Slave: The Fight to Save a Species

Jolting awake, I quickly take in my surroundings. Good news is that I’m no longer in that Slimies shop, bad news is that I do not know where I am. Sighing I slowly push the pink floral blanket – which matches the wallpaper – off and sink my feet into the pink colored carpet. Okay, I can understand how someone would want everything to match, but this is over kill. As I push the silk material – pink silk material – hanging from the top of the bed frame away from my face I notice a small girl curled up on a window seat staring at me.

Her golden blonde hair reflected the sun light, painting a shinning halo around her head. Big blue eyes stare at me with drowsiness, as if she just woke up as well. Realizing for the first time that I am in my human form, I quickly change into my wolf. The little girl jumps from the window seat and slowly walks toward the bed. When she is within striking distance she kneels and shows me her hand, palm down.

“Daddy says that I shouldn’t walk up to an unknown animal unless their owner says I can and that I should always show them the back of my hand while moving slowly, but since you don’t have an owner and daddy didn’t tell me that I can’t see you, I figured I could say hi all by myself and show him that I’m a big girl!”

She said that so fast that by the end of it, she was struggling to breath. I could see her excitement in showing her father how much she’s grown that I couldn’t help by help her along. Slowly stretching out my neck I give her hand a little sniff. Dirt and flowers greet my nose, as well as the subtle hint of trust. I give her hand a small lick which sends her into giggles and she throws her arms around my neck, startling me with the loving action.

“I knew you would be my friend. Daddy always says that wild animals want to eat me when I get to close, but I had a feeling you weren’t like that.”

Her confession sent a warm feeling through my body. I have always been either feared or hunted my whole life and to have this small girl give me her trust has a strange feeling roam in my heart. Just as quickly as she grabs me she lets me go and bounds off the bed.

“Come on! I want to show daddy what a big girl I am!” After that she runs from the room.

I sit on the bed in confusion. How could one small child start to crumble the wall that’s been built around my heart for years in just a few minutes? I contemplated lying back down and was just about to when a scream pierced my ears.

Just like that I scramble from the blankets, race from the room, and run through the house in search for that little girl. I turn a corner and see her running into a room. Following her I turn left, jump in front of her, and growl at the man in the room. I stare him down as I feel the hackles down my back rise and I bare my teeth, threatening any being who would dare harm this girl.

“Lily, step away from that animal, now.”

I growl even louder at his command and place my weight on my front legs, preparing for a charge. I feel Lily rub her fingers in the fur along my neck, comforting me as nothing ever has.

“Why? She won’t hurt me. She’s my friend.” Lily says softly

“Lily, that animal is rabid. I don’t know how it got into the house, but you can’t trust it.” He says deeply

“Daddy brought her home.” She tells him, and then proceeds to try to calm me down,
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s only my brother. Calm down.”

Her brother? That is one statement that is sure to make me more defensive. Where I come from, brothers fight family members to the death just so they can have power, so they can lead.

Despite her soft voice, I bunch my shoulders and lean forward, more menacing sounds leaving my throat. I watch as her brother’s eyes start to change, the pupil turning into a narrow slit, as a forceful voice enters to fray.

“What is going on in here?!”

Not willing to take my eyes off the first man, I smell the second and realize it’s the man that took me from the store, Lord Landers.

“Father, Lily believes that this wolf is her friend and won’t move away from it.”

“Her!” Lily intrudes.

“Lily,” Lord Landers speaks, “Did you disturb her while she was resting?”

“No! I sat real quiet at the window and didn’t move until she got up! Promise! And I even showed her my hand like you said and she licked it and I hugged her and ran out here to show you how I’m a big girl and can do what you say!”

“Didn’t I tell you not to go up to animals who are possibly dangerous?” her father questioned.

Lily pouted, “But you brought her home. You wouldn’t bring an animal home unless you knew she was nice.”

Lord Landers shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe she was able to dupe him.

“Okay, young lady, but next time you come to me and ask permission before doing anything, understand?”

“Yes papa” She said with a big smile on her face, like she knew she would always win with her father.

