The Onyx Stone

The Ball

Rena knew at this point she had to tell him something, anything but the truth. A lie in the direction of what he wanted to hear would throw him off scent and bring down his guards.”

She breathed in. “I was going through some of my memories of the murders.”

Luther looked at her disbelievingly. “Hmm. Memories?”

“You know very well I have the magic ability to walk down other people’s memory lane as if I was there presently...including myself. So I tried to find out if there was anything left of my clan, anybody.”

“Even though I had told you to quit searching” Luther said softly.

Rena kept silent, restraining herself from smiling. She had successfully accomplished her aim, but now she knew what to expect next.

There was an eerie, dreadful silence as Rena awaited the wrath that was soon to be unleashed. The last time she'd gone incognito and journeyed the borders of the Black Stone lands near the Silver Fortress, in search of what news she could find, the sentries guarding their side of the border had recognized her in one of the taverns and dragged her back to Luther.

In order to punish her, Luther forced Lyra to transform and locked her in the Cold room (a completely dark, tangy room meant to keep starved wolves) for three days. The anguish of hearing Lyra's pained whimper behind the iron grated door guarded by sentries, but not able to do anything was enough to tear her heart apart. She refused to eat those days as well, in a bid to protest, but Luther couldn't care less.

She stood still by the corner of her silver-lined armrest as Luther paced back and forth her room floor.

She took a deep breath. She wasn't going to let anyone else take the brunt for her actions. If anyone was going to be punished, it'd be her. "If you're going to punish me, just go ahead with it"

He stopped, taking her in, the anger battling with his resolve to stay calm. "What were you doing there?"

"I already told you" She said.

"Yes, and what did you find?"

"Nothing"

"What do you mean by nothing? Didn't you find them?"

A strange wave of anger was beginning to rise in her chest. "No I didn't find them. I was interrupted before I got any further".

Which, she thought couldn’t be further from lies.

He paused, mulling over what she said, before sighing. "Luna, I don't know how else you want me to drill it to you . Do you not realize your life is in danger? I've taken you to the desolation that is left of the Onyx Clan--your clan, your people. You've seen it for yourself how much m******e was done." He walked to her window again, observing the floraled grounds beneath. "If there are any remnants left they are probably scattered far and abroad... the ones responsible for the killings are still out there.. looking for you, you're the last of the Onyx Royal. You know who saved you from that fire? I did. I rescued you. Are you going to pay me back this way? Putting your life in danger and disobeying me?"

Rena held her arm rest, fighting the whirlpool of emotions that would soon bond to form tears. "I...I just want to know what happened to my family. If they are still alive. I have to know " She closed her eyes, a tear escaping a lid. "I care about my family, if you love me as your Luna you ought to --"

"Family doesn't mean a thing to me. I've been able to survive as Alpha because I trusted no one but myself , so I don't care about your family!!" He bellowed

Rena's eyes flicked open. "What did you say?"

Luther gritted his teeth, holding up his clenched right fist. "I'm not saying....that's not what I-- "

"I want you to leave my chambers" She said, with a deadly coldness in her expression, and wiping the tears from off her face.

He looked at her."Don't disappoint me at this gathering, Luna". He walked out of the room then, flinging the doors open and bounding down the hallway, the black wolves following behind him. Lyra stepped in, quickly bolting the door in time to see Rena scream and throw the silver-framed fan back Windsor chair across the floor.

"Moon goddess. I hate him." Rena seethed. "I wish I could just ...rip his throat off." She curled her fingers inward as if to snatch something. "Arrgghsshh" She screamed again, feeling her wolf surge within her with reciprocated anger. She dropped her hands to her sides. "I wish I could shape shift already"

Lyra gave her a critical stare.

"What?"

"Are you sure you don't need me to bring liquor to put you to sleep, so you can rethink what your plans are when you wake up?"

Rena scoffed. "You should have heard what he said"

"I did. And I also know he should be the least of your worries right now. You're not oblivious to his nature, so I don't pity you in that"

"Whatever. I'm already hating this ball"

There was a knock at the door. Lyra volunteered to get it. "Yes?"

