"Well, what did you think of her?" Ingrid bounced over to Ares the second he left the room. Kyle stood behind her with his eyebrows raised. What else was he supposed to think of her? What he thought of her didn't even matter in the grand scheme of things.
"She's fucking nuts," Ares said. He got absolutely nothing from that conversation with her. But what exactly was he looking to get? A reason that will make her death more justifiable to him?
"She might hear you," Ingrid swatted his arm.
He rolled his eyes but moved the conversation to the living room, further from his room. "Set her up in one of the spare rooms. Make her comfortable. You'll watch her for the rest of the day. Kyle, she's also under your watch now. Get Ethan to join you."
"Can Ethan watch me too?" Ingrid smiled coyly. Kyle cleared his throat and coughed.
"Don't get any funny ideas," Ares warned. Ingrid didn't need watching. She could take down most of his men, but he felt better knowing she was safe. Remembering Jodie's odd question, he faced Ingrid again. "You'll tell me if you're in danger, right?"
"Of course," she touched his arm.
"Good," he nodded once. "It's almost training time, Kyle; you're with the blood moons today. Ingrid, you're babysitting, so Tracy will take your class."
"Hate that bitch," Ingrid groaned.
"Right behind you, Alpha," Kyle said to Ares' retreating form. Once Ares left the house, he turned to Ingrid and said, "Don't go looking for trouble."
Ingrid scoffed but didn't argue so he could leave. She swore that the men around her thought she was a complete idiot who couldn't fend for herself. Which was bizarre considering she'd been training for as long as them. She'd beaten Kyle in a swordfight three times!
"Silly men," she murmured right before walking into someone. "Ow!"
"Sorry!"
Jodie apologized, assisting Ingrid with her balance. She'd come out of the room just as Kyle left, recognizing him as the second man from the forest and most likely the pack's beta. She'd heard some of their conversation and understood that Ingrid was tasked with watching her.
"Oh, my goddess, I promise I'm more attentive than this."
"I'm sure you are. It's my fault--I'm naturally clumsy. It could be an Omega thing."
"Omega? Yet you killed three rogues with your bare hands? I'd hate to see your strongest warriors."
"Hmm," Jodie nodded slightly. She knew little about the Whispering Moon's warriors save for the fact that they trained twice a week and regularly had brawls. There were no wars or battles to fight, so they only trained for customary sake. As an omega, she wasn't allowed to train or watch the men train either. But since killing those rogues, she felt different. She suddenly wanted to know how to wield a knife and how to shift mid-fight. She wanted to learn how to survive.
"Beginners luck?"
Ingrid's jaw dropped. "Those were your first rogues? Color me impressed."
"Have you killed any before?"
"Dozens," she shrugged like they were discussing the weather. Jodie was glad to know she was a good warrior. The conversation narrowed down her search by a bit. Only the strongest warriors were suspects.
"That's impressive," Jodie acknowledged, looking around her surroundings. The house tones were muted, with soft grays and warm beiges, creating a serene atmosphere. It looked cozy, yet she could tell it was enormous, probably spanning far more than she could see from this perspective. The scent of fresh flowers and the faint aroma of polished wood added to the welcoming feel. She noticed the high ceilings and large windows flooding the rooms with natural light. It felt like a sanctuary. "Thank you again for the food," she added.
"It's nothing; let me show you to your room so you can freshen up and maybe look around."
"Will your brother like that?"
"This is my palm," Ingrid gestured towards it. "I have him right in the middle."
Jodie laughed. It was her first real laugh in days, months even. It felt amazing to laugh like things were starting to look up in this new pack. This pack had rescued her; maybe she would be accepted here, and if not, she was not afraid to fly.
Ingrid led her down corridors she tried to master till they eventually stopped in front of a white door. Ingrid opened it to reveal a cream-colored room. It was simple in decor, with a lovely white canopy bed and dresser. It was much bigger than her old room and smelled of sandalwood.
"It's not all that, but my room is just across the hall. It's ensuite, with everything you need. I'll bring your bag over, but there are some of my clothes in the closet you can wear."
"Hmm," Jodie squinted at that. One of the consequences of the years-long disregard at the Whispering Moon was that she believed people had some hidden intentions behind their actions. Kindness, especially the type Ingrid had been showing since they met, wasn't what she was used to. Back then, If someone offered to assist her with something, they did it to manipulate and use her later. And if she was paid a compliment, it usually came as an insult.
"W-why are you being so nice to me?" she asked.
Ingrid shrugged. "A boy once saved me when I had nothing, and I want to pay it forward."
She flashed Jodie a radiant smile and headed for the door, but Jodie missed the look of regret on her face. Ingrid was already taking a liking to her, but her loyalties would forever lie with her brother. She could only hope that when it came to it, Jodie would forgive her. She brought the sack from Ares' room, placed it at the foot of the bed, and went back into her room, where she forgot all about Jodie and fantasized better about the man who had stolen her heart.
