Feral Bonds

Chapter 11

"Well?" Vincent said next time she presented herself for feeding.

Natania raised an eyebrow without speaking.

"Do you have anything to say?" he growled.

Natania stared at him. "If you're expecting an apology, you're not getting one, master." She flashed her fangs. "At least, not organically." He could always force her to apologize, but she wouldn't mean it.

Vincent crossed his arms. "Not even for damaging my house?"

Natania glanced at the door jam, it had been fixed while she was locked away. "All right, maybe for that. I'm sorry for damaging your apparently expensive door jam." Natania turned back to him. "Though," she added dryly, "if you hadn't imprisoned me, I could have fixed it myself."

"And here I was, thinking the only thing you wolves knew how to use was your teeth," he replied, equally dryly.

Natania shrugged. "I learned some things." The packs had to be self-sufficient in her old territory. They couldn't exactly have a human contractor make a several hour hike to fix their homes. She didn't know how to cook, but she could fix things, and do her own accounting.

"And yet you can't survive on your own," Vincent countered.

Natania rolled her eyes. "I can now. Harder to get established when a hunting party can find you at any time."

"You could have just killed them."

Natania flinched. "No, I couldn't have. They're my people."

Vincent spread his arms out. "I kill my people all the time."

"Congratulations?" Natania said sarcastically.

Vincent chuckled. "It would have solved your problems." He stepped forward and put one hand under her chin. "You wouldn't have had to come here."

Natania narrowed her eyes. "I'd suffer a lot to spare my people."

He leaned in closer. "Even if they're no longer yours?" The vampire's teeth sank into her neck before she could answer. Natania tensed, they normally fed standing behind her. Natania debated wrapping her arms around him, the thought alone made her snort. Maybe the master vampire would have less of a temper if he had more hugs in his life.

He finished before she could decide. "What's so funny?"

"You seem like you could use a hug," she said, hoping her tone came out bland, instead of teasing.

"Excuse me?"

Natania laughed at the confused look on his face. She opened her arms and wiggled her fingers in invitation.

Vincent put a hand on her forehead and pushed her back a step, like she had cooties. "How about you get back to work, wolf?"

"I don't have any work," she said over her shoulder as she turned to leave.

"I'm gonna have to fix that," he muttered under his breath.

~

Lily dropped down from... somewhere. Natania looked up after she landed. There were rafters on the roof, but she could have also just jumped from somewhere nearby. "Did you just-"

Lily waved a hand for her to be quiet. "Did you really offer to give master a hug?"

Natania laughed and wiped a loose tear from her eye. "Maybe."

Lily opened her arms and Natania stepped into them without hesitation, resting her head on her shoulder and squeezing her tight. "He does not understand you," Lily said when she stepped back, brushing one hand under her chin. "He was expecting you to cower before him this morning, contrite for your behaviour, and yet you continue to be defiant, then offer him a hug."