Two Halves A Whole

Chapter 4

*~ Chapter 4 ~*

 

I awoke to the tantalizing aroma of a food that even after eight years I could remember the taste with absolute clarity.

Bacon.

My eyes snapped open as my mouth began to water. Acting on a long forgotten, childhood instinct I jumped out of bed and leapt across the room. My hand was on the door handle about to turn when my thoughts caught up with the present and I froze unsure what lay on the other side. Uncertainty coated my thoughts as I weighed my options, shivering slightly against the breeze that caressed my skin.

My eyes snapped to the open window then quickly to myself. I would need clothes before I continued my journey. My ears picked up the light footfalls of someone approaching my door. I yanked the blanket off the bed and held it in front of myself, bending my legs in a ready position in case there was any… disagreements that needed to be solved physically.

“Knock, knock.” Came a singsong voice and the blonde head of the Luna poked itself in my room. Oh great, it’s little miss sunshine. She grinned broadly as her eyes met mine. “Oh good you’re up. I brought breakfast.”

Pushing the door open the rest of the way she squeezed the rest of her petite body in and held a tray out towards me. My mouth began to water as my eyes took in the feast before me: eggs, bacon, and biscuits accompanied by a stack of pancakes oozing warm maple syrup and a tall glass of orange juice. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been offered food that actually appeared appetizing. A weak rumble from my stomach corrected me; I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten period. I had been an unwilling participant in a new test the Hunters had been doing to see how starvation affected werewolves.

I desired to yank the tray out of her hands and devour the food like some sort of wild heathen, but forced myself to resist. I’d learned the hard way to not accept everything that was offered to you. Who knows, the food could have been tampered with, poisoned even!

It wouldn’t be the first time.

My hands tightened on the blanket that provided the little bit of modesty required by society while I continued to watch her suspiciously.

Her smile began to fade at my hesitation, and then brightened once more with understanding, “Oh! Of course, clothes. You can borrow some of mine, just until we can get you some of your own. Ah! I have the perfect outfit for you!” her eyes narrowed, “Don’t. Move.”

She quickly set down the forgotten tray on a dresser and rushed out of the room, leaving the door wide open. Clutching the blanket tightly to my chest, I silently crept forward and peered at the food she had left behind.

No unusual discoloration.

I inhaled deeply. It smelled normal.

My ears detected chirping from outside the window. Picking up the tray, I moved towards it, pushing the window up to open it all the way. My fingers selected small portions of each type of food and then with a simple flick of the wrist I tossed them out the window. The birds flocked to the food and immediately began gobbling, their beaks striking the ground in a starved frenzy. Greedy little buggers.

I watched them for several minutes, waiting.

The birds continued to fly around, checking the ground for anything they’d missed. I sardonic smirk stretched across my lips at the realization that I had just fed birds eggs and meat. I suppose I should feel some sort of moral wrongness about encouraging their act of cannibalism, or perhaps a smidge of guilt that the meat might kill them eventually because their digestive systems were not made to handle their sudden carnivorous tastes…