediately, it would bring too much suspicion. I lifted my hand, my bloody mixing with the red drink that spilt over the table along with glass shards.

I stared the boys down, giving them a nod and grabbing my stuff from under the chair.

“I’ve got places to be and things to do. Remember your promise, brothers. You make a scene and you leave.” I said, walking off leaving the payment of the drinks and damages to them. The bell rang over my head as I finally let some of my tanked up rage out, letting a single vein on my forehead blacken for a short and brief moment. I sighed heavily, but my sigh ended quickly as a pair of stern hands gripped around my mouth and dragged me into the alleyway. But I didn’t fight it. Whoever wanted a piece of me could get it, because I honestly felt pretty worn down and hopeless right now.

“New Alpha, do not fight.” The hands loosened, spinning me around to meet eye to eye with a man in a suit with a grey scarf hiding his features. His suit looked expensive, and his shoes well-polished.

“Wasn’t planning on it, who are you?” I questioned the stranger who made me feel oddly calm.

“A messenger from the Immortal Court, we were notified by the moon that you had been chosen to become an Alpha,” He informed, speaking like I understood. The moon? These guys talk with the moon? What joke has my life really come to?

“Sure okay, well Mr messenger, what are you doing here exactly?”

“I need to ask you just a few short questions, if you wouldn’t mind answering?” His face was blank, he knew how to hide his secrets. That made me uncomfortable.

“As long as they’re short” I said, but what I meant was as long as I didn’t have to uncover things I didn’t want to. I crossed my arms and put up my own kind of blank mask and unreadable eyes, the least thing I needed was the Immortal Court on my ass.

“Good, we begin,” He said, “1st of all, do you currently own any territory?”

“Yes,” I said remembering the presence of the map.

“2nd, do you have a current pack?”

“Working on it.” I replied dryly. Not really, I don’t want to trust anybody.

“3rd, Do you currently alliance with any other Alpha?”

“Yes. But you said these would be short, meaning I don’t have to elaborate who.” I said, playing my own game of wits.

“That is true. 4th, Could you please hand me over your birth records and any other records that tell the Court who you are.” That one wasn’t a question, my wolf said, realising at the same pace as me, He’d just ordered to know what I was. Where I’ve lived. And who my parents are. Were.

“That’s not a question, I refuse to be ordered around when I was promised only short questions. Good day, say hi to your Immortal Court for me.” I said turning around and heading my way out of the alleyway before either of us could say anything more. This court, I thought to myself, something tells me I shouldn’t mess with them. I shuddered at the thought of the guy turning back up here, loaded with weapons and an army. Don’t exaggerate, I thought to myself, realising I was attempting to fear them. But that wouldn’t happen. Yes, we are to fear nothing, but be wary of the things you say and do, they will be watching. My wolf told me, and I got the strange feeling she got more out of that guy than I did.

I was walking past the café, flashbacks of my short time with Jack sorting themselves out in my vision. My bleeding hand had healed, only leaving a bloody mark in my palm that hid by closing my hand into a fist as I walked. I felt the feeling again, Suddenly and larger than before. Alarm bells went off in my head as I tried to focus on the feeling as I walked. I came strongly from behind me, but I didn’t smell anybody’s presence behind me. which only helped me understand more about it, it wasn’t a someone, it was definitely not human. And it had been following me since this morning, only leaving when my brothers had come to town, and now that they had ran off somewhere else in town, it was back. But I felt something different than last time, the creature from before was lighter, more sincere and definitely not as strong in presence – It was stronger, more obviously there, bigger. That alarmed me more than the feeling that I was just imagining things like before, there was something there and I had no idea what it was or what it wanted, just that it was there, and it wanted me to know that. My pace fastened as I re-entered the woods, following the track I’d memorised back to the spot I’d woken up in. the spot where a house had burned its way onto my map. As I walked past the third lining of trees, the feeling of being watched, dropped immediately. Which made me glad, I didn’t want that feeling in my territory. Knowing I was alone for the moment, I whipped my map out from my long sleeve, realising I’ll need to find a new home for the map as I’d only been able to find short sleeve shirts that fit me. the red dot on the verge of the forest, I wasn’t far from my destination. I had to find out what this appearing house crap was all about. I walked faster, the beholder’s dot sliding slowly in small bursts towards the singed-on drawing. In one week, my whole miserable life had twisted and turned, boiled and shredded apart so that I could never go back to the short happiness I felt when with my brothers and Julie. It wasn’t what the average person would call normal, but it made me feel normal and happier than I’d ever been. But with my luck, it was gone and never to return. I felt my eyes gloss up slightly, but because I was finally alone I let the tears roll. They slid down my face, drowning me in heavy-hearted feelings. I faced the forest floor in shame, I shouldn’t be crying like a child because I wasn’t getting what I wanted. I wiped my tears away, realising I needed to put my guard up as I neared the place. I needed to prepare for the worst, because houses do not just appear out of nowhere.

I lifted my head to the sound of a hammer banging on something. What the?

“Do you like it? I got it made for you, especially.” A small child-like voice pitched in from my side. I jumped at the sight, the kid from earlier had just appeared at my side,

“What the hell? What are you doing here? What are you?” I yelled, surprised.

“You don’t like what I made for you?” The child’s lip stuck out in the most adorable and sad way, nice try, but no kid gets sympathy from me like that, brat,

“There’s no way in hell you built a house, a kid, in the middle of a forest, alone, made a house-“I started to yell at the kid for being so stupid, but I couldn’t stop my awe at the building in front of me.

It was like the map had shown, a cottage-like place, freshly painted grey and white colours danced on its features. A small garden bed spread across the front had planted flowers, greens, herbs and even small fruit trees I’d seen on cheap gardening shows. Butterflies fluttered through the flowers, pollenating and taking rest stops at each one. The door shared a darker shade of grey with an emblem on its front. An emblem I knew all too well. The one tattooed on my back, covering multiple scars from my past. The one of my brothers. It was accented with dark colours, showing 5 dragons, each with the different colours and features that my brothers held, like the bulk on Franky and Mongo with their mud-brown and green colours and the witty Lan with his Purple with the occasional green speck, Hue with his yellow and gold scales and the last dragon, that stood on top of the circle the dragons created, with his blazing blood-red. His tail drooping through the circle turning into a platform for their addition to their emblem. A wolf, of no colour other than dark grey. That one was meant to represent me and my lone, free spirit,