line drawn in the sand.

Only briefly did Isabelle remember what it felt like to be taken from her parents. She vaguely remember her mother begging her father to try and stop it from happening but she had only been four years old when it happened. The alpha had demanded Belle to be his first born son's maid, to serve him until she would ultimately die years before he did. Being a human and all. She tried her best to keep busy when Drystan wasn't around to tell her what to do but often times, she felt empty and void of a purpose when he wasn't around. She was so used to having him there to order her around that when he wasn't there, Belle spent her days cleaning and reorganizing whatever cabin he was staying in at the time.

Expecting the males return from their hunt any moment now, their maidens had set about cleaning up the camp. Isabelle didn't have much to do so she settled on making herself as presentable as she could. She washed her hair and pulled it back into a loose braid before pulling on the plain tank top and cloth pants that were the typical 'uniform' for a maid. A fresh pair of clothes had been laid out on Drystan's bed, awaiting him.

Hearing a few shouts in the distance, Belle's heart skipped a beat. That only meant one thing. The alpha had returned, along with the rest of his betas. Which ultimately meant that Drystan was with them. She took a deep breathe and stood, smoothing out her shirt before she padded outside, barefooted as she looked to the group approaching them. Isabelle hesitated only a moment further before moving forward to stand with the group of maids. She stared down at her feet, not wanting to upset any of the wolves with a challenge of eye contact. After a hunt that was the very last thing that was desirable.

The hunt had been a good one, in Drystan's opinion. He had gotten to show off quite a bit - which was always great when he was meant to be the future alpha. As long as he kept the current alpha's attention, then he would maintain his future. That meant that he couldn't screw up - he couldn't afford to, not when he was so close to getting the chance to take over. It was only a matter of the current alpha making things official, which Drystan hoped wouldn't take much longer. It would hopefully be announced as official before the current alpha died - otherwise, the chance to become alpha would rest on a fight to determine who of the pack was strongest. And while he had faith in his strength, he wasn't sure how well he could hold out against several others who wanted the position of alpha.

As they approached the site, Drystan grinned as the hunting group was praised. They'd managed to attack and kill a deer and even a few boars, enough to feed everybody that had been waiting for them. Nobody would go hungry tonight, including - ah, just as her name passed through his thoughts, he spotted Isabelle with the other maids. Though she was human, she was his closest companion, the closest thing he'd ever had to an actual friend. His gaze dropped back to the other pack members and he listened as they cheered, praising them for their efforts and success, and accepting their gratitude with a smile.

It was only when the crowd dissipated that his eyes searched for Isabelle again. "Isabelle," he called out, hoping to gain her attention so that he wouldn't have to approach the group of maids for the moment; he only wanted to speak to Isabelle, after all, and the other maids weren't under his orders - they wouldn't be until he became alpha. He felt no need to anger any of the other wolves and instead gestured with his head for her to follow him before he retreated away from the rest of the crowd and headed to his cabin. They wouldn't be eating any time soon and, even then, it was the current alpha's maid's job to handle the cooking. Idly, he recognized that, when he became alpha, it would become Isabelle's job, which would mean less time with her when meal times came close. It was an almost disappointing thought.

Isabelle's eyes raised only once the crowd began to disperse, catching Drystan's gaze quickly. Her attention focused solely on the wolf that she had grown to adore in more ways than she probably should have, Isabelle gave a nod of her head when he motioned for her to follow. While it was rare that Drystan laid a hard hand on her, she was always most weary after hunts. Hunts were violent, she had little doubt, and the heightened desires may not be sated by a hunt if it wasn't enough. Her feet carried her through the crowd as she all but ran around the bodies in her way, not wanting to keep Drystan waiting. Her head was bowed as to not disrespect any of the wolves before she finally caught up to him.

Stepping into the cabin after Drystan, Isabelle rushed around the cabin to light the candles that were strategically placed around the edges of the room. Once she finished, she finally turned around to face Drystan. Her heart raced and for a moment, she wondered what tonight would bring. He didn't seem to be in a bad mood and for that, she was thankful.

Careful to keep her gaze directed downward, Isabelle crossed her wrists behind her back. She cleared her throat, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Congratulations on the hunt, sir. Welcome home," her words were careful, quiet enough to just be considered above a whisper. She had adjusted to her role well, she knew what it entailed, and she did her very best to stay in line with the unspoken rules that had been laid out for anyone considered to be a handmaiden.

"Thank you, Isabelle," Drystan told her with a small nod as he moved to gather the clothes that had been laid out for him. It made him smile slightly; Isabelle always had everything ready and prepared for when he returned and it was something he was truly grateful for. Turning away from her, he went ahead to change. Considering she'd been his handmaiden for years, it was likely nothing she hadn't seen already and he had no qualms about hiding his form regardless. As he finished, he moved to sit down on the bed, intent on relaxing after the hunt, since it had been a good one - and one that had taken a lot of energy as well.

Peering over at her, he quirked a brow. "Relax, Isabelle. It's just you and me and you have no orders as of yet, so you may relax," he assured her gently, because seeing her so rigid and stiff, orderly and business-like, wasn't something he wanted to see after a hunt. He preferred to see her calm and relaxed, even if he didn't get to see such a thing very often. "Come, sit. Tell me how your day was." It was more of a request than an order and he was always terrible at wording his requests the right way, because they always sounded like orders. He hoped it wouldn't put her on edge, though, because that wasn't what he wanted, not at all.

Isabelle turned quickly the moment that Drystan began to undress, wanting to hide the blush that had crept onto her features. She knew it was important to hide the fact that she had feelings that she shouldn't have for her wolf - she was meant to be his maid. Nothing more and certainly less if the alpha so decided. She remembered all too well the first hunt that Drystan had gone on as a teenager and when he returned, the way she had let her excitement take over and she rushed forward. The alpha had reacted harshly and never again did she wish to anger a wolf in such a way. She wouldn't step out of line, if her life depended on it. After that incident, gone were the little jokes that Isabelle shared with Drystan, gone were the smiles that she shared with him throughout the day. Isabelle had learned from her mistake, she was here to serve, not befriend. She did her best to play both roles, a friend when Drystan needed her but she tried her very best to keep to her duties.

She hesitated at his words, slowly looking up. She eyed him, tugging her bottom lip behind her lip. It wasn't an order, no, but she still would treat it as such. Isabelle stepped forward, lowered herself to the ground, squirmed for a moment to readjust so that she could comfortably lean against the small loveseat. Even if Drystan wouldn't react harshly to her sitting on it, it still felt strange. Drystan was above her, she didn't need to try and behave as if he was anything but. "I'm afraid there's not many exciting things to tell," she spoke softly, trying" to think of a way to twist anything into something worth telling him. "I just tidied the cabin to make sure it would be suitable for your arrival, helped a few others maids with preparing the main areas."