Reaper's Word

Clair chose a plush bedroom to sleep. Tomorrow she would be staying in her old home once again just to get in the habit for sure. She had changed into normal clothes and curled up, she fell asleep. Her dreams were random and made no sense. At one point she swore that something warm and soft pressed to her face suffocating her. Then a burning in her arm. She'd moved herself grabbing blindly for a pillow to hug to her.

She thought that the pillow felt oddly warm but she fell back into a deep sleep. She slowly woke knowing that it had to be mid morning. She opened her eyes. The smell of rose and sandalwood was in her nose and a good amount of black fur in her face. Clair sat bolt upright nearly flipping off the bed. Whatever was next to her darted off the bed and she got up looking around the room.

"Hello?" She asked stupidly, moving toward the door. There was a sound of movement and around the edge of the bed a small wolf-like head poked around it.

She noted the eyes. They were a brilliant red and scared looking for a moment and then fierce. The thing looked very much like a smaller version of the hell hounds, and to Clair it was adorable. Deadly and scary, but adorable none the less. It had been laying with her, she'd been holding it. Could life here get any more strange? She didn't think so, but if she learned one thing befriending the monsters was smarter than freaking out.

"Okay, did I scare you?" She asked. It seemed confused for a moment making a very low whining sound. Clair felt something brush her mind. It was a very odd thing, not a voice but a consciousness that gave her feelings and images in a jumble. It took her a moment to understand.

"No? Not me, the others?" The images of Zeta, Beta, and Alpha came to her. The young one was terrified of the older ones. There was the image of older hell hounds in a very dark place that didn't look like anywhere Clair had ever seen. The older ones seemed to go for the younger ones trying to tear them apart. Only the two parents defending the younger ones against the mass.

"Well..." Clair said crouching down. This was a very odd thing. She looked around the room and she got a warm amused feeling from the house. "...maybe..." At that moment there was a howl somewhere far off in the house and the little one ran and jumped on Clair in her crouched lap. Its head sticking right into her armpit and it's gaze moving behind her as it shook against her.

"I'm only human you know." She put the images and feelings in her mind that the thing gave her into words. You could feel the meaning behind them. A whole different way of communicating your thoughts. She didn't fight it, she let it happen. Just like everything else. In her mind Clair had a clarity happen. Heard the hound speak in images.

‘They'll eat me, I have no one. You have the reaper's scent on you. He controls them.’ The mental communication was going to take some getting used to. Reaper, she didn't know how that word came to her mind but it did.

"He does as he wishes. I can't control him." Clair looked at her arm. There was a bite mark there scabbing over. The thing had bitten her.

"You bit me!"

‘The reaper will not kill his mistress for now. Safe till I am grown. Then my master may switch.’ Clair was confused by this, but the shaking little body against her touched her deeply. Even if it would grow to be a killing machine. She felt a bit of a connection to it oddly. She looked at her arm. Damn it, for once could someone ask first?

"Well where is your master then?"

‘You.’ Was the mental reply. Clair didn't like the sound of that, what would Isaiah do if he found out she had a hell hound apparently attached to her? Clair stood holding the little hell hound. It was about the size of a small beagle at the moment. Its weight was surprisingly slight as it seemed underweight.

near her. They seemed rather worked up and frustrated. She was starting to wonder if they knew the little hell hound was here but couldn't find it. Inside she laughed slightly, why she just accepted this turn of events she didn't know. It felt

from the fridge. She didn't think it was going

forward devouring it

have

Came the mental

you female?" Clair got the feeling that it was a female just by the air and sense she had. It wasn't speaking in words

‘Yes.’

we should keep up with

She didn't really seem to mind

with Kappa

like.’ She mentally answered, crunching on

looked so much the loyal dog that it was almost funny. Clair felt the others coming this way and she told Gamma that they needed to leave. Gamma followed her, and they made their way far from the others. Looked like she needed to hide

day. Three days and she was the size of a large lab. Whatever the hell hound had done

long does it take you

Clair managed to piece together that Gamma was near the age of sixty three but was still a young pup by hell hound standards. At age sixty four they were fully mature but wouldn't stop growing until the age of sixty six. That was if they didn't reach their size first before then, or were

said sensing him and they moved to the door. However they were in the library and the entryway was across the room, it had no doors. Through this Beta suddenly showed. His head down following something

he stared at them for a moment. What seemed like shock passed behind the hell hounds eyes, and then they narrowed. Beta charged them. Gamma darted

she was supposed to do with this. Her heart felt like it might come right out of her chest. This was not a dog fight

Clair snapped. She couldn't

moved forward his snarl leaving and he moved along

where Isaiah was now standing

have you done this time Clair?" He said in a dark voice. He

nothing. Nothing I wasn't forced into." Isaiah's gaze moved to the hell hound, and a frown came

is yet

know." He looked at her. Something passing behind his eyes. "Hence why