***
                          
Melisande's eyes followed the guard as he unlocked the cell beside hers and tossed in the small being. After locking the cell, the Wolf turned towards her and she bared her teeth. He scoffed before leaving the dark room. 
                          
With a grunt, Melisande shifted so she was looking at the shaking body of the Human boy. Unlike her, whose cuts had been healed over and nothing but dark bruises were left, the boy was still bleeding. He was skinny, his arms looked like they could be snapped like a twig. His black hair was wet with sweat and blood, sticking to his face. Her eyes scanned over his delicate features to his busted lip. Her nostrils flared. 
                          
Mel gagged, her eyes widening as she scented the semen under all the blood. She's been around enough of the older wolves to know the scent. Most used it as a warning that they were claimed but it was also a common scent because Wolves are so open with sex. But to smell it on a beaten Human boy, she wanted to clean him of the scent and punish the one who used him. 
                          
He whimpered, his pale eyes blinking open and locking onto hers. In the dark room, his skin looked almost ghostly. Melisande couldn't help but think, without all the cuts and bruises, he was beautiful. Long, dark lashes framed his large doe eyes and his cheek bones were high and sharp. His scent stunk with fear and she snorted, trying to clear her nose of it. 
                          
He pushed himself up, whimpering and trembling. The two watched each other, Him with unease and her with curiosity. 
                          
"What's your name?" He flinched at the sound of her voice and she winced. 
                          
"S-Salem." If it wasn't for her great hearing, she wouldn't have heard him. 
                          
"I'm Melisande, named after my great grandmother on my moms side. My family and friends call me Mel though, you can call me Mel. Can't say I really like the name, yours is cool though." She rambled, hands aggressively pushing back her wild blonde hair. "My dad's going to be pissed, Mom too. My brother Az probably isn't too happy either." She sighed and looked back to the boy to see him with his back pressed to the wall and his arms tightly around his legs. "Sorry, if I talk too much just tell me to shut up. I hope my dad gets here quick, if he doesn't tear that assholes head off, I will. Or at least the Council will, for exposing and treating a Human poorly. You know, I can probably talk my dad into bringing you with us. He hates when Humans are treated unfairly." Melisande paused to take a breath and look up at the boy, Salem. 
                          
"Take me with you?" His eyes were large and unbelieving, his voice still a whisper. 
                          
"Well, yeah. I can clearly see and smell how you're treated." She watched as his cheeks turned red and tears filled his eyes. She cursed herself for her brash words. "Um, sorry. I have a strong nose, it's what got me in this mess to start with... And I kinda wanted to prove that I can hunt more than rabbits." 
                          
Melisande looked around the empty cell, letting silence settle. She hated sitting still for so long and ended up pacing where she was confined. If she had to be here much longer, she'd pull her hair out. 
                          
"So how old are you? I'm fifteen but I was a late bloomer and only had my first shift last year. For a minute there, I thought I wouldn't merge with my wolf. But mom said she was a late bloomer too and now she's the strongest female wolf in our pack. I'm going to be one day." She stood to her full height and smiled proudly. Even in such a situation, she wasn't worried. Melisande knew her parents would bring hell if they couldn't find her and it wasn't like she was that far. 
                          
"I'm fourteen." He said softly. 
                          
"Huh. I was positive you were younger." Perhaps he's a late bloomer too.