“He thought Werewolves were sexist, archaic, primitive beasts.”

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

When the male Werewolves began to think up a roster over the next month, I lost the last of my already short patience and broke away.  To look like I wasn’t sulking, I returned to the seat beside Sharon as if I were returning to a previous conversation.  The women smiled and then recommenced their discussion about the escalating cost of childcare centres, for those who juggled part time work and young children.

Frickin’ hell, I wasn’t enjoying this Wake.  I had either male chauvinism or baby talk to bounce between.  Not that I blamed the women, for those that were mated to a male Lokoti Werewolf; children were an inevitable part of that marriage.  I just felt left out, since I was the only woman in the room let alone the tribe whose union to a virile supernatural species didn’t produce ‘rug rats’.

In the past, my Calculator Vincent who had been a doctor, examined me for ‘non-specific ovarian failure’.  He ran multiple tests to ascertain I didn’t have tubal disease or endometriosis nor did I have ovulation disorder.  But for some reason things just didn’t add up, my eggs refused to be fertilized nor could they embed themselves in my uterus.  Vincent diagnosed that my differences as a Circulator had unusually affected my biology and it was as if my reproductive system was also in temporal flux.  That day I learned my status as the Last Circulator was responsible for truly making me the last on the line. 

“Excuse me,” I stood up a second time, “I just have to check on something outside.”

The women were starting to look a little disgruntled at my comings and goings and truly, I didn’t mean to be rude.  My head ducked shyly as I slipped out of the room via the front door when I found refuge on the veranda steps.  There I sat, looking up into the changing sky.

It was nearing 10 PM and the sun was only starting to set, thanks to Alaska’s extended daylight during summer.  But in the dusk, I caught one or two stars peak through.  The darker it turned with the onset of evening, the more stars emerged.

“Hallo Mum and Dad.  Man, I miss you guys.”  I sighed sadly at the celestial objects, as if they were my loved ones.  I felt my eyes sting and I continued talking under my breath.  “Mum, I miss how you fought for equal rights for women with the pack.  Dad, I miss how you would talk quietly with Grandfather on your verdict but you’d always hear us out if someone had a different point of view.  I also miss not talking about academic work with you guys or Circulate stuff.  There’s no-one to laugh over time travel stories anymore.”

Then I turned quiet as I looked out at the garden in the twilight.  The Riverclaw as well as the Wisetail families copied off Declan and I, by doing up their gardens after we did up ours.  They used different plants though and made them unique in their own way.  I loved looking on the gardens in summer, at how the flowers bloomed for an extended time or the smell of freshly cut grass.  I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply through my nose and out of my mouth, as I inhaled the change of smell produced as it went from day to night.

At that moment, I was disturbed by the sound of the front door opening and closing, as Declan came to sit beside.  He was carrying two glasses of orange flavoured Fanta and he passed me one.  Then he too looked up into the sky.

“Are you missing your parents and grandparents?”  He guessed.

I nodded whilst staring at the neatly kept lawn, “And my Calculator.”

“Who, Vincent?”  My husband screwed up his face in distaste.  “I don’t know how you or anyone would miss that guy.  He had a permanent chip on his shoulder and especially a grudge about our kind.”

This made me smile, “He thought Werewolves were sexist, archaic, primitive beasts.”

“And because we still won’t let you patrol, it reminded you of that?”  He raised his eyebrows unimpressed.  “Oh yeah, we’re real bastards for trying to keep the existence of a female Lokoti Werewolf a secret.  We’re real Neanderthals for trying to protect our female, when there are male Werewolves out there who’ve tried to kidnap and claim her for their own purposes.”

“It’s not just that.”  I sighed out.  “There’s no-one to talk to about Circulate business anymore.”

“Hang on, I thought Vincent programmed the Circulate Mainframe to act as your Calculator instead?”

