After I'd finished dressing up, I took stock of myself in the full-length mirror.
The virginal white slipdress draped around me lovingly, molding my figure into something prim and elegant. My midnight black hair was let to cascade down my shoulders in dark waves, and my makeup was done flawlessly; my lips were a blood red, and the pearls dangling from my ears shone scarlet.
Coupled with my pale skin, I probably looked like some vampire male's daydream. Couldn't be farther from the truth...
I wasn't a daydream, a nightmare was more like it-- I lived in one until I couldn't tell myself apart from the demons that haunted me.
"You look stunning," I told Eunice, coming out of my thoughts.
A curt thank you met my statement. I took it to mean she was still mad at me over our earlier disagreement.
"Come over let me do your hair," I offered.
She replied with a short, "I can handle it."
"I could do your makeup if you want."
"I don't."
A sigh left my lips. I tried to make my voice sound light. "Come on, Euni. You seriously can't be mad at me for giving my honest opinions."
The sound of her hairbrush hitting the table filled the cramped room. "Mad? I'm not mad at you for giving your 'honest opinions,'" she said.
"Then why are you giving me the cold shoulder? You are mad at me, admit i--"
"Alright, no!" she bursted out.
"What?" my tone was confused.
She stood. "I'm not mad at you for speaking your mind, I'm mad at you for being the way you are."
"The way I... am?"
"Yes." Her green gaze locked in on mine. "Distrustful, cynical, jaded. Pessimistic. You're never ready to see the good in people."
I was getting riled. "By people I hope you don't mean Vaughan Lupus."
"And if I do?"
"Then, Euni, I'd congratulate you for being the most stupid-sounding person alive."
Her eyes flashed yellow. "Stupid?! I'm stupid? Wh--"
"I mean--you don't even know him!"
"Neither do you!"
"Yeah, but I've heard rumors. He's cursed, Euni! A ruthless, coldblooded killer!"
My ringing statement hung in the tense air for moments, before she straightened and gave me a glare. "Rumors are just that--rumors."
A hot sigh left my lips. Shutting my eyes for a brief moment, I opened them and sent a small smile that didn't quite reach my eyes her way. In a measured tone, I said, "Can we, just, not do this? It's my birthday today and I'd like to not spend it arguing with my best friend."
Her demeanor cracked a bit, then after a while she gave a small nod
__
The engine revved and sputtered at length before Eunice's old Volkswagen pulled out of the driveway.
"So, where do we go to?" I asked, looking ahead at the road.
Squinting as she drove, she thought aloud, "I'd say... K-nine, but I should think, with all the preparations for the Festival of Lanterns coming up, every immortal club would be closed for the day."
"Then, we go to a mortals club instead," I suggested.
She pursed her lips hesitantly for a second. "Alright."
Mingling with mortals was frowned upon, among other things we could be in danger of being captured by Hunters-- human immortal-extremists.
They captured werewolves and vampires alike, locking them up in heavily sealed cages: and then they experimented on them in their labs for weaknesses. A shiver ran down my spine. The captives rarely got out alive, and the ones who did... wished they'd died.
I didn't have an idea what went down in those labs, but something told me it was worse than having just wolfsbane injected into your--
"....Earth to Hilda!"
A squeak left my lips. I turned wide eyes towards Eunice.
"You're doing that thing where you space out and look like you've just drank wolf--"
"I get it, I get it." Getting a grip of myself, I asked, "What? Were you saying something?"
"Yeah." She faced forward and swallowed. "Something about how there might be a teeny, tiny possibility that this might be a bad idea."
Using my middle finger, I tucked my hair behind my ear. I did this whenever I got nervous. "You mean, because of the Hunters?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we haven't heard any report of them since they were spotted at a bar in Newhalen last year. So, I'm pretty sure there's absolutely nothing to worry about."
"You think so?"
"Yes. Now go on," I waved her onwards, "go get your boyfriend to let us through the gates."
"Alright. And, Hil?"
"What?"
"In the boot," she said before going.
We'd stopped at a spot near the pack gates. It was obscured by closely-knit shrubs and tall trees. If you walked to the edge of it and bent a little to the right, you'd see the huge barriers. It was lined with large, burly werewolf warriors. Men carrying ammunition paced back and forth, some chatted and laughed loudly, slapping each other on the back, while some remained in stony silence, their eyes sharp and watchful.
The last time I'd been this close to the gates was six years ago, when I'd tried running away from the pack. I didn't get far though. I'd been brought back kicking and screaming to father, and his syringe filled with wolfsbane.
I swallowed. Opening the boot, I got in, leaving it open.
My dad, although not wanting to have anything to do with me, had his men watch my every move and report to him my whereabouts. Didn't want his little secret getting out of the bag... Or pack-house. I snorted, then sobered up. If he found out I went out of the pack's vicinity, again, and to attend a mortals club...
I steered my mind away from the thought of what he might do.
Approaching footsteps had me tensing. Seconds dragged by before Eunice's face came into view above me. I released a breath. "What took you so long?"
When a rosy blush coated her cheeks I pretended to throw up. "Euurrgghh. I'd told you to get Jim to open the pack-gates, not your gates."
Her cheeks burned hotter and she positioned her middle finger in front of my face. A giggle left me.
Her face suddenly turned serious. "You sure you'll be able to cope in there?"
I turned sober as well, my pulse starting to beat at a dangerous rate. I gave a small, determined nod. "Yeah."
She nodded as well, then proceeded to close the boot slowly. I was soon blanketed in total darkness.
And the memories came crawling back...
