You Can Run But...

Blake Edwards.

Blake was completely torn. She couldn't decide whether she was terrified or down right livid. Her group wasn't family by blood but they had learned how to survive together and that had been incredible, she had considered them family for the longest of times. For as long as she could remember. And now, she had no clue where any of them were. A few nights ago in the middle of the night, they had been woken by the sounds that haunted them in their nightmares. Wolves growling, attacking their camp and unceremoniously dragging them from their sleeping bags.

The last she had seen of their group, each of them seemed equally terrified. They had no real way to fight back against the wolves who had found them, their meager weapons only enough to provide some food to serve for supper. With being taken down so easily, Blake could only hope that the wolves her chosen family was sold to were kind. Or, at least not the worst of the bad tales that they had heard of being enslaved.

Being dragged from the cell that she had been placed in, Blake's shoulders sagged a bit as she was shoved into a stall. She was told to strip and she took a moment too long, only for the wolf to reach forward and slap her hard enough for her to stumble, dropping to the floor. Whimpering, Blake sat up slowly and began to strip her clothes off. Her body was covered in dirt and grime, blood having long since dried down the side of her face. The shower was turned on above her and she let out a small shriek at just how cold the water was. The wolf in charge of her laughed, rolling his eyes as Blake began to shakily wash herself off.

- - -

Blake had no real clue what was happening. She had been given a large white shirt to pull over her head and that had been all she was offered before being dragged into an entirely different area of the building. She was pushed to a post where her wrists were tied behind her. Being left out in the open, any would be buyer would be free to touch their potential new property.

@ varkatzas.

With his hands behind his back, James continued to walk through the auction area, his eyes shifting from human to human. It was clear that James didn't want to be there. From the way he walked, the look on his face. It said it all. He was above being here. Above going to a human market. Above having to buy a human. Though, nevertheless, he was here and he was here for one thing only. As he continued to walk through the area, his servant followed behind him quickly and quietly. Nobility, and a command for respect aired around the two of them. So much so, that the others quickly moved out of James' way as he walked through the area.

Carefully, James glanced at each human strung up to sell. Overall, there weren't an abundance of humans to buy... at least not like at the beginning of their reign. Now human sellers were having to scrounge the world for untaken humans or those wishing to sell the lot that they had. Though that wasn't his problem. And it wasn't like James needed a large group of potential slaves to pick one.

As he went through, his eyes finally stopped at a blonde haired woman. Already there were a few men standing around her, making grabs at her now and again. Slowly, James made his way over to the woman and the men around her quickly moved to make way for him. Almost boredly, James looked to his servant, who nodded and stepped forward.

The servant started to walk around the woman, eyeing you up and down before moving around and grabbing what seemed almost random parts of her body. Your forearm, your shoulder, your side and ect. It almost seemed like the man was looking for something, though what seemed impossible to know. After a minute or so of this, he looked back up at his master and gave a nod before running off to find the buyer, who was quick to come over and work out a transaction for the woman.

As it became clear that James was buying the woman, the other men mumbled before heading off to one of the other pretty tied up ladies. At this point, James took another step closer and looked down at her. "Name." He commanded

The only thing running through Blake's mind was what she had been taught for as long as she could remember. If she was ever unfortunate enough to be captured by wolves, she was to make herself as small as possible. To remain as submissive as she could because wolves were about power, they held it all. Blake was nothing more than a human, part of the race that had been enslaved by the superior wolves. As much as Blake may have hated that, she knew there was nothing that she could do about it.

The few uprisings throughout the years had seen the humans killed mercilessly and soon enough, it was instilled in humans not to fight back. It never did end well. To lose your life fighting a battle you had no chance at winning, it really wasn't worth it. But that didn't stop Blake from feeling like little more than a piece of meat as the first prospective buyer approached her.