“Yes he did and it does a very good job.  It sends me via email, notifications I should be aware of within Hodge Endeavor or even in the timeline.  But…”  I faltered as my eyes briefly met his before they skipped away again, “…I don’t have anyone to talk to about time travel anymore.”

“What am I, a Neanderthal bastard who’s so stupid that you can’t even communicate with anymore?”  He riled up.  “You can frickin’ talk to me!”

“Oh OK.”  I put on a sarcastically cheerful tone.  “Declan, I’m thinking of visiting Ancient Egypt and taking some photos of the statues of Isis in the temples in Thebes and Memphis.  Now which season do you recommend I should visit in to avoid mosquitoes; or in which Kingdom should I go, New or Middle?”

“Say what?”  He blinked dumbfounded.  “I thought you had a frickin’ smart computer to think of these things for you!”

“I do have a computer for a Calculator to answer my questions but it can’t say to me, ‘oh B, I was in the New Kingdom last week.  It was the time of year when the flooded Nile had receded and I saw this temple with amazing statues which you would absolutely love!’”

“What do you mean, the Nile was flooded?  B, I don’t think it’s a smart idea to visit flooded destinations.”

“The Nile is supposed to flood, Declan!  The floodwaters leave silt which helps crops grow!”

“Well if you already know all of this, why do you need to go there to look at frickin’ statues?”

“Because it helps with my academic work!”  I rolled my eyes.  “My papers generate interest, because my work isn’t just guessing what life used to be like; I provide proof of what it really was like because I’ve seen it with my own two eyes!”

My papers ensured casual employment of guest lectures in the academic field where I was known as Dr. Bianca Riverclaw, which was my mother’s maiden name.  I’d been Dr. Bianca Sabre for forty years and then Dr. Bianca Wisetail for another forty.  I had to start all over again because my other two identities are supposed to have either retired or ‘carked’ it by now.

Since Declan’s always worked at the Garage on Lokoti Tribal Lands he didn’t have to worry about assumed identities.  In fact, if a person ever suggested to him to pretend to be somebody else, he would figuratively bite your head off!   My husband had a low tolerance for anything superficial and calls it as it is, much to my amusement and our tribe’s.  The only time he humours subterfuge is hiding his European Werewolf nature from outsiders. 

“So do you sign at the bottom of your work, ‘written by the Last Circulator, the woman who’s actually been there’?”  He rolled his eyes back.  “If you do, I think we should be more worried of people finding out you’re a Circulator let alone a Werewolf.”

Exasperated, I started to bang my head against the wooden veranda railing.  Declan growled under his breath and instead of putting out his arm to merely stop me, I found myself in a headlock!

“Hey, let go!” I complained.

“Nah, I don’t think so.”  He said coolly.  “You stuffy, snobby, time traveller for a cheat, University Professor.”

So I bit into his side, which made him cry out and loosen his hold.  We were both half laughing and half snarling, as Declan tried to grab onto his wife and I kept swatting his hands away.  Our drinks sat half drunk and forgotten about.

“Right that’s it!”  He growled and his eyes momentarily glowed green when he bent over and lifted me up, onto his shoulder.

“Hey!  Declan, put me down!”  I squealed louder in laughter.

“Nope, I’m dragging you back to my cave Mrs. Neanderthal!”  He stood up and walked away from the steps.

I grabbed hold of his hair and pulled hard, which tipped his head backwards and made him lose his balance.  Together, we tumbled onto the front lawn, with me landing on top.  But then we paused, as our senses told us we weren’t alone.

We looked up to see Stone with his wife and son, as well as Jake and his wife and baby, standing on the veranda in their dignified black clothes; staring at their immature elders who were wrestling in theirs.

“Let me guess, ‘pack business’?”  Sharon raised her eyebrows.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Readers Artwork

I've been lucky enough to receive photos and artwork readers wanted to share, which were either inspired by my stories, or related to them.  I'm sharing them now...

