A pitcher, two glasses, and two plates waited on the mantel. On the foot of the bed rested another blanket and a stack of clothes, including a towel. A bowl sat on the floor under the bed along with a large cooking pot. Further away was a familiar bucket. I didn’t think I could use it in an open space like this.
The new items were as far as they’d gone to improve the living conditions. Wind swept through the room, rustling the leaves still on the dusty floor.
“Here you go,” Mary said, drawing my attention to the plate she held out. Half the rabbit lay on it.
I accepted the plate and dug in. Between bites, I started asking questions.
“What happened to the two that bit me?”
She grinned. “The rest chased them off. They had their chance and failed.”
“Chance for what?”
“To Claim you for their own. For whatever reason, their bite didn’t take hold. Probably because they weren’t meant for you. Either way, they won’t get another chance. Word is spreading. There are many more who will want a first chance, and they won’t allow those two a second one.
Many more? The idea of others wanting to...wait, what? “What do you mean Claim?” I knew it meant biting me, but they kept talking about it like it was something beyond just that.
She gave me a look. “To be a pair.”
“Pair? You mean like boyfriend and girlfriend?”
She shook her head slowly then shrugged, obviously not understanding what I meant, either.
“It’s where the male tells the rest that the female is his. Mating usually occurs shortly afterward.”
I stopped chewing and stared at her. I totally understood what she meant by mating.
“I’m glad you’re here with me,” she said again. “This was supposed to be the start of my Introductions. That’s why we were on our way here. Finding you distracted everyone a bit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Instead of looking at me to see if I’m suitable to Claim, everyone’s looking at you. I don’t mind. The thought of Claiming...” She shrugged and glanced at my neck. “I was nervous. Still am.”
She’d come here with the purpose of meeting a “nice” wolf who would bite her neck and then immediately...I shook my head. She seemed close to my age. Too young. I preferred my dreams of the ring-proposal method and the delays brought with it.
“So you’ll stay here until someone Claims you?” I asked.
“Not usually. We tend to meet here every few days so the attention doesn’t become overwhelming for me. Dad promised Wini he’d stay here, though, until she returns. That means I’ll stay too.”
“When’s Friday?”
She shrugged. “I was going to ask you that.”
I’d lost track of the days weeks ago. “Where did Ms. Lewis go?”
She giggled. “No one calls her Ms. Lewis. Wini or Winifred. She’s different. She lives in the human world as a teacher. She had to go back to teach her kids.”
The way she said that told me much. Most of their kind did, then, live in their fur. Winifred did not. It explained why she appeared with clothes on and how she knew I’d be uncomfortable with Mary walking around naked. A werewolf teacher. My mind had difficulty with that. I tried to picture my chemistry teacher as a werewolf and just couldn’t.
“What happens next?” I asked.
“We wait for her to come back to talk to the males who want to Claim you.”
I chewed in silence for a moment. My eyes drifted to the broken window. The bright light of midday made me squint. Throughout the entire conversation small sounds had drifted in from outside. A distant bark, general movement, and the chirping of birds.
“How many?” I said, using her words from earlier.
“I didn’t go out. But there are more.”
We finished eating, and she took the bones and threw them into the fire. Using the bowl under the bed, we worked together to pump water and wash the plates.
“If you get hungry, just say. They’re all willing to do anything that might win them some favor.”
“What kind of favor?” I wasn’t about to offer up my neck.
“Wini probably won’t give anyone permission to Claim you unless you agree to it. They’re looking for ways to win your support.”
“Ah.” That was unlikely to happen. We set the plates on the mantel then looked at each other at a loss. A light breeze stirred a leaf on the floor.
“Got a broom?” I asked finally.
“What’s a broom?”
I shook my head. How did she know what a bed was but not a broom?
I eyed the door. If we opened it, we might be able to kick out most of the debris. I hesitated because of the men outside and mentally scolded myself. If they were going to come in, they would have already. Nothing was stopping them. I doubted Mary’s presence was that much of a deterrent. But, would they see an open door as an invitation? I didn’t want to put myself into a position where I’d need to control them like I had with Penny and all the people at school.
“Is it safe to open the door?”
“Sure. They won’t come in, but they’ll watch us.”