A Pup Remembered Ch. 02

It was a place that stirred sigh inducing nostalgia. Kale was thoroughly surprised to even see it again. He hadn't been there in so long, not even in his dreams. *This is a dream*, he thought to himself, but the thought didn't ebb his joy with his return in the least. He gazed around the secluded clearing, a satisfied smile painting his lips.

It was large enough without being too grand, and small enough without being too cramped. It was cozy. The area was surrounded by forest on roughly three sides of misshapen circle, mountainous rock comprising the fourth wall of his sanctuary. From the mountain, a rather small waterfall, for all intents and purposes, flowed sinuously downward into an equally small pond that had a large rock jutting out over its mostly placid surface. The forest was dense but maneuverable, the large tree tops providing ample shade around the edge of the clearing. There were a few smaller trees near the center of the clearing that were made for climbing with thick, beautiful green grass all around, perfect for sleeping in on starry nights.

He was suddenly struck with the image a young, smoke gray wolf pup skittering through the secluded clearing. Around the edges of the pup's ears was glossy black fur, a feature that occurred along his underbelly, on the tips of his paws, and on the tip of his thick tail. The accents caused the young one to look quite distinguished, not to mention the way he carried his slight, gangly mass in such an esteemed manner. His trot was jovial and his storm gray eyes were dancing with mischief. It appeared as though he was looking for something, his muzzle often tilting toward the ground and his chest expanding considerably with each inhalation as he scented the carpet-like grass. Though it was obvious the pup was having difficulty tracking whatever he was searching for, his enthusiasm never waned.

Kale suddenly felt deep within himself that he too was searching for something. Without warning, the need became urgent. So urgent that he felt panicky, an emotion that triggered his wolf spirit release. He threw his head back in anguish, yelling loudly as the need to find that something grew. As the transformation into his wolf neared completion, the yell became a long, grief-stricken, melodious howl. When he righted his head and looked around, the little wolf pup was nowhere to be seen. In his full wolf form, Kale began searching for the wolf pup, expertly maneuvering his way through the dense foliage that comprised the surrounding forest. He suddenly felt as though he needed the pup to be able to find what he was looking for and became frustrated that he could find neither the pup nor that elusive thing.

Feeling very put out, Kale emitted another howl. When he re-opened his eyes, he was in the meadow again and standing near a small pond. When he glanced over into the water, the reflection was of the happy go lucky pup he had seen earlier and for a moment he felt relief that quickly shifted into deep puzzlement. He barked agitatedly for the youth to get out of the water. The pup's demeanor changed suddenly and for a moment, Kale thought he had upset the tike and was beginning to feel regretful of his tone until something weird happened. The pup began changing rapidly and Mihkale watched in fear as it became as large as he was, the light in the once happy looking pup's mischievous gray orbs now non-existent, leaving a reflection of hurt, anger, and remorse behind.

Kale sighed heavily, the chest of the now adult wolf mirroring him exactly. Both wolves cocked their heads slightly to the left in confusion before Kale projected a thought. *Who are you?* It only came back to him simultaneously with his projection before echoing all around the clearing in an eerie, mocking manner, the sound of it causing the male's irritation to rise. Who dares mock me?! He projected as he whipped his head around to glare at the perpetrator, his question roaring its way across the expanse and repeating over and over again. When the motion of his head stopped, his troubled eyes landed on a fleeting figure into the bushes. Even at that speed, he caught the creamy, white and tan hinds and tail before it completely disappeared. Suddenly, a terribly agonizing feeling of loss and missed chances overwhelmed his being and Kale erupted into a fit of rage and tears, slowly causing his lycan form to emerge.

"Come back!" The words ripped their way from his chest but never fell on any ears but his own.

Kale bolted upright in his bed, sweat seeping heavily from his pores and drenching the navy blue silk sheets that lined his mattress. His chest heaved frantically with the effort to get his breathing under control, his heart slamming uncontrollably against his rib cage. He was shaken – for more reasons than one. His realization of what he had just dreamed overshadowed the fact that he had lost control and began shifting into his lycan form – dream or not, it was a sign of his mental cage weakening – and the thought that he couldn't even see her in his dreams overwhelmed him. Tears brimmed on the rims of his eyes as he glared into the darkness of his room. He pressed the heels of his palms into his face to stop the tears and held them there, his muscles clenching and unclenching as he fought the urge to sob.

