The Alpha Female of Wicker

2

They lived in Papinae, the rebirthed Europe, and they were Earthlings, native to this planet. The majority of humanoids were Earthbound, and the rarer minority were Earthrovers. They were diluted branches of what used to be a powerful race, watered down over the centuries, stripped of abilities they used to wield. Humans, the bloodline of the Old World still stood, but Daniel knew they were living a half-life compared to everyone else: either they had become something more, what people called the 'Royals' or they were kept in luxurious captivity. Yet, this was all speculation. He thought about it and he personally had a difficult time believing that perhaps humans still walked this earth. Papinae was separated in four Quarters, the Red, the Blue, the Black and the White. The Royals lived in the Plaines Quarter of the Royal Black, most Earthbound lived in the Urban Quarter of the Royal Red, and then a minority lived in the Prairie Quarter of the Royal Blue, where they were now. For some reason, the Royal Blue lacked of most political and socio-economical classes and prospects, leaving mayors and judges to take over the ruling of each their own.The Royal Red had been ruled by Dominitian, a callous Margrave focused on the embellishment of his city, and the purity of the Earthbound race. He claimed to be a human, but his loss of credibility from past falsehoods had made this assertion doubtful.

"Annabel?" whispered Daniel, seeing that the water-closet door was closed, and that she was not hiding in some dark corner of the open room. "We'll sleep together tonight, I'll keep you warm."There was silence, complete and utter silence that made his chest heave with uncertainty.

Was she even there? Had she escaped through one of the tiny windows that now tapped with heavy incessant showers. But then, her voice grumbled through the door:"You'll pick at my pimples and pinch by butt cheeks."

"I've grown out of doing such things, sister. Come out, I'm not mad at you."

"You have no reason to be. I only said what is true, and you know so."

She did come out, her eyes beautifully naked now, her pale lashes giving her whole visage a frailty that attracted him undeniably. "Are you tired? We'll arrange something now and go to bed. We'll awaken together in the morning, and we'll get some mattresses."

"I want to sleep with you, Daniel. Let's get one large mattress for the both of us," she proposed, sudden illumination filling those bare eyes.

"What if you cannot stand me one night? I'm not sure it's a good idea." Yet, Daniel's heart danced at the idea of sleeping near her. Keeping her safe had recently been on his mind, now that he was a man, now that he had power in his arms, dominance in his voice, all he wanted was to know that she would be safe.

"Please." She embraced him warmly.

He held her tight on his bosom and kissed the top of her dark copper curls, but realized that it had become a task now. She had shot up a good three inches in the past few years, joining him in the high 5 feet. He was almost six feet, and she joined him at 5, 7'. She leaned on his shoulder, hooking her chin and pressing her lips upon his neck.

"We could have stayed," she murmured gently.

"No," he responded, "it was not an option anymore."

But Annabel refused to believe so as she lay on the blankets in the living room, while Daniel lay next to her, soundly sleeping. She tossed, turned, and just as she was about to fall asleep, a shriek sounded in the night, over the now ceasing rain.

It made her heart jump and she sat up in alarm as the scream, high-pitched but also gravelled by horror continued. Someone was in trouble, a woman, and it made her shake Daniel awake.

"What?" he lazily spoke.

"I hear someone screaming outside."

"Not my problem," he answered, turning over and closing his eyes once more.