They swung open the cage door, cattle prods at full power, humming with electricity. The man lazily lifted his hands in surrender. "Now, now." He said softly. His voice was like velvet. "No need. I'll do as you please." The man in the cage said, his...
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Theophania's stomach was uncomfortably full of raw meat. Her mouth tasted of blood, and she found herself absently picking viscera out of her teeth as she wandered away from the ruins of the elk's body.
As she moved, she caught glimpses of the pack between the trees- towering wolves bigger than those she'd frightened off, and the much slimmer forms of running men. Normally she would have feared what was to come, but the presence was full and sleepy, dulling her senses.
A shock of muddy red fur appeared as a blur in the trees, moving closer to her on wary paws. His human eyes didn't dare to meet her own as he stepped out of the trees to walk alongside her.
Ivan merely huffed through parted jaws as she tangled blood drenched fingers into his furry coat. His velvet tongue lapped out of his maw at her other blackened hand, taking with it some of the leftover blood.
Kiril joined them shortly after, moving like a ghost atop the snow. He kept pace ahead of both of them, pausing occasionally to allow for them to catch up but never looking back.
The difference between the two was notable. Kiril strode atop the snow, his massive paws leaving only sparse indents in its hardened crust. Ivan struggled to push his much slimmer form through the depths, as his smaller paws sank right through. Kiril's thick white fur kept him unbothered by the wind, where Ivan's thinner red coat made him shudder with every northern gust.
It was apparent that Ivan had not been built for this weather. That he did not belong here.
It felt like a dream that went on for hours- her and Ivan dredging through the progressively deepening snow. She almost hoped that things would end, but her feverish body kept her warm despite the freezing conditions, and she knew she couldn't leave her brother behind to these men.
The cellar came into view, and suddenly her peace was shattered. Her spine went rigid, and the presence stirred in her mind with a low growl. "What are we doing here?" she asked.
Kiril's ears shifted backwards, but he gave no indication of shifting back to tell her. She turned her gaze to Ivan, but he again dodged her gaze.
She took a deep breath, masking the scowl on her face as she turned to the cellar steps. The presence refused to let her head drop as she confidently strode down the stairs, her bitten leg not holding back her stride for the first time since it had been given to her.
The door swung open as she reached it, revealing a mass of bodies in various forms. The sea of men parted, shifting back on paws and legs, to reveal two brothers standing before the silver cage of the beast who had bitten her.
Kiril padded down the steps after her and took his place by the pair's side. His white fur matched the two mens gleaming pale hair perfectly. Her nostrils flared and the presence took note of how similarly they smelled.
"Theophania Pennrose," the middle man drawled, seeming to savor the feel of her name on his tongue.
She suppressed a shudder at the memory of his voice. He hadn't introduced himself to her that night, but she knew who he was.
