Queen Huntress

Mother in the Mirror

Blaise listened attentively as Alpha Forrest explained demons' weaknesses, she mulled over a few of her potential questions and waited for an opening to join the discussion. 

"Finally we strongly suggest you have a priest bless your water supply, being humans and all you are the perfect host for a demon. Make sure all of your people wear rosary beads, hide devil's traps beneath rugs, and make a safe house with devil's traps." finished the alpha. 

"Alpha if I may take this opportunity to ask a few questions?" asked Blaise. Of course, the menacing alpha couldn't be bothered to look up he just gestured for her to continue. With a very obvious eye-roll, Blaise moved on to her questions. 

"As you know we have several members of the nightshade hunters dispersed throughout the neighboring human town, we could easily find a local priest and have him bless the town supply and scratch devils trap's around the perimeter of the town but how do we keep the rogues from destroying them?" 

He nodded thoughtfully. "We thought of this, I was thinking we could enchant them. We can't cloak a human town but we can have several portals built so we can move wolves and hunters in the event of an attack. Miss Nightshade I know you are great at inventing weapons do you think that you could remain in the kingdom of Lycanis and work with witches and our artillery guards to formulate a few?" 

Blaise's nose wrinkled. She didn't like the idea of abandoning the compound. But she knew this was going to be a war and she didn't feel she had much of a choice in the matter. The last thing she wanted to do was stay behind enemy lines. After all, werewolves are her sworn enemy,

Blaise could sense her father's disapproval already, he would never let his only child and the heir to the Nightshade hunters stay here with a pack of wolves. She was confident he wouldn't allow it so she felt like she should just agree and sit back and allow Bain to refuse.  

"Alpha Forrest, I have a few ideas for a number of weapons already, I could stay behind and build some prototypes that we could circulate but I have no idea if they would work," replied Blaise carefully. 

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" exclaimed Bain Nightshade. "You will not be staying behind Blaise. Not in a pack of wolves I will not allow it." 

Right on cue, Blaise thought. A look of utter disdain and possibly rage passed the Alphas face. But it was the Beta who finally spoke. 

"Commander Nightshade, we have an alliance with all hunters. You have helped us keep the rogues in line since the Forrest family first came into power of the Kingdom of Lycanis. If we wanted to harm hunters you would have been extinct. If anything Blaise will be safer here and together we can formulate a lot more weapons than you are able to build and fund on your own." Chided Beta Thaseus. 

"Commander," started Blaise. "It's no secret that we hunt wolves. We've personally seen the worst side of wolves and I understand why you don't want to leave me behind. I don't exactly want to stay but given the debrief we just sat through what are our other options?" 

Everything Blaise said  was true. She didn't want to stay. She wanted to return home after completing this mission and carry out her duties as the Nightshade heir. Having an interest in supernatural creatures is not equal to trusting them or wanting to live with them whether it was temporary or not. 

Bain carefully eyed the Alpha up and down, his posture rigid and his jaw clenched. She was concerned her father's anger turned into a cardiac arrest.

Blaise was hyper focused  on Bain's emotions. Suddenly her body went white hot and a range of unfamiliar emotions hit her like a ton of bricks. Loud buzzing filled her ears and her eyes began to droop. When Blaise reopened her eyes she saw flashbacks of the battle that claimed her mother. She could tell that she was seeing these snippets from her fathers point of view. She still remembers what he wore that day. 

She saw rogues, Blood Moon warriors, and judging by her fathers emotions during this particular flash back she sensed danger from both sides. "He couldn't tell who the enemy was." Blaise thought to herself. The next flash back plunged her into shock. 

A familiar black escalade was driving towards the retreating rogues. They recognized the Nightshade coat of arms on the hood and descended on the motorcade. Bain was running towards it but without werewolf speed it was a useless effort, as he was still too far away to be of any help to his human wife and daughter. 

The Escalade swerved to avoid two of the six rogues. The driver appeared to lose control and the vehicle flew over the guard rail and into the freezing lake below. Bain sank to his knees in grief. Blaise could hear shouting coming from all angles as wolves donning the blood moon pack crest on armor came rushing in. 

