The elder Wolf's ears flickered, listening to the long and somewhat solemn exhale coming from beside her.

Kuroko Shirai, near the end of her exaggerated breath, rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Elaina," as her breath faded, "why did you keep giving credit to readers digest?

Why...? The elder Wolf's voice rose slightly, almost musical.

The elder Wolf gave a slight nod of her head as she rolled her eyes down at kuroko because all the hilarious jokes can be found in Reader's Digest. One of the elder wolves' favorite literary devices. Another quick nod of her head. She was tapping her lip with her finger.

Besides, She said quickly, cleared her throat. Lawyers are worse than dealing with vampires.

Really? I hadn't thought of that.

Lawyers have no heart, so a wooden stake to the heart is just a wooden stake stuck in their heartless chest. Then there are medical bills, lawyer's fees, so on and so on. She waved her hand dismissively, scary! Her eyes opened mockingly.

Kuroko followed. Can't you just, ran her finger across her throat in a cutting motion.

No, no... If you kill one, ten will take its place. They don't run the packs. No, no, not like regular predators.

They don't?

Ahh, ah...no, They run in firms. She laughed.

Great, kuroko shook her head, vampire lawyer joke.

Yep. with a dramatic pause, and spoke. What is worse than a vampire or a lawyer?

No... What is?

A lawyer who is a vampire. Or vampire who went to law school and became a lawyer.

what kind of school did the vampire go to study law?

night school? kuroko sighed. No! the university of bite U...Elaina chuckled.

Thanks for spelling it out. Kuroko closed her eyes and whispered. I should've seen that coming.

Elaina's ear twitched, hearing kuroko whispering like a small child. The Wolf smirked, her eyes thinned, and she sighed. I'm glad we came this way...she said, crossing in front of kuroko, walked across the hallway, and stopped in front of a rather odd, messy work of art. Finger painting? Looking confused, coming to Elaina's side.

The painting is the size of a wall one would find in any room in their home. The wall was Fifteen by fifteen. She estimated.

Landscape? She asked, squinting her eyes. Elaina was quiet with her answer, with nothing more than a nod of her head. A smile appeared, her eyes taking in the amateurish attempt.

A patchwork of colors smeared across the canvas. Simple shades of green. She could make out as a meadow or Pasteur, straight heavy browns she figured as trees, strokes of blues appeared from behind the straight brown, and blotches of green. Behind then, whites and greys of mountains rising in heavy blues and beyond blacks of thunder clouds in the distance.

And when she looked closer, fingerprints and smudges where whoever it was had begun or stopped their stroke.

Yes, very perceptive, Elaina answered, slowly reaching out with her finger straight so that her sharp nails wouldn't cut the canvas and covered the imprint. She closed her eyes.

He was right... she blushed, you know...smiling, I wouldn't ever tell him...

The space around them became warmer as the heat rose from the great Wolf's body, holding a serene expression on her face.

Wolves, especially elder wolves, ran hot you could say. Despite the curves of a normal woman, they were still wolves. And that part of them made themselves known. They were built lean, with long manes of hair flowing to their hips. Their faces, while with feminine features, hinted at the Wolf inside. Pushed forward slightly, giving a hint of a muzzle. When they smiled, large canines glistened with sharp teeth. Long heavy ears are rising from thick hair. A thin trail of hair ran down the center of her throat. A thin trail of hair ran between her breasts and belly to her pelvis region underneath the armor. Long heavy tail with elevated aches like a wolf's hind legs.

Who was right? kuroko asked.

This one was the last one he started. Elaina opened her eyes. They glistened, shined like wet tears. He claimed it was the field of Valhalla. The nerve of him... she chuckled. Of all his arrogance, he claimed, he had seen it.

Looking dismayed, kuroko remembered the stories. When wolves died, they didn't go to heaven. But went to the goddess Freyja's field of Valhalla. The wolves laughed. Why the hell do we want to go to Valhalla. The lodge is for stinking males who expect to be waited on hand and foot like defenseless children. No wolf serves. Hell would be better.

Let me guess, kuroko rolled her eyes from the painting to the Great Wolf. Ronan?

Yep...she laughed a little more. Guess what he said to justify his statement.

Something stupid?

She bit her lower lip with a deep-throated chuckle. I have been inside enough shewolves, and elder wolves to know-lifting her chin higher-he laughed as he ducked. I missed his head by that much. she was holding her finger and thumb spaced out.

Figures. kuroko grinned softly with a hint of sadness filtered in her voice.

I mean, she nodded, he was a male, and our young female wolves tend to be more aggressive, shall we say, in their pursuit. Unlike human females...So I...and he wasn't one to say no... even at a very young age. So,

Phhtttppp... jerk! Shaking her head, wasn't he mated to Tatijana, and he still...how could he be so unfaithful...I mean...

Kuroko knew a little about the wolves. She and the others had spent time on the Island. Especially during the spring and fall festivals. and witnessed it firsthand.

Wolves are flirtatious, physical, and well, enjoyed themselves, and included what they called snatching. Well, so be it.

Snatching. A female wolf will lie in wait, usually naked or in their wolf form, for a passerby, usually, someone they knew, would come by this way and suddenly snatch them and roll into the woods. Very few, if any, said no...Kuroko had been the accidental victim of a snatch. But when the young Wolf realized it wasn't who she thought it would be. She did her best cute attack and wondered...maybe...or not...if she would like...to would be her first human female...Kuroko screamed, blushed brighter than bright, and teleported.

