Slain

Not quite a victory to run from your problems

But it’s the only plan that I got

-Escape Route, by Paramore

“Follow me then,” an unfamiliar deep voice says. I blink my eyes open, the setting sun blinding me.

My eyes eventually adjust and the first thing I see if Fluffy. He glances down at me with a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Alright, I guess,” I mutter, my eyebrows pulling together in confusion at the strange feeling in my stomach. To distract myself I look around at the wolves. There are about twelve of Fluffy’s wolves, all of them phased and surrounding us protectively as we walk. Two wolves in human form walk in front of our group who I assume are the wolves from the pack we’re going to stay at tonight. “Where are we?”

“We’re in the Roya Pack, between Nightwalker territory and the human kingdom Silvian.”

“Oh.” I don’t know why I asked, that didn’t clear anything up. I’ve never been so far from my village, much less slayer territory.

I wiggle in Fluffy’s arms, suddenly feeling restless. “I can walk now.”

He stops and sets me down gently. I sway on my feet making Fluffy hover. I wave him off and start forward, forcing my legs to cooperate, but still, he follows me closely as if he’s afraid I might collapse at any given moment.

Ignoring him, I look around the pack we walk through. It looks very similar to Fluffy’s pack with the many cottages and small shops lining the dirt path. Wolves stroll down the street, stopping to watch as we pass. I catch parts of their conversations. Most of them are about the beta’s missing mate or the blood caked on my skin or the blood-soaked bandage around my neck.

I begin to feel a bit self-conscious as we near the stone pack house. I’ve never cared much about how I look, but I’m not usually covered in blood.

We enter the pack house and I’m struck by the similarities between here and Fluffy’s pack once again. Why didn’t Damon’s pack resemble the others?

As the front doors are closing behind us, a tall man with dark golden-bronze hair cropped short and piercing blue eyes walks in with a copper-haired woman trailing a step behind. The man--or should I say, boy--smiles at us warmly stopping several feet in front of us.

“So you found her then,” he says with a grin.

Fluffy nods, returning the smile. “More like she was put right in my path.”

“Let’s get her cleaned up then,” he chirps, nodding toward the hallway he came from. He turns, wrapping his arm around the copper-haired girl’s waist and heads off toward what I assume to be a bathing room.

Fluffy looks to a golden brown wolf--Akira?-- standing to our left. “Akira, you and two other wolves come with us. The rest of you wait here for further instructions.” He then places a hand on my back to guide me after the two wolves.

“Who are they?” I ask Fluffy softly. I catch Akira moving into a room out of the corner of my eye.

“Slate and Dahlia? They’re the Alpha and Luna of this pack.” He says it as if it’s normal for teenagers to lead an entire pack.

I frown, watching the two as they walk down the hall as if they haven’t a care in the world. “But they look my age.” Akira and his wolves catch up to us, walking behind Fluffy and I calmly.

“They’re young, yes, but not any less capable. Slate’s father died unexpectedly a few years ago of natural causes. When that happens, the pack goes to the next heir.” He watches the alpha with admiration. “Slate was only fifteen at the time, which made it difficult for him to gain the respect of the pack. After a few failed challenges for his title, they began to trust that he was worthy despite his age and he’s been a great Alpha since. Especially since he found Dahlia.”

“How old is he now?” I question. He can’t be older than late teens now.

“He’ll be twenty this spring.” As if realizing something, Fluffy looks down at me with a frown. “How old are you?”

I snort. “Eighteen.” He only just thought to ask? Then I begin to wonder... “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

The wolves in front of us come to a stop before I can respond. “This is the public bathing room, but it’s been cleared for you,” the copper-haired woman, Dahlia, says, her voice smooth like honey.

“We’ll give you two some space to clean up. Ajax, you know where the dining room is when you’re finished,” Slate says as he tugs Dahlia down the hall.

Once they’re out of sight I look up at Fluffy. “Who’s going first?”

He sighs, apparently not liking his options. “You. Just give me a second.” He pulls open the oak door and disappears inside, leaving me confused.

“What’s he doing?” I ask Akira.

“Probably checking the room,” he says as he leans up against the wall.

I look at him in confusion. “Does he not trust this pack? It seemed like they were pretty good friends.”

“No, he does, but you were taken from right under his nose. He’s going to be a little extra cautious from now on,” Akira says with a chuckle.

