“Dancing Past Father”

Chapter 2

“Dancing Past Father”

Bridgette’s POV: 

        After my sister left my room, I knew I needed to be careful and plan my departure carefully and quietly. If I was caught by the servants wandering around the castle with multiple bags, suspicions would shift faster than a werewolf. I quickly pulled out my laptop and began searching for flights. The ball was at 7pm sharp with hors d’oeuvres starting at 6pm, which meant that I needed to be on a plane and in the air no later than 5. Guest had already started arriving today, as our castle hosted over 75 rooms, and many of the visiting Alpha’s were staying here. Another reason I needed to get out of here sooner than later. I glimpsed at the clock above my desk and noted that it was already 11am so I needed to get moving. The ladies in waiting, that were scheduled to do my hair and makeup would be coming in around 4pm. I had less than 3 hours to get out of the castle.  

        I quickly pulled out my credit card and booked the flight departing for the Americas at 3:50pm. This was going to be tight. I closed my laptop, gathered the computer and phone cords I needed, and my phone, quickly shoving them into my black backpack I had used for college. I then collected a few bras, an assortment of panties, along with some socks. I added 2 pairs of yoga pants and some athletic wear along with a pair of flip flops and my black sneakers. I consolidated some make up in a small bag and tossed in a black cocktail dress for good measure. I zipped up the bag quickly and carefully sat it on the end of my bed when I heard a voice bellow behind me. 

        “Britty, what be you doin girl?” It was father. I felt my heart sink and froze with my back to him. I was still in the sweats that I had slept in, my wild auburn hair contained only by a messy bun upon the top of my head. I turned around slowly, eyes down as not to give away my deviance. 

        “Dad, what are you doing checkin up on me. You should be with mother finishing up for the party tonight.” I said as calmly as I could muster, had he seen me packing my bag? I watched him nervously under my thick auburn lashes and saw him tip his head curiously and stare at my backpack stuffed full at the end of my bed. 

         “Why is your bag settin like that?” he growled suspiciously, only I could hear him thanks to my werewolf hearing. I smiled as coolly as I dared and walked over to him giving him my characteristic bear hug, something I had done since I was a small child. I heard him purr as he gripped me tightly and swung me around the room. 

        “Oh, my we lass!” he exclaimed with a growl, a teasing friendly growl a father would bestow his beloved daughter. “What are you up to?”  

        “I was just running some things over to Meredith for the party. I will be swift so that I can return and start getting ready. Plus, I can let Aurora run before I need to be a proper lady tonight.” My father chuckled, and gave me another hug, this one, much gentler. He smiled, his hands tightly holding my shoulders as he pushed me back to study my face. 

        "Some things need to be announced tonight my darlin daughter.” His tone no longer playful, a serious gaze stared into my eyes, his soft fatherly expression exchanged for his Alpha demeanor, his deep cerulean eyes bore into mine. I paused, dropping my eyes to the floor and submitted by bowing my head to the side. I knew what he meant, and I felt my heart drop in my chest. 

        “That’s not the way it should be father.” I whimpered, I could hear my wolf in the back of my mind whimper as well, she was devastated at the prospect of having a mate forced upon us. 

        “None of that now. You have had your chance to find your mate. I even foolishly granted you privilege to go to that human school, what’s it called, Campton…” 

        “Cambridge.” I corrected him respectfully. 

        “Ah yes, Cambridge. And I am right proud of my girl, but a wolf needs her mate. Someday you will replace me as the Lycan Queen and you need a purebred Lycan mate. Sometimes the Moon Goddess wishes us to take matters into our own hands Britty. And this be one of those times.” My father’s words burned into my soul. A chosen mate in my mind just felt completely wrong and against the wishes of our Goddess. 

        “Father, I still have time to find my mate, I am only two and twenty. Some males don’t find their mates until their thirties.” I rebutted. However, my father’s eyes only hinted a darker shade, and I could tell he was becoming frustrated with me. We had gone over this argument multiple times over the past couple of years. 

       “Males are different. They are not meant to bare pups, and a breeding female needs to be young and strong to bare her mate strong and healthy pups.” He rumbled with irritation, then his eyes lightened once more as a smile graced his face. “And what fine pups you will have! Now then, go to your friendly witch and come back hastily. We have a ball tonight.” He kissed me on the forehead and departed from my room, leaving me standing alone in the center of it.  

        I felt my blood boil at the idea of a chosen mate. There was no point in trying to reason with my father, we had gone over this argument time and time again. My father was a true stubborn hot-headed ginger. Once something was set in his head, that was the way it would be. My father had always been a fair Alpha, and I knew in my heart that he was simply trying to look out of me and the pack, however I would be damned if I would ever accept a chosen mate. It was against the Goddess and for that matter, I didn’t need a damn mate anyway.  

