The weather was getting cold and this evening was no exception Kyu stuck by the fire working on the shelf getting only the two sides made after a whole day, slowed by having to find non sappy polls, all Kyu had to show was what looked to be two small ladders. Kyu was used to being alone for a long time but all of this not taking was a bit much, so ventured.

“Tomorrow I’ll put the cross bars on and I will have a book shelf!” then shivered a little as a breeze took the heat from the fire in a new direction.

Sampson looked perplexed “why” why did he enjoy seeing Kyu do that little shiver so much….

"Oh I thought it through if my books are safe and off the floor I can use my duffle as a bed stuff it full of grass and that will keep me off the ground and a bit warmer.” 

Sampson “don’t sleep by the door. we leave in two days.” then he went to his cot as the sun had already set.

Considering that, Kyu decided to make the self easy to brake down. Kyu tried to think though the situation the last nights Kyu had slept in the corner by the door but now that Sampson was being helpful there was no reason not to be close. Vie and Kyu always shared a bed when she was home. ‘She was so strong and fluffy she radiated heat and had alway been the safest place in the world. was she really in trouble or dead… no it had to be a trick, this was just till the end of summer. was there much of summer left? there was so much travel just to get here.’ so Kyu curled up at the foot of Simpsons cot. wanting closeness, wanting heat but mostly wanting Vie to be safe. 

Kyu woke up with a large hand over their mouth and eyes wet. how long had they be crying probably talking in their sleep. it was so dark Kyu couldn’t see much but felt the long claws against their scalp. then Sampson was smelling Kyus rabbit blood hands as he pined Kyus head to the wall. ‘Oh no I'm in an Alfa werwolf den soaked in rabbit blood! I can’t talk, I can hardly move. would moving help?’ budump budump budump with hart hammering  the hot breath moved to Kyus neck a deep inhale and then dropped and Sampson was gone.

Kyu pulled their knees to them and shook ‘what was that why didn’t he kill me? why did he stop? did mom mark me? if her mark is still there then she is still alive.’  “its fine, I’m fine,” Kyu muttered to them selfs along and scared ‘it’s better then getting sold as a toy. I have to make this work I have to get on here I don’t want to be a slave…’

in the morning Sampson was still gone but a ruff bar of soap was on the counter and written in ash beside in was “go wash in the hot pool.”

Thinking that was as safe as any time Kyu did just that spending most the morning running the long distance to the hot pool then relaxing and scrubbing the pitch and blood from their skin, till Kyu was all pink and shinny. then they put on there new clothes for the hike back and the trip the next day. once back at the shack Sampson had restocked the firewood and was eating an apple quietly staring out into the woods. Kyu sat beside him “One of the gamblers that won Vie for a night hit me. I was little and it broke my nose. Yuki had it fixed because she didn’t like the look of me all messed up like that but I didn’t have a sense of smell for about five years. I have some now but you’ll have to tell me if, if i have a smell…”

Sampson struggled to keep his expression blank ‘a werwolf admitting they had no sense of smell was like a man admitting they didn’t have balls. if this runt was any less fit it wouldn’t survive fall, let alone  winter… but with Vie’s sent fading that may be best. there was no place in this cruel world for a weakling werwolf.’

He cleared his thought changing the subject. “I offered her this as an escape. she wouldn’t take it.”

Kyu head down still looking at the dirt  “oh yah she was tagged they could find her anywhere on the planet… she “paid” a surgeon to remove mine”  Kyu lifted their shirt to reveal and small scar just under their rib. “ Cypher checked that it was good and both got paid again…”

when Kyu razed their shirt a new clean smell hit Sampson and the fresh cream skin under their shirt seemed enticingly wrong to look at. so he handed Kyu an apple so Kyu would put their dirt down. though he kept thinking to stop feeding the kid he just always handed Kyu food. 

Kyu happily took the apple and set to it with the zeal of the young and hungry. but stoped at the core looking around for were to through it.

“Eat the whole thing” Sampson growled this was no place for wasting food and Kyu had to bulk up if they were going to even pretend to make it through winter.

Kyu pulled a face as if questioning the apple core if it really could be eaten. then set to it knowing the light was fading quickly and they still needed to repack the duffle. witch they did as Sampson slept. first unpack everything then sliding in the long sticks for the shelf then some clothes and then carefully the books then the rest of the cloths.

then knowing that the night was warmer by Sampson and that they were now properly clean Kyu curled up at the foot of the cot and slept.