The New Normal

At no point did Chimera give her a moment's reprieve from his domineering presence looming over her like the reaper of death itself. He growled his words out, confirming what she had been warned about. She belonged to him, from now to the end of her days, whether they came naturally or at the ends of his dangerously sharp teeth. The way he said "break you" made her flinch as she recalled what Siren had said to her. When he gets too rough... When, not if. Pain was the one certainty she had living under Chimera's control. But to what degree of pain she would have to endure, the little monochromatic fae had no clue. Only time would tell.

He reiterated once more that she belonged to him, and all Aliana could do was give a frightened nod of her head, biting her tongue to keep from whimpering. Chimera didn't like unnecessary noises. "Yes, sir." He was going to be so radically different from all the other brutes the slavers had said she might end up with. Nobody had warned her about someone like him.

The sound of paws coming into the den caught Ali's attention, but she didn't dare to look away from her new owner until his own head had turned. She lifted her muzzle a fraction of an inch and turned her head to see another unknown woman step inside, only ever so slightly taller than she was. The woman didn't say a word, just made eyes at Chimera, leered at her, then stripped of her armor and headed back outside without interacting or addressing what she had come across. Ali reasoned that this must be Viper, the other wolf Chimera had mentioned.

Aliana remained silent while the event played out, and once Viper was gone, she noted how irritated Chimera had become. The monstrous brute stormed out after her, and without a second thought she followed behind him. He hadn't dismissed her, and although she was glad he was no longer towering over her with his jaws near her neck, she still had a duty to him and so she followed.

As soon as she made it outside, Ali found Chimera confronting the small woman, demanding she stop and tell him what her problem was. Aliana hovered just inside the den entrance, half in and half out, trying to make herself as small and unassuming as possible. She wasn't trying to direct anyone's ire her way, but from the way Viper had glowered at her, that seemed almost impossible. Chimera informed Viper of their new living arrangements, claimed ownership of her once more, then offered Viper use of her if she desired. That had indeed been part of Chimera's orders; if the other woman desired something from her, she would have it.

The tension between the two wolves was palpable, and suddenly Ali began to wonder what sort of dynamic she had been brought into. She'd thought Viper might be Chimera's mate at first, but judging by their body language and the way they interacted, that seemed less and less likely. For now she remained quietly on the fringe, watching and waiting for this to play out to know what she should do next.

"Aliana"