Surviving Primrose

I'm really freaking out right now. Anyone who knows me would likely roll their eyes if they heard me say this and they would probably be justified in doing so but this time I have to say, I really mean it. I'm really freaking out right now. Last night I fell asleep after crying late into the night over the werewolf romance story I had been reading. The book had masqueraded like your typical romance until it took a turn for the tragic and I and found myself sympathizing a little too strongly with the characters. Well, I woke up happily surprised at the lack of dehydration or sleep deprivation, thinking I'd gotten lucky or something. Until I saw the person staring back at me from the mirror. It isn't me. I don't have such vibrant red hair, falling in perfect curls down my back even though I just woke up. I don't have the sweet, droopy brown eyes staring out from under those perfectly shaped eyebrows. Those plump cheeks and pouty red lips are much better than my own and topped off with that round face. The whole appearance is just so... cute. But it isn't me. I was never so effortlessly pretty and I've been staring at this stranger for a few minutes in shock. Even the age was wrong. This little girl could only have been ten, at most. Much younger than myself. Well, I guess it's time for that decision. You know, the one that people always have in books or TV shows when they're presented with something that should be impossible? That's right: This has to be a dream. Okay, that thought helped me calm down and now that the shock is wearing off, I feel like I can get up and take in my situation a little better. Looking to my left I see a cutesy pink alarm clock on a white side table and ignoring the wrinkle spreading up my nose I see that it's just after seven in the morning. Quite early but considering that I may have to go to school, it seems to be the right time to get up. I ignore the shivers that go up my spine at the idea of sitting in a children's classroom all day and instead savor the feeling of my toes sinking into the lush carpet as I get out of bed. The whole room was a mesh of pinks and whites, from the wardrobe to the princess vanity in the corner. I had never been in such a girly room before and was confused at my sleeping brain for putting me in this situation. As I walk over to the wardrobe, hoping to find some clothes that aren't completely awful, there's a soft knock on the door and a beautiful woman walks in. She's tall and slender with silky, dirty blonde hair falling down her back from the low pony pulling it back. Her bright blue eyes are the same droopy shape that I just saw in the mirror and her red lips have the same sweet pout. When she sees me out of bed, her eyes widen and she blinks in shock before finally letting her face settle into a radiant smile. 'Prim' she says in a smooth, high voice 'you're already awake. You must have been so excited to meet the alpha's son.' At her beam of pride I can't help smiling back but there are alarm bells going off in my head. "Prim" and "alpha's son" were bringing up thoughts of the book I'd been reading before falling asleep. Crescent Moon had a character called Primrose who was obsessed with getting together with the male lead, the alpha's son. She didn't give up even when his mate appeared on the scene and her actions eventually lead to her dying at the hands of the female lead. Primrose also had red hair and brown eyes. Was this dream about her? The woman had already made her way to the wardrobe and was sifting through bright colored dresses, tops and skirts to pick out the best outfit for the day. Even the lack of pants that I could see didn't do anything to snap me away from my thoughts. She picked out a white dress with a yellow floral pattern and carried it over to the bed before looking at me with worry in her eyes. 'Prim?' I heard, snapping me back to the situation to look at her. 'Are you okay?' She asked, leaning down to press a hand to my head in worry. A sudden yawn rose up, even though I didn't feel tired at all, and she smiled in relief. 'I guess it is still early for you' she said softly, giving me a kiss on the head lightly as I wiped the small tears away from my eyes. 'I'll let you get dressed and wake up fully' the woman who must have been Prim's mum said, beaming as she left the room. Even though I don't want to wear a dress, it's not like I really have anything to say on the matter so I start to get ready and let my mind wander. Why was this dream set so many years before the plot of the book? Crescent Moon was set when the two leads are eighteen and the alpha's son is the same age as Prim so this had to be at least eight years early. Determined to check, I walk over to the vanity to look closer at myself. The child in the mirror really did fit the image of a young Prim but I look to just beside her right eye hopefully, only to see her signature heart shaped beauty mark. Of all the dreams I could have, I wouldn't have expected to live out a day as an antagonist character from a book.  