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.

shook my head and looked

on his face, and hair

a pressed navy suit and a tie that

higher status, like the majority of wolves

he was a werewolf, but the woman standing behind

with her head bowed towards the

it wasn't for the shiny gold collar wrapped around her neck and the chain that snaked from the collar to the cuffs on her wrists and ended in the right hand of the man standing before

just any

She was a pet.

meant the man standing

werewolf world, as the supernatural

don't think I have ever seen a vampire as

was probably in his late forties, early fifties

much less common in

were a step

when he took over for his

always had a more moderate view of how humans should be

from other packs and from other countries who own pets

guess no

conference room

angered by my lack

attention was now fully on the man, not wanting to upset

of the lobby, and the receptionist will show you to the room,’’ I spoke as softly and as

could strike me, and no one would do anything, assuming I must have done

let go of

so caught up in my thoughts I hadn't realized he had kept

left of the man after he

going to bruise, as my skin usually did

us in a

and continued to greet people and

was the only bad experience

beautiful” I hear whispered close to

face to face with Adam.He was nice enough, and since friends were hard to come by I brushed off his

what's up?"

noon darlin?”

"Lunchtime."

lunch, seeing as I tend

would say, it's one of my many flaws as a

lobby and

lit and rather

wall are paper

and go to sit

my chair rocks

Adams laugh loud and clear, he obviously found my

was so not funny,'' I grumble as I open my

usual hunk of bread and

funny.’’ Adam