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As the rain pattered against the window, Katrina slowly sat up in bed, staring out of the foggy window. The rain seemed to pour down the glass in thick streams, and as a loud rumble of thunder echoed through the clouds, Katrina jumped, gripping her comforter with her small paws.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She called out in fear, pulling the comforter up to her muzzle.

As she stared out the window, a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky, and in her imaginative mind, the flash illuminated a creature with bright yellow eyes creeping just a few inches from her window sill. Seeing the creature fade into the darkness, Katrina kicked the comforter off. She was getting ready to run, but just as she moved to the edge of her bed, Juliet opened the door, filling the room with soft, comforting light.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

With a soft, motherly smile, Juliet walked over to the bed and sat down by her daughter, reaching over to turn on the pink bubblegum lamp at Katrina's bedside. The little girl was almost in tears, and as she crawled into her mother's lap, Juliet wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, rubbing the small jackal's head fur.

"Is everything all right?" Came a deep voice from the doorway.

Looking up, Juliet smiled at her husband and nodded. His tall, lean figure almost cut off the light from the hallway, and Juliet looked back at him, watching as he adjusted his briefs. He had scrambled out of bed with Juliet when Katrina began to cry, but Juliet had beat him easily.

"Everything is alright love." Juliet whispered to her husband, slowly rocking the child back and forth.

As Juliet tried to tickle her daughter, she saw Katrina move her arms down, blocking her sides. She thought it would cheer the little girl up, but as she reached down to try once more, Katrina looked up at her mother with red, puffy eyes.

"No tickles." The little jackal said, sniffling softly.

Looking back at James, Juliet smiled "I think she just had a bad dream. I'll put her back to bed."

With a nod and a smile, James scratched his ears and walked back down the hallways towards their room, and as he walked out of sight, Juliet reached down, lifting her daughter's chin with her index finger. The little, white jackal did not resist, and she looked up at her mother, blinking her beautiful blue eyes as the redness began to fade.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Juliet asked softly, watching as Katrina nodded her head.

"I did! Then I saw a monster!"

Giggling, Juliet slowly stood and laid Katrina down onto the covers, letting her head rest on the cotton pillow.

"A monster huh? Well, he can't get you. No monster can." Juliet said, looking over at the window.

Rain was still beating onto the glass, but Juliet could not see any glowing eyes, and now, only the faint sound of thunder could be heard outside. It was obvious that the storm was quickly passing over the small town, and in a matter of minutes, the clouds would be silent.

"Why can't they get me? They could come in and steal me away mommy!" Katrina said frantically, pulling the comforter back over her small frame.

"Daddy would protect you. He's a big man, and he could scare any monster away." Juliet said, trying to reassure Katrina.

Satisfied with that answer, Katrina lowered the comforter back down to her lap, and as Juliet sat down onto the edge of the bed, she reached down to rub Katrina's hair. It was just after midnight, and Juliet knew that Katrina would never go back to sleep if she left the room now. James would just have to wait.

"Mommy, will you tell me a bedtime story?"

Looking down at the young jackal, Juliet smiled happily. Katrina was only six years old, and it was nice that she still loved fairy tales and bedtime stories. Reaching over to her night stand, Katrina picked up the magical wand that her father had bought for her to play with, and she held it close to her heart, looking up at her mother to await a new tale.

"How about I tell you a true story tonight. Is that okay?"

Nodding, Katrina gripped her wand tighter, staring up at her mother with wide, hopeful eyes. "Is it really a true story mama?"

"Of course. I would never lie to you sweetheart." Juliet said, shifting so that she was sitting across from her daughter with her legs crossed, adjusting her silk robe to cover her legs.

Looking over at her daughter, Juliet noticed how much Katrina was beginning to resemble her. Even in the sitting position, Katrina seemed to mirror her mother, crossing her legs and sitting up straight with her ears perked, but that wasn't all. Their resemblance in looks was almost uncanny. Of course, they were both white jackals, but the only noticeable difference between them was that Katrina had gained her father's blue eyes. They were absolutely beautiful on the little girl, and they always seemed to glow in the light, reminding Juliet of the ocean.

"It's a story about our family. Even though we live here in Michigan, our ancestors used to live in Egypt, and there was a beautiful queen that my great grandmother used to tell me about. Her name was Queen Akeela."

