Martak's Daughter

iii

Bishop Briggs- Be Your Love

Marcel:

Sitting in the middle of the gazebo my mom had built for me next to my grandparents makes me feel calm. There's something peaceful about this place despite the tragic story behind its creation. The bench Jay had helped me build is placed in the center after I told my dad I hadn't wanted the floor of the gazebo so I could grow a bed of orange tulips around the bench. 

They're my favorite. They're just starting to grow again after they had died out during winter. The only place not covered in little green flower buds is the pathway to the bench. I haven't decided what to cover the dirt with. It's been four years and nothing seems to fit with the pretty orange colors of the tulips once they start to sprout.

My nerves build familiar anxiety in my muscles when I think about the task mom is trusting me with. Vampires are known to be cold and vague. What if I panic when I finally do see one? What if the way I dress insults them? I won't stop dressing the way I want just cause some vampire doesn't like it. 

I stood up looking around for Jay. The smell of human waved over the sweet smell of the flowers in the greenhouse. I backed into the shade of the rose bushes surrounding my gazebo. I was going to try to find Jay when two gunshots echoed loudly making my wolf stir inside of me. Up ahead I caught sight of Jay who turned to look at me. I signaled him to stay down. 

I laid flat on the ground listening to where they were. They weren't too close, right outside the clearing as a matter of fact. I got up and crawled over to Jay and motioned him away from the humans. Once we were in the center of the opening We stood up.

Where are you? my mom's voice echoed in my head. 

With grandma and grandpa. Humans are not too far away from here. We'll stay put until they leave. Can you send us back up? They have guns.

Your dad is on his way. she sent back worriedly. 

Make sure they're not in wolf form.

Okay, honey. Be careful, please.

I didn't answer her after that. I never really knew what to say when she requested that. I don't even know what being careful is supposed to look like. 

The humans seemed to have gotten what they wanted. I could hear them celebrating. My curiosity spiked. Without looking back at Jay, I walked out into the field of flowers where the smell of humans is coming from. They're near an older truck, two of them.

"We shouldn't be here, Marcy," Jay whispered scolded coming up behind me.

"They killed a wild wolf," I ignored his comment.

I kept watching them haul away a small wolf. By the length of its body and the bulge in her teets, I concluded that the wolf is a female. She is either pregnant or had a litter of pups. It makes me angry to see that. That would have easily been a newly shifted pup.

"Hey," I growled. "You things aren't supposed to be hunting here. This land belongs to my parents. What you did to that wolf is illegal,"

"Shut up," one of them said annoyed. The rest of them all laughed. I can feel my dad close by.

"Did you just tell her to shut up?" Jay growled.

"What are you going to do, kid?" the human male who tossed the dead wolf's body in the back of his busted up truck asked almost as if he were trying to be menacing.

"I don't have to do anything," he said as my dad and a few other wolves walked over to us with four officers.

"That wolf is a mother," I said pointing at the wolf lying in the bed of the truck.

"The hunt of wolves is strictly prohibited here. This is a wolf sanctuary," my dad said. "Had you shot the wrong wolves you wouldn't have been turned over to the state police you would have had to answer to me,"

"Who the fuck are you?" the one who had told me to shut up laughed.

"It doesn't matter who he is. The four of you are under arrest for hunting here. Children play in these forests and the meadows up ahead. The wolves here are familiar with the people of this territory. You could have accidentally shot a kid,"

"So, these are those people who live in their own little primitive lands. Bunch of tree hugging inbred freaks," the human shouted.

"Get them out of here sheriff before I decide to throw them in my dungeon," my dad growled pushing me behind him.

"Yes, sir," one of the officers said and they began to tell them their Miranda rights.

Once they were gone I stayed behind as my dad and Jay began to talk about the human problems. In the distance, I can hear the sound of low growls. The pups. I started to walk over to the sound of them. I had almost reached the end of our territory when I spotted them. They aren't alone. He isn't trespassing exactly. He's standing on the other side of the marked land. 

"You know if patrols see you..."

"Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to catch me," he smirked standing up looking over at me. 

"Are you going to keep them?" I asked as the pups cried to him for attention.

"My father wouldn't allow it. You keep them. I know alphas like to keep their pups happy,"

"You're the son of the King," I stated as I looked him over. 

His pale skin set goosebumps over my own. His eyes are an unusual brown and honey. They seemed to swirl around in the orbs of his eyes. He didn't smell off like I had read in werewolf-vampire studies. His smell made me want to get closer to him. The scent is dark and cold at the same time. Alluring.

"I should really get back. My parents will be up soon and they hate it when I leave during the day,"

He was gone leaving only a breeze behind. It was hard to believe I hadn't imagined him. It was only then that I realized that my breathing is off. I'm breathing too heavily. My body wanted to go after him. Is it the wolf in me that wished to chase after her prey?

"You shouldn't run off like that on your own," Dad called walking up behind me. I jumped at the sound of his voice. I got a hold of myself looking down at the two pups.

"What is that smell?" Jay asked rubbing his nose.

"Dad, if I convince mom. Can we keep them?" I asked bending down to pick up one of the puppies.

"Of course you can and if she says no we can find them some kind of shelter," he said. The way he said it told me mom wouldn't mind. 

"Baby, I was so worried," mom said wrapping her arms around me as soon as I walked into the packhouse. I can feel her baby bump against my belly.

"I'm fine mom," I assured her.

"You spotted a vampire," she stated I looked up at her wondering how the hell she knew that. "I can smell it in your hair,"

"It was only the boy. He hasn't yet transitioned," dad said walking in with a puppy. "He likes to run around the borders  close to his coven mansion."

"How adorable," mom said waddling over to my dad. 

"Mom, I was wondering if I can keep them. I'll take full responsibility for them. I'll train them myself," she nodded.

"Of course you can," she said grabbing his ears as he tried to pull away from her. He isn't like the other puppy who loves to be held. "Give them a wash and take them down to the vet to see if they might need shots,"

"Alright," I nodded taking the puppy from my dad. He gave him one last snuggle before Jay and I walked out with the two puppies.

"I'm going to name this one Tobias," I said looking at the pup in my arms.

"Nice, can I name this one?"

"Sure,"

"His name is Zero," the puppy in his arms wagged his tail harder than he had already been doing.

"Let's get Tobi and Zero washed up then,"