“Sleep more.”

Her master's voice was low and groggy, and A’nallia rolled over, curling into his chest. With one arm under her head and the other draped over her waist, she could feel the soft warmth of his skin on hers. She wanted nothing more than to lay in this bed all day, but she knew she couldn’t. Companionship was only one of her duties and it wouldn’t be right to neglect the others.

Grumbling under her breath, she slowly propped herself up onto an elbow. From the light in the room she could tell it was already late morning. Maren would be worrying about breakfast and rushing U’sari and O’raena to prepare a tray. O’rana would have already concocted wild stories of her escapades with the master, and A’ldissa would certainly have determined how she was going to ruin yet another day. And if she waited any longer, I’liara would come to check on them. She preferred private matters remained private. At least as private as they could possibly be in this small house.

“Sorry.” His voice was quiet but sincere.

While she had been lost in thought, her master had also moved, sitting and placing a hand on her shoulder. There, on her neckline, were two fang marks, deep but no longer bleeding.

“It’s nothing to worry about.” She put a warmed hand on his and through it, gently knit her skin back together.

Just a little blood...

Coming to her senses, she shifted back, mortified as she stared at the sheets underneath them. Sliding herself slowly off the edge of the bed, she picked up the light linen dress crumpled on the floor and pulled it over her head. Her master didn’t move, eyes following her.

“I will wash and change those today. This morning. Right now, actually.”

She could feel her ears and cheeks grow hot, knowing she was blushing but unable to stop it. Her master still didn’t move but she was sure she saw a quick smirk pass across his face, which only made the heat spread.

“Hurry, so I can pull the sheets.”

She waved him off the bed and to the side, too flustered to maintain the passive servant-master relationship. Without a word, he obeyed, and dressed himself as she removed the dirty linens, stripping everything down to the padding over the mattress. She bundled it all up, nodding at last night’s tea to show she would come back for that, and headed toward the door.

“That first night. Why did you stay?”

She halted in the doorway, not turning to face him. His tone was seemingly indifferent, as always, but she could read past that now.

“You seemed sad. And lonely. And like you needed comfort.” Pausing for a moment, she decided only honesty would get honesty in return. “And I was sad and lonely, and also needed comfort.”

“Mm.”

She glanced around to see him still standing at the wardrobe, an unemotional face gazing back at her.

“A question for a question.”

“Mm.”

“What is your name? I know my place and don’t expect more, but I would like to at least know your name.”

From the bite on her shoulder, combined with the unique color of his eyes, she could guess his clan name, but she wanted him to tell her - to know what name his clan had given him.

“Grey. Kael Grey.”

A wolf demon of the Grey clan. A Grey wolf.

A’nallia didn’t linger. She nodded at her master and turned to wash out the soiled linens, only hoping to avoid O’rana and her mischievous imagination. Not that it would take much imagination to figure this out. She would have time to think about what had happened later.

***

It turned out there was plenty of opportunity to think about what happened the night before. Whatever scheme A’ldissa had concocted for the day was tossed aside when she saw A’nallia scurrying across the main hall, a large ball of linens wrapped up in her arms. She secretly followed her out the back, and as A’nallia ran to fetch water, she stole a sheet from the pile, pinning it to the laundry line for all to see.

“Well, well. Look what happened to our little A’nallia last night!”

At almost midday, right behind the outdoor kitchen, everyone was around to hear the proud announcement. O’rana popped her head up from between the plants, and Maren and U’sari leaned out the back door of the kitchen. Even E’ferina, walking her rounds of the perimeter, was close enough to have her attention pulled away.

There, swaying in the sunny breeze, was their master’s large, blood-covered linen. Some of the stains were made by the bite-wound on her shoulder, but the others wouldn’t have known that.

A’nallia was the furthest away, but still heard A’ldissa shout her name. Dropping the bucket of water, she raced as fast as she could across the lawn. Maren and U’sari merely shook their heads, both tired of A’ldissa and her games, and returned to the kitchen. E’ferina raised her hands above her head, clapping loudly in sarcastic congratulations before resuming her patrol. A’nallia arrived just in time to stop a fuming O’rana from slugging A’ldissa in the face, grabbing a wrist and holding it down as her friend tried to twist away.

“You dirty, nasty, rat-diseased whore! No, that’s an insult to both rats and whores! You’re not even worth the food it takes to feed you! You are nothing, and should be thrown out with the waste!”

A’nallia glared at O’rana to stop and she did, but her face remained red, muscles flexed and ready for the enemy to make even the slightest move. She was short but stout, with strength to rival even a man double her height.

“Wow. What a mouth on this child.”

Finally sure her friend wouldn’t retaliate, A’nallia stepped up close to the woman, not making a sound. All of the bitterness and frustration crept to the surface and she was done keeping the peace. A’ldissa flinched, her face paling as her expectations of a calm, timid girl were met instead with a dark and intense rage.