Clamping her eyes shut, Blake tried to focus on her breathing. She could feel the wolves' eyes on her, a few even reaching out to touch her from time to time. Gritting her hand as a hand slid up her thigh, Blake flinched as fingers brushed between her thighs. Please, God. No. The wolf removed his hand, letting out a dark chuckle. "You would be so much fun, sweet thing."

Blake blinked, her only reaction to the words directed at her. She wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings, not until someone who didn't appear to be a wolf began to grab her. She still was as stiff as a board, not wanting to piss off anyone more than she already had. If she had. She didn't want to make her situation any worse than it already was. It wasn't until the man scampered off that Blake took notice of the fact that every one else had taken a few steps back, giving her a wide girth of space around her. Something she was relieved by until the same man who had been assessing her reappeared with an auctioneer to discuss payment details.

Making the mistake of looking up when James began to approach her, Blake took a small step backward, her eyes widening as her gaze met his. He may not have been the biggest wolf in the room but he was certainly intimidating and she had just made eye contact with him, silently challenging him. She caught the tail end of the auctioneer's comment, realizing the wolf who stood before her had just purchased her. Audibly gulping, Blake hung her head and took another small step backward.

"Blake," she answered, her voice small. Blake shook where she stood, hoping that her unspoken mistakes hadn't pissed him off too much. "I'm sorry, sir. Please accept my apologies, I didn't mean to challenge you," she whispered. Blake knew it could go one way or another. Her apology would either get her out of hot water or land her even deeper in it, for speaking out of turn.

(I am so sorry I rambled )

@ varkatzas.

James eyed the girl up and down once again as she started to apologize for her mistake. She had looked in his eyes. Certainly a challenge from a wolf...Though humans were different, they always were. Curious by nature and they often connected with things at first through sight. Wolves did that through smell and instinct. Both of which humans had little ability in.

Therefore, James did not blame the girl for her need to see what was happening. To see who was buying her. He supposed that it was instinct for humans. Hard to resist. But speaking out of turn...Unnecessary. This girl will need to keep her mouth shut if she was going to last long with him. Both to show respect to him and the others around him...but also the need of privacy and secrecy.

His hand twitched a bit, but James refrained himself. His last human, James had to be particularly harsh with... Now he only hoped that it would not be the same with this one. A reason why he chose a girl this time. Hopefully, she would follow his rules with ease and keep her head down.

"You will not speak out of turn without good reason. Apologizing is not a good reason." James told her. "You will remain quiet unless told otherwise. You will have a chance to ask questions later. You will have a chance to say what you need to, later. Yes and no responses will end with sir. Do you understand?"

Blake stared long and hard at the ground, waiting with baited breathe for James to react to her apology. She had heard horror stories, grown up with them and wondered what it would be like to be involved in such a tale. She was a human, owned by a wolf. There was nothing she could do about it but wonder what her life had in store for her. She only hoped that it wasn't as bad as some of the stories she had been told.

Some were bred for more slaves, the child sold at a young age. Others were maids and even better, some were nearly treated at the same level a wolf was. It all just depended on who you belonged to. And that? It could change with the drop of a hat.

Blake felt a sliver of fear travel down her spine at James' words. She was not to apologize was all she was hearing. Even if she made a mistake, and she knew it, that meant nothing. She would just have to hope James was in a generous enough mood. Her head hung ever lower as she struggled to swallow around the dry feeling in her mouth.

She had heard James speak, listened to his instructions but it was still hard for her to find the right words to speak. And when she did, Blake's voice was barely above a whisper, "yes, sir." Blake flinched as her restraints were released and she unceremoniously dropped to the ground. Blake nearly hugged the ground, trying to make herself appear as small as possible. She didn't want to be a problem to James, she didn't know how she was meant to act so she did the only thing she could think of. Make herself as small as possible, so she would take up less space and hopefully be less annoying.

@ varkatzas.