A chill rolled up her spine, remembering the moment. She shivered.

Pleasant memory? she was asked. Shut up, she quickly answered.

It can be quite prideful to have so many females wanting your male...I mean...he did have some, shall we say quirks...and

Oh, kuroko's face and shoulders dropped as if a sudden heatwave had come. Don't tell me. You...

She laughed. How much detail do you not want to hear besides? He had a thing for elder wolves. She nodded affirmatively and pridefully. Gotta strike while the irons hot...

I don't want to hear any sex talk from you.

Why not? She looked genuinely surprised. She wasn't looking at kuroko. She affectional ran the pad of her finger along the stroke lines of the work. He used his bare hands to do this. He was good with his hands, she added. He was going to add the details later...when he got back from Tokyo that next day, a long, painful breath followed.

You don't have to say anything, kuroko said, pulling from her memories of that terrible day she kept on talking, I was there. In the back, running security sweeps. Just an average day, she gritted her teeth, hate rose in her eyes. Who the fuck! robs a convenience store in broad daylight run by wolves!? a surge rolled across the hallway.

She growled, her chest rumbled, and the vibrations rolled over Kuroko like heavy breaths. Her voice turned rough and edgy.

Elaina... she spoke soft, knowing that if she lost it. There would be a lot of damage.

An elder wolf could take down a thick tree or stop a car with a single punch. And she'd seen it. She was sure the great Wolf would be filled with guilt if she did anything to his painting.

Elaina...she sighed. Don't you dare hurt the painting? Sounding like a schoolteacher.

The growling softened, her ears twitched as she tilted her head, and her heavy tail slapped the floor. She groaned. I would assume you would be worried more about yourself or.

Kuroko poked Elaina's ribs and grinned. Just saying... it might be time for a dip in a secret spot in a lake or the ocean...or.

Kuroko let her know, she could teleport her to anywhere on the Island as long as she could see it or been to it…or even blindly.

Or, I get it, little one...I get it. but you know...I could use a nice dip in that secret spot at the lake.

So, how much further, looking down the hallway filled with colorful paintings.

Right here... she said as she turned around and walked over to the other side.

It was another painting this one finished.

It was a portrait of two young girls. She was all white from the tip of her white hair dropping to her waist, her skin as white and translucent as fresh snow. Petite and slender, and barely clothed. In fact, the clothes she wore looked more like a thin see-through veil that ended just above her knees. The other was sitting on a log next to her. she was the same only. The color of their cat-like eyes differed. one had piercing blue eyes that reminded her of blue skies in the winter. Beautiful but cold. The other bright golden yellows like the sunflowers sitting on the log.

I've seen them before.

The blued one, yes...but the other? Elaina shook her head. This one is one of Mochizuki's helpers. The yellow-eyed ones are found in stories. They are the daughters of the first. Elaina said, reaching for the painting.

Kuroko had seen the blue-eyed ones with Mochizuki, the goddess vampire of the Island. A classic Japanese beauty who'd lived on the Island before the Japanese islands had a history. she had five of them waiting on her and by her side all the time.

I saw one with Ronan. Elaina looked surprised as she pushed the door open. I'm sure of it. He was talking to her but was gone when I got to him.

Maybe it was one of Mochizuki's?

Kuroko shook her head. No... she had yellow eyes and shifted into a white wolf and disappeared into the woods. Stepping through the door into a large office.

The elder Wolf was deep in thought, White Wolf? as she waited for kuroko to slip by. kuroko could see it in her eyes. Something was, something felt off.

Perhaps, she started to speak but hesitated, the daughters of the first are fables, stories told to us for some forgotten reason.

I'm positive.

A heavy sigh followed as Elaina nodded. I hope you are right. If you truly saw a yellowed eyed daughter. They are born of the blood of Tessa and it means she, Tessa, has returned and he is never far behind. she grinned, Ronan. And I don't mean our Ronan.

Ooohhhh, that would be just great...with his attitude. she faked shivered.

Yea...Elaina cleared her throat, now that I have done you a favor and gotten you safely to your destination. How about a return favor. She tilted her head, arched her brow, her eyes shining.

Great, a cute attack from an elder wolf, whatever am I supposed to do? she thinned her eyes...no sex.

whatttt! After all, I've done.

yep...

pooo...you have grown up, no blushing or hesitation. Not the little girl I use to know…Elaina teased. How about sending me to that secret spot at the lake, you know the one.

Fine...clothes on or off.

You can do that!

Yep...she said, reaching out and poked.

Surprise meeeeeeeee...she disappeared.

Kuroko knelt to the floor, to the crumpled mound of the armor Elaina had been wearing. I don't think she'll really need this but….

It disappeared.

She let the door close behind her and looked around the room. Nothing intimidating or grand. A simple office of brown wood walls and a few doors. a simple oak desk at the other end. a small potted bush in the corner close to the desk. a small decorated shrine on the wall, directly behind the desk. it had candlesticks, incense burners, bells, and offerings of tea and rice. and a good size picture of him. a tilt of his head and a smile on his face. her eyes watered as she sniffled, hitting her all at once while she was alone.

jerk...she wiped her eyes.