The Hidden City

CHAPTER THREE - THE INTRODUCTION

I'm in the usual female outfit that covers me from head to toe. Sports bra, underware, long sleeve shirt, long under pants, outer blouse, long skirt down to my ankles, knee socks, and ankle boots.

To top off the uniform my hair is pulled up in a tight bun and under a bonnet. Standing next to Staci who has the exact same outfit on. Everything is gray.

Goddess how I hate gray!

Are you sure it’s coming this morning?

Yes! They said it would be delivered this morning!

But we have been out here for almost an hour. They did not cancel our classes just for us to stand out here all day.

Actually they did Staci! They canceled classes so the girls being introduced could have all day to get ready.

But the others stuff came yesterday and was put in their room.

You know good and well no one is going to put anything anywhere close to my room.

How do you know you’ve never let them, you always wait out here.

Look there’s Lexy now! She’s bringing my stuff now.

Are you coming to my room to see it?

Uhm I can’t I ahhh I ahh got to go get instructions for ahhh a paper I have due. I’ll go now. Talk to you later!

Of course she won’t come to my room, she never does!

Hey Lexy!

Lexi Perrish is one of the shop workers. Works hard. Pregnant with her first pup. She is mated to Alder.

Hey Anna! I got your box for you.

Wow! When are you due? Should you be carrying that box?

Oh I'm ok. I’ll be on my way home after this.

Well ok thanks! Be careful!

Yeah bye! Have fun tonight! You know I met my mate Alder at the ball. Best thing that ever happened to me! Good luck!

That night Lexi goes into labor. Alder is able to be with her. They have a healthy baby boy. They name him Garrith Miles Parrish.

I head in with my box. It’s heavy! She should not of been carrying this all the way over here!

Ha! Good luck on finding my mate. There’s no mate for me. Freaks do not get mates.

No Freak!

I know I'm not a freak, but everyone else thinks I am.

Not Everyone!

I finally got the box to the room and set it on the bed.

Should I open it now or wait?

Open, open , open!

Ok let’s see what we will wear tonight!

I open the box and right on top is an envelope with my name on it in my mom's handwriting.

My dear Anastasia! Happy Birthday! I can not believe that you are already old enough to be Introduced! Your father and I are so very proud of you!

Yeah right! She might be proud but I know he could care less! Rolling my eyes I continue reading.

In the wrapped box you will find your Birthday present. I hope you love your present!

Your father has to work tonight but I will be out in the crowd to watch you be introduced!

Of course he will not be there. He is never there!

Have the time of your life tonight! I hope you meet your mate tonight and that he is everything you have ever dreamed of! Love mom!

Oh Goddess! not her too!

Next in the box is a beautifully wrapped rectangle thin box.

I unwrap it and gasp! My mothers pearls! Her necklace, earrings, and bracelet! I’ve never seen her without them!

A note inside says:

Anastasia these pearls have been passed down to the oldest female for many generations in my family. Now it is your turn. I hope you love them as much as I have! Love mom!

Ohh yes! I do love them!!!!

Next in the box are beautiful 3 inch heals that are a light rose color that match my dress perfectly!

Then there are real under things! A rose colored lace bra and panties! Thin stockings that attach to the panties with elastic!

Ohhh my Goddess! Then the dress!

My dress is a light rose with a heart shaped front and a lace back! Long sleeves to my wrist. The bottom of the dress is straight, and goes to just below my knees.

This is my first grownup dress! I’ve never shown any of my body off before!

I will even get to wear my hair down! That’s the only reason my mom said yes to a lace back! Haha!

There’s about seven more hours before I have to be downstairs in the outside garden to get ready to do the walk.

The dorm garden is nowhere near as big or pretty as the center garden. It is rectangular and flower bushes outline it. There are a few benches there so girls can sit outside if they please. I rarely sit outside since I have my own balcony. One day I will have flower pots on it.

If I take my shower now then my hair can air try straight and I will not have to hold the blower forever!

But I better go get food, to have up here first, so I don't have to dress up again later, when I get hungry.