A new flashback flicked into the fore front of Blaise's mind. A child's scream pierced the air followed by ripping flesh and guttural moans. Bain was running down a rocky shore towards the rogues attacking his wife while his daughter lay in the sand paralyzed by fear. Her helpless cries were the only thing on his mind. 

The flashbacks ended leaving just Bain's thoughts open to Blaise. She opened her eyes and could once again see the Blood Moon war room. The room was chattering but again Blaise honed in on her fathers thoughts. 

She read weariness, distrust and an emotion she thought to be foreign to the great Nightshade Commander, fear. Suddenly a commotion snapped Blaise out of her supernatural stupor. The connection to her father was severed, leaving Blaise feeling drained. 

Bain was now standing and shouting incoherently. Blaise eyed the situation, unfortunately for her the Royal Alpha had his eyes on her. "Commander," she spoke evenly. "I believe they could teach me a thing or two about fighting demons. We haven't seen many. Why don't we leave a seal team behind with me and we could liaison with the compound easily." 

Bain shifted his gaze to Blaise, a look only she could decipher. The wheels in his mind were shifting. No doubt plotting on who to leave behind. "Great idea Blaise," he choked out. "Will you agree to those terms Alpha." He challenged. 

The Alpha shifted in his seat. Blaise couldn't read his emotions but she sensed...annoyance? He seemed to be mulling over the commanders conditions. "Okay," he spoke finally. "I will allow a seal team to stay behind and we will train them and Blaise in combat against demons." The idea of Blaise having security seemed to bother him, it set warning bells off in her head. She still wasn't sure if the blood moon pack was a threat or not. 

Bain was twitching in his seat. "If you don't mind Alpha, why don't we adjourn this meeting for now. Our scout mission won't happen until tomorrow night." He said. "We've briefed you on our strategies and I'd like my teams to get some rest." 

The Alpha nodded. "I'm more than happy to call the meeting." He replied. "But first I would like to invite you to our Blood Moon Feast. It will be taking place tonight at 6pm. Not to worry as of your arrival the perimeter of the pack has been enchanted so no supernatural creatures can cross our borders." 

The other hunters nodded in agreement and Bain turned to the Alpha once more. "Thank you for the hospitality Alpha Forrest," the commander replied dryly, The Alpha and Beta rose from their seats leaving the hunters sitting in the war room. Blaise turned to Bain as the other hunters were leaving making plans to train, or to get a bite to eat at one of the pack restaurants. "Dad we have to talk," she whispered.

Bain looked her in the eye levelly. "Did they have something to do with moms death?" Her father sighed. "Honestly Blaise, I have no idea. But it would have to be a pretty big coincidence that a pack of rogues could attack so efficiently." She nodded. Rogues always attacked erratically. Once a werewolf is ejected or banished from its pack it becomes rapid. The harmless rogues tend to become easy targets for the bigger badder rogues, or they die from prolonged exposure to the elements, sometimes just starvation or dehydration. But the rogues the Nightshade's hunt typically run in smaller and unorganized packs, causing chaos in human towns. Attacking them, looting small towns, even enslaving humans. 

"Want me to look into it?" asked Blaise. Her father nodded slowly. "We'll talk enroute to the scouting operation," he replied. The two lone Nightshades rose from the conference table in the military style boardroom. "I'm going to wash up and get ready for this feast." she offered. 

Blaise walked down the concrete hallway to the elevator with Bain trailing behind. She was in silent awe of the grandiose of the palace. As the elevator opened and herself and her father parted ways to waitstaff appeared. The maid from earlier addressed Blaise warmly and in a youthful manner. 

"Ms. Nightshade," her voice tinkered. "I'm here to show you to your suite." Blaise followed her silently slowly analyzing the small woman. Her dark auburn hair fell to just below her rib cage. Her olive skin appeared to shimmer beneath her staunch white dress shirt beneath her red uniform. "Thank you," said Blaise. "What's your name I don't think I caught it earlier." 

