Chapter 1: The Alpha Wolf's Dilemma/Vassal of the Wades

Alastair

The pack dashed through the forest floor near the Blue Ridge Highlands, running down prey. With Aziz at the helm, we’d taken down our second hide for the day, the first-a bobcat would not fill this large form, and so we went in search of a Black Bear next.

Twice every week, the Shadow Veil Pack was required to go on hunts into the mountains by my command, some lasting no less than a day and sometimes as long as three. It was a great release for our wolves, not to mention it kept both our beasts and us on our toes. No better way to keep ourselves, as well as our counterparts, in peak shape than running the wild for the hunt.

I enjoyed these outings with the pack, often needing a welcomed distraction from the heavy weight of life as not only an Alpha but a widower and single father. 

It’d been over seven years since the death of my beloved Caris. I could not figure out whether it was a good or bad thing that I could not find the time to mourn the anniversary of her death, with two children of my own to look after. One had an anniversary date, while the other child had an actual birthday. It was always meant to be some big spectacle with my baby girl. However, this year would be different. This birthday was more special than any of the past birthdays, and that made it even more overwhelming in a sense. It sounded menial-of course it would to any other; for me, however,  it was just another taxing thing to add to the to-do list of the Alpha of the Virginia territory. There was a lot on my plate, and this hunt was exactly what I needed.

“We will soon be coming up on her nineteenth.” My counterpart said to me whilst we wrestled the black bear down. Grabbing it by the neck, our mouth clamped down on the beast until we heard a subtle snap and then felt its stillness.

“We are.” I finally returned. There was no need to act as if I was not aware of what Aziz was talking about. We were two halves of one soul, after all; he knew exactly what I was feeling as well as what I had been thinking about outside of planning a coming-of-age birthday gathering for Harlyn.

“And yet you seem to have garnered no plans for our pup.”  He said. 

I had no justifiable answer for my wolf-or at least not one that he would want to hear. “I have not.”  Was the simple response that I had come up with, my half of our whole suddenly seeming more interested in our second kill of the day than my counterpart at this point. 

There was silence for a moment, but I knew that this conversation wasn’t over. Aziz wanted to get down to the bottom of it. I would not encourage him to continue, though, and so he continued gnawing and consuming our prey. 

“Why?” There was a hint of condescension in my counterpart’s tone as he requested this explanation. I could sense his annoyance at the fact that he even had to ask this question.

We, as wolves-or any inhuman with a counterpart such as myself, had a connection with one another, one where most times there was no need for questions and answers as we already knew what the other thought and felt. There were other moments, however, where sometimes one just preferred to stew in their own thoughts. 

At times sharing such stressful emotions could be overwhelming to our beast, which would only, in turn, make the stress even more unbearable in a sense. Being connected to an entity of power was not a superficial thing, so knowing that one could cause their beast stress would only serve to make them worry more. 

I did this often-probably far more than other inhumans had…or maybe just the same as any other. Nevertheless, it was an often transgression and one that Aziz did not appreciate. This…was one of those times.

“I apologize, Aziz.” I felt I owed him that. 

“Your apology will not deter my concern, nor is cause for you to avoid my question.” He countered without hesitation. My wolf knew why I was apologizing, but he didn’t care enough to dwell on it. 

I chuckled. Should have known that he’d take my apology with a grain of salt as he knew that it’d no doubt happen again. “I know.” 

“Talk.” 

For some reason, I was reluctant to answer Aziz. There was a shame in what I was about to say, one that I knew my wolf would only exacerbate by disagreeing with me and making me feel foolish for thinking this way in the first place.

“I…I am not sure that we should celebrate her anniversary this year, Aziz.”

“And why is that? She is deserving of it…is she not?” 

“Of course she is! “ I quickly started without hesitation. She was more deserving than anyone I had come to know. “As much as Harlyn even,” I added.

“On this, we agree,” Aziz responded though hard-pressed to admit it. “It does not address the problem, however, Alastair.” My beast quickly reminded me. “Why?”

“She is human, Aziz,” I said. “And simply because of this, she cannot have what she deserves-not fully. Not as long as she lives amongst the Inhumans of Shadow Veil.” I reasoned. “They view humans as little more than servant cattle. Of course, I could push stigma aside and do as I please-treat her as she deserves, but at what cost? There would no doubt be an uproar. It seems like Delta Minken has been waiting for a reason to form a petition against me.”

Aziz snarled. “His eyes…have a noticeable problem staying in his head around the pup. Especially now that she has gotten older, that I will admit.” Aziz followed with a wry laugh. “But he is no one that we should worry about concerning our position in the pack. Minken is a Delta, and no amount of petitioning will ever change that.” 

