Often Hushed

Chapter Nine

Sorry I was a little later than I said... Whoops! :D But here's another update!

AND I RECENTLY GOT A BANNER, WHICH IS FROM THE BEAUUUTIFUL (SMEXY) PINKYCUPCAKE. THANK YOU GIRL!!!

Also- not sure if I really like this chapter but I got the basic ideas down. I'll try to edit it soon :3

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE-

From now on, I finally have the ENTIRE thing planned. Yaaaay! Now I just need to put it out in words... Damn, that's the hard part haha. There are around forty five chapters, and I am definitely belting it out in a rough draft before I go back through and revise the entire thing. I know that there are mistakes and I WILL find them lol (thank you for all of the fantastic, helpful comments by the way ^^)!

So excited to be working on this project with y'all! :)

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CHAPTER NINE

~:December 16th, 2014:~

"Hey, Vanessa," he purrs at me, teeth shining in the slanted light of dawn.

I nod in acknowledgement and murmur something that resembles, "Breakfast," in return.

The girl with the long, curly, red-brown hair snaps her head up to eye me before releasing a tense smile. Without taking her eyes from me, she stirs one pot with a spoon and alternates her other hand from flipping bacon to shimmying a pan full of sausage, and then turns the heat down for a food hidden behind the pot.

"So, you're Vanessa. Huh," the girl says, narrowing her hazel eyes that are identical to Seb and Sven's. Her freckles are darker than Seb's and so is her tan, and her hair seems even more tangled. She's only a little bit shorter than Seb but could trample me, and I sit at around 5'7".

She finishes stirring with her spoon and removes it, wiping it with a paper towel while she looks at me. Then she puts both things down, and it's quiet.

Suddenly, Seb's stomach rumbles as if it was the earth, a deep, shaking moan of hunger that makes the woman's hard eyes avert to his.

"Dammit, Seb!" she says, pointing an accusing finger at the tall boy. "You're ruining my moment!"

I raise my eyebrow.

Her voice is light and carefree, and I find myself drawn to it. I wander towards the counter and lean on it alongside Seb, who's clutching his stomach and moaning. I felt mine growling in sympathy. I didn't eat anything yesterday, really. I guess I'm hungrier than I thought.

She turns back to me, shoving a chunk of hair behind her ear.

"My name is Clara Mond, but feel free to call me Claire. I'm that bastard Bayard's sister." Claire says this last part while jerking a thumb at Seb, who'd snuck over to the bacon and snatched a slice.

"You already know my name," I say, unsure of if I should say it anyway.

"Yup. The Rogue." Claire responds instantly, nodding.

I feel a growl rising from my chest. "Why does everyone introduce me like that? I've only been a Rouge for a week or two." I mumble.

She sniffs and wrinkles her nose, making me wince. "Doesn't... smell that way."

I'm about to retort when Seb holds a hand up at me and responds.

"You know what they say about a Wolf in power," Seb delves into the tense atmosphere with a smile, "they smell worse after they've left a Pack. Or if their Pack left them... in more ways than one." He thinks he's being sly as he points one finger up, an eyebrow arched.