The overgrown wolf was gaining on me, and my shoulder was aching from the weight of my younger sister's body. She was a good thirty pounds and three years old, but Lord, I had been going for at least half an hour. And I wasn't that agile. The wolf wasn't alone. He had at least two other friends smaller than him by his side, yipping and chasing through the lit hallways of the mansion. I couldn't find our host. I'd climbed countless stairways and trampled through several gardens in the variety of settings of this never-ending estate. All with the canines at my heels, barking for my sister's flesh. They wanted her. They were so close I could feel their breath at my calves and their jaws snapping at my ankles. Right now, anything that would slow them down would be very appreciated. Ignoring the hot air gnawing at my throat, I took for the grand stairs, clambering over the steps and heaving for breath. My sister hadn't moved from my shoulder at all. She only clung harder and watched the wolves behind me. They were trying to figure out the steps, but were making progress. It only gave me a few spare seconds. Nothing to complain about. By now I had reached the top of the staircase and was frantically looking for a room. Any room. As long as there was a door and I could put a barrier between us. Potted plants decorated the hallways and the lights were bright and warm and welcoming and yellow. But with savages behind me, welcoming was the last emotion I'd feel. There were rooms on this floor, and I tried to open the doors. Two of the ones I tried didn't open, which spent the extra seconds earned on the stairs. They were back at my heels. I only prayed the third door would work. I couldn't afford to waste anymore time, not if I valued my legs and my life. And my sister's, so to speak. The third door didn't open but surprisingly, the overgrown wolf tripped instead. This gave me an extra one and a half second until he got his balance back. The fourth door opened abruptly and my young host stepped out in his fancy tailcoat. The scurrying of the animals' paws behind me stopped and I heard them whimper. I also stopped, so very out of breath.
"Ah, Miss?" he asked, amused. Not surprised, amused. I became angry, but didn't have the lungs to speak.
"Who let the dogs out of the fence?" he asked, peering over my shoulder from where he stood. "My dear lady! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Ah! Is the child hurt?"
"N-no," I huffed, not feeling quite safe to let my sister down yet. "But they chased us through the whole estate and there wasn't another person in sight. Where were you?!"
"Sorry love," he said while passing me down and bending down to pat the overgrown wolf, "Injuries on the estate are to be reported to the maids on the first floor. You are on floor three. Not much I can help you and the child with."
I growled, switching my sister to my other shoulder, the one that wasn't aching as bad. "Kake, get 'er." he hissed. But before I could wait for the wolves to strike, I stepped into the room, closed the door, locked it, and barricaded it with my body while gasping for breath.
"You can't stay in there forever Darling," the host's voice purred from behind the walls. "When you come out, we'll be waiting. It's been some time since they've had young tender steak and frankly, I'm hungry too."
