When the Sky Comes Down

Chapter 6

[Alexia’s P.O.V.]

Unlike Nicole had predicted, we don’t go to the rec room right after dinner. After dinner, Nicole had asked me and Bellian what we were planning on wearing. When she found out that we in fact planned on wearing exactly what we were wearing, she made a disapproving sound and told us she would find us something nice to wear. “This is your first party,’ she had said, “you have to dress up for your first ever party.” So, despite all the complaining of Keith, who had preferred us to go the way we were dressed. Nicole went through our clothes, which felt a bit strange, having someone you barely know go through your personal belongings. Eventually she settled on a dress Bellian had. A hand-me-down from one of her older sisters, it turned out.

‘Do you have anything else?’ Nicole asked me, while checking all my clothes for the third time. For some reason she seemed to expect a new piece of clothing to pop up if she just sought hard enough.

‘This is all,’ I say softly. I am aware that I don’t have the best clothes. Unlike Bellian, I don’t fit in the old clothes of my sister, so I mostly had to do with what was available at the second hand store whenever I walked in. Whatever was in my budget, that is.

Nicole pops her lips. ‘No, that won’t do,’ she mutters. ‘You know what…’ She turns to me. ‘I’m sure I have something that fits you.’ She must be kidding. She is a lot smaller than I am and has a tiny waist. I can’t imagine her having anything that would fit me. Before I can respond, she grabs my hand and starts pulling me. ‘We’ll be right back Bellian. You just get dressed.’ I shoot Bellian a desperate look, before being pulled out of the room.

‘You know, I’ve always wanted a sister,’ Nicole says, while digging through her closet. ‘I mean, I have brothers and nieces and all, but that’s just-‘ She stops in her tracks for just a moment, before deciding upon her next word. ‘Different,’ she decides upon. ‘Especially in a pack like mine. They are very careful with who hangs out with who, and- Ah!’ she pulls out a marine blue dress and holds it in front of my body. ‘Perfect!’ She pushes the dress into my hands and continues pushing, until I get into the bathroom. ‘What was I saying?’ she asks through the door.

‘About that they are careful with who hangs with who,’ I help her. I look at the dress and let the fabric run through my hands. It is very soft. I hang it on the towel rack and start undressing, all the while listening to Nicole.

‘…they just want to prevent the youngsters from making the wrong choices. They want everybody to find their perfect mate and all, but do you know how hard that is? Because even if I believe that I have found the perfect mate, he must feel the same. Often there’s this instant spark, you know. At least, with wolfs who grow up in packs.’ She sounds a little sad. ‘Mom says it’s because they have grown up around other wolves, men and women mixed, you know. That’s why it can be hard for an lone wolf to find their perfect mate, because they don’t recognise the feeling.’ I have finally put on the dress and I look at myself in the mirror. The dress fits nicely around my upper body, hugging exactly the right places, then flows out from my waist down. The dress is a little short for my taste, but maybe that’s just a style I don’t know? It isn’t like I have a great sense of style, Nicole probably knows better.

I take a deep breath before leaving the bathroom. Nicole immediately stops talking and looks at me. She gets up from her bed and starts inspecting me. ‘It’s a little short,’ she notices, while pulling it down a little. ‘But it does look gorgeous on you. I am sure you will find your perfect mate in no time.’ She gives me a smile, but then seems to remember something. ‘But, just to make sure your brother won’t kill me…’ She walks back to her closet and pulls something out. ‘Let’s see if you fit these.’ She waved me over to the bed and I do as she asks. ‘Have you ever worn one of these?’ I shake my head. I don’t even know what they are. ‘They are tights. I don’t have any normal ones, so we’ll have to do with fishnet tights. They might seem a little small, but not to worry, they stretch up surprisingly much.’ She shows me how they stretch up. ‘Let me help you put them on. Take off your shoes.’ I do as she asks. She lifts my first leg and helps me to get it in. Then does the same with the other. ‘Now, you lift them all the way up.’ I take the solid edge and pull it up till they fit. They fit rather well. The pattern is a bit stretched out, but it does make me feel a little bit more covered. ‘Perfect,’ Nicole says, after I’ve put my shoes back on and stand up. ‘Just remember to crouch rather than bent forward if you need to reach the floor.’ She hooks my arm into hers and leads me away. ‘And stay close to me, or your brother.’ I nod. ‘Let’s get Bellian.’

Even before we reach the rec room we come across a lot of fellow students and Nicole greets a few of them.

‘Nicole!’ A handsome boy comes walking up to us. I can’t help but feel my heart flutter a little when I notice the dimples in his cheeks and the freckles on his nose.

‘Harlen!’ she squeals. She wraps her arms around his neck in an intimate hug. ‘Did you just arrive?’

‘Yeah, just after dinner.’ He glances over at Bellian, then at me. ‘And who are these lovely ladies you’ve brought along?’

‘Oh, Harlen.’ She pulls him closer to us by his arm. ‘Harlen, this is Bellian, she is- You are from the Greyfield family, right?’ she checks. Bellian nods. Her head has turned two shades darker, making me think she might be blushing. ‘And this is Alexia Wildheart.’

His eyes almost seem to twinkle when he looks at me. ‘Keith’s little sister?’

‘Y-yes,’ I say. Why do I feel so out of breath?

He smiles. ‘Well, it is very nice to meet you, Alexia.’ He takes my hand and places a kiss on the back of it. If I wasn’t blushing before, I am surely now. My cheeks are burning.