This thought riled us both up, the simple mention of John Minken bristling our fur. “I want as little attention on her as possible. She already garners too much by her presence alone…her scent.” 

She was considered what the Inhumans called a ‘gold blood’ human, a rarity in the world. Her blood was intoxicating to all. The idea of how difficult it was to maintain the girl’s essence was stressful within itself. From the day I met her as she lay in her crib, she’d carried the scent, and it only had gotten stronger as she grew older. They were a rare species of human, Gold Bloods, and on the day that I’d met my vassal, it was the first time that I had ever encountered one.

I thought about releasing her at one point, but I knew that if I had, she’d be hunted mercilessly after. Gold bloods did not have a long life expectancy, as their blood was just as the name called it, like gold, a treasure amongst the mundane.  It was unfortunate, but I finally concluded long ago that she was better off as my vassal than a free young woman. There was no doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t last amongst such beasts who have caught on to her scent for very long. There were no laws that necessarily protected humans outside of not being able to pillage and massacre at large scales. It was only during times such as this that the high council would even intervene. At least…at the very least, I could protect her while she was here with me and mine.

“Besides,” I added. “She would no sooner accept a celebration on her behalf than she would be another’s vassal, Aziz. That has always been the case with her.”

“Yes, but we always seem to find a way to do something appreciative for her. And we will once again.” He said against my reluctance. “Even if I have to force myself to the controls to do so.”

I chuckled dryly. “Of course you would, Aziz. Now let’s get this over with and get back to our girls.” 

*******

Valene

I waited, patient and yet quite impatient, as we all stood outside of the locked classroom, me with my mistress, as well as a few others, waiting for classes to start. I wasn’t the only Vassal in attendance. There were only two others, however.

Very few teenagers were allowed to bring their vassals to school; we were usually reserved for the parents of these Inhuman teenagers. I, being a vassal, a human servant of the highest authority of Virginia, was one of the few exceptions. 

The Delta’s vassal was a large fellow, seeming a brute going off description alone, as he possessed tattoos and large muscles. The signs of a harsh life were displayed along the subtle lines creasing the corner of his eyes. Harold’s nature was quite contrary to his look, however; his stare was soft and seemed consistently concerned. Meek and quiet he was, with his gaze habitually glued to the floor. Although, this gesture was a safety precaution as no human was ever permitted to look an Inhuman in the eye, let alone their Keeper. We, humans, have always been considered an inferior race of people compared to the wolves, lycans, vampires, and whatever else their Goddess mother created in her name.

The beta’s vassal was also male, nice in stature, and a little more boisterous in nature. His name was Toby, and he was a handsome human serf, and though considered taboo, quite a few female Inhumans found him very attractive; there were rumors of a few bedding him on more than one occasion; I wasn’t surprised to find that he had taken them up on their daring offers. After all, he made it no secret that he enjoyed the attention received from those who considered themselves to be superior. To him, it was like a welcome slap in the face of the hierarchy. He knew that he was playing a dangerous game, but he just didn’t seem to care.

 He was likable to most other vassals and very alluring to the females, especially. I simply found him too loud and very obnoxious. Admittedly, he was something nice to look at, but only because there was very little a vassal was allowed to look at in the first place unless directed by their Keeper to do so. And even then, at times, one had to be careful that their Keeper’s direction was not a setup of malicious intent.

Then…there was me. I was the almost nineteen-year-old human vassal of the Shadow Veil pack Alpha, Alastair Wade. Or at least that was the title that I was to bear when in public, as far as he was concerned.

Unlike my fellow vassals, I was procured differently than the ones standing obediently next to me in wait for their superiors. 

Most vassals were simply humans, either willing to pledge their lives to the cause of Inhumans or forced into it as a form of punishment for their crimes in Virginia’s territory. Some were even born into the life of vassal hood. I was none of the above.

“Harlyn.” The beta’s son called my mistress’s name, luring her attention to him. He and Harlyn were very close friends, beta Toran being my mistress’s godfather. At times I thought that maybe they’d been a little more than that, but in the end, it was none of my business.  “What are you going to do for your birthday this year?” He asked her. “This year is your seventeenth, right?”

“Yes, it is, and I don’t know. I do know…that I want something…big!”

“You mean like last year? And the year before that? And the year before that?” He sarcastically countered.

He and the Delta’s daughter chuckled along with Harlyn. “This one has to be different! As you said, it’s my seventeenth! It’s supposed to be special, so it can’t be like all the others! I just…I don’t know what to do this year.”  There was a lull in the conversation, and immediately, I felt her gaze on me. “Vali.” Harlyn addressed me by the nickname she’d given me years ago.