I scowl. “Ancestors help me.”

Fluffy emerges from the room and nods. “Alright, you can go in.” I step around him to enter, but he stops me. “Here.” He hands me the bag he had been carrying. I give him a puzzled look but take it anyways.

Closing the door behind me, the steam from the tub finally encapsulates my body, making the blood and grim seem to suffocate my skin. Eager to be clean, I set Fluffy’s bag on the small stone bench against the wall and quickly undress. I’m going to have to burn those clothes, they smell so bad.

I sink chin deep into the warm water, goosebumps rising on my skin and a shiver running down my spine in pleasure. I can definitely get used to bathing in hot water.

Different soaps line the far edge of the tub so I wade over there. Picking a bar of soap that smells fresh and rosy, I begin to scrub the memories of Demon from my skin and hair. Once I’ve washed my entire body three times, I set the soap down and touch the gauze around my neck, fear tickling my stomach.

What if it’s still not healed and I bleed out?

Telling myself to suck it up, I untie the knot keeping the gauze in place. I sink chin deep in the water again and begin to carefully work the gauze away from my skin. Shades of orange and red cloud the water but I continue to pull the gauze from the congealed blood, now determined to get this damn bandage off.

Finally, the rest of it peels off and I wait for the water turn blood red, but it never happens. I sigh in relief, laughing at my ridiculous fear and touch my neck, expecting smooth skin. Jagged, open flesh stops my laughter and I frown. Why is it still there?

Deciding I can’t fix it, I gently clean the wound before reluctantly climbing from the warm water and wrapping myself in the towel waiting for me on the bench. A hairbrush sits on the bench as well. I sit down and start pulling the brush through my tangled hair.

All of this can’t be a coincidence. Damon’s wolves happen to leave my room unlocked and unguarded, his pack is practically deserted giving me the perfect chance to escape, and no one comes after me? Then Fluffy and his wolves just happen to stumble across me in the woods? Something isn’t right.

My hair now tangle free, I set the brush on the bench determined to confront Fluffy as soon as I’m dressed. Then I realize I don’t have a change of clothes. Dammit, I’m gonna smell awful until we get back to Fluffy’s pack where I can change. Unless Fluffy has an extra shirt I can borrow.

I pull his bag into my lap and tug the drawstring open. A pile of clothes sits inside and I smirk, reaching in to pull them out. As I unfold them I realize the clothes look rather small. More like my size...

With a frown, I dress in the fresh set of clothes even more confused than before. He brought clothes for me? He didn’t even know if he would actually find me, so why bother with lugging around an extra set of clothes? Unless he knew he was going to find me. Was he in on the whole thing with Demon the whole time?

I pull on my boots, toss his bag over my shoulder and march to the door, shoving it open. Fluffy pushes away from the wall he had been leaning against just as I sling his bag into his chest. He catches it in confusion.

“What the hell is going on?” I ask through gritted teeth.

Fluffy frowns down at me in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Imean, how did you find me? How did you know you would find me? Why was it so easy for me to escape? How the hell did his wolves even get into your pack?” By the end of my questions, I’m breathing heavily, my anger growing with each word.

Fluffy glances at Akira and the other two wolves before looking back to me. “Can we talk about this in private?”

“What good is that going to do?” I scoff. He ushers me into the bathing room anyways. Once inside, I turn to him with my arms crossed over my chest expectantly.

“What’s going on, Jack?” He asks, entirely too calm.

I jerk back, shocked. “You tell me!”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t understand what you’re angry about. We found you.”

“That’s exactly what I’m angry about. How did you find me so quickly? And just after I escape on my own?”

He lets out a soft breath of relief like my questions aren’t as serious as he was thinking. “We’ve been going pack to pack ever since you were taken like I told you earlier.”

“And you just happened to pass by me on your way to the next pack?” I shift my weight to my other foot, tightening my arms.

Fluffy holds his hands out at his sides. “I don’t know what to tell you, Jack.”

“Of course not,” I scoff. “But you knew you would find me, didn’t you?”

“I hoped I would,” he says with a frown, his expression full of confusion.

“So you brought me clothes just in case?” His confusion morphs into disbelief.

“This is about clothes? You’re mad because I brought you clothes?” He laughs incredulously, dragging his hand through his hair and looking around the room to avoid looking at me.