James watched as Blake fell to the ground. His eyes moved over her once again before he turned and started to walk. If the girl was smart, she would automatically follow him. If she didn't, then his servant would take care of her for him. If she tried to run, then the slave owners would certainly grab her and throw her into the back of his car. Either way, James was no longer concerned about Blake. It was time to head home, and her time would come. Talking to her tonight would be important. At least getting her settled in would be his servant's job.

As he walked through the crowd of wolves, many of them took their time to acknowledge James. Some of them bowing their heads, or, in the least, stepping out of his way. A clear path was formed as he moved towards the exit. James reacted to none of this, just continuing to move forward until he was through the doors.

As he walked out of the entrance, James headed to his car, which was already waiting for him right outside of the slave center. His driver was in the front, getting the car started the moment he saw James come out. Immediately, James slid into the back seat and checked the time on his watch. Hopefully his new girl was a quick mover.

Blake hadn't been too sure whether she should follow James or not, until his servant stepped behind her and cleared his throat. She looked back to the servant who looked rather pointedly at James before down to her. THat was all the indication that Blake had needed, launching into movement. She pushed to her feet, following after James as quickly as she could move. His long strides were hard to catch up on but she managed to stay close enough that no one got in her way, seemingly picking up on the fact that she belonged to James now.

Her stomach twisted into a knot as she stepped out into the cool, night air. Tugging down the bottom of her t shirt in an attempt to warm herself and to cover what skin she could, James' servant pushed her in the direction of a sleek black car. Blake hesitated for a moment before pulling the door open, slipping inside quickly. Blake was quiet as she hung her head, immediately wondering if she should slide to the floor by James' feet. She had no clue what James would expect out of her, had no clue whether he would want her to conduct herself a certain way.

Blake opened her mouth to ask before remembering his earlier comment. Speaking out of turn was unacceptable and she didn't want to be punished for it when she had already messed up by doing so earlier. Wringing her hands together in her lap, Blake could honestly say that she felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest with how hard and fast it was beating.

@ varkatzas.

As James looked up from his watch, the nervous girl quickly moved into the car. His eyes looked over at her for a moment. He hated the way servants first acted when he got them. So nervous and anxious that they were basically useless for a while. And it annoyed him how stressed they all got at the smallest of things.

How was simply getting into a car so difficult?

"Sit." James commanded. A hard voice and quick demands were always easiest at the beginning. Once they knew what to do, it was easier to relax and continue on. "Seatbelt as well. I don't want you flying out the goddamn window."

As his servant moved into the front seat, James motioned for them to start moving. At which point, James relaxed back into his chair and closed his eyes. Car rides were almost always the most calming part of his day and he was not going to ruin it by chatting away to her. Besides he wanted Blake cleaned up - and hopefully less high strung - before they got into the details of it all.

---

As they continued to drive, soon the car was heading out of the city and towards the woods and plains. Large open land, with huge estates passed by. The landscape was beautiful and one with nature. While werewolves have become quite civilized, most of them continued their relationship with nature. Most of them wanting room to run and forest to claim.

A little over a half hour went by before they were pulling up a long drive, to an absolutely exquisite - and large - estate. The main house was a sight to see, and must have cost nearly a fortune. As they pulled up to the front door, James slid out of the car and made his way into the house.

Though before Blake was able to make her way out, the servant moved in front of her. "Follow me." He said before also making his way in.

Blake didn't need to be told twice to buckle her seat belt. She had done so before he even finished his sentence, not wanting to risk upsetting the wolf any more than was was seemingly necessary. It was clear to Blake that James was a respected wolf, maybe even a general in the war or something equally terrifying to her. Not a single wolf had wanted to stay in his way on their way out of the slave centre and even now, his servants seemed very much so like they wanted to make sure things were perfect.

