Rich Blood

"Dad, I can't see why-" "You will do as you're told, Selene!" my father snapped. His canines were bared, Jasper Fengari was not one to be interrupted. I locked eyes with him and bit the inside of my cheek to hold back from saying anything else. "Now, as I was saying," my father's voice had calmed down, he was trying to seem rational, I was not buying it. "It is with good authority that Blooding will be hiring a new maid and you will be the perfect fit, with your gift." He cut his eyes at me, expecting me to object again, I didn't. "It is simple. Work for Richard Blooding, watch him, remember where he goes, who he deals with, when he eats, when he sleeps, who he fucks." My face flushed. Why was it any of my business who he f****d? Why was it any of my business at all what this man did with his life in general? He was our leader! Our LYCAN leader. More powerful, more rich than all of us combined. He had an army that could surpass all of the packs forces, I'm sure. My father and a few other pack leaders are pissed because of a few calls made that benefited other packs more than them. Some of these decisions were based around distribution, which is not something we are lacking in, and other decisions were based around appointing leaders on the counsel that meet with Blooding to deal with governing matters. Honestly, the fact that these small packs are now starting riots and a basic civil f*****g war over it, is bull. "Selene, you're not even listening!" Kenneth, my brother cried out. I shake myself out of my own head and return to this room where I am still the centre of conversation because for some reason I am the one getting thrown into the pit here. No, not for some reason. I am the only of age daughter who is not marked of the current local pack leaders. The rest have sons or daughters who are still younglings, or are mated up. And my father wants to send me off to be the help. Servitude. Servitude would mean that I am unable to mate or bond. I am bound to my master and fulfill my duties. From what I have learned in my studies, for a werewolf it is painful, isolating and lonely to the point where if you do it long enough your inner wolf will weaken and potentially die. I shudder at the thought. This is the life my father would force on me. When I mentioned this to him he said that it won't get that far and I should be grateful to serve a cause. And I should be mad at Blooding not him and the other pack leaders. To make it worse, he has promised my hand in marriage to the worst of the local pack leaders, Demetrius Weth, after "my job is done and we've overthrown Richard Blooding." To an outsider, Demetrius is terrifying as a human, as a were, he is worse. He goes through women like we're disposable. He uses his gift from Luna as leverage to treat others poorly and abusively. Werewolves are meant to be bonded with their mate, but it is rumored Demetrius murdered his long ago due to his bad temper, which has only gotten worse since. My two options ahead of me are as follows 1. Become a maid and forever enslaved to the point of where my inner wolf dies 2. Become the wife of an alleged wife murderer Either way, I didn't like my odds. With this thought in mind, my wolf forced my body to stand up and run out of the room that was full of local pack leaders and their sons. All these men making calls for me. My wolf was strong when I couldn't be. She kept me safe at least temporarily and helped me feel in control. I ran out of the pack house, out of the town to the deep into the forest. I stripped down and felt the crunch of freshly fallen leaves until my feet and the crisp autumn air on my bare skin and transformed. My wolf form, in my opinion was far more beautiful than I was in my human one. Strawberry blonde fur like silk that flowed with the wind, strong legs, capable. My eyes were the only thing that didn't change. They were deep ocean blue. Intense, impenetrable. Any lycan or were with the ability to read minds was never able to read mine and it seems to have been an anomaly. The wind changed in my direction and I caught a scent. I was not alone.