Throughout the whole discussion I continued to stare at the brother, just as he continued to watch me.

“Father, you really brought the wolf here?”

The brother looked disgusted by the idea, what a jerk. I growl louder.

“Adrian, I need you to stand down.” Landers commanded

“To a dog? Never.”

I lean closer to the ground, my muscles bunching.

Now, Adrian!”

Slowly the brother, Adrian, backs away. A look that says he would prefer to kill me on his face.

“Thank you. Now wolf, look at me.”

I refuse to look away from Adrian, he smells like deceit.

“Wolf!”

Unable to ignore my instincts, I face the biggest threat.

“Good, now I want you to calm down.”

I respond with a growl and for just a moment Landers lets his cat meet my wolf. Instantly I submit to the stronger animal, a lone female wolf is no match for a fully grown male lion. I straighten my legs and quiet my growls to low rumbles.

“That’s better. Since the threat is over I want someone to tell me what started it.”

“All I know is that I enter my home and find a wolf in front of my sister growling and ready to lunge.”

“And you did nothing to provoke her?” Landers asks

“I just opened the door!”

“I see, Lily?”

I could feel her shame; see her looking at the ground like she was at fault, causing me to retake an aggressive stance. In reaction Landers allows his lion to slip back out, along with the feeling of another cat, a panther, pushing at me as well. I stand closer to Lily, feeling her legs against my side and submit again. I hate myself for it.

“Lily, what did you do?”

“I was looking for you when I saw Adrian walking to the house and I was excited and I may have screamed, a little bit.”

“Only a little bit?”

“Okay, a lot, but I was so happy! Adrian was gone for forever! I didn’t know I did it till after!”

“Lils,” Adrian says, “I was only gone for three days.”

“But that was so long! It felt like forever.” She replies with a pout.

“Well, now we know what happened. Adrian, I need to speak with you in my office, you can say hello to your sister after.”

“Yes, father.”

Adrian and I stare at each other until he left the room, following Lord Landers.

~*~

“Sir down Adrian” Lord Landers invited as soon as he entered his study.

Adrian followed his father into the room, sitting in the chair opposite the enormous cherry wood desk after his father took his seat.

“Now, tell me about the Jorgensen Project.”

“The site manager has ruined everything. He bogged the architecture design, had the workers start digging in the wrong place, and he won’t let the guys have over twenty minutes for their lunch break. The men are overworked while he sits in the air conditioned trailer sleeping and chatting on the phone.”

Lord Landers leaned back in his chair, arms relaxed on each designated rest, while his son continued to explain what Landers already knew.

“So how do you proclaim to handle this?” the Lord asked

“I believe we need to fire him and hire the guy who was in charge of the Myers Project. He was considerate of the workers situations and adjusted accordingly to suite both workers and us.”

“Good, I’ll have Johnson send out the proper letters and information later today. Now there is another assignment I have for you.” Landers replied.

Pushing his chair back, Landers strode to the window behind his desk.

“Yesterday I was informed of some disturbing news that I want you to check into.”

Turning back to his son Landers continued, “There seems to be some illegal distribution going on in my territory that I want stopped.”

Gesturing Adrian to the yellow file folder on his desk, Landers pause to let his son read the contents.

“You want me to babysit that wolf?!” Adrian exploded

“No. I want you to find out where and how she was taken. Then I want you to stop it from happening to other wolves.”

“But father-“

“Enough! I know you do not like wolves, though you can stand to be around the jackals and coyotes well enough, but I need this case closed as soon as possible.” Landers supplied

“For the record, father, I’m only with those two canine species because they serve well in
our army and as our spies. I do not associate with them otherwise.”

“Well I am not asking you to associate with any of their species; I just want you to stop this illegal situation.”

Looking at Adrian’s furious face Landers sighed as his sat back down.

“I know you hate wolves, my son, and for good reason too, but I need this mess cleared up and you are the only one I trust to get it done right. Can I count on you to handle this for me?” Landers questioned

Adrian, with turmoil in his eyes, spoke, “Of course.”