Naria's Wolves

Chapter Three-Episode Four

Silas didn’t seem to have words for her, and Inara scoffed. She went to stand up to get away, and Silas grabbed his coffee.

“Stay and eat, you need food,” he grumbled. “By the way, Mother left a note for you. It’s by the juice.”

Inara watched him leave, the silence of the dining room feeling even heavier now. She looked over and saw a small, cream-colored envelope tucked under the edge of a glass. She opened it with cautious fingers.

Darling,

Your father is quite occupied with his koi at the moment.

I’ve taken the liberty of 'suggesting' he give you the morning to yourself.

Go see your friend.

The fresh air—even the recycled kind—will do you good.

> P.S. He was a very handsome dancer.

Your grandmother would have loved the drama of it.

Inara felt a small, genuine smile tug at her lips. Her mother was a master of the "gentle redirection," and if she was giving Inara a pass to leave the house, she wasn't going to waste it. But she was unsure if she actually meant to write ‘friend’, or simply forgot the S at the end. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, realizing exactly what she wanted to do, and knew it was a very, very stupid decision.

~*~

“Do you have to come with me?” Inara asked with a huff, arms crossed a little defiantly.

“Your mother suggested that you may need assistance today in your outing,” was the only reply.

Fiona was the family’s four-legged grey wolf, the last of her kind in animal form. When animals gained speech, they lived incredibly long lives, but there hadn’t been many left after the genetic testing, and Fiona was considered untouchable now.

“I’m sure she did,” Inara grumbled, putting on comfortable walking shoes that matched her sweater. She’d found Fiona lounging comfortably across her carpet, waiting for Inara’s return to her room. Inara was convinced now that while her mother’s suggestion might have been a peace offering, it was not without its cost.

“Well, let’s not waste time,” Inara spoke, finished at last with a little bit of makeup and a swift ponytail to her beach waves. “Are you going to report this back to my mother?” she asked Fiona with a raised brow, her hand on the doorhandle.

“It depends,” was her only reply, stretching with a light wag of her tail. Inara struggled with an eyeroll. Inara liked Fiona for the most part, but this felt a lot like spying and she wasn’t sure how she felt about Fiona joining her today.

“Okay, just stay close then.” Inara left her room, letting Fiona out before closing the door. She was careful to avoid anyone else in the house, though it seemed everyone had gone for the day to fulfill their own agendas.

Slipping through the front door and closing it with a click, Inara and her companion walked down the path that led through the front courtyard, the bubbling fountain the only thing that was making noise along with the continuous hum of the air filtration systems that were all around Naria. It was a beautiful fountain of a howling wolf, water bubbling out of its open mouth. Inara thought it looked like it was choking on the water, and she felt like she could relate to it more now than before.

“Where are we going?” Fiona asked as she padded quietly next to Inara, the grey shades in her fur glossy and sleek.

“We are going to see a friend,” Inara replied vaguely.

“The Hale boy?” Fiona guessed, and Inara suppressed a hiss.

“I suppose so,” she sighed, balling her hands and unclenching them again. Nothing ever seemed to get past Fiona.

“Is that a wise decision?”

“It wouldn’t seem so,” Inara replied slowly, passing the few houses that surrounded hers and walking through the side streets of northern Naria. “But I don’t know who else to talk to about what’s going on.”

“You have Celeste, and Kade,” Fiona answered, and Inara felt a twinge of guilt.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to them,” Inara answered with a small huff. “But they don’t know what Ryker seems to know.” Inara would have loved to go for a coffee with Celeste and hang out with Kade at the mall than face her new responsibilities, but something told her that she needed to start digging around for whatever this huge secret was before she was blindsided.

“Maybe being the People’s Queen would suit you more?”

Fiona’s words made Inara falter in her steps, and she looked at Fiona with wide golden eyes. Fiona looked up at Inara with sweet, innocent brown eyes, panting as she walked.

“What makes you say that?” Inara asked, a little more guarded than before, but continued walking, looking ahead of her.

“You seem more comfortable seeking out Ryker than you do going to the Silvermist’s, or even your uncle, the Greybourn, for answers,” was Fiona’s answer.

“Are you implying I might be afraid of them?” Inara’s jaw felt tighter at her own question.

“Not afraid of them,” Fiona said softly. “Afraid of what they might say.”

Inara didn’t answer, thinking about what Fiona had said. She felt that maybe the wolf was right, she didn’t want it to be true, that her family was keeping secrets. But didn’t every family? Inara knew that she wanted to see Ryker. Would his words hurt any less?

