Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

 Reese walked along the snow, his boots occasionally crunching some fallen branches. 

His friend Mander, a tall, muscular man with black hair pulled up in a ponytail trailed behind him.

 "Beautiful weather isn't it?" Reese asked his friend.

 "I'm afraid I don't see anything beautiful here. Although if we somehow find a catch I'd readily agree." His friend replied.

 " Oh come on. Don't be a grump." Reese smiled, his black eyes twinkling mischievously.

 "Hold on. I think I heard something. Ha! I told you we'll find something. After all, I've got killer instincts." Reese said to Mander who rolled his eyes secretly. 

 They heard a slight rustle again and they hurried to the sound. Passing a flurry of trees, they could distinctly make out someone sitting in front of a large bonfire. Though it was night, werewolves could see regardless of whether there was light or not.

 They got closer and the person froze, turning around abruptly to look at them, the thing in his hands falling softly on the snow. The person was wrapped in many layers and it was hard to make out whether it was a boy or a girl but they could see his blazing blue eyes.

 "What are you two doing here?" The voice was clear and sharp, it was impossible to make out if it was a boy or a girl who had spoken.

 "Well, well, what do we have here? A little kid, all alone in the woods. Don't you have a house to go to?" Reese drawled, his eyes scanning the boy from head to toe. Mander kept quiet, also staring at the person.

 "I'm not a kid!' The person growled.

 "Enough!" Mander said, taking a large step towards the person. 

 "Mander," Reese called, calling him back with a raised hand.

 "We don't wanna scare the little boy, do we? Let's join him around the fire, I'm feeling a little cold." He said, taking lazy steps to join the boy around the fire. Mander let out a scoff, since when did werewolves get that easily cold? Reese was playing the kid.

 Reese walked, stopping at the thing that fell earlier. He bent to pick it up and saw that it was a deer.

 "Here, Cook this, let us eat. I'm sure you'll be kind enough to let us share your meal with you, won't you? " He said, looking at the boy.

 " This deer is supposed to last me a week. Sorry, I won't be sharing any of it. " The boy said, looking at him with a gaze that said, I won't back down. Reese already found the kid interesting. For a kid who was all alone in front of two big men, he sure had guts.

 " Don't worry, Mander here is very good at hunting, aren't you, Mander? "

 " Actually, no. I'm not the one with killer instincts. " Mander gloated, remembering the time earlier when Reese claimed he had killer instincts. 

 " He can get you another deer. " He continued as though he didn't hear what Mander said. 

 "Fine." The kid grumbled, albeit still looking skeptical.

 "Great."

 They sat down, watching as the boy picked up the deer, still looking at them warily. 

 ***********

 Reese watched with keen interest as the young boy cut open the deer with precision. His arms worked fluidly as he separated the innards from the edible meat. He watched as the boy brought out his spices from the little bag lying on his side.

 The boy got up and made to leave when he stopped and looked back.

 "Wait here for me." The boy said, turning to leave again.

 "Where are you going to?" Reese asked.

 "Just over there, I have to bury the innards and the blood to avoid attracting beasts."

 " Clever. Let Mander help you bury it. " The boy merely looked at Mander and returned to the fire. 

 "No thank you"

 "The both of you are sharing my food with me, it's only fair that you contribute something."

 "Makes sense."

 He went back to dressing and seasoning the meat. The kid pulled out a short, thin, blackened stick with two sharp edges. He arranged the meat and held it over the fire as it began to cook. Soon, a sweet, delicious aroma spread around the place. 

 "Help yourselves." The boy said, cutting a large part of the meat for himself.

 Reese brought out his knife and cut out his share. He looked down at the meat, its juices dripping down his hands. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite of the tender meat. The flavor exploded in his mouth and he closed his eyes to savour it. By his side, Mander was noisily chewing on his meat.

 "Where did you learn this from?" He said to the boy who sat, eating in silence as he stared at the flames.

 "Self-taught." He replied curtly without raising his head.

Wandering away, Ivora decided that a male disguise would be a perfect cover for her. As she was never allowed to stay in her pack, she didn't know what position the man she had killed had in the pack. But if the man she killed was someone of importance, she would be in deep trouble if it was found she was the one who killed him. 

 The night was getting colder and her stomach had begun to rumble. She moved over to a darker place and wore another piece of cloth over the one over her body. She hurriedly wrapped her body in layers, her head whipping in all directions to see if she was being watched. 

 She drew out a little comb from her back and tied her hair into a man bun with a black piece of cloth. Next, she drew her eyebrows to make them thicker, like a male's. She put on the hood and brought out a small piece of mirror, Ivora looked at herself with satisfaction as a young boy stared back at her. Ivora had learned the art of cross-dressing from Anna, her mother's maid, an old woman who had brought her up. 

 Ivora walked for a while when she heard some rustling, holding her breath, she gripped her dagger tightly. The cause of the rustling came out and she breathed out in relief. It was only a deer.

