Mother sat with her back to Asher, a cup of mead in her hand. She took a slow drink, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Asher shifted her weight from foot to foot, her fluffy salt and pepper tail wrapped around her legs. She swallowed hard at mother's tense posture. The morning assembly had not been a good one. This was the sixth time this week that she had acted out against the pack. This time was different though. This time the pack didn't just give her a warning. She had started a fight with one of the council members, cussing him out and calling him a coward. She didn't know why she did it. He really hadn't done anything to her, it just felt right at the time. Like yelling at people and starting fights was the only thing that brought joy into her life.
Ever since she was born, she felt empty. Every other lupine connected with their future partner through a link ritual. When you were born you were placed at the front of Mother's altar. The other young one's parents would take turns showing you their child. If you cried, they were to be your rival. If you smiled, they were to be your friend. If you laughed with lit up eyes, they were to be your link. Their pain was your pain. Their distress was your distress. That was just how it was supposed to be.
You recognize your missing link from birth. But Asher, she hadn't gotten a link. She was born and tossed into the woods near CrestMoon like trash. When they tried to let her do the link ritual, Asher never got a match. She cried with every young one that passed her. Since that day everyone had looked down on her. They called her bad luck, and the young one who was the enemy of all.
"Sit down child," Mother commanded in a soft voice. Always a soft voice. Asher quickly took a seat on the plush pillows on the floor of Mother's shrine.
"Please mother, forgive me for what I have done! Do not subject me to such a fate!" Asher cried, her voice hoarse from yelling at the morning assembly. Mother sighed once again and finally turned to look at Asher. She was an old lupine, her once reddish-brown fur now filled with white. Her yellow eyes judged Asher closely.
"Child, you saw what the council decided. You were at the assembly."
"But Mother, do you not have power over the council? Are you not superior to everyone else here in CrestMoon?"
"I may be more powerful than everyone but I do not think of myself as superior. I respect my council's decision in this matter," Mother took another sip of her mead before placing the cup onto a small side table. "Are you questioning my council child? Because you do not respect them, you do not respect me."
Asher's ears flattened on her head. "That is not what I meant mother. I just wonder if there is some other way for me to make up for my actions."
Mother glared, her yellow eyes narrowing. "You act out, child, because you say you feel empty. Maybe this will help you find whatever it is that you think you are missing," Mother picked up her mead once again but swirled it in her cup instead of drinking it. Her voice was soft but it almost made her words hit harder.
"But Mother! A human school? Do you not find that idea outrageous? What lupine has ever gone to a human school?"
Mother gave her a strange look and shook her head slowly. "Enough, child. The decision is final. You will be attending River Ridge High School starting first thing next week. We have already made the arguments. Now leave me in peace child. May Guillaume be with you."
Asher rose slowly to her feet, her hands balled up into fists at her sides. "Very well, Mother." She said through clenched teeth. "May Guillaume be with you."
Asher walked out of the shrine, only to be grabbed by Goliath and Winston, two of the strongest Lupines in CrestMoon. Their faces were blank but their eyes were sad. Winston and Goliath had taken her in as a baby when she was abandoned. They had introduced her to the others and made a case for her so she could say. They were also the only ones who did not look at her with disgust when she had failed the link ritual.
Goliath's grip tightened on Asher's left arm as they neared the edge of their home. The others stood a good distance back, some looked disappointed in her while others were pleased to see her go. Mother stepped out of the shrine and stood in front with a shake of her head. Asher turned her gaze away, unable to stare at their expressions anymore.
"You will be alright, Asher," Winston spoke more like he was trying to convince himself more than her. He patted her lightly on the shoulder.
"Here's where we part," Goliath stopped in his tracks and they released her. He pulled a bag from his pocket and handed it to her. "This is enough money to get you there, and a little extra for food. It won't last long so you are going to have to find a job once you arrive. We tried to convince Mother to let us give you more, but she wouldn't have it," He sighed and looked away from her. "We had made arrangements for you to say with a family in River Ridge."
"Will the family not be scared of me?" Asher asked with a confused look on her face.
"Yes, they will," Winston cut in, "that is why you must wear this," He pulled a beanie out of the bag and tossed it in her hands. "Keep this on your head to cover your ears," He pointed the black lupine ears that stuck out of the top of her head. "You'll have to tuck your tail into your pants. Wear baggy clothes so it doesn't show."
"Thank you Winston," Asher kissed his cheek. "You have been a good father and friend."
Winston pulled her into a tight hug. "And you have been a good daughter to us." He pulled away after a long moment. "Asher. May Guillaume please be with you."
With a nod of her head, Asher turned, her tail tucked tightly between her legs. A human school… How the hell was she going to survive being at a human school?
- - -
Asher stepped off the plane, her sharp eyes scanning the airport for the family that was supposed to pick her up. She squinted at a crowd of people holding signs and checked the picture in her pocket. A mom, a dad, and two teenage children. One a tall skinny boy and the other an athletic and bored looking girl. She flipped the picture over to the note that Winston had left her. 'The Mom's name is Margaret, she is 43. The Dad's name is Harold, he is 47 years old. The son's name is Danial, he is 18. The daughter's name is Paige, she is 16. Last name Williams. Remember their names and act like you know them. May Guillaume be with you.' Asher sighed and tucked the picture back into her pocket. She looked over to see a girl with long copper blond hair and medium toned skin loosely holding a sign with her name on it. Paige. Paige's focus was on her and she looked just as bored as she did in the picture. She met her gaze and narrowed her eyes at Asher. Asher returned the glare and then finally looked away.
