Chapter 7: Ready For A Night Out - Mei

The past two weeks have been some of the most intense and thrilling weeks of my life. I’ve lost count of how many times Setia has kicked my rear, but it doesn’t bother me. Beating her would be the real miracle.

She’s helped me to be more comfortable in all my forms and learn how to use each to their fullest potential. She’s even helped me to better embrace my healing abilities. I can feel myself getting stronger and every day there’s a part of me – a part still lying dormant – that awakens just a little more. I don’t know what it means and some days it scares me, but whatever it is, I will embrace it when the time comes.

I’ve learned so much about the history of my people, including all our weaknesses. Just like how a mutolupus is vulnerable to silver, lupine, wulfenite, and wolfram, nagatas too have substances they need to avoid.

Setia explained that the Gods at the end of the day must keep balance and so, for every powerful being they create, they must have a weakness to maintain balance. I admit this was alarming. I went from so sure I was impervious to harm only to find out there are things that can not only hurt me but render me helpless all over again.

On the bright side, I’ve learned so many wonderful things about my mother that have made me feel closer to her. Setia described her as fierce, yet humble. That she cared deeply for her people and would have given anything to keep them safe. She says she can see a lot of my mother in me and that warms my heart.

Sometimes I find Setia looking at me with so much worry in her face, especially when she sees my mixed-form. The way she looks at my scales is with awe, but I see how wary she is too. Like she’s waiting for something bad to happen. I don’t want to ask her about it though. Whatever is going on, she’ll tell me. Though she does seem to be hovering around me, almost protectively and it’s putting Chris on edge.

Meanwhile, I’ve been able to help Tyson more with training the pack and I feel I have more to offer now. Setia’s training continues to come in handy and allow me to better help the pack.

Everyone has taken to their new roles perfectly lately, including Marcus. He actually loves being the Luna and no longer flinches or scowls when you call him that. Well, in all fairness, he hasn’t done that since before his Luna ceremony. Overall, things feel great. I feel strong and happy. I still have nightmares and the odd panic attack or moments of anxiety, but I don’t let them get me down.

We just had Tyson’s twenty-first birthday a few days ago and it was… well, it was an experience. I had attended birthday lunches, dinners, and special events over the last couple of months but even those were overwhelming. Big birthday parties, however, I had managed to avoid. It’s not just the large number of people that scares me, it’s that it reminds me of the parties at Albus Mons and those aren’t things I want to remember, but because I was doing better I made sure to attend Tyson’s – he is family after all. Fortunately, it wasn’t a huge pack party, it was just friends and family in the Gamma suite, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t wild.

I have never seen any of them drunk before, so that was a new experience. Apparently, there’s a special drink that is made just for supernatural beings that allows them to get drunk, which is near impossible with human alcohol. Tyson was dancing all over the place and jumping on things while singing to music and even did a duet with his father. Turns out they both have terrible singing voices – sounded more like hyenas.

Amelia was the biggest surprise! She is so fun and laid back when under the influence and was dancing on the dining room table, which I was told she tends to do when intoxicated – Marcus enjoyed that very much. Overall, I ended up having a fun night.

Can you believe it? Me, having fun at parties! I actually can’t wait for the next one.

Tonight we’re all going out to a human club as a treat for how hard everyone has been working. I’m a little nervous but I’m trying not to think about it. I keep my mind focused on my tasks, so I don’t start to panic. I’ve never been to a club before, but I know I’m in safe hands.

Right now Evalyn is in my room helping me find something to wear, but so far we’re not having any luck.

“Evalyn, it’s a very nice dress, it’s just…” I trail off as I stare at the black strapless tube dress in my hands. It leaves virtually nothing to the imagination and looks like it’s tight enough to show everyone what you ate for dinner. Evalyn is very confident in her body, so these dresses suit her perfectly, but they’re not for me at all.

“Is it the colour? I can get another colour for you! How about baby pink?” She says as she rummages through the dresses she laid out on my bed, picking up an almost identical strapless tube dress. Only differences are this one is baby pink and has rivets going around it. She holds it up to me with a broad smile on her face. “Oh, this would look so great on you! Yes, definitely go with this one,” she nods enthusiastically.

“It’s not the colour. I’m just not comfortable wearing something so tight and revealing.” Even if I was confident in my body, I don’t see myself wearing something like that. I don’t judge anyone else for wearing it, it’s just not my preference.