“Yes, this is about clothes,” I snap, my voice rising. “Why would you bother carrying around extra clothes when you don’t even know that you’ll find me?”

“On the chance that I find you,” He says, in exasperation. It’s obvious he’s tired of this argument.

“I don’t buy it.” I cross my arms over my chest and lift my chin in indignation.

“If you know everything, then why don’t you tell me why I brought you clothes then,” he spits sardonically.

I lift an eyebrow. “Okay. You brought the clothes because you knew you were going to find me because you were in on this whole thing from the beginning!”

His confusion and irritation drops, replaced by anger. “You think I did all of this?” He asks, his voice dangerously low.

I shrug, shoving away the uncertainty his reaction brought. “It’s the best explanation I can come up with.”

“How? How does that make any sense?”

I shift my weight to both of my feet, planting them firmly to show I won’t back down. “How else would they be able to take me from yourhouse inyour pack? I thought your pack was supposed to be safe, but still, they managed to get in and out without anyone catching them. How else would that happen unless you were in on it?”

“Someone in our pack helped them, but it wasn’t me. What would I gain from abducting you?” Behind his anger, I can see his hurt and I feel a bit guilty.

“I’m not sure yet,” I mutter, my anger fading, leaving behind confusion.

“Let me know when you figure it out,” he growls before pulling open the door and walking out into the hall. I stand motionless a minute longer. Was I right to confront him? What if he really didn’t do it?

With a sigh I leave the room, meeting Akira and his two wolves in the hall, but no Fluffy. A pang of guilt hits me in the chest as Akira gives me a sympathetic smile. He turns away from me and heads down the hall. I roll my shoulders in an attempt to shake the guilt before following Akira, the other two wolves following behind me.

He leads me into a dining hall. The ceiling arcs high over our heads with exposed beams made of dark mahogany that accentuate the curves and points. A long, matching mahogany table sits in the center of the room with twelve matching chairs sitting around it. Five of the chairs are already occupied by Fluffy, the alpha and his mate and another pair of male and female wolves who converse politely.

Akira steps up behind the chair on Fluffy’s right and pulls it out for me. Swallowing my pride, I take my seat without looking at Fluffy. Slate and Dehlia smile warmly.

“How do you feel?” Dehlia asks me gently.

I smile in return. “Much better, thank you.”

I’m very aware of Fluffy beside me as I clench my fists in my lap to keep from fidgeting. I wish I hadn’t sat beside him. He shifts in his seat and I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to focus on the flickering of the candles in the middle of the table.

A plate is placed down by a wolf on the table before me, the others around the table being served simultaneously. My stomach rumbles as the scent of the salty meat wafts in front of me. I forget my unease as I grip my fork in my hand and dig in, completely ignoring the others as they continue to converse.

“Are you originally a member of the Vesper pack?” Dehlia asks. It takes me a moment to realize she’s talking to me. Before I can answer, Fluffy is already speaking.

“Yes, she was.” He gives me a glance that tells me not to correct him. I stay silent, unsure his reasoning behind keeping my Leonae heritage a secret.

Dehlia seems delighted by the revelation. “That’s amazing! So few pairings are from the same pack nowadays. It’s a shame we’ve only just met.”

Fluffy nods in agreement. I just take another bite as my eyes run over the other wolves. They all keep their eyes averted from me, but whether it’s from respect or an attempt not to scrutinize me, I can’t tell.

“Just in time for our tour,” Slate says with a teasing grin. “You got out of attending. Now you get to supervise.”

Fluffy let’s out a chuckle. “Thank the goddess for that. I couldn’t handle another of those.” I hide my confusion behind my glass as I take a gulp of water. Tour? What the heck are they talking about?

“You mean you didn’t enjoy the festivals under heavy watch, crawling with love-struck, unmated males?” Slate jokes, leaning back into his chair.

“No, I really didn’t,” Fluffy responds, his lips curving into a smirk. “But it’s not like you ever had to attend.”

Slate grabs Dehlia’s hand seemingly unconsciously as he grins. “No, thanks to Dehlia.” He turns to look at her, his eyes trailing over her face as if he can’t get enough of looking at her. You would think that that kind of entrancement would fade over the years, but Slate and Dehlia seem as in love with each other as the young slayers that usually only last a few weeks. Maybe the mate bond wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

I shake my head, startled at the thought. Mate bond? It’s bogus. Fluffy and I have no connection, he’s just crazy. I scoff at myself as I load my fork with another bite. I’m now very aware of Fluffy beside me once again, making my hands grow hot and clammy.

