A Pup Remembered

Nara managed to complete the early day laundry duty without incident and just in time to go and assist in the kitchen. Lucky for her, the kitchen was grand enough that she was able to avoid Tetra and still be of use to the other workers. When Nara thought about it, the kitchen looked like it belonged in a five-star restaurant, not someone's house.

The main house's kitchen on our territory was much more modest

, she mused, her hands busy with chopping the last of the tomatoes. Once she finished, she was given new instructions by Tetra.

"Take this tray up to the Young Master's quarters and be careful not to spill anything on your way up," the woman instructed. "And Anaralise, do mind your tongue child. Speak only when spoken to, and for heaven's sake, don't interrupt him while he is speaking! Lord Antony is far more gracious than his twin so if you care to keep your head, heed my every warning." Before Tetra could even finish speaking, she was shooing Nara off to deliver the breakfast.

Butterflies went to town on Nara's insides as she made it to the foot of the stairwell and looked up. "You'd think with all the extravagant features of this place they would have an elevator," she mumbled before starting her ascent. Her eyes focused on the food before her and her mind was concentrating on not missing a step, more to distract her from the thought of seeing

him

again than to keep her from falling.

38, 39, 40

she thought, counting the stairs as she went. She had made it to the flat of the second floor, but the Young Master's room was on the third. A light sigh escaped from her slightly parted lips and she pressed upward.

Once at the top, she made a right turn and strolled all the way down to the end of the hall. Balancing the tray of food on her left arm, Nara slowly and carefully extended her right arm to knock on the door before her.

"Enter," called a commanding baritone.

She twisted the knob and carefully balanced the tray on both arms again, using the edge of it to press the door open. He was sitting propped up in his bed, his head leaning back against the headboard, with the earthy brown comforter pulled up to his waist. As she stepped across the threshold, he pulled his head forward to allow his gaze to fall on his new personal servant.

He had to admit he liked what he saw. Everything about her seemed small. From her height, which he figured couldn't have been more than 5"2, to her tiny, button like nose, and small but full lips, to her A-cup breasts, her flat stomach, her slim waist, and her impossibly tiny feet. Her long, wavy, brown hair stopped flowing just above her waist, an aspect he found fascinating since most women kept their hair pinned up around there. The one thing that seemed big on her was those alluring, brown eyes with their long lashes and slight slant upward in the corners. Something about the look in her eyes caught his wolf spirit's attention and had Kale staring at the young woman without blinking.

She winced when she made eye contact with him. He was staring relentlessly, but that wasn't the trigger of her reaction. He looked horrible. Not in a non-attractive way, but in a worn-out way, as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep, if he had even gone to sleep at all. His eyes were swollen and red. Had he been crying?

"I brought your breakfast." She offered to break the intense silence.

"I can see that," he responded passively. "Do you expect me to get up and retrieve it or are you going to be a good servant and bring it to me?" He hadn't blinked.

Her eyes narrowed defiantly, her inner beast glaring through those fiery brown orbs but Nara pressed her way toward his bed and, upon reaching his side, she began setting up his food before him on a bed in breakfast table. Longing washed over her at the realization of being so close to him again yet so far away. She herself, of course, didn't know for sure that it was

him

because she had never laid eyes on him before – never laid eyes on him while they were in human form, that is. But her wolf knew, and she was never wrong. The spirit insisted those were the same eyes.

Would he accept me in this new position? Would he accept me as a servant, even if it is a mask? And, what about my traitorous intentions?

Nara's thoughts were running rampant again and the fear of rejection swelled up in her stronger than the fear of being discovered, caught, and possibly killed. As she placed his last side item of eggs on the small table, his hand shot out and clasped her wrist with almost too much force and she looked up at him with slightly panicky but very defensive eyes.

It was her sudden fear that had caught his attention. He was used to people fearing him, it came with the position, but it was mostly males in that category. Either way, his dominant, predatory nature marveled at the scent and upon detecting it, Kale inhaled deeply, hoping the smell would calm his restless beast. Her scent, a strawberry, honey mixture with a hint of wooded pine, flooded his senses and hit them hard, causing Kale's wolf attempt a forced take over.

