Valene:
Since I was tasked to immediately report to Harlyn after the meeting, I took it as an opportunity to make it a stress-relieving moment. I ran the ten-plus miles to the spare pack cabin that neighbored the temporary residence of the Silver Moon Pack. I was clad in black, a simple turtleneck long-sleeved top, and black bottoms with combat boots. Was this appropriate for a run? Probably not, but it wasn’t like I was supposed to have a choice in the matter of clothing when on a run, let alone having a run at all.
I was pacing down the street when I saw Harlyn’s BMW hatchback-red, parked between the space of her party cabin and the Silver Moon Pack’s packhouse. As the view of Master Barbosa’s packhouse came into view, I could not help but recall the way that he was staring at me during the meeting. It wasn’t the how, though, that really drew my curiosity, but the fact that he was staring at all. Why? That question kept playing back and forth in my mind and the more that I thought about it the more unsettled I became. Or was…was unsettled the correct word for it?
Taking a deep breath, I shook away the thoughts-or at least tried to as best I could and slowed my pace. It was as I was passing the Silver Moon’s temporary pack house that I noticed someone standing on the deck. I didn’t take a complete look because it wasn’t my business one way or another.
Fortunately, it was chilly outside that evening so, I didn’t perspire too much. If I had, the Mistress surely would have insisted I go home and change. I approached the first step of the cabin as Mistress Harlyn and the delta’s daughter came out of the house.
“Ah, Valene!” My Keeper exclaimed as soon as she dotted the threshold.
“Mistress.” I greeted her and then bowed to Penelope.
“How did “judgment” go?” asked Mistress Harlyn in the most offhand manner. It was obvious that she didn’t take these sorts of things seriously. “I’m assuming that since you’re still around that daddy ruled in your favor,” she passed an amused glance my way and grinned before returning her attention to the front of the house. It was only then that I realized that there were decorations adorning the face of the cabin.
Since she didn’t ask for details I gladly withheld them. Somehow, I knew that in relinquishing the details of that meeting…and the way that it ended thereby, Harlyn nor Penelope would be particularly happy about the results. Surprised, at the very least but certainly not happy.
“Yes, Mistress.” I finally responded and when I did, I could see the frustration on Mistress Minken’s face from my peripheral. She wanted, so badly, to say something but held her tongue; no doubt because she didn’t welcome another tongue-lashing from Harlyn Wade. Either way, I hadn’t planned on lingering on the subject for much longer and started to change the subject when Mistress Harlyn beat me to the punch.
“So, what do you think of the decorum?” My Keeper asked.
“It’s lovely, Mistress,” I replied.
My answer wasn’t to her liking. Mistress Harlyn scoffed, and though her back was turned to me, I could have guessed that an eye roll accompanied the gesture. “Oh please! That is just your way of saying it is repulsively mundane!” She claimed.
“It really is beautiful, Mistress.” I insisted as it was. Redundant? Yes, but nice nonetheless.
“But you obviously do not like it?”
“Why does it matter what she likes, Harlyn?” Penelope seemed unable to hold her peace no longer. “It’s not her party it’s yours!”
“Penny, you’re only upset because you’re the one who picked out the decor. Chill,” Mistress Harlyn hissed. “Now, tell me…what do you not like about it?”
I was reluctant to answer when I received the news that Penelope Minken was the one who picked out the decorations for Mistress Harlyn’s soiree. Judging by this look, I was almost sure at this point that she’d picked out the decorations for most of Harlyn’s birthdays if not all as they all were painfully similar.
“Well? Spit it out, Vali!” Mistress Harlyn pressed.
“It is not that I dislike it at all, Mistress,” I clarified. “I…only find it slightly similar to…the previous years. Since you like the theme so much, I would not dare change it.”
“Oh, bloody-” my answer was starting to frustrate Mistress Harlyn. “Tell me what you think, Valene!” She followed in protest.