I didn’t look at her as I was not supposed to, but I acknowledged her nevertheless. “Yes, Mistress, Wade.” 

She walked towards me, my gaze facing straightforwardly so that while I would not look anyone in the eye, I would at least be able to survey my surroundings. From my peripheral, I saw her smile at me.

“What do you think I should do for my birthday, Vali?” She asked me.

“I don’t know that my opinion of your birthday should matter much, Mistress.” I humbly replied. Sometimes I had to remind Harlyn that speaking to me so informally may seem a little too comfortable for an inhuman and their vassal. None of the others hardly did this. 

“Oh, nonsense!” She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her. It was very un-uniform for one to be so…comfortable with their vassal. Harlyn was very well aware of this but did not care. Harlyn Wade took pleasure in making people uncomfortable with her actions. “Tell me! What are your ideas?”

“Um, party? I guess, my mistress.” I disinterestedly suggested. No one truly cared about what I thought would be a good time anyway. “At your house or the meeting hall-”

“No, no, no, no!” She said excitedly. “We’ve done that numerous times over the years! Give me something new! Something fresh!” She spritely demanded.

I took a deep breath and actually put my brain to work this time around. I knew she’d keep hassling me until I did.

“Tell me what you’d do for your birthday?” 

My brow rose, her words were odd to me. I could not help thinking that she asked this question intentionally. We both knew that there was another birthday of sorts coming around the corner soon that wasn’t hers. Was she heckling me? The pointed stare confirmed my suspicion, in a way, as her lip followed with a slight upturn at its corner. She smirked at me. 

“Well?” 

Knowing that I could no longer procrastinate a response, I finally answered.“If…it was my birthday…I’d-” 

“Be free?” The Delta’s daughter, her name Penelope, said mockingly. “A little cliche, don’t you think, gopher?” 

Gopher or drudge was a term of insult that inhumans often used toward their human servants. The names themselves displayed the demeaning definition of them, but just to be clear, those terms solidified what an inhuman thought of a human; bloody cattle waiting to be used up and discarded. Being called a vassal or human serf was one thing, but being called a gopher or drudge was considered downright dehumanizing. 

It was hard not to show her how distasteful I found her comment. “Penny, don’t…interrupt my human again,” Harlyn said in a dangerously low tone.

Harlyn Wade was a perfect beauty in description and likable by most, if not all, that came into contact with her. However, just as her looks were known amongst the city, so was the Alpha-daughter’s temper. Even…at times when it came to me.

Penelope Minken backed up. “I’m sorry, Harlyn. I-I didn’t mean anything by it.”

When she said that she didn’t mean anything by it, she wasn’t talking about her insult toward me. Penelope was afraid that Harlyn Wade had taken her insult toward me as an insult toward her. She would never care enough to consider how much it hurt Harlyn Wade’s vassal. But then, why would she?

“Hm.  You never do, do you?” Harlyn coldly retorted. And just as quickly as her brow furrowed in anger, the tension eased, and she returned her now easy-going stare back to me. “Now, tell me. What would you do on your birthday?”

Taking yet another deep breath, I nibbled at my lip and imagined myself without restriction. “I…would find a cabin…up in the mountains and…”

“Oh!” Harlyn exclaimed excitedly before I could even finish.

I glanced at her, surprised by her excitement about my idea. I wasn’t sure that I should continue for fear of her excitement degrading into disappointment. I paused.

“Go on! Go on!” By this time, the teacher was ushering others into class, but she and her friends, along with their Vassals, stayed put and waited for me to finish. The pressure was suddenly on.

I knew that my version of events concerning my birthday would be different, but I continued nevertheless. “I’d spend a weekend there with close friends, family…people that I genuinely care about,” I finally added.

From my peripheral, I noticed her eyes light up. “That…is an amazing idea! Of course, a little more than just a few friends and certainly no parents!” She exclaimed. “Thanks, Vali!” Harlyn exclaimed. 

 I didn’t know why I was so surprised initially that she did not want her father at her celebration. I was so caught off guard, in fact, that I nearly looked her in the eye. “You don’t want your father there to-”

Immediately, I remembered myself and kept my gaze straightforward. Bad enough that I’d already questioned her in front of her peers.

“No, of course not!” Harlyn countered before I could even think twice about finishing my sentence. “Why would I want him at my party spoiling all of the fun?” She shrugged. “It is my seventeenth, after all! My coming of age! That’s a very important time for a wolf. Especially an alpha wolf! It’s like…like having a…um, what age is it that you humans celebrate?” 