It's her, Mihkale you idiot, it's her!

Kale didn't know whether to be happy, frightened, disgusted, frustrated or worried.

How do you know?

The wolf's only response was to growl possessively as he eyed the young woman from within his host, searching out the wolf he knew to be inside of her.

Anaralise watched a plethora of expressions flitter across his face, but the one he settled on could have ruined them both. Lust. His smoke gray eyes smoldered as they devoured her features, his muscled chest heaving as he panted in response to the sudden urgent need. She willed her beast to remain hidden, desperately trying to rationalize with the animal about them being in no position to pursue dormant dreams. Nara could see his wolf searching for her own, searching for confirmation of what its instincts knew to be true. The wolf wanted proof for Kale so that his dominance could finally be justified and she couldn't give it to him. Yet.

Kale's eyes widened considerably. "I know y-"

The door burst open with enough force to loosen it on its hinges and a wild looking replica of the young man lying in bed came bounding in. He was obviously pissed, his lips curled back in a snarl and exposing his elongated fangs. It took him a moment to even register that there apparently was no physical danger and if at all possible, his mood got worse. "Damnit, Mihkale! Get your emotions in check!"

That elicited a booming growl from the Young Master. "What the hell do you want, Antony?" It was mostly the agitated wolf speaking. Kale's hand was still wrapped firmly around Anaralise's wrist. When she began squirming in an attempt to free herself, his grip tightened reflexively.

Tony looked exasperated and ran a hand through his hair swiftly. "For you to get your emotions in check! They affect me too, you know. I've never felt so much uncertainty and fear and anger and..." he paused in his rant as he finally considered the last emotion and his attention finally fell on the captured girl in the room. Kale's eyes were on her again, also. "Nara?"

Antony looked thoroughly confused and his tone was a blend of question and disbelief.

Mihkale's voice was laced with tension and possessiveness, the words coming out in a barely disguised snarl. "You know her?!"

Anaralise looked up at Antony with panic stricken eyes that forced him to swallow his response. It was obvious she didn't want his brother to know that he knew her for whatever reason. He stood there quietly looking her over while his brother stared him down. Nara spoke up then.

"You're hurting me." Her voice was quiet, but strong and, to her surprise, didn't so much as hint at the turmoil boiling inside of her.

Tony turned his attention to Kale and his words came out with more force than he intended. "Let her go." Kale was about to lose the last bit of control he had when Tetra came strolling into the room.

"Anaralise!" She paused briefly at the door, exposed her neck and lowered her eyes in submission to the dominant males in the room, and when Antony acknowledged her, she entered, snatched the girl by the arm with surprising force, and dragged her out of the room, lecturing the whole way down the hall.

Antony left shortly after they did, an unreadable expression on his face, leaving Kale alone in his room, horny and pissed.

---

"I can see I am going to have to keep my eye on you," Tetra grumbled as she dragged Nara down the two flights of stairs to the main floor foyer.

There were more people bustling about now, mostly servants and Omegas, doing various cleaning jobs all around. Anaralise got many curious stares and muffled giggles as the ill-tempered older woman hauled her around. Nara sighed. She was not keeping as low a profile as she would have liked and it was just barely 7:00 am. Without meaning to really, she drifted off, her mind wandering to the beautiful clearing she used to visit as a youth. Even just thinking about it, Nara was able to re-visit all of the smells she loved, all of the sounds, all of the feelings. Abruptly her hand shot up to catch something that was about to hit her. The sounds of worried gasps fell on her ears. When her eyes refocused, her hand had an iron grip around Tetra's wrist and her nostrils were flaring like mad. With a late response, she released Tetra's wrist and dropped her head and her defensive anger, silently cursing herself and waiting for Tetra to strike again.

When no hit came, she lifted her regret-filled eyes and readied her mouth to apologize when Antony came from nowhere and made his way to Tetra's side. Everyone in the foyer dropped their eyes and exposed their necks and Anaralise followed suit. He spoke.