I could not filter words any longer. “You wanted to do something different for your theme this year, Mistress,” I elected to remind her. “This would fall under the same would it not?” of course it would, but I needed her to see it and say it for herself. Not that it would help Penelope Minken’s frustration toward me. Her dagger-like eyes averted from me just long enough to look at the decorations and watch Harlyn to see what her answer would be.
“You’re right.” Mistress Harlyn finally said after a long pause. She then regarded her friend with clear annoyance. “Penelope, I told you that I wanted something different! Just because you changed a few colors and switched around some things doesn’t make it different. I cannot believe that I did not see this before.” Though my gaze was not necessarily directed toward them, I recognized the complete disdain on Penelope’s face for me. “How am I going to turn this around before tomorrow?!” Mistress Harlyn exclaimed. She was sorely frustrated.
“You have a little over twenty-four hours, Mistress. Surely, some changes can be made before then.” I reassured her.
“Vali, I-I don’t even know what decorations I would even go with at this point! I can’t think of something that fast!”
“Well, Mistress, since you are having a gathering on the beach after your father’s plans, maybe a…Hawaiian or Jamaican theme would be appropriate.” I suggested. “Sand, themed cabanas, fire pit, coconut, and pineapple drinks?” I was just thinking of fruity things off the top of my head. It probably didn’t sound too interesting to her. “Just a suggestion, Mistress but-”
“Bloody, brilliant!” Harlyn squealed. “Oh! Oh! This is far better than some-I don’t even know what this was!” She rushed down the stairs and grabbed my arms before embracing me. “Brilliant! Brilliant! Bloody Brilliant!” Mistress Harlyn kept saying. “Now, all we have to do is next-day ship everything and then put it all together!” Where she was staring at the cabin, the Alpha daughter turned to me again. “Valene, I’ll need you to…. “ her voice trailed off and while she was facing me she obviously wasn’t looking at me.
“Mistress?” I questioned. She finally answered but not to me.
“Hello there, Beta.”
As she said this, I immediately moved to the side to allow her space to have an open conversation with the one standing behind me. I knew that it wasn’t Master Slaughter. It couldn’t have been judging by how her voice suddenly changed. Harlyn Wade was suddenly trying to be seductive.
“Miss Wade.” That deeply accented voice greeted. “I see your plans are coming to fruition,” he said.
“They are…but first I have to tear down this travesty of redundancy.”
“Ah, bom…good,” he said, translating his word into English. “I hope all goes well, and I look forward to seeing you on your special day.”
“The feeling’s mutual, beta.” I could hear the cheek-to-cheek smile in her voice.
There was a moment of silence before the beta spoke again. “I did not want to bother your progress, miss, Wade,” he said to her. “I was just wondering, however, if I may borrow your vassal for a moment.”
Needless to say, Mistress Harlyn and Penny were not the only ones surprised by the beta’s request. “If you don’t mind my asking, beta,” Harlyn replied. “Why?”
“I would be worried if you did not ask, miss Wade,” the beta said. “I request regarding the meeting earlier as well as a few more detail on my Alpha’s stay at the med bay.”
“Is…is your..is Alpha Barbosa alright? I thought he was fine.” Harlyn asked.
“He is…as far as we can see, but, I’d like to be certain that your vassal did not catch something that the nurse missed since she was obviously more concerned about your vassal than doing her job.”
“Ah,” The Mistress replied after a moment of thought. “Makes sense. Very well,” she said. “Just don’t keep her too long,” she smiled.
“I’ll be sure not to, miss,” The beta said. Then he turned to me. “If you’ll come with me.”
With a reluctant bow, I followed the beta away from Harlyn and Penelope. We headed across the grass and toward the Silver Moon pack house. I stopped short of the front porch when the beta kept walking up the stairs. He only stopped, it seemed, when he realized that I was no longer following.
“You coming?” he asked.
“I am not sure that I should, Master Almeida.”
