The Seduction of Seleste

From the world of the mating season

Tala

Chapter 80

Six-year-old Tala scrambled down from the tree when she heard Sacnite calling her. She didn’t like Sacnite much. She was Daddy’s second wife, the lazy one who complained about her widening hips. She was always pregnant and always angry. Since Daddy had married her, she had given birth to three pups, all of which had died. And she was very angry about it. She treated Tala with disdain, while she was meek to Iniwa’s face and rude to her back.

Tala smiled as she sucked on the gap in her teeth. Iniwa was nice. She was Daddy’s first wife, and though she was pregnant at the moment, she was much nicer than Sacnite. She was always cooking sweets and telling stories. Naira and Rayen resented the fact that Tala spent as much time in Iniwa’s lap as they did. Iniwa patiently explained to her daughters that Tala needed her love as well. Tala knew why. It was because she didn’t have a mother.

“Hurry up, girl!” Sacnite snarled. “Just because you’re the precious crown princess doesn’t mean you can drag your tail!”

Tala ran to Sacnite, pale mane flying, determined not to lose her smile. She tripped and fell as she ran but bounced back up giggling. Sacnite snatched her paw and they started walking back to the giant hut where Daddy lived. Tala bounced at the pregnant female’s side.

“Calm down, child, do you see me waddling?” Sacnite complained. She grabbed Tala by the mane and tugged.

Tears started to Tala’s green eyes and she stopped bouncing.

Sacnite heaved a breath and halted, clutching her belly. Tala watched her fearfully. She had seen one of Sacnite’s miscarriages before. The blood that had run down her thighs . . . She started to back away but Sacnite grabbed her arm and they walked on.

“No, you don’t,” Sacnite hissed scathingly. “I’ve never given your father a daughter. They keep me around for one thing and that’s to watch you. If I keep letting you disappear off into the village, they’ll get rid of me, find a female who can actually birth a pup . . .” She sniffed miserably. “So you’ll mind yourself and stop running off to climb trees from now on!”

“I run away because I hate you!” Tala dared.

“Ooo, you brazen mini bitch --”

“I’m gonna tell Daddy you pulled my mane.”

“No . . . no, don’t him tell that. You won’t! You won’t or I’ll do worse!” Sacnite stammered.

Tala sniffed and jerked her chin. She tried not to smile as Sacnite watched her anxiously.

“Alright, brat, we’ll make a deal.”

“I’m listening.”

“You don’t run away for six moons. Six! And I . . . won’t yell as much.”

“And you can’t pull my mane!”

“Do we have a deal or not, brat?”

“Or call me mini bitch.”

“Fine!”

“Fine.”

They entered the great hut to find Daddy in the middle of an audience. He sat on his throne, looking as he always did: tired and sad. His black muscular body was wrapped in a dark feather cape and on his forehead was the circlet he wore for such audiences and ceremonies. As chieftess, Iniwa sat on the throne beside Daddy, wrapped in an earthy brown garment that covered her breasts and fell over her bulging belly in a thin veil. Her incredibly long mane cloaked her long neck and naked shoulders. She looked as sweet and pretty as ever and smiled when she saw Tala.  

Standing before the throne chairs was a small crowd of wolves. They stood as all wolves stood before Daddy: reverent and doting and humble. There were also several royal protectors in the room, all slouching about clad in leather skirts and thongs, leaning on spears, whispering. Tala’s favorite one – the one with the wings – nodded in greeting at her.

But Tala only had eyes for Daddy.

“DADDY!”

“Wait!” Sacnite hissed. “It’s an audience! Come back, fool girl!”

Tala ignored Sacnite, dodged her snatching paws, and barreled into the room. She wasn’t surprised when the many wolves standing before the throne moved back in a ripple to clear her path. Wolves always cleared her path. And now, all she could see was Daddy. She was glad to see the smile that spread on his face. He held out his strong arms and she leapt into them. Her heart beat hard with happiness when he lifted her into the air.

Tala giggled breathlessly. He was laughing too. He only laughed with her. Sometimes, she thought his laughter was for her.

“Higher, Daddy!” Tala squealed. “Higher!”

Daddy grinned. “Alright, Tala, higheeerrrr!”

“Eeeee!”

Someone cleared their throat. “Your majesty . . .”

