I woke up to a soft humming. My ear twitched, and I could smell sweat strongly. My sweat. I opened my eyes, and looked at the girl clinging to my fur. It felt like she was ready to rip the fur off of my body. I sighed and tried to remove her hand gently. It came off easily, and I placed it beside her body. I slid from beneath the covers and headed to the bathing room. I smelled disgusting, probably to human noses as well as my own sensitive wolf nose.
I leaped into the water, and landed with a small splash . The water was cold. It chilled me to the bone. It was refreshing. I always loved taking a bath in the morning. I could hear the water flowing quietly, gently around my body. I let the water flow through my fur, removing every last trace of dirt and grime left. I dove beneath the water’s surface, letting it embrace me. I leaped back above the surface and swam to the edge of the water.
Pulling myself up from the edge, I felt refreshed, clean. I shook out my fur and strolled to the kitchen. With a shocking realization, I realized that Red probably had a different diet than I did. I sighed and sat on a nearby chair.
“What is it?” A sweet voice asked from behind me.
Red stood there, back in the dress I had given her. “You need food, Red.” I said. “And not the food I eat.”
She smiled softly. “I can eat whatever you give me. I won’t complain.”
“Well, are you sure?”
“No, but I’ll try.”
I smiled, trying not to laugh. I stood up from my seat and sauntered over to the front entrance of the cave. “I will be back. Stay here.”
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I watched as he left the cave. He was going to get food. I sat down on the chair he had occupied just moments before and inhaled deeply. The chair still had his scent on it. I remembered the feeling of his soft fur against my body, the smell of his sweat. I twirled the bottom of my dress with my fingers.
“This isn’t that bad…” I whispered to myself. “It’s better than where I was before.”
I still wore my hooded cloak, but only because of its sentimental value. My mother had given me this cloak before she had…died. I turned my thoughts to a more pleasant topic. I thought about how he had saved me from that girl wolf…Kita? He was so brave, so strong, and so…nice. Compared to my brother, he was an angel sent from heaven. Although he had a wolf form, he was no monster. At least, not to me.
The sound of padded footsteps echoed through the hallway, and I turned to the entrance. Is he back already? I thought. That was quick.
“Artie?” I called out. “Is that you?”
There was no answer. I felt my hair stand on end. If it wasn’t Artie, who was it? A gleam of silver caught my eye, and I cried out, so loud that I was sure people in town could hear me.
“Now, now…” A seductive voice whispered. “It will be over soon.”
