Valene:
“You were…amazing out there, Val!” Herry exclaimed as he touched my shoulder.
I placed my Cello down on the table and took a deep breath. “You think so?” I asked.
“Oh, you know that you were amazing! Did you see that applause?”
“I did,” I replied, though I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the applause may have been out of respect for my Master and his daughter.
“You did good, kid.” he smiled and started to leave.
“Hey, Herry?” I stopped him.
“Yeah?”
“You have nothing to worry about-ya know…where your establishment is concerned,” I shrugged. “He just wants to do something nice for someone who looked out for me.”
I could see that this eased his mind. It was as if he’d released a breath that he’d been holding since our conversation. “Well, I really do appreciate that,” he grabbed my hand. “But it truly was my pleasure, Val,”
“Thanks, Herry.” he kissed my hand and took his leave.
As I turned around to tend to my instrument, I thought about Herry’s comment about my performance. If I were being honest with myself, I truly didn’t think about nor did I care whether anyone liked my performance or not; being able to sit there in that chair and get lost…thinking of nothing more than my music. It was something euphoric about it and dare I say…arousing in a sense.
I smirked as I thought about the naughty word usage that came to mind when describing my feelings for playing my Cello. Surely, some would have considered such passionate feelings pathetic. However, playing my Cello was a release in numerous ways. The evidence was shown in the state of my bow.
“Geeze, Vale, go easy on the bow next time,” I grimaced as I looked at the snapped string.
“Little human-”
The words barely left his lips and my mind hardly caught up with the realization of who he was before, I grabbed a blade that I kept hidden at the waist of my skirt. Out of instinct, I moved without thought.
To my surprise, and fortune, he grabbed my hand before the blade could touch his neck.
“I-” My breath quickened as I slipped up and looked into his eyes.
“You really are quick with a blade.” he said with a smirk. He wasn’t angry by my actions at all but seemingly amused.
“Apologies, Master Barbosa.” He took his time releasing my wrist, and when he finally did, I put the blade away.
“You’re as gifted with that bow Cello as you are with that blade.”
I returned my attention to my bow and Cello, putting it away. “I, thank you for your compliment, Master Barbosa,” I said, hoping that he’d leave quickly if I accepted his niceties.
“Hm,” he grunted from behind me. “The way that you play…it is…not usual,”
“Really?” I kept my response short.
“I am talking to you, you know.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then turn…around and look at me when I talk to you, little human.”
Sensing the slight of aggression in his voice, I closed my instrument case and turned to him but I did not face him.
“Look at me-”
“As you know that is not permitted, Master Barbosa-”
“It wasn’t a problem before when you were undressing me with your eyes as you played, little human.” He took another step toward me and immediately, I could hardly breathe. What is he playing at? He chuckled. “I want you to speak candidly with me, little human.”
“As you wish, Master Barbosa.” I said, trying to push away the sudden sensation that aroused within me as the heat of his nearness. Taking a deep breath, I stepped to the side.
“I want you to talk to me. Respond to me as you would have, had I freed you of your response a moment ago.”
This was a game to him. “You know what I was thinking when you said what you said, Master Barbosa so-”
“Not necessarily,” he said. “Sometimes, you’re not as easy to read.”
“Hm, and that is my problem, is it?” Sarcasm and pettiness made me feel a little more in control.
“It is right now, because I am talking to you.” He blocked me.
“You want to know what I was thinking?”
“Oh yes,” Again Master Barbosa grinned, taking another step toward me.
“I think that you are quite full of yourself to think that I’d find you interesting enough to undress you with my eyes, Master Barbosa. Truth is, I’m not sure that I even recall staring at you.” It was at that moment that I looked into his eyes. “Are you sure it wasn’t you…who was doing the undressing?” I asked and did not wait to hear an answer before I started to walk away.
Then he grabbed my wrist, a groan escaping him as he yanked me to him with such ease that I feet lifted from the ground and I fell into him.
“Aquela…tua boca,” that mouth of yours, he said to me in his native tongue, his large hand around the back of my neck as his thumb lingered near my lips.
I had to get away…I had to get away from him. Quickly, I released my gaze from his, realizing that I had bitten off more than I could chew in challenging him.
“Will…you release me, please, Master Barbosa.”
“Why?” he asked, his voice suddenly significantly deeper than before. “Are you afraid now, pequinina?” His eyes suddenly darkened and his mouth became pouty. I knew that his incisors had elongated against his lips, then he smiled and displayed them. I did not respond to him and it only made him come closer. “Answer me,”
With reluctance, I relinquished an answer. “I am afraid, Master, that you are about to cross a line that my Master nor your brother wish you to cross. I believe that maybe my blood is provoking you and it’s best that I depart.”
“Your…blood,” said the alpha with an amused lift at the corner of his lip. “Is that what you think?” he chuckled. “You think…your blood is what provokes me, little human?”
“To be honest, I do not know what I do on a daily basis that seems to have provoked you since your arrival, Master Barbosa. What I do know is at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. The fact that I am…is the problem, sir.”
