Violet Waves

The Meeting

Gerald's sedan seemed to crawl up the twists and turns of the mountain road, which slowly turned into a more treacherous gravel path instead of the smooth pavement. Our bodies bumped up and down in the car more and more violently until we reached a smoother patch of road, one that led straight to the Blood Moon castle. On either side of the road were residences and businesses, spread out at first, but built up into a tiny city, hidden away from the world by the trees. As the sun finished coming up, I could see people appear, beginning to litter the sidewalks and open their establishments. My heart pounded in my chest as I knew we were getting closer and closer to my fate.

At the end of the town was one last winding driveway up to the castle. I could finally now see it in all its splendor, and it was more of an institution than a palace. The facade was sparkling, and you could see the veins of quartz throughout the stone shining in the light. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Crawling up the sides from the bottom was an array of ivy and other creeping plants, giving it a slight cottage feel, if it weren't for the sheer size of the building, it would be a comforting sight. The ivy crept up and around the windows, surrounding them and giving them a faux frame. After taking in the image before me, I notice a large man standing before two large oak doors, arms crossed, and no emotion showing on his face. I gulped as I knew this must have been him. Levi…

The car pulled up parallel to the doors, and I waited for both Gerald and Darlene to step out. I pulled out my pack of Spearmint gum and unwrapped a piece. I turned away from the window and spit my wad of bubblegum into the wrapper and placed the new piece into my mouth, chewing quickly. My hands grabbed onto the seat in front of me and I pulled myself up to glance at myself in the rearview mirror. My white hair was tangled and matted to my face from my test yesterday and my hard nap in the car. My skin was flushed from the anxiety I felt and my eyes were bloodshot. I sighed at my reflection and turned to look at the window, bringing my hand to the door handle but hesitating as I looked at the man just a few strides away.

My stomach turned and my heart started to pound. It felt as if it might burst, but I knew it wasn't my anxiety getting the best of me. This sick feeling wouldn't go away any time soon, so I cracked open the car door. The scent hit me first; neroli and sandalwood, with a hint of petrichor. I couldn't get enough of it and started to take long, deep breaths in, and sharp exhales, so I could suck in more of that delicious scent while I could. After the scent, the feeling started to bubble up. My insides twisted and burned as I took my first step out of the car and onto the same ground as Levi. My cheeks without a doubt were now a fluorescent shade of pink as I took small steps forward to meet him, but he closed the gap before I could continue taking my time.

"Iris, right? Well make yourself comfortable until we send you home. I'll have my Beta show you around for a bit, but I'm terribly busy and must head out." I didn't even have time to register his features with how quickly he stepped around me and began to walk away. My mouth hung open and I sputtered out a few random sounds, grasping for words to form

"What an ass." Gerald chimed in. "Did you even feel the mate pull? We can turn around and leave if you want." He shook his head and continued to grumble while looking at the man disappearing from our view.

I turned quickly to catch a last glimpse, but he was fast, and I could no longer see him. A frown placed itself on my face and I huffed.

"Yeah, an ass. That's exactly what he is." Someone new had chimed in and I brought my attention to the deep and surprisingly southern voice. A man not much taller than myself, but very broad stood at the doors of the castle.

"I'm Shane, pack Beta. C'mon sugar, I'll show you the ropes." He gestured for me to come forward and I gave one last glance to Darlene. She shooed me with her hands to follow the man and gave me a smile.

"Just call the DWP offices and ask for a werecat named Darlene if you ever need me." I nodded at her and finally realized why she was so small. I bet she was one feisty cat when she shifted. My feet automatically moved forward and up to the doors where Shane stood waiting for me. I turned one last time to give a meek wave to Darlene and Gerald as they hopped back into his sedan. They sat for a moment before the quiet crunching of gravel under tires was all I could hear. I turned back towards the castle and made eye contact with Shane.

"Why'd you call me sugar?" I asked him.

"Because you're real white, and I'm betting real sweet." He gave me a little wink and for the first time in two days I let out a little chuckle and rolled my eyes.

"I'm not that sweet, I promise."

"We'll leave that for the Alpha to decide." One more wink and I knew my face was now bright red with embarrassment. His head leaned to the side and I could tell he was searching for something.

"Where's your bags?" He pouted a bit when he realized I didn't have anything with me. My hands found each other and I began to twiddle my thumbs.

"I thought for sure that I'd be placed back home, because of my, um, defects, so I didn't pack any bags…" My lips pressed into a tight line. He frowned at me, and I could see that familiar look in his eyes that I got often from strangers. It was pity.

"You don't have defects. What you are, is one in a million. You've won the Power Ball in the genetic lottery. At least you don't look related like the rest of us!" He held his arm out for me to take as a toothy grin appeared on his face. My hand reached out and latched onto his elbow as I gave him another small smile. "Time to see your new home, miss."