Twitching her ears, Katrina tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What's so special about her?"

Smiling, Juliet leaned closer, pretending to tell her daughter a secret. "She's special, because she wasn't always a royal. She was a slave first."

"How did she become a Queen then?" Katrina demanded, waving the wand in the air like a magical fairy.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?" Juliet asked in a playful tone, putting her hands on her hips, watching her daughter smile.

"Yes. Sorry mama. I'm listening."

"Good." Juliet said, watching as her daughter leaned forward to listen to the story with her eyes glowing in anticipation. Now, Katrina was hanging on her mother's every word.

__

"She's a fine one." The male spoke, running his large paw over the female's soft ears, and with a growl, the female moved away, looking up at the large, black jackal in front of her.

"She's beautiful, but she's a handful. Usually, males want a slave that is already tame. She's an escape artist. I'll tell you that, but the selling point is she's never been tamed enough to be taken. So, for a slave, she's still as pure as can be." The merchant said, smirking as he stared down at the female.

"What's your name darling?" The jackal asked, staring at the rags that covered the female's white fur.

"Akeela." She whispered, fidgeting with the shackles around her wrists.

"Beautiful name too. It's a shame she's a white jackal though." The jackal said to the merchant, debating on purchasing the female.

"Is there any other color more suiting for a slave?" The merchant asked, and both men burst out into laughter, holding their beer gutted bellies in place as the laughter rumbled out of their mouths.

Several decades before, the first white jackal was born to a royal family. The family was overjoyed, thinking that the white coloration of the child's fur was a sign from the heavens, and so, he was treated differently than his brothers. As time would tell, he grew up to be a ruthless man. He killed several men for enjoyment and raped many females for pleasure. After seeing his true nature, his parents banished him out of their kingdom; they could not bear the thought of having him killed, and as a result, he wandered the countryside going from town to town.

Through his travels, he mated with several women, producing more of his white offspring, and because of his influence, the young children were thought of as inferior, and they emerged as a slave race. Even though most white jackals were kind and loving, they were still viewed as ungrateful slaves.

"You're a good man, but I think I'll pass her up. The virgins are always more expensive, and I really want a slave I can just wreck." The man smiled, reaching over to tug Akeela's ear in a harsh, demeaning manner, and she growled, nipping at his fingers.

As the man walked away, the merchant smirked, lifting Akeela's chin with his fingers.

"You know, I make you expensive to make sure that a duke or lord or even pharaoh can purchase you instead of these low lives. You should be grateful to me." The merchant said, smiling down to her. It was a sickening smile that churned Akeela's stomach into knots, but she couldn't pull her head back from him.

"I'm so grateful." Akeela snapped in a harsh, sarcastic tone.

Pulling her chin from his grip, Akeela felt her dark, red hair sway with the force of her pull. As if being a white jackal wasn't bad enough, Akeela was blessed with another unusual trait. Her hair was the strangest shade of red. It curled in light waves like the ocean and resembled fresh droplets of blood--crimson. She had never seen anyone else with the same color hair, but she figured it was just one of the few gifts from her father whom she had never met; her mother certainly hadn't had it.

"I could just sell you to a breeding house. They would love you there dear." The merchant chanted.

Looking down at the ground, Akeela pretended to cry, bouncing her shoulders in short motions as she made sobbing, choking noises. Behind her back, she had managed to turn her shackle enough to allow her claw into the lock, and she flicked her claw, feeling the shackle come undone.

Leaning forward, the merchant patted her head, and a smirk spreading over her lips. She was finally going to escape. Lifting her paws slowly, she watched as he unknowingly leaned closer. He was leaning in to take in her scent, and as he nuzzled into her neck, she growled, pulling her hand up to strike.

"Oh, no dearie." Came a deep voice from behind her, yanking her arms tightly behind her.

"Ah!" The jackal yelled in pain, trying to pull her paws forward, but the pain only increased. "Let go!"

"This one was about to get ahold of your neck." Purred the large lion from behind Akeela.

Huffing in anger, the merchant stood, staring down at the white jackal before looking up at the lion who had possibly saved his life.

"Thank you stranger." He said, glaring back down at the jackal.