He chuckled. “Relax, little vassal, I would be a fool to harm you. It seems someone outside of your Master has found interest in your existence.”
“Interest in…what do you mean, sir?” I asked.
He didn’t answer my question but he did respond to it. “Come.” Master Almeida replied and headed into the packhouse.
Taking a deep breath, I hesitantly took continuous steps forward until I ended up standing anxiously at the entrance. I took an uneasy look behind me.
“I will not bite, vassal,” he said to me.
“How may I be of assistance?” I quickly retorted following his comment. Sure, he said he wouldn’t bite but I did not want to stand around long enough to find out whether it was true or not.
“Your Mistress…quite…audacious,”
“Is she?”
“Your sarcasm says all that I need to know about how you feel about her.”
“With all due respect, Master Almeida, I doubt your assumption is correct.” Before he could continue down the path of my feelings for my adopted sister/mistress, I shifted the subject. “Will that be all, Master Almeida?”
There was what I counted to be all of a minute of silence before he spoke again and I’d soon realize that I preferred not to broach this subject either. “That was interesting…today,” he added. “You executing an inhuman by order of an inhuman. I daresay, that is the first in history-or at least a long time in history-centuries…maybe millennia.”
“Is it?”
“Sarcasm again? That is getting old, vassal.”
“Not sarcasm, Master Almeida. Just…an attempt to keep the subject short and as vague as possible.” I confessed.
“Not one of your proudest moments, I take it.” He said to me.
“No…Master Almeida.” At this point, my gaze was glued to the floor, and to be honest I didn’t think that I had the mental capacity to stare straight. “It certainly was not.”
“Hm…interesting,” he said and then swiftly changed the subject again. “That is not why I wanted to speak with you,” he walked off and then returned with a bottle. “Beer?” he asked.
I was surprised by his courteousness, nevertheless, I declined. “N-no, thank you, sir.”
He cracked open the bottle and then took a long drink from it. “Sangue de ouro,” the Silver Moon beta said in Portuguese and then followed with another drink of his beer. I was surprised that there was any left after the first long gulp. “Gold…blood.”
I didn’t know what to say other than, “Are you asking if that is what I am, Mast-”
“If I were asking, there’d be a question mark-like tone at the end of that word would there not?”
“Yes…sir.” There was sarcasm in his voice as he said that last part.
“You know what I really want to know, human serf?” his feet made steady steps toward me until I saw his large feet in my view. It was only then that I looked up.
“I’m afraid I do not know-”
“Who are you?” he hardly gave me space to finish my sentence before he spoke and I really didn’t know how to answer him.
“I-I’m sorry, Master Almeida, I don’t know what you-”
“Who…are you?” he asked again. “It is a simple question.”
“I…am Valene, vassal of the Alpha, Alastair Wade, and-”
“No,” he took yet another step closer. I started to take a step back when I remembered the last time I took a step away from an Inhuman. It nearly cost me my life. “I want to know…who you really are, vassal.”
“Well, I am afraid I do not have an answer for you, Master Almeida,” I confessed. “As I am not even sure of my own origin.”
“Care to elaborate?”
Not really, no, I said to myself before actually answering his question. “I was adopted into this life.”
“Ah, well that is…that is interesting,” Master Almeida countered. “An inhuman…adopting a human. That is new to me. So, there is a reason why your Master is so attached. He intended to raise you as his own-”
“No, Master Almeida,” I said. “Master Wade bought me for the sole purpose of giving his mate a toy to use for her own desires.” My word choice on the matter was a bit more…harsh than intended but realistically, I had to be honest with myself. I was taken in by the Alpha so that I could bring his mate back to sanity. “The fact that I am still here is because somewhere along the way, I proved to be more useful than he and my Mistress had originally thought I would be.”
“The departed, Caris Wade.” he verbally realized.
“Yes, Master Almeida.”
“Hm,” he murmured. “She was…a pleasure to be around.”
