Tainted Blood

By: Silver Moonserpent

Fancy Meeting You

She jogged into her camp and collapsed onto a stump, her chest heaving with great gasps of air.

"Jezabella? Are you injured, my child?" asked a cryptic voice.

"No, Grandmother, I met paths with the likes of a wolf in the forest." she said, "He nearly took my head off."

The elder woman, Kelmera, simply nodded and continued her walk to her buggy-room. "Good night, dearest Bella."

"Good night, Grandmother." she murmured absently.

Why hadn't the wolf killed her? She was a gypsy, he was a wolf, there were reasons he should have killed her. Good reasons that she wouldn't have blamed him for. So why?

"Damn wolves." she cursed, frustrated.

On the morn of the next day, Jezabella and her small sister, Annamaria, made their way to the Little Lamb Village. The two, their grandmother, and their brother, Linden, had needed more food and such. And since it was such a long way from the camp they'd made, they were to stay in the village for the night.

"Bella, my legs are tired." complained the seven-year-old.

Ever since wolves had killed their parents, Jezabella had become a sort of mother to Anna. She leaned down and scooped the child into her arms and held onto her with one arm while holding a basket in the other.

"Thank you." Anna murmured, quietly.

She smiled and continued walking to the village, all the while a tune in her head. "A shepardess is quite a mess, but little lambs are lovely... " she sang sweetly, quite aware the seven-year-old was falling asleep.

"Hello, do you have any rooms vacant?"

The elderly woman turned and smiled. "Yes miss, we have one room available."

Bella smiled gratefully at the woman and signed her name on the check-in sheet before following her upstairs to the room.

Chance growled in frustration. He was trying to hunt and that damnable gypsy kept invading his thoughts. Her curls that were like fire, her gray, storm-cloud eyes, lovely petite figure.... NO! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!

He growled again and accidentally smacked his head on a branch. "Cripes... " he muttered rubbing the bruise on his forehead.

He decided t give up on hunting and make a trip to Little Lamb Village. Those farmers were too stupid to know a wolf when they saw one.

Jezabella smiled as she passed through the peaceful little village. She loved it here. Everyone was so nice and joyful.

The girl turned around when she heard footsteps. They were light and quick, but not quick enough.

"Hello?" she called out.

Bella let out a small shriek when some one grabbed her around the waste. She turned in their arms just to come face to face with-

"You." she snapped, shoving the wolf away from her, "What are you doing here? Don't you know they burn your kind around here."

He seemed taken aback at the venom in her voice. "Well hello to you too, storm-cloud." he said cheerily.

She glared. "Nevermind, just stay away from me, wolf."

She turned on her heel and swiftly stalked back to the inn, her good mood gone.

Nice going, Chance. he thought as she left with a huff, You'll most likely have a curse on you by morning.

He shivered a bit before making his way to the Baa-Baa Bar. That was all he needed, to be cursed by a beautiful gypsy girl.

Oh shut up.

End Chapter