“Nothing wrong with being a little adventurous and trying new things,” she presses, her smile never leaving her face. Thankfully I’m saved when the door opens, and Evalyn and Chris’ mother Kennedy walks in. Thank the Gods!

“Lyn, leave the poor girl alone, you know your dresses aren’t to her taste,” she lightly reprimands her daughter. Evalyn huffs putting the dress back on the bed. “Now go get dressed so Lacey can do your hair,” she instructs.

Evalyn’s face lights up as she claps her hands together, “I can’t wait!” She chirps. She kisses my cheek and zips out of the room at full speed leaving her mother chuckling.

“Tyson calling her ‘Firecracker’ is a very apt nickname, wouldn’t you agree?” She asks while smiling at me. I nod, agreeing. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of finding a dress I thought would be more your style,” she tells me as she hands over a garment bag.

I smile as I take the bag from her, “You didn’t have to do that.”

She waves her hand dismissively, “Of course, I didn’t HAVE to, but you’re my daughter and I wanted to,” she says affectionately, and I can feel the waterworks starting again.

The moment Kennedy met me she treated me as if I was her own pup. She nurtured me, comforted me, helped feed me, bathe me, and even rock me to sleep. Until her, I’d forgotten what a mother’s love felt like. I know she’s not trying to replace my mother; she’s just showing she loves me, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I love her like a mother because she is one. She is my mother and she’s beautiful to boot.

Kennedy is 5’8” with shoulder-length mouse-brown hair and bangs. She has beautiful ivory skin and hazel-green eyes – which is where Chris gets them from. She has full lips, a wide mouth, and the most perfect teeth! – which she gave to Evalyn. She’s slightly more toned than Evalyn, but still more on the slender side. They look more like sisters, but I guess that’s more due to the fact supernatural beings age differently to humans.

I lay the garment bag on the bed and unzip it to pull out a dress that takes my breath away.

“Do you like it?” Kennedy asks nervously.

I hold the dress out as I look it over. It’s a white-gold sequin dress with a high collar and reaches just above the knees. It has padded shoulders and cape sleeves with a slit up the inner sleeve up to the armpit and the material flows down just a little past the hem of the dress. It’s modest, elegant, and perfectly to my taste.

I beam at her and throw my arms around her with the dress still in my hands, “I love it! It’s perfect, thank you so, so much!” I cheer as I feel her arms wrap around me.

She places a soft kiss atop my head, and I look up to see her smiling down at me, “Seeing you smile like that warms my heart,” she says as she hugs me close. I relax and breathe in her coffee and chocolate scent. That scent has become very comforting to me. “Would you like me to do your hair and make-up?”

“I would appreciate that, thank you, but not too much makeup,” I specify. I don’t mind a little, but nothing over the top. It makes me feel like I’m wearing a mask.

“Of course. Besides, I think Chris would have a conniption if he couldn’t see your natural gorgeous face,” she says making us both laugh. I love that Chris loves me just the way I am.

Kennedy does my makeup with just some concealer, a little shimmer on my eyelids, mascara, and clear lip gloss with pink and gold shimmer in it. She added some beach waves to my hair and then pinned it, so it flows over my left shoulder. She leaves me to get dressed and I zip myself into the dress along with a pair of silver strappy high heels – though I hate high heels – and then I put on some white gold tassel earrings.

I walk over to the full-length mirror to the right of the door, and I’m stunned by my reflection. No matter how many times I get dressed up, whenever I go to look in the mirror I still expect that broken and beaten slave to look back at me and it always throws me for a loop when I don’t see her there.

I feel him before the door opens. There’s a vibration in the air, like a pulsating beacon. I feel it whenever Chris is near, and it gets stronger the closer he gets to me. I originally thought everyone experienced this, but now I’ve learned it’s a snake thing. I feel his vibration because he’s my animai, and I like that. I smile with anticipation as the bedroom door opens and in walks Chris; my mouth instantly going dry.

He looks so handsome! His hair is up in a bun as always and his beard is immaculate. He’s wearing a grey suit jacket with a dark grey checkered print with matching pants and underneath he’s wearing a beige t-shirt. He always looks perfect in everything he wears; he takes such care of his appearance.

“Holy… I mean…” he gulps as his eyes rake over me.

My body curls into itself as I feel my cheeks become flushed. “Do you like it?” I meekly ask.

“You look like royalty,” he says in awe. He walks over and takes my hand and spins me around making me laugh. He pulls me close; his right arm wrapping around my waist as his left-hand cups my cheek. “You’re absolutely breathtaking,” he breathes as he leans down pressing his forehead to mine. My cheeks feel as though I’ve sat in front of an open flame for ten minutes.