“Do we know your family, Jack?” Dehlia asks. I stop chewing, suddenly losing my appetite. I haven’t thought of my mother and sister in ages. Are they worried about me? Was mother worried when she heard I had left the village?

Of course not, I scold myself for thinking otherwise. That woman has been looking for a way to get rid of me since I was born. I would think that me leaving the village would bring her relief; she wouldn’t have me wandering around as a reminder of her biggest mistake.

I glance up, briefly noticing that Fluffy had answered for me. “I think I just need to sleep,” I say, standing.

Slate and Dehlia watch me with sympathetic eyes. “Of course. Let us show you to your room.” They stand along with Fluffy, Akira and his wolves, leaving behind their partially eaten meals and stroll from the dining hall.

The lead us down a few halls, all identical with their stone walls, floors, and mounted torches, passed several wooden doors. Finally, they stop before a door and Slate pushes it open, revealing it’s dark interior.

“Here you are,” he says with a smile. Fluffy thanks Slate and Dehlia before stepping into the room. Slate and Dehlia turn and I’m about to follow them when a hand reaches from the darkness and grabs my arm. I jump, startled before realizing it’s just Fluffy.

He tugs me inside, closing the door behind him before saying, “You’re in here with me.” His tone is cool and almost emotionless, reminding me of our argument in the bathing room.

A flame flickers to life, brightening the room enough for me to make out Fluffy’s tall, lean figure standing beside the bed, his back to me. The flame grows as he lights the wick in the lamp beside the bed, casting his shadow across my feet.

“Why are we sharing a room?” I ask despite the voice in my head warning me against it.

Fluffy turns, his dark eyes meeting mine. “You think I’m going to let you go anywhere alone after what’s happened?” I bite back the argument that rests on my tongue. We’ve argued enough for today. “Besides, we’re mates. If we don’t share a room it would look suspicious.”

I furrow my eyebrows, remembering how he lied about me being a wolf. “Why didn’t you tell them I was a Slayer?”

“Interspecies relationships are forbidden by pack law,” He explains, grabbing a pillow and blanket off of the bed. “Wolves can only mate with other wolves, or so we thought, and relationships with someone other than your mate is frowned upon. If they found out you weren’t a wolf, we would be forced to attend a hearing with the alphas where they would decide our fate. More than likely I would be stripped of my title and pack and would be exiled to become a rouge. You would probably be executed.”

I frown as he steps around me, setting the pillow and blanket in the padded chair by the door. “But aren’t Slate and Dehlia your friends?”

He nods. “They are, but wolves are very loyal to hierarchy and law. They would be obligated to inform the other alpha’s, especially since siding with us could mean they would receive my same punishment.”

“Wait,” I say, trying to make sense of everything. “Then why hasn’t your alpha turned us in?”

He sighs, sitting back on the bed tiredly. “Alpha trusts me, probably more than he should. He trusts that I wouldn’t claim you unless I was sure.”

I ignore the possessiveness of his words as I consider what this all means. “So you’re telling me that Damon isn’t our only concern?”

He nods, letting out a slow breath as if that will release the tension that strains across his muscles. “I have to figure out how to get around this.”

I want to argue that we aren’t mates, so this isn’t an actual issue, but something stops me. It’s as if my mouth refuses to form the words. He stands, breaking me out of my inner turmoil. “You can have the bed.”

He turns his back to me and strips off his shirt, making me avert my eyes in unease, but not before I catch a glimpse of his smooth, muscular back. My stomach flips at the thought of running my hands over his smooth skin. I quickly shove the thought away and turn to the bed. Sitting on the edge, I pry my boots from my feet, tossing them to the floor before tucking myself under the warm blankets.

I watch as Fluffy spreads a blanket on the floor and tosses his pillow on top of it. I try not to notice the way his arms flex at the movements or how is defined core moves ever so slightly from his even breathing. A blush rises to my cheeks as I realize that I had noticed those things. I look away, my mind feeling strangely fuzzy and clouded.

“Good night,” he says as he disappears behind the foot of the bed.

“Good night,” I mutter before blowing out the lamp, all the while wondering where these strange thoughts are coming from.