Chapter 8: Fagua

Werewolves.

Husk and Winter were both gorgeous and made my body heat in ways I hadn't even imagined when Keith and I had fooled around. Actually, no one had ever made me feel this way. My entire life was like I balanced on a high wire, both terrified I would fall to my death and thrilled about making it all the way across.

I wanted to get out of here from the moment I arrived. I knew the secrets of our town, the real reason why Pa settled in the smallest and quietest town in the middle of the woods. Yes, the woods. It was because we were a town of wolves, and I had no mate. I hadn’t been claimed by one of the two brutes of the town.

I wanted to leave from the moment I’d gotten here, but I knew I would have to do it with their permission. All because my human husband had sold me to them for thirty freaking days. Can’t believe I trusted the jerk. Should’ve known he was a manipulating con man.

And what about these three werewolves? They would have to let me go, and the one I thought I felt a bond with, wasn’t the case at all. Winter had powers, something I never knew existed among full-blooded werewolves.

Back home, I used to dream of a werewolf sweeping me off my feet and carrying me to some far off-place. Once when I had mentioned it to Ma, she forbade me from saying anything ever again on the topic. I pretended not to know other werewolves outside our town existed, but my senses had been on fire since I’d met these three, it had been pretty hard to ignore them.

I sat by the hot tub, and hoped they would forget about me, because I wouldn’t let them claim me. I’d reject them from the moment they tried. Besides, once they realized I wasn’t interested then they would have to let me go. They could have any woman they wanted. Well, Winter could. The other two would have difficulty, because as friendly as Husk had been a few seconds ago, I couldn’t get over the way he’d made me feel at first.

I smelled their ages. They weren’t young wolves, apart from the creepy one. Sky, I think they said was his name. The one hardly spoke.

“Dinner’s ready,” a voice said behind me. I jumped up and he said, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. You’ve been here for over five hours.”

“Really?”

I’d been here longer than I thought. It was the view, so breathtaking I’d forgotten how long I’d been here. It had changed from day to night until I watched the lights illuminate the city.

“Anyway, we thought seeing as you like being outdoors so much, you would want to eat here.” Winter pointed at the table which was candlelit. His brothers sat opposite the outdoor kitchen, which was bigger than the one we had in the diner.

How nice it must be to be rich?

His brothers sat waiting to be served by the chef who was furiously cooking and barbecuing at the same time.

As I stepped down, I realized I’d been harsh. Husk got up and helped the Chef on the grill. They barbecued fillet mignons, and my mouth watered.

Husk turned to face me and said, “Do you want to freshen up before dinner?”

I lifted my arm and sniffed my armpit, a natural reaction I did back home.

“Why do I smell?”

I forgot I was in the company of wolves, for a minute as they burst out laughing. The Chef had no idea what was going on as he smiled at me, and then turned back to the cooker in confusion.

“No, sit down,” Husk commanded.

I bristled, but I was also starving and refused the idea of denying myself food merely to prove a point. I hated the alpha wolf bullshit. It was stupid. Besides, fainting from lack of food wasn’t smart while I was a prisoner in this pretty palace with three strangers...three werewolves who made me want to stay and learn more about them. Where they were from and how they had become so rich and to own a place like this?

“We’ve got it from here. You can leave now.” Husk turned off the cooker and gave a look that would have sent many wolves back home whimpering into a submissive pose.

The Chef made a quick exit, but he mumbled something, but I could tell he was probably wondering what was going on, then his exit told me my first impression had been right.

Winter pulled a chair out for me, bowing his head slightly.

“Thanks,” I said as I sat.

It made me feel a little relaxed, but not enough to let my guard down and talk all night to them. We had nothing to talk about. I was nothing like them, and I think as alpha as they were, and wanted to be, when I told them I knew their other form, they’d appeared shocked. I did have some abilities like heightened sense of smell, for example.

The Chef returned with a huge dish from inside the penthouse. Steam rolled from the food, and he set it on the table in front of us. This was when it hit me, they weren’t treating me like a prisoner, but rather a guest.

What had Keith done for me?

Nothing but used me. They were trying to be hospitable.

“Right, that’s all from me guys and lady.” The Chef bowed his head and returned a second later with plates and utensils for us.

A perfect blend of spiciness, hot cheese, and chicken made me want to crawl across the table and dive inside everything.

“How about some more light?” Winter stood and lit a few torch-like stands around us, giving a glow like candlelight and softening the night around us. It was almost like we were in our own little world.

Husk put down every assortment of meat. It seemed as if he’d prepared steak, ribs, chicken and sausages. I was tempted to ask if other people were joining us. The table was full of meat, salad, pasta and different types of bread under the sun. This was just dinner. I hated to think what they had for breakfast and lunch? Seriously, all the food here could feed a dozen people easily, but they were not people I had to remind myself they were wolves. I should be used to seeing rows of food being divulged in such a short time.

“You’ve done a good job, Ralph,” Husk said as he admired the table. It was weird to see him friendly. On first impressions, he clearly was the alpha, and I expected him to be the type couldn't be nice to anyone, yet he seemed to have no problem with the Chef.

“Any time, you’re easily pleased.”

Winter laughed. “Husk is, he eats everything and anything. He has more than a healthy appetite!.”

Husk winked at him, as a roar of laughter left their mouths. There was too much testosterone for me to deal with, it was as if I was the only delicate flower among these brutes.