"It's Asher"

She unfastened the bolt letting him in. A tall man with pale brown hair, cream-beige skin and stout build came in clad in leather armoury. He held a large black vinyl bag" I heard noises Lyra, Is everything all right?" He turned to Rena.

"Yes Asher. Just my chair being too heavy and causing a row is all" She smiled, before taking in his outfit.

He noticed her raised brows. "Oh this" He scratched his head, looking sheepish. "Just decided something for a change. Yunno, for the ball. Do you like it?"

Lyra giggled.

"Whatever is fine with me Asher. You don't need to act like those whacko sentries to guard me. And yes, it looks good on you, I'm guessing you have your eyes set on someone this evening? " she eyed him.

Asher looked stupefied. "Uhhhh--"

Rena blushed. "Don't worry you don't have to answer that"

"Actually Tamir sent me to give you this. The finished dress you requested "

"Oh, yes. Thank you Asher "

Lyra took it from him, examining the thin strip of nylon as Asher bowed and left.

"It's pretty" she tore the nylon and removed the large ball-dress in it's hanger. A dark green outfit laced with brown designs at the hems and arms and spotted with intricate jewelries.

"Right." Rena said. " Let's get ready for the ball"

**********

The walls were lit with anbaric and naphtha-powered lights fitted to sconces as she sashayed across the stone lobby that led to the dome-like auditorium in her flowing green ball-dress, Lyra beside her in a red cotton bodycon dress. Asher draped in his leather jacket, was on her left and Jake, another of Rena's bodyguard in his grey wolf form, prowled the polished floor on her right, observing the black wolves that stood like stoned creatures in positions lining the entryway. Different faces and personalities dressed in exquisite-costly fabrics and escorted by different colours of wolves perambulated the lobby as well in a clamor of excited voices, none of them recognizing her, except to take her in, her pretty dress and styled hair separated into two long intricate braids and left to fall freely on her face, the rest knotted into a ponytail. Only Lyra had left hers the way it was, still her beauty was exceptional. Rena wondered how she could have been born so pretty, she definitely would have crushed if she'd been a man.

She smiled, and caught Lyra staring.

"Why are you smiling?" Lyra raised a brow.

She shook her head. "It's nothing " A few other heads along the way turned as they approached, a dazed-glance in her direction before looking away.

Of course, she was literally a prisoner here. Who'd know her

"Rena!" A slim lady with honey skin and long deep-black curly hair hurried to the group clad in a velvet black glittery off-shoulder dress. She had large pretty eyes, arched brows and full lips that added to the beauty in her elegantly sculpted face. "I've been waiting for you guys, what happened?" She whispered when she joined them. " Luther was hysteric thinking you'd disappeared or something "

"Something came up Roxie. I hope we're not too late, or caused a delay in the procession? " Rena said, lifting the hem-garment slightly so that she didn't have to trip on its end as they made their way into the hall-threshold filled with bodies, furs and cologne.

"Oh no not at all. The dishes and drinks are being served alongside exhibition shows. The introduction was suspended pending till when you arrived."

The large dome's walls were encrusted in black marble stone that reflected the many lights blazing in various gilded -sconces and chandeliers so that the walls shone all around. Floral decorations graced the arched windows, doors and eaves. There were clusters of silver chairs covered in beautiful linen and kept in different positions on the pavement close to the Dias. They were arranged according to their colors and Rena and her pack opted for the chairs covered in black linen as eyes darted in her direction.

As she had expected, other guests were taking their seats according to their clans as well. The green covered chairs were occupied by different persons from the Jade Moon Clan and accompanied by wolves with green furs of different shades, including mixed breeds.

The White-Snow Clan were already seated on the white -clothed chairs. Wolves with the whitest of furs like she'd never seen pranced around the pavements, either sniffing the chairs or communicating with the others who hadn't transformed. As her gaze swept through the group, a mean-looking man with black beards and cream hair sat on the front row, dressed in a classy beige colored tuxedo.

His eyes trailed on her, cold and empty. He probably was the Alpha, but he wasn't who she was looking for.

Disappointment stubbornly crept its way up to her, even though she didn’t want it to. Because she wanted to trust him. But he wasn’t here yet.