Wolf's Heart

“So,” Terrance sighed as he stretched out in his chair, “where’s Katima?”

I frowned and looked at Ulric, staying silent as Emera smiled, “She’ll be here. She didn’t know if she’d make it to dinner, but she told us that she’d be here sometime this evening.”

Terrance scoffed, and while he continued to talk about himself Ulric leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Katima’s my little sister. She’s been away for a year, traveling to other packs. She’s our pack’s liaison, keeping communications’ between all of us open.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

Ulric smiled “It can be, but Katima’s the best fighter I know. She can take care of herself.”

“Please,” Terrance interrupted, “she’s a woman, a small one, and traveling on her own. She’ll come back meek and understand her palce.”

Emera raised her brow, “And what is her place?”

“Think about your answer, Terrance,” Kyros inserted, “think really hard before you say something that’s going to get you killed.”

I watched as a spark of fear flashed in Terrance’s eyes, his lips tightening, but before he could speak Emera gasped and launched out of her seat, “My baby!”

I jumped as she screamed, turning to watch her latch on to someone at the door. They jumped around in the same place and screamed nonsense as Kyros smiled and stood, slowly walking to them to give them their bonding time. Ulric squeezed my hand and stood as well, pulling me up with him.

“Daddy!” a petite blonde girl pushed away from Emera and attacked Kyros, disappearing in his large arms. Instead of jumping and screaming, Kyros held her close and whispered to her, his head bent and turned to her.

I looked up at Ulric, a question forming on my lips when he was also attacked, “Brother! I can’t believe you’re here!”

At this point I felt confident that this was Ulric’s sister, Katima. I could see that she had wavy blonde hair and an athletic body, but not much more because her face was turned away from me. Ulric smiled and hugged her back, “Glad to know you’re home again.”

She pushed away and I could see her light green eye sparkling as she smiled, “Yeah, I’m home for good now.”

“See, I told ya she’d come back and know her place,” Terrance smirked as he sat across the table.

Katima’s brow raised, “My place? Oh, you must mean when I’m standing over your cowering body after I’ve beaten you in a match. Yeah, I definitely know where my place is.”

A small smile spread across my lips as I tried to contain my laugh, but it managed to slip out. Katima turned and stared at me and all of a sudden I could see her father in her, “Who are you?”

Ulric grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, “Her name’s Roana.”

“She’s been traveling with Ulric,” Emera informed.

Katima glanced at her mother before she brought her narrowed eyes back to me, “Who’s Ulric?”

I swallowed, unable to speak as Emera once again came to my rescue, “Oh, that’s Clarence’s new name. Roana gave it to him.”

This time Katima’s eyes widened as a laugh escaped her and she turned to her brother, “You let her name you? Like a pet?”

Ulric grumbled, “No.”

She turned back to me and smiled, “Does he let you pet him?”

Ulric’s grumbling got louder and I returned her smile, “Yes, he really likes it when I scratch his ears.”

Katima laughed louder as Ulric growled and turned around, folding his arms and sitting back down in his chair.

“Aw,” Katima sighed, “don’t be upset. I’m sure Roana’ll scratch you wherever you want later.”

I felt my cheeks warm as Ulric’s eyes settled on me, knowing a blush was spreading all over my face. Once again Emera came to my rescue, “Sit, Katima, and eat. I’m sure all that traveling has made you hungry.”

Everyone moved and took their seats again, Katima sitting between Kyros and Terrance. Terrance sent her a glare, trying to seem tough, but even I could see how his demeanor and presence shrank when she was near.

Katima filled a plate with food, conversing easily with her father and occasionally teasing Terrance by stealing food off his plate or ruffling his hair. Terrance wasn’t happy about any of this, I could see his anger grown every time she stole a piece of meat from his fork as he lifted it to his mouth or tugged his hair when he tried to drink. It was interesting to watch the man who had been so strong and demanding before turn into a submissive weakling.

Ulric must have noticed my staring because he leaned over, whispering so that only I could hear, “Pack members like Terrance need to be controlled constantly or they’ll revolt and try to take over. Katima’s stronger, faster, and smarter than he is, so she’s just putting him in his place.”

I nodded, turning to watch as Katima wiped her hands on Terrance’s shirt as he glared. She never once looked at him or stopped her conversation with her father, showing Terrance that he wasn’t important enough to even glance at him while she aggravated him.

When Katima slid her half eaten food from her plate to Terrance’s he growled and shoved his chair back, stomping out of the hut. Still Katima didn’t look at him, didn’t acknowledge his tantrum once. Instead, she turned and smiled at me, “Want to join me for a walk?”

“Um,” I glanced to Ulric, but before he could do anything she pushed from the table and moved to my side.

“Come on, we’ll pick some berries while we walk,” she grabbed my hand and pulled me from my chair, stopping to give her mom and dad a kiss before dragging me from the hut.

“Now,” she stated as she looped our arms and lead me through the colony to the woods, “tell me all about how you and Clar- Ulric met.”