This is a picture of Declan Sabre in European Werewolf form by Stephanie Hanlon.  You can find more of her wonderful work at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Hanlon-Portraits-and-Art/225734217586843?fref=ts

Thanks to Alice Lovell-Young for this clever pic :-)

 

 

This was made by Niina who posted the link to this pic under 'Claimed' here on this blog and here's the address for her site so you can get a better look at the pic and read her review: http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-claimed-novella.html

 

 

 

These photos were taken by Derek Gramin (including the one underneath which he added the wolf leaping across) using his camera.  With the second pic below, he added the wolf as we don't have any wolves in Australia (only Tassie Devils and Dingoes) ;-)

 

 

“However no-one talks of a female Lokoti Werewolf because to outsiders, there’s no such thing.”

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

6^th August, 2226

 

Three days later, the family as well as the tribe, attended my cousin’s funeral on the Holy Grounds before the Sacred Totems.  I clung to Declan’s arm through the service and it was like my mate literally held me up.  The Tribal Elders sang the funeral chant as the pyre burned the body wrapped in the woven funeral shroud, as Phoenix’s progeny looked on. 

After the service, the tribe split up to go their separate ways as did most of the Elders, to leave the body to burn overnight.  Declan and I left with Chiron and his family for the wake at the old Riverclaw house.  The fourteen other members of the pack and their wives – the ones that hadn’t passed away from old age – came to share food and drink with their First whilst reminiscing about their fallen.

Everyone brought a dish or bottle of soda to share and Declan had made three large plates of goodies.  On one serving plate sat an antipasto mix complete with salami, marinated mushrooms and smoked oysters; on another sat Capsicum and Potato Frittata as well as on the third, Bacon and Olive Cakes.   The antipasto plate he had put together today but the other dishes he cooked up the night before. 

When he made them, I sat up on the bench in the kitchen to watch.  It became the custom in our marriage for most of our discussions to happen over food and this way, I also got to sample what he was cooking.  Declan often interrupted me in the middle of conversation to allow me a taste of what he was preparing.  Last night, this reoccurred and I relished the deliciousness of the samples.  From seeing how quickly the plates of food emptied, it became evident everyone else thought so too.  

In the beginning of the Wake, I was sitting next to Sharon who was busily gossiping to another two wives.  However I started to tune out during discussions of school fees or the best nappy rash treatment.  My eyes wandered over to my husband who was nursing a small plate of nibblies, whilst telling Chiron, Stone and Forrest Riverclaw, as well as Meadow Shallow Water and lastly, Jake Wisetail about our altercation in China. 

“Excuse me,” I stood up to the women’s surprise when my departure interrupted their conversation.  “Er, it’s pack business.”

I used this excuse often, which the women never minded since I was a member.  They watched me cross over to Declan’s side and rest my arm about his waist.  He angled his plate of nibblies my way to share and I stole a marinated mushroom.  Then he moved the plate to his right hand to hold, as his left arm was slung over my shoulders.

“So the Asian Werewolves broke off their attack?”  Chiron double checked.

“Uh huh.”  His Second confirmed.  “I don’t think they’ll be tracking us back here.”

“Are you a hundred percent certain of this?”  Meadow spoke as the concerned Medicine Man.

“Yup.”  Declan straightened.  “They stopped their pursuit.”

Chiron’s eyes momentarily flashed in my direction before he spoke to my husband. “Perhaps for the next couple of weeks, we should have a Werewolf run the borders of our land just to make sure we don’t have any surprises.”

But this got my back up and I said curtly, “But they’re not coming.  I don’t have any warning feelings as a Circulator.  I don’t foresee any further trouble from that clan or breed.”

Our First looked in my direction but for longer this time, before he said, “Let’s call it peace of mind.”

Just as I was about to argue this further, Declan spoke up, “It wouldn’t hurt.”

Then Forrest also sided with our First by volunteering, “I don’t mind doing a run tonight.”

“Then I’ll do a run tomorrow night.”  Stone agreed.

“I’ll go the night after.”  Meadow shrugged.