“She was,” I said and quickly realized that I no longer wanted to have this conversation either. “Is that all, Master Almeida?” I asked.
“Meu irmãozinho…you seem to have intrigued him…a little more than I could have anticipated.”
I wasn’t blind, I had noticed that the Alpha found a visual interest in me but I’m almost sure that it is due to my ‘sangue de ouro’ as the beta called it. Sure, I wasn’t too unattractive to look at but it was my blood that called for most of the attention received from inhumans as far as I was concerned. Still, his verbalization of the fact caught me off guard, but just a little.
“I cannot imagine what intrigue he’d have concerning me, Master Almeida.”
The Beta took a step closer, a scoff leaving his lips as he disagreed with me. “I…am quite sure that you could imagine the intrigue, vassal.”
“Other than being a gold blood,” I countered. “That is my allure, Master Slaughter. Every inhuman finds intrigue in a so-called delicacy,”
There was silence between the both of us before he spoke again. “You really believe that?”
“Should I not, Master Almeida?” I asked. Of course, I allowed for a lull in the back and forth before I said this. Somehow, I thought it’d maybe seem a little less…smart aleck of me if I had.
“Hm,” I heard him say. “He said that you had a smart mouth,”
I guess the lull didn’t work in my favor after all. “I apologize if I came off too brash for your liking, Master Al-”
“He also said that you like to apologize without provocation. Then again, vassals are programmed to apologize at the drop of a pin.”
“I guess so, sir,” I replied.
Yet another lull found its way into our conversation before he finally spoke again. “The bottom line of this conversation, vassal, is that I’d like you to keep your distance from the Alpha…my…Alpha.”
“I will try my best, sir.” This was the only reassurance that I could offer.
“No,” he was suddenly towering over me. “I need you to make it your personal mission to do, not try…your best.”
At the risk of candor, I had to be honest, though discomforting as it may be. “With all due respect, Master Almeida, I have to reiterate that I will try my best. I can offer no more effort than that. I’d prefer to avoid anything that would cause calamity but I do hope that you understand I can do no more or less than my Master requests of me. That includes running errands for your Alpha due to his lack of human assistance. Now if you’d like, I could inquire about what for the duration of his stay.”
He snickered. “You…are a bold little human vassal, you know that? Speaking so…audaciously while alone with a lycan. Tell me, Valene, is it?”
“That is my name, sir,” I answered calmly, though my nerves were suddenly quite contrary. Had I known better, I’d have had to ask myself…did he just threaten me?
“Do you think you can take me?” asked the Beta.
“Take…you? I’m not sure I know what that means sir.” Of course, I knew what he meant by his choice of words but I wasn’t going to readily respond to it. Sometimes, my smart mouth was like a fast car without its brakes.
“You’re skilled with a blade, quick with your hands and movements. I noticed that when sliced that Bet nurse’s throat.” Why did he have to broach that subject? It was still a bothersome memory that I was trying to forget.“So, do you think you can take me down, little vassal?” he asked me. “And be honest. Speak to me as if I were your…”equal”.” He lifted air quotes on that last part.
“Master Almeida, I’m not sure that I should-”
“Oh, I insist,” he said. “As I stated before, no hurt or harm will come to you. I’d like to think myself a powerful being but even I dare not test two Alphas of lycan and wolf decent. Especially, Alastair Wade and Ares Barbosa.” I could hear the grin in his words.
I sighed. Why did they enjoy placing me in such positions to show my true colors? “I do not think so much of myself to assume that I could take you down, Master Almeida.” I clarified. “Mistress Bet was one of the easier inhumans I’ve had to put down.”
“Ah, so-”
“That is not to say that you would not catch hell trying to do the same to me,” I interrupted him. Since he wanted me to speak candidly, I would. “One thing that I’ve learned in my seven years of vassal-hood is that there is more than one way to skin a cat…a dog, vampire, wolf….or lycan.” I looked into his eyes. “It may be a small percent chance but I assure you that there is always a chance of me putting you down.”
