Setting off again, Aribelle ran at a slower pace, hoping that the stupid woman would get mauled a bit before she rescued her. Maybe then, after losing a limb or two, the woman would reconsider her actions before being so careless. That happy thought cheered Aribelle up considerably and had her prancing towards the hunting party of wolves. She stalked on four legs through the trees, sniffing out the pack and finding them surrounding their prey. Aribelle snarled loudly, sending the other wolves scattering, then bending their heads in submission before turning and running off for another hunt.
Aribelle resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't warning them off, but rather snarling about the unharmed state in which she found the two intruders. Hiding her surprise, Aribelle shifted back to her human form, chuckling darkly.
"Oh, look what I found. Damsels in distress," Aribelle purred. "And here I thought I was coming to the rescue of some helpless maiden. Tell me, which of you screamed like that?"
The taller of the two men who stood before her glared at, the shorter, sheepish looking man next to him.
"My name is Thame," The taller man said in a rough voice. "This is my brother, Dru, who does happen to scream like a frightened woman."
Aribelle almost smiled, but instead, she narrowed her eyes at the two men. Both of them were incredibly handsome, though one named Dru was far less rugged looking. Thame had long brown hair that hung past his shoulders, thick brows, hazel eyes, square jaw covered in stubble , and full lips; his body was muscular and toned, and he stood nearly a foot taller than her frame. Dru had shorter dark blonde hair that hung over his green eyes, a pointed nose, and high cheekbones; he stood the same height as she did, with a lean build that suggested he would rather sit in comfort than work a hard, laborious day.
"And what might you two be doing here, in the woods in the middle of the night?" Aribelle asked harshly.
The brothers stared at her with raised brows, sensing the fury that simmered beneath her tone. Aribelle took several deep breaths, easing her tensed muscles. She had not noticed how close she was to pouncing on the two men and tearing them apart, but it would do no good to kill them before she discovered why they were here.
"Our shipwrecked off the coast. We had to scale the cliffs to reach dry land, and we found ourselves here, surrounded by wolves," Thame said.
Something about his voice caressed her skin like the finest silk. Shockingly, as he spoke, she found it much easier to calm herself. Though the urge to rip out his throat was still there, she no longer found it overwhelming and pushed it down with ease.
"Hmm," She hummed, removing the hood of her cloak as she began to circle the brothers.
She did not believe Thame's excuse for why they were here, truthful it may be, but her instincts told her it was not the entire truth. They were hiding something. Normally, she would just beat the liars until their words turned to complete honesty, and they showed their submission. However, there was something about this situation that she found rather amusing, instead of infuriating. It was almost as though Thame thought himself capable of protecting himself and his brother, judging by the subtle way he leaned to the side like he was prepared for her to attack, and he was ready to push Dru out of harm's way. It was as sweet as it was ridiculous.
"I'd like to know the truth of why you are really here in Jurot," Aribelle said, keeping the bite from her tone.
She circled around them once more, then stopped in front of them with a raised brow, waiting for their explanation. It was too much of a coincidence for them to be there. Jurot hadn't had any intruders in years, yet here these two were just a fortnight after Agatha's departure from the forest.
Thame's mouth dropped open with an audible popping sound, his eyes searing through her, looking dazed. Aribelle looked down at herself, wondering if she was covered in dirt or if one of her breasts spilled over the top of her corset. Confused, she looked back at the tall, rugged man with a curious expression, only to see him leering at her with a smoldering gaze.
"You are exquisite, darling," Thame said huskily. "I've prayed to the gods, asking them to send me the perfect woman. At last, they have answered."
"Funny," Aribelle replied, matching his tone. "I asked for fresh meat, and they sent me you."
Aribelle stalked to Thame, inhaling his intoxicating scent as she rubbed her nose against his neck. He smelled of the forest during a storm with a hint of mint, and with each inhale, Aribelle came dangerously close to losing herself in his scent. Until his hands squeezed her rear and ground her front against his own. Snapping out of her haze, Aribelle licked along Thame's neck, letting her fangs descend, then bit down until the metallic taste of blood gushed over her tongue. Swallowing down the liquid that tasted much like her favorite holiday spices, Aribelle stepped back and glared at a dumbstruck Thame.
"What did you do that for?" Dru asked shrilly.
"Because his hands needed to apply pressure to something other than my ass. Now he needs to see the healer, and if he wants to stay alive until then, he better keep his hands on his neck," Aribelle said with a careless shrug.
"You touched him first!" Dru shouted incredulously, looking rather pale.
"Learn quickly, intruder. I am the one who decides everything here. This is my kingdom. Your brother is lucky to still be alive, as are you. I don't care if I reach out and grab his ass, he doesn't grab mine without me saying he can. Understand?" Aribelle snapped.
"Okay, alright. Can you turn back into a wolf and give us a ride to the healer?" Dru asked, his breaths coming quickly.
Aribelle froze, indignation rising.
"Excuse me?" She asked in a deadly whisper.
"Please. I'm sorry. May you please give us a ride?" Dru said, stumbling forward, looking contrite.
"Do I look like a damn horse and carriage?" Aribelle snarled, advancing on Dru. "Perhaps I should just toss you back over whichever cliff you climbed."
"No, no, no. I apologize. That was obviously rude of me. Could you please direct us towards the healer?" Dru said in a trembling voice that reminded Aribelle of the piercing scream she heard come from him earlier.
"Yes," Aribelle snapped. "But one more insult, and I eat you both for dinner."
Aribelle snapped her fangs in Dru's face as a warning and turned her back on the brothers. Walking further into the woods, she called to them over her shoulder.
"Hurry along before he bleeds out. Or you can continue to snivel like a little girl and let him die. Either way is fine with me; I am rather hungry."
Aribelle chuckled cruelly as she heard the frantic shuffling of feet, the brothers stomping through the woods to keep up with her. With swift, sure steps, Aribelle navigated the woods, her nighttime vision impeccably clear. Though she did make sure to barely skirt by trees and not warn the brothers of any fallen logs or puddles of mud, which made for an amusing journey to the healer's hut. After fifteen minutes of the brothers cussing and shouting as they fell, walked into trees, and got scraped by low hanging branches, the healer's hut was now visible.
The healer's hut was a large structure built like a log cabin. Thick logs of cedar stacked twelve-feet high, wooden shutters that allowed for a constant flow of fresh air no matter the season, and a roof made from the fronds of Nasekian palms. The hut was dimly lit, candlelight flickering from behind the closed shutters. Aribelle knew the healer would be in because Aeson hardly ever left, whether there were people needing tending to or not. It was Aeson's firm belief that the instant he relaxed or left the hut unattended, that was when, as one, everyone would fall ill or become gravely injured. Aribelle didn't mind the healer's dedication to his work; in all honesty, she actually envied him a bit. Not a day went by when she didn't wish that she could put her plans into action and actually do something, rather than sit in Jurot day in and day out listening to family squabbles and trying to convince her people to fight for themselves.