“Maybe you’re right,” Inara whispered. “But I don’t know anymore.”

They’d made it to the backside of campus, slipping in between the iron gates closer to the boys’ dorms. Inara realized she’d acted impulsively; she had no idea which dorm room was Rykers.

“Well, s**t,” Inara breathed, realizing her mistake. “I don’t actually know which room is his.”

“What would you like to do now, then?” Fiona asked, sitting on the pathway. Her ears were perked, and she scanned their surroundings while she waited for an answer.

Inara thought for a moment, feeling silly and a little brash for her decision. She thought about the people who knew him, and came to the realization that maybe his mother would be willing to help. Inara wanted to ask his adoptive siblings, but she didn’t know how to reach them. And the best place to look for Mrs. Hale was the hospital.

“I guess let’s go see if his mom is working today,” Inara said, slipping back through the iron gates.

The walk to their only hospital in the center of Naria was a bit daunting; the newly appointed head of every major company that basically ran the city was out walking. With Fiona of all…people? Inara didn’t know how to categorize Fiona, other than she was part of the family. But no one would have thought that Inara Ashwood would have graced their presence with a stroll among them.

“This feels weird,” Inara hissed, keeping her face composed and trying to ignore the occasional flash of a camera.

“You are the head of all industries now,” Fiona reminded her calmly. “They do not expect to see you out among them.”

“I’m still just me,” Inara all but whined, containing it within the back of her throat.

“But they don’t just see you anymore, Inara,” Fiona reminded her. “They see power, wealth, and opportunities they will never have in their lifetime.”

“That didn’t make me feel better,” she breathed, walking up to the large building.

The Central Narian Hospital was massive, and while technically owned by the Silvermist family, it was given to the people to run. And now Inara was head Director of this building. The idea almost made her knees weak with responsibility. The wings of each area fanned out from the central tower like sunbeams in a half circle.

“Finding his mother in this place is going to be like finding a coin on the street,” Inara huffed, looking up at the massive building.

Inara knew that Ryker’s adoptive mother was a doctor based on what her uncle had said to her the night of the gala, but beyond that, she had no clue. What kind of doctor she was, or which wing she might oversee—general information that would be helpful—did not magically reveal itself.

“Let’s start with the emergency department,” Fiona suggested helpfully.

Inara, growing increasingly frustrated with the gawking from the general public, grunted in agreement. She feared that if she opened her mouth, she might actually scream.

Bright red lettering against a stark white background let Inara know they were in the right place, the main entrance easy to spot. The large ambulance bay, built to fit at least three vehicles, was a hive of activity. Inara vaguely recalled hearing about another minor collapse in the tunnels last night. Seeing the aftermath up close made her stomach turn, and she vowed to look into it more once she felt better equipped to handle the situation.

Inside the lobby was a whole other world. Inara couldn’t recall the last time she’d ever stepped foot in a hospital. In fact, she was certain she’d never been to the emergency room before; private doctors always tended to her needs at home whenever she fell ill. It was another luxury of her life that she’d never thought to question until now.

The pleasant greenery outside these walls, even if fake, gave the interior a false sense of serenity. It was packed, and it was loud. The sprawling waiting area was overflowing with families with children, elderly folks with hacking coughs in wheelchairs, and delinquent-looking teens with ragged clothing and matted hair.

“Fiona,” Inara breathed. She felt ridiculous standing just inside the entrance, paralyzed without a plan on how to navigate the chaos.

“I’m here, it’s alright. This is typical for the emergency department,” Fiona responded, pressing her body against Inara’s leg for comfort. “You’ll want to find the nurses' station.”

Before Inara could move, a woman she recognized walked out from behind a badged door, moving toward a family of fox hybrids. In low, measured tones, she spoke to a young mother who was holding a child of about five or six, the little one clutching a worn toy like it might disappear. An elderly woman behind the mother clutched her hand to her chest. When the doctor smiled and patted the young woman’s shoulder reassuringly, both women burst into tears of utter relief.

“Thank you so much, Doctor,” the young woman sobbed.

Inara recognized the golden ears and kind face immediately—it was Doctor Hale from the gala.

“When can we see him?” the mother asked.

“He’s being moved to the fourth floor to recover," Hale responded gently. "Once he’s settled and comfortable, I’ll have a nurse take you up to his room.”

The child waved a shy goodbye, and the small family sat back down, holding one another tight.