The maid turned to Blaise and beamed. "My name is Alexandra Black." Replied the girl. 

"Well Alexandra, you have a beautiful name. Please call me Blaise." 

Alexandra continued to guide Blaise up a grand black marble staircase leading the second floor off the main entrance. "We need to take a separate elevator to your sleeping quarters." she offered easily. Blaise nodded in response. She couldn't forget a conversation she had once had with her father. He explained to her that most Alpha's mistreat their 'omegas' by treating them like slaves. She wondered if this was Alexandra's reality. The omega looked very young compared to the others. 

"Alexandra, how old are you?" she asked, "You look quite young to be working as a maid." 

The young girl looked at Blaise her indigo eyes showed a shadow of sadness causing a pang in her chest. She didn't mean to pry. For some reason she only wanted to protect this young she wolf. 

"I'm seventeen," replied Alexandra. Blaise nodded 

"How does the Alpha treat you?" Blaise asked again. Worry forming for this teenage wolf. 

"Blaise," responded the omega. "I know you came here prepared to see the worst. But I love my job here. Alpha Forrest gave me this position after my parents were killed in a rogue attack. They were warriors. My salary helps pay the mortgage and pay for my post secondary education at the pack college. I'm studying to become a doctor." 

Blaise smiled her hurt from her own loss of her mother panged in her heart. "You know my mom passed away when I was eleven." offered Blaise. "There was an attack on our motorcade and six rogues attacked her." Finished Blaise sadly. 

They finally came upon the elevator and Alexandra pressed a button allowing the doors to slide open. The young girl was once again looking at Blaise inquisitively. "Does it ever get any easier?" she asked hopefully. 

"All you can do is live your life in honor of your parents." she offered. "Every milestone and holiday will hurt but eventually you learn to appreciate the memories despite the pain." 

The young girls lips were pressed in a thin line. "You know Alpha Forrest takes good care of me," she chided. "He helped me financially, he supports me and makes sure I am focusing more on my education than my position here. He doesn't mistreat Omegas by any means but he certainly treats me more like family than other omegas." 

Blaise smiled softly. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I was just raised to hunt werewolves not to trust them." 

This explanation made sense to the omega as she nodded. "I understand." said Alexandra. 

They chatted about their common interests and of similar college courses they had both taken. Blaise was shocked to learn she had so much in common with a werewolf. Blaise was sad to finally arrive at her accommodations. Alexandra seemed to sense her feelings as she hesitated before leaving Blaise. 

"Alpha Forrest gave me the night off the attend the feast tonight. Why don't you come find me? I'll introduce you to some of the female warriors." She said brightly. 

"I'd love that." answered Blaise genuinely. 

All too soon Blaise was left alone outside her suite. She opened the large black door and was amazed to see the interior. Similar to the rest of the palace the suite was breath taking. The bathroom was freestanding in the left corner of the suite. A small kitchenette with a mini fridge and coffee percolator was sandwiched between the entertainment nook opposite to two gold french doors, while a large king sized bed was on the back wall of the room. The interior was decorated in Blood Moon colors.   Blaise's suitcase had been emptied. She could see her clothes hanging in the closet already. Of course the omegas unpacked my bags she thought. Who knew werewolves could be so bougie she thought to herself. 

She glanced at the time and was delighted to see that it was only 2pm which meant she had time to get a shower and style herself for tonight's feast. Luckily she packed a number of elegant dresses for dinner knowing the supernatural world -- including hunters like to wine and dine. 

The flooring was carpeted with a dark grey plush carpet surrounding the kingside bed, and inside the grand walk in closet. Grey water repelling slate tile lined the entertainment area and the bathroom. There were no walls separating the bathroom.

Blaise made her way over to the bathroom vanity where her toiletries bag was laid out. She picked out her Yves St.Laurant perfume and laid it on the vanity. Next she placed her unscented dove bodywash and unscented shampoos in the shower. Blaise carefully retrieved her deserted island body scrub that smelled of chocolate and pineapples, shea butter shaving cream, and her favorite hibiscus scented bodywash. After all her toiletries were put away in the proper places she undressed and stepped into the shower. 