As I walk passed a room with a few girls in it I over hear one of them:

Hey there goes the freak! You think she is going in her uniform to the ball, or is she going to poof herself a dress tonight? You know nothing got delivered for her yesterday with our dresses!

Sometimes it’s very hard to act like I can not hear what these girls say about me!

Go kick ass! You know we can!

No! We can not bring that kind of attention to us. At least not yet!

I get my sandwiches and water and head back to my room.

As I went past the room I saw Staci going in and shutting the door. She does not see me. She’s spending more time with the other girls, and less time with me. I know they are affecting our friendship.

When I come into my room I notice the balcony door is opened. I never leave it open. I notice a few things have been touched and moved around. But I can not smell anyone. I do a quick look around but no one is in here now.

I go and look out on the balcony and then close and lock the door.

Who in the city would come into my room?

Time to get that shower! I take an extra long hot shower hoping I use up hot water for at least one of those girls!

When I get out I spray my scent on then wrap a big fluffy towel around my hair and body. When I walk out of the bathroom the patio door is opened a little again!

What the hell is going on I know I just locked that door!

I look all around, but find no one in my room. I shut and lock the door again, then pull the curtains closed over the doors. That lock is sturdy; it can only be unlocked from the inside!

Someone was in my room. But I still did not smell anyone! I check around and nothing is missing that I can tell. It just looks like things were picked up and put down.

I go get my brush and take my hair out of the towel. I brush it out straight. Then I go get the book I'm reading and curl up on my sofa.

Before I know it the hours fly by and it is time to get dressed!

I start blushing to myself as I put on the under garments. Luckily my mother showed me how she put hers on once! A lot more complicated than just pulling on a sports bra! The thin hose takes forever to get up my legs, but when I look in the mirror I look amazing!

Next is the dress. The material is so thin and silky soft. It does not feel like I am wearing it at all! The color goes very well with my gray hair! I stood for a long time just looking at myself! I’m just as pretty as the other girls!

We are more pretty than all those girls!

Next I walk over to my desk and put on my pearls. Their color picks up both the rose from my dress and the gray from my hair. I think they look amazing!

I clean up nice if I do say so myself! Ten minutes left before I have to go down to the garden.

I get my little bag and put lipgloss in it and my scent spray. I go ahead and put in my tiny ear plugs. They do not block me from hearing much, but at least my ears will not be hurting with all the loud noises tonight!

I head down to the garden. Some of the girls are already there. When I come out they start whispering, but at least now I do not have to hear it.

Now we wait for the rest of the girls and the House Mother before we start the walk past the males.

Once we are all lined up with me pulling up the back as usual, we start the walk.

The House Mother. Greta Goldberg. Old and grouchy. Her wolf never surfaced. Rumor is when she met her mate he rejected her for not having a wolf. They say she never felt the physical pain of the rejection.

The walk is where we walk the long way to the center garden where the ball is. We walk by the males that are being introduced. While we walk by they try to scent us to find their mate.

However they are not supposed to say or do anything. It is supposed to be some kind of test of how well they control their wolf.

I hear a howl and a whistle then a shhhhh. I guess the first of the girl line came into view.

They have us spread out “so the scents do not mix”. Which makes no sense to me if a male is supposed to scent his mate even in a big crowd. Also once in the ball we are likely to be all pushed together.

By the time I pass by most are already turning around and leaving. From what I can tell the ones I pass all smell the same to me. They all smell like trees and moss. No signs that a mate is anywhere nearby.

No! No mate here! I want mate!

They walk us to a white tent then a few minutes later I hear them walking the males to the other black tent across from us.

The Alpha mate Caroline will introduce the females and the Alpha Dominic Lanciny Fume will introduce the males.

Then we do the Elder walk where we are supposed to let them hold our hands and scent us if they want. There are six Elders, five males and one female. Then we go into the Garden Ball area.

I am the last to be called so I watch all the girls go.

Then I hear. Andrew and Marie King are proud to have me introduce their daughter Anastasia Lauren King who turned 18 today!

A couple claps are heard as I walk over to the Alpha mate. She loosely grips my fingers and does an air kiss to both my cheeks, with a tired but warm smile on her face.

Then I finish the walk across the stage to get in the line to start the Elder walk.