Encounter

Luciana kept looking at her fruit basket, wondering if the strawberries she had gathered would be enough to make the juice she planned to make for her mother, while her feet kept moving out of the garden. Suddenly she bumped into someone. She looked up and the person greeted her with a polite smile. It was the duke of Wesborne, Elric Wright.

"Careful Luciana. You are always not watchful of your path." He said as he held her so she would not stumble and fall.

She offered him a polite bow, feeling quite embarrassed.

"I am sorry your grace, and thank you for catching me."

He waved his hands, signalling that it was nothing.

"I am glad I met you now. I had been wanting to see you." He told her, and her brows furrowed slightly. "It's the viscount's birthday next week." He said, and she nodded, as that was a common knowledge. "I would like you to accompany me."

Luciana pressed her lips into a thin line, before looking up at him.

"How do I refuse you your grace?"

The duke smiled. "It was only a request. It's up to you to refuse or not."

She bowed slightly. "I am sorry, but I would have to decline this one."

He just nodded. "I guess I will just try again next time."

"That's your decision to make your grace. And I can also decline right?" She asked him politely, but with a sense of familiarity. He chuckled.

"See you later Luciana."

Luciana suddenly found herself at home, she met her brother and sister chatting, and they seemed to be making something she didn't know. She guessed that it was for their parents, as it was their wedding anniversary.

She entered the living room and met her mother seating on the table, with her father standing between her legs, kissing her. They didn't notice her presence at all. She smiled to herself.

Her parents were deeply in love with each other, and their show of affection was nothing new.

"Mama, Papa, please take that to your bedroom." She teased.

Her mother pushed her father lightly on the chest, putting some space between them, as she blushed, and her father found the situation amusing.

"Your father would not let me be." Her mother said, pretending to complain.

"Where's aunty Madeline?"

"She's in the kitchen." Her mother answered.

She looked around the living room, it was tastefully decorated, and she knew that her parents planned to celebrate their anniversary.

Luciana suddenly felt something pull her hair roughly, and she sprang up. Her eyes were wide open, but she didn't know who did it to her, as it was still dark.

"Wake up human." It was Rebecca's voice.

"Luciana." Luciana corrected her. She then sat up, her dream replaying in her mind. She was glad that Rebecca woke her up, even though the wolf was annoying. It seemed like a happy dream, but she knew what would have come next. It had become a constant reoccurrence every night, the reason she didn't look forward to sleeping. It haunted her, plagued her night...

"Human, did you not hear me? Get up, and get yourself cleaned."

"How come no one else is awake?" Luciana asked curiously, as she noticed that she was the only one that Rebecca woke up.

"I choose to wake you up before everyone else."

"Am I that important to you that you have to cut your sleep just to wake me up?" Luciana tilted her head as she asked. She could see her better now.

"Watch what you say human." Rebecca warned.

"Luciana." Luciana corrected her again.

"You all are the same to me. Fragile, weak, short life, very unimportant..."

"Or maybe your dog brain would not allow you remember my name." Luciana cut her off in a deadpanned tone.

Rebecca's eyes widened. She clenched both fists at her sides. The fact that the prince didn't permit anyone to hit the girls was killing her. She would have scratched her skin away.

"I am a werewolf, not a dog." Rebecca corrected through gritted teeth.

"You look the same to me."

She then left the shocked werewolf in her room and found her way to the kitchen. She quietly took a small knife and went outside the house.

She looked for a corner that she left before do not go often, then she went to hide there, her breathing hard.

Stretching out one of her hands, her eyes fell to her wrist. It was filled with wounds, cuts, old and fresh ones.

She then took the knife and slowly brought it to the wound. She poked it with the tip of the knife, before cutting open her already cut flesh. Blood dripped out from it, but she didn't stop, neither did she wince. This was her way of distracting herself, numbing pain with pain, but she had gotten used to physical pain.

After she had done enough damage, she dropped the knife and just sat down there, closing her eyes.

Luciana drifted in and out of sleep, and by the time she woke up fully, she was surprised to see that everywhere was already so bright. She got up and went into the house.

When she got to the living room, the girls were all seated there, having breakfast. Some of them were done.

Annaliese walked up to her when she noticed her.

"Where have you been Luciana? You have missed breakfast. I kept a portion for you, but Rebecca took it back. I suggest you should stop being rebellious. Did you cut yourself again?" She said all at once.

"Tell her. She needs to hear it." Rebecca floated to where they stood. "I am in charge here, and I can choose to starve you."

Annalise kept quiet and back away a little, obviously afraid of Rebecca. Rebecca gave a smug smile, clearly pleased with her reaction.

"And you? You should apologize." She demanded, turning to Luciana.

"For calling you a dog?" Luciana asked, pretending to be clueless, and some low chuckles were heard.

Rebecca gritted her teeth. "You know what I do to humans like you that are not under the prince's protection? I enjoy sinking my claws in their flesh and watch them bleed to death." She smiled.

"Uhm... Don't... don't you feel guilty... when you... kill humans like that?" Annalise asked, feeling hurt by what she said. It was no news how humans were terribly mistreated by the supernatural beings.

"Do you feel guilty when you hurt a fly? No. It's the same thing to me. You humans were born to be our slaves."

"Humans use dogs as pets." Luciana retorted, and Rebecca saw red. Before she could do anything, they heard footsteps behind them. It was the prince and another man, General Fletcher behind him. The girls all bowed their heads.

"Rebecca." The prince called, and the werewolf quickly walked up to him. He asked her some questions the girls couldn't hear, and she diligently gave her answer.

The prince then looked ahead as if something drew his attention.

"Red hair." He called, and Luciana looked up, meeting his eyes. "Come."

She stared at him for a moment, before walking up to him.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"She is not..." Rebecca began, but quickly shut up when the prince looked at her. "I am sorry your highness." She bowed and stepped back. Luciana's lips curled up slightly.

"Luciana your highness." She answered. It was strange that he called her, but she was to curious as to know why.

He then suddenly grabbed her hands, and his eyes fell to her wrists, that was injured. He gave her a questioning look.

"I did that to myself." She answered, and he nodded.

"Why?" He looked at her, only to meet her staring back at him. He was quite taken aback. He had never had anyone look at him with such boldness, and she was a human. He could even tell that she wasn't just pretending to be bold. Her body language didn't signify fear in any way.

"It feels good." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

He frowned. She was really weird. The only times he had had ladies stare at him, it was because they lusted after him or his position. But this human's stare was just... empty.

His eyes fell to her wounded wrists again. Those surely didn't look like mere accidents. They were deep cuts. And she did it to herself?

"You should be careful walking around when the scent of your blood is still fresh." He warned, still staring at her wrists.

Luciana's squinted her brows as if realizing something.

"You are a vampire?"

He was surprised again at how she went straight to ask him a question.

"I thought you all knew that by now."

He expected her to be scared that he would suck her blood as he was still holding her hands, but the human just stood still.

"Excuse me... your highness." Rebecca called, still bowing. "You should be uncomfortable being with so close to fresh blood, and an unwashed body." She said in a caring tone. "You should probably ask her to give you some space."

"What is your name your highness?" Luciana asked again, and this time even the general was shocked.

"Raziel." He answered curtly, and Rebecca gasped, probably taken aback that he answered her.

"Take her to see the physician Rebecca." He told Rebecca, and the she-wolf nodded. He then turned to the girls on the table. He pointed at two of them, and ask them to follow him.