“Night four works for me.”  Jake Wisetail nodded amiably.

He was my cousin five times removed, from my father’s side of the family, who inherited Mum and Dad’s house with their evolution.  He also inherited Dad’s place in the pack by his Lokoti Werewolf DNA activating on the following full moon.  The same time Jake received my childhood home as a Housewarming present for he and his new wife, another adjustment had to be made when he had to take time off work to learn to control the bloodlust.

“Fine.”  I said coolly.  “I’ll do a run on the fifth night.”

However my husband and the rest of the male members of the pack didn’t look happy to hear that, and neither did our First.

“No Aunt B.”  He said seriously.  “Just as you weren’t permitted to patrol during the years of lawlessness after the War, nor can you do so now.”

“What?”  I objected.  “Why not?”

Declan rolled his eyes, “Don’t start this again.” 

But it was Meadow who spoke patiently, “There are humans in Alma who still whisper stories of male Lokoti Werewolves who helped the townspeople rid themselves of a bad element after the War.  However no-one talks of a female Lokoti Werewolf because to outsiders, there’s no such thing.”

“Except to a bunch of horny Asian Werewolves," my husband said unhappily before he turned back to Chiron.  “I think I should go back to China and finish what I started.  I’ll eat the other thirty who know about B.”

“Declan!”  I elbowed him sharply.  “Yeah, what a good idea to help the concept of living quietly; by embarking on another murderous rampage and placing a new vendetta on your head!”

Our First looked on his overprotective Second in the pack.  "No Uncle, there’ll be no further Asian Werewolf blood spilt.  Unless of course they come onto our territory then you can unleash your wrath.  But according to Aunt B, it’s unlikely.”

“Then if it’s unlikely, it should be OK if I go for a run around our borders.”  I tried again.

“Yeah, what a good idea of the concept of no such thing as a female Lokoti Werewolf existing, if a townsperson from Alma catches sight of you.”  Declan repeated sarcastically.

“Oh shut up!”  I rolled my eyes as I stepped out from under his arm.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Your aura has faded.”

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

The time was approaching 10 PM when we left the Riverclaw’s and went home.  Declan powered down his vehicle in the garage before turning my way.  He opened his mouth to say something, but he hesitated to look on concerned.  

“What?”  I wondered. 

“Your aura has faded.”  He remarked unhappily.  “How about I make us some fettuccine carbonara with garlic bread?”

I knew he was trying to cheer me up, but I felt tired and emotionally wrung out.

“Nah, it sounds like too much of a hassle to cook up something complicated this late.”  I frowned.  “How about just something on toast?”

“What about bacon, eggs, grilled tomato, fried mushrooms, hash browns and toast?”

“Now we’re talking.”  I couldn’t help but to smile.  “I’ll see if the crop of tomatoes in the greenhouse are ready and check on the rest of the plants.”

We both hopped out of his pick up truck at the same time and whereas he went into the house via the front door; I walked around the small building to the smaller one behind, which was constructed of glass.

Our greenhouse wasn’t that large but it had numerous shelves which held planters full of different vegetables and herbs.  The planters on the floor had the taller plants, like tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, celery, zucchini and squash.  The shelves above had lettuce, radish, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.  Then the small pots in between grew parsley, chives, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemongrass, coriander and garlic and we even had a small chilli bush. 

As our food producing plants took the most room, the back right corner had Declan’s orchids on display on a triangular set of metallic shelves.  He had pink, purple, white, orange and yellow varieties, which he paid close attention to.  Upon inspection, the flowers were thriving just as the other plants were which means our Great x4 Grandnephew would live.  I giggled at my mate’s temper which could still scare people and in particular, our human relatives.

Just as I moved away to gather some tomatoes, something caught my eye.  I stopped and turned around to lean in closer, at the pot which was sitting on the floor in front of the orchids. 

