Scarlet's Daughter

Chapter 11: Secrets

Annie's POV :

    I've been only holding onto my mother for a few minutes, when a man suddenly appeared a few feet away from me. I was still crying, so my vision wasn't all that great. "Annie, this is the pack's undertaker, Orwin." Barin says softly while putting a hand on my shoulder. "Hello, sorry for the delay. Still trying to get use to magic... Well who do we have here?" Orwin asks, I wiped my eyes looking up at Orwin. He looks to be about my mom mother's age maybe a little older, his hair is curly and peppered black and white.  "this is my mom-" Orwin whispers loud enough for me to hear "Scarlet." and lightly jogs forward. "What happened to her?" Orwin asks kneeling down to my mother's body his eyes are a bright blue which are observing every detail of my mother. "Well for starters, she was abused, r***d, and left for dead. Now," tears started forming blurring my vision again "he killed her." I whispered trying to wipe my tears away and not to hyperventilate. As my vision was coming back I looked at Orwin who was crying just as bad or if not worse than I was. "I used to know your mother, ya know. I grew up with her." Orwin says wiping his own tears away letting out a heavy sigh, "if she would see me now and what I had just did. She's kick me in the balls." Orwin says chuckling but was quickly replaced with a sad smile. 

    Barin grunted getting Orwin's attention, "right. I need to take her, Annie. I have to prepare her for a proper burial." Orwin says looking at me and gingerly taking hold of my mother's body carrying her bridal style. "What was her favorite dress to wear?" Orwin asks, "her favorite dress was a navy blue, long sleeve, knee length, Aphrodite Home dress that has a zipper waist and a V neck. Unfortunately, she was wearing that dress today; it's in ruins." As I told him I was crying again. This time Barin gently wiped my tears away, "did it look like this?" Orwin asks grabbing my attention. There on my mom's body was her beloved dress, as vibrant as every. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head yes, even in death she's beautiful. "Good, I'll be heading back to the pack to continue the preparations. I'll let you know when she's ready." Orwin says while tears build up and fall down his face. He turns around and takes three steps away while loudly mumbling incoherent words, then disappears. 

    "We need to get you dressed, now. Can't bring you into the pack naked." Barin says looking away from me blushing, "that's no problem. My mom gave me magical clothes." I say putting my hand under my locket and using my other hand to open the locket itself. As the shoes and the dress hit my hand, I imagine them being their normal size. Then, I imagine the dress becoming a black romper with built in bra and underwear. The high tops became black flats. This whole time he had his pack members turned around, besides Orwin who was more focused on my mom. When I was finally dressed, Barin gave the okay for everyone to look. "Do you want to use magic or do you want to walk?" Barin asks taking my hands, kissing the tops of them. It didn't take me long to decide, "magic." I said with a small smile. I want to get away from here as fast as possible. "Alright, just remember to breathe. It's gonna catch you by surprise. ready?" Barin asks still holding my hands, I shook my head yes. I never realized but every time Barin and I touched I felt warmth spread all over my body and tingling sensations. Mate? Wouldn't I be able to smell him first? 

    Before I could ask I felt dizzy, light headed, butteries in my stomach, and suddenly the world abruptly stopped. Barin slightly squeezed my hands, "are you okay?" he asks lifting my chin up to look at him. "Don't." I say pushing him away from me. I attempted to walk a few paces but I was stumbling too much nearly falling if I hadn't caught myself on a post. I stayed leaned back against the post for a few minutes with my eyes shut until I felt like myself again. "That was rough." I said finally opening my eyes to see Barin a few yards away speaking to a beautiful mocha skinned girl with wild black curls on one side of her head and the other side looked braided into a design I couldn't see. So, I started to walk towards them with each step I became more steady.  I stopped a foot behind Barin, "please, she can't stay with me. You have to let her stay with you! Don't make me have to use my alpha voice on you, Zora." Barin says oblivious to me standing behind him. Zora on the other hand took notice to me and ask "why can't she stay with you? Is Isabella gonna throw a fit?" Zora gives Barin a dirty smirk, "it's complicated, and yes she would. Zora, please!!" Barin says practically begging her. Maybe I was wrong about him being my mate.

    "Listen I'll just go after my mother's burial. I don't want to be anyone's burden." I say causing Barin to spin around quickly, he looked like I caught him doing something he shouldn't have done. He looked shocked, ashamed, and nervous. Odd. Zora must be use to his reaction cause all she did was grab my wrist saying "come on," walking away dragging me behind her and tossing her head over her shoulder to Barin "you owe me pretty boy." she shouts and grins at me, "thank you, Zora!" Barin yells. I looked behind me only to see Barin walking away and into the arms of a tan, slender, white haired woman? She looks too young to have white hair. "Zora, who is that?" I ask while still watching Barin and the white haired embrace each other and her jumping on Barin wrapping her legs around him. "Oh, that is Isabella. I personally don't like her, she comes from a high ranking pack who referse themselves King and Queen. I'll let you guess what Isabella likes to call herself." Zora scoffs and continues our walk to where I don't know, but points out various locations. 

    "This is where you'll be staying." Zora says showing me an immaculate building with dovetail banners on each side of the entrance.  On the banners displayed a full moon and  a wolf howling, how cliche. "wow, this place is huge! Although, the picture on the banner is a bit cliche don't you think?" I said chuckling a bit. On our long walk, Zora told me more about Isabella. Isabella's pack Crescent Moon, second largest and strongest. Barin's mother and father are still incharge of the Full Moon pack, but are third in line for the strongest and ninth place for the largest. They use to be third for the largest, but the alpha's of each pack despise each other and tries to outdo one another. Do to the constant rivalry, a war was born and raged for three years. The king and queen of the Crescent Moon pack sent their eldest daughter that hasn't found a mate, Isabella as a peace treaty. I've learned that Isabella enjoys the spoiled life, is 36 years old, and treats not only her own pack members but Barin's as peasants. Barin was quick to accept Isabella as a mate, much to Zora's disapproval. Zora and much like other werewolves believe waiting for their real mate, one chosen by the moon goddess. "I know, I've been trying to convince the beta to talk to the alpha's about the banners since the war has ended. Follow me." Zora says leading the way into the building, which I kinda expected it to be much like a college dorm would be, but it was the complete opposite. 

    "We live in the middle section, our social statuses are not well known but we are heard of. The Northern portion is for the high class, well known personal such as the doctors, some teachers, lawyers. Ya know, people of that importance. To the Southern portion is the new rogues who will eventually climb the social ladder here." Zora says as we make our way through many hallways and finally reach the elevator and Zora continues, "you will be staying with me. I'm the only lone wolf that has an additional room, usually the alpha's would give rooms with more bedrooms to wolves with pups. I had a roomate long ago, but she traded her fur for fangs." at the last part she looks down at the elevator floor and was quiet till we stopped. The elevator was beautiful, just like something you'd see at an expensive hotel. Which I guess is a hotel.. "the eighth floor is us. I know I may not look like it, but I know people." Zora says with a smile taking my wrist and making me jog to keep up with her. When Zora stopped at a huge marble door with golden trim and handles, my mouth dropped. "You can't be serious?" I ask looking at her in amazement, "but wait there's more!" Zora tells me with a mad grin on her face, pushing the doors open. I gasped, I couldn't believe my eyes.