        I stomped my way into the bathroom, my mind was made up. Had I had any hesitation before, the interaction with my father dissolved it. I hurriedly showered, keeping my rich auburn hair still tied up in that bun a top my head. Washing my hair would take too long and it would never dry before I needed to depart, so I resorted to washing my body quicky with a sweet rose scented body wash, then swiftly shut the water off and stepped out, grasping a towel from the hook beside the mirror. I simply dried myself off and ran some oils into my long unruly auburn mane after taking it down and then sprayed some dry shampoo into it. I brushed my hair and recaptured my unruly mane into another messy bun. I was going to have to hurry to get to Meredith’s. I prayed she would understand and take me to the airport without too much fuss. 

         I shifted into my wolf Aurora, a beautiful exotic rare red wolf. Her coat was a rich ginger, much like my father’s hair, with deep auburn points and white toes. We trotted over to the edge of the bed where my backpack was still sitting and quickly grabbed it into my mouth and loped out of my room, into the hallway, down the enormous stairs and into the main foyer. A handful of pack members noticed me; however, no one said a word. It was not uncharacteristic of me to go for an afternoon run, so I just happened to be a little ahead of schedule today. Thankfully, some of my ordinary idiosyncrasies were going to be to my benefit and would maintain some ounce of normalcy. 

        I raced out the door and down into the pathway, heading to the forest. Thankfully, Meredith and her grandmother only lived a couple miles from the main castle that my family lived in. Aurora would be able to reach the cottage in no time. Then I would ask my dear friend for a few extra clothes and a ride to the airport. Thankfully, she and her grandmother were the local witches, and while they lived within the pack grounds, they didn’t necessarily have to put up with my father’s orders unlike others of the pack. I had even seen Aoibhe, Meredith’s grandmother turn my father into a pup once, and that had not gone over well with the Lycan King. 

        As predicted, it didn’t take long for me to reach the cottage and as I neared, I could see Meredith and her grandmother working in their flower garden. As they saw me approaching, Meredith set down her gardening trowel down and smiled happily to me. 

         “Britty!” she gleamed, and she rushed over and hugged Aurora. My wolf whined happily and nuzzled her excitedly, nearly knocking my delicate friend down. After a moment, we took a step back and I quickly shifted back into myself. I pulled the fitness outfit out of my bag and quickly changed into it, so not to blind anyone from my ivory skin. 

        “Lovely to see you, my friend.” Meredith greeted happily. She was of Celtic decent; her entire family was. Indeed, her grandmother was a very old and respected witch of white magic as well as a respected member of the council. 

       “Lovely to see you also. Hey, I need a favor and we must be hurried. May I borrow a small suitcase for a fortnight holiday I will be takin.” I asked my witch friend, praying she would help me and not chastise me about family and duty. Meredith tipped her head and pursed her lips at me, in the same manner I was famous for when something didn’t see quite right. 

        “Why would you be needin my attire?” she asked suspiciously as she raised an eyebrow at me, and then to her grandmother as she calmly and curiously walked over to us. 

        “Cause I be thinkin that Britty is makin a run fer it.” The old woman teased me coyly as she joined us, settling her vivid green eyes upon my face with empathy, and perhaps a little bit of humor. I couldn’t help my bite my lip with guilt, my instincts told me I was making the right decision, yet the loyalty of a daughter to a father, a subject to a King screamed that this was all wrong. Meredith gasped at me, softly placing her delicate hand on my shoulder. Her eyes wandered over to her grandmother’s face and then back to me. 

        “Are you now? Departing and disobeying ye own King and father?” she muttered to me, her eyes searching my face for truth. The rain had ceased, although it was still gloomy and unseasonably cool, making me shiver even in my sweatshirt while I stared at Meredith’s lovely face. Her emerald green eyes flickered and finally I saw a sparkle within them. 

        “Grandmother and I will help.” She smiled, glancing back over to the old woman who was smiling gently at my side. Aoibhe always had a way of figuring me out, in fact I often believed she understood me better than I understood myself. She hardly seemed surprised with my reaction to my father forcing me to choose a mate.  

         “I need to hurry then, I booked a flight for later this afternoon, giving me only a couple hours before takeoff. I am departing before my father can stuff some goofy nyaff into my bed and force me to take him as a mate.”  

         “Really now.” Aoibhe scolded as I called my future mate a simple looking irritating idiot. “But I do understand, and I am in agreement with you that a chosen mate is against that of the Goddess, so we will help you.” The old woman assured me, and I felt the tension fall out of my shoulders as I exhaled a deep sigh of relief. 