The plant was withered and the flower which used to peak out from the top, was long gone.  The soil in the pot was a combination of red and black dirt.  The red soil was from Mars coupled with the black from Alaska.  The plant was the Martian Dandelion that my father gave to me, the day that the Circulate HQ on Mars was destroyed and my parents left for the space time continuum.

“Oh no…” I sunk to my knees to get a better look.  I picked up the drooping stalk with the dead flower bud, to see that the leaves were shrivelling too.  “Oh no…” my eyes refilled with tears as my heart sank.  I knew there was nothing I could do as the plant too was on its way into the afterlife.  “Declan!”

Within a minute, my mate came out the back door and headed down the small garden path towards the greenhouse. 

“Yeah?”  He poked his head through the open doorway.  He looked around at the healthy plants as if he were making sure we weren’t returning to ruined produce.  “What’s up?”

“Declan…” I pointed at the dying dandelion, “…look.”

He came into the greenhouse and knelt beside on the cement floor. “Oh," he frowned as he looked on our last piece of Mars which was fading fast.  His large hand moved towards it and he gently examined the shrivelled leaves with his fingertips before he sighed out, “I don’t think there’s anything we can do.”

“Frickin’ hell!”  I cursed.  “First the Martian Circulate HQ gets blown up, then my parents and my Calculator evolves to the space time continuum and now the Martian flower also bites the dust?!”

“And your cousin died today.”  He put in.  “Talk about, ‘when it rains it pours’.”

“Oooh!”  I fumed.  “We did everything right!  We watered it and talked to it and we were careful about fertilizers and whatever else.”

“Well B, it is from another planet.”  My husband shrugged.  “Maybe it needs Martian conditions?”

“But the vegetation on Mars died out!”

“So there you go, it was doomed from the start.”  He rested his hand on my back and gave it a sympathetic rub.

“Oh…!”  I whined as I deflated almost as much as the flower did.

“C’mon baby,” he stood up and then pulled me to my feet.  “Let’s get some dinner into you and I’m sure there’s another stash of Nutella in the kitchen somewhere.”

“No.”  I sighed wearily.  “I don’t want anymore Nutella today.”

“Shit.”  My mate suddenly went still and looked on in shock.  “I think hell just froze over.”

Playfully, I whacked him on the arm and turned to depart from the greenhouse.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lokoti Werewolves aged slower than their human wives or members of the tribe.

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

The tribe was used to Declan’s and my extended youth because the fourteen other members of the pack could live up to 200 years.  Lokoti Werewolves aged slower than their human wives or members of the tribe.  Our people held the Werewolves in high esteem because of their history of protection.  In return, the tribe guarded the identities of the pack which included us. 

I turned away from the bed to pass my mate a haunted look, “Phoenix was my first cousin and he was the last family member from my childhood.  You and I are the only two left from our era!”

His eyes watered, “I know B, I know.”

Then I threw my arms about my mate’s neck as I clung onto him and cried into his shoulder.

“I still remember fighting with Phoenix when we were little.”  I sobbed.  “I remember when he used to call me bitch-features, how I would punch him for it.  I remember when he used to pull my hair, or once he kicked a soccer ball at my head but it accidentally hit Uncle Jules and the trouble he got into.”

My husband pulled away so his tearful eyes could meet mine.  “Then tell him all of this.”

He gently turned me around and sat me on the side of the bed, before standing closely behind to rest his hands protectively on my shoulders.  Gingerly, I picked up Phoenix’s cold hand and held it between my warm ones.  I looked on his aged face once more to reminisce.

“I remember the Christmas you ate all of the brandy butter before the plum pudding was served and it made you sick.”  I recanted.  “I remember when Phoebe used to read your mind and tell on you when you did something wrong.  I remember playing Monopoly with you and how you cheated by sneaking money and hiding it under the board.  That was until Phoebe told on you and you punched her on the arm.  I remember I punched you back and you tackled me for it and then we both got into trouble…”

Just then Declan chuckled, “Yeah I remember that night, it was when my family was having dinner with your family at Easter.  I was seventeen and B was fourteen so Phoenix would have been ten.”

