Stakes Claim On Her

103 years after the war.

The murmur of the lobby, the occasional squeak of freshly polished shoes on linoleum, and the fresh scent of flowers and honey the wall air freshener pumped out greeted me as I walked out of the back room to start my morning shift.

The same eight to eight shift I worked six days a week, but I would never complain; partly in fear of what would happen if I was ever to speak out against a werewolf and partly because I know that I have it better then many in this world.

Many humans in this world know only struggle and hunger and abuse.

The pack territory you lived in almost entirely determined what your life is like.

I hear some packs treat their humans as equals.

What a dream that would be.

Here we fall somewhere in the middle.

Humans have some tights.

They are free to work, educate themselves, and own businesses.

But if you couldn't make a living within the human communities, and they didn't have an open position for pack jobs you were on your own.

Humans aren't seen as equals here and if a wolf asked you to something, as long as it is within pack laws, you had to do it.

If you didn't, you could be beaten.

The punishments for humans are mostly the same for wolves who break the laws, which is sometimes worse for us because the punishments are meant for bodies that can handle a lot more than we can.

Usually, you are given lashes, while tied to a post in front of the pack housing center, where many of the prominent wolves live.

The punishment is extremely humiliating for humans; you are stripped naked before being lashed.

Wolves are much more comfortable with nudity than humans are, so the stripping part is never an issue for them.

I only ever hear stories of what the world was like before werewolves took over.

A place where humans weren't whipped for disobeying silly orders.

The wolves don't allow the history to be taught in schools, probably fearing humans would want to bring the world back to the way it was.

Their thinking is how could we want for something we don't know existed? But they made the mistake of thinking that they could keep the history of our freedom a secret.

Not that it mattered.

Their grip on our lives was too strong.

There would be no rebellion anytime soon, no matter what we know.

A rough arm and sharp shake snapped me from my thoughts.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

A deep voice spoke to me.

head and looked at

older, creases on his face, and

pressed navy suit and

that radiated off him, he was clearly of higher status, like the majority of wolves and creatures that came through

he was a werewolf, but the woman standing

shoulder with her head bowed towards the ground and

shier then average, if it wasn't for the shiny gold collar wrapped around her neck and the chain that snaked from

wasn't just

She was a pet.

meant the man standing before

the werewolf world,

ever seen a vampire as

his late forties, early fifties when he

less common in the

pets were a step too

outlawed pets when he

always had a more moderate view

other packs and from other countries who

guess no

conference

clearly angered by my lack

fully on the man, not

receptionist will show you to the room,’’

no one would do anything, assuming I must have done

man roughly let go of

caught up in my thoughts I

arm was all that was left of the man after he stormed off, pet

bruise, as my skin usually did

in a kind way, at least

brushed it off and continued to greet people and direct them wherever they needed

vampire was the only bad experience of the

I hear whispered close to

and come face to face with Adam.He was

what's up?" I

noon darlin?” he

"Lunchtime."

comes and gets me for lunch, seeing as I

say, it's one of my many

follow Adam through the lobby and back

into the dimly lit and rather dingy little

paper bags

go to sit at the rounded

chair rocks and almost knocks me only the

can hear Adams laugh loud and clear,

not funny,'' I grumble as I open my lunch

hunk of

Adam laughing