Sky tried to get up, no doubt to walk Chef out, but he refused, and Sky promptly sat down as if he was happy about the idea of not having to stand. This was when I noticed his eyes were slightly slanted, as if had either just awakened, or was extremely tired. Then, all of a sudden they all started grabbing the meat and shoving it in their mouths. I didn’t even know if they were chewing their food. It felt as if they were swallowing it as they grabbed it with their hands, as if the cutlery and plates on the table were for decoration, much like the candles. The meat never hit their plates. It went straight from the serving dish, head up and down their throats. Even Pa and the rest of the men in my family were civilized when we all sat down together. Not these three.

The little appetite I’d had earlier had flown off the rooftop as they made animal noises and devoured the meat. I wondered if they’d left the chicken, salad, and spaghetti for me. Neither one of them touched those three items on the table. It was as if they’d satisfied their hunger at once as they stopped and all three looked at me. The same way they did when they’d come into the hotel room.

“Are you not going to eat?” Husk said. It didn’t feel like a question, more of a demand.

I sighed, trying to hide my hunger, but wanting to put them in place. “Not without saying grace first.”

It was a lie, and I could feel it embarrassed them as I said it, which is what I wanted to do. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d said grace before eating. When Grandma was alive, we did it all the time as a kid, but my parents were half in and half out when it came to Christianity. Ma was in, and Pa was out.

“Of course,” Winter said. “Where are our manners?”

Husk grunted. “We’re wolves, not men. We don’t possess them.”

“Don’t I know it,” I intended to say quietly, but seeing as Husk rocked my boat, I said it directly to him.

“Can everyone calm down,” Sky said. “We’ll say grace, and we did forget our manners. We’re not used to company when we eat, and Husk tends to eat most of the food, because he eats the quickest. So, Winter and I follow, before it’s all gone.”

My stare met Husk’s as he waited for me to challenge him. I said nothing, but bowed my head ready to say grace. Sky felt as if he had to explain their behavior to me. Maybe he wasn’t as creepy as I thought he was, because he did tend to have some manners.

I waited a few seconds, not looking at them, I could tell they were copying me, as I no longer heard the sound of the meat going down their throats. Instead my ears were met only by the sounds of the gentle breeze.

“Dear Lord, Thank you for my health and my family. Thank you for allowing me to have some food, left on the table primarily the chicken and salad. I want to ask you Lord, please keep me safe, from any harm.”

I stopped to open my eyes, curious to see if they were actually praying; their heads were bowed down, but they shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Sky and Winter did, but Husk just kept his head bowed down like a statue. I was surprised by their reactions.

“Thank you, Lord, for always protecting me and keeping me safe from these animals. Amen.”

I shouldn’t have used the Lord like that. I couldn’t stay here with three werewolves who had bought me. I wouldn’t be their slave or anything else they wanted. I just had to figure out what to do next, how to get out of this situation.

“Fuck this.” Husk jumped up as if his seat were on fire. “We’re not in church, and I won’t be preached to by a woman who can’t be courteous as a guest with us going out of our way to please her.” He grabbed a bottle of red wine with the opener, setting both down on the table. He took my plate, filled it with the chicken, spaghetti and salad.

Then he barked, “Come with me!”

“Don’t. She can sit out here with us,” Winter protested.

Husk didn’t even say a word to him, but just gave him a deadly stare.

I followed Husk across the rooftop. We entered he white kitchen through different entrance, then we’d used when I’d first came to the suite. I took in the brand new appliances, which shone black with the marble floor and matching workspace. I bet they've never even cooked in here.

I picked up the pace to catch up with him as he walked through the white hallway. There were photos up on the wall and I wanted to take a closer peek except he walked so fast I found myself jogging behind him.

At a wooden door, he kicked it open all the way. Everything looked the damn same. I couldn’t leave, even if I wanted to, because I would get lost, it was a white maze.

Husk dropped the plate, wine and opener on the table and said, “Eat here, alone, and while you’re at it, you can think about your husband. You know, the one who gave you to us. Who ran out on you the second he could.”

I assumed this was my room, as I spotted a rustic suitcase with what looked to be a door to a bedroom. The food still steamed, and I licked my lips, dying to eat all of it from the moment the Chef had placed it on the table. Instead, I said, “You forgot to bring cutlery.”

Husk shook his head and said, “No, you forgot to pick it up!”

He slammed the door and left, with no intention of bringing the cutlery. I could go back there, but I had no idea how we got to the room in the first place. Besides I was too scared to leave. I headed to what I assumed was the en-suite. Why the heck did all the doors have to be white?

“Holy cow!” I screamed out as I walked into the closet, which was clearly not the bathroom, and proceeded to open every white door, until I found what I needed. I’d wash my hands and eat. At least I didn’t have to eat with those animals, even if I had to eat with my hands. Husk thought he could break me by locking me in a huge en-suite? I stifled a laugh. He and the others had no idea.

I’d gone twenty-five years locked in a small, backward werewolf town. My Ma and Pa didn’t allow me to go anywhere except school, church, and the diner once I was old enough to work. I even still lived at home because I wasn’t allowed to leave until I was married. A woman only left her parents whenever she married. I had tried for years to leave town and see the world. And it was only until I met Keith that I was able to leave. Every time before then, I’d lost interest and the desire to race back home was overwhelming. I made my way back to the room with the plate Husk had dumped onto the table.

How the hell was I supposed to eat spaghetti with my hands?

I was about to find out!