Tala was laughing, hugging Daddy tight around the neck as he kissed her cheek, when they both looked up to find the winged one standing there. His name was something Tala could not say. Inbem. That’s what she had always called him. Though she knew his name was something else.

Inbem bowed reverently. “The audience . . .”

“You’ll have to forgive me,” Daddy said breathlessly and hugged Tala close, “but we must continue this tomorrow. My daughter is home.”

Iniwa sighed. “And the whole world stops when Tala comes home.”

Tala went very still when Daddy glared at Iniwa. She hated when they argued. Somehow or other, it was always because of her. She hid her face in Daddy’s neck and watched as a smirking Sacnite was helped into a chair across the room. Sacnite loved it when Daddy and Iniwa argued: it took the focus off the fact that she could not give Daddy daughters.

Daddy slowly turned his angry eyes away from Iniwa. He nodded at Inbem. “The audience is over. Please.”

Immediately, the room began to clear. Wolves shuffled out through the curtain on the far side of the room, and only a few of the royal protectors remained. Inbem escorted those in the audience outside, and yet another royal protector – at a nod from Daddy – escorted Sacnite to her room. Uh oh. Whenever Sacnite was sent away, it meant Daddy and Iniwa were going to argue.  

“Would you mind,” Daddy began coldly, “not emasculating me in front of others? I’d rather take these beatings in private. And preferably at night. I’m picky about it.”

Iniwa’s face darkened. “Keme, you know it’s true. The second Tala comes back from her seventh run away attempt, you drop everything to hold her. Everything.”

“And?” Daddy looked down at Tala, and her heart warmed when he smiled at her and said, “What’s wrong with that? She’s my Little Bug.”

Tala saw Iniwa smile at Daddy fondly. “And you love her with all your heart. But did you even notice when your other children came in?” She nodded.

Tala looked where Iniwa had indicated: Naira and Rayen were standing at the curtain, looking sulky. Tala didn’t like her sisters much. And they didn’t like her.

Guilt flashed through Daddy’s eyes and he wearily pushed his mane back from his face. He swallowed hard and looked apologetically at Iniwa.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” Iniwa said and lifted her brows. She rubbed a small paw over the belly that swelled beneath the veils trailing from her top. “I have to wonder how you will treat this new little one. Will she know she is loved?”

Daddy closed his big paw on Iniwa’s large belly and rubbed. “Iniwa . . . I . . .”

“I know,” Iniwa whispered and placed her paw over his. “Ever since she left, you haven’t been the same. I understand why you dote on Tala so.” She nodded her head at Naira and Rayen. “But they won’t.”

Daddy bit his lip as Iniwa eased herself up from her throne. He steadied her by the paw as she stepped down. Tala watched her waddle to the stairs, where Naira and Rayen met her. Iniwa extended her paw, Naira took it, and the two of them went up the stairs together. Rayen hung back a moment to glare at Tala, then Iniwa called her name, and she followed her mother and sister up the stairs.

When they had gone, Daddy sighed miserably. Tala looked at him with large green eyes. “Daddy . . . when is Mommy coming home?”

Daddy closed his eyes. “She’s not coming home, Tala.”

Tala bowed her head. Mommy left two years ago. She still remembered the morning she left, the cold fog, the crying villagers, the long and trembling kiss she and Daddy shared. Then Mommy stepped into a circle of light . . . and disappeared.

Daddy started to stroke Tala’s mane. She fumbled with her fingers, willing herself not to cry. Eventually, she remembered what was in her ear.

“I brought something for you, Daddy,” Tala said happily.  

Daddy frowned. “What have I told you about keeping things in your ears?”

Tala ignored him and playfully bopped her own head. A fat nut popped from her ear and onto her palm. She grinned when Daddy laughed at the trick.

“Alright,” chuckled Daddy. “But that’s the last time. Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Good girl. I love you, Little Bug. You know that, don’t you?” He frowned.

Tala grinned and nodded goofily. “Yessss,” she hissed through the gap in her teeth.

Daddy laughed again. “Good, my little clown. Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Tala wondered when Daddy rose from the throne with her. He lifted her onto his shoulders and walked toward the stairs. Tala played in his mane.

“To make sure your sisters know they’re loved too.”

Tala’s head fell back. “Awwww, do we have to?”

Daddy laughed. “Yes.”

“Whhhhyyyyy?”

“Because ten years from now, they’ll murder us both if we don’t.”

“Not if we murder them first.”

“Tala!”

The End