 After some minutes of struggling, Ivora managed to kill the deer. She kept it down by her side on the floor as she made to start a fire. 

 She had just finished making the fire when she heard footsteps. Again. Unmistakably this time, she was sure it was a human's footsteps she heard. She froze and whipped her body around, looking at the unwelcome visitors. 

 "What are you two doing here? She asked, unnerved by the men who appeared out of nowhere. 

 "Well, well, what do we have here? A little kid, all alone in the woods. Don't you have a house to go to? " One of them said, sounding incredibly lazy. He had a head full of thick, golden brown hair. The man, with his chiseled face, the color of olive, had the darkest eyes she had ever seen. His eyes. They were pure black and though he was smiling widely, none of it reached his eyes. It was unwise to trust these kind of people. 

 She looked at the other one, his straight black hair, and neat trimmed beard. His light brown eyes stared at her with impatience. 

 "I am not a kid." She looked at them, irritated. 

 " Enough!" The impatient one snapped.

 "Mander. We don't wanna scare the little boy, do we? Let's join him around the fire. I am feeling a little cold. " Ivora looked at the thick black cloak, the black trousers, down to the shiny boots he wore and thought he was ridiculous to think she would believe he was cold. She heard the other one scoff like there was nothing funny happening.

 He walked over to the deer she dropped earlier and picked it up.

 "Here. Cook this, let us eat. I'm sure you'll be kind enough to let us share a meal with you right? "

 " This deer is supposed to last me a week. Sorry, I won't be sharing any of it. " She replied. She'd never seen anyone as bossy as he was. 

 "Don't worry, Mander here is very good at hunting. Aren't you Mander? He can get you a deer."

 " Fine. "

 " Great. " The golden-haired man said. 

 They ate in silence for a while as Ivora sneaked glances at them from time to time. She looked at the golden-haired one and thought it was ridiculously unfair how clean he looked eating something so messy. 

 She stared at the flames as she remembered how her father would eat the food she cooked with relief when she was younger. He would lick his hands clean each time he finished and smile at her. But then again, they didn't always have enough food to eat. 

 Her father. Ivora felt her throat grow tight. 

 "Where did you learn this from?" Again it was the golden-haired one who spoke. It seemed the one with a ponytail didn't speak much.

 "Self-taught," Ivora replied, wondering why he was asking.

 "The food is delicious by the way." 

 Ivora hummed in reply, wondering what he was driving at. Since no one spoke again, she went back to staring at the fire.

 "What is your name?" Reese asked after a few moments of silence and Ivora turned her head to look at him with a start. She hadn't thought about any male name that would suit her. Most times she went out disguised as a male, she never really talked to anyone, so no one had ever asked for her name. 

 "Call me Snow." She said after thinking for a while. 

 The breeze began to blow and Ivora felt herself shiver despite the cloths wrapped around her and the fire sitting in front of her. It was clear that she would need to find shelter before it began to snow again.

 "I need to go now, the snow would start soon and I'd be damned if I stay here any longer. " Ivora told them as she picked up her bag and made to leave.

 " Wait. We owe you a deer, remember? "

 " Oh, good, we'd be on our way too." 

 They said at the same time. Ivora threw a glare at the black-haired one called Mander and turned to the golden-haired one.

 "Thank you for remembering your promise. Like you said, I was only helping two hungry mouths. Getting food shouldn't be too hard. I can do fine on my own." Ivora said. 

**********

 Reese looked amused at the thought that the young boy saw them as 'two hungry mouths'. The boy turned to leave again when he stopped him.

 "How should we repay you then? We never like to owe anybody. After all, I am very kind." Reese said, his lips, curved into a lopsided smile. Mander gave an obvious scoff at what Reese said. If there was anything, he knew all too well that kindness definitely couldn't apply to Reese.

 "Repay me by leaving me alone." The boy snapped.

 " Okay then." He turned to Mander who seemed too happy to leave.

 " Wait!... I know just how you should repay me." The young boy shouted when they had gone a little far.

 Reese turned and waited as he ran to them. He watched him swallow before he spoke.

 " Take me to Alpha Reese Falcon of the Grim Fiend Pack." 

 Mander took a protective stand in front of Reese, moving a little further so he could tower over the boy.

 Reese merely raised his eyebrows.

 "And why, if I may ask, are you looking for him?"

 "There's something I want to tell him." 

 "What do you want to tell him?" Reese asked. The boy kept quiet looking at him.

 " We won't take you if you don't tell us." Mander said, frowning heavily.

 "I have information on how to destroy the Black Blood Pack." 

 Reese looked at the boy before him. He wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or bluffing. He would know sooner or later anyway. 

 "Seems we're fated after all," Reese said. 

 " I am Alpha Reese Falcon and this here is my Beta Mander Bhathom. 

 Reese said as he watched the boy's eyes widen in what he felt was fear.

 "You will have to come with us so I can properly keep an eye on you if what you said was true then you'll be rewarded and if it isn't...." Reese purposely left that part out.