She didn’t look at me when asking this question. Part of me felt like she didn’t think I should know what the age was. I mean, I was raised as an infant until this point under the realm of Inhumans, after all. Nevertheless, I answered her, knowing that the other Vassals were more than likely too afraid to do so without her directly addressing them for fear of being considered talking out of turn. There was rarely a soul who volunteered for lashings from an Inhuman, and speaking out of turn, a lot of the time is exactly what the award was for such insubordination.

“I believe it is sixteen, eighteen, and twenty-one that they celebrate, among others, my mistress.” I finally replied.

“Wow, humans sure do think a lot of themselves,” murmured Penelope, rolling her eyes as she was clearly annoyed by how much humans seem to celebrate themselves.

“As they should.” Harlyn rebutted. “No one else does.” She laughed and then returned her gaze to me. “Oh, Vali, you’re so full of surprises! I wasn’t sure you really knew anything about the human world,” stated Harlyn, completely ignoring the frustration in my expression about what she’d said concerning my kind. 

As vassals, we were not allowed to show an expression of upset, sadness, disregard, or sometimes even happiness for some of those with particularly hateful Keepers; Keepers being what they called a general owner of a human-male or female.

I took great care in not blatantly displaying my displeasure with some of the things that she would say. To be honest, I do not know whether Harlyn made these statements for attention, laughs, or because she really felt that way deep down. Regardless of the reason, Harlyn did have a tendency to say mean things about my kind…and about me in both public and private. At the best of times, it was hard not to display my feelings on the matter, and Harlyn always knew my tells. Normally, she’d quell my upset with a wink or a small smile to show that she didn’t mean anything by it, but this time she did no such thing. 

I was used to this, however. Harlyn’s small gestures of reassurance did very little actually to make the situation any better. I learned early on to deal with it whether she apologized for it or not because in the end, I always knew that it’d happen again.

“Come on, let’s finish this convo in class.” Talon, the beta’s son, had suggested, as the bell had already rung more than five minutes ago. He walked into class, and the others followed, the vassals trailing behind the three as the last to enter the classroom.

“I cannot believe that you’re going to have this party!” Penelope squealed. “I’m sure it’s going to be amazing! And maybe we can hunt a few humans while we’re out.” She glanced at me when she said it and then returned her excited stare to Harlyn. I don’t know why, but Penelope did not find me particularly likable, and she made it known from the moment she met me. Funny since I could literally do no wrong. It almost seemed as if she had forgotten that she, inhuman, simply on merit alone, had the upper hand.

“That’s nice.” Harlyn disinterestedly said. “Uh, Penny?” She stopped her friend, her smile not reaching and a glint in her eye that I knew to be malice.

“Yea?” 

“About earlier… you know, I don’t really appreciate you calling my vassal out by her name. That…really upset me.”

“Oh! Well, Harlyn, my intent wasn’t to upset you! I-”

“And then, you interrupted my vassal while she was answering a question asked by her superior.” Harlyn cut off Penelope. 

At this point, the Delta’s daughter couldn’t even look at her. “I-well, I’m sorry, Harlyn. I didn’t mean to-”

“If it happens again….”

“Oh, Harlyn, it was a mistake and-”

“Yes! Yeah, sure.” She put her hand on Penelope’s shoulder, and immediately, the Delta’s daughter hushed.“If you do it again, I will cut your tongue out…and hand-deliver it…to your father?” The last part of her sentence was almost construed in a way as if asking whether he would be the best receiver of the message that she meant to give.

Where Penelope wasn’t my favorite Inhuman by a long shot, I suddenly felt bad for her after Harlyn’s not-so-veiled threat. Penelope glanced at me unnervingly, her hands beginning to shake.

As I said once before, Harlyn was…a beauty of the most magnificent kind, and because of that, a lot of people seemed to forget who she was. Her threat may have seemed too extreme to even consider really doing, but there was a reason why Penelope Minken was afraid of Harlyn Wade. She knew that the Alpha daughter’s threat would ring true.

Anxiously, she nodded her head. “I’m sorry, Harlyn,” Penelope rushed in a suddenly weakened voice. “It won’t happen again.”

It was a moment after she said this that Harlyn’s expression of disgust turned into a bright smile. “Awesome! We’re still friends, though! Right, Penny?”

Where once her stare was fearfully facing the floor like that of a frightful Vassal, Penelope immediately looked up and vigorously nodded her head, “Yes! Yes, of course!” 

“Great! Now, come, let's finish talking about this party.” Harlyn returned. “Come along, Vali.” She called to me, and as she requested, I followed as an obedient Vassal would.