Changing Fate

The Guards

Clove banged on the door,

'Not very funny,' she yelled, irritated. 'Open the door.'

'I lost the key.' Ash replied lazily, yawning as she lounged on the bed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laid on a real mattress and was very much enjoying it.

'It doesn't have a key.' Clove growled, getting more agitated.

'Sorry, can't hear you.' Ash yelled merrily. That not one seemed willing to hurt her gave her an advantage, and she was damn well going to use it.

'The Alpha said to feed you, so I damn well will feed you.' The door burst open in a cloud of splinters.

Ash sat up. It made sense that she was strong like Oren, but it was still surprising that Clove hadn't even put the tray down.

Clove stomped over to the table and slid the tray onto it.

'Now you better -'Clove spluttered watching on with disgust, as Ash dived on the warm pancakes ripping them apart and eating with her hands.

'Eat.' she finished, shaking her head. Examining the girl. She was definitely beautiful, but it was hard to see under the grime and dust that covered every inch, even turning her hair ashen.

'What are these?' Ash asked, holding up a red berry

'I like these' she the garbled around a mouthful of food, enjoying the reaction Clove gave her. After all, it was her goal to act as offputting as possible.

In the Edge, they almost never saw fresh fruit. Everything came in packets or cans. Part of a court scheme to pacify the starving masses of the outer city, it had been supposed to be a temporary measure, but that was before Ash was born and she'd never known any different.

After breakfast, Clove led her down to a living room of sorts, the large space ornately decorated with fancy sofas positioned on the edges of an expensive looking rug in the middle of the room.

The whole place reminded her of the Centre, Ash shifted uncomfortably. She knew a dealer who would buy one of those sofas. It'd be enough to feed the Spectres for a week.

'Have a sit down. I'll go get the others.' Clove smiled

'Others?' Ash raised an eyebrow

'The household staff.' fake smile twitching.

'So they're guards then.' Ash said bluntly

'I'll just go get them,' Clove said over her shoulder as she dissappeared out the door.

Ash wandered over towards the window, The late autumn sun shone brightly.

The room was shaped just like the kitchen, the door on the opposite side of this window, making them a mirror of each other.

She didn't see anyone outside, so Ash tried the door handle. Unlocked, it swung open easily. The air bitterly cold as it swept past her.

Ash creeped out onto the stone patio she'd crossed with Oren, not that long before.

Ash imagined Clove had gathered her guards by now, probably warning them about her before the introduction.

Works for me, Ash thought as she crossed the lawn. No better time to make an exit.

The forest looked empty. This really was her chance Ash decided.

She ran, her boots thumping and the leaves on the ground rustling madly in her wake.

Glancing back at the house, Ash imagined what it would have been like to belong in a place like that, her musing cut short as she ran into something solid.

Ash hit the ground hard, her outstetched arms slipping in the piles of leaves, leaving her sprawled clumsily on the ground.

But her path had been clear, Ash rolled into a defensive crouch and squinted up against the bright sun.

A huge man stood in front of her, looking down, his body strong and chisled.

'Sorry, my lady, but I'm under orders to not let you leave the grounds of the property.' Despite his physique, he sounded young and well spoken.

Ash knew no one had ever called her a lady before.

'More guards?' Ash asked casually.

'Yes, my lady, four of us. My brothers are close by,' he said politely, offering his hand.

As he pulled her up, Ash got a better look at him.

He had a rather harmless looking face, so youthful and open, Ash guessed there were only a few years between them.

His dark hair a bit long and floppy, caramel skin warm in the sunlight.

He wasn't harmless though, his eyes marked him as not human, soft and round, but they shone a bright amber.

Ash brushed herself off, ignoring the challenge of a forest full of guards wasn't easy, but she hadn't been able to outrun one monster. Four wouldn't improve her chances.

'Fine,' She said hautily, not missing the guards' relief.

'I shall escort you inside my lady.' he smiled.

'I think I can fine it.' Ash replied sarcastically, the guard shifting uneasily from foot to foot.

'Fine' She sighed, the guard gestured on careful not to touch her.

'Why do you keep calling me that?' Ash asked, trudging back, dragging her feet in the grass.

'Calling you what, my lady?' The guard asked blankly

'That!'

'Oh,' he said in surprise, he though about it coming to a stop. Choosing his words carefully. Ash glared at him, daring him to lie.

'It is the way I've been insructed to address you.' he said, finally pleased with himself.

'Instructed by who?' Ash dropped back to walk beside him, the guard stiffened but didn't object, widening the gap between them.

'The Alpha.' he said automatically

'Why?' Ash got closer, the guards eyes went wide as he backed up, actually retreating off the patio.

'Because he said to.' Clove declared, whirling Ash away and pushing her back inside.

The lock clicked in to place behind her.

Back inside the kitchen, Ash realised they weren't alone. Three more guards lined up my the door to the hall.

The first two looked like sisters, the same wavy chestnut hair and luminous green eyes, tanned and athletically built.

Except the first sister was shorter and had bigger boobs, her pretty face all smiles and dimples, looking like any of the wealthy girls she'd seen on her excursions in the the centre in her dress and matching pumps.

The second leant back against the wall, bored? Her long hair pulled back in a ponytail, standing there in combat trousers and a tank top. She at least looked the part.

The third guard looked a lot like the one she met outside. They had the same caramel skin and amber eyes, her dark hair long and silky. She alone seemed at ease, and Ash realised the only one looking directly at her.

