New Breeds

Felix

I didn't like this. Knowing Thomas, he was going to try to help, but ultimately get Mathias in trouble. My body itched, a jittering anxiety of having to do something. If I moved from the living room, with the other two already gone, Xander would be crosser than he already was, yet I couldn't help but want to join my brothers. Then, there was that tugging curiosity that wondered what the hell was going on in the backyard. All three were still out there, so at least there was some solace in knowing that Tata wouldn't make any rash judgments in front of Kelly. He was big on discipline, but thankfully against humiliation.
But that was the thing, no matter what we did, Tino and Maria were always held responsible to some degree. Tino for being the oldest and not watching us, and Maria for being the alpha and not managing us. When you thought about it, the concept was rigged against every player.

We heard the back door open and shut, ears pricked, small footsteps to our left, padding down the ground hall. They were too light, meaning that- I cussed, only Kelly had come back inside.

Anyone else would have thought him to be oblivious of the situation, he wore a smile and had a generally chipper demenior in his childish show, but I could smell how he was hiding his worry. So strong for such a small kid.

The red head went to greet him, and maybe interrogate a little. "Kelly-?"

"Come on," Tino cut Riley off, knowing what was best for the situation. "Help me make tea." The pocket sized dark brunette nodded and padded after him, bare feet echoing against the lino. "Can I have milo?"

"Ja, ja."

That left just us two, the velkicis and the hulder. I drummed my thighs, stretching my legs and listening to the clinking cups and idle ramblings. I gnarred, glancing back into the kitchen before whispering to her. "Ei, turėtumėte klausytis manęs."

It wasn't polish, being a velkicis she was naturally attuned to lithuanian, and I knew both due to growing up in a border town, it was mandatory at my primary school.

Riley turned to face the kitchen, giving its inhabitants a quick check, before turning back. "Tino mums pasakys, kad žinote, ar tai teisinga?"
I shrugged, eyes sparking with test. Sure, listening in to Tata's conversation was risky, but Tino wasn't one to tell things he didn't think necessary. "Ne, jis nerūpi." I assured her before challenging, "O kada jums rūpi?"

I knew the reason, she was already in trouble for skipping and streaking in the woods, but the amreican also had a rebellious reputation to uphold. Making a sigh that sounded between a whine and a growl, the red head checked the kitchen one last time, before summoning a royal blue mist.

It danced around her like windblown sheets of silk, moonlight and magic twisting and engulfing her . The mist formed a vail, outlining a wolf of swirling form, only her eyes taking on any physical change.

The mist ears twitched, her body turning to face that general direction. "He's mad." Riley whispered in english, unable to do the mental gymnastics of bilingualism. "He's demanding to know why Ria took us to the woods- rhetorical, obviously. He just asked if she even cares about our reputation."
I swallowed, nodding intently.

"Ok, Ria Just whined."

"Is she in pain?" I tried to keep my disquiet to a whisper. Riley shook her head, still staring down the hall.
"No, but she's speaking. Ria admits the disision was stupid, but thought the detour would calm our nerves. She's explaining how a couple of us were unnerved by the presence of such a talked about alpha."
I nodded once more, this was true, none of us felt exactly calm. Though Scott Mcall had a reputation for not killing, not all the members of his pack were so clean. Not only that, but death seemed to protected him like a cloak, only everyone else was killed. Was it coincidence, magic, or just part of his breeding? Yes, he was said to be a base level american werewolf, but who knows what was hidden in his natural bloodline. True-alpha's don't just accure by merrit alone.

"Xander says he understands that, but, um." She paused. "He says that it would have served us better to be nervous? And cautious." She explained, showingly confused. "Um, ok, he says that with Thomas and Matt being in the same class, and the same assumed age as the alpha, lack of caution could only stir them to cause trouble."

"Yeah, Thomas's whole zhing for picking fights with alpha's." My brother, for some unknown reason, always acted like he had something- yet nothing to prove. Some part of me wondered if he was a natural omega - in the lower ranking sense just as much as the obvious lone wolf sense- and was constantly trying to prove he wasn't. Of course, this didn't make sense, cŵn annwn have an excessive need for a pack, I remember reading one of Tata's books. But maybe it was a teenager thing, Tata also mentioned that, though such was out loud rather than on paper.

Riley continued, "Oh no." I held my breath. "He's talking in that word emphasizing way."
I gulped, it meant he was tensing, trying to calm himself and appear outwardly happy and calm. Tata never really looked angry, but you could sense it, which was so much worse. When he begun talking slow and emphasizing near every word, then you had to worry.

"He's saying something along the lines of, "But you also started fights, and got your brother into trouble."" She turned to my briefly. "Wait, what?"
"I'll explain later."

"Oh, ok, so- Shit!"
I wasn't sure whether it was natural or wolf hearing that allowed such, but even I heard the yelp. "It- it's probably best if you change back."
Riley nodded and shifted. The other two crept from the kitchen, a trey of tea in hand.

"Just how you like it." Tino said gently, handing us each mug.

I took it and sipped slowly, body crunched and tense from recoil.

This was the part I could never wrap my head around; Maria was the alpha, unchallenged and protective of statice. So why did she allow Tata to hit her? She could physically stop him herself. Was it some sort of respect thing? Asians were pretty adimate about the traite, was this her way of showing Tata she respected him? It wasn't fear or lack of strength, Maria was very inhuman in her lack of fear, we'd known each other since we were kids, and I'd never sensed, smelled or saw fear in her, just fear Of her. Strength she didn't lack in any category, besides maybe english and good fashion sense, so why does she degrade herself, why does she submit to him?

Once, back in germany, I was walking by her room I had heard her begging him to stop in a broken and barely recognisable voice. I stood outside the room, horror glueing me there. Within a few moments, she had either given up or ran out of energy to plead. Whether it was minutes or hours of sobbing, I couldn't tell, but eventually she had fallen completely silent. The days following, we didn't see or even hear from her at all, and no one dared to enter her room. In my defence, we were only around eleven, we were young and scared. Not only of the consequences of going in without Tata's permission, but of Maria herself. Like I said, we were children and children can be stupid.

I groaned, my disquiet had caused my ears to morph, and I could hear them, Tata speaking at a normal level now, seemingly not caring if we overheard.

"Get up stairs and go get ready, we'll have to leave early to get a good vantage point."
Maria said something, before stumbling inside. I forced my body back, not daring to turn as she came in. My gaze followed her though, eyes dull and cheek warmed with sickening rose, the side of her neck bore thin scratches seeping small pearls of blood, the bright red contrasting with the blue-black of her tattoos. Not deep enough to kill or even scare, just to make a point.

Despite her appearance, she carried herself as always, a queen aware of her strength and birthright.

Tata was still outside, probably turning the on coming events over in his head. The simple absence gave me the distinct impression that none of us were actually grasping the gravity of Maria's actions. I sighed, yes, I had been outwardly upset at her for how she'd used Mathias, not that she'd apologise at all, but then again, she hadn't had the chance. Just because she had done that pretty hanence act, I didn't think she deserved to be... The word abuse came into my head, but I didn't want to allow it to fully form, we weren't abused in any way. But- I shook my head, hoping that maybe the thought might fly out.

The moment was interrupted by Riley's agitated growl, jumping over the back of the couch and following our sister up stairs. The move was safe enough, Tata would get mad her reasons for leaving where to comfort a sibling. Our lines, rules and regulations were crisscrossed and loopholed like that.

I looked to Tino for a response, Kelly doing the same as the blond noncolontly sipped his tea, the scent of chamomile wafting toward me and revealing that he was dealing with the situation by way of drugging