"Just great," She muttered to herself as she approached Paige. "Where's the rest of your family?" Asher questioned, looking at Paige with disgust. Humans were even more disgusting up close.
Paige slowly drug her gaze up Asher's body before landing on her face. "They're right there," She pointed to three people standing a little ways away from them.
"Why aren't they over here then?" Asher asked in a suspicious tone. She eyed the three people who seemed to be in the middle of an argument.
"My brother's being an ass so they're talking to him," Asher met the gaze of the boy that was apparently named Danial. He was tall and skinny with messy dirty-blond hair that framed his narrow face. His brown eyes were much darker than Paige's who were grey-blue. He had a tired look on his face while a short red headed woman made exaggerated hand gestures at him.
"It looks like your mom's the one being an ass," Asher replied in a casual tone. Paige narrowed her eyes at Asher and scoffed.
"And what do you know? It's not like you were there."
Asher held her hands up in mock surrender. "Woah, calm down princess. No need to get all snippy with me."
Paige gave her a strange look. "Don't call me princess," She said in a low voice.
"How about honey?" Asher said with a smirk on her face. "Or sweetie?"
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Paige questioned, stepping closer to Asher, sizing her up.
"No, of course not darling. I'm not doing anything wrong."
"Will you just shut up, Asher?" Paige spat.
"Jesus Paige, calm down. Learn to take a joke." Asher rolled her eyes as Paige put her hands on her hips.
"You don't get to tell me to learn to take a joke. Maybe you need to learn to stop being a bitch."
Asher pretended to be struck physically by Paige's word. "There is no need for the language. Were you raised by wolves?" Asher chuckled at her own joke, the meaning behind her words running much deeper than Paige knew. Before she could spit out a reply, Paige's mom came over with an overly sweet smile on her face. Asher wrinkled her nose at Margret.
"Hi! You must be Asher. It's so good to finally meet you," She pulled Asher into a hug and she instantly growled and stiffened. Hearing the growl, Margret quickly pulled away in surprise. "I see you've already met Paige," Margret gestured to the still angry looking girl. "You girls will be sharing a room until we can get the basement cleaned out."
Both Asher and Paige looked at her in shock. "You have to be fucking shitting me," Asher mumbled under her breath. Margret heard this and frowned. Paige looked even more pissed than before. As if staying with humans and going to a human school wasn't bad enough. Now she had a share a room with this annoying and bitchy girl. Asher plastered a rigid smile on her face.
"Hurray! I'm so excited to spend more time with you sweetie," Asher stuck her hand out to ruffle Paige's hair, but her smacked it away.
Danial came over being closely followed by Harold. He approached Asher like she was on fire, slowly sticking his hand out. "I'm Danial?" He said softly.
"You don't sound too sure about that," Asher sized him up, wrinkling her nose at his blush. Humans were ridiculous. Paige shot her a look and Asher just waggled her eyebrows at her. Danial looked uncomfortable and Harold looked like her didn't know if he was supposed to be here.
"Right then," Margret broke the silence. "Shall we get going?" Everyone nodded at the same time and Asher frowned at the fact that she was acting like them.
- - -
The second that they arrived at the Williams house, Asher went snooping through every room. Light blue walls in the living and dining room. What seemed like hundreds of family picture— Paige looking unhappy in each one— and brown furniture. There were two bathrooms which both had the same green walls and white tiles. A boring house that matched its inhabitance.
"Paige, show Asher to your room. And get the air mattress out," Margret shooed us both away. Asher followed Paige into her room and threw her small bag down onto the floor. Paige's room didn't match the rest of the house at all. She had dark grey walls with matching sheets on her full bed. There were posters of a bunch of random people spewed along the wall. Her dresser was cluttered with jewelry and other trinkets. There was a shelf next to the door, full with numerous trophies. Asher walked over and flopped onto the unmade bed with a sigh, her weight causing the mattress to sink in.
"That's my bed," Paige said after a moment. Asher glanced at her to see her standing at the front of the bed with a frown on her face.
"I'm the guest. Therefore I should get the bed and you can have the air mattress," Asher shifted so that she was lying and her stomach facing Paige, with head resting in the palms of her hands. "Your room's messy. I thought you'd put more of an effort into making it look nice."
Paige scoffed. "I wasn't expecting you to be in here. I thought you'd take the guest room."
"You have a guest room?" Asher's ears ruffled in her beanie. "Then why the hell am I stuck in here with you?"
"I don't know. Go ask my mom," Paige made a gesture towards the door.
"I do not intend to talk to your mom unless I absolutely have to. I find her cheeriness unbearable."
Paige rolled her eyes. "You've know her like three hours. How can you already not like her?" Asher rolled over onto her back.
"I find all humans unbearable," She said after a moment.
Paige's brow furrowed in confusion. "All… humans?"
Asher flinched, realizing her mistake. "All people," she quickly corrected, "I find all people unbearable."
"How tragic," Paige said. "Now get off my damn bed Asher."
"You're such a charming person to be around Paige. Do you have a boyfriend?"
"That's none of your business," Paige crossed her arms across her chest.
Asher groaned at her "Don't be a prick. Just answer the goddamn question."
"No," Paige said after a long moment. "I don't have a boyfriend."
Asher gave her a slow clap. "Lucky them!" Paige looked at her in complete shock, a mix of anger and hurt crossing her face.
"I hope you die a long and painful death," Paige muttered.
"How kind of you muffin. I'll try to fulfill that wish." Asher smiled at her.
"Fuck you, Asher," Paige turned on her heal and stormed out of the room. Asher smirked to herself as she left. 'Maybe this would be fun.' She thought to herself.