She turned the shower tap on extra hot. Blaise remained in the shower until the water ran cold. She grabbed a fluffy towel from the linen shelf inside the shower and wrapped her hair up with it. She then grabbed a second towel and towel dried her body. As she stepped out of the shower she reached for the clean hotel style robe from the peg on the left side of the sliding shower door. 

As she made her way to the bathroom vanity to wash her face Blaise noticed her cosmetics trundle was also in the bathroom. "Damn these Omegas are on the ball." she whispered to herself. Picking up her cleanser and one of her microfiber face cloths she gently started to wash her face. As she bent over the sink to rinse the product off the suite filled with steam. She surveyed her reflection in the sink and was shocked to see her mothers reflection instead of her own. 

Blaise raised her hand and gingerly touched the mirror. Once she confirmed that it wasn't her own reflection staring back at her she jumped. 

"Mom?" she asked. "Is that really you?" 

Selene smiled wistfully at her daughter. 

"Yes Blaise, its me. I don't have much time so we must be quick. You used your power of telepathy today. I am so proud of you for harnessing it so quickly. There are more gifts to come but you will have to prove yourself and believe in your supernatural abilities to receive them." 

"Thanks Mom, I don't even know how I did it." answered Blaise. 

Selene eyed her daughter carefully. "I need you to go to the Blood Moon elder and retrieve tonics meant for supernatural creatures who are harnessing their powers. They will help you control them and prevent fainting spells as more of your powers show themselves." 

She nodded at her mother. "Mom, I'm scared. Dad thinks Blood Moon had something to do with your death. I don't want to stay behind." 

Selene looked at her only daughter thoughtfully for a few moments. "Child in order to receive all of your gifts you will be tested. Think of staying in Blood Moon as a test. I promise you that I am always with you, even if you cannot see me I am by your side and will not allow any harm to come to you." 

Blaise locked eyes with her mother, willing her to further explain her message further before she spoke. 

"Mom did they have something to do with your death." Blaise pressed. 

"Blaise I cannot give you the answers you are searching for. All will be revealed in time, until then there is a Blood Moon elder who will give you some of the clarity you seek. Do not reveal your truth to anyone until the time is right. Promise me that dear girl." 

Blaise groaned in frustration. 

"Mom. Do you see how crazy this sounds. I don't understand what is happening to me and you won't even give me an explanation." she whisper yelled. 

Selene sighed sadly. "I told you before my child, I can only give you information that won't alter fate. It's my job to warn you of what is foretold not what will actually be. Do not reveal your parentage until the time is right. If you do I won't be able to protect you. I have to go now I have already given you too much information." 

Blaise felt her eyes well with tears. "I understand mom, I promise to heed your warnings. I love you and I miss you." 

As quickly as her mother materialized in the mirror she disappeared. Blaise suddenly felt warmth over every inch of her body. It felt as though her mother was hugging her. Blaise wrapped her arms around herself and remembered what it was like to feel her mothers warmth. She felt nothing but calmness and she just knew it was her mother projecting every ounce of her love into her mind. 

"Okay Blaise," she said to herself. "Let's leave the heavy s**t in the moment and get ready for the feast." 

Blaise picked through her cosmetics back and quickly grabbed her hair bundles. She deftly began to separate her hair into two parts. She secured the bottom half of her hair with a blue velvet scrunchie. Her hands moved quickly to fasten the top of her hair into a dutch braid, she then gathered the bottom half of her hair into a high pony at the top of her head. She knotted the bundles into her ponytail and braided it tightly so her hair fell over her shoulder and swept to her mid thigh. 

The next step was to tame her baby hairs and secure her fly aways with hair spray. Blaise dug around her cosmetics bag for her hair jewelry and fastened silver hoops into her braid at the top of her head. She checked her iPhone for the time and noted that it was almost four. 

"Okay now for my favorite part! MAKEUP." she thought. 