Stone exchanged looks of amusement with his father at our unusual reminiscing.  Usually when somebody close died, people recalled the best things about the deceased.  However since my cousin and I fought like brother and sister, our best times were spent fighting.  I wanted to remember my cousin like that, in affectionate enmity.

Then I lightly punched the dead guy on the arm, “And that’s for all the times you called me bitch-features and ran away before I could hit you.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We ran into some trouble with some Asian Werewolves.”

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

Although the old Riverclaw home was just down the hill from ours, we still drove in Declan’s metallic black, plasma-powered, pick up truck.

The Lokoti Tribe lived in the World Heritage Listed, Lokoti National Park.  We were situated in the Alaska Range approximately 4.5 hours north of Anchorage and 1.5 hours south of Fairbanks.  The tribal lands looked like a small village of wooden houses along tiny streets.  We were surrounded by forest, snow-tipped mountains and interconnected river ways.  Every full moon I hunted with my mate and pack inside the vast wilderness, to feed on large prey such as bear, caribou, moose or else.  

My husband drove the short way and pulled up in the driveway of the large, two-story, log cabin which had been in the Riverclaw family for several generations.  The 19 year old Forrest Riverclaw, come out onto the front veranda to greet us. 

“Grandfather says you’re already back from your trip?”  He shook Declan’s hand before kissing my cheek.

“We ran into some trouble with some Asian Werewolves.”  My mate said shortly.  “But we’ll explain later.  Where’s your grandfather?”

Forrest opened the front door for us and we followed him inside.  As soon as I came into the house, I halted in surprise as I experienced the strongest sense of déjà vu.  Last year Declan and I came with the death of my Uncle Julian, whom was Chiron’s grandfather.  Then we saw the younger generations of Riverclaw’s mill sadly around the living room and today they were doing it again.

“Aunt B and Uncle Declan.”  Sharon nodded in acknowledgement.

She was Stone’s middle-aged, human wife.   Then the youthful appearance of Stone who was Chiron’s son, jogged down the stairs to shake my mate’s hand and place another kiss on my cheek.

“Thanks for coming so fast.”  He said gratefully.  “Dad is upstairs with my grandfather.”

Forrest sat next to his mother on the couch, as his little sister sat on the other.  He was the pack’s youngest Werewolf, as he turned after Uncle Julian’s death and he tried to be strong for his family.  We watched him put a comforting arm about his mother’s shoulders and pass a smile his sister’s way.  Declan and I noted this, before we headed up the stairs with Stone leading us into one of the bedrooms.

We found the middle-aged Chiron, sitting on the side of the bed that the elderly Phoenix was lying on top of.  My younger cousin whom looked much older; was fully dressed, showing he must have passed away in his sleep during an afternoon nap.  His son put down the deceased’s hand to stand up and face the arrivals.

“Aunt B and Uncle Dec.”  He nodded tearfully.

I rushed forwards and engulfed him in hug, as my mate gave an understanding nod. 

“Dad wasn’t the same after his father died.”  Chiron sighed sadly when he released me.  “The last twelve months, seemed like he was just waiting to rejoin his family and mate in the Holy Hunting Grounds.”

As Declan and I approached the bed to say our goodbyes, Stone came to stand beside his father and place a supportive hand on his shoulder.

My eyes stung as I stared down into the elderly man’s peaceful face which was framed by his long, white hair.

“Hi Phoenix, its bitch-features.”  I tearfully joked to my late relation.  “Say hi to Mum and Dad, Uncle Jules and Aunt Danika, Phoebe and Vincent for me.”

My usually obnoxious cousin of course didn’t reply, and seeing him like this was upsetting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I was actually hoping to solicit your services as a surprise for my wife.”

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

I whirled around and stormed back over to the coffee table to begin to pack up my work.  “Whatever!  Keep the frickin’ laptop!  I have back-ups of my work and diaries stored in the Circulate Mainframe on Taurus Six anyways.”

