Word Count: 2270

~Venn

This is what I've been waiting for. The moment I've thought about for years.

When I first breezed into this town, I drew eyes. They would never say anything, nor put a theory to their suspicions, but humans could sense that there was something different about me.

Since then, most have avoided me at all cost, opting to linger in dark corners, whispering and pointing at me while I went about my business.

Now those still left in town gawk at me as I stand at the front of their town hall.

This is the final step in cementing my place here. This is my territory now, and as brave as the humans are to appear here before me, they will have to submit to my rule like all others.

The most satisfying part of this is seeing the area's mayor, Mr Hatchet. He's trembling before me, patting his slick forehead with a handkerchief every couple of seconds.

He should be afraid of me.

"Well...Venn. This is quite the surprise," he admits croakily.

"I'm sure you were aware of the loophole in the treaty," I say, seating my hands in my pockets.

I pass my stare over the crowd, drinking in their horrified expression and glazed eyes. There's only a handful of humans left now, and I can practically see the regret churning in their heads.

"Unfortunately," Hatchet mutters. "How are...are your people enjoying their return."

I brush off the negative connotation he links into his words so blatantly. He's lucky I don't kill him right now, in front of his small amount of supporters.

"It has been a long time coming," I reply smoothly.

"Indeed." He clears his throat, offering a watery smile. "We hope you will allow humans to continue living here."

There it is. His holier than thou attitude is pre-emptive as he tries to sway me out of any brash action before I make him beg. It would be tempting to see him fall to his knees before me and plead for the safety of humans, but with Alvera standing to the side of me, I want to watch how I treat them.

I don't actually hate humans. Not as deeply as some of my pack members do, anyway.

"I don't desire revenge, however, you cannot expect members of my pack to not still harbour resentment," I tell him.

"Of course, and we will do our best to accommodate them and their needs." His hands are shaking as he gestures them.

I level a look. "I can take care of that."

"Right..." He clears his throat.

He's trying to appease me while suggesting he has control here. I'm fine with him dealing with the humans —  it unburdens me of such an unwanted task, and there are only a handful left for him to play around with.

"I'll allow you to maintain your human structure of governance for now. That is, if you work in conjunction with my interests," I offer.

I'm being far more generous than my ancestors would have allowed. It's mostly for Alvera's sake, and not these heathens staring at me with glassy eyes.

He gives a tight, somewhat satisfied smile. "We can work with that."

"We must discuss more, in a more private setting." I nod out toward the crowd, who don't need to hear the specifics. "Members of my pack have made their needs clear to me, and I will express them in future negotiations."

"I appreciate your...rationality, Venn." Hatchet rubs the back of his neck.

"Alpha," I murmur. "That is how you will refer to me."

Before this meeting how he referred to me couldn't matter any less. But there is something satisfying about wearing him down, making me refer to me by a term I know he would prefer to never say.

"Of course," he grits out. "Alpha."

I smile, satisfied. He turns his attention to the woman lingering at his side, something close to pity spilling across his face before he quickly smothered.

"Alvera. What have you gotten yourself into?"

"It's a long story—"

"She is my wife now, and has an equal say in any decisions made in my pack. You will not only be dealing with me, but with her also," I instruct firmly. "I'm sure you will be respectful at all times, won't you?"

Hatchet nods weakly, passing his gaze off to Alvera, who seems stunned. I'm not going to give her more control than she is willing to have, but what is mine is most definitely hers.

"Absolutely, Alpha."

"We have much to do," I muse. "Any damage caused is being cleaned up, and any wolves who were acting rampant the night of the treaty expiration will be sufficiently punished."

Despite doing as much as I could to keep them in line, some got out of hand. That night I was mostly overcome by the Moon Goddess, trying to keep as much control over myself as possible so I wouldn't go straight to Alvera's house to claim her.

Hatchet bows his head. "Excellent leadership, sir."

A smile curves at my lips. He's conceded so easily, knowing no one is coming to save him if he stands against me.

"Come Alvera." I hold my hand out to her. "Let's go on a search for Belle."

***

~Alvera

We spent the rest of the day driving around down, looking for my sister.

It's silently agreed between us that this is a fruitless effort, and that there isn't a chance we'll find her meandering around the streets. Yet, we continue to look, as if she may materialise before us by some miracle.

Eventually we return back to her house, mostly to ensure that one werewolf hasn't returned yet to destroy the place.

Mercifully it's in place, as eerie as ever.

"I'm starting to think Belle isn't coming back," I mutter, defeated.

We enter the house, the same staleness greeting me. The windows are still boarded up, shafts of light bleak and dull as they shift along the floorboards.
 
"Everyone in my pack is looking for her," Venn reminds me, looking around the living room distastefully. "Something will turn up eventually."

I frown, looking at the couches. The quasi bedding Eldon and I set up for ourselves is gone, the couch entirely empty. I don't remember cleaning it up before we went to town that day, but I must have....

"I just hope she's not laying in the forest somewhere dead," I mumble, raking my hands through my hair, realising it is in desperate need of a wash.

Venn leans against the wall. "It's more likely she left with someone."

"Why would she park her car up there then?" I pick up my bag, stuffing my belongings into it.

I've been wearing the same thing since the day everything went down, and it's starting to wear on me. I'm sure I stink and am utterly repulsive to both Venn and my boyfriend.