Blaise really liked to show off her facial features by doing intricate updos and complicated braided ponies. It gave her tons of room to play with her make up and she never had to worry about outdoor elements ruining her hair. She entered her passcode into her iPhone not bothering to wait for the facial recognition software to work. She pulled up her i********: feed and flicked through celebrity red carpet looks until she found the perfect one. 

She settled on a Kylie Jenner look, a bold smoky eye with a navy blue eyeliner along her water line to match her midnight blue mermaid dress with the fitted bodice. She worked on her face slowly and started on her eyeshadow to prevent the fallout from ruining her foundation. once she was satisfied with the intensity of her eye shadow she concealed her undereye areas  and reshaped her liner. Next she went in with her foundation and once it was blended properly she opted for bronzer and brush to accentuate her cheekbones and contrast the smoky eye. She applied thick false lashes and a touch of mascara. "Perfect she thought to herself. 

She added pink lip liner to her whole lips and touched it up with a tinted pink gloss. Blaise washed the make up off of her hands and walked towards the walk in closet. Her heels were neatly lined on a glass shelf with her corresponding clutches were on the glass shelving unit above. Her evening gowns hung in a royal black wardrobe built in to the wall. It was a stark contrast to her white walk in closet but still breath taking all the same. 

She softly opened the wardrobe and lifted her blue mermaid fit evening gown off the hanger gently. She paused and a row of small drawers to find her shape wear and under garments. She picked up her silicone sticky bra and one legged shapewear to accommodate the slit in the skirt of the dress. 

Blaise grabbed her silver open toe heels to show off her long legs and white pedicure, and fastened a thick Cuban link anklet with sapphire stone butterflies and diamonds around her ankle. She slid on her shapewear careful not to damage the leg of them on her anklet.. Finally she stepped into her dress and zipped it carefully and gave herself a quick once over in the full length mirror fastened to the wall of the closet. 

She quickly lifted her skirt so she could fasten her stilettos and attached a chain to her clutch so she could wear it over her shoulder. She went to her suitcase and removed her jewelry from a secret compartment of her bag and fastened the matching butterfly Cuban link necklace around her neck and placing her matching butterfly earrings in her ears. 

She carefully sprayed her perfume into the air twice and walked through it absorbing its scent. This should keep the werewolves from scenting her completely, she dropped the bottle of perfume in her clutch for later incase it wore off. Werewolves hate strong scents, and the last thing she wanted was to be propositioned by a male werewolf here. Hopefully the scent wouldn't bother Alexandra too much, she was probably the only werewolf she wanted to speak to tonight. Although she knew she absolutely had to mingle she hated the idea of it. 

Blaise checked the time and was happy to see that it was five-forty-five pm and she had exactly fifteen minutes until she was expected in the ballroom. "Hopefully I can sneak right in and avoid any conversation with the Alpha." she thought to herself. She practically ran to the elevator and pressed the button fervently adamant to have the elevator to herself. The door slowly slid opened, it wasn't empty like Blaise had hoped instead Alpha Forrest was standing there waiting to reach the first floor. 

"Alpha," acknowledged Blaise coldly.

"Lieutenant Nightshade," replied the Alpha smiling. "I believe we're going to the same place." 

Blaise just rolled her eyes at his attempt to be jovial and stepped inside the elevator as far away from the alpha as she could get. 

"Oh really? and what if I had a hot date instead." she jabbed. 

The alpha threw back his head and chuckled as though she'd said the funniest thing in the whole world and she was just challenging him out of spite. It infuriated Blaise, but she bit her lip and looked straight ahead determined to ignore him for the rest of the elevator ride.

"Then you'd still have to ride with me to the first floor," he muttered. 

Blaise rolled her eyes again but remained stone faced looking ahead. She could feel the Alphas eyes on her but she refused to give him the satisfaction of looking up. I couldn't have said anything else she thought. 

The Alpha spoke again to Blaise's annoyance. 

"So you're like the 'Hunter' equivalent of an Alpha?" he asked. 

Blaise rolled her eyes. Why does this alpha keep talking she thought. 

