Noises in the Dark I

In the dead of night, Jack's eyes fluttered open, assaulted by a piercing light streaming from the bedroom. His mind was still groggy, half-lost in sleep, as he pushed himself upright from the sofa. His legs, which had been hanging over the edge, were numb. A sharp jolt of pain shot through him as he rubbed them, trying to restore circulation.

"Stay still, please!" Lupus's muffled voice echoed from the bathroom. Even in his drowsy state, Jack's sharp hearing picked it up instantly.

"Who's she talking to?" He muttered, stumbling toward the light, his movements sluggish and unsteady.

Lupus's cheerful giggle rang out, growing clearer as he approached. He was less than a metre from the door now.

"Uh… Lupy? What are you doing?" Jack asked, his voice sluggish as he knocked lightly on the bathroom door.

The laughter abruptly stopped. A brief shuffle of movement followed, then the lock clicked open.

Through the small gap, Lupus's bunny ears poked out first, followed by her flustered face, pouting like a petulant child. "N~nothing…" She answered, her tone suspiciously coy.

Jack, ever curious, leaned closer. Soon the door creaked open, and Jack yelped and recoiled. "Ah! Why are you taking another bath?!" 

Lupus stood in the doorway, wrapped in nothing but a white towel, her damp skin glowing under the bathroom light. Her ample curves and plump thighs were barely concealed, making Jack instinctively slap a hand over his eyes — though traitorously, he could still glimpse her through the gaps in his fingers.

"It's… hot?" Lupus answered casually, a teasing chuckle escaping her lips.

"But I hea~." Jack's voice faltered as his eyes adjusted to the scene behind her. He froze, his breath hitching.

Another girl.

Standing there, completely bare, was the Wildren slave he had met earlier that evening, Frain.

Jack's mind short-circuited. Not because she was bathing with Lupus. No, that would have been surprising enough. But because she wasn't wearing a single shred of fabric.

Frain squeaked in mortification, hastily covering herself, while Lupus stepped forward to shield her, blocking Jack's view.

"PERVERT-Y!" Lupus yelled, slamming the door shut in his face. A gust of wind from the impact ruffled his silver hair.

There was no going back to sleep after that. Jack sat on the couch, gulping down water in an attempt to cool his nerves, hoping and praying that the images burned into his mind would fade.

After a while, the two girls finally emerged, their hair damp and the soothing scent of lavender shampoo filling the air. Yet, despite the calming aroma, the tension in the room was anything but relaxed.

Lupus busied herself reheating her take-out from dinner while Frain clung to her like a lost child.

Jack observed them from his seat, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You cheeky little rabbit… And here I thought she just wanted a midnight snack. She planned the whole thing, buying take-out in advance, making sure everything was set up." His lips twitched into an amused smirk.

"Well, I need to stop underestimating Lupus Hoffmann. She's way smarter than she lets on… but I suppose all mages are geniuses in their own way."

Frain, the Wildren slave, didn't appear overly young, perhaps around the same age as Lupus, Jack analysed further. The girl was now dressed in a neatly wrapped bathrobe that covered her from neck to ankle, but the slave circlet remained fastened around her throat.

As they waited for the microwave to finish heating their food, Jack finally had to ask, "Lupy… would you mind explaining this?"

"Yes, yes!" She nodded, albeit a little sheepishly, before shoving Frain forward. "I've decided that Frain will be my slave! So I bought her~ at 75% off! Only 3,500 credits!" Lupus announced proudly, as if she'd just won the lottery.

Jack stared at her in disbelief, then sighed. Who was he to object?

"Come on! You don't actually think I'd treat her worse than that sketchy merchant, do you?" Lupus pouted, her voice softening as though she sensed his disapproval.

Frain, however, remained frozen in place, unresponsive. Jack took a closer look. Her once matted, dirty-blonde hair had been washed and now curled neatly. Her striking purple eyes had regained some of their lost vibrance. Overall, she looked significantly better than she had that morning — at the very least, she was cleaner.

Jack exhaled again, realising that Lupus's claim wasn't entirely baseless. Frain was undoubtedly better off with her than with those vile merchants.

"Come on! Pet her!" Lupus suddenly suggested, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.

Jack hesitated. The Wildren clans each had their own traditions and customs. Would touching her head be considered acceptable? But since Lupus had suggested it, surely it wasn't offensive?

After a few moments of internal debate, he decided to comply. He slowly outstretched his fingers, hovering just above Frain's golden curls.

A low growl rumbled from her throat, her once reserved demeanour shifting into something far more primal.

"Lupy, is… is this really fine?" Jack asked warily, glancing at Lupus, who simply grinned and nodded encouragingly.

"She's going to bite me for real…" He muttered under his breath.

But despite his reservations, he pressed forward. The closer his hand got, the louder her growling became. Then, just as his fingers finally sank into her thick curls~.

The growling stopped.

It was replaced by a deep, contented purring.

Jack blinked in mild surprise, a wry smile creeping onto his face as he observed the two. He hadn't expected that.

Then, without warning, Frain suddenly snapped back. Her mouth parted, exposing human-like teeth as she lunged at his fingers. Jack was too slow to react.

"Ouch!~Wait… huh?"

Instead of sinking her teeth into his flesh, Frain merely latched onto his index finger, sucking on it gently before grooming it with her tongue.

Jack stiffened. Her tongue was rough, textured differently from a human's. The sensation was strange, oddly soothing yet completely foreign.

Then, clarity hit him.

His face turned crimson as he quickly yanked his hand away. "W~what the hell was that?!" He gasped.

Lupus's laughter erupted instantly. "Gotcha! Hahahaha!"

Ding!

The microwave's chime momentarily halted the commotion. Lupus retrieved the heated sausages and served them to Frain, who practically lit up with joy.

Jack watched in silence as she eagerly devoured her meal. She must have been starving all this time under the slave merchants — probably deprived of proper food, especially protein.

At the very least, he thought, watching her eat was easier on his nerves than whatever the hell just happened moments ago.