- - - -

When they pulled up to a large estate, Blake didn't dare raise her head. She raised her eyes, looking at what she could see. James climbing out of the vehicle, Blake was quick to move and try to follow after him when his servant stepped in her way. Blake stilled in her movements, swallowing as she climbed out of the vehicle. She wasn't so sure what the servant was going to do or show her but she didn't want to keep him waiting either. Closing the car door behind her, Blake tugged her shirt down as far as it would go as she followed after the servant.

@ varkatzas.

The servant walked through the entryway, taking a right before the staircase and down a long hallway. Towards the end, doors appeared more frequently before they reached the second to last door on the left. The man opened up the door, and motioned for Blake to move into the room. He only walked in until she had gone in before him.

It was a bedroom. There was nothing too grand inside, unlike the rest of the house. It contained a bed, a dresser, a closet and a bedside table. Everything that Evelyn would need to sleep properly. There was also another door to the right, which the man opened up, revealing a bathroom that. There was also another door in there, presumably leading to another bedroom.

"This will be your bedroom, and the bathroom that you will be sharing. Everything that you need is in the dresser and the closet. When it is time for bed, there is where you will go. This is one of the few areas of the castle where you are always allowed to be. Your bedroom nor window is locked, as I am sure you will soon find out. Though even with these pleasantries, do not think you can leave this house without permission. If you run, we will hunt you and you will be punished. Do not take the master's kindness for granted." The servant said before walking to the door.

"While you are here, you will call me Mr. Reed. You will refer to the master as either Sir or Master. Now, shower and get dressed. I will be back soon." With that, Mr. Reed walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

It wasn't until Mr.Reed left the room that Blake even allowed herself a moment to relax. She hadn't even realized how nervous she was until she opened the door to the closet. Her hand was shaking so bad that she had to take a moment to focus before she was able to pull the door open. With such an assortment of clothes, she eyed the various dresses before pulling one out that she thought may be the least revealing. Spinning around, Blake wasted no tie in heading to the bathroom. She was showered and dressed within ten minutes of Mr.Reed leaving, not wanting to leave the man waiting. While he wasn't James, she had no doubt that if she upset him, she would end up paying.

Blake took a few minutes to blow dry her hair before settling back down in her bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back straightened as she listened to the sounds of the house around her. She wondered what James had bought her for, he seemed rich and like he had plenty of servants to meet any of his needs. What need did he have that he could properly serve? Whatever it was, she hoped that she would be able to do a good job at it.

When the door started to open, Blake pushed to her feet hurriedly. She wanted to appear ready, as though she had listened to Mr.Reed and would not be a problem here. She knew what it was to upset the men at the slave center, now there was no need for James to keep her looking at least well enough to sell. So she had to be on her best behaviour.

Heading back into the room, Mr. Reed glanced over at Blake as she basically pounced onto her feet. He let out a small 'hm' before opening up the door wider and looking her up and down. Yes, she looked much better now, more presentable. There was no need for any of the slaves to be dressed like slobs in this house. They better they looked, the more respected and wealthy the house seemed to be. Which was exactly what Sir James needed in his home. And it was up to Mr. Reed to keep things as smooth and easy for him as possible.

"Follow me." Mr. Reed said, turning on the balls of his feet as he spoke. Without looking back, he headed down the hallway, walking until he suddenly turned right, opening up a door to the kitchen. There was one cook and one slave currently there, cleaning and cooking. The cook nodded to Mr. Reed before grabbing a plate and filling it up with food. He then set it down on the island in front of a stood.

"This is the kitchen. This is where you will grab breakfast, lunch and dinner. If chef is here, you will eat what he provides to you...If, on the rare occasion, that no one is in the kitchen, you may grab food from the mini fridge." Mr Reed Pointed it out. It was just a small fridge filled with left overs. 'You do not cook here, do not grab food from the main fridge or the pantries. Do no be in here, unless you are eating. Now sit down and eat."

