"I don't care,"
She had to admit it stung when he spoke, his words cold and judgmental. She was lucky the Guards had even brought her before him, honestly. 'What in the world are you?' the Guards had hissed, and while she saw recognition on the faces of a few within the pack many had stared with open mouths. It seemed Berserker's were still uncommon in these parts.
'They'll be sourly disappointed then," she had mentally laughed. "I'm small for my own kind."
And she was. She wasn't small for a wolf in general, but for her own breed? Ha -- she was sure her parents had been vastly disappointed in her birth. The Alpha who stood before her had also seemed slightly confused; had he met one of her kind before? She doubted it had been a positive experience by the way he tensed as she approached, but that was neither here or now.
"Please," Hysteria breathed; begging was not her forte. "I know it's hard to believe. Trust me, I get it. But I love her. And.... she.... she said she loves me."
"That's impossible," he snapped, his voice freezing around the edges. "She hasn't spoken since she has come here."
"Then how do I know her name?" Hysteria answered, pushing closer. Big Bad bristled, straightening to his full height. "s**t, he's big," Hysteria felt herself lean backwards, intimidated. Weren't Dires supposed to be... smaller?
"Isn't there a trial... sir?" Appeal to his authoritative side, yeah? The grimace barely suppressed on his face showed her that was the wrong move -- s**t. "Let me pass it. Let me prove myself. I'm strong. I'm a Berserker, surely you want someone like me on your side? I'll prove to you I'm worth it, and I'll show you our bond."
She grit her teeth against the desire to roll her eyes. She got it; he had a member in his pack who was under protective care due to her own mental health, he had to protect her. But she couldn't deny Melody or her the truth; the fact that a few nights ago Melody had snapped to reality. That she had returned to the front of it all several times around Hysteria. That they had shared something, and Melody had whispered a tender admittance to her love.
That Hysteria had whispered it back.
She had decided that night she'd join The Crows. That she'd become a part of Melody's world and her protector. It'd be a difficult relationship; one of many hurdles and struggles, but Hysteria had never felt the way Melody made her feel. She couldn't lose it; not before it begun.
"How do you know her name?" He questioned, eyes flicking to the Guards behind her. "Did someone tell you?"
"No. She told me. Sometimes she comes back. Not always... but," Hysteria trailed off, ears flattening against her wishes. "What do I need to do to prove my intentions? My honesty?"
Silence followed; pregnant and tense. Hysteria's chest hammered with each passing second. The Guards shifted, she shifted, but there he stood; still and calculating. He was driving her insane, honestly.
"A trial," he finally answered, voice lowering as he canted his head. "Unique to you. Return in a week; I will have decided your trial by then. Until then leave and don't come back. Don't speak to her. Don't come here. If you step foot on our territory your trial will be void." His tone hinted at more -- there was a further punishment he didn't speak of, but Hysteria didn't care. Her heart leapt, ears pricking upwards as she nodded vigorously.
"Yes -- yes okay. I'll be back! I promise! Thank you!"
words: 620
will make pretty tomorrow