In the Dark

Darcy Sommers, 25

---

If Hickory were to be perfectly honest -and this was actually quite sad- sneaking into the auction to pose as a wolf for sale waas sn't actually the hard part. The people prided themselves on careful records and such, on their security, but it was all bullshit. What gave them their advantage was that they had implemented the academies that brainwashed werewolves. And except for the rare few, they were all docile as domesticated pups. To Hickory, it was disgraceful and just one of the many problems that she aimed to aid in fixing.

Back to the auction... no, getting in hadn't been the hard part in the least. In fact, it had been easier than had been previously estimated for their little plan. The hard part actually rested in her ability to behave like the docile little wolf, like the others around her. She had learned the rules the academies burned into the brains of the other werewolves and could pose in that fashion well enough, actually. It was her personality that worried her... Her mood could be rather volatile, she was prone to loss of temper in the worst situations, she was stubborn, and she was proud. Just a few little quirks, but extremely detrimental if she couldn't control those quirks of hers.

Now... as for the plan and their target. The plan was a bit... well, not entirely thought out, but they had had to act fast when they had learned that Darcy Sommers would be in the market for a new werewolf soon. Analyzing his taste in the past, along with various other things that Hickory had overseen, it had become pretty obvious fairly quickly that they would need a girl. And so... maybe they rigged the auction a little so that she would be the only female in her age group, but that was just insurance. And despite her 'quirks', Hickory had believed she would best suited for this particular mission, and with only a single, small debate, that issue had been settled.

So here she was, sitting back on her haunches as a wolf with a shock collar around her neck, about to be called out onto the stage for the auction.

Darcy had decided that it was time to move on, partly because his wolf appeared to no longer enjoy being around him, whatsoever. It was one thing when they had a couple bad days here or there, especially because he knew he could be an asshole at times. Well, most of the time. But it had always been important to him that his wolf didn't absolutely detest their existence. And when he had decided to gift his wolf to a close friend, he found himself wolf-less. It was a shame really, having to do so many things that he was used to his wolves being there for.

Sighing, he pulled his suit jacket on and buttoned the middle button before turning and making his way out of his bedroom and down the hall. By the time that he reached the bottom of the stares, a maid was there and asking if he needed anything before he departed to the auctions. Darcy offered her a light smile and shook his head before dismissing her. He was in a particularly good mood, the aspect of getting a new wolf could be quite exciting.

Half an hour later, Darcy found himself sitting in the front of the crowd, his eyes trained on the stage. He was absentmindedly sipping at his complimentary champagne. Bored by the end, he wasn't paying any real attention until the next wolf was announced the words 'only female in her age group' sounded and immediately, Darcy's attention was back on the stage.

He eyed the animal up for a moment, head tilting to the side as he considered his options. The only real option was to go older and that didn't suit him at all. Darcy raised his hand, eyes now on the auctioneer and nodded to signal his first bid and he only had to nod once more before he won the auction - people weren't stupid. When Darcy bid on something, he won because his money usually could far outweigh his opponents.

Darcy looked back to the wolf as he setood, tilting his head to the side. He hesitated for a moment before turning and making his way out of the building and over to his awaiting limo. Now, Darcy wasn't a patient man and the longer that he had to wait, the more annoyed he was growing.

Hickory's part in the auction was over in less than five minutes, better than she had expected, but it was just as well. She didn't particularly like sitting out there like a piece of meat dangling on a hook... she was lead to a changing room that had clothes waiting for her, though there was no attempt to take off the shock color, and she rolled her eyes while she changed.

When she came out, she was wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans, and was lead towards a waiting car. It wasn't until she was actually there that the collar was taken off, and she had to force herself not to roll her eyes or send a glare towards the man that left as she was all but hustled into the car. Soon she was sitting across from Darcy Sommers.

Well, it was time to see if she could pretend to be like other werewolves... meaning she was waiting for him to speak right then, rather than just going ahead and saying something. But all she could really hope for was that she wouldn't be stuck doing this too long...

Darcy was half-laying down on the side seat, his eyes closed as he contemplated whether he should just leave and request that Hickory be brought home to him. And almost before he could finish that thought, a knock came at the door and it was opened. A man's head poked through to apologise about the delay (although there hadn't been one, Darcy had never been known to be a patient man) and to tell him Hickory was ready. At a nod of his head, the girl was allowed to climb into his limo.

