I'd been running through the pack lands for so long that dusk was beginning to settle over the land around me.
My lungs burned from over-exertion and my muscles ached painfully. Sienna had finally stopped growling in my mind, and I knew that, for now, her anger had subsided, so I decided to turn back toward the castle.
Aside from the accidental thunder storm I had called upon earlier, I'd managed to keep my powers in check. The wind had blown a little harder than normal today, but I didn't cause a tornado so I took it as a win.
As I grew nearer to the castle, I began to slow my pace. I knew I was in no shape to see anyone tonight, so I opted for skipping dinner. Just as I was about to break through the thick foliage of the forest, I heard a twig snap behind me.
Instantly, my hackles rose and my ears peeled back. I whipped my head around and surveyed my surroundings, but saw nothing.
I stuck my snout in the air, trying to pick up a scent, but not catching one.
It crossed my mind that maybe Valen or Von had followed me out here, but if that was the case, they would have made their presence known by now. I let out a warning growl, but received no response.
I turned my snout to the dirt and began searching. Something about this didn't feel right.
I let my nose guide me deeper into the woods, picking up the faintest scent on the ground. It seemed familiar but I couldn't place where I remembered it from.
Finally, I came to a small stream where the scent was washed away with the flowing water. I huffed in annoyance, but scanned my surroundings. I was deeper into the forest than I'd ever been before, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being stalked.
I turned in a slow circle, still seeing nothing. The light was fading fast, and though the eerie feeling wouldn't subside, I knew I needed to get out of there.
I turned in the direction I came and sprinted off. Just before I crossed the forest line again, I looked back and I could have sworn I saw a pair of yellow eyes watching me.
Later that night, I was lounging on my bed when there was a small knock on my door. I knew right away it was Aislinn. I thought for a moment before deciding to let her in. Aislinn stood in the middle of my room and stared at the ground while I waited for her to say something.
"Are you okay?" she finally asked.
I nodded my head.
"It's just.. you were gone for such a long time. I was worried something happened to you. And when you weren't at dinner.." she trailed off. I sighed.
"Aislinn, I'm fine." She finally glanced up and looked into my eyes.
"I'm sorry, Indigo. I knew it was wrong, and I should have said something. I'm sorry." I paused for a moment before smiling at her.
"It's okay, Aislinn. I forgive you. I was very angry at you guys, but I understand you can't just disobey the king. Plus, he's going to be my king soon, too. So I better get used to it. Come here," I told her while holding my arms out. She rushed into them and hugged me tight.
"There is something I need to tell you, though."
She looked back up to me with concern in her eyes and I relayed the mysterious encounter I'd had in the woods. She thought for a moment before mind-linking King Ruben to let him know.
"He said he's going to increase security tomorrow for the ball. He already seems on edge to me, but he won't elaborate on why." I let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, at least he's taking it seriously." She nodded in agreement.
"You need to get some rest, Indigo. It's a big day tomorrow. I'll be waking you up bright and early to prepare for the ball." I smiled at her and climbed into bed.
"Do you want to stay with me tonight, Aislinn? It's been a long day, and I could use a friend."
She grinned and slipped off her shoes, before climbing into the bed. I turned off the light as we both drifted off to sleep.
***
She wasn't kidding when she said we had to be up bright and early.
She'd been trying to rouse me from bed since four in the morning, but I stubbornly refused to move until five-thirty.
Aislinn huffed under her breath about how we would have to adjust the whole day's schedule now just because of my lazy butt. I just rolled my eyes at her and hopped in the shower.
She had stocked it with many different types of washes, oils, and scrubs; instructing me on how to use each one. When I was finished with that, she sat me down and tortured-I mean waxed- my body for me.
And this was all before breakfast, which lamely consisted of one piece of toast, some cantaloupe, and a cup of black coffee.
When I questioned Aislinn on why that was all I had gotten to eat, she glared and me and responded,
"It would have been more if you hadn't laid in bed forever. We had to make time adjustments somewhere."
She then smirked at the pouty face I gave her.