‘Harlen…’ Nicole interrupts, pulling him away a little, ‘…is the brother of my sister-in-law.’ She turns to him and whispers something I can’t hear. In return, he whispers something back. She seems surprised, then smiles and turns back to us.

I look at Bellian, wondering if she has any idea as to what is going on. She seems distracted. Before I can see what with, she turns to me and grabs a hold of my upper arm. ‘I see someone I know,’ Bellian says. She almost sounds exciting. ‘Do you mind?’

‘No, of course, go ahead,’ I tell her. She smiles, quickly waves at Nicole as ways of goodbye and then hurries away. I’m happy she has found someone she knows. That way she might feel a bit more comfortable. I turn my attention back to Nicole and Harlen, who are clearly in a very hushed, but intense discussion that is not to be shared. I suck in my lower lip and start biting on it, while wondering what it is they don’t want me involved in.

[Harlen’s P.O.V.]

I smelled her before I saw her. I am sure I’m not the only one. She smells delightful. Very light, like a mixture of flowers. I am sure I also smell a hint of freshly mowed grass. I follow my nose to the exit of my friend’s room. I hear her voice. At least, I am fairly certain it’s her voice. ‘…they are not very comfortable, are they?’

It is followed by a laugh I know well. ‘They are panty hoses, they aren’t meant to fit comfortable. Now stop touching them, you’re bringing the attention to your legs and we put them on you to make the attention less, not more.’ It’s Nicole. Who is she with? It can’t be one of the girls from our pack, I surely would have known.

I take a deep breath, enjoying the scent one last time. I am sure it will seem strange if I sniff when I face her. I turn the corner. ‘Nicole!’ I call out.

‘Harlen!’ She comes hurrying my way and puts her arms around me. Normally I don’t mind her doing so, but now I am verry conscious of the fact that she is hugging me now, in front of all these people, in front of her. ‘Did you just arrive?’ she asks.

‘Yeah,’ I answer. I try to catch a glimpse of her, but Nicole’s hair is in the way. ‘Just after dinner,’ I continue. Finally she lets go of me and I glance over at the two girls waiting for Nicole. One of them is small, has a purple skin and short, black hair, slightly curling around her face. The other girl, she is the most gorgeous person I have ever seen. She has long, slim legs, wide hips, her dress shows just a little cleavage, her neck is hidden half under her long, black hair that is slightly curling down her shoulder, reaching her waist. Then there is her face, her large and innocent eyes pierce right through me, her lower lip thick and puffy, her upper a little thinner. She has a tiny little scar on her cheek. It is those imperfections that make her all the more beautiful.

I force myself to look away, but can’t help but take a whiff of her scent. ‘And who are these lovely ladies you’ve brought along?’ I ask, focussing on Nicole.

‘Oh, Harlen.’ She turns away from me, yet pulls me closer while bringing me closer to the girls. ‘Harlen, this is Bellian.’ She makes a gesture to the girl with the purple skin, who looks like she wants to hide away. ‘She is- You are from the Greyfield family, right?’ The girl nods heavily. I remember that name, I believe they have a couple of high up people in the family. ‘And this…’ Nicole gives me a meaningful look while gesturing to the other girl. ‘is Alexia Wildheart.’

My heart sinks. ‘Keith’s little sister?’ I ask.

‘Y-yes,’ she answers, staring at me with those large, green eyes. I can’t help but smile. She looks so innocent.

‘Well,’ I say, while taking her hand. ‘It is very nice to meet you, Alexia.’ I put a kiss on the back of her hand. Her skin feels soft against mine. I try to breath in as silent as possible. She makes my head spin. I pull back and look at her.

‘Harlen,’ Nicole says. I hear the disapprovement in her voice. She pulls me away. I hate her for it. ‘…is the brother of my sister-in-law.’ She turns to me and puts her face very close to mine. ‘She is Keith’s sister!’ she sneers softly. ‘You remember what he told us, she is his favourite. Don’t you flirt with her!’

I turn my head slightly towards her. ‘She is my mate.’ I feel the shock going through her body as her grip on my arm tightens. She pulls back from me and looks at me for a second, then she smiles and turns back to Bellian and Alexia, but just for a second, because the two seem preoccupied.

Nicole slightly bows towards me. ‘Are you sure? Because you know Keith will kill you for pursuing her, don’t you?’

‘I do,’ I answer both questions at once. ‘I knew before I even saw her.’

Nicole squeals in enthusiasm. ‘I can’t believe it.’

‘I don’t know what I am going to do, Nicole. Keith is going to hate me.’

‘He is.’

‘Not quite the answer I was hoping for,’ I admit.

‘It’s the truth though.’

I sigh. ‘I was hoping you would say he would understand, because he is one of us.’

‘But he isn’t, not quite,’ she says. She sounds sad and I have my suspicions as to why. She found her mate four years ago, the first time she met Keith here on campus. Then she found out he has never been part of a pack. His mother, a wolf, his father unknown. They had never taught him what it feels like to meet your mate. He always enjoys being around her, that much has always been clear, but he never made a move. He never got to stick around on the free days, because he went home every weekend and every holiday. I have seen Nicole tremble under the weight of him not returning her love. She could have decided upon rejecting him and trying to find a new mate, but she never gave up. She still hasn’t.

‘Have you heard he might be looking for a new pack?’ she whispers.

‘I have.’

‘Do you think you can persuade him? I know so many girls are after him, so- so many people. I just- We need to get him to our pack. Can you help?’ she rattles.

‘I will do my best,’ I promise.