Joshua stirred awake as morning light filtered through the small window of the noble Kaizer estate. Yawning, he sat up in his small bed, wool draped bed, his black hair tousled and eyes still adjusting to the light. Rising, he walked barefoot across the cobblestone floor to the window, looking down at the courtyard below.
There, seated beside the fountain, was Tiffany. Her black hair shimmered in the sun, and her bright eyes glanced up as though sensing his gaze. When she spotted him, she smiled sweetly and then, with a mischievous wink, blew him a kiss.
Joshua's cheeks turned a warm pink.
Flustered, he stepped back from the window and placed a hand on his chest.
"What's wrong with me? What are these feelings I have for Tiffany…?"
he murmured to himself.
Still dazed, he began dressing into his training attire. The emotions stirring inside him were new and unfamiliar, something deeper than admiration or simple attraction. Brushing aside the confusion, he exited his room and headed off for morning training.
Meanwhile, across the district in the slums, Jack lay sleeping on the floor of a modest shack, his work clothes crumpled beside him. The scent of breakfast and the soft melody of humming stirred him awake.
He blinked and turned toward the sound.
Sam, his little sister, was sweeping the floor with a bright smile on her face, humming an old lullaby their mother used to sing.
Jack sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. A smile crept onto his face as he watched her.
She noticed.
"Oh! Sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to wake you," she said, stopping mid-hum.
Jack shook his head and stood.
"It's cool. I gotta go to work anyway."
He slipped on his faded blue overalls, worn from countless labor hours. Sam walked over to the table and pointed proudly.
"I made you breakfast. It's on the table."
Jack sat cross-legged on the floor next to the small wooden table, where a plate of eggs and bread waited.
"Thanks, little sis."
He dug in gratefully, the warmth of the meal doing more for him than he realized.
After finishing, he stood up and stretched.
"Alright. I'm off."
He walked to the door.
"Bye, Jack!" Sam called, waving as she resumed her cheerful humming.
Jack stepped outside, breathing in the cool morning air. As he began unloading the first "waste bucket" from the back of a carriage, a familiar voice surprised him.
"Hey Jack," said Jessica, hugging him from behind.
He froze. Her arms looped around him, and her chest pressed against his back, causing his face to burn bright red.
She chuckled.
"First time seeing you smile this much at work."
Realizing what she'd done, she blushed and quickly stepped back.
Jack turned to her, scratching the back of his neck.
"Um… Jessica. I wanted to thank you for yesterday. If it wasn't for you, my sister would still be depressed. So… thank you."
He met her eyes as he spoke sincerely.
Jessica looked down at the ground, fiddling with a strand of hair as her face flushed.
"Uh, yeah… It's whatever."
Jack stared at her a moment longer, thinking,
Wow… I never noticed how girly she can be. She always acts so tough but under that armor, she's really… beautiful.
Jessica cleared her throat.
"Okay! Back to work," she said, playfully punching his shoulder.
They both smiled and resumed their duties.
By afternoon, the werewolf king's carriage rolled into the estate gates with its customary grim silence.
King Siegfried stepped down, his regal coat dusted with road dirt, his face curled in a permanent scowl. He pushed open the doors of the noble house and strode inside.
Waiting for him near the entrance was Catherine, poised and elegant as always.
"Greetings, King Siegfried. How was your meeting with the affiliates?" she asked, bowing.
He scoffed.
"Tedious and disgusting, as always. But enough of that. I'm horny. Where is my whore?"
Catherine lifted her gaze slowly. "Sam and Jack… have escaped the estate."
His expression darkened immediately. He took a menacing step toward her.
"What did you say, bitch?" he growled.
"I said..."
Her words were cut short by a sharp crack as his hand struck her face, sending her sprawling to the marble floor.
"I heard you the first time," Siegfried snarled. "You let my whore and my best warrior escape. Bring me my useless son. Now. I'll be waiting in the throne room. Take too long, and I'll make you suffer."
He turned and stormed down the hall.
Catherine rose slowly, expression empty, and dusted herself off before turning to find his son.
Zain, the prince, was walking a quiet corridor, his white tail swaying behind him. His blue eyes widened as Catherine approached.
"Hello Zain," she said. "Your father demands your presence in the throne room."
Zain smiled faintly. "Okay, Cathy." But then he noticed the bruise on her cheek.
His smile faded.
"Did he hit you again?" he asked quietly. "I'll talk to him. He needs to stop."
"There's no need for that," she said tonelessly.
Zain stared at her with concern but said nothing as they continued.
When they entered the throne room, King Siegfried was already lounging on his throne, fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest.
"Finally," he barked. "Any later and I'd have started carving into your families."
Catherine and Zain stood before him.
"Zain," the king continued, "that dumb bitch beside you let my top warrior and my favorite whore slip through her fingers. So I want..."
"Father," Zain interrupted, voice firm but calm. "Could you please stop referring to Catherine that way? And could you refrain from hitting her?"
The room fell silent.
The guards stiffened. The air turned heavy.
Siegfried's eyes widened with fury.
"ARE YOU FUCKING THAT BITCH? If you are, I'll cut off her head right here and now! You are to be with a noble werewolf woman, no exceptions!"
Zain dropped to one knee. "No, Father. I'm not with her."
The king slowly calmed.
"Good. Interrupt me again and I'll break your arm."
He stood and loomed over them.
"Now, listen. I want you to gather a small search party. Find them. Kill the brother if you want. But bring Sam back alive. And if you fail… I'll break your right arm."
Zain bowed lower.
By "whore," he must mean Sam. And "best warrior"… Jack.
"Now get out of my sight!"
Zain stood and exited quickly.
The king turned to Catherine with disgust.
"You dumb bitch. Stop bewitching my son or I'll put your whole family to the sword. Bring me a proper noble werewolf girl. Young. I like them young."
With that, he vanished into his chambers.
Catherine walked in silence, her steps like a ghost through the noble estate. Eventually, she reached a house at the edge of the noble grounds. Two guards followed as she entered.
A werewolf family greeted her, a husband, wife, and their young daughter with red eyes.
"The King has requested your daughter to reside in the noble estate. You will be compensated generously," Catherine said, reaching for the girl.
The father stepped forward in protest but was immediately struck down by a guard. The mother screamed, but another guard seized her and held her back.
The girl cried, fighting Catherine's grip, but she was too small, too powerless.
As they left the house, the mother shouted through tears, "How can you be so cruel?!"
Catherine said nothing. Her face was empty, hollow.
A guard tossed the mother a heavy bag of gold before exiting.
She dropped to her knees, clutching the coins, and wept.
Catherine arrives at King Siegfried's room while holding the girl by her arm.
King Siegfried jumps up from his bed and grabs the girl causing her to cry.
Finally.Took you long enough.Close the door on your way out. Said as he throws the crying girl on the bed and pins her down as she struggles to get loose.
Catherine leaves the king's room and closes the door.Then she begins hearing the screams of the little girl as King Siegfried rapes her.Catherine falls to her knees onto the floor and covers her ears while beginning to cry.
I'm a monster... Thought as she continues to cry while on the floor.
No, I'm doing this for my father, mother and little brother. Thought as she stops covering her ears,stands up from the floor and start walking away from the king's room where the girl is screaming as tears runs down Catherine's face.