I’m trying my hardest to deal with the crazy emotions that are fueling my every thought. From the moment I turned for the first time, every emotion has been magnified. Faith says this is usual, that I should adjust within time, but the only way I know to deal with what’s going on with the twins right now is to not deal. I’m going to focus all my attention on finding out what happened to me the night Noelle saved me. I know there is more to the story than my mother or Noelle are saying; I’m going to find out what they’re hiding. At least that will keep me busy while I give the twins time to do whatever the hell they need to.
After the shower at Nixon’s place, Alex calls me over and asks if I’d like to go look for a dress for tonight’s pack ceremony. To be honest I could care less about the dress, I‘m happy enough with the clothes I have in my closet, but if this means I get to spend some time with Alex then I’ll do all the shopping she wants. I’ve missed her so much. We haven’t really spent time together for a while and I just need things to go back to how they were before.
“It’s quite a drive, sweetie. We’re going into the neighbouring packs territory, they have more boutiques there than we do here,” Alex says as we drive away from the town.
“Is that even allowed?” I ask her confused.
“Of course, honey. Your father is good friends with the Alpha of the Crystal Bay Pack. He allows us to enter his territory, but… as soon as we enter his land we follow his rules; the same works for him if any of his pack cross our land,” she explains.
I nod my head still unsure how the entire territory thing works. I thought wolves were more protective over their land than that? Well… that’s what it looked like when I stayed in Point Bright; Jax’s father was very protective of his land. I don’t think Jax’s father really had any Alpha friends.
“Most Alpha’s don’t get along with other Alpha’s,” Alex says, obviously reading my thoughts. I quickly put up a barrier and hear her laugh at my side. She doesn’t bring it up though, she just continues to explain things.
“That’s the reason your father is so powerful and the ruler of many territories. Even though he is very protective over his land and his people, he also respects certain people and the position they hold in their pack; even if that position is an Alpha position. Don’t misunderstand me though, Angel. Johnny doesn’t just create alliances with every Alpha that crosses his path. If your father thinks there’s a benefit in becoming an ally with a certain pack and if the Alpha is well respected and runs his pack with dignity, then your father will most likely befriend them. Believe me, honey, that is not an easy task. Most Alpha’s are power-seeking dominant bastards who don’t trust anybody and equally can’t be trusted. The few friends that your father has made over his years as Alpha took a great deal of time creating trust and building the relationship. The Crystal Bay Alpha is one of the first friends your father made when he became Alpha.”
“What was so special about him?” I ask. This Alpha must have seriously impressed my father by the sounds of things.
“He wasn’t the Alpha of the pack when your father first met him, he was still young and the pack was run by his father who was a terrible leader and an even worse father. Johnny found Caspian on our land, running away from his father and in doing so running away from his future position as Alpha. The night guards brought Caspian in thinking he was a rogue, but your father could feel the power he held. He was meant to be an Alpha and he came from a higher rank than usual rogues. Your father spent time with him, talking to him and eventually he opened up, telling your father all the gruesome details of his own fathers reign as Alpha. Johnny convinced him to go back to his pack, assuring Caspian he would help him overtake his fathers leadership and that’s how the bond between the two of them formed.” She smiles as she glances my way, patting my leg before looking back at the road.
“What happened next?” I need to know how he became Alpha, I need details… this story intrigues me.
She laughs. “I think that’s the part your father should tell you.” She shrugs one shoulder giving me a small grin. “He knows the rest of the story better than I do anyway.”
****
Walking along the sidewalk, Alex and I take our time stopping at the various shops looking for the perfect dress.
As we walk I feel eyes on me, I’ve felt them all day. “So what happened between you and Drake? You said you two were no longer together?” She rests her arms over my shoulders as we’re walking. I freeze up under her touch and I know she feels it when she squeezes my other shoulder a little.
Think about the waterfall, think about the waterfall, I repeat in my head; making sure all my memories are locked up tight from others.
“He found his mate,” I say nonchalantly.
“Aww, I’m sorry, honey,” she says, tilting her head against mine and holding me a little closer.
“It’s okay, Mom. I knew it wasn’t meant to be, they were clearly meant for each other.” I give her a reassuring smile.
“Well think of it this way, maybe the Fates thought that you were meant for someone better. They’re probably saving you for someone so much more spectacular than he was.” She winks, and I can’t help but give her my biggest, brightest… fakest smile.
Little does she know what’s really going on.
It’s on the tip of my tongue, I want to tell her everything.
“Listen, Mom. There’s-”
“Oooh! Look here! This is where I wanted to take you for lunch, they have thee best croissants!” She squeals excitedly, pulling me into a little café on the corner of the street.
Guess this isn’t the right time after all.
After having a late lunch we head to the little Boutique over the road.
Mom takes charge and immediately starts searching the racks down the aisles. I look out of the window of the little store and watch as people blatantly stare at me; the look on their faces is pure confusion, some even look frightened.