My mind instantly got thrown into a mindless turmoil, and my senses clogged with scents, sounds and sights of things that weren't there.The putrid smell of urine and aconite. The sweat trickling down my clammy skin. The feel of my bones melting. . . The sound of slow, approaching footsteps.A whimper filled my ears and I realized I was now sat rocking on the floor, back in Eunice's car. I tried to hang onto the present, but the memories were relentless.Like a large sea monster, it threw me back into the ocean of my spiraling thoughts, holding me down until I couldn't breathe, until I was drowning, drowning in my sea of memories. My chest constricted and a wet substance slid down my cheeks. I realized I was crying, inside the ocean?The pungent smell of urine filled my nose, and when I opened my eyes, it was to see father advancing towards me with a large syringe. The point of the needl
I knew my fate as well as I knew I was a freak. Dad was going to fry my ass.Over the years, he'd reduced the amount of time he tortured me with wolfsbane. Only injecting me with it occasionally, and as a form of punishment.Which he would give to me if Lizzy told on me. And I was sure she would. So it was only a matter of time before he sent me down to that dank cell."Hey," Eunice called softly, speeding down the road, not minding the snow. "Are you okay?"Using my middle finger, I tucked my hair behind my ear. "Yeah, sure, why not."She pursed her lips but remained silent.I turned my face to the window, defeatedly resting my forehead on it. I stared at my reflection, my eyes were a burning teal. Yet another abnormality.Sometimes werewolves e
It felt like it'd been mere seconds ago when we'd walked in through the airport's glass doors and into the wide, tiled halls bustling with humans, seconds ago when my bewildered eyes had soaked in every single detail like a sponge. Now we sat on the leather seats of the plane, boarding a first class flight. Behind me, father sat typing on his laptop. Beside him sat three pack warriors-- their size had initially given the flight attendants a scare. Now they quietly sat on the chairs, looking bored out of their minds. After a while I looked out the windows. My heart jumped into my mouth. The view was as exciting as it was frightening; at this moment I thought the two words could mean one and the same thing. To be this high up....Frightening!Exciting. Tufts and strips of clouds obscured the view below once in a while, but I didn't mind as the clouds themselves were rightfully asto
The discomfiting feeling instantly dissipated once we got into the house. Awe suffused me. The ornate chandeliers hanging several feet above shone down the enormous, white-painted hall.Around, collections of quaint furnitures and elegant sculptures were classically arranged in varying shades of white. Behind a tall flower vase in the middle of the tiled hall, a wide staircase rose up in all its magnificence to split into opposite directions.Greta climbed up the stairs and turned right.Walking along the silver balustrades, we followed as she led into a cavernous hallway. A single chandelier hung down, displaying a riot of exotic oil paintings on the walls. My feet strode on plush red rugs, my eyes soaking up every luxurious detail.Several twisting hallways and flights of stairs, which I all memorized, led into a narrow hall. The left side of it was lined with tall, elegant vases containing incredibly beautiful flowers, and its walls were co
Something was stirring within me, struggling to get free; or at least trying to get something across. But the niggling feeling, that wasn't entirely bad, was overridden by my fear. I stopped and waved the lantern in front of me wildly, saying, "Whoever the creep you are, show yourself!" I thought about my phone that was back in my large room, charging, and thought myself more the fool for leaving the pack-house without it. I felt a presence approaching me. Dark. A presence so dark I felt my wolven instincts flare alive for the first time. /Mate/ my wolf said for the... First time. Amidst my fear for whoever or whatever was approaching, I felt a joy so profound fill me that I started to cry. When I heard a twig snap, I became alert, putting my emotions in check. Whipping my head around, I saw nothing but the tall sh
After I'd finished showering, I emerged from the bathroom, a load of hot steam escaping into the room.I went in search of what to wear for breakfast, the young omega steadfastly at my heels. She began pelting me with rapid questions."How did you do that? I had no idea some werewolves had telekinetic abilities. Why had the Alpha been chasing after you? Are you a hybrid? Half fey? You know, I think you might be because you're really pretty. Do you kn..."My patience, all the while, had been stretching quite admirably to contain my annoyance. I tuned out her voice as I selected a pair of jeans and a beige blouse.When I proceeded to wear them, she suddenly fell silent. "You can't wear that, Miss.""Why?""For one, Greta would have my head. And two, everyone would be dressed to the nines. It's the Carnival of Lanterns!"My pati
Late evening soon rolled in and Nayla led me to the venue of the Lighting.I didn't know how to feel about seeing Vaughan again.Oh, I did. And not wanting to see him anymore than I did a syringe of wolfsbane translated to it.Colourful birds chirped above me, and the heady scent of flowers in the east gardens seeped into my nose.I noticed a portion of the garden were missing most of their flowers. Frowning, I asked, "Why are their flowers missing?"Nayla looked at the direction I was staring at. "Oh. That's because the Alpha always has flowers sent to newly weds, and their newborn pups."I digested that. My fingers trailing over a bed of white roses, I asked a question that'd been unknowingly festering in my subconscious. In spite of myself, soon after I asked it, I instantly became consumed by it, wanting to know..."Nayla, what is Vaughan like?"Under her breath she murmured, "I see you both are on first name basis, somethi
He drew level with me, then began that unnerving circling, his hands folded at his back."I spoke with your father this afternoon," he told me. I already did not like where this was going. "Told him I'd found my mate in his daughter," he continued. "He was amenable, ecstatic even, to the news. And there lies the problem."He came to a stop before me. I watched him, waiting."I am cursed," he stated the obvious, "and my reputation precedes me. Any father who truly loves his daughter wouldn't give her up to me."My heart clenched at the implication of his words; I lowered my gaze.My eyes widened when he touched my chin, lifting up my face. His whiskey grey eyes sucked me in, and his deceptively gentle voice lulled me into hypnosis. "You belong here with me. I could give you a home. Be mine a--"I tore my face away from his hold. "No," I said resolutely. "I can't be your mate." For so many reasons."Your disagreement on the matter would