         “Go pack her some things and meet us out in the car. We will be waiting.” The old woman ordered her granddaughter, who had already sprinted for the house, her dark walnut hair flowing behind her. “Let us go then, we will head to the airport.” She responded as we began walking towards her automobile. 

        Aoibhe and I only sat in the car for a few minutes before Meredith leaped into the driver’s seat of the small economy car huffing, struggling to catch her breath as she tossed a larger piece of luggage on the backseat beside me. 

        “That was fast.” I mumbled. She had packed the bag for me faster than I thought was possible. I wondered if she used her witchcraft. 

         “Well, I may have cheated just a wee bit.” She admitted, as she started the car and quickly began picking up speed on the dark pavement road, leading away from our home. Meredith drove with a vengeance as we sped down the quaint country roads. A couple of corners caused the old witch Aoibhe to grip the armrest anxiously, causing me to giggle silently. 

        “I never fancied these things.” She grumbled from the passenger seat. I smiled and caught Mere smirk at me from the rear-view mirror. 

        My friend, more like a sister really, had always been there for me. We were from two different worlds, she was a witch, while I was daughter of the Lycan King. She lived in a lovely quaint cottage at the border of the pack, my family lived in a castle. However, whenever we traveled into Edinburg or any other neighboring cities, people always wondered or commented that we were sisters. Our physical attributes were nearly identical, both athletic yet curvaceous. The two outstanding differences were our hair and eyes; Meredith had long walnut colored hair with rich emerald green eyes and I had rich long naturally wavy auburn hair and deep cerulean blue eyes. My father had always teased us saying that our eyes held the path to the richest forest and the deepest ocean when referring to either me or Meredith. 

        We rode quietly to the airport with thankfully few slowdowns, and of course, Meredith made stellar time arriving to our destination. The woman, like me, was blessed with a lead foot and for once I could say I was pleased with her aggressive driving skills because I would be able to make my flight easily. 

        “Well sister, I will drop you here.” Meredith told me as she stopped the car at the drop off terminal, putting the car into park and leaning back to look at me in the rear seat. I smiled solemnly and nodded as I reached for the bag, she had packed for me. Meredith quickly placed her hand onto the bag, forcing me freeze and glance up at her curiously. 

        “Inside the bag, under the lining, is a vile of potion for you to wear daily. We don’t know anything about the packs in America, where they are, or anything. It would be for best for you to spray yourself with the perfume at least once every 24 hours. It will even hide you from your own mate. You will appear nothing more than human to any supernatural being. Hopefully that will keep you safe.” My eyes widened with surprise at the concern laced within my friend’s voice. I traveled all the time and never had her send something of this sort along with me, and frankly, I had not even entertained the fact that I could potentially be in any danger. It was then Aoibhe turned in her seat as well, her eyes blazing a deep-sea green, a color I had never seen before, and she appeared to be nearly in a trance as she spoke to me. 

        “The Moon Goddess reached out to me last night in a dream. It is likely that you will find your mate in America. It will be up to you as to whether you accept him or reject him. But be aware sweet child, the vision from the Goddess was clear, once your feet leave the isle of Scotland, you will never be able to return. Be sure before your board that plane that this is truly what you want.” 

        I paused, staring at them both, my throat instantly felt like I had swallowed wool and I felt my heart drop down into my stomach. Were they trying to scare me into returning to my home and attending my father’s ball? Why would the old witch tell me I would never be able to return to my homeland? I travelled all the time, all over Europe and Asia without any trouble, this was preposterous. However, her warning was one to heed, and it did cause me to pause before I took a deep breath and nodded my head. My mind was made up, I was going to America. 

        “You are both being paranoid. I have traveled all over Europe, Russia, and the middle East without a hint of problem. I am simply going to take a holiday for myself, so relax, all will be well.” I smiled as I tossed my black backpack over my shoulder and gave a reassuring smile to my two dear friends as I opened the door of the car and got out. Aoibhe’s eyes flickered once again as her green eyes returned to normal. 

        “I love you both. Don’t worry, I will be fine. I will text you when I depart and when I land.” I slapped my hand to my lips and blew them a kiss as I reached in and grabbed the suitcase Meredith had packed for me. I rushed into the airport, time was not on my side, and I could feel their eyes following me as I entered the building.  

        Although there was something in my head that told me this was what I needed to do. I heard Aoibhe’s warning roll over and over my mind like a recorder, causing me some anxiety. Why would she tell me if I boarded this flight, I would never be able to return? None of that made any sense to me. I slowed as I reached the security area and paused for a moment before setting the suitcase down onto the x-ray conveyor. I took a deep breath watching the suitcase and my backpack roll forward on the belt and smirked. It was too late; my mind was made up and I was going. Nothing would change my mind at point. This was something I just had to do.