“Are you crazy?! That isn’t gonna work, Wolf!” Anna said with a shake of her head. Wolf looked down at her from the tree. In his hand was a stick and hanging from the branch across from him was a hornet’s nest.

“It is too gonna work!” He called down. He turned his attention back to the hornet’s nest. He just had to knock it down then run for his life. Easy enough.
“Paps would KILL you if he found out you were doing this,” she said. The threat in her message was clear: You do this and I’m telling Paps. Wolf glared down at her.
“You wouldn’t!” Wolf called down to her. She snorted. She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look.
“I so would!” she said. Wolf ignored her and turned back to the nest.
In the distance they heard a call. Wolf’s eye’s widened and Anna grinned.
“D’ya hear that?”
“Annalise! Faolan! Time to come in!” came a deep voice. Their father. Anna raised an eyebrow at Wolf. He looked pleadingly at her.
“Ann, please don’t tell!” he begged. Anna looked down and examined her nails.
“Whatcha got to offer?” she asked, her voice indifferent. Wolf heaved a big sigh. A little tradition between the siblings. They exchanged favors for silence.
“I’ll do your chores for a week,” he said. Anna grinned and nodded.
“Deal. Now come down from there,” she said. She started walking towards their home. Wolf quickly climbed down and ran after her.

…

Anna and Wolf’s father looked at at them. They were quiet. Too quiet. And Blaidd knew that, especially for his kids, silence meant trouble.
“So, how was your day?” he asked them casually. Anna giggled and Wolf shot her a dirty look. Blaidd raised an eyebrow. Something was going on.
“Faolan, what did you do?” he asked. He had a feeling his son was up to no good. He was jumpy and avoiding eye contact. The fact that Anna was quiet, but giggling, made him even more suspicious. Wolf went red and he shook his head. Anna giggled harder. Blaidd sighed and turned to Anna. If the boy wasn’t going to talk, then maybe he could get something from her.
“What did he do?” he asked her. She grinned and shook her head. Blaidd raised an eyebrow at Wolf.
“How much did you offer her?” he asked Wolf. He was no stranger to the fact that his kids paid each other to be silent on certain deeds.
“Week of chores,” Wolf muttered. Blaidd inwardly winced. Whatever Wolf did must’ve been big. A week of chores meant he’d have little free time. He wondered… Right away he knew.
“You were messing with the hornet’s nest, weren’t you?!” Blaidd exclaimed. Wolf went red and refused to meet his eyes, confirming his suspicion.
Blaidd told Wolf many times not to mess with the hornet’s nest, and yet he refused to listen. One of these days, the hornets were going to come out and sting him silly.
Wolf sent a dirty look to Anna and pointed a finger at her,“You told him!” Anna rolled her eyes. She dipped her her spoon and brought it up to her mouth.
“The deals off! Do your own damn chores!” Wolfe yelled.
Anna looked up at him, her jaw limp. She hadn’t told Blaidd about the hornets nest and the accusation was unjust.
“Faolan,” Blaidd warned, “No cursing.” Wolf ignored him
“No takesies backsies! I didn’t tell anyone!” She yelled back. Wolf crossed his arms.
“Too late. Already took it back. Nothing you can do about it now.” He said.
“That’s not fair you indian giver!” She screamed. Blaidd sighed. They were getting out of control. He had to do something.
“Children, stop it. Now!” he ordered, but not before a spoon full of beef launched across the table, hitting Wolf square in the face.
All hell broke loose. Wolf picked up his bowl, half full with stew and chucked it at Anna. Blaidd watched helplessly as the bowl hit Anna on the forehead, its contents staining her clothes.
Anna lunged for Wolf, sending them both to the ground. They rolled, punched, and kicked each other as streams of curse words were exchanged. Blaidd shook his head and stood up. He walked over to where his kids were trying to strangle each other, reached down into the human tornado, and tore the two children apart. They were both bloody messes. They struggled against him trying to get back at each other.
“ENOUGH!” he boomed. They immediately stopped. Tiny bite marks bled on Anna’s arm.
Blaidd turned to Wolf, who was on the verge of a transformation. Tiny wolf ears began to appear atop of his head and his teeth grew sharp. He didn’t get the nickname “Wolf” for nothing. He sat them both down. Than butterflies
“You can’t fight over silly things like chores!” he said sternly to them both. He pushed them towards the table and they sat in the chairs. They looked down at the floor. Blaidd turned his attention to Wolf.
“Faolan. You bit your sister. She’s bleeding because you can’t control yourself. Go outside and cool down - then, when you’re calm, come back in and go straight to your room. You’re grounded." Wolf’s head shot up and he opened his mouth as if to protest, but he didn’t. He knew he couldn’t win this argument. Instead, he jumped up and stormed out of the house. Blaidd sighed and turned his attention to Anna. She glared defiantly at him.
“You gonna punish me too?” she asked. She took his silence as a no.
“Because you can’t.” When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “You aren’t even my real father. My real father is somewhere out there and you’re not it.” She stuck her chin out defiantly but her bottom lip trembled.  she took his silence as a no
Blaidd shook his head sadly.
“I’m not?” he asked. She shook her head.
“Nope!” She grabbed her hair and shoved it in his face, “I have brown hair and grey eyes. You and Wol- Faolan have red hair and green eyes. I don’t even look like mom! She has… had… golden hair and blue eyes! You guys aren’t my real family!” she cried. Tears welled in her eyes. “And I’m gonna find them one day. My real family.”
Blaidd shook his headed and chuckled.
“And that gives you the right to fight your brother?”
Anna exploded, “He’s not my brother though!”
“Then what is he?” he asked. Anna gave a start. She hadn’t really thought about who they actually were to her.
“Tell me something. Why did you call my wife ‘mom’? Why do you call me ‘paps’? Why not call us by our names?” he asked. Anna looked everywhere but Blaidd. He continued:
“I think we are your family. I don’t care if we don’t share blood. You are my daughter, no matter what. I think you’re using that “we’re not real family” excuse so that you won’t get punished.” Anna said nothing.
They sat in silence for awhile until the front door opened and Wolf walked in.
“Sorry Anna,” he said, once he saw the tears on her face. He looked at Blaidd, then disappeared upstairs. Blaidd gave a small smile.
“Come on Ann,” he said, “let’s clean that bite up.”
She nodded.
“By the way,” he said, “you’re still grounded.”

End of Chapter one!

Next time:
Into Town We Go!
Anna, Wolf. and Blaidd hit the town looking for work. What they aren’t expecting are ferrets, crazy old hens, crushes and armed palace guards after chasing after them! Stay reading!