His brow furrowed and his eyes lowered with what almost seemed concerned. “Hm. I’m not sure that I like your tone, vassal.”
“Since you insisted that I speak candidly, Master Almeida, I obliged. Do we have a problem, sir?” I asked.
I was tired of playing this game. Sure, I was more afraid of the Lycan than he could ever be of me, but as I stated before, I’d never wear that fear on my sleeve; it would only serve to give him more power over me. In truth, I felt as I was holding my breath throughout this whole conversation because the reality of the situation was whether the beta gave his word or not, he did not have to abide by it.
We stood there in silence for a moment before he laughed. “You…are very feisty, you are!” The beta said to me and backed away from me. “If I did not know any better I’d think that I was talking to the Alpha Luna herself.”
I returned to my status of vassal and removed my gaze from his after he said this. “You knew her?”
“I’ve met her numerous times,” he said. “Though I was a tyke when the Alpha Luna was around. I was usually on the sidelines when she and the Alpha came to our home. She was as feisty as you are. Though I must say, the warrior living beneath your exterior is that of the Father of Wrath, himself.”
I hadn’t heard that name before, but then why would I? “Is that what they call him?”
“Oh, yes,” said the lycan beta. “A legend of his own making, I assure you. And if he is the one who taught you what you know then…you’re more of a danger than I realized.”
“I assure you that my skillset is solely to preserve the life of my Keepers, Master Almeida.”
“Of course,” he said after a thirty-second lull.
“If that is all, sir, I should take my leave,” I replied. “My Mistress will be wondering about me soon.”
“You’re dismissed, Valene,” he said to me. “Just…remember our conversation about the former.”
Stay away from your Alpha, got it! “I will, your grace.” I bowed and headed for the door.
By the time I exited the packhouse, it seemed that Mistress Penelope had departed while Mistress Harlyn was leaning against the door of her car texting. I descended the stairs, toeing the last one.
“Little human,” I heard that deep gruffly accented voice and immediately knew that it was him.
“Master Barbosa.” I greeted with an averted gaze. Being around him, I decided to keep my eye on the ground.
“I trust that there is a good reason for your being at my packhouse, little human.”
“There is, Master Barbosa.” I quipped. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I-” quickly I tried to walk away when his large arm posted in front of me, his hand subtly shoving back against my stomach. I don’t know why but as subtle as it was, Master Barbosa’s touch seemed to scramble my brain and provoke anxiety. Quickly, I took a step back to avoid further physical interaction.
“I’d like to know what that is.” He took a step toward me and any confidence that I carried out of that packhouse with the beta all but dissipated….
Ares:
She didn’t answer and immediately I took that as an opportunity to take a step closer to the little human. I saw her little foot nearly lift to take a step back but she held her ground. Amusing, this was.
“Is there something that I should know, pequinina?” I asked her.
The little human was uncomfortable around me, I could tell and to be honest, I liked provoking intimidation from her. She wasn’t too accustomed to this emotion and there was something very…gratifiying about the fact that it was I who could do it so easily.
“If…if there is, Master Barbosa, I’m sure that your beta will discuss it with you,” she said. “I should return to my Mistress or-”
“Your Mistress does not seem to be missing you too much.” I countered. That little wolf was far too full of herself to be concerned with little else. I glanced at the young and beautiful Harlyn Wade before returning my attention to the one who truly garnered it. “I’d like to know what you were talking about with my beta, little human.”
She exhaled and stood there, clear frustration waving beneath the surface of her stoic expression.
“I would really hate to delve into that little mind of yours, pequinina.”
Her jaw clenched when I said this. “No you wouldn’t,” I heard her say. I wasn’t sure whether she spoke this mentally or verbally. Sometimes it was hard to decipher when it came to this one. One thing I did know, however, was that she definitely felt this way. She wasn’t wrong but she didn’t have to know that.