“Hm,” murmured the alpha. “I know that you are intrigued to know the why though. Aren’t you?”
I was more than curious. This large beast of an inhuman was towering over me, his hand tightly pressed to the back of my neck, his eyes darkened and teeth bared. They all wanted the same thing from me…my blood, so what else about me could it have been? Nevertheless, it was best that we not delve deeper into the subject matter.
“With all due respect, Master Barbosa, I’ll be needing you to release me…before I am forced to pursue other avenues to force your hand.”
A guttural growl simmered under his breath. I would have taken this as a sign of aggression but with this guy, I never knew whether he was going or coming.
“Force,” somehow the lycan Alpha’s voice became an octave deeper, and at first I didn’t realize how. Then it dawned on me…was his beastly counterpart showing through? “She is…feisty, Ares,” he said. “I see why he is…obsessed. Nevertheless,” he said and then released me. “You are right to warn him, pequinina. Sometimes, my counterpart is blinded by…” he smiled, not finishing his sentence. “You are free to go.”
With reluctance, I took a step back and bowed. “Thank you, Master,”
“Bain,” the deep and accented voice replied with a grin.
I couldn’t help but take a subtle gander and as I did, I had to come to the conclusion that somehow, the lycan alpha was even more alluring to the eye than before. The alpha and his beast truly did compliment one another.
“I will be sure not to relay that to him,” he said. My subtle gasp signaled my surprise at his response. He looked at me closely, his brow suddenly furrowed as if something had come to mind. “Our powers are intensified when in this form,” he said to me, answering the question that I’d been wondering in the back of my mind.
It wasn’t like the alpha had never delved into my mind before, but that did not negate his earlier confession of having not been able to so easily delve into it before.
“You really should go, little human.” he said. “I cannot hold him back for much longer.”
Admittedly, Ares Barbosa was someone that was nerve-racking and anxiety-inducing, but it did not change the facts; I was a vassal of the great wolf alpha, Alastair Wade before all else.
“I am not afraid to face your counterpart, Master,” I said. “But I am glad that you have given me space so that I do not have to. It’s for the best.” showing my respect for the alpha again with a curt bow, I left the area and returned to the party.
“Hey, Vale!” Tobias called after me through the loud music. When I turned around, expecting to see him wearing a smile, waiting for a dance, I quickly realized that I was wrong.
Tobias along with Harold were standing at the front entrance along with their Keepers. I knew then that play time was over. Immediately guilt took over as I realized that my Keeper must have been waiting for me while I was in the back entertaining another Keeper.
Quickly, I shook the thought away but not the guilt as I followed behind them. “Where have you been?” Tobias asked as we emerged throught he doors and outside.
I started to part my lips and answer when I thought better of it. Not like our conversation would be just between the two of us anyway. “I was in the back…inspecting the damage,” I said instead.
“Damage?”
“My bow,” I replied. “It wasn’t strong enough for the performance,” I added.
“No, I’m sure it wasn’t,” he chuckled. “Not a passionate performance like that, and I’m using passion as a synonym to another word I’d like to use,” he grin.
I rolled my eyes, deciding that I would not continue the subject any longer and approached my Keeper as he stood in the distance with his beta and delta.
“Master,” I bowed.
My Keeper stared at me prolongedly. “I was beginning to worry,” he said. “What took you?”
“Apologies, sir. I-” Just as I started to speak, the door opened from behind us opened, garnering Master Wade’s attention.
I didn’t bother to turn around because I already knew who it was that made their presence known.
An expression surely appeared across my face and Master Wade must have noticed it. I felt the heat of his squinted stare on me. “What kept you, Val?”
“I snapped the string of my bow, sir. I was trying to see if it could be fixed.”
“I heard you gave the performance of a life time,”
“I can attest to that,” I heard Master Barbosa say from behind. “She had the whole room under enchantment.”
“Did she?” Master Wade said.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Master Almeida added, no doubt to cut the sudden tension felt in the air.
“I have no doubts about that. Valene has always been an artist with a bow.” Master Wade countered.
“Is there something the matter, Master Wade?” I asked. I did not want to hear anything else about my performance. There was obviously something far more important that needed to be focused on at the moment. To be honest, anything would have been better to focus on than me.
“There’s been spottings of large creatures lingering around the borders of Shadow Veil.”
“The way was clear when I last did the perimeter check,” Master Barbosa had said. “They must have accumulated shortly after,”
“These things are proving to be smarter than I thought,” input Master Minken, his eyes steady surveying our surroundings.
“Shall I assemble the pack, alpha?” Master Slaughter asked; with one nod from my Keeper, he wordless gestured for Master Minken who quickly disappeared.
“Shall I deliver the news to Mistress Harlyn?” I asked.
“No, her night will go on as planned.”
I fought against the urge to question whether that was a wise choice to make with all that was happening. Then again, I understood to an extent why he made this decision. Who would want to deal with the wrath of beasts and Harlyn Wade?
