Chapter Eight: Kill that dog
740 Words
The Vale residence was breathtaking.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
Modern architecture.
Open spaces.
Soft lighting.
From the outside, it looked like something straight out of a magazine.
From the inside...
It looked like Orion had exploded across every room.
A jacket hung over a chair.
A game controller sat on the coffee table.
Three empty soda cans occupied the kitchen counter.
And right in the middle of the living room—
Orion Vale.
Stretched across the couch.
One leg hanging over the armrest.
The picture of laziness.
Elara walked through the front door.
Dropped her backpack.
Then sighed.
A smile tugged at her lips.
Immediately, Orion's eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
Elara froze.
He pointed dramatically.
"That smile."
"What smile?"
"That smile."
"There is no smile."
"There is absolutely a smile."
Elara rolled her eyes.
Orion sat up.
Slowly.
Like a detective discovering a major clue.
"Hmm."
"What?"
"I feel like someone had an interesting day."
Elara tried not to laugh.
"Sort of."
Orion gasped.
"SORT OF?"
He grabbed a throw pillow.
"This is serious."
"It's really not."
"No."
He pointed at the couch.
"Sit."
"Or what?"
"I'll annoy you."
"You already do."
"Good point."
Elara sat anyway.
Immediately Orion leaned forward.
Hands clasped.
Eyes wide.
"Tell me everything."
"There isn't much to tell."
"Liar."
"I'm serious."
"Tell me everything."
Elara sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
Orion bounced excitedly.
"YES."
"First of all..."
She hesitated.
Orion immediately noticed.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"I know that face."
"You do not."
"I do."
"No."
"You found a wolf."
Elara blinked.
Orion jumped up.
"I KNEW IT."
"You are impossible."
"You found one!"
"Maybe."
"You found one."
"Maybe."
"You found one."
"Okay, yes."
Orion screamed.
Actually screamed.
Then immediately sat back down.
"I need details."
Elara laughed.
"You need help."
"I need chisme."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"YES."
Elara shook her head.
"You're ridiculous."
"Continue."
She sighed.
"There is this guy."
Orion immediately pointed.
"A wolf."
"A wolf."
"YES."
He pumped a fist.
"We're winning."
"We're not competing."
"We're always competing."
Elara rolled her eyes.
Then she found herself smiling again.
Which only encouraged him.
"So?"
"So..."
She thought about Jace.
His arrogance.
His silver eyes.
His stupid smirk.
His stupid face.
His stupid existence.
And somehow that only made her smile more.
Orion noticed instantly.
"Oh."
"What?"
"Oh no."
"What?"
"You smiled."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
Elara grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
He caught it effortlessly.
Then grinned.
"Tell me about Dog Boy."
Elara laughed.
"Dog Boy?"
"That's his name now."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"YES."
She shook her head.
"He's arrogant."
Orion nodded.
"Bad."
"Annoying."
"Worse."
"Spoiled."
"Horrific."
"And he's a wolf."
Orion placed a hand over his heart.
"The ultimate crime."
Elara burst out laughing.
Orion stood dramatically.
Walked toward the giant glass window.
Then stared into the distance.
Like a hero preparing for battle.
"What are you doing?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he spoke in a deep dramatic voice.
"This wolf..."
"Oh no."
"...must be stopped."
"Orion."
"He must be defeated."
"Orion."
"He must be—"
"Orion."
He spun around dramatically.
"I say you kill him."
Elara nearly choked laughing.
"You what?"
"You heard me."
He pointed at nothing.
"End that dog."
"Oh my God."
"The dog must fall."
"You are insane."
"The dog must perish."
She laughed so hard her stomach hurt.
Orion finally sat back down.
Proud of himself.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then Orion smiled.
A dangerous smile.
Elara immediately recognized it.
"No."
"Oh yes."
"No."
"Oh yes."
She stood.
Slowly.
Backed away.
"Orion."
He stood too.
Still smiling.
"Orion."
"TICKLE CRAB."
"Oh no."
Orion charged.
Elara shrieked.
Actually shrieked.
She sprinted around the couch.
Laughing uncontrollably.
"GET BACK HERE."
"NEVER."
"YOU STARTED THIS."
"I DIDN'T."
"You EXISTED."
"THAT'S NOT A CRIME."
"It is in this house."
He finally caught her.
The attack was immediate.
Merciless.
Elara collapsed onto the couch laughing.
"STOP."
"No."
"ORION."
"No."
"I CAN'T BREATHE."
"Excellent."
She grabbed a pillow.
Smacked him with it.
He smacked her back.
Soon both siblings were laughing so hard neither could stand.
Eventually they collapsed onto opposite ends of the couch.
Breathless.
Smiling.
Comfortable.
For a moment...
The wolves.
The hunters.
The mission.
All of it disappeared.
They were just brother and sister.
Exactly the way they had always been.
And neither of them noticed that for the first time since moving to Blackwood...
Elara had talked more about one wolf than all the others combined.
- Writer