“Well?” I pressed. When she didn’t answer, I knew that she would refuse to disclose the conversation and I respected that, but…I was too curious not to know what this meeting was about. So, I did just as I said I would.
It was mixed up, this little human’s mind. Through the chaos of thoughts, I found what I was looking for.
“He wants you to stay away from me.” I chuckled. “I wonder why.”
“He thinks that I tempt you,” she said without even looking in my general direction. “Since I’d prefer not to be lashed or killed because of insubordination, I reassured him that I’d do my best to avoid you. I am going to go to my Master to request that you have a vassal at your beck and call-”
“Did I ask you to do that?” I asked. Admittedly, I was more frustrated about this bit of news than I should have been.
“Your second in command did, Master Barbosa. I’m sure that my Master will agree that you should not be tempted by blood, so-”
“Is that what he thinks tempts me?” I asked with amusement.
“That is always the temptation where I am concerned, Master Barbosa.” she countered.
“So…you think this then.”
She didn’t want to continue this conversation, and while I understood the discomfort in it, I was still too curious to let it go.
“I will talk to Master Wade as soon as-” Again she tried to get past me and again, I did not allow it. My hand brushed against the front of her waist, I nearly grabbed her up when immediately, she stepped back again. She was far quicker than any human I’d ever met. “Sir, I ask that you allow me to leave.”
“I am not done with you.”
“Sir,”
“You do realize that this vassal that you send will probably die.” She didn’t like the sound of this. “I eat mine when I’m done with them.” my eyes lingered on her neck and then down her bodice. “Do you really want to knowingly place a human in such a position?” I asked.
The steady rise and fall of her breast became a little more rapid and admittedly, for a moment, I was entranced by it.
She swallowed hard. “With all due respect, Master Barbosa, your lack of self-control is someone else’s problem, not mine. If you’ll excuse me, my Mistress is waiting for me.”
Without another word, I allowed her to pass this time, watching her walk away before I felt the gaze of her mistress staring at me. I nodded to her with an unreaching smile.
“Hello, Alpha.”
“Miss Wade,” I replied. I could feel the heat of her lust radiating off of her and I could smell the scent of another on her.
“You’ll be at my gathering tomorrow night,” her inquiry was subtly commanding. I appreciated her candor.
“If all is well with the city’s safety, yes, you will see my attendance.”
“I can’t wait,” she said huskily before sauntering off toward the passenger side of her car.
The little human stood obediently at the passenger’s side and closed the door. She then headed over to the driver’s and for a moment, she chanced a glance at me, just as she did during the meeting of her judgment. Those eyes…they-
“Making trouble again, irmãozinho?” I heard my brother say as the little human dipped down into the car and sped off with her Mistress.
“Of course, not.” I turned to face him.
“Somehow, I do not believe that, Ares.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, even I am entitled to a little intrigue at times.” I defended myself.
“Not that one, Ares.” My brother’s expression turned worrisome.
“Which one?” I sarcastically countered, slightly frustrated with his reprimanding tone. “Surely, both cannot be off limits.” I walked past him and into the packhouse.
“Ares!”
The packhouse was empty because the pack was on a run. Otherwise, I would have had a problem with my best friend’s tone. He knew when to take this tone with me. Though, I didn’t like it.
“Watch it, Zevi,” I growled, my Alpha showing through.
“I was going to say the same to you,” he said. “You know the girl is off limits.”
“Again, I say,” as I turn to face him with disinterest. “Which one?”
“You know which one, Ares,” Zevi replied. “She’s a gold blood, and regardless of whether you have confidence in your self-control, you shouldn’t risk it. Something happens to her, a war will break, Ares, and-”
“Is that where you think my intrigue lies, Zev?”
“With you Ares, one can never be too sure.”
“You told her to stay away from me.”
“I did.”
“Hm…what else did you two talk about?”