"Tetra."

"Yes, Lord Antony," he voice was submissive, no trace of the fire-breathing dragon she had been with Nara left behind.

"I have need of this..." he hesitated. "Servant," he gestured toward Anaralise before taking her hand into his and preparing to walk away without further ado. His retreat was cut short by Tetra's voice.

"B..but Lord Antony," her voice was a mix of disbelief, deference, and defiance. "This one has yet to be trained. Perhaps one of the other young ladies here could be of some assistance to you."

She gesture toward a row of women that were dusting frames and light holders, but obviously paying attention to the small confrontation, hope disgustingly apparent in each of their eyes.

Antony never looked at them. "I have made my selection," he said indifferently and stalked off, Nara in tow.

Anaralise didn't have to see all of their faces to know the looks she was eliciting behind her back.

Nope, no chance of a low profile

, she grumbled.

Though his walk was brisk and definitely purposeful, his grip on her hand was gentle, almost comforting, and made their trip to an unknown destination a lot less foreboding. Once out of the sight of the now seething, morning crew females, Antony slowed his pace and his muscles relaxed. Nara risked a glance up at him and he peered down at her small face and smiled reassuringly. They continued looking at each other as Antony guided them through various hallways before he came to a stop in front of a large door.

"There's something I need to show you," he explained as he twisted the knob of the door. At her nod, he began to push it open slowly.

---

The Alpha Female reluctantly lifted her eyes from the paper work on her desk as the door to her office opened and her son walked through, his gray eyes troubled and apprehensive. His hand raked through is long black hair as it often did when he tried to clear his mind.

"What is it, Mihkale?" His open show of irritation caught her off guard. Kale was usually a very distant, cold person. Every interaction was robotic as if he weren't really there. He was practical and favored logic. Logic told him that emotions would only hinder his securing and maintaining Alpha status and the unyielding trust of the pack. It would also keep his mother happy and off of her more violent streaks. Emeralda wondered if she had been working her son too hard lately and whether she was the cause of this uncontrolled display of feeling. "You look as if you could use some rest, darling, please forgive your mother for rushing things for you. Return to bed. I'm giving you the day off."

"I'm fine mother," he retorted automatically. "I would like to talk to you if you're not too busy."

"Go ahead dear." She made a show of reorganizing the papers and pushing them to the side, admonishing him with her undivided attention, a soft smile on her lips. She had high hopes for what her son wanted to talk about.

"That new servant.." Emeralda's face dropped. This was definitely not the direction she was hoping he would be going. "Where did you get her?" Of all the females she was hoping Mihkale would bring up in response to the call for the young leader to mate, the brash, ill-mannered servant girl wasn't even on the list. Deep creases etched their way across the mistress' otherwise smooth brow line.

With a light huff, she responded. "She was given as a means of apology for a wrongdoing caused by her guardian against your uncle, Lord Dominic. He had no use of her and insisted on sending her to you as a gift." She paused briefly. "What is it you want, Mihkale?" Her irritation was obvious.

"I don't want her as a servant," he replied. He was about to continue when she spoke before him.

"Fine. I will give her to your brother. Now leave me in peace, I have a lot of work to do." She reclaimed her documents and spread them out in front of her before picking up a small walkie-talkie and paging someone. Tetra's voice answered.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Be sure to inform the new servant girl that she is now in the primary custody of Lord Antony Demetrius LuSander."

"Yes, Mistress." And at that, Emeralda got back to work. "You are dismissed, Young Master." She spoke the words without looking up at him.

He thought to argue with his mother about that, the possessive urges from earlier swelling up inside of him again. But his instincts told him not to cross his dame at the moment, his rash behavior possibly resulting in forceful and unreasonable retaliation from her. Like making him mate with someone he didn't consent to. Most times, his mother was a bitch in every sense of the word.

