The Luna Witch

A Scent unlike any other

“Good morning, girls” Lila said, walking into the kitchen and pulling out a chair with a huff. “Good morning, Luna” the girls said, their demeanour changing completely. The Luna had not been as welcoming of the two of them as her husband had, only tolerating them thanks to their ability to help her with almost anything she asked for, both magic and normal alike. None of the children accepted the girls for more than anything but expendable maids of the house.

The only person who showed them the slightest bit of mercy was the Alpha. The two knew to keep quiet when the family joined one another in the kitchen – best be seen and not heard, and even being seen was something they should keep to a minimum. It had taken them a while to understand the rules of the house. Speak when spoken to. Don’t get in the way. Never talk back. Obey commands. Be timely. The scars on their hands reflected the time it had taken them to learn these rules.

Ivy checked on the bacon that was cooking under the grill, taking it out just as it started to turn crispy and dishing it onto a serving plate. She kept her head bowed as she walked it over to the table with the bowl of eggs, Mia placing a cup of herbal tea down on the table as the rest of the children joined their mother in the kitchen.

“Ugh, you are not who I wanted to see this morning” Clarissa spat, disgusted as she lay eyes on the two girls. Ivy bit her cheek as Clarissa sat down at the table and took a sip of her tea without even an acknowledgement of thanks. “Girls. you know what tonight is?” Lila asked without looking up at them. “Yes, Luna” the girls answered, looking down at their feet, waiting to be dismissed. “Good, I expect the house to be spotless. You will finish early today, we have people coming in to make sure the house is set up perfectly” Lila said to them, hearing the Alpha walking down the stairs and shuffling on her bottom.

“Darling!” she said in a fake voice as he walked in, the two girls still standing awkwardly. “Good morning, Alpha” they said in unison as he planted a kiss on his wife’s head. “Girls” he acknowledged. “You will be joining us tonight in welcoming of the Alpha King to the pack. There are outfits waiting in your room for tonight” he said, taking a seat.

“You’re dismissed” he added, waving his hand at them. “Their dresses aren’t a pretty as mine, are they Daddy?” they heard Clarissa saying in a sickly sweet voice, neither of them looking to one another as they walked out into the hallway to star their day.

Ivy wiped the sweat from her forehead as she squeezed out the last bit of liquid from the mop, picking up the bucket and walking to the open door that led in to the gardens. She poured the water into the drain by the door, squinting in the sunshine as she looked up. It was a beautiful afternoon, just past 4pm with the sun still beautifully glaring down through the bright blue sky.

“Girls?” she heard Lila calling them, rushing back inside with the mop and quickly tucking it away as she joined Mia’s side in the reception room of the main entrance. “You’re done for today, go and dress. You have an hour” Lila said, swatting them away with her hand as the decorators for the evening started to set up boxes full of décor for the night. “Yes, Luna” the two girls said, their heads bowed as they walked to the stairs.

They could hear Lila telling the decorators where to put things, her voice drowning out into the sound of Clarissa’s music blaring through her speakers. The two girls remained quiet as they walked up to their room, quite eager to see what outfits had been dropped off for them for the evening. It had been a long time since either of them had been given something new. “What do you reckon Little Miss will be wearing tonight?” Mia asked as they reached their door. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t leave much to the imagination” Ivy replied, the two sharing a catty giggle as they walked into the room and laid eyes on the dresses hanging from the wardrobe.

“Well… they could be so much worse” Mia said as the two stared at them unsure what to make of them. “Maybe they’ll look better on?” Ivy asked, neither one of them keen on the choice given to them. They weren’t very fashion forward, instead just choosing to wear whatever they felt comfortable in, regardless of whether or not it was ‘in’.

The dress itself was conventionally very beautiful. Ivy’s was a deep green, Mia’s a deep purple, and both the same design. As beautiful as they were, the two girls’ fashion choices were definitely very different to this certain design.

“Come on, we don’t have long”, Ivy sighed, picking up the towel that was folded on the end of her bed. She tucked it underneath her armpit and walked out of the door with Mia in tow toward the shower room opposite them. Ivy clipped her hair up as she turned on the shower, peeling off her now sweaty uniform and stepping in under the steamy water.

She knew that the evening would be tedious – the arrival of the Alpha King was party enough, let alone the addition of the shifting phase of Michael tonight. Their evening would be long and tiring – no doubt they would also be the subject of ridicule and jokes from the children of the family. Ivy sighed and turned off the water, grabbing her towel and tucking it around her body as she stepped onto the cold floor.

They weren’t deemed important enough to have the niceties of a bathroom, and instead had to make do with the minimal things they had. Ivy padded over to the door and opened it, the cold air from outside making her shiver as it collided with her warm wet skin. She was pleased that they didn’t have to go far from the bathroom to the bedroom – Hugh had a habit of trying to find the girls when they came out of the shower in hopes he would be able to force them against the wall and cop a feel or two.

She dashed into the room, Mia already sat on the edge of her bed and drying her legs with the towel. “How long do we have?” Ivy asked, rubbing her arms down with the towel and looking at Mia. “30 minutes” Mia answered – Ivy didn’t realise just how long she had been daydreaming in the shower. She nodded back in acknowledgement, hurriedly rubbing down her legs.

They both knew that they didn’t have 30 minutes, and they would be expected downstairs before their time was up. She unclipped her hair, let it down her back and ruffled her hands through it a few times to make sure it was at least presentable. Ivy pulled the dress off of her hanger and stepped into it, pulling it up her body and over her arms. “Can you do my zip?” Mia asked, Ivy turning to her with a smile and nodding. She zipped up the back of her dress, turning so Mia could do hers.

It was a beautiful dress – deep green and floor length, with a slit up the left leg. The sleeves were long and the neckline plunged – something that made both girls feel quite uncomfortable. No doubt a way to try and make it look like they were treated like any other member of the pack. “Ready?” Ivy asked Mia, the two looking for a moment in the mirror and cringing at the amount of chest skin on show. “Let’s get this over with” Mia muttered, the two rushing out of the door and down the stairs as they heard an entourage of cars begin to pull up the long driveway to the pack house.

Ivy brushed her hands down her dress as they reached the main doorway and reception room, hoping they looked okay. “Finally, here” Lila said, rolling her eyes and pulling the girls over to the back of the crowd that waited by the door. “Stay here” Lila said, rushing back to the front and taking her place beside the Alpha. Clarissa was wearing a deep red dress that left little to the imagination, partnered with stiletto heels. The two boys were in blue suits, jostling each other and accidentally bashing into Clarissa, who slapped them around the arms.

Ivy rolled her eyes to Mia at the sight of the Alpha’s children, waiting for the door to open so they could get the day over and done with. She shuffled on her feet, looking down at her shoes as they waited for the Alpha King and his pack to enter. Ivy’s head perked up as she suddenly smelt something that made her mouth water and her knees buckle – the smell of patchouli, geranium, rose and a hint of frankincense. It smelt like home.