Star Blind

Birthdayzilla

I watch as Deanna glides over to the mannequins, and I feel the excitement building up in my chest. Maybe tomorrow won’t be so bad after all. She flips the first mannequin around with her perfectly manicured hand, and I gasp. My first option is a powerful but elegant looking suit. I rush to go and put it on in the changing rooms. I feel like I could take over the world in this thing. The blazer and pants are perfectly tailored to my body, hugging all the right places. I’m going to look like an absolute powerhouse if I wear this. I walk out to show Deanna and her face lights up.

“Sierra, baby, you look like a million bucks! Don’t you love it?” She squeals in delight. I nod my head in glee, she knows me so well. She’s basically my second mom. I look to Geralt who shifts uncomfortably in his seat in the corner of the room, his eyes refusing to meet mine. I chuckle.

“G, you don’t have to stay here, I’ll be fine on my own.” I reassure him. He locks eyes with me, nods gratefully and rushes out the door without saying another word. I turn back to Deanna.

“I’m not surprised he’s uncomfortable Sierra, he might be younger than you but he’s still as protective over you as your Father.” I nod knowingly, gazing at myself in the mirror once again. Deanna made this blazer with the intention of me not wearing a shirt underneath it, to give a ‘tasteful’ amount of cleavage without looking like I had just finished the night shift on a street corner, however I was beginning to feel uncomfortable even with the smallest amount shown. I was going to be the centre of attention of the entire pack, and I didn’t want to put myself on display like that. Even if I was radiating confidence right now. I look to her and she purses her lips.

“I figured you might stray away after a while. But don’t fret, more to come!” She chimes as she turns around the second mannequin. We repeat the process a few more times, with me loving whatever outfit she threw my way at first - but ultimately talking myself out of it. That was before she spun around the second to last one however. As I was gazing at the back of it, something caught my eye. It was an open back, silk dress. And I couldn’t WAIT to see how the emerald green would look on my caramel complexion. I quickly took it off the mannequin without sparing a second thought and went to try it on. It had a slouched front, still revealing cleavage but in a way that I was markedly more comfortable with. Similar to the suit, the dress hugged my curves perfectly and I felt like a supermodel. The dress had a slit that came right up to my hip, but that didn’t bother me because it fit me so well that the dress barely shifted above my thighs but was still flowy below them. I was absolutely smitten by this, Deanna had outdone herself. I walk out of the changing room and she smiles warmly.

“That’s the one, isn’t it? You look absolutely radiant.” I nod my reply, still a little speechless by her craftsmanship but I didn’t expect anything less from a woman of her many talents. She claps her hands together in excitement, and orders me to change out of it before anybody else sees and ‘spoils the surprise’. I oblige and take very little time before stepping out in the outfit that I came in. It couldn’t hold a candle to what I had been wearing only moments prior and honestly it made me sad to take it off.

“Deanna, you’re so incredible. Thank you for putting the time into making these for me, they’re all wonderful and I’m going to feel like a goddess tomorrow.” She smiles in response and goes to usher me out the door. I stop in my tracks and stare at her.

“I am paying for this, right?” Accusation laces my voice and she rolls her eyes. “No, as I said before your Father already took care of that. I shake my head, whatever he paid her would never be enough to show her my gratitude.

“I can’t not contribute, you’ve been working on these for months! Your sales-“ She stops me by putting her finger to her mouth, telling me to be quiet. “My sales have been fine, darlin. If you really want to make it up to me, get me an uncapped tab at The Palace. I’m gonna need a drink or five to stop reminiscing about how beautiful I used to be when I was your age.” I smile at that, and nod. Giving her one last hug and kiss on the cheek before I leave. The people in my life never cease to amaze me.

I make it back home, not realising I had been gone for over four hours. Maybe today would go quicker than I thought. The second I step through the front door into the entry hall, two people rush up to me excitedly. Mom stands there expectantly, glancing at the bag in my hand but says nothing. Alice however wastes no time asking me what’s in it. I shake my head, a smug look settling on my face. “Cant ruin the surprise, you two. You’ll have to wait till tomorrow.” Alice groans, but Mom smiles sweetly and brings forward a hand to cup my cheek. “Whatever you chose, you’re going to look stunning. Deanna did a very good job.”

“Wait but, what is she going to do with the rest of the outfits? It doesn’t seem fair that she’s spent so much time working on them and I only chose one!” I can’t believe I didn’t think of that earlier, I would’ve bought them all. I want to support her as much as I can. “She’s donating them to six very lucky she-wolves earlier tonight. Haven’t you seen the giveaway flyers? They’re everywhere and it’s the talk of the high-school!” Mom realises her mistake quickly. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-“ But I stop her.

“Don’t be silly, it’s not your fault I isolate myself all the time. I was thinking about returning to high-school this year anyway. It’s my last year after all.” Her face brightens, but she stops herself.

“As glad as I am to hear that, we have more important things to discuss! We’ll leave that decision to after your birthday darling, don’t worry. I don’t want you making changes just because of the conversation with your father last night. We just want you to be happy.” God I love her, always so incredible and understanding. I hope I’m even half as good with my own children. I place the clothing bag on the floor by the door and they lead me through the entryway into our living room. The gigantic cream L shaped couch is covered with paper and magazines, as is the glass coffee table in-front of it. It was strange seeing our house like this, as my parents liked to keep it as spotless as possible. I look down to see the plan that they had written up, and cringed when I saw that there was a schedule and everything. I was probably the least organises person in my family and when you’re related to Geralt that’s saying something. So finding out I had the responsibility of sticking to a carefully laid out schedule sent chills down my spine.