He raised his head finally after they took off, his knee bouncing a bit. He was still quite a bit frustrated that he had been kept waiting so long. BUt that was no real reason why they couldn't enjoy tonight, right? Darcy cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes a bit as he eyed up Hickory's human form. He was impressed, he had alwas had a thing for red heads. Long ago, he had learned that they were... er, slightly crazier.

"Were you raised in an academy since birth?" He asked, having not particularly paid any attention to the facts spit out at the beginning of every auction. It was all so tedious and boring, he'd rather see what they told him and verify it with paper work that he was provided with, later.

Hickory was silent as the limo started to move, and it honestly wasn't much of an attempt to look slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't anything that Darcy would assume it was, but he wouldn't know that, so that was good. They had arranged for everything to happen in three days, so at least she didn't have to pretend very long. This was day one in any case... it would be after dark on the third day that everything happened, but they planned on it being neat and quiet. There was no sense in taking chances after all.

"Yes... Master." That last word was like bile on her tongue, however necessary so she would seem like a proper wolf. In any case... it wasn't actually saying it that was hard for her. It was saying it with any amount of respect, without laughing or scowling at herself -depending on mood- and all that. But she'd had practice, and it had luckily stuck.

In any event, it was only a couple of days. She could last that long at the very least. And as long as she did her part, he wouldn't suspect anything, which meant that everything could go smoothly.

Darcy nodded when she spoke, pleased by how she answered him at least. At least she seemed to understand how he wanted to be treated, he was in no mood for retraining. He wanted a well-trained slave because he had no time to deal with the training of a pet. At the worst, he would probably... er, dispose of her as quickly as possibly. "Very well, did you have any siblings there?" His next question sounded and his eyes were trained on her just as harshly, his eyes narrowed a bit.

---

It wasn't long before they arrived to his home - which was more like a mansion than anything else. He thanked the driver when the man opened the door and he stepped out, not bothering to wait for Hickory. She was simply expected to follow him and that was that. He was smirking a bit, excited to get under way with his new pet.

When he turned to face her, his head tilted to the side a bit. "You're expected to keep my personal quarters clean, the rest do not matter. If you have extra time after you have finished, you're to help out where you're needed. Okay?" he spoke, figuring it would be simple enough to tell her the rules now. After all... they weren't that difficult were they?

Hickory was surprised at the amount of questions that she had been subjected to during the drive. Why Darcy wanted all of this information was beyond her, though she supposed it was okay since the majority of it had been a lie. He would find that out for himself in a few days though, and she wondered how this man, someone who had pretty much grown up being in charge and had likely never been in a helpless situation, would handle the events to come. Well, and she would find that much out for herself in a few days.

As Darcy climbed out of the limo once it had stopped, Hickory paused for a moment and then guessed that she was expected to follow, so she got out as well. She wasn't really surprised at the size of the house, though she supposed she should at least pretend to be. And while it looked like she was taking in her surroundings in wide-eyed innocence, she was actually taking in her surroundings in a completely different way. They already knew the house and its layout, had their plan, but it certainly couldn't hurt to make sure there wasn't anything they had overlooked that she would need to take care of.

About that time, she realized she was being spoken to and turned her attention regrettably to Darcy, who was telling her that pretty much all she was expected to do was keep his room clean. Well, that and help where she was needed after she finished. It all something that a regular person could do and get paid for, honestly... but then he was staring at her, and she realized that he was waiting for something. "Yes, Master," she mumbled as she dipped her head. It's only three days. It's only three days. Maybe the mantra would help... she doubted it, but she could hope.

Darcy found himself stumbling toward his bedroom - he was drunk, having started drinking a few hours after noon and it was nearing 1 am. He had just finished using Hickory and he figured that it was time for sleep now. He was satisfied - both physically and mentally. So when he made his way into the bedroom and kicked his door shut, he fell onto his bed without further thought.

It wasn't long before he was fast asleep, mouth agape and drool pooling beneath his half-open mouth. He groaned in his sleep and twisted, now laying half on his back and half on his side.

