Playing Devil's Advocate

Breakfast

I woke up the next morning with the sun shining on my face.  I sat up in bed and stretched, I hadn't slept that well in a long time.  I looked at the clock over the fireplace across from my bed.  It was eight o'clock, an hour before breakfast.  I got up and went to the closet to get a dress.  I stopped when I got to the closet.  The was a clothes bag (like the ones you get when you rent a tux) and a note pinned to the outside.  I couldn't see inside the bag so I read the note.  The bag apparently held my outfit for today.  I took a shower and dried and brushed my hair.  I opened the bag and saw a beautiful floral print dress.  I pulled it out and put it on and looked in the floor length mirror, it looked amazing on me.  I applied mascara, found a pair of yellow ballet flats, and walked out to the hallway.

I start to walk to the stairs when I hear footsteps running up behind me.  I turn around and see Megan coming towards me.  When she catches up to me she looks somewhat scared.  "Follow me, it's faster this way.  Please don't tell Master Garret that I was late," she pleads with me.

"Why would I tell him you were late?"  I question.  "I didn't even know that someone was coming to get me.  In fact, I was about to head to the dining room alone."  I smile at her as we walk down the back stairs.

"Thank you so much," she says relieved.  "Master Garret would not be happy if he found out that I was late for something again."

"What would he do?  He wouldn't hit you, would he?"

"It depends on how he views the action.  The punishment could be as simple as a smack on the back of a hand and no dinner that night or it could be bad enough that you will need multiple days to heal."

"What could he do that takes days to heal?"  I gasp.

"If you're lucky, you won't find out," she informs as she looks down.  "Master Garret doesn't want his servants talking about the punishments he gives.  If he finds out that I've been talking to you about this then he'll punish me."

"I won't tell, I promise.  I don't want you to get hurt because of me.  If you aren't supposed to talk about something just tell me and I'll drop the subject."  We stop outside the dining room doors and she smiles at me.  "Well, I'm going to go to breakfast with the devil, you should go do something that you won't get in trouble for."

A look ofworry crosses her face but she quickly recovers and scurries into the next room over.  I open the doors to the dining room and walk in.  Garret looks at me and smirks as I walk to the chair across from him.

"What?"  I almost snap at him.  I haven't even known him for twenty-four hours and his smirk already gets on my nerves.

"Nothing," he claims as his smirk gets bigger.  "So, how did you sleep?  Any dreams of the devil?"  He chuckles as I gasp.  "H-how did you...  You couldn't have...  It's not possible."  He shouldn't have been able to hear me through the door, it was too thick.

"I have my ways Annabeth, you'll find out soon enough."

"But that door is too thick, any given person wouldn't be able to hear through it."  I can't believe he heard me talking to Megan.

"So, Annabeth, tell me, was Megan late when she got to your room?" he smirked.

Oh God, he knows she was late.  "No Sir, she showed up just on time."  I smiled at him through my lie.  His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he looked at the watch on his arm.  "Then why were you late?" he growled.

"I wanted to take the long way after I finished getting ready but Megan said that I was already late for breakfast."  I said firmly.  I picked up my fork and sliced a piece of the ham-and-cheese omelet off and took a bite.  He took my hint and started eating as well.

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Garret stood up after we finished our silent breakfast.  "You coming?"  He growled as I finished my orange juice.

"Are you going to be moody all day or are you going to be pleasant?"  I ask flatly as I look up at him.

"Are you trying to make me angry?  Because if so, it's working."  I kind of flinch at the tone of his voice.

"Moody, definitely moody," I state to myself.  Garret growls and storms over to where I'm still sitting.  He grabs my arm and pulls me up.  "Ouch, do you mind?  I'd like to actually keep my arm attached to my body!" I almost yell at him.  He brings his other hand up and slaps me... Hard.

"You will not speak to me that way.  You will treat me with respect while you are in my house," he growls at me.

"You don't own me just yet, I am still you're guest, you do not treat guests this way.  So, if you are too proud you will keep treating me this way.  But, if you have any respect for more for other people, then you will let me go and apologize for hitting me."  I glare at him, I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing that he hurt me.

He almost takes a step back before he growls in my ear.  "We will watch our movies today, but first I have some things to attend to."

"And what am I supposed to do until then?" I ask with hatred dripping from my voice.

"Entertain yourself, tour the castle, anything you like.  I will send for you when I am ready," he informs me, smirk back in place.

"Oh, so I'm just some play toy for you?  You only want me around when it's convenient for you, that what this is all about?"  I pretty much yell in his face.

"You'll find out-" I cut him off.  "When you make your decision?  Yeah, bull shit!  I want to know now.  No more of this 'I'll let you know when I decide' shit!  Tell me now Garret!"

He sighs.  "Come on then.  Just remember that you asked for this though."  He grabs onto my wrist and pulls me to the back patio.  "Stay here," he instructs just before walking down the steps.

"What are you doing?"  I yell as he starts to take his clothes off.

"You'll see," he says as he pulls off his shirt.  I gasp at just how muscular his back is.  Every movement he makes is evident in just the slightest change.  Once he gets to the grass he turns to face me again.  "Just watch me," he tells me as his body starts to change.

"Garret!  What's happening?  Are you okay?"  I yell out to him.

"I'm fine,' he says as his mouth and nose elongate into an animalistic snout.  He drops to his hands and knees as his limbs start to look animalistic as well.

"I'm going crazy," I tell myself as I stare in horror at the white-as-snow wolf standing where Garret was just seconds ago.

The wolf starts to walk towards me and I try to move but I'm frozen to the spot.  I watch in horror as the wolf stops at my side and starts to shift back into Garret.  A couple seconds later Garret is standing in front of me.  I try to look anywhere but at him because of his lack of clothes but he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.

"Now do you know why I wasn't telling you anything?" he asks.  I can't say anything.  "I'll ask you when you aren't in shock anymore," he says smirking as he shifts into a wolf again.

"What the hell," I state after a few minutes.

"So, Master Garret showed you his secret?" a male voice that I've come to recognize asks.

"He's a werewolf?!" I exclaim as I turn to face Colten and Megan.

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Author's Note: I know that this post was long overdue.  If you were checking my profile I was keeping you guys updated.  Thank you for sticking with my story during the long wait.  I will try not to let that happen again.  I hope you enjoyed this part.