Jodie entered the bathroom and was awed at the selection of soaps and creams at her disposal. The first thing she grabbed was a toothbrush and some toothpaste. Her breath had to stink after not brushing for a day. Next, she got into the shower, using the Daisy-scented soap and loafer to scrub every inch of her. She used some floral shampoo to wash all the dirt and grit from her hair. When she was done, her pale skin was red, but it felt like she'd finally scrubbed every last bit of the Whispering Moon pack from her.
Jodie picked out jeans and a simple top to go with it. She wasn't sure what her situation was yet, so going with comfy clothes was her best option. While tying her hair up, she accidentally nicked her neck and stared at her new nails. She would have to file them down later. A knock came, followed by Ingrid's voice.
"Come in,"
Ingrid poked her head in. "Great, you're all dressed up. Let's go to my second favorite part of the house, the first being my room, of course."
Jodie followed her, and ironically, it was back to the living room. It was her least favorite part of a house. The only time she was allowed in the living room in the past was to clean. This thought had her wondering if that was what she would be doing here now. The idea itself scared her. It would be going from one prison to the next.
"I know what you're thinking; it's cliche, but I love it! Ares doesn't watch TV, and Kyle is literally my shadow, so he'll watch whatever I watch."
Ingrid fell into one of the couches, and Jodie gingerly sat beside her. She could barely keep up with any of the shows Ingrid fawned over because her mind drifted back to Ares and what life would look like for her now.
The door suddenly burst open, and as if her thoughts had conjured him, Ares matched in angrily, glaring at Ingrid. "Did you put itching powder in the tunics? The young wolves are going crazy in the arena."
"Those little rascals spied on the female wolves while they changed!" she folded her arms.
"Those fucking idiots."
"Exactly,"
"Run it by me next time before going crazy on them."
"Yes, yes," she waved him off.
Ares' eyes landed on Jodie next. His stormy gaze was hot and cold simultaneously, and she resisted the urge to look down. He didn't say anything as he headed toward his room.
"I'm starving," Ingrid declared, urging Jodie to follow as she bound over to the kitchen. "It's my turn to cook tonight, but don't hold your breath for Kyle's night. He's a horrible cook. Ares isn't half bad."
"How many of you live here?" Jodie asked, glancing around the cozy yet sparsely decorated kitchen.
"Mostly Ares and I, but Kyle occasionally stays. Most pack members have their own houses, especially the older ones." Ingrid replied as she rummaged through the pantry. Jodie was tempted to ask about their parents but decided against it.
"So, no one cooks for you?" she queried with a hint of disbelief.
Ingrid chuckled. "I mean, if we could kidnap a private chef, It would probably be Gordon Ramsey."
This dynamic was new to Jodie. In Whispering Moon, none of the pack officials ever did anything themselves. That's why they had omegas to be at their beck and call. The casual, almost familial atmosphere here was a stark difference from what she was used to. It also annoyed her that the only thing she could compare her new experiences with was the Whispering Moon or the people there. She hadn't gotten into the annual werewolf exchange program, and so never got a chance to see things for herself. Now that she thought about it, she'd been scared of the change, and if she weren't banished, she would've probably spent all her life at her old pack, taking their bullshit.
"I hope you like Oxtail and Alfredo," Ingrid said over her shoulder, distracting Jodie from her thoughts. She'd started prepping for dinner, chopping vegetables with good precision.
Jodie nodded. "What should I do?"
"How good are you with sprouts?"
"Say no more." she grabbed another knife and joined Ingrid by the counter. An hour later, a decent amount of oxtail and chicken Alfredo pasta was ready and plated.
Ares returned at that moment. "Dinner ready?"
"Just about," Ingrid flashed him a smile.
"Kyle, Ethan, Serene, and Coby will have theirs much later." He said as they all sat around the table.
Ingrid frowned. "Problem with the blood moons?"
"Yes."
As the conversation progressed, Jodie understood that the blood moons were a training group. They deflected to other topics, with Ingrid occasionally adding her in the loop. But Jodie didn't mind being left out. She found herself enjoying the easy conversation between Ingrid and Ares. She was confused for most of it but still watched their interaction with interest. She had no siblings, so it was interesting to see their dynamics. Ingrid's constant teasing of Ares made him seem less threatening.
They ate silently for a few minutes before she couldn't hold back her curiosity. She turned to Ares, who sat across from her, her expression serious. "Why did you bring me here? To rest and then be on my way, or am I under captivity?"
Ares glanced over at Ingrid, who made an imaginary zip over her lip. She was loose-lipped, but he trusted that her brain prevailed over her impulses on essential matters. Drawing his gaze back to Jodie, she remained expectant. The hardest part of keeping her within reach was not telling her why she was here and making her buy the reason she was not.
"You have a room, change of clothes, good food..." His gaze narrowed as he ticked them off his fingers. "Do you feel like you're in captivity?"
Yes.
"No," she replied. "But I--"
"We were on a morning run and saw you passed out." he interrupted. "We couldn't leave you out there."
Her mouth opened to say something then closed again. She thought about it then changed her mind. "Thank you," she replied softly.
"Don't thank me yet, little wolf." Ares murmured under his breath, almost too quiet for her to hear, but Jodie's ears perked at his words. The gravity in his tone made her wary.