I was so angry, my hands were shaking again as my nose started to run.  I wasn’t crying, but I didn’t want it to look like I was either.  I struggled to pack up my research coherently that I didn’t notice Declan walk up behind to hold out my laptop. 

Annoyed, I snatched it back and carried it and the rest of my work over to one of my shelves where I kept the majority of my academic work.  Considering I had been doing this for over a century, I had several bookshelves which took up the whole wall.  The shelves which held my husband’s novels and large music collection, sat on the other side of the room.

As I started to put my books away in alphabetical order, Declan came up behind to try to wrap his arms about my shoulders.

“No!”  I shrugged him off and after a moment I said sulkily, “You haven’t paid my pimp the hourly rate yet.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“A million credits.”

This made him snicker back, “You must be better than Julia Roberts in ‘Pretty Woman’ then.”

“Maybe if she was a barren prostitute she would have earned that much.  We have a pretty good union you know.”

“I guess so,” he humorously went along, “do you also have medical insurance?”

“My pimp manages that.”

“OK, who is this guy so I know who to kill by ripping out their hearts via their throats?”

“Why do you presume it’s a guy?”

“So you have a ‘madam’ then and not a pimp?”  I paused in my shelving to give a funny look, wondering how the hell would he know the correct terminology?  He said coolly, “You’re not the only one who can read a book you know.”

“Yes, I do have a ‘madam’ and she’s very cross with you for offending her worker.”  I turned away again.

“Then would your ‘madam’ mind if I offered not only my apology, but also reparations for this gross offence?”

A smile escaped when he said that, but I said breezily, “You would have to pay the million credits first.”

I watched him pull out his wallet from his back pocket then his credit card appeared before my face. 

Indignantly, I snatched it from him as I said, “You don’t have a million credits!”

“After slaving away at the Garage for over a century, I’m a quarter of the way there.  I was saving the money for another holiday for my wife, just don’t tell her that.”

“Oh.” I tried not to show his words affected me as I handed back his card. “I heard your wife has some money of her own.”

“My wife is one of the smartest people I know and she’s well-regarded in her field.”  He said proudly.  “Which is why it makes me angry when people act in a demeaning way towards her, or she demeans herself to strangers.”

“So you’re here soliciting hookers instead of lying with your wife?” I asked curtly.

He watched me walk into the kitchen to check the pantry to see if there was another jar of Nutella, before he said, “I was actually hoping to solicit your services as a surprise for my wife.”

“It doesn’t sound like a nice surprise.”

“Yeah well, she’s difficult to please.”  He followed me into the other room.  “She’s feisty as hell and more inflexible than a plank of wood.”

“So why do you want me for your wife, to buy a three-way or something?”  I asked crassly.

He frowned at the idea, “Look lady you seem attractive and all, but my wife and I don’t swing that way.  Besides, I don’t think you’d live through a night with my wife AND me.”

I tried not to snicker before I closed the pantry door, with my search unsuccessful in finding any more Nutella.  It was then Declan walked over to the medicine cupboard above the fridge and opened it up.  He reached behind the vitamins and painkillers to pull out a hidden jar.

My eyes widened in surprise, “How long have you been hiding THAT for?”

“Two months.”  He shrugged. “It’s my emergency supply for when my wife experiences her famous mood swings thanks to PMS.  I need something to placate her between hunting on a full moon.  Her tantrums can even bring a European Werewolf to heal.” 

I threw him a withering glare as I tried to take the jar off him but he held it away. 

“Nah ah!”  He shook his head. “This is a business transaction, is it not?”

“Why? What do you want?”  I folded my arms defiantly.

“I’ll give you my emergency stash of Nutella instead of the credits, if you’ll do something to my wife for me.”  He said firmly.

“Hit her over the head with a shovel and bury her in your back yard?”  I asked dryly.

