2.| In The Lair Of The Beast

[Song For Scene: Letdown - Empty ]

Getting dressed proved to be more difficult said than done as Yuè winced against the pain in his arm and leg, the bandages covering the bite wounds tinting red from his efforts of trying to maneuver with only one hand.

By the time he had pulled on the oversized shirt and cotton pants, there was a fresh sheen of sweat on his brow and he was slightly out of breath.

Squaring his shoulders, he didn't even bother trying to do anything with his hair, letting it hang loosely about him. He limped over towards the door, his heart a jackrabbit in his chest, beating so loud that he was certain that everyone could hear it.

Opening the door, he slipped out, eyes widening at just how big the place he was staying was. There were multiple doors lining the large hallway which seemed to be carved from stone and wood. There was a large stairway to his left and he could hear the sound of muffled voices.

Taking hold of the railing, he used to begin his journey down the stone steps, wincing with everyone one that sent a jolt of pain through him. When he finally reached the bottom, it was only by the grace of the railing that he was still upright.

Crystalline chandeliers hung from beaded gold strings above a large rectangular table filled with thousands of various foods the village was without. Often they grew close to starvation, and nothing in this room compared to what was back in Ironedge.

Freshly polished wood, expensive carpet with crescent moons and rising suns. There were even wooden utensils and wine glasses filled to the top. Yuè's stomach growled at the sight.

At the head of the table was the same man who had saved him. He was silent, and although the wolf form was gone, his gaze accessed him akin to a curious predator. "Sit. Eat. Nothing here is poisoned."

"Nothing but his cold and black heart," Said another whose voice was smooth as freshly spun silk. "If you stare into his eyes, they say they'll swallow you whole." They were right behind him and their breath tickled Yuè's ear.

Yuè jumped in fright, yelping as his sudden movements put weight on his injured leg and it collapsed beneath him. He landed on his rear, a cry of pain sealed behind his lips as he looked up towards the man who spoke.

"S-sorry." He stuttered out, moving to pick himself up from where he had fallen.

The man who was behind him leaned down. He held majestic blue eyes and golden hair coiffed just like the other. But instead of bronzed skin he was pale. "Humans are so clumsy, brother. Where did you find this one?"

"Emery, leave him alone. He isn't a toy." Said the crimson eyed man at the head of the table. He had his face rested against the palm of his hand.

Emery sighed, a light hearted chuckle leaving him as he cupped Yuè's face. "I've never seen such a beautiful man before. He looks kinda like a woman. Annnnd," His blue eyes lowered. "He's still bleeding all over the clean floors from where Hayes and Kayden bit him. Do Mortals not heal the same?"

The dark skinned man made a noise of annoyance and stood, crossing the room over to where Yuè sat. He too dropped down into a squat in front of him, taking hold of his arm and bringing it up into the air. The bandages all soaked through. "This won't do. Do you not heal?"

Yuè swallowed, shaking his head. "No, not in the manner as you I suppose." He said meekly, trying not to squirm under the scrutiny of the two men. He didn't want to burden them anymore than he already was, lest they decide that eating him was a better option. "I'm sorry." He apologized again.

"Apologize one more time and I'll remove your tongue." Drawled his crimson eyed captor.

Emery clicked his tongue. "He's truly a wolf with a thorn in his ass. Marcellus." He warned and the other man drew in a breath.

"Move then!" Marcellus snapped and shoved Emery.

Emery chuckled and raised his hands. "I'm trying to help."

"I don't need it." Marcellus said while he removed Yuè's bandages from his arm. The raised skin was now bruised blue and black, edged with green. He brought his arm up to his mouth, parted his lips, then ran his tongue over the wound.

Slowly but surely the flesh stitched itself back together beneath the tip of his tongue as though his flesh was fabric and his tongue were the needle. "Where else?" He asked Yuè, the soft vibrating sound of a growl in the back of his throat.