Without any way to change this situation, I decide to just see where it will take me and after one full morning routine, I step out into the hallway to go down for breakfast. I hadn't even made it to the stairs before a door slams open, just missing my face by a centimetre.  A young guy who would obviously be gorgeous in just a few years walked out and looked down as he noticed me. He had to be Prim's brother, Chris. Just three years older than Prim, he had the beautiful dirty blonde hair from their mum and the soft brown eyes from their dad. He doesn't appear until late in the book so I have no idea how Prim should interact with him. Weird thought to have but I hope they aren't close. Yet again this morning, I'm brought back to earth from my spiraling thoughts by someone talking. 'Watch out Prim' he says, a smirk forming on his beautiful face 'one more step and you would have been flat' he taunted.  Since I have no idea how a young Prim should respond to her brother, I decide to just go for a safe huff and try to stomp away down the stairs but strong arms fold around my waist and hoist me up. Screaming, I struggle and beat his arms to be let down. Just as I'm trying to figure out what to do, my body moves on its own and I shout 'mum! Chris is messing up my dress!' I'm shocked by my childish outburst but Chris is just laughing as he puts me down. I go to stomp away again only to hear 'so I guess you don't want me to braid your hair again?' in a smug voice behind me, I was to just ignore it and carry on but a memory surfaces in my mind. A delighted Prim giving a grinning Chris a big hug and I can see a perfect half braid reflected in the mirror behind her. I know that I have to stop and when I look back at the smug, triumphant grin on Chris' face I really want to ignore him but Prim wouldn't, so I can't. This may be a dream but I planned to get through it with as little drama as possible. The pout on my face has less to do with his actions and more to do with having to play a role but he has no idea and can see he's already won. Chris had apparently seen enough and sauntered past me irritatingly, making his way down to get breakfast. I follow him down, looking around at the sparse but tasteful decorations as I go. I know from the book that the alpha, beta and their families live in the pack house and that my dad, as the gamma, was only just too low of a rank to qualify. It was a blow to his pride that would haunt him until the plot of the book and because of that he had high hopes for his two children. Prim's mum had set the table and is setting down plates with bacon, eggs, beans and bread. The smell is heavenly and I'm starting to think this dream might not be so bad after all. I know werewolves are supposed to have great senses but I'm still surprised that I can pick out each individual scent on the plate as I sit down. I can even tell where they were cooked in the kitchen.  My tastes are also heightened. If this is what eating is like in this dream, I'm likely to become a foodie before the end of the day. I'm enjoying each bite so deeply, I don't even notice when Prim's dad tries to get my attention. His hand on my shoulder makes me jump and I look at him in shock. His stern brown eyes are filled with concern as he looks back at me. 'Are you okay Prim?' he asks, making me nervous. 'I think I'm still sleepy' I say quickly, hoping that would be enough for everyone to stop looking at me like I've just grown a new head. Prim's mum and brother look away but her dad is studying me closely. Was Prim a daddy's girl as a child? Could he see that I wasn't really her? I wait for him to speak with as innocent an expression as I can manage and he seems to shelve whatever he wanted to say for now. 'As I was saying, you're going to meet the alpha's son, Drake, today so be on your best behavior. It'll be good for you to become friends with him' he says, giving me a stern look that is somewhat undermined by the underlying affection I can see. Of course he wants me to get close to him, he's hoping Prim will be his mate. My best option for right now is to just smile and nod. Prim's dad seems happy and returns to his food.  Of course, If I were actually Prim I would want to do my best to avoid befriending Drake at all costs. Their close friendship as children is one of the things that drove her into her awful behavior later on. I'm not her though and I want to enjoy this weirdly vivid dream in full so I have no reason to sabotage this meeting. The male lead is supposed to be a sweet, kind soul who accepts his mate even when she doesn't seem to have a wolf after all, who wouldn't want to meet him? When breakfast is all settled, Chris comes back with me to my room to keep his promise about my braid. I'm honestly a little excited, even with all the teasing earlier, he's clearly a good older brother. I sit down at the vanity like I'm a princess about to be done up by her attendant and he laughs. Seems like I'm starting to figure out how to act out young Prim pretty well already.. His hands are soft and his movements practiced as he works the tangles out of my hair, or would have if I had any, and starts to build the braid. I'm about to drift off from the sensation when he speaks. 