Once she was finished "prepping her canvas" as she liked to call it, we made our way downstairs and out of the castle entrance to go to Maria's shop.
I was finally going to see the masterpiece she had created for me and I could not wait. We hopped into a black SUV, and I realized Aunt Maddie was already seated in the back. I smiled brightly at her and greeted her with a hug. She smiled back.
"Happy birthday, baby girl."
"Thank you, Aunt Maddie."
"Have you seen either of the princes today?"
She cocked an eyebrow. I knew what she was really asking.
"No, I'm not allowed to be anywhere near them until the ball. Aislinn told me King Ruben said it's to build the suspense or whatever."
I rolled my eyes. "I am excited to find out if one of them is my mate, though. I'm also really excited for Artemis to get here." Aunt Maddie smiled even wider at me.
"It won't be much longer now. Here," she said while slipping a small package into my hands.
"This is your gift from me. Don't open it until before the ball, though." I glanced down at it.
"You didn't have to get me anything, just having you here is enough."
She hugged me tightly and we continued the rest of the ride in a comfortable silence.
When we arrived at Maria's shop, there was a line beginning to form outside her door and down the narrow sidewalk. I was able to catch her eye through the window and she quickly ushered us in.
"This is what happens when you wait too long for a ball gown. I'm closed down for the day but they still come begging," she said in an exasperated tone while she-wolves continued to pile around the building.
She flipped the lock on the door again and drew the curtains, sending a clear message that no one else was getting in.
"There, that's settled." She wiped her hands on her pants before turning to me.
"Well, what are you standing there for? Get in that dressing room and show us!"
I saluted her and ran back to the room. I creaked open the door and my eyes landed upon the most beautiful gown I had ever seen. I quickly stripped down and carefully pulled it on, before turning and admiring myself in the mirror and walking out to my waiting crowd.
Aunt Maddie was the first to see me and she put a small hand over her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. Aislinn turned and gasped at me, while Maria beamed with pride.
I looked at myself in the mirrors on all sides of me. The dress was form fitting, with a plunging neckline in the front that showed off my cleavage. It hugged my curves in all the right places and was angled to be longer in the back than in the front.
The bodice was corset style and colored all black. The skirt, however, was a swirling mixture of dark blues, purples, greys, and black. There were crystals strategically sewn in all over to resemble twinkling nighttime stars.
It was like the galaxy had come alive on my body and I couldn't stop staring. It was regal, elegant, and beautiful. But, it also sent a message that I was different and that there was more than meets the eye.
I loved it.
I turned to Maria and hugged her.
"Thank you, this is everything I could have dreamed of and more."
She smiled at me and handed my a black pair of strappy heels, also with small crystals on them.
"I made these to match, it's all one hundred percent custom made for you. There's some jewelry out front for you, if you want to look."
I took the shoes and nodded my head, before making my way to look at the jewelry. I decided on some simple, long black chain earrings with a tear drop amethyst hanging from them, and a black lace choker with a large blue sapphire in the middle. I looked over to Aunt Maddie.
"Aren't you getting a dress?"
She shook her head.
"Darling, I got one yesterday. Maria gave me one she'd been hanging onto for a while."
I looked at her curiously but thought nothing of it before handing over my credit card to Maria. She wished us all good luck as we exited the shop and returned to the castle.
When we arrived, I noticed a familiar looking car out front. I squealed in excitement and bolted from our car before it could even come to a full stop.
I barged through the doors, once again knocking them off of their hinges, and launched myself at Artemis. We tumbled to the ground laughing. I wiped the tears from my face as we sat up.
"Goddess I missed you so much."
She threw her head back and laughed and I watched as her curls glistened in the light.
Her hair had grown a little, and was now just past her shoulders. Her skin was a darker tan, and more freckles dotted the bridge of her nose.
Her cinnamon eyes met mine again, and I was struck with how much more serious her expression was now.
"I missed you, too Indi."
We were helping each other up when Aunt Maddie and Aislinn walked through the door. Aunt Maddie gave Artemis a gentle hug.
