Arrival

Kiarra

I slept like the dead. When I woke up, I felt terrific.

The sun shone through the open window, and I smelled the aroma of something delicious downstairs.

I skipped two steps at a time. I was starving!

Mom and Dad were already in the kitchen.

Dad was busy frying the bacon that had teased me down the stairs.

“Morning, Mom!” I chirped as I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled and handed me a roll.

“You’re chipper this morning, kiddo!” Dad exclaimed as he walked over with my plate of breakfast.

“I had the best sleep. I haven’t felt this amazing in forever, I swear!” I laughed.

I looked over to Melody, who was engrossed on her phone.

“Good morning!” I exaggerated and giggled.

She looked up at me with daggers.

“What? Okay? Sorry for intruding.”

I looked at Mom. “Oh, never mind, teens are a moody bunch,” she dismissed.

I shrugged, but I didn’t get it. Melody had never been like this before; she’d always been smiling and the first to the table.

Maybe it was just a bad day.

I settled into my eggs and bacon, and Mom and Dad read their newspapers.

I looked around at our kitchen. It was cozy, bright, full of love.

I loved it here. I was lucky to have all this; not all kids were this fortunate.

I couldn’t remember when we weren’t happy, the four of us.

Mom and Dad always ensured I had the best of everything, and we always took vacations together.

It was an ideal life.

It bothered me that Melody was so sour.

I waved my hand over her phone and blocked her vision. It was a joke, but she didn’t think it was funny.

“Do you fucking mind?!” she yelled, her face screwed into a snarl.

“Melody!” Mom yelled, “Don’t speak to your sister like that!”

“And we don’t use that language in this house!” Dad adamantly boomed from over his newspaper.

“Phh!” she rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say.”

Mom redirected the conversation, and she was good at that, “So you have rounds today, remember? Reggie will be working with you today, too, I think.”

I loved Reggie. He was always there to crack a good joke. He used to fish near our house if I remember right.

I looked over at my sister one more time. I hoped she would at least show some sign we were okay.

I hated that she was upset.

That didn’t happen; instead, she emerged from her seat and stormed out.

I followed behind her until I reached the entrance to the prison, “Melody!” I called out, but she didn’t turn around.

“Hey, Kiarra!” Reggie’s smiling face greeted me at the door, clipboard in hand.

“Hey, Reg! What do we get today?”

“A couple newbies,” he said, shaking his head, “and a couple that are on the outs.”

“No hope?” I whined. I hated it when they fought this long.

It was so much easier to find a new mate.

Why choose death? It didn’t make any sense to me.

“I’ll leave you to it,” he grinned as I watched him clock out.

As I headed down the stone steps, I noticed the feeling in the air was off. I couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Hey, kiddo!”

“Hi, Marla! Workin’ hard?”

“Hardly,” she laughed, passing me the key card.

“We have some new ones,” she huffed.

“Yeah, I heard; sounds like they’re quiet.”

“Yeah, after last night, me and Reg let them know who’s boss. They’ll turn,” she said matter-of-factly.

I smiled and followed the automatic door as it opened.

“Have a good one, kiddo!” Marla yelled back at me.

I referenced the list in my hand and the names on the walls. Some of these wolves had been here a while.

They were tough, I’d give them that. They chose love over freedom and prosperity. There was something admirable about that. I knew there was a reason for this.

My parents had instituted these customs to protect us. Mixing wasn’t allowed; it drove the wolves mad.

I always wondered why they didn’t trust the Alpha. He knew what was best for them. He tried to steer them on the right path.

So why did I have this ick inside me? Why did I suddenly feel so sad when I passed each wolf?

“Please,” one of them whispered. It was a male; he’d been one of the newer ones and was a stubborn one.

“Please!” he yelled louder as I passed.

The key was to avoid eye contact. I wasn’t there to take care of any business. I just made sure everyone was where they were supposed to be.

I had never felt guilty before. What the heck was going on? I tried to shake it off. This was for their good. We needed a pure bloodline.

I looked down, and my hands shook.

It was like I had been hit with a wave of panic. It didn’t make sense. This was always how it was done.

But ~was~ it the right way?

The newest wolves are being held toward the back of the cells.

I passed a stranger. She was a female I’d never seen before. She wasn’t a member of this pack. I didn’t know why, but I felt called to turn around and face her. Her eyes were bloody and bruised. She’d been beaten pretty badly, but she fought back.

“Hey! Kiddo!”

It was Marla. I jumped because I wasn’t expecting her.

“Sorry, love, just me,” she laughed warmly.

“Who’s this one? I don’t recognize her.”

“Oh, it’s a rogue, no one special. Hey! Let me show you the new scan machine. You’re gonna love this!”

I smiled and followed her, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to look back at the nameplate.

It said: ~Angela~.