'Are you nervous about today?' he asks quietly, focusing on his hands a little too much. 'I know dad's putting pressure on you to make friends with Drake, even if you don't want to' he admits looking worried , or maybe guilty. It makes sense that he'd worry for such a young girl in that kind of position but I shrug, knowing that Prim and Drake are destined to get on well right up until he finds his mate. 'People say he's really nice' I say but there's almost a sadness in my voice that I didn't put there. Am I feeling Prim's nervousness? I can see Chris smile in his reflection as he works, even though his brows are still too low. 'Yeah' he says, sounding more like himself from earlier 'well, if you decide you don't like him just tell me' he meets my eyes in the mirror and grins 'I'll make sure he stays away from you.' My eyes widen. Did he just imply he'd bully the future alpha?  I end up grinning and then laughing as I imagine it, getting a scolding for moving and nearly ruining the braid. He really is a good brother. Fighting the giggles back, I nod and get scolded again before closing my eyes and enjoying the moment. 'Done!' I hear and open my eyes in time to see him reach past me for a small handheld mirror to show me the back of my head. I see the same perfect braid as in the memory earlier and beam. Without thinking, I throw my arms around him and hold him tight. 'You're the best hair stylist!' I tell him as I squeeze and he laughs and hugs back before lifting me up again to swing me around. Just as I'm starting to giggle and fight him back to get to the ground, the door opens to Prim's mum. She smiles at the sight of our mock fight and opens her hands out to us. 'Come on, or we'll be late' she says and Chris puts me down and sticks out his tongue playfully. I do the same back and we then finally take her hands and she leads us to the front door where Prim's dad is waiting. I'm wondering what kind of scene my brain has conjured up for meeting the alpha's son, since the book only mentioned that they met as children. Hopefully it won't be a formal event I think to myself as we step out onto a small cul de sac with neat gardens and picturesque streetlamps and bushes all around. I could say that it looked like a scene right out of a book, but that would be redundant. 'We'll be meeting them at the canal' Prim's dad announces as he unlocks the family friendly car parked on the brick drive. 'They've packed the picnic so we just have to show up, and be good' he says as he noticed me and Chris looking at each other, mid way through drawing breaths to shout for shotgun. Prim's mum laughs and gives us both a kiss on the head. 'They'll be fine' she says and I can't help smiling. She's like a ray of light captured in human, or I guess werewolf, form. My stomach is about to drop with an unpleasant thought when Chris nudges me forward and I glare back, opening up the car door slowly just to spite him. 'Be good' comes a deep voice from in the car and we jump in, forgetting the petty dispute from moments ago as we giggle to each other. The drive is peaceful enough as I stare out the window at the passing streets. I don't know if it's the writer's preference or if werewolves are just more inclined to be in areas with more nature because of a connection to their wolves but every street has a combination of trees, shrubs, gardens and bushes. There are sweet scented flowers planted all around, mixing with the scents of bark and leaves and animals. I never thought I could have such a good time just appreciating how the world smells. We reach the park surrounding the canal quickly, it seems like this town is pretty small, and pile out just in time to see another car pull up. Three people get out and even without being introduced or using the knowledge from the book, I know who they are.  My instincts immediately scream that these people are my leaders and I take in the alpha, his luna and their son. The alpha, Eric, has messy brown hair and a square face with handsome but hard features. His green eyes have the same stern look as Prim's dad but the wrinkles around them betray his years of laughter. His luna, Grace, has been named perfectly. Her long, golden brown hair flows gently around her and refuses to cover her face. She has piercing grey eyes and even though her face looks soft and kind, there's a light of intelligence and strength hidden in them. Her slender but small build might trick people into thinking she's weak but she's one of the fiercest warriors of the pack. Finally, their son. He has the alpha's messy hair but his mother's gentle colors and grey eyes. Every feature he has gives of a look of warmth and kindness that puts you at ease. This was the male lead. There had been a surprising amount of set up for a random dream but I'd finally have the chance to meet him.