Blake didn't even need to bee told twice to follow after Mr.Reed, all but falling over herself to keep up with him. She was tired and hungry, ready to go right t sleep the moment she was given the opportunity but she wouldn't ask. She had learned that her needs nor her wants really mattered during her time at the slave center. She didn't think now that she had been bought, that it would have changed.

As they stepped into the kitchen, Blake's stomach growled as if on instinct alone. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she hung her head, wrapping her arms around her torso in an attempt to muffle the noises. She didn't want to seem greedy or ungrateful or that she couldn't be trusted. If she was meant to cook, she would do her best and not dare to touch the food other than to prepare it. Blake looked up, blinking in surprise as she looked between the plate of food the chef had set down and Mr.Reed. Was she really meant to eat? Even when he prompted her to, Blake was hesitant to take a seat.

Sitting down, Blake began to nibble at the food that had been presented to her. It was delicious, warm and flavourful and something that she wasn't sure she had ever tasted before. At least not this well made. Blake scarfed down the food, afraid to keep Mr.Reed waiting or to seem ungrateful for the gift she had been given. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been given a warm meal - the slave center had served dried bread and flavorless goop that had been described as porridge when she was first given a bowl.

Blake suddenly became aware that Mr.Reed was waiting her. Her stomach twisted into an unfamiliar knot and she was quick to drop her hands back to her lap, her plate nearly empty. She was full, sure, but she hadn't wanted to stop since she didn't know th next time she would be allowed to eat. "Thank you, Mr.Reed," she whispered the words, suddenly remembering what little manners she had been taught. Blake glanced up as she slid from the stool, reaching out to pick up her plate. She was expecting to have to clean up after herself since she was little more than a slave herself.

@ varkatzas.

Mr. Reed waved his hand to stop Blake when she went to pick up her own plate. "No. We have slaves stationed here to take care of the cleaning. Just leave your plate here. They will do their job in the kitchen, while you will be responsibly for other things." Without even waiting for Blake to react to what he said, Mr. Reed turned around and started heading out of the kitchen. Once again, he expected her to follow him. And he continued to talk, in assuming that she will. "You will eat breakfast as soon as you wake, and dinner before you head off to bed. You will come get lunch when you are dismissed to do so."

"Anyways, your job will not be in the kitchens. Though it is not for me to explain your responsibilities here yet. First, we will go see Master Lupo to find out if he sees you fit for what he originally had planned. If not, we will find a different place for you." Mr Reed walked Blake down the hallway until they stopped at a large dark wooden door with rather intricate details. It was rather close to the kitchen, so it was easy to assume that this was the entrance to the dining room.

"Master Lupo is currently inside. You will walk up to him, bow your head, and address him properly. This is the proper way to greet him. From there, you will follow his instructions on what to do next." With that, Mr. Reed opened up the door for Blake to walk in. Though once she did, he closed the doors behind her.

@ varkatzas.

Mr. Reed waved his hand to stop Blake when she went to pick up her own plate. "No. We have slaves stationed here to take care of the cleaning. Just leave your plate here. They will do their job in the kitchen, while you will be responsibly for other things." Without even waiting for Blake to react to what he said, Mr. Reed turned around and started heading out of the kitchen. Once again, he expected her to follow him. And he continued to talk, in assuming that she will. "You will eat breakfast as soon as you wake, and dinner before you head off to bed. You will come get lunch when you are dismissed to do so."

"Anyways, your job will not be in the kitchens. Though it is not for me to explain your responsibilities here yet. First, we will go see Master Lupo to find out if he sees you fit for what he originally had planned. If not, we will find a different place for you." Mr Reed walked Blake down the hallway until they stopped at a large dark wooden door with rather intricate details. It was rather close to the kitchen, so it was easy to assume that this was the entrance to the dining room.

"Master Lupo is currently inside. You will walk up to him, bow your head, and address him properly. This is the proper way to greet him. From there, you will follow his instructions on what to do next." With that, Mr. Reed opened up the door for Blake to walk in. Though once she did, he closed the doors behind her.