@ manic;

Very shortly after Darcy had left, presumably to go to bed, Hickory had quickly taken a shower in disgust and then dressed in all black with a grim sense of satisfaction at what was soon coming to him. Then she went to make the needed preparations. After incapacitating several guards, she took out the security system and waited near the front door, practically tapping her foot in impatience. They had planned this late, just to make sure that everyone would be asleep, which was why they were all up at 2 in the morning. "Took your time," she snapped at Asher even though he was actually the one in charge. "Let's just get this over with."

As everyone else spread out to ensure there would be no security issues since this was supposed to be a quiet operation, she led Asher upstairs and to Darcy's room, where the man still smelled of liquor and was both snoring and drooling. Though she doubted he would wake up considering the state he was in, Hickory still knocked him a good one over the head to make sure, and then let the others take care of the rest, which included restraining Darcy and taking him back to their transportation.

It was a pretty long drive, yet despite the later hour and long day, Hickory was wide awake. She was the one that oversaw Darcy's treatment as he was placed in his makeshift cell and one hand was shackled to the wall. The shackling was because the door to the cell, while sturdy, was only wood and they weren't taking any chances.

Then she had to report to Asher and repeat her experience. She was vague in certain areas, her eyes hard and cold, and Asher didn't push for more details. In fact, he looked disgusted by the end and assured her that she could have any time to herself that she needed.

Suffice to say that dawn was creeping over the tree tops by the time Hickory finally fell, exhausted into her bed.

Darcy had stirred when someone moved him but he hadn't gained enough consciousness to do anything. And another time when he was pulled out of the transportation vehicle but he found himself fast asleep moments later. His eyes were just so heavy and it was just so easy to fall back asleep that he wasn't aware of the danger that he was in the middle of and wouldn't be, after several more hours passed.

When he did finally begin to stir, the first thing that Darcy noticed was the pounding headache that he had. It felt as if his head was throbbing and the churn in his stomach wasn't helpful either - so he started to reach to rub his eyes in hopes the act would wake him. He noticed a heavy feeling on his wrist but thought nothing of it, until his hand didn't follow his efforts because it... Darcy stopped and slowly opened his eyes, a deep frown on his lips as he look down to his left wrist. That had a chain around it and his gaze following the chain, it came to a rest on the connection to the wall.

Okay. So maybe his day was going to be more interesting that he had originally thought it was going to be and the longer that he assessed his surroundings, the more he realised that to be true. And the more he started to wonder how deep he was in, and if he was in more trouble than he originally realised.

Groaning, Darcy rose to his feet and slowly walked around the cell, his eyes scanning over everything. The boards at the bottom and how they were connected to the floor and the tops, how they were connected to the ceiling. Oh, it had been a long time since someone had tried to keep him caged and Darcy was a bit thrown off but he was intrigued so he stood there, now patiently waiting to find out the who and the what about his predicament.

Hickory woke shortly after noon and immediately peeled off her clothes and got a shower. When she got out, she dressed. It felt good to be in her own clothes again, to not be wearing shoes, and as she walked down the halls towards the kitchen, to be regarded with respect. She had walked into that last mission with a goal, and she had walked out missing something but gaining other things. She had seen her goal realized, for one, and for another, she knew without a doubt now that they had done the right thing. How many other wolves in the world were receiving the same treatment that she had during those three days she'd spent with Darcy? So even if she would gladly kill the man herself, and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he learned she wasn't the docile, frightened little wolf he thought her to be, she did have him to thank for her newfound determination -not that she would ever thank him.

As she entered the kitchen, Hickory was glad to find that something had been leftover after lunch. It was on a plate set off to the side, and she could only assume someone -likely Asher- had figured she would get up soon and want food. Whoever it was, she mentally thanked them profusely as she practically inhaled what was on the plate. Then, with that out of the way, she headed downstairs to talk to Darcy.

Hickory was let through without question, and she grabbed a folding chair leaning against the wall of the hall outside the room they had stuck Darcy in. The wolf currently on duty unlocked the door as she gave him a look, and allowed her inside. After the door closed again, Hickory unfolded her chair, setting it down near the door, and sat in it, reclining a little as she regarded the man in front of her -who honestly didn't look all that great. Served him right, in her opinion.

And while she studied him, she waited. She figured he'd say something, ask a question or whatever, and then she'd answer, certainly, maybe give him a few choice words of her own, but for the moment... she just leveled her cold gaze on him.