---

Antony felt the instant Kale had awoken because the hurt and pain his brother was feeling had jerked him from his slumber as well. Tony battled with whether or not to reach out to his brother to console him, or at least see if he needed to talk. It was the intensity of the hurt that made him decide to leave his twin be. Only one thing could cause that reaction in Mihkale and Antony was surprised the matter had even resurfaced again after so many years. He truly wished his brother hadn't become so prideful so that it would be safe to help him through the hurt enough for them both to get back to sleep.

Tony rolled over to eye the clock on his nightstand to the right of his bed. 4:05 am shone in bright red and Antony couldn't help but groan his displeasure. He was trying to subtly moderate the intensity of Kale's emotions by injecting his own peace into the link when his stomach growled. With a heavy sigh, and a heavy heart that didn't belong to him, he rolled out of bed, pulled on some boxers, and padded down to the kitchen to fetch himself something to eat, not worrying about the possibility of anyone noticing the huge bulge in his underwear, a definite sign of his usual morning wood. No one in their right mind would be up at this hour, he thought as he began his descent down the grand staircase.

---

Very slowly, she wrapped her slender, toned arms around her mid-section, her stomach harboring a mysterious uneasiness that was strong enough to wake her – this feat both shocked and worried her, as she knows herself to be quite a hard, sound sleeper unless...

Anaralise shivered slightly and willed her ill thoughts away, choosing to focus on the tasks of the day ahead. From what she understood of her lecture/orientation the other day, the earlier she finished her chores, the sooner she could have time to herself, unless *he* called. She decided it could have been worse than it was, so she continued down the servant hall, on floor above the cellar, and made her way toward the staircase to head up to the main floor. Once at the top, she opened the door that led into the elaborate foyer – if what she was looking at could even be described with such a modest term – and began making her way toward the kitchen. Part of her household chores was food preparation and it seemed like a suitable start to the lengthy list.

She switched on the faucet of a deep basin sink on the back wall and was happy she didn't have long to wait before the water heated up for her to wash her hands. When she turned the water off, her body suddenly went rigid and she whirred around to find out that she wasn't alone, a defensive snarl escaping her chest. The display earned a soft chuckle from a now obvious male. The sound was casual and confident and for whatever reason, it put Anaralise in an irritated mood.

"That was very rude. You shouldn't sneak up on people, especially at odd hours of the night," she hissed at the stranger in the dark. The lack of windows gave the young woman no extra light to help distinguish the figure. She could only make out a silhouette.

When the shadowy figure spoke, his tone was confident and authoritative, but held signs of his amusement. "It's actually morning, and I don't recall ever having to take care of what I did in my own house."

She rolled her eyes in the dark at the morning statement. "You know what I meant," she spit out before her mind registered the last part of his statement. *Oh crap*, she thought, *not again*. Suddenly, the room was filled with brilliant light and Anaralise felt her pupils dilate to filter out the unneeded brightness. As her focus was adjusting, he sniffed the air and gasped before the male came into view.

He looked to be roughly over six feet tall with black hair that stopped just below his ears, one of which, had a piercing. His lips were fairly full for a male's and his facial features seemed chiseled but still held a boyish softness to them. His nose was fairly narrow and his eyes...

She cast her eyes downward slightly in confusion before she caught hold of the bulge in the man's boxers. His voice interrupted her train of thought. "Like what you see?"

Her eyes shot up and she found herself glaring at the handsome, well muscled hunk before her before speaking through clenched teeth. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

He laughed before scoffing at the remark. "I was definitely like this before you came down here." His eyes roamed over her body appreciatively before he continued. "You're pretty feisty huh? I just may have to give you something to keep that mouth of yours busy."

She growled at that. "I am a servant, not a slave."

He advanced toward her slowly, the evidence of his predatory nature apparent with each casual stride. When he spoke again, his voice was low. "What makes you think you are in a position to refuse me?"

He raised an eyebrow after voicing the inquiry and the reality of his question hit her hard in the pit of her stomach. *Please, no*, she thought desperately, *not again*. But despite the suggestion the young man was making, Anaralise, oddly, was not afraid. She stood her ground before him. He was impressed.

Though this stranger looked like the Young Master, he was definitely not. She had drawn that conclusion within a few seconds of him turning on the light. *It's the eyes*, she determined, *the eyes aren't right*. Now that he was closer, literally a couple of inches from her face, she could see why they were wrong. The gray color was a slight shade off, something that would go unnoticed by human eyes and the look inside of them weren't as wild and domineering as his. While she was studying his eyes, her own shot upward to the upturned eyebrow and noticed a very faint scar in the shape of a perfect 'x' crisscrossing the hairs.

"Týchi̱ kai ástra," she breathed, a shocked expression now dominating her soft features.