@ varkatzas.

Mr. Reed waved his hand to stop Blake when she went to pick up her own plate. "No. We have slaves stationed here to take care of the cleaning. Just leave your plate here. They will do their job in the kitchen, while you will be responsibly for other things." Without even waiting for Blake to react to what he said, Mr. Reed turned around and started heading out of the kitchen. Once again, he expected her to follow him. And he continued to talk, in assuming that she will. "You will eat breakfast as soon as you wake, and dinner before you head off to bed. You will come get lunch when you are dismissed to do so."

"Anyways, your job will not be in the kitchens. Though it is not for me to explain your responsibilities here yet. First, we will go see Master Lupo to find out if he sees you fit for what he originally had planned. If not, we will find a different place for you." Mr Reed walked Blake down the hallway until they stopped at a large dark wooden door with rather intricate details. It was rather close to the kitchen, so it was easy to assume that this was the entrance to the dining room.

"Master Lupo is currently inside. You will walk up to him, bow your head, and address him properly. This is the proper way to greet him. From there, you will follow his instructions on what to do next." With that, Mr. Reed opened up the door for Blake to walk in. Though once she did, he closed the doors behind her.

Blake looked between Mr.Reed and the slave that was currently tidying the kitchen. She frowned, setting the plate down hesitantly. She offered the smallest of smiles, meaning it as an apology before she twisted and followed after Mr.Reed. It took her a moment to catch what he said but she realized quickly that he meant for her to eat directly after waking and before going to bed. That lunch would come at some point but when, she didn't know. But if it meant eating twice a day, every day, she would never complain. Even before she had been captured, eating twice a day had been a luxury.

She couldn't help but wonder what Master Lupo was planning for her. Blake wondered if Mr.Reed knew but she didn't dare ask, following quickly after him with her head bowed. Blake didn't know what she was supposed to do other than follow him like an obedient little puppy.

Swallowing back the emotion as Mr.Reed opened the door they stood in front of, Blake hesitated perhaps a moment too long before scurrying inside. She only looked high enough to spot James' form before making her way over to him. Blake swore that if her heart beat any faster than it was at the moment, that it would beat right out of her chest as she lowered her head. "Sir," she greeted in a quiet voice, wincing as she spoke. Was she supposed to be louder or keep as quiet as she could as to not disturb? Blake opted to be quiet, remembering that James had made it clear that she wasn't to speak out of turn to begin with. Surely yelling would go against that.

@ varkatzas.

Master Lupo set down the paper that he was reading as Blake greeted him. As expected, it was in a rather quiet and shy voice. He supposed that it wouldn't be a problem for now. Though he would want her to be clear in her words in the future. That would come once she was more comfortable living here. At least that it was how it normally worked out.

"Please sit down." Master Lupo said as he leaned back into his chair. He looked her up and down before motioning to the chair next to him. It was going to be unlikely that Blake would ever sit with him again...or rather it won't happen very often. But he needed to speak with this girl and it was likely she will say more when she is comfortable. "I am going to ask you a number of questions. I expect full answers and i expect that you will tell me the truth."

"If I find out that you were lying to me, you will be punished." He said as his eyes narrowed. "Do you understand?"

Blake was confused when James told her to sit, looking up with a small frown but the moment that she noticed him motioning, she was quick to sit down beside him. She kept her eyes at the appropriate level as she fumbled with the edge of the shirt. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask but she didn't want to step out of turn and risk being punished.

Smoothing down the material of her pants, Blake gave a small nod of her head as James asked if she understood. There was a beat of silence before Blake's head snapped up as she realized she hadn't verbally answered. "Yes, sir," Blake answered in a rush, a frown forming on her face before she dropped her head back down. Opening her mouth to apologize for not being forthcoming in her answer, Blake's mouth closed when she remembered that even an apology was not an acceptable reason to speak out of turn.