"I don't know, Alvera," Venn sighs. "But considering the timing, the simplest answer seems to be that she left willingly."

"I really hope you're right."

Wandering into her bedroom, I take it in. Her once bare bed has clothing strewn about it now, the closet having recently been wretched open.

Unease crawls across my skin. Someone has been here.

"I can bring Eldon back here, if you want to stay here for now," Venn says from the other room.

Approaching her bedside table, I note Belle's phone is on the charger. Pressing a button on the side of the ancient device, it lights up, revealing it's almost completely charged.

Drawing my hand back quickly, I cradle it to my chest. What the fuck is going on?

Maybe I'm losing my mind. I probably put Belle's phone on charge ages ago and didn't realise. And...I must have moved those clothes at some point.

I wander back into the living room. "That might be for the best in case Belle...holy shit, Belle!"

I point out the open doorway, seeing a figure wandering down the driveway. I can sense it's my sister before I can make out any distinguishable features.

Venn squints in her direction. "Belle?"

Bounding down the precarious porch steps, I sprint across the driveway. The gravel crunches and hisses under foot as I approach her quickly, taking her in.

She's grown her hair out since I saw her. It's loose and knotted around her shoulders, the same dull dark blonde as mine. She's wearing threadbare clothing — an oversized band t shirt with a rip near the stomach, and stained navy sweatbands that sag around her waist.

Her eyes widen as she sees me, halting her movement.

"Alvera?"

I launch into Belle's arms, knocking her back a couple of steps. We stagger for a big, my entire body engulfing hers.

It's painfully apparently she's frail and has lost a ton of weight since I last saw her. I can feel her bones prodding my skin, feeling the cold temperature of her skin. It's so disheartening my stomach turns.

But it doesn't matter.

"You're alive!" I pull back to look at her face.

Her nose piercing hasn't moved a touch, but everything else about her is shockingly different. Her cheeks are gaunt, her skin a sullen grey colour. There's a lethargic shift to her eyes, once a vibrant dark forest colour, now a lifeless, muddy green. Purply blue hollows scour her under eyes, a wariness about her that goes deeper than flesh and bone.

Instead of appearing happy to see me, a sourness twists her at her expression.

"Obviously," she snaps. "What are you doing here?"

I blink, stunned by her reaction to me. My relief has deluded me into thinking she would be happy to see me here as much as I am to see her.

"Lilith told me you were missing, B," I rush to explain. "I came straight away. I've been here for over a week trying to find out."

She rubs her thin arm, swaying on her feet. "Oh...okay."

"Where were you?" I question. I have so many questions but I'm afraid I'll overwhelm her.

Something has clearly happened to her. I may not have seen her in a year, but Lilith wouldn't have let her get to this state without begging me to intervene. Her sudden drop is health is due to whatever this past two weeks has inflicted on her.

"I was out of town. Seeing someone," she mutters, flicking a gruesome knot of thick hair from her face.

"What about your car?" I gesture to the empty driveway.

She pins me with a look. "I drove it up the hill to the lookout. I wanted it out of the way when the werewolves came, then I caught a bus and left."

I shake my head, confused. "Wait...what?"

"I walked up there now to retrieve my car and turns out it's gone." She huffs out a sigh. "I'm assuming I have you to thank for that?"

There is no way she scaled the mountain in this state. She would have collapsed in the first five minutes...

"We had it towed. It's probably at Ernie's yard being checked. I'll get it back for you," I promise lowly.

"You better," she growls. "I also assume you were the one who went through all my shit."

"Your house was a mess. Eldon and I needed to stay so we would catch you if you came back," I explain, suddenly feeling so unbelievably stupid. "Plus I needed to see if there was anything that indicated why you left."

She rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't tell me you brought that spineless idiot here with you?"

"Hey, don't talk about him like that. He's been helping to find you," I bite out.

At least Belle's usual fire hasn't been quelled. She hates me as ardently as she did before I left, but that isn't enough to dampen my concerns.

She's hiding something from me. There is evading the truth, and I need to know why.

"Obviously I never needed your help."

"Why leave without your car? Without your phone?" I question. "Why protect your car up the hill but not even lock your door?"

Her jaw hardens and she takes a long pause, no doubt searching for an excuse.

"I didn't need to bring anything with me, I always knew I would be back," she responds tightly. "And...the lock is old. It's been broken forever. I assumed if they wanted to steal anything or burn my house down, they would be doing me a favour."

Liar. She loves that house, and everything in it. If there was a chance someone would steal from her, she would have done all she could to stop it.

"Where did you go?" I ask gently, hoping she can sense my desperation for answers.

"Away...fuck, it's none of your business." She pushes past me, only to pause. "Venn..."

I turn, only to see he's crossed the driveway towards us. He's shaken off any surprise at seeing my sister, now looking between us grimly.

"Hello Belle," he greets calmly.

"Why are you here?" She demands, looking over him with the same awe I did when I saw him again after a year.
 
He swallows thickly, reluctantly. "I'm here with my wife, looking for you."

Belle falls back a step, looking between me and Venn frantically.

"Wait, you picked her?"

🩷••🩷

If you want to read ahead at any point, you can read this story 15 chapters ahead on INKITT and 10 chapters ahead on RADISH.

Inkitt:

Radish:

~Midika 💜🐼