As if my thoughts can be heard, I hear a quiet voice to my left. “Your scent is very strong. Power radiates from you.” I turn to see a girl who looks as if she’s a little younger than me. She’s skinny and a little shorter too, with blonde hair and freckles on her nose and upper cheeks. She wears black framed glasses that look way to big for her petite face and has a heart print sweater on with a long pink skirt.
She pushes her glasses up her nose and continues, “I think they’re just confused because you seem awfully young to have all that power.”
Pure innocence exudes from her and I can’t help but smile.
I whisper, “Can you read my mind?”
She giggles. Her cheeks redden, even her ears a little, she looks away patting her cheeks clearly aware of the flush creeping up. “No way! I couldn’t even if I tried. I can feel how shut off and locked up your thoughts are, but I’m too weak of a wolf to ever try to listen to others thoughts.” She ends off with a sad smile as if her own thoughts trouble her.
“I’m sure you could do it if you tried.” I give her a gentle smile, but feel her flinch and move a little away from me.
“No,” she shakes her head vehemently. “I’m a weak wolf… I couldn’t,” she says sounding unsure.
“I think you’re pretty brave. See all those people out there looking at me and staring?” She looks out the window at the few people that still stand around the sidewalk looking at us and looks up at me and nods.
“Well, you say I radiate power, but not one of those people could bear to even wave a hello. You however, walked right up to me and answered all my thoughts.” Hope lights up her face as she gives me a big toothy grin.
“I did, didn’t I?” She says to herself.
“I’m Daisy.” She bumps my shoulder with hers playfully.
“Angel.” I smile back.
Normally I would back away afraid of trusting someone new, but maybe it’s time I start reaching out to people. I need to start giving people the benefit of the doubt and try something new.
I ext
end the olive branch and casually say, “We should hang out sometime.” Even though I’m a little nervous for her response. Maybe she doesn’t want to hang with someone like me, she’s all pretty and girly, me? Well me… not so much.
Her eyes widen. “Y… you wanna hang out with m… me?” She stutters surprised.
My eyebrows furrow. “Yeah! Why wouldn’t I want to?”
She bites her nail deep in thought then whispers, “I don’t have any friends or family. Tony says no one wants to hang out with a weak wolf.”
I immediately feel anger toward this Tony. Daisy looks as if she wouldn’t hurt a fly. How could anyone be so vile toward her.
She reminds me a lot of how I was before I allowed people to taint me. I don’t want to see her break like I did or go through what I had to.
“Who’s this Tony?” I spit out a little harsher than I mean to. I watch her tremble at my tone and I immediately try to calm myself down.
“M…my mate,” she says, looking down at the scarf on the rack in front of us.
“You found anything you like yet, sweetie?” Alex breaks the tension smiling wildly. She looks down at little Daisy next to me and back to me waiting for an introduction.
“Mom, this is Daisy.” Daisy whips her up to look at me.
Alex smiles at Daisy. “It’s lovely to meet you, honey.”
“You too, Luna,” Daisy says softly before turning to me. “What type of dress are you looking for?”
I follow her around the store. “Well, tonight is the ceremony to join me with my pack, so I need something appropriate.”
She clicks a finger as if a light bulb just turned on. “Ah! I have the perfect dress for you.”
“Wait, you work here? I thought you were shopping?” I laugh to myself .
“Yeah, I work and help with the designing and making of the clothes. I know…” she gestures to herself. “…I don’t really look like I have a fashion sense, but I make a mean outfit. Tony’s momma owns the store and lets me work here. I have this dress I just made. Wait here and I’ll fetch it.” She scurries off behind the Employee’s only door. I look to Alex and she shrugs.
Daisy comes out holding a black dress. Pushing me towards the dressing room, she hands me it. After undressing and putting the dress on, I call for one of them to zip up the back.
Little Daisy comes in and I turn my back for her to zip it up. I hear a little gasp and I close my eyes waiting for the questions, but they never come. Instead she just zips me up, turns me around and pulls me in for a hug. I can feel the tension in her body; I understand the feeling of not wanting to be touched so I get that this is a big thing for her. Her kindness causes a lump in my throat.
She pulls away, opening the door for Alex to see. Alex has a brilliant smile and she claps her hands like a little girl while she squeals, “It’s absolutely beautiful, Angel.”
I turn around to look in the mirror and I’m lost for words. The little black dress fits me perfectly. It has a built in corset, long black lace sleeves run down my arms and a sweetheart neckline with a smidgen of cleavage caused by the corset that holds all the goods up tight, finishes of the look.
“I think I made this with you in mind. I was going to keep it till I found the right person to wear it and… well, it’s perfect for you. You have to wear this tonight, I’d be so honoured,” Daisy says, holding her hands close to her chest in a prayer gesture.
“I think Daisy here is right. This is definitely the one, Angel,” Alex says, gently placing her arm over Daisy’s shoulders. Daisy visibly tenses, but when she looks up to Alex’s smiling face she swiftly relaxes.
“You have any shoes to match?” I ask her, making her scurry off excitedly toward the shoe corner of the store. She comes back with a pair of glittery purple platforms.
“Okay, I know they’re all girly and you don’t seem like you’re into the whole dressing up thing, but trust me with this, okay?” She says confidently; no longer the shy girl I met moments before. She obviously has a passion for fashion and what she does.
