Chapter 7: Warmth

Rain was about to jump for it but Orion held out a hand.

“Wait.”

Rain snarled, coming from deep in her throat. You put food in front of a starving wolf and expect it not to go for your throat?

“It’s yours, I promise,” He said, holding his hands up in peace. “I just need to dry your hair and get you new bandages first, okay? It’ll only take a minute.”

She hissed unhappily, crossing her arms.

He huffed, before grabbing what looked like a bread roll from the plate and offering it to her. “I’ll give you this to eat while I dry your hair, okay?”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to accept it.

Rain licked her lips at the offering and finally nodded. Better to get it over with.

As soon as the bread was in her hands, she was engulfing it into her mouth, not even caring how she was choking as she tried to stuff it down her throat as fast as she could.

“HEY!” The roll was torn from her mouth and Rain lashed out, bitting down on the hand but it escaped quickly, only a graze from her teeth.

“Not cool,” Orion huffed, holding the mushed and soggy bread in his hand, droplets of blood coming from the graze.

Frustrated tears filled her eyes, looking up at him beggingly for the food.

“Please,” She rasped, willing to beg if it got her the food.

His eyes softened and he approached her carefully, “Look, there’s plenty of food. I don’t need you to choke so eat it in bites, it’ll taste better okay?”

Pitifully, she pouted but nodded.

He handed her back the bread, covered in her saliva but Rain didn’t care in the slightest. She took a bite, the buttery flavor bursting in her mouth.

Pleased, she didn’t even care when Orion approached with one of the towels, putting it over her head cautiously like she might bite him again. He rubbed back and forth.

With food in her belly, she was much more satiated. She was drowsy at the warm feeling of his hands through the towel, circling delightfully through her hair. Accalia had spent a long time untangling it.

Once he was done, the roll was gone too.

Orion kneeled in front of her like he did before and gestured to her bare arms. She opened them for him and it took only a minute for him to wrap them up tightly and neatly.

Finally, Orion stepped back and brought the tray of food to her. She looked up at him, searching for permission. He smirked and gestured to the food with his hand.

Rain ate every bite. It wasn’t as much as she’d like but she filled up much faster than she thought. It even came with a glass of white liquid, tasty but weird.

Milk, Orion said. It was warm.

Once she was down, she was too drowsy to stay awake any longer.

With the comfy bed and feeling brand new after her “Shower”, food in her belly, she collapsed onto the bed delightfully, stretching out her legs like she never could before.

Warm, cuddly, and satisfied. She was out once the lights were.

As she drifted off, she swore she felt someone beside her, the warmth lulling her to sleep as something softer than the brush from earlier carded through her hair.

Someone was whispering something to her but she was too far in dreamland to understand it.

It was the best sleep she’d ever gotten.

She doesn’t remember dreaming, no nightmares to keep her awake. She felt safe, warm, and loved.

And that was how the morning found her. With the sunlight in her eyes, for the first time in her short life, she woke up slowly.

She only rose from the warm cocoon of the bed when she smelt something delicious. Fluffy, almost like bread.

The door snapped open and Rain’s nose twitched with the barrage of delicious smells. Her eyes snapped open.

“Morning, Rain!”

The bubbly voice was only second as Rain practically jumped out of bed, mouth salivating and stomach growling.

It was Accalia, dressed in a bright sundress carrying a tray similar to the one her brother had been carrying yesterday. This time, there was a whole galore of selections piled upon a single plate.

“Food?” Rain muttered sleepily, still waking as she blinked.

Accalia laughed, “That’s right. I figured you’d feel better eating up here than with all the pack.”

Rain appreciated her kindness but her sights were on the food.

As soon as Accalia gently placed the tray in front of Rain, she was gone. She reached for the food nearest to her, devouring it with her hands as she stuffed her mouth.

It was hot and fresh. Back in the city, finding two meals in a row was a luxury for her and she was being spoiled by the unrotten non-trash.

“Is it that good?” Accalia laughed, “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a little bit of everything.”

Rain didn’t answer, her mouth stuffed to the brim with the delicious food as she piled sweet red fruits with the fluffy cake slices of bread.

What a silly question. Of course, it’s good, it’s food.

Once the food was gone and Rain had licked the plate and her fingers clean of any remnants only then did Rain pay attention to the girl.

Accalia sent her an amused smile, no judgment in her gaze despite seeing Rain devour her food like a starved gremlin. What did she expect? Rain was, after all, still a rogue-born.

There were no manners to be taught when you’re fighting for your life.

“I brought you some new clothes too. I’m a bit taller than you but they should still fit all right,” Accalia mentioned, holding out the clothes.

Rain shrugged, standing to peel her pajamas off. Accalia didn’t even blink.

Once she was bare, Rain dressed as best she could.

“What’s the city like?” Accalia asked, making small talk as Rain struggled to find the head hole in the new outfit. “I’ve been on shopping trips with my brother but I never really saw it. What’s it like to be a rogue? I can’t imagine having all that freedom. No chores, no responsibility. Able to go wherever you want, whenever you want.”

Accalia sighed wistfully as if longing for that life.

And wasn’t that a punch in the gut?

Rain pulled the new dress onto her skinny figure, smoothing out the wrinkles in the nice pretty purple dress. It had ribbons and bows, something more suited to Accalia’s pretty figure, Not Rain.

Never Rain.

Despite being clean, Rain could still see the scars that lingered on her arms and legs. Small ones and bad ones, everywhere. Not an inch of her was clear, unlike Accalia.

The dress was baggy on Rain, coming below her knees. Rain could still feel her ribs poking through her skin, too many nights where her dinner was rainwater.

Rain could’ve told her. Could’ve said how terrified she had been as a girl, roaming the streets, unable to defend herself from the half-mad rogues. She’d barely survived most fights with the street cats let alone a wolf ten times her size.

She could’ve told Accalia about the nights where the weather was bad, thunder booming across the sky, lightning hitting the tall buildings, the lights of the city going out and leaving her in darkness. She could tell her about the nights where her only shelter was the dumpsters in the worst alleys.

Could tell her about the nights where she bled into the trash, devoured the rotten food in her desperation to stay alive. The nights when it’d made her so sick she swore death had come from the depths to greet her.

But she always woke up in the morning, still breathing and still alive.

How much it hurt to realize that not even death himself wanted her for his own.

Rain could’ve told her.

But she didn’t.

Instead, all she said was “It was ugly.”

Accalia blinked in surprise, not understanding and why would she? Accalia had a home, a pack, a loving family, and food on the table.

Accalia wasn’t a rogue-born. Unlike Rain, she was born lucky.

“Oh,” Accalia said in response.

They fell into silence as Rain dug her bare feet into the fluffy carpet, not looking at Accalia, who for once, was quiet.

It was broken however from a loud commotion. Distant but loud enough to startle the two girls. Wood splintering and shouting and wolves snarling at one another.

A fight had broken out downstairs.