“Not quite.”  He pretended to look tempted by the offer.  “I will pay you to walk up to my wife and say something to her. You see, I’m hoping that if this comes from a complete stranger she might start to believe it.  She certainly doesn’t listen to her husband.” 

I looked on impatiently as my foot began to tap the floor.

He continued, “I will pay you in Nutella if you will walk up to my wife and say just five words to her.  You’ll have to put your hands on her shoulders like this…” he demonstrated by making me face him, “…and you look her right in the eye,” next he did this too, “and you say to Bianca Sabre, ‘you’re more than worth it’.”

I said unimpressed, “What kind of hokey, shampoo-commercial, message is that?”

“Alright you can say this instead, ‘I would fight every single Asian Werewolf in existence because you’re worth it’.”

My broken heart started to superglue itself back together, but I battled myself not to smile.  “That’s longer than five words.”

He chuckled, “Yeah I know, but she’s generally not pedantic with numbers so it should be fine.”

 

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“I knew you weren’t in any danger.”

(Excerpt of Sororate Chapter Two)

 

Wearily, I rubbed my face as my husband wouldn’t shut up.  The deep breathing wasn’t working and I could feel my previous anger begin to boil up again. 

“Thanks for your concern, B.  Thanks for just leaving me like that.  Thanks for not asking me how I got home or if I was OK or if the Asian Werewolves came back to have another go -”

But I cut him off, “I knew you weren’t in any danger.” 

“Oh right, because you had one of your all-knowing feelings as a Circulator?  Well how about acting loyal like a Lokoti Werewolf for a change!”

I shouted back well and truly enraged now; “I yelled out the dirty little secret that the wife of Declan Sabre can’t conceive to a bunch of Asian Werewolves; to break off their pursuit for the safety of my mate and tribe!  Then I get called a frickin’ prostitute for doing it?!”

Declan tossed my mobile phone down onto the couch as he seethed, “I did NOT call you that word!  I would NEVER use that word in relation to my wife! What I nearly said was, ‘you shouted out to your possible rapists that they shouldn’t want you because you were barren like you were some  broken test tube, which they couldn’t use to grow their frickin’ spawn’!” 

This angered me further as I looked away… I think I preferred it when I thought I was being called a prostitute. 

My mate looked on in disbelief, “You honestly thought I would use the word ‘prostitute’ when referring to you?!”

“Next time frickin’ finish your sentences so stupid misunderstandings wouldn’t be created!”  I fumed.

“Then I frickin’ WILL!”  He snapped back. “And if you EVER put yourself down again because you think you’re protecting me?  I will sling you over my shoulder and drop you into the frickin’ river!”

“You’ve already done that, now how about a new threat?!”

“Fine.”  Suddenly he picked up my laptop and started to walk towards the front door.  “Instead I’ll throw your laptop, with all of your precious diary entries, essays and presentations, into the river.” 

“DON’T YOU DARE DECLAN SABRE!”  I leapt to my feet.  Then moving in light speed, I stood in front of the door.  I looked on murderously whilst holding out my hand, “The laptop or your life, because I won’t just drop you into the river; I’ll frickin’ drop you into the middle of the Pacific Ocean!”

“Go for it.”  He trained his steely-cold gaze my way.  “I’ll survive and what’s worse is I’ll take your precious laptop with me before I let go of it.  It’d sink to the bottom of the sea.”

Next, I tried to snatch it out of his hands, but he whipped it away.  I shouted in frustration at his dominating behaviour, “Give it back!”

“No.”

“GIVE…IT…BACK!”  I roared out in my thunderous Werewolf voice as my eyes flashed glowing turquoise.

“Not…until…you…promise.”  He growled back as his eyes flashed glowing green.

“Promise what?!”

“That you will NEVER again do what you did in China!  That you will NEVER put yourself down like that just to make a sub-standard male not want you!  I mean come off it B, if you heard of another woman telling a possible rapist that he didn’t want her because there was something wrong with her?  You’d hit the roof!”

 

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