Clove stepped in front, pulling her by the arm again to square her up with the guards.

'I'd like to introduce you to Lily, Willow, and Dahlia,' she gestured to them in turn. 'You actually met Dahlia's brother Tamir outside.'

Dahlia smiled at her. She looked like she wanted to say something, but whatever it was, she kept it to herself.

'While you are here, the Alpha has requested that you stay within the grounds of the house,' Clove added reluctantly.

Ash glared at Clove.

She wasn't accustomed to being ordered around, even in the Spectres she had been a law onto herself.

'Well, you can tell 'the Alpha''Ash said it as it were a dirty word'To shove it up-' Dahlia spun Ash round.

'Allow me to show you our gym,' she said hastily leading Ash away.

'I was supposed to be first.' Lily complained to Clove as they left.

Ash made herself make a silent pormise to punish every one of these creatures that had pulled her around like a child.

Dahlia led her down the hall, through a comfy looking living room and back outside.

Crossing a small courtyard, they came to a set of sliding glass door. Dahlia opened them, stepping aside for Ash to enter.

Inside was a swimming pool that took up most of the space. It was the most water she'd even seen in one place.

Even in the Centre, she'd never seen anything like this, not that she'd explored that much of it.

'This way.' Dahlia walked around the edge.

'Can you swim?' Ash asked suddenly, images of drowning Oren popping to mind.

'Yes, very well. We all can,' she said coldly, fixing Ash with a hard stare. 'Can you?' She asked, intrigued.

'No,' Ash admitted.

'We'll change that,' Dahlia laughed. 'In here,'

Dahlia opened a door, and Ash tentatively stepped through, curious to see more of this place.

This room was smaller, a wall of glass opposite, with a big padded section in the middle of the room. A line of machines took up the left wall and a single door on the right.

'This is a training area?' Ash eyed up the full sized training dummy in the corner.

'Yes,' Dahlia said happily, stretching on the mats.

'I'm curious to see just how feeble humans are.' She grinned mischieviously.

Ash grinned sinisterly, a look she usually reserved for testing her own recuits.

''Allow me to enlighten you,' she'd been spoling for a fight since Oren had reappeared in the Edge.

Dahlia made the first move, lunging at Ash. She dodged easily, twisting she ended behind her striking her in the back.

Dahlia's mouth curled into a smile regarding Ash thoughfully as they reset their positions.

They circled each other, Ash relaxed and ready. Dahlia jabbed at her, Ash narrowly avoided it as she ducked in front of her, catching her in the chin.

Dahlia staggered back.

'You've had training?' She grinned, recovering.

'Something like that,'

Dahlia's eyes sparkled, almost glowing as she came again. Much faster.

Ash dodged her attacks with some difficulty. She couldn't get the upper hand. Dahlia is getting faster, more agile in response.

Ash realised she was being tested.

Holding back, she let Dahlia sweep her legs out from under her. As she got to her feet, they wemt again, Ash slipped past her defenses to land a hit on her shoulders. It barely glanced her, sending Ash stumbling past.

It was better to be underestimated.

Dahlia matching her skill fought more clumsily now, both women holding back. She still tried to coax Ash into a proper fight, but Ash played the part of tired human. It wasn't hard. Her back ached from Oren carrying her all night. Ash added it to his list of offenses. He'd pay for all of them.

Eventually, even Dahlia admitted it was time to call it quits, Ash ached all over.

It was strange being around Dahlia. These people were her enemy, but she found it impossible to hate the girl. Not that they'd talked much, but Ash had enjoyed that.

Although Ash was sure she'd been holding back, she suspected Dahlia was not nearly as fast or strong as Oren. He was on a whole other level.

Dahlia was a warrior like her, not just muscle. If they had met inside the wall, Ash would have been eager to recruit her. She knew Dahlia had been sent to test her strength, but she'd done it well, and it only endeared Ash to her.

She's not human Ash reminded herself.

It was late by the time they got back to the main house, Lily and Willow sat watching tv in the cosy living room as they came, though.

Lily pouted, glaring sulkily at Dahlia.

'We saved you some food.' she flopped glumly back into the plush sofa.

'Why did she want me?' Ash asked Dahlia once they were in the kitchen out of earshot.

Dahlia laughed, retrieving some plates piled with meats, cheese, and other things that Ash didn't recognise.

'I'll leave that one for her to tell you, I'm stronger, but I have to sleep sometime.'

After eating, Ash reatreated to her room. It had taken her longer than she would ever admit to figure out the shower.

At the bunkhouse, they had round metal buttons below the showerheads they would press each time the water stopped.

Not the multitude of dials and settings this thing had, at one point a clous of mist sprayed from the walls, then a pulsing jet of water came from above.

Ash had almost given up before she found something closer to her expectations, showering quickly in this unfamiliar place.

Ash hadn't seen Oren all day. She felt his presence like an ache. She almost expected him to be sat on the bed as she left the bathroom. He'd been almost unwilling to put her down before. The room was empty, and Ash almost felt disappointed.

He's a monster, she reminded herself again.

Ash pulled her padded top and trousers over her fresh clothes. The dressing room had been rather creepily stocked in a range of clothes, all in her sizes. She laid out her armoured vest, arm and shin guards out on the floor beside the bed, as she always did. She had been tempted to keep them on, but she knew she wouldn't need them.

Door barricaded, the doorframe still splintered where the lock had been, Ash settles in to the huge bed. It had felt strange at first laying on something so flat, but it had been a long few days, and sleep claimed Ash quickly.