Kale turned to stalk out of the office, slamming her door behind him. He made his way outside, pondering what his mother had told him. "So she definitely isn't a servant, her walk and non-submissive nature can attest to that." He felt himself believing the assertions of his beast more and more, but that didn't quell the persistent frustration. Despite the fact that he didn't want her serving him, he didn't want his brother having any claim over her that was stronger than his own. As he made it through the treeline, Mihkale phased into his wolf, not having bothered with undressing before he did so. He needed to run.

---

Anaralise's eyes roamed the span of the office before her before crossing over the threshold and making her way to its center. She heard the door close behind her and the soft click of the lock sliding into place. Her head whipped around and she looked at Antony, her left eyebrow arched in question.

"So we won't be disturbed." At the narrowing of her eyes, he couldn't help but laugh before clarifying. "This was my father's office. I don't particularly like anyone coming in here. Makes be a bit..cranky." She could have sworn she saw his eyes flash dangerously before any evidence of his disappeared and he was standing there looking as harmless as ever.

"Then why was I dragged in here?" There was a slight playfulness to her tone as she began slowly wandering around the large office, the thick, soft carpet beneath her feet reminding her of her beloved clearing. There were books for days along the walls of the room and they spanned from the floor to the ceiling. Nara loved books and couldn't help but drift toward a case to her right, her fingertips gently grazing the spine of a few selections. When she turned her attention ahead of her, she was looking out of a large window that comprised the entire back wall and seated before it was a large, mahogany desk and a leather seat in front of it that was the same wood brown color. Everything on top of it was neat and organized and she noticed there was, like on the spines of the books, no dust. "It's very clean." She could tell by the scent that Antony's scent was the most dominant though there was another scent similar to his own that lingered as well. Anaralise assumed the scent belonged to the young man's father but it was obvious that he hadn't been amongst these walls for a long time. Other than that, there were no other strays scents besides her own.

"Yeah, I handle the cleaning in here." His words seemed guarded as if he was suddenly questioning whether or not he should have brought her in here.

She couldn't help the way the corners of her lips turned upward slightly as she returned her attention to the case. "It's cozy in here. And the book choices are excellent. I'd want to keep it all to myself too." Her voice was sincere and that caught him off guard. He never got a positive reaction to his obsessive nature over his father's old office. He walked around to stand in front of her but what he saw made his heart flinch. "What's the matter?" His voice was soft and laced with concern at her melancholic expression.

She was hesitant to respond, but looked him in the eyes and did so anyway. "What...what happened to your father?"

He went stiff and she immediately regretted the question, only knowing all too well the pain of losing a parent. "That's not why we're here." He smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Almost too briskly, Tony made his way to the massive desk and pulled a chain from inside his shirt. Attached to the end was a silver key and Tony inserted it into one of the desk drawers, turned it, and pulled the drawer out.

Needing something to look at other than him, Nara scanned the office again. She noticed a fireplace on the wall opposite her with a mantle that displayed what looked to be family pictures all across the top. Seated before the fireplace, was two marooned reading chairs with a small mahogany table nested between them, a small lamp adorning its surface. While Anaralise was busy daydreaming about a night nestled closely to the fire and reading a good book, Antony made his way back toward her and cleared his throat.

He was holding a medium sized black box and smiling tentatively at Nara. "I believe this," he cracked the lid of the box and held it open to her, "belongs to you, miss." She gasped as her fingers, of their own accord, reached out to trace the delicate piece of jewelry before her. The chain was loosely roped silver with diamonds embedded into the braid and it led down to a moderate sized, heart shaped sapphire that was surrounded by diamonds as well. Her voice was faint when she found it again. "My mother's necklace," she breathed.

"We need to talk, Nara." She could only manage a nod in response, warm, silent tears streaming down her soft cheeks. He was right, they definitely needed to talk, but she was feeling more and more lightheaded by the second.

He closed the case and set it on top of the books behind her before clasping her hands to help steady her. She looked like she was about to faint. Despite her emotional state, he felt a desperate need to have at least one question answered. "Why are you here?"

She knew by that, he meant why was she a servant. Why was she not being prepared to talk over the duties of her pack or another. Nara blinked the tears away from her eyes and focused them on the gorgeous man before her and prepared her mouth to give him an explanation.