"Um," she said softly. "It's more like we're a military. My dad is essentially like the highest ranking general and I'm his right hand. Essentially yes I'm high up on the food chain but I won't be promoted to his rank until he retires. And the only reason he's passing the title to a family member is because everyone wants to hunt but nobody really wants to lead." 

"Well," he said thoughtfully. "That just means you earned his rank. I always felt like I never deserved the rank of Alpha King, I was just born into it." 

Blaise wrinkled her nose at that statement. 

"I highly doubt any father wants their human daughter to be a head hunter. We go down with the ship." 

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. Blaise raised an eyebrow at the Alpha. 

"You know like in an invasion if we can't hold our own the other hunters retreat, take what they can carry and I set the compound up in flames. I give my second in command the coordinates of a lock box and inside there's a pre-signed document waiting to be notarized so they can transfer our bank account into their own names and start fresh." 

Alpha Forrest looked at Blaise as her words donned on him. 

"Oh," He uttered finally. "You hunters are always so hardcore." 

She rolled her eyes again. 

"You do realize how many packs would be screwed if rogues, vampires or demons figured out how to rip off our weaponry and use it to attack packs?" Blaise pressed in a hostile tone. 

The Alpha just shrugged. 

"I get it," he said matter of factly. "I was just teasing. Figured our little business arrangement would work out better if we got along." 

"Alpha, I'm not really here to tease you. I'm hear to protect the humans from whatever supernatural creatures your kind pissed off. And if I'm being completely honest male wolves aren't my first choice of company." 

Blaise crossed her arms and glared up at the six-foot-seven Alpha. He wasn't prepared for her quick wit and it showed. She could identify disappointment pass over Alpha Forrest's face before his face hardened into an expressionless mask. 

"You know Nightshade," he whispered raspily the anger evident in his voice. "I didn't invite you here to kill you so why don't you stop insulting me as though I have." 

Blaise balked at his statement in anger. The elevator dinged signaling that they had reached the fifth floor. Rage bubbled up inside of her and her head grew so hot that she felt feverish, almost delirious. 

"That doesn't change the fact that on my last visit here my mother was ripped to shreds. On your land, by your own kind so explain that to me your royal jackass." 

Shock passed over the Alpha's face. "Nightshade -- I," he started. 

Before the Alpha could say anything else the door to the elevator opened up onto the first floor and Blaise ran out of it. She spotted her father just down the Hallway and bounded to fall in step at his side before the Alpha could chase her down to argue. 

Bain eyed his daughter and looked towards the elevator. The stunned Alpha was watching Blaise retreat to her father. 

"I see you've taken the Royal Alpha Lucien Forrest down a peg already." he whispered playfully. 

Blaise rolled her eyes. "He talks too much," she replied evenly. 

Bain patted his daughters back as though to say 'that's my girl.' 

Relief washed over Blaise as they entered the ballroom. She took in the tables lined neatly on the left side of the room. A dancefloor separated the tables from the Alpha's table. And of course to Blaise's unease a placard with her name was sandwiched between the Alpha and his Beta, while her father was on the Alphas right side next to his Delta. 'Why couldn't I have just ignored him.' Blaise thought to herself. 

Omega's were milling about with trays of hors d'oeuvres and flutes of champagne. Blaise wordlessly approached two Omegas and helped herself to a flute of champagne and a lobster cake. She sipped her champagne heartily hoping it would evaporate her irritation with the ever lasting piss off known as the "Royal Alpha.' 

All too soon the room was called to order and guests were asked to take their seats. Blaise was disappointed that she hadn't ran into Alexandra yet. Blaise begrudgingly took her seat and dreaded the moment that Alpha Forrest took his seat. 

Applause erupted through the ballroom as his royal jackass made his entrance. Blaise had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling. She noticed Bain sporting a similar expression and smiled. To pack members and fellow hunters it appeared as though Blaise was happy. In reality she was laughing and the Nightshade's mutual distaste for the Alpha of Blood Moon. 

Before he took a seat the Alpha made a speech. Blaise ignored the entire thing and laughed when she heard laughter, clapped when she heard clapping and a simple kind expression to acknowledge the Alpha when he sat.