“So, first thing tomorrow we’re having Ana and Quinten come over. They’ll be your styling crew-“ Alice can talk for hours if you let her, and I really didn’t want to rain on her parade. But my mind kept drifting to the expectations everyone has already placed on me for tomorrow. You might find your mate, Sierra. I shook the thought out of my head as quickly as it came. I’m sure my mother knew that if there was no wolf, there would be no mate. I think she just had high hopes for me. I wanted nothing more than to be the Luna that she was hoping I’d be, but my chances were looking rather slim. I didn’t know what things my future was going to bring for me, but I knew that a wolf wouldn’t be one of them. I envied my sister a lot in that sense. Why couldn’t she have been born before me? She was exactly what Mom and Dad were looking for, and I was sure they knew it too. If I was going to be born an eternal disappointment, I don’t see why I should be the leader of the pack on top of that.

“And then lastly you’ll have to- Sierra! Are you even listening to me?” My eyes dart to Alice’s, shooting her an apologetic look. She rolls her signature eye roll and puts the schedule down. “Look, all you need to know is that everything is planned and you’re going to love it. I guess we can just treat it as a surprise party since you seem to be up in the clouds right now.” Mom says, giving me a warning look. I apologise and stand up. I knew I was acting like a brat, and there would be hell to pay for it later, but I had too much on my mind to care right now. How was I going to make my family proud?

“Go and take some time to yourself for a couple of hours while Alice and I finish, you’ll need to rest up anyway. Tomorrow’s a big day. I’ll send someone up to you when dinners ready.” Moms comforting smile returns to her face and I nod before turning around to grab the bag my dress was in. Everything aside, I really was grateful for everything they’ve all been doing for me. And I was incredibly excited to see what I would look like tomorrow. I walk up the stairs toward my room, and it isn’t until I see my soft, warm bed that I realise how exhausted I am. Mentally and physically, he’ll probably spiritually too. I plonk down, not even bothering to change or take off my makeup, and drift off to sleep.

———

I wake to a loud banging on the door and I lift up my head in a daze. Gods, what time was it? It felt like I had only been asleep for five minutes. I roll around to check my bedside clock before realising there was no space left on the bed. I brace myself for imminent impact with the ground but it never comes. I open my eyes slowly, before I realise that i’m not even on my bed anymore. I’m levitating next to it. I gasp, panic coursing through my veins before I notice a body on my bed, centimetres from where I had just been laying.

More panic ensues as I figure out how to get myself upright, but as I try and use the bed to steady myself my hand goes right through it. What the f**k.

I try again to no avail. What. The. f**k.

It is then that I realise that it’s not a random person in my bed, but.. me? WHAT THE f**k.

Did I die in my sleep? But I’m completely healthy! I had my regular checkup last week! Did someone… kill me? My heart begins to race as I float around the room, before suddenly my body begins to lift through my roof into the sky above.

I’m not ready to die, please! I have to be there for my family! I have to be there for my pack! I need to figure out who I am!-

My thoughts are cut off when I realise i’ve stopped moving. Maybe death herself heard my pleas and decided I was too pathetic and took pity on me? I wasn’t sure, but as I looked around me I realised I wasn’t even on earth anymore. I was surrounded by the stars, and I could see earth in all her glory from here. She was beautiful. An artistic masterpiece, greens mingle with blues along with vast yellows seeming to stretch on for miles. If I wasn’t so concerned about being dead I’d probably be able to appreciate it more, but right now one of the only things I could think was how I had to get home as soon as possible. I look around, and notice a figure floating towards me. But weirdly, I wasn’t afraid. Whatever this was, it felt incredibly familiar to me. It felt like home. It stopped moving as it got to my side, a being of pure light. It had no facial features but it felt like it was smiling at me.

“Who.. no. What are you?” I ask tentatively, not wanting to offend whatever it was. It doesn’t respond, atleast it doesn’t respond with words. I hear it in my head.

You will know, in time.

“Uh, okay?” I start, confused but still not uncomfortable. “So.. what am I doing here? Did.. did I die?”

Of course not. It isn’t your time yet. You have much to accomplish and learn, my love.

“Your what now?-“ In a flash of light, brighter than the being itself - they disappear. Leaving me alone with nothing but my own thoughts and the stars around me. Thank the GODS I’m not dying. I think to myself. I close my eyes to say a silent thank you to the moon goddess, but by the time I open them again I’m back in my bed. And this time, I’m actually in my body. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and sit up- the knocking I heard earlier still going on in the background.

“Come in!” I call out, trying to make sense of what just happened. Alice walks in, her brow furrowed. “Gods, what took you so long? I’ve been knocking for ages, a minute later and I would’ve come bursting in expecting the worst!” She exclaims. She watches me for a while as I stay silent. Was what happened real, or just a dream? I’ve had similar dreams for a long time now; but this one felt so vivid. “Are you okay, Si?” she asks, concerned. I nod my head, locking eyes with her.

“Yeah just a strange dream is all.” I reassure her, getting up and following her down to the kitchen. My entire family is already sat at the table, a flurry of wait-staff making sure everything was ready for us