Normally, people wouldn't start laughing at the realisation that they had been kidnapped and ultimately, chained up in a cage, by a hostile group of people. However, Darcy had learned long ago that he wasn't your avergae person. He never had been... and he probably never would be. So as he stood there, silent as he waited and waited for what felt like hours for someone to come to tell him what was going on. A smirk on his lips - because he had been in this situation a few more times than the average person. Well, most average people were never in this situation even once in their lifetime. Darcy had just happened to be quite lucky at that regard.

When the door finally did open and someone finally did walk through, Darcy let his head fall back on his shoulders. He wasn't even surprised when he saw Hickory walk through the doors. He wanted to say that he was - but he wasn't. He wasn't remotely surprised and because of that, he let out a harsh laugh before raising his gaze to meet hers again.

Silent still as he studied her, his eyes roamed over her body briefly - he wondered what her rank was. She couldn't be all that high up, if she had been sent in on a mission to endure what she had had to over the past few days. "Explain something to me," he spoke finally, eyes narrowed as he continued to study her. Ignoring the itch in the back of his throat, Darcy licked over his lips before he chose to speak again.

"Your goal, my dear, sweet Hickory. What is it?" Darcy's voice was hoarse and hard - staring at her. He was waiting to hear a response that he was sure would start another laughing spurt from him. He had always had a peculiar taste of humor.

Considering who he was and his place in the world, Hickory imagined that Darcy had been in strange situations, and hadn't really expected him to be afraid or have any of the normal sorts of reactions. She had, however, expected him to be at least a little surprised to see her. It bothered her that he wasn't, and it made her wonder if she had botched some part of the mission. Made her wonder if she should expect something to go terribly wrong.. her expression remained cold and distant though, her thoughts purely her own.

Hickory even made herself more comfortable, crossing her feet as she leaned back and her arms crossed over her chest as well. As Darcy spoke, he sounded worse than he looked. It actually warmed her, if only a little. Though they would need to eventually get some food and water to him... Eventually.

"You don't really think it's just me here, do you?" she cocked an eyebrow at his question. "We have the same goal. Wolves are people, not slaves, not animals to be used. We will free all wolves and have that equality, whatever it takes." She gave him a small shrug. "You're just a piece in all of it..." She considered him for a moment with a frown tugging at the edges of her mouth before she smoothed over her expression.

"I can't really say I'm sorry for it."

Darcy lowered his head, smirking to the whole time. he shook her head nad let out a small laugh at her words, "No, I suppose I don't. But that still does not explain why you're the one speaking to me. If you're someone of any value, you would not be in the position you were in, just yesterday. Don't try and twist this, Hickory," he purred in retaliation, rolling his eyes at her words. All he wanted to do was smack her right across the face.

But the more that he thought of it, the more entertaining it became and the harder he laughed. When he finally did calm down enough, Darcy cleared his throat and looked up to her while raising an eyebrow. "Ah. So what is my role in all of this? Surely, you can't think that keeping me chained in a cage is going to make you look any better. Nor can you think that keeping me here is going to change anything," he spoke, his voice void of any emotion. Surely, this girl couldn't be this stupid, could she be?

Hickory, who really actually had a rather bad temper, fought to not only keep it under control but also appear calm. Luckily, she'd had practice. She leaned forward in her chair, propping her arms on her knees. "I am trying to twist nothing. Since you're going to learn who I am sooner or later, I am the second in command here. The position I was in only yesterday... I chose to put myself in that situation. I wanted to make sure that everything was done properly to ensure it all went smoothly and I wasn't going to have anyone else be forced to endure acting as a helpless slave. And if you don't believe me, fine. You can ask the next person who comes in if you want."

At his other questions, she simply shook her head. "You'll find out when the time comes and not a moment before," she said simply and sat back once more. "Any other questions?" she raised an eyebrow.

Darcy's smirk sickened the more she spoke, he looked up to her, silent as he listened. He nodded his head when she finished, "Ah. I see. Playing hard to get," he tutted with his tongue, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Isn't that what got you where you were just yesterday? If you had done what you were told, you wouldn't have been where you were," he snapped back with a shrug of his shoulders.

His shoulder was beginning to burn and he shifted, trying to ease the pain in it. Darcy cleared his throat as he glared up to her, silently now.

(I'm honestly not sure what to do )