“Do you think that wise, alpha?” Master Barbosa asked. “Surely, the capering of a bunch of young kids will draw attention.”
“Maybe,” my Master said. “But I have no doubts that my daughter and her peers are in your capable hands, alpha,”
“So, you wish me to babysit?” he asked.
“I’ll try not to take offense to your reference to my daughter.” Master Wade countered.
I wasn’t looking at the lycan alpha but I could hear the slight annoyance in the sound that he made when he exhaled. “Of course, your daughter will be in safe hands, alpha,” he said, “I will be sending a few of my lycans along with you while the others watch over your daughters,”
Daughters? Why would he say that? “Master Wade only has one daughter, tour grace,” I said before I could catch myself.
“Yes…sure,” I couldn’t rolling my eyes at his “slip-up”, only hoping that no one noticed my annoyance.
“We should disperse,” Master Wade said. “I will take the pack forward, and you will stay with my daughter,” he said to the lycan alpha. “My time spent withher for the night has run it’s course,”
“But Master,” I quipped, realizing that he had hardly spent any time with her at all if most of his time had been spent trying to make sure that Harlyn’s party wasn’t crashed. “You’ve hardly had a moment with your daughter,” I tried to reason. “Surely, you could spare one to at least say goodbye, right?”
He touched my shoulder and chuckled. “I guess I can spare a goodbye, although we both know that how she takes my presence right now is sort of up in the air, isn’t it?”
I knew to what my Master was referring; neither one of us was completely sure whether Harlyn was still angry with us about what happen with nurse Bet. Knowing her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was.
“Isn’t it worth the risk, nonetheless. Shei s your only daughter after all, Master.” I bowed my head. “I’ll wait here for your return,”
“No, you won’t,” he countered without hesitation.
“Sir?” I replied in confusion. “I thought that we were going to-”
“I…am going, Val, not you.”
“Bu-but, sir, I-”
“You should stay with Harlyn. I want you to protect her, do you understand?”
Oh man, now I’d be the one having to deal with her volatile nature. I certainly wasn’t in the mood, that’s for sure-whether it was Harlyn’s day or not. Nevertheless, I did not really have a choice in the matter, did I? “Yes, Master.” I resigned.
“Why don’t you head back inside,” Master Wade suggested to me. “I’ll be behind you in a minute. I need to speak to the alpha.”
Again, I obliged with great reluctance, and headed back into the building, trying to mentally ready myself for the cold-shoulder of Harlyn Wade.
Ares:
I happened a glance to make sure that the little human was inside the building before I returned my attention to the great wolf alpha. “Zevi, would you go and gather half of the pack? Let them know that they’ll be joining in on the hunt tonight.”
“Yes, sir.”
After he departed, Wade finally spoke. “There is something that we need to discuss before we part ways, alpha.”
“It’s about the girl again,”
“It is,” he said without hesitation.
“What is it, Alpha?” I asked. The alpha was closed off but I could sense an anxiousness lurking beneath the exterior.
“Those beasts…”
“You think that they’re looking for her,”
“I’m not so sure that it is an assumption anymore,”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Situations…that have led up to this, let’s just say.”
“You know that we cannot operate smoothly with kept secrets involved, senhor,”
“I do know that very well, alpha. I also know that after much observation, I do not completely trust you around my human. Unfortunately, that has garnered a little bit of spite on my part. So right now, I am not in the mood to share too much about her.”
“I’ve told you that she will see no harm from me,” I reiterated once more, this time with a hint of annoyance.
“Of that, I somehow have no doubt,” he said to me. “However, there are more ways to hurt her than physical pain,”
“With all due respect, your words are contradictory to your actions, alpha. You do not trust my intentions and yet you are willing to trust me to keep her safe.”
“Let’s cut the bloody crap, Ares!” he growled, stepping toward me. “I’ve known you your whole life, so I also know that gleam in your eye and it almost always means no good. And I see every time my daughter is around-”
“Thought you only had one daughter-”
“Don’t play with me, boy!” his beast began to show, and at that moment if there was ever any doubt of the care he had for the girl, it was shown in full force now. “Valene means more to me than I can put into words, and her life…is in danger.”
“Aren’t all of the humans in danger-”
“Valene is all who truly matters to me! And I need you to make…certain…that no harm comes to her. I need you to stop being blinded by the shiny little treasure that you see-that you wish to claim, and be a protector of what is mine! Make no mistake, Ares, if I thought she’d be safer with me where I’m going tonight, she certainly would not be attending any area with you in the vicinity.”
“Fine,” I simply countered. The alpha was worked up and though I was immensely intrigued by his little human, discord was not my intention between the alpha and me. “I will behave, for your sake alone, alpha,” I bowed. “I will protect her-of that you should have no doubt, but I would like to know what evidence you’ve received to prove that she is the one causing all of this,”
“You will know…once this night is over, and I see Valene in one piece.”