Chapter Seven
Kull
All eyes were upon us. Ambrosia had almost been taken away from us and it was only in that moment when I realized how much I wanted to keep her close. It seemed wrong to give her over to Vance. Why should he have all of the prizes when he would never be able to appreciate them properly? He was greedy and it didn’t seem fair. I knew Typhon would just have told me that this was the way the pack worked, and we should attempt to ascend to the same heights as Vance and enjoy the plunder rather than resent him, but this did not sit well with me. Sometimes it felt as though we were striving to be something that went against our nature. The older we grew, the more I got the impression that Typhon was ashamed of our origins. I suppose I couldn’t blame him considering the way people treated us, but we never had a choice in the matter. I believed we should hold our heads up high and prove to them that we could be better than they ever believed. I wanted us to be the best version of ourselves, not to mimic the rest of the pack.
But Typhon was set on becoming accepted and so I followed him as was my nature. We kept Ambrosia close, not wanting to risk any other wolf coming to take her from us. They snarled and rasped as we passed, their disparaging looks the same as ever. When they looked at us, they did not see wolves at all. To them we were only one degree better than humans.
We strode to Vance’s house, where he sat in the main chamber, a hall where he received the members of his pack should they ever wish to see him. A cloak flowed from his broad shoulders. His eyes crinkled at the edges, but he wore his age well. Women were draped on pillows around him. For a moment my gaze drifted towards Hana. A wry smile drifted across her face, taunting me. Dark hair fell across her expression like a veil. She made a show of moving towards Vance and kissing the back of his hand. My lip curled and frustration rolled through the middle of my body. How she mocked me.
“Alpha,” Typhon began. We marched into the middle of the room and bowed before him. Vance slowly moved his gaze towards us. He pursed his lips and did not seem that interested, although I noticed how his gaze lingered on Ambrosia. “We are here to make you an offering. We found this human on the outskirts of our territory. Given that we are about to go to war we thought it would be worthwhile to capture her. She can be our first prisoner of war,” Typhon beamed with pride, clearly hoping that this would win Vance’s favor. I knew he was about to be disappointed, but I did not take any joy.
“You thought? You don’t get to think. You simply obey. Why on earth would you think that some human would interest me? For a moment I hoped that this might be an envoy from another pack, but you would waste my time by bringing a human to my attention?” he spoke with derision and grimaced, as though having Ambrosia in his presence was enough to make him sick.
“We thought we would show you initiative in the hope that you would allow us to fight alongside you. We seek to prove ourselves, Alpha. We only ask for a chance.”
“A chance…” he trailed away in a faint voice. His head dropped and he sighed. “I thought you two were aware of your place. Why are your heads filled with these strange ambitions? You know what you were bred for, and you know that there is a limit to what you can accomplish. Oh, you do amuse me though, walking around and pretending that you are true wolves. It makes me glad that I kept you around,” he chuckled.
I wilted and clenched my jaw. Anger flowed through my body, boiling my blood. Every instinct urged me to attack him, but I knew that it would seal my death; and I wasn’t ready to sacrifice this wretched life yet.
“And now you get it in your head that I want a human prisoner?” he barked a laugh again and looked at his harem. Hana laughed as well and sneered at me, as though my mere presence offended her. “Just when I think you might go ahead and prove me wrong you show again why you were failed experiments. You don’t know how to think. You don’t know what I want,” his words became sharper. He formed a ring by placing the tip of his index finger against the tip of his thumb and gestured towards us, making us feel about three inches tall. “What on earth do you think I would want with a human? I can’t do anything with her yet. The war has not been declared. We are still waiting for the final preparations.”
“I apologize Alpha,” Typhon said. I hated the way he groveled. “I must have misunderstood but please, she could be of use.”
“I don’t see how. She’s only a smidge more useless than you and you wish to fight alongside me? Me? Have you forgotten your place in this pack? Need I remind you that you are the lowest of the low? You aren’t going to fight at all. You are going to stay here and make sure the stronghold is ready for our return so that we may feast. I am not going to sully this glorious moment in our history by having you fight with us. No, I have other plans for you,” he appeared to have a wolfish smile even in his human form.
My throat tightened. I hated the way he spoke about us. Sometimes it felt we had been born just to be abused. I wished that things had been different, and I wished that Typhon could have understood as well. We were never going to be accepted or valued by the pack. We were never going to be given any kind of authority, power, or reward. Typhon was deluding himself if he thought this was the case.
“I can be useful!” Ambrosia suddenly spoke.
“You do not speak in the Alpha’s presence!” Hana shrieked. Moving as quick as a hiccup she sprinted towards Ambrosia and struck her across the face. The crack of her slap was as loud as a whip, and it echoed through the hall. Hana grabbed Ambrosia’s hair in her fist and twisted her head. Ambrosia cried out helplessly. I started towards them but then Hana stared at me, and she was practically daring me to come to Ambrosia’s aid.
“Release her!” Vance said. Ambrosia struggled for another moment before Hana took her fist away. She wore a sullen look on her face as she slithered back to Vance’s side. “I’m curious to hear what this human has to say. Perhaps she can give me some amusement if nothing else,” he gestured with his hand for Ambrosia to continue. She smoothed down her hair and attempted to compose herself after being attacked.
“I can help you. I’m sure you’re aware that one of the elements of war is knowing your enemy. I can help you study them. My career is all about understanding the human mind. I can tell you how we think, what to expect, and make this war go smoothly.”
“And why would you betray your own people?”
“I’m not betraying them. I’m helping them. I don’t want there to be a war. The sooner it’s over, the better it will be for everyone, presuming that you’re not going to slaughter them all. I can’t imagine you would. After all, what’s the point of winning a war if you can’t celebrate your victory in the faces of those you have defeated? Life is all about survival and I need to do what I can to survive. I have skills that you can use. Let me help you. I can make sure you win decisively,” she said.
Vance was more pensive than I thought he would be. “I see, well, while that is an intriguing proposal it’s not necessary at all. I don’t have any need for insight because I am going to overwhelm your people. I already know how they think and what they’re afraid of. You offer me nothing but a reminder that humans are going to lose this war because they value the individual over the pack. Do you think if the situation was reversed any wolf would betray the pack like this? No, we are stronger than your kind because we are bonded together by a connection that has grown stronger through each generation. If any wolf did what you have done, they would be ashamed of themselves. We would never value our own lives above that of the pack, and we would rather die with honor and integrity that betray our own people. Typhon, Kull, you insult me by bringing this wretch here. Take her away and set her to work. We can always use some manual labor and don’t intrude upon me like this again. You should know better than to bore me with your presence.”
He waved us away dismissively. I watched as Hana perched on his lap and made a show of kissing him, a show that was meant to torture me. I pressed my lips together and turned on my heels, marching out of the chamber, my skin flushed with heat.