The Twisted Path

Chapter 1- Resignation

They read my diary in front of the court.. Ryla sadly thought to herself. Now they blame me for my father’s disappearance. “HURRY UP” Chloe the store manager broke Ryla’s thoughts when she screamed as Ryla hurried to get some more perfume from the back room. A tear fell from this unbearable day, she watched as it glistened like the glass that held the perfume and medicine around her. Why was Chloe calling her out? She was normally hidden away in the back to mix perfumes and handle inventory, only called out to organize the store at night when no one could see her. She smiled and wiped her other cheek. Gotta look strong even if I don’t feel it. She was good at that. She come out of the back room and say with as much sass as she could muster. “Good thing I am here, you would all die without me.God knows how much you love my presence or you wouldn’t keep calling me out here.” Ryla knew they hated her here. May as well use me in one of the pack stores if they couldn’t banish her, right? With the Council coming to check packs every so often it would look suspicious if they got rid of her. The war was over but they wanted to make sure that things ran smoothly. At least she could get a free meal from the cafe connected to this perfume store when she worked. Chloe glared at Ryla. With narrowed eyes she spit with venom, as her eyes flicked to the customer who was perusing perfume from across the store. “Cut the sass. Now, I have to go mix some more perfume in the back. Take care of that customer, I said you would be out to help.” Chloe walked ever closer to Ryla and hissed in her ear. “This customer is an outsider, never seen them before. Try not to show them how worthless you are.” Ah. It all made sense. Ryla thought. Chloe did not feel comfortable with outsiders. Usually Chloe would not call her out to deal with a customer, since the pack was disgusted even having to speak with her. The only time she got a reprieve was when her best friend Kermit visited her at night. He got his wolf even if she had not yet, they would go into fields where she could make flower crowns and listen to the river as they talked and he ran around in wolf form. She smirked and stepped on Chloe’s foot sharply. “Oops” she said lightly as the customer walked up to the counter, leaving Chloe no time to retaliate. Ryla relished the angry mutterings Chloe made as she stalked into the back room. “Hello, welcome to Scent Alchemy, how may I—“ she stopped short. This customer.. had the same scent as her father. She had never smelled it on another werewolf. Her eyes went swiftly to the stranger’s face. He had amber eyes, brown leather gloves with the fingers missing, and a playful demeanor. “I was told I could find you here.” He whispered. “Ryla, I presume?” She nodded wordlessly. “You look so much like your father. I have been waiting for this day. Your birthday is tomorrow, correct?” He stated it as a matter of fact rather than a question. “Meet me tonight by the willow tree right outside of pack lands.” She lowered her voice to the level the stranger was speaking at. “And why should I?” The stranger beamed as he slid her a letter. She skimmed quickly, it was in her father’s handwriting. “Ah ah ah” the stranger stated as he pulled the letter back. “I only got to read the first line.” She growled as the letter was pulled away. “Meet me tonight if you want the chance to read it. If you do not come, you will never know.” Ryla heard footsteps as Chloe came from the back room. “Well then I will take three bottles of your Rosemary essential oils and one of your Rainwater scented perfume.” Ryla took the stranger’s card. “Done.” She reverted to her best customer service voice. “And if you want coffee or baked goods you can find it in the store next door.” She flicked her fingers lightly as the customer walked away. When the customer was no longer in sight Chloe grabbed the collar of her shirt and yanked her back. “Now get in the back where you belong.” Normally she would have barked something back, but Ryla walked into the back room in a daze. Sitting around the perfumes, she shook her head slowly. As she got back into the rhythm of mixing and grinding she wondered what tonight would hold for her.

As she got off of work, she went next door to get some food as per her routine. She only was allowed to eat leftovers that no customers had bought for the day, and only out of sight of everyone, after the shades had been pulled for the night. She was filled with so much hope and dread. Tomorrow was her birthday, the day she got her wolf. She had all these plans. Kermit knew a human friend who could put her up and get her work. What did this stranger want to talk to her about? She finished up her food and took the short walk back to her house. “RYLA!!!” She heard screamed at her as soon as she walked in the door. She closed the door rolling her eyes. Her mother came from the back room. After her father disappeared her mom refused to call Ryla her daughter anymore. “Why the hell are you ten minutes late. You are supposed to pack my lunch for my work day tomorrow, and you better not forget to make me my coffee before I have to leave tomorrow” Damn. She was so absorbed thinking about the stranger that she forgot to hurry up to get home. “Heather, you have the ability to make your own lunch and coffee for the day, yes?” She was so done with them and had no patience to keep her head down today. She felt a sting to her cheek as Heather slapped her. “I am so SICK of you” she bellowed. Heather pushed Ryla to the kitchen. Too anxious to make it to the willow tree, Ryla quickly made the sandwiches and boxed them up and wiped down the counter, then retreated to her shower upstairs. She bathed both her hair and body with a bar of soap. She wouldn’t spend money on shampoo, when she was so focused saving money to get out of here. As she toweled herself dry she closed her door and turned on her night light, pretending to sleep. She waiting until she heard no more movement and noise anywhere else in the house before she lightly pulled the window up and made her way out of it into the night. If she only knew what was in store for her, she may have decided to stay in her room that night.