Word Count » 3+
He was trying to understand, but struggling. There did not seem to be any greed or motivation behind her words - Having known only freedom, too much freedom, for his entire life, Sirius would never truly be able to comprehend the sense of claustrophobia the beautiful ivory woman felt within the packs she had lived in, and lived in now. He knew ownership - The slaves were testimony of that, beings that Salsola had fashioned into items, belongings, and nothing more. And it was true that his olive eyes measured those around him in worth. He had known a man in the ports of Freetown who traded such pathetic slaves for their value in other items. A beautiful woman like Tayui could be worth many sheep, or at least a good horse. But this was not a manner in which he could think of her, for unlike the slaves, she was not 'owned' by him, and nor would she ever be.
So many of them were willing to please that he had become accustomed to it, expectant of it. Nobody defied the Thistle King, not within the barbed chambers of his own kingdom. Was she defying him now? He could not be sure, and this was the cause of his struggle to understand. She was afraid of him. Sirius could smell the fear on her, could see in in the way she flinched from his cold, calculating gaze. This, too, confused him. He had been a boy once, a boy that she had spoken kindly to, and although the man had shed his skin and become serpentine and cunning, he had not forgotten the woman with the soft voice and the pretty smile. He did not seek to hurt her, nor would he. Why should she know fear?
The confusion irritated him, much like being denied a treat would irritate a spoiled child. The Thistle King was used to knowing all things within his realm, but she was an anomaly that even his genius mind could not comprehend - She was the answer to a question that he had not asked, did not know. What was she doing here? What was her purpose? Her response did not ease his growing agitation, and the man snarled silently, his narrowed pupils soaking her in. "Then what is it that you want, Tayui Aston, woman from my past?" Although he spoke in a soft tone, there was frustration evident, rippling through charming, husky voice. He stopped pacing, black lips hiding the sneer that sought to stretch across his face, leaving it surprisingly blank. "What would you have me do with you? Send you away? How can I trust you to be within my pack, if you do not accept a use here?"
.siritxt {font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height:20px; letter-spacing:0px; word-spacing:2px; text-align: left; margin:0px 25px; padding:0px 0px 5px 0px; margin:5px auto; width:500px; }
.siritxt .inner {background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/8Hs2Q.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:122px 0px 0px 0px;}
.siritxt .ooc {font-style:italic; font-family:tahoma, verdana, sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:justify; margin:5px auto; width:100%;}
.siritxt .wc {text-transform: uppercase; font-weight:bold; font-style:normal;}
.siritxt p {text-indent: 25px; margin:0px; padding:0px 5px;}
.siritxt b {letter-spacing:1px; }
.siritxt u {text-decoration: none; border-bottom:1px dotted #000000; font-style:italic; font-variant
mall-caps;}</style>
[/html]