His eyebrows shot up, his expression now mirroring a more masculine version of hers. "Nara?"

"Tony!" She was practically gushing, excited to see her old playmate but it wasn't long before the joyous expression melted into worry and then anger. "You jerk!" She extended her fist quickly, punching the young man in the arm, immediately regretting it after retracting her fist due to the given circumstances of her place in this household and her revelation of who he really was.

"What was that for?" he spoke in a friendly, surprised tone, his large hand gently rubbing his shoulder. The girl could hit. Hard.

She pursed her lips before answering. "Do you always try to have your way with unwilling women?"

"Only the feisty ones." She frowned. "I'm kidding Nara," he grinned. "But where have you been? And..why...why are you here? I mean..." He eyes swept downward over her servants attire. "Like this..?" Confusion swarmed his gray pools but even more apparent was his concern and the sight of it nearly pushed her over the edge. She hated being pitied. With that thought came a new revelation: Tony knew who she was. Who she really was.

Nara tried to back away only to be stopped by the sink. "To..I mean Lord An-" he interrupted her.

"Please don't call me that. I'm just Tony to you, you know that, what's wrong?" There was suddenly the sound of footsteps approaching and the kitchen door swinging open not too long after. A short, frumpy older woman, whose name, Nara had learned, was Tetra. She was in charge of the main house indoor servants of the estate. Tetra exposed her neck and lowered her eyes in submission upon spotting Antony.

"Pleasant morning, Lord Antony. If you allow me a few moments I can prepare whatever it is you desire to eat." She eyed Nara on the other side of Antony and frowned slightly.

In a sheepish manner, Nara greeted the older woman. "Good morning, Miss Tetra." Tetra nodded curtly to the girl before returning her attention to Tony, waiting for his order.

"I'll have nothing as of yet, Tetra, I-" He was cut off.

"I'm going to do the laundry before the sun gets too high and too many people are bustling about," Nara said and turned to make an exit.

"Anaralise!" The older woman was obviously furious. "Your manners, when in the presence of the regals, are impossible. On your knees this instant young lady! Bow before Lord Antony and apologize!"

In her frustration and embarrassment, Nara fell before his feet without hesitation. "My sincerest apologies, Lord Antony, I won't ever do it again." Tony pressed his lips together in a hard line and fighting the urge to lift her from the floor.

Tetra was still frowning, but her voice was more leveled. "Now be dismissed, child, and be quick about your chores. You will be having etiquette lessons once you are finished with cleaning." At no further encouragement, the young woman scurried out of the kitchen faster than either of the two left thought possible.

As much as Antony wanted to unleash his anger out on Tetra, he couldn't because she was technically right and he already had too much heat on his back for being far too easy going on non-elite members of the pack. He swallowed a growl and stalked out of the kitchen, leaving Tetra to her morning business.

---

Nara descended the stairs that led to the servant's quarters almost too fast for her own good, tripping several times before reaching the bottom. She moved briskly down through the corridor, seeking the laundry room, and desperately trying to quell the panic that was threatening to consume her. *It hasn't even been one day!* She had to think of a way to contact Vesper as soon as possible, and fast. It would have been convenient to reach him through their link but she wasn't sure who the interceptors of the house were and how much talent with the art they possessed.

She felt stuck, a predicament that had her beast surging forward and attempting to impose the self-preservation instinct. With a lot of concentration and deep breathing, she suppressed the urge to run. "I can't believe they're brothers..." she groaned in agony as she entered the empty washroom. "Twins even!" Her stomach contorted at the mixture of emotions she was feeling and her mind darted back to Antony's confused eyes and concerned voice. *Why are you here?* he had asked.

"If only you knew.." She had never felt so bad having someone showing her pity before.

With an unsure thought about sticking it out, Anaralise started the first load of dirty laundry. She couldn't let them down. Or could she? She didn't really owe them anything, after all, she just felt this was the right thing to do for her people. Her pack.

In spite of her warring emotions, Nara found a new resolve to stick around..for now. Her next task was to find a way to reach Vesper. She only hoped he would be able to help.

"Týchi̱ kai ástra," she muttered. *Fate and stars*.

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*Thank you all for the feedback on chapter one, I was sincerely surprised! I never expected it to be read, let alone get positive feedback and good tips, I really appreciate it. I was wondering how long a chapter should be since many of you commented on length. If you have any questions, suggestions, comments or concerns, feel free to leave a comment or email me. Sorry it took so long to upload, I had issues with submitting a Word document. I'm really excited about this new adventure and hope you enjoyed this chapter.*