Three Shades of White

Chapter 4

Devaki and Rebel turned slightly. Arianwen the tiger, Vixen, Akela, and Bellona the lioness stood on the ice a few yards away. Devaki suddenly became conscious that she, a pure blood, was holding the hands of a Halfblood.

"See I told you!" Arianwen said. Neither Devaki or Rebel moved.

"Devaki I thought you would have more pride than that. To-to hang out with a Halfblood." Bellona said. Devaki tried to pull her hands away, but Rebel had both of them gripped. Devaki glanced at him. His eyes snapped sparks.

"You said as much on your text." Vixen said. Devaki could tell that her face was red.

"I said I wasn't planning on going out with him again. I didn't say I wouldn't." She snapped, then she suddenly realized what she sounded like. Her ears were laid flat back, and her tail was lashing.

"And for a wolf. You guys are usually high bred and proud. Honestly you didn't seem like the kind to be messing around with Halfblood's." Akela added, her black tail twitching. Devaki's ears raised in surprise, then lowered in shame. Arianwen raised her phone and snapped a picture.

"Delete that." Growled Rebel showing his fangs. All the girls suddenly seemed to remember he was there. Arianwen hesitated, then put the phone in her pocket.

"Why? Everyone will want to see it" Arianwen replied. Rebel growled low in his throat. He let go of Devaki and tore off after the girls who fled, suddenly remembering who he was. Devaki couldn't keep her balance on the ice by herself and fell backward. She heard her head hit the ice. Groaning Devaki sat up, head spinning and fuzzy with pain. She put a hand to her head. It came away covered with blood. Her left ear was no longer silver white but pinkish red. Devaki put her hand to her head again trying to think. Where was she? Devaki fought to remain conscious and remember, but darkness grew in her and she collapsed on the ice. When Devaki awoke she was lying in the hospital. The room was very dark. She remembered everything. Silently she cursed the Halfbloods and Rebel in particular. How could she have forgotten. A nurse came in and smiled at her. She, like Vixen, was a red fox.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm doing better, thanks, but my head still hurts."

"It will hurt for a while. You have a concussion. What is your name by the way? The person who brought you in didn't know." The nurse asked writing in a notebook.

"Devaki."

"Okay, Devaki, this person said you were ice skating with. . . a Halfblood?" The fox nurse asked.

"Yeah, that was a mistake." Groaned Devaki.

"It was dear. Halfbloods only cause trouble. I should go now. Try to sleep." The nuse left quickly. Devaki closed her eyes trying to soothe the throb of pain in her skull. But she eventually drifted to sleep. Devaki went in and out of sleep for a few more days. Sometimes the nurse was there, and sometimes the bulldog doctor was there. She ate very little but drank a lot. On the third day she awoke and stayed awake. The doctor was writing something in files.

"Hello?" Devaki whispered. The doctor turned and looked at her.

"Feeling better?" He asked looking at a few screens above her bed.

"Yeah. Is the concussion gone?" Devaki asked.

"For the most part. You will get some bad headaches for a while but otherwise you're good. The cut on your head healed nicely and there is no scar, or bald place. You were very lucky. I'll give you some medicine to take home along with some advice."

"Stay away from Halfbloods." Devaki guessed.

"Correct. Here is your medicine. Your clothes are washed and on that chair. Feel free to go when you feel well enough." The doctor said leaving the room. Devaki grabbed her clothes and locked herself in the bathroom to change. In the mirror she looked at her head. It seemed normal. All the red pink color had been washed from her ear. She changed and left the hospital nightgown on her bed. The nurse came in and handed her a box with medicine. Devaki thanked her then left. It was a bit cloudy as she walked back to the house she was staying at. She scooped up a handful of snow and began rubbing it into her tail. It helped cool her off. She began jogging. The slight wind in her ears felt amazing. When she went back to school after the break she was hardly using any of the medicine the doctor gave her. Thankfully no one spoke of the incident. During lunch the girls ate and shared jokes. Devaki was beginning to feel comfortable with the girls. She left the lunch circle early to put her lunch away and get ready for the next class. As she walked Rebel caught up to her.

"What are you doing for valentines day?" He asked. They would be released early at lunch on that day.

"I'll kill my cell phone watching funny videos. Then from six to ten I will be serving at a dinner for the school with Bahira, Diana, Eleta, and Zia." Devaki said as she put her thing in her locker and grabbed her books. Why couldn't Rebel just leave her alone? Rebel leaned against the lockers watching her.

"During the afternoon do you want to go see a movie with me? My mom is taking my younger sister, but we'll watch something different." Rebel asked. Devaki spun to face him her ears back and tail bristiling.

"Last time you pretended to be my friend I ended up in the hospital for three days!" She snapped. "What are you going to do this time? The doctor said it was a good idea to stay away from you Halfbloods. You just cause trouble!" Devaki growled. She watched Rebel's ears also lay back with anger. His tail lashed.

"I'm sorry about that." He spat. "Devaki, I just want you to meet my some of my family. They're not like me at all. All of them are pure bloods! What if I promise not to touch you?"

"Okay, but I also need time to get ready for dinner." Devaki snapped and walked off. Unusual. She thought. Usually if a Halfblood and a pure blood married or a Halfblood and a Halfblood married there was a greater risk of having a Halfblood for a child. But with pure blood and pure blood it there was almost no chance that they would have a Halfblood for a child. Rebel was definitely a mistake.