"It's good to see you again, dear."
"You too, Maddie. It seems like it's been forever that you've been gone already!" She turned to Aislinn and held out her hand.
"Hello, I'm Artemis," she said while flashing her signature smile.
"Aislinn," she replied while nervously taking her hand. I glanced at her.
"Artemis, Aislinn has been a really good friend to me here in DarkBlood. I think you two would really like each other," I explained to her.
She beamed and wrapped Aislinn up in a hug. The look of shock on Aislinn's face was enough to make me burst into laughter again.
"I'm so glad Indigo has someone like you," she told her as she set her down.
"Do you all hug like you're trying to crush someone in Moonlight?" Aislinn asked her. Artemis just laughed again and turned to me.
"Alright, now that I'm here, it's time to get ready!" I smiled at her and nodded, before showing them all up to my room.
A few hours later, we were all huddled around my standing mirror admiring our work.
Aislinn had tamed my hair into loose curls, and braided two sides back before fastening them into an intricate bun. She'd put a dark blush color on my lips, and lined my eyes with a black liner.
She'd also applied a soft grey and black eyeshadow to make my irises really pop. I smiled at her and thanked her again.
She was wearing a darling golden dress that stopped just below her knees. It flared out at her waist and wrapped elegantly around her shoulders at the top. She'd paired it with a set of sparkly golden heels and tied her hair into a sleek low bun. She decided to keep her makeup minimal, as she was still young, but she looked ravishing.
Artemis, on the other hand, had been a little more daring.
She donned a silk, form fitting emerald dress that stopped mid thigh on her. She wore sheer black tights and was currently wrangling her feet into a pair of black heels with straps that wound all the way up her calves.
She'd opted to leave her hair down, only pinning in a silver hair ornament and taming a few loose curls. Her cinnamon eyes were heavily lined with black liner and black mascara. She'd added various shades of brown eyeshadow as well, but left her lips surprisingly subtle with a nude lipstick.
She looked more likely to go clubbing than to a royal ball, but hey, to each their own. She was still gorgeous.
Aunt Maddie's transformation was the most stunning of them all. A long silver dress with thin straps and a small slit up the side flowed along her small figure without drowning out her small frame.
Her hair had been curled into loose waves and a bright red lipstick was applied to her lips. She'd swiped some mascara over her eyelashes, but opted out of eyeliner because it hurts her eyes. She looked amazing, and you couldn't even tell she was sick just by looking at her. I gave her a gentle smile and pulled her in for a hug.
"Are you ready for tonight?" she asked me. The butterflies fluttered in my stomach, but I nodded my head.
"I'm nervous, but I know that no matter what, things will only get better from here." She clutched my hands tightly, before sliding my birthday package into them.
"It's time," was all she said.
I carefully unwrapped the paper, curious to know what could be inside. I gasped when I uncovered it.
"Do you like it?" Aunt Maddie probed. Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes.
"I love it," I told her.
In my hands, lay an old Victorian style locket on a long silver chain that Aunt Maddie used to wear all the time. The oval-shaped front had a large amethyst in the middle, flanked by two small opals, just like my mother's ring. I opened it.
In one slot, there was a picture of me and Aunt Maddie taken from my eighth birthday, and one the other side was a picture of my mom.
She was smiling then and looked young in the picture. I was struck by how carefree she seemed.
I took Aunt Maddie's hand, before asking her to help me put it on. She pulled my hair out of the way and clasped it around my neck. I turned back around and saw Aislinn and Artemis watching me with smiles on their faces.
"Happy birthday," they both told me before wrapping their arms around me.
I wiped the dampness from my eyes. Artemis blotted underneath them for me, before pulling back and curling her mouth into a wicked smile. She raised her hands in the air.
"Alright, now that the crying is over, it's time to party, bitches!"
Author's Note:
Yay! We've finally made it to the ball! What do you think is going to happen next? Who could have been prowling in the woods?
Don't forget to comment and vote!
Xoxo,
CrimsynIris