I hesitantly look into the mirror after putting the shoes on. “It’s perfect!” I look at her in the reflection of the mirror and she blushes.
At the checkout counter Daisy refuses to let us pay for the dress.
“Then please tell me you can come to my ceremony tonight?” I ask her. It’ll be good for me to make more friends now that I’m living with my parents. I almost regret asking her because she suddenly looks panicked and upset.
“I wish I could. It means so much to me that you even asked, but…I can’t,” she says.
I don’t ask questions, I just nod and whip out my phone. “What’s your number then?” her frown is immediately replaced with eagerness as she rattles it off. I call her and watch her take out her phone and save my number.
“Now we can plan to meet up sometime.” I smile at her, before pulling her in for a hug. “You call me whenever you want, okay? Even if it’s just to chat.” I feel her arms tighten around me.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
****
We leave the store and make our way toward our car down the street. I quickly spot two large men leaning against Alex’s car.
Alex stands a small distance in front of me in a protective stance when we get closer. The men have their eyes on me. One has dark olive skin with tribal tattoos down his left arm. He has short shaven black hair and his eyes are light brown. His face is blank as he stares at me; they hold no emotion whatsoever and it’s a unnerving to say the least.
I turn my attention to the other guy and immediately stand upright, almost taking a step back. I realise that he witnessed my hesitance when a grin appears on his face. He has black hair, shorter on the side and longer on the top, almost covering half his face. His eyes are a light blue, so light that I’d be able to spot them a great distance away and one ear has a black small round plug in it. His square jaw is clean shaven and the skin on his face is pale. That’s about all of his natural skin tone I can see because the rest of his body is covered in ink. He’s wearing a black shirt and leather jacket, but from what I can see he has lots of artwork covering his skin. Just below his neck over his Adam’s apple is a big blue butterfly; this is one of the few things that stands out to me, there’s so much going-on on his skin. I also see what looks like a heart with a knife through it in the middle of his chest, just above where the V of his shirt starts. His hands are also covered in little ink designs. I’ve never seen so much ink on one person. He has a pair of navy jeans on and black combat boots where his jeans are half tucked into them.
“Zeke. Axel. What can I help you boys with today?” Alex says, full of her usual charm as she nods to both men.
I watch them relax their posture as they stand tall and feel Alex do the same in front of me.
“Alpha Caspian wants to meet the little lady,” Zeke says, moving his brown eyes to mine.
The walking canvas doesn’t say a word, but continues his perusal of me with those piercing eyes. His grin widens; I’m pretty sure he can sense how uncomfortable I feel right now under his intense scrutiny.
Alex looks between Axel and I and smiles. “Someone has his eyes set on you,” I hear her voice in my head and turn to see her silently giggling to herself.
“Boys, we’ll head over there right now then,” Alex says, pushing past them towards her door until Zeke takes her keys out her hands.
“Here, Luna, I’ll drive you ladies there. Hop in,” he says as if he owns the car. Alex huffs and shakes her head.
“Damn wolves and their egos.” I hear her thoughts and judging by how the two men are chuckling, I’m pretty sure they heard it too.
Of course Alex jumps in the passenger seat next to Zeke leaving me in the back with Mr Mute himself.
Axel spreads his legs wide as he takes up both his seat and the middle one making sure his knee is close to mine. He’s basically lounging in the back of the car, his back half leaning against the door as he continues to stare at me.
<
br /> “Don’t like me lookin’ at you, babe?” I hear his husky voice in my head.
“No! Stop it! Get the hell out of my head.” I send the message back making sure he feels my irritation.
I hear his snicker next to me as I lean back against the chair. I close my eyes trying to close myself off so he can’t get in my head anymore.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that,” his voice echoes again.
I ignore him, block out all thoughts and feelings and go back to that emotionless place I used to visit so often.
“Little Lady is good,” I hear Zeke say. I raise my eyebrow at Axel knowing I just one-upped him. I kinda wanna stick my tongue out at him too, but I suppose that will come off as too childish so I don’t. He laughs, then finally turns and looks out the window leaving me with a small smirk on my face as I do the same.
****
We arrive at a large mansion where two brown wolves sit on each side of the front door. When we get out of the car both stand mirroring the others movements.
Wonder how long they trained to get that timing right. I think to myself.
I hear laughter next to me and look up to see Axel shaking his head as he laughs.
“Shit!” I mumble forcing the walls back up.
“Dude, stay out of my head.” I nudge his stomach as I walk past.
“If I did, I would miss all the funny shit you don’t actually say out loud, especially about this ‘walking canvas’.” He laughs harder.
“Crap,you heard that too?” I laugh to myself feeling the blush creep up.
He nods his head.
“Come on ladies,” Zeke says as he leads us up the stairs. We walk towards the front door, but I stop when we get to the wolves sitting upright by the door looking forward avoiding our eyes. I stand in front of one and bend down a little to look into its eyes. He stands so still and doesn’t even blink when I look at him from just a hair’s breadth away.
Angel Blackwood Page 7