Wolfe

13

Chapter 13

"Morning." Marley hummed, her lips quirking into a small smirk when she heard the mer-girl squeak in fright as she hit her elbow against the wall. A wince left the girl as she turned to face the wolf, the redhead calmly moving the fried eggs in the pan onto a plate.

Ronan's gills flared slightly as she watched Marley crack open six eggs and swiftly placed them in the sizzling pan. Her right hand held the pan's handle loosely while her left rested lazily on her hip.

"Sleep well, pup?"

"...N-Not really, no."

Marley hummed softly, her gaze still on the eggs as they sizzled quietly in the pan. She shook it lightly to keep them from sticking before grabbing the filled plate to her right and turning to place it on the island that separated the two. She patted the marble top; Ronan looking from the food to the werewolf, her gills flaring once more when her stomach rumbled audibly.

"Eat, pup. You're too puny. A gentle wind could push you over." Marley spoke, a soft chuckle leaving her at the glare the young one gave her.

"I ain't puny..." She grumbled even as she slowly settled herself into the rotating chair, staring down at the plate of breakfast in front of her before her gaze went to the fork that was placed beside it. She looked up at Marley through her lashes with the redhead giving her a grin before turning back to the stove.

Ronan picked the fork up with webbed fingers and held it awkwardly, the back of the handle resting against her palm as her fingers curled around the top. She looked at the plate, her eyes roaming over the bacon strips, eggs, sausage links, and mini pancakes before she jabbed one of the sausage links and brought it to her lips.

Her small fangs sunk into the link and easily tore half of it off, swallowing before finishing off the rest of the link and jabbing her fork into one of the pancakes. She stuffed the fluffy disc into her mouth and chewed only once before stilling as the flavor soaked through her taste buds, her gills fluttering.

She had forgotten what they tasted like.

"...It's good." She whispered around another pancake.

"I'm glad. Now finish."

"Can...can I have more pancakes?"

"Of course."

< >

Jace watched as Ronan ran her clawed fingers against the TV remote's buttons, the girl's gills fluttering about. She placed her thumb between the pages of her book and rested it against her lap, the TV playing a cartoon quietly in front of them. Marley sitting on the couch's arm next to Jace.

"Do you remember?" Jace started, Ronan's fingers stilling as she kept her gaze on the remote. The fingers on the book flexed slightly, the webbed fingers on the remote weakly curling around it.

"How old you were when your change happened?" She finished. Ronan's gills fluttered, her webbed feet lifting off the floor and onto the couch before she rested her chin on her knees.

"Not long after I turned six, I guess. My cake was tiramisu...I loved it." Ronan whispered, her eyes flickering about over the tv's screen. The muted screen showing an animated man with spiky black hair and orange clothing fighting a giant bipedal purple lizard in the air.

"I woke up a few days after and saw that my skin was all scaly and blue...and dry. Everything felt dry. Like sand." She continued, her free hand moving to play with the hem of her large orange basketball shorts. Marley had helped her tie them tight around her waist with some yarn string so they wouldn't just slip off. They would have to do until Jace could make the long trip towards the closest town.

"I went to my-"

Two horrified gazes staring at her, her father grabbing the knife off the kitchen counter. Broken glass embedded in her arms, her bare feet being cut up by twigs and rocks, her chest throbbing with each pained, dry breath until she had stumbled into a lake.

and she could finally take a proper breath as the water surrounded her.

"...I don't remember the rest." She finished, her voice nearly inaudible. Marley watched as the pup's gills fluttered before standing up and moving towards Ronan.

She had the same blank look that her aunt would get. That her father would get when thinking about her mother. That Jace would get when remembering whatever had happened to her. A look that shouldn't belong on anyone let alone a pup so young.

Marley knelt down in front of Ronan, the blank look fading as she re-focused her gaze at the wolf. Gold stared into Gray, Jace quietly observing the two, until Marley leaned forward and rested her forehead against Ronan's. Gray eyes slipped shut, a comforting rumble beginning to reverberate deep in Marley's chest.

"....You're warm." Ronan whispered.

"The water was always nice but cold. 'Specially when it snowed..." Gold eyes slipped closed as the rumbling grew in intensity, Jace moving to rest her free hand on Ronan's shoulder and held it gently.