Yuè let out a choked sound, instinctively trying to jerk his arm free as the man, Marcellus, swiped his tongue over his arm only to stare in awe as his flesh mended together, leaving only a bruising being. Even the pain had receded. "M-my leg. B-but you don't have to do that there." He scooted away a little, cheeks pink. "Thank you for healing my arm. I can handle my leg healing normally."

"What do you mean, heal yourself? You can lick your wounds too?" Emery's quirked a brow. "But how do you reach down there?"

Yuè's cheeks were red now, eyes shifting between the two brothers. "I-Human's don't heal the same way. It takes time for our bodies to mend themselves is what I meant. You don't have to um..lick me."

Marcellous rolled his eyes and lifted the man up by his leg, then pulled the cotton pants up to expose the nasty bite beneath. He ran his tongue along the puncture wounds, and just like before they sealed before Yuè's very own eyes. "There. Now we are all waiting for your arm to heal completely. Broken bones cannot be mended by a mere lick."

The man took hold of Yuè's shoulder and turned him so that he was upright in his grasp, then placed him onto his feet.

"The quicker I heal, the quicker I can be rid of you." Marcellous headed back over to his seat and sat down.

"But-" Emery began.

"Silence." He growled in warning. "You. Sit. Eat." His words sounded much like a wild beast that rather not use words but claws and teeth.

Yuè found himself quite flustered by the man's behavior, eyes narrowing at his rudeness. "While I appreciate you healing me, even for your own gain, I do not appreciate my personal boundaries being violated. I do not know how things usually work with your kind, but for mine, no means no." It was said calmly, diplomatically, but his brows furrowed together in annoyance at being manhandled against his will.

A growl ripped from Marcellus and his fingernails extended into claws, embedding into the wood of the table. "And where has saying no gotten you little human? The forest of the wolves almost torn apart. Perhaps you should learn-"

"What my brother means is," Emery rolled his eyes and ran a hand down his face. "In this realm under the house of the clan leader and Alpha, you abide by his rules. And if you don't like those rules you find somewhere else or challenge them for it."

Marcellus raked his nails across the table to emphasize the challenge; a piece of wood shaving came loose.

Yuè took a step back, fear lancing through him but he held firm. "It was not my intention to challenge you, however, in regards to my own personal well-being, I have to insist. I have had enough people invading my personal boundaries without my consent. If this warrants you tossing me out, then so be it." He really hoped he didn't. He still couldn't use his arm, which meant he could not defend himself in any way.

"Then sit and eat." Marcellus said once more, his nose flaring.

Emery leaned and whispered. "For the love of the moon and sun, just listen to him. Better to have the air in your lungs than die a miserable death. Least he asks not of your body."

Yuè held eye contact with Marcellus for a moment longer before looking away, down at the floor. Moving forward, he sat in the seat across from him, eyeing the food hungrily. Unsurely, he reached forward taking a bun of bread from the pile that sat in the center. It was warm to the touch and smelled heavenly.

"Does my food offend you?" Marcellus asked, raising a brow.

Yuè clutched the bun tighter. "Oh, no. It's just that. I have never seen so…so much." He placed the bun on his plate. It was slightly weighted, and the aroma of meat wafted from it alluring. "Is it, is it really okay that I eat this?" He was so used to not having enough to eat, sharing bread between him and his father to sustain a meal for days on end and going without so that his father could eat.

His lip trembled and he sucked in a sharp breath to try and stave off the tears. He seemed to have done nothing but cry since he woke.

"Yes, we don't normally dine like this here." Emery offered a sympathetic smile. "When you arrived you looked like you hadn't eaten for a while so I asked him to let the maids prepare you a delicious feast."

He stared down at the bun with blurred vision, tears dripping onto his plate. "Thank you." His throat felt tight, but he took a bite of the crisp bread, the meat filling inside gifting him with the taste of both sweet and tangy. He chewed carefully, tears still falling.

His father would have loved it. He had often told Yuè of the foods they had back in their home lands. Buns filled with both meat and custards of all types. "I'm sorry, I d-don't mean to be a crybaby."

Marcellus watched him, though the usually menacing stare he had earlier softened for a moment.

"Do you not have this kind of food at home? What brings you to tears?" Emery asked, gesturing for a maid to come forth.

She lifted a cup and filled it with red wine.

Yuè shook his head, long hair falling forward to hide his face. He should feel embarrassed for giving such a display, but the grief he felt in his heart out shone it.

"Not enough food for everyone. The crops weren't growing and the cattle were sick. The chickens only lay a few eggs and then. Sometimes there was no food at all." He explained, staring down at the bun with a far away look.

"Eat for all the times you couldn't then," Emery offered a comforting smile.

Yuè raised the bun to his mouth again, taking another bite, eyes closing as he savored it. He ate in until there was nothing left on his plate and his glass was empty of wine.

"Thank you for the meal." He looked up to Marcellus, eyes shining with gratitude before he stood from the table, bowing the way his father taught him.

"Thank you for saving me. For housing me. I will do my best not to burden you. Although my arm is broken, I can still gather herbs or berries. I can clean, do whatever I can with my time here…" He trailed off. "Thank you."

Marcellus leaned back in his chair and folded his hands. "I've seen many humans before, but none were young with the color of your hair. Who did you take it after?"

Emery glanced over at Yuè, waving a hand through the flame of a candle. "It's like the moon. The thing which curses us and gives us strength."

Yuè bit his lip, hands twisting together as he seated himself at the table once more. "My mother." He said softly, lifting a strand of hair from his shoulder. "I never got a chance to meet her but Babà told me that it was a gift from the moon herself. That she blessed us with her beauty and grace because we were favored." He let out a small laugh. "I always told him that he was senile."

Emery narrowed his eyes and then looked at Marcellus, but before Emery could comment, the bulky man was up on his feet. The cutlery rattling where they sat untouched just like his plate. "I'm retiring early tonight. Enjoy the rest of your meal." He left them alone.

"He isn't used to company." Emery broke the silence, a smile claiming his lips. "This home is a handful. I've lived in it all my life and I still get headaches from all of them. Cleaning up their messes and wedging myself between arguments. I feel your presence might change that." He hummed.

Yuè frowned in concern as seeing his plate, food cooling and untouched. "I didn't mean to cause an upset. I truly am sorry." He turned to look at Emery, dual colored eyes shining in concern. "I hope that having me here won't be too much trouble. I…I understand that you all wish me gone as soon as possible. Having someone like me here must be difficult."

"It makes me feel more human." Emery said. "I don't mind your presence." He chuckled and poured himself a glass of wine. "And him, he's just outrunning fate."

Yuè tilted his head in confusion, brows furrowed. "Fate?" He questioned. His lips pressed thin. Fate seemed to be more cruel than anything and he wasn't sure if he could continue to believe in such things. Why had the fates led him and his father to such a cruel life? His mother's illness? His best friend's betrayal? What horrid things had he done in a past life to be tossed to his death by the people who'd watched him grow up?

Swallowing down the bitterness of his thoughts, he refocused on the man before him. "I thought you were all wolves before becoming men? Yet you enjoy feeling more human? Was it," He paused, uncertain if his questions were too invasive. "Was it difficult becoming as you are now?"

"What?" Emery laughed, his blue eyes shimmering in the candlelight. "Is it odd for a wolf to want to feel human emotions? Many of us think it a curse. Cruel. But I felt like it gave me more reason."

Yuè stared at him in the eyes searchingly before he gave the blond haired a warm smile that seemed to make his eyes glitter like stars.

"Then I am glad you have found happiness in your situation. Not many can look past the wrongs done, it often leads to them becoming bitter at the world. Then again, I suppose that is a part of being human." He reached forward hesitantly, giving Emery's hand a gentle squeeze. "You have been nothing but kind to me. You have my gratitude."

"You should get some more rest, Yuè. Your arm is still broken and the others like to creep around. The full moon is out." Emery helped him to his feet and guided him back up the old, marvelous staircase that split in two. "I will show you around in the morning."

They stopped outside the door where he awoke earlier.

"And please, don't come out until morning." Emery warned, and although his smile was gentle, there was something blood curdling about the look in his eyes.