Isolation&Solitude

17

KIRISHIMA

I watched as little girls ran to Juliana, wrapping their small arms around Juliana's legs. "GoGo!" They all yelled cheerfully, grinning ear to ear as they looked up at her.

"Ah, She was clever enough to not tell them her real name. She was going for the lost human in the forest with memory loss." Hansel said as he watched Juliana too. "She says she hates people but...as you can see she only hates a few." As she turns to her side we can see the faint smile on her lips, but as the children look away she grins.

My eyes leave her for a moment, my jaw clenched as I saw the human man looking at her with such a gentleness in his eyes. Hansel looks at me and laughs loudly, he claps my back. "I'm not embarrassed to show my jealousy." My eyes were still trained on the man as I spoke.

"You're never embarrassed in the shit you do, Kiri." Hansel said as we walked over to the bunch.

"Please, Juli!"
"It's been forever!"
"Yeah! It'll be quick, just one quick painting!"

The man, Donovan, chuckled looking over at Hansel and I. "Juliana would teach the girls painting and ceramics back at the school." He explained as he smiled down at her.

"Yeah, the kid has a gift. Jul! Stop being a tease and paint with the kids." Hansel said, earning a glare from Juliana.

"We brought all your art supplies here. I'd for one love to watch you paint again." Before I could ring the humans neck Hansel wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"Ease up now, boy."

"Alright everyone, we have our canvas. Holly picked the music last, so I believe it's Latasha's turn then?" Juliana spoke in a soft happy tone, even if her eyes didn't show it, the gentle way she moved did. She cared deeply for these human kids.

Latasha bounces up, kindly taking Juliana's phone and scrolling through the music. As she swayed her head from side to side her curls bounced along with her. They were all crowded next to Juliana, peaking over her shoulder and trying to make a copy of what she was painting.

As us men watched her we could see why they were so captivated by her. Who wouldn't be. With that loneliness, that mysterious gleam in her eyes. Her sometimes mischievous ways.

She was beautiful as well, now the sun was rested on her just right. Even as the sun beamed down on her the rays didn't make her hair light, the black ink that was her hair turned darker. Her skin glowed, her eyes shimmered, the brown turning gold.

As she carefully brought up her hand, a paint brush in her fingers, she steadily swiped and dabbed it on the large canvas. Her wrist moving in a languid stroke, her lips were slightly parted, she would casually look over to the each girl.

Smiling and giving them a praise. Which they all fawned over, grinning and giggling as they spoke with my mate.

As time went on the girls had stopped painting, dancing around Juliana as she still focused on her work. The older girls braided the long hair of my mate, whispering in her ear, and suddenly she turned to look at me. Just as the girls started to burst out in a fit of giggles.

She stared at me, letting out a large laugh. She shook her head, whispering back into the older girls ears. As if I couldn't hear them.

"Wow, look at that it's amazing." Donovan said as he stared at the painting. "My father would've loved this, thank you Juliana." She nodded her head, holding one of the small girls, who only seemed to be no older than four, in her arms.

"Of course. Now let's get the girls back inside." All the other little ones had been climbing Hansel. Juliana laughed as she looked at the haggard face of the old man. Little girls still dangling from his arms, some wrapped around his legs, one on his neck.

Finally she stood by my side, I felt the uneasiness vanish. "Who's this little one?" She looked at me, those eyes full of life.

"Her names Fauna. She's been attached to me since she first came to the school." She smiled down at the little girl, brushing the brown hair the was covering her face. "People, even the Nuns, always seemed to forget about her. But she always stood out to me."

"Hey, how come I like everything about you?" I whispered in her ear, as I pulled away, her cheeks had been splashed with red.

"Maybe it's all in your head?" She says playfully, giving me a small smile. "Well anyways, I care about them all the same though. As much as I care for Fauna, I care for Sasha, Melanie, Latasha, Lara, all of them the same."

"Wouldn't that be love?" I asked, she looked up at me and shook her head.

"Love is fleeting. Something that can change in a moment. It isn't something so deep." She talks as she watches the girls run ahead, chasing each other.

We had talked with the leaders of the human sanctuary. Forming a non-aggression pact as well as opening a trade route with the red light district and the three other human sanctions.

"This...is the girl who saved all the students?" A leader said, looking towards Juliana. Hansel nodded proudly.

"My pup, she's fond of humans." Juliana threw him a look, but he ignored it. The leader, a middle aged woman, chuckled.

She looked to Juliana, grasping her hands in hers. "Thank you so so much. My daughter, she goes to that school and-you selflessly put yourself in danger in order to save the girls despite our differences. Thank you, for opening all of our eyes. We can see now, how bright the future is." Juliana pulled her hands out of the woman's clasp.

"I wasn't the only one. The teachers and staff did as well." She spoke coldly, drawing the line between her and all the other leaders who looked at her like a hero.

Donovan laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "She's always been like this. She never takes credit, she's too modest."

I chuckled. That right there is why he'd never be able to be with her.