Tugging her arms, Akeela groaned as she felt the metal clamp snap back around her wrist. All she could do was hang her head in defeat. It would seem that she was always meant to be shackled and bound.

"I may have to punish her."

The voice may have come from the merchant, but Akeela was too busy looking behind him at the civilians walking through the dusty roads. Why were they allowed to be free and she wasn't? Watching a small boy tug on his mother's robe, Akeela was forced to look back down at the ground, feeling a tear crawl down her cheek.

"Punish me all you want," She whispered, clenching her paws into fists. "But I will never stop fighting."

"She's so strong minded for a slave." The lion said, smirking. "The right master can set her straight, but in the time being, you could give her a good lashing."

Hearing the lion's words, the merchant nodded. He had considered punishing her in that way, but he thought scars would bring down her value as a slave, and since most males bought their slaves for show as well as pleasure, it made sense.

"You really think that would help?" The merchant asked, looking down at the whip twisted in tight circles to his belt.

Of course, he had been wearing the whip for show and hardly ever used it, but he didn't want to seem childish in front of the lion.

"It always works on my slaves." The lion said, cocking his head to the side with a smirk.

Helpless, Akeela could only listen as the men contemplated her punishment, but as she tried to zone out their voices, she closed her eyes tightly. There was a soft breeze drifting over her fur, and as the breeze hugged her muzzle, she could smell the pure mist of the Nile. For a moment, she imagined dipping her feet into the cool water and watching the boats drift by. The grass would be swaying along with the breeze that touched her face, and most importantly, she would not be bound on her knees in the dust.

"I'll show you." The lion spoke behind her, grabbing at her shackled hands and making her eyes open wide.

Sadly, her vision of the river was gone, and as the male pushed her forward, she felt her face hit the dust. She was still on her knees, but as she tried to sit up, the male reached down, pushing her back down to the ground with his heavy foot.

"Stay there." He commanded, holding his hand out in anticipation for the whip.

Seeing the whip had been taken off of the merchant's belt, Akeela began to pant. She had never been lashed before, but she knew it wasn't pleasant, and from the corner of her eyes, she could see the peasants and civilians stop to stare at her. Some seemed to be watching in curiosity. Others, mostly women, shielded their children's eyes. They knew what was coming, and Akeela didn't blame them for looking away.

"Remember, you deserve this slave." The merchant chanted.

As Akeela opened her mouth to speak, there was a sharp pain that ripped from her lower back all the way up to her shoulder, and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming in agony. The lash had ripped her clothes, making the cool mist dance on her back fur, rubbing against the growing welt from the Lion's first blow.

The lion continued to strike without mercy, and each time, Akeela cried out in agony, feeling hot tears running down her cheeks. She could see the water droplets land in the dust, making dark circles, and as the lion drew back for one last blow, the merchant stopped him, reaching up to grab the whip.

"That's enough. You're ruining my merchandise." He said angrily, rolling the whip back up and tying it to his waist.

The whip was practically dripping with Akeela's blood, and as the merchant noticed his blood stained paws, he wiped them onto the sleeve of Akeela's clothes, sighing heavily. It was obvious that the lion had gone too far, but he was still satisfied with himself.

Laying helpless on the ground, Akeela could feel her body shaking. The whip had managed to nip her arms in addition to her back, and as the smell of blood overpowered the crisp scent of mist, more tears began to pour from her eyes, covering the dust. Her back felt raw, and as she tried to move, she felt her skin groaning in agony, refusing to move.

"Come on slave." The merchant said, pulling Akeela up to her feet.

With a loud cry in protest, Akeela moved with the merchant. He had no intensions of sparing her any pain. Carelessly, he led her back over to the small crate that was her home and pushed her inside, making her fall back directly onto the puffy welts. The pain was almost unbearable, and as she landed on the ground, the searing pain made her breath leap from her lungs. She had no choice but to lay motionless as the merchant snapped her cage shut once again, and as the click of the lock filled her ears, she felt her hopes of escaping dwindling.

__

"Wake up."

Snapping her eyes open, Akeela looked out of her cage, seeing the merchant fumbling with his keys. She was still in pain, and as he gripped her arm and tugged her forward, she slowly crawled out of the crate, standing up even though her back ached and screamed in protest. Somewhere during the night, her back had stopped bleeding, but now, the welts and cuts were starting to scab, and as the merchant pulled her along, she could feel her skin tugging, opening up fresh wounds.

As she followed the merchant, he led her down the street to the local bartering and sales post. The area basically consisted of a small wooden stage that had been hand built by other slaves, and it was usually used for auctions and trades among the people. If a person wanted something, the sales post was the place to go, and of course, the best thing to sell was a slave.

"Maybe you'll get sold today." The merchant laughed, walking behind her as he held her leash in his paw. "If not," He began, reaching forward to slip his paw under her skirt from behind. His fingers rubbed against the base of her tail and over her plump cheeks. "I can always just take that tail. I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

Cringing, Akeela said nothing. It happened every time she went to auction and didn't get sold; he threatened to take her. There was no changing it, but she knew that this time he meant every word.

Instead of causing trouble, she simply kept her mouth shut and walked with him to the stage where other females were already being sold off. The merchant waited until the auctioneer called him, and he dragged Akeela onto the stage by her paw, trying to hide Akeela's wrecked back from the audience.

"Look right here! I have this beautiful white Jackal for slave purposes." The merchant cheered, holding Akeela's arm tightly. "And if her looks aren't enough, she's a guaranteed virgin."

Whimpering softly, Akeela heard people begin to bid, but the merchant shook his head, naming a higher price. Some of the males walked away, but just as the merchant was about to push Akeela off, another male called out.

"Wait!" He yelled, walking to the front of the stage. "I want her." He said, looking the merchant straight in the eyes.

The male was a small, black Jackal. There was no way he could dominate a female since he looked so fragile, but he did seem determined, and the merchant loved a challenge. Thinking he could swindle the small male for more money, the merchant rubbed his chin, looking over Akeela.

"Sir, I'm not sure you could afford her. You heard my price. Match it." The merchant demanded, and the small male simply smiled, dropping a bag of coins onto the wooden stage.

Narrowing his eyes, the merchant picked up the bag and began to open it, moving the coins over his fingers. Taking his time, the merchant counted out every coin, and once he was satisfied, he nodded, letting the black jackal take ahold of the end of Akeela's leash.

"Come with me." He whispered to Akeela, being careful not to touch her back. He could see the blood on her old clothes, and honestly, that was one of the reasons he had bought her. "I'll get you fixed up."

Stumbling with the male through the streets, Akeela felt her body starting to ache from lack of sleep, lack of blood, and fatigue. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer, but the small male could see he needed to hurry. Leading Akeela to a large, beautiful black carriage with golden trim, the male helped her inside, letting her lay down onto the bench.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling him gently guiding her into the carriage to sit down.

"Don't thank me. I'm not your owner." He said quietly, sitting next to her. "I'm a servant of the queen." He whispered, watching as Akeela began to fall asleep on the seat. Slowly, she tried to open her mouth to speak, but her body was too drained. The movement of the carriage made her body sway forward, and as her eyes began to droop, she felt the soft breeze kiss her muzzle, sending her on to her new home.

__

Reaching forward, Juliet rubbed Katrina's head. The little girl was falling asleep, and as her mother touched her hair, Katrina's eyes fluttered open.

"Mama, why did you stop? I want to hear the story."

Smiling, Juliet leaned down, kissing her daughter's forehead. "You're falling asleep just like Akeela. I think we can pause right there for now."

"But mama..." Katrina began to argue.

"No buts." Juliet said, pulling the covers over her daughter's shoulders. "Get some sleep."

Snuggling up to her wand, Katrina closed her eyes, falling back asleep after the initial scare of the storm. Smiling, Juliet watched as her daughter drifted off, and once she was sure Katrina was asleep, she stood up, walking to the door.

Shutting the door gently behind her, Juliet walked down the hall and opened the door to see her husband James laying on the bed, changing channels on the television.

"I thought you would be asleep." She said playfully, crawling onto the bed with him.

"Oh no." He said with a smirk as Juliet crawled over her husband.

Straddling his lap, she blushed, feeling the large bulge resting just under the covers, and with a smirk, she wagged her tail, looking down at the black jackal.

"A woman's work is never done." She said playfully, licking her lips.

"Damn right." James said, pushing the covers down to expose himself to her.

With a smirk, Juliet reached over, picking up the remote and turning off the television. Now, she had to put her husband to bed too.