“You look perfect,” I say smiling up at him, making his smile widen.

“Got to be on my A-game with such a beauty on my arm,” he winks, and I chuckle.

'Beauty is an understatement. You look magnificent, Sweet One,' I hear Axel’s voice in my mind.

'You’re the sweet one, thank you, Axel.'

'Naturally, I’m the sweet one, who do you think taught Chris?' He teases, and I can even hear the wink in his voice.

'Don’t you go taking all the credit, I’m plenty sweet on my own, thank you very much,' Chris argues, joining in the conversation.

'You wish,' Axel snorts, and again I can’t help but laugh.

“We’re almost ready to go, we’re just waiting on my sister – as usual,” he says rolling his eyes. He offers his arm and I gladly take it as I grab the purse off the bed and walk out into the communal area with him.

“Child, if you don’t quit wiggling around in that chair I’m going to stain your ass red,” Tyson’s mother Lacey warns Evalyn.

Evalyn blanches and immediately sits still, “Yes, ma’am,” she mumbles.

Chris and I can’t help but snigger.

Evalyn is sitting at the dining room table in a beautiful purple one-shoulder dress with sheer patches on the bodice, as Tyson’s mother does her hair.

When Lacey and James stepped down as the pack Gammas, Lacey needed something to occupy her time with when she wasn’t focused on being a pack warrior, so she started working in the pack salon. She’s great at everything, but her speciality is braids. Evalyn has hair that goes all the way down to her hips, so she is often getting her mother-in-law to braid her hair and Lacey enjoys trying out new styles on Evalyn; says her hair is the perfect canvas. Right now it looks like she’s doing what I’ve been told is a fishtail braid. It looks lovely.

“I will gladly volunteer to dish out that punishment,” Tyson says with a smirk on his face as he steps toward Evalyn. With great speed, Lacey grabs Tyson by the ear and twists it while holding Evalyn’s braid in place with her right hand. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Mamma let go!” Tyson cries as his body drops to his mother’s height.

Lacey is 5’9” and even though she’s shorter than Tyson’s 6’3”, the confidence and authority she exudes makes her seem ten feet tall. She has the most luxurious caramel skin, with black and brown dreadlocks which she likes to keep piled up on top of her head with a few strands hanging loose. It looks like a crown standing proudly.

Her eyes are a stunning golden brown that compliments her skin tone. She has thick, full lips, with her bottom lip being slightly fuller than the top and the cutest little ears. She’s very toned, which given she’s a pack warrior and who her animai is, is not all that surprising. She’s rather small chested, but her hips and butt dominate her figure. I look flat as paper compared to her. I know James loves her butt because he’s almost always got a hand on it.

“Don’t speak so intimately about your animai in front of other people, what is wrong with you?” She scolds her son, letting go of his ear. Evalyn rubs her ear – no doubt having felt what he felt – but is grinning up at Tyson smugly.

“Why you gotta do the ear thing? I’m the Gamma now, I’m not a little boy,” he pouts while rubbing his ear.

“Boy, I don’t care if you were a member of the Delegation and a hundred and fifty years old, I will still take you over my knee and whoop your behind,” she says matter-of-factly as she resumes braiding Evalyn’s hair. Tyson cowers a little. I try not to laugh at how intimidated he is by his mother.

“It’s okay, Mamma Lacey, I thought it was funny,” Evalyn says coming to her animai’s defence.

“A little manners around his mother wouldn’t kill him,” Lacey huffs.

“Annoying Amelia and your mother in a single day, you’re on a roll, Ty,” Chris teases.

“What did you do to Amelia?” Evalyn asks him through narrowed eyes.

“I didn’t do a thing, I swear,” Tyson says holding his hands up in surrender.

“Tried to steal her food again,” Chris answers.

Lacey throws her head back laughing while Evalyn sighs. “Baby, you know better than to steal her food. You’ll lose a hand or finger one day if you keep doing that,” Evalyn warns as she reaches out, taking his hand.

“In my defence, I didn’t know it was her plate,” he sulks.

“You’re a grown-ass man, other people’s plates of food are not for you,” his mother says.

All I can do is smile at the way everyone interacts with each other. I love this. The banter, the way they all know each other so well and love each other. I can’t believe this is my family, and I love them dearly. I’m going to keep getting stronger, not just for me, but so I can protect these amazing people because I refuse to lose any more family.