Chapter 9 : Devil in the details

MAXINE. Morning rolls in like a boulder tumbling down a hill, crushing a village, and flattening everyone in there. By everyone, I mean me. Because I was really hoping I would die in my sleep or something. Unfortunately, I’m here at the top bunk, sharing the room with Biance and Vivienne. Wearing the same gray overalls and boots as them. The same beeping little mechanism on my neck. Soon to look like them. Act like them. Be them. I slide off the bed and stare at the wall, like what Bianca and Vivienne are doing right now. I believe they are waiting for Overseer Asshole to come by and give them threats for breakfast. Now I have to chew on that too just like everyone else. “How did you sleep, Bi?” Vivienne asks. “I slept well,” she answers. “How about you, Viv?” “I slept well,” Vivienne says. They sound like robots. I’m going to go insane here. Don’t get me wrong. They’re both very lovely women who have been nothing but kind to me. But holy hell, I really can’t stand the robotic conversations and the similarity of everything. “How did you sleep, Maxine?” they ask at the same time like a couple of zombies. “Good,” is all I say, surprised at myself for hoping for Amarantha to come and ruin this little party. But of course, she doesn’t. And Bianca is now watching me with a curious expression. “You were talking in your sleep, you know. You kept talking about someone called Livia, and you kept calling for your mother.” My face goes hot. I feel like someone just snatched my clothes and left me naked. Out of sheer curiosity, I open my mouth to ask what exactly I said about those two important people, but that’s when the door opens. “The Goddess grants us another day,” the two start to say, but they falter when they see that it’s not the Overseer. It’s a young man, maybe a couple of years older than me. He’s wearing the same gray uniform but he has some kind of a badge on his chest, in the shape of a crescent moon. I can’t make out the words written on it. “Hey, there.” He smiles, brushing his yellow blond hair back. “Good morning, ladies. Bianca and Vivienne… well, you know me already. But Maxine Kane, it’s so nice to meet you.” “Who are you?” “I’m Jonathan Hale, assistant to the Overseer. She instructed me to take you to her office today for an orientation.” “Orientation,” I repeat. “Right.” “Both of you can go on with your usual routines,” he says, and with that, he turns around and leaves, walking slowly so I can follow him. The walk to the office is awkward and silent. Or at least, I’m silent. He’s whistling like a cheery boy and it’s strange because I’m pretty sure he’s the only one I’ve seen with some kind of life force left in him. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he’s assistant to the devil incarnate. Maybe he has some perks that the rest of us normies don’t have. “Don’t worry, we’re not far,” Jonathan suddenly says. “I’m sure you’re—” “I know where the office is, I was there yesterday,” I mutter. He doesn’t even miss a bit. “Then that’s amazing! Right this way.” “How are you so happy?” I ask, not able to resist. “I’m sure you’re high-ranking and that has something to do with it, but the rest of the people here don’t seem too glad.” “It’s all about perspective,” he says after a beat. Suddenly, he doesn’t seem so cheerful anymore. He’s still basically skipping, but the little happy beat in his movements is now gone. “How long have you been here?” I slow down so he will follow my pace. “My roommates have been here for four and six years. How about you?” “Eight and a half.” He smiles at me. “Very close to my end date.” “What do you mean by end date? The day where they end you?” Jonathan lets out a laugh. “Oh, no. The end, the day when we all leave the Unclaimed Camp and settle in a nice pack somewhere. A pack of Werewolves, you know. Be a small part of something much bigger.” I frown. “What a strange aspiration to have.” “Well, that’s the rule of this camp for all of us. The goal is to leave the camp as early as we can, but there could only be two ways to it without having to wait ten years.” “Wait.” I freeze in my spot. “Ten years?” He nods as though this is obvious. “Well, yes. Ten years is the maximum stay here. Or at least, it should be. You see, this is just a temporary camp. Sort of a training field for the rest of us Human-Borns to learn about Werewolves and how to fit well into their society. There are only three ways to get out, and only two of those can allow you to leave early. First is, you can wait ten years or more, complete all the tasks and the schedules they have for you, and wait for the Overseer’s recommendations.” Fucking hell. I feel my whole body getting cold. I mean, I know that this is not just a weekend vacation since I found out from my two roommates yesterday, but I had no idea you should complete ten years to even have a chance to get out. Even then you have to wait for a recommendation from a hag. Knowing her, she would never give it to me. She might just keep me here for fifteen years. And what would be the point of living then? I would have no job, no love, no family. There wouldn’t even be a reason to be alive. I can’t stay here for that long. Never. “What are the other ways to esc—I mean, leave this place?” “You can have one Natural-Born Werewolf declare you his or her mate.” Jonathan’s eyes narrow. “Mate means their permanent partner, you know. Partner for life. And the last thing is… you have to be recognized as something valuable. Maybe something unique by any of the packs. Then, they would personally have to petition to have you in their pack.” Well, those are all highly unlikely. I’m nothing special. Bianca and Vivienne might think that I’m different due to the way I was turned, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing. “You will do great, I am certain of it,” he says, patting me on the shoulder. But I just know that I will do my best if I get the fuck out of here. And I will figure out a way. After a while, we arrive at the little cottage in the middle of the grounds, facing all the little apartments and the buildings in the distance. The door is already open. As annoyingly chirpy as he is, I wanted him to stay behind. But he just stands aside and lets me go inside the office before walking away. As expected, Amarantha is already there, sitting behind her desk watching me. There’s a small smile on her face that tells me she’s going to enjoy what’s about to happen. But I won’t. “Sit,” she commands, and I obey. “We will talk about your life here. There’s no sense going around it. You’re going to get a schedule just like everyone else. You will have one elective, but the rest are mandated and are for everyone, just done at different times of the day.” I nod, looking at the paper she slides under my nose but not really registering the words. She leans close to me, smiling with a certain intent. “I chose your own elective for you, Maxine Kane, I hope you don’t mind.” I clench my fists. “You have no right to do that. I don’t know if you’re illiterate or not, but elective means I have to choose. Not you.” “But it’s such a wonderful elective,” Amarantha croons. “You would be very close to your beloved Humans.” She taps on a row on my schedule and I see the words, “Sewer and Irrigation Repair.” Anger quickly flares in my chest. I glare at her and she looks back, still with that mocking smile on her lips. Her insult quivers before my eyes as I read the words over and over. Then I reach the peak. The crescendo. And that’s when I curl the paper into a tight ball in my hands and shove it into her mouth. Amarantha’s smile blocks the paper from entering her mouth, but I get my desired effect. She starts coughing as though it went right in, and I try to race toward the door to escape the consequences of the delicious deed I just did. However, she catches me by the back of my suit, then she slams me right into the wall. “I’ll kill you!” she screeches, the last word of her statement turning into a growl as she expands into a monster right before my eyes. But before she can tear me into ribbons with her claws, someone reaches out from the outside of the office and pulls me out into safety.