The Surrogate Luna

Chapter 3

*Esmerelda’s POV* 23 years ago.

“This is stupid.” I muttered to myself as I scanned the ballroom. I subconsciously pull my black dress down as if it will make a difference. Although I’m shorter than most others, my hips and butt are wide and round, causing my clothes to stretch to capacity and shorten. I stared down at my sparkly red sandals and white-painted toes, suddenly feeling insecure.

This is my 12th mating ball and I still haven’t found my true mate. If I don’t find him or her this full moon, then I might just give up. I’ve been to a ball under every moon in every kingdom. Each ball is filled with all types of shifters anxiously awaiting the moon to reach its peak in order to release new matches. This ball takes place in the Lycan Kingdom, though there are very few Lycans here. They usually find their mates right away. It’s very rare for a Lycan to mate with another shifter other than the occasional werewolf.

Feeling hopeless, I wandered over to the food tables and helped myself to the pasta bar. A tall olive-skinned woman with a short blunt hair cut saunters over me, sharing my same expression. She's dressed in an emerald green dress with gold designs all over it and a pair of nude heels. She begins filling her plate next to me.

“Is this your first one?” She asks. She stares at me quizzically.

“My first ball? No, it’s my 12th. You?” I glanced over at her. She has slanted charcoal eyes that are accented with sharp winged eyeliner. Her lips are painted in deep crimson lipstick.

She seemed vaguely familiar. “It’s my 9th. My dad and brother would kill me if they knew I was here. They’ve been trying to arrange my marriage since my birth, but I keep fighting them and running off.” She sighs. “I want true love, not to be shackled to someone for power and money.”

“You're a princess.” It wasn’t a question and she knew it. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her head back as if sending a silent prayer to Selene. She probably didn’t mean to let what she said slip.

“Ayeka, the Kitsune Princess.” She mutters. She looks at me as if trying to see if I'd panic or bow. I don't.

“Esmerelda, black witch.” I extended my hand in order to shake hers. Her eyes show her surprise, but she quickly fixes her face and returns the gesture. “ Don’t worry princess. Your secret is safe with me, as long as mine is safe with you.” If anyone figured out a princess was here, this whole ball would be in uproar trying to either mate her or someone might try something deviously worse. She gave me a half smile.

“I’ve heard of black witches, but I didn’t think it was a literal term.” She tilts her head to one side, staring at me as if she can’t figure me out. “Or maybe it’s a double meaning?”

I laughed loudly, startling a few people around us. I don’t know much about Ayeka. The old Kitsune king kept his precious only daughter under wraps. “For me, it has a double meaning. I am the only black witch in a long line of cosmic and earthbound witches that just happens to be black.” I grab a drink and scan the room for an available seat. I spot a table close by and Ayeka follows close behind, sitting next to me, so we can continue chatting.

Although Ayeka is the oldest of the Old King’s two pups, she wasn’t allowed to be his heir to the throne. Usually, male pups are born first, solidifying the monarchy. However, her being born first raised a lot of questions and put the Kitsune Kingdom at risk of falling. The old king met with the council, and it was decided that her brother would take the crown regardless. Many subjects didn’t agree, openly displaying their desire for the ancient firstborn rule to continue with Ayeka. They didn’t question her ability to rule, stating that Selene makes no mistakes. However, their protest fell upon deaf ears, and the old King continued with his plan of raising Ayeka’s brother Hiro to be the next ruler of the Kitsune Kingdom.

“How did you manage to sneak into the Lycan Kingdom undetected and unguarded?” I ask, twirling some pasta around my fork.

“Firstly, I don’t sneak anywhere.” She says with a sly smile. “I walk gracefully everywhere I go. Second, no one knows what I look like outside my royal attire.”

It’s true. I didn’t recognize her myself. She normally has her make-up done to look like a porcelain doll and long silk robes cover her body. Even her hair is usually long. I suspect it’s usually a wig.

“Third,” she says, interrupting my thoughts. “I do have a guard. He just happens to hate my dad twice as much as I do. So mum is ALWAYS the word with him.” She nods at something behind me.

I looked over my shoulder and saw a tall stockily built asian guy dressed casually in a gray polo shirt, blue jeans and loafers. He’s leaning against the wall seemingly unbothered, but I know that he’s constantly scanning the room for danger headed toward his assigned princess. He sees us notice him and gives us a slight nod.

“That’s a nice piece of eye candy.” I giggled, nudging her shoulder. “I’d find quite a few ways to keep him quiet.”

She snorts. “Too bad he isn’t interested in anything either of us have to offer.” At that moment, a caramel-skinned, short, slender man with curly hair walks up to Ayeka’s bodyguard and gives him a quick kiss. The man joins him in scanning and they discretely hold hands.

“Honestly, I'm more jealous than anything.” I told her, returning to my food. “Having a mate must be nice.”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. Being tied down seems like a lot. But then again, our mates usually compliment us. Maybe mine will be as open and free as me. Then we can explore the world instead of living under the constant surveillance of my pigheaded father.”

I snickered at her comment. My parents lived in the freelands of the Bujeria Territory. We have no ruler and only recognize the monarchs out of respect, not loyalty. We continue having conversations as we eat and go back for seconds. I learned about her upbringing. She was brought up in the old school way to be prim and proper, forced into etiquette classes and learning “woman skills”, while her brother was forced into Alpha and Royalty training. Her bodyguards, Tori and Tye were assigned to her at the age of 12 when she got her fox. According to her, this was a sign that she was the rightful heir to the throne. Kitsune shifters don’t get their foxes until they turn 17. Her father turned a blind eye to it and kept her locked away, spreading the rumor that her brother was the one that shifted. He even went as fair as disguising her scent and having her pretend to be him during royal duties until he got his own fox. With them being twins, their foxes were so similar that no one noticed.

Tori and Tye had been trained at the Warriors Academy together and found out they were mates there. This satisfied her father’s desire to “keep her pure”, as Ayeka put it. When she went into heat, it was easy to be around them as their beasts weren’t tempted by her scent. Tori, the short curly haired one, is a wolf from The Passerine Territory. Tye, her asian bodyguard, is a Lycan from her territory. They both sport matching marks on their necks. It’s a slightly metallic turquoise crescent moon. Every mated pair gets a mark that matches when they mark and mate each other for the first time.

After a while, Tori and Tye joined us. The room is filled with different shifters from all over the world. Usually, you have to buy tickets a few months in advance to go to each mating ball. Usually they are filled with young kids who have just turned 18. Then you’ll see more seasoned lookers like myself. I’m 20 and haven’t found a mate. If you reach 21 before finding your fated mate, you won’t ever have one. After that, it’s socially acceptable to take a chosen mate.

We sit and chat as it gets closer to the full moon. The ballroom, like most others, has a giant clear domed glass ceiling to enhance the full moon and make it look brighter and closer. Many people are on the dance floor dancing and mingling. Tye grabs us some drinks. Frozen margaritas with extra shots of tequila, a tray full of jello shots and a few glasses of cognac.

We happily drink and take shots as the party becomes livelier. You can feel the aura of the moon getting heavier as it hides behind the clouds.

Soon we are almost completely wasted. Ayeka grabs my hand and pulls me to the dance floor. The air is so charged with energy and I hope Selene grants me my wish for this moon. I only have four moons left before I turn 21.

With Tori and Tye close by, Ayeka and I lose ourselves to the music. The DJ is blasting different genres and artists but keeping the tempo upbeat. Waiters dressed in all black walk around with trays of shots of different alcohol. We grab a few and knock them back. The energy in the room is charged, signaling that the moon is almost at its peak. People are spreading out to give each other space to find their possible mates.

The clouds begin to clear as the DJ starts a countdown to the moon at its peak.

“10…9…8…7…6…5…4...3…2…1…”

I inhale deeply, sniffing for the scent of my mate. You never know what it will be, but your soul is automatically attracted to it. I walk around a bit, as do a few others who have not spotted their mates. My heart sinks into my stomach. Another failed ball.

I drag my feet back to my table, ready to grab my things and go home. I booked a room on the off chance I found my mate, but I’d rather check out and leave. Ayeka is already sitting at the table with a sad look in her eyes that resonates deeply within me. I sat next to her and grabbed her hands. She immediately loses control of her resolve and bursts into tears. I rub her back gently.

“I’m so tired of the let-down,” she sobs. “I have to find them before my 21st birthday. I don’t want an arrangement. I want true love.”

My heart aches more for her than it does for myself. A waiter passes by with a tray of shots and I take the whole tray from him. He doesn't protest, noticing Ayeka’s running mascara and our lack of mates. As the party turns from lively to sultry, Ayeka and I take more shots. After a few rounds, I felt myself losing my inhibitions and dragged Ayeka back to the dance floor.

We dance and grind against each other and other unmated shifters. There were even a few mated pairs that seemed up for thirds to their pair. Waiters continued to bring shots to the dance floor, and soon I knew I'd had way too much to drink. My eyes are heavy, and I feel every bass note of the music hitting every muscle and vein in me. I sway and swoon in circles, rubbing against anybody that is willing.

As the party begins to wind down, the DJ plays a soft, sensual ballad. Not wanting to leave just yet, Ayeka grabs me and pulls me into a slow dance. Our bodies rock against each other. My hands are around her neck; hers are around my waist. We sway slowly to the music. She rests her head against my shoulder and quietly sobs. Like me, she sees the mated shifters around us and feels that evil green monster swelling in her chest beneath her sadness.

“There's someone out there for us.” I told her, caressing her head. “I promise.”

“Are you sure? We’re almost out of time.” Her hands are massaging comforting circles against my back. It soothed me deeply.

“I promise. You’ll find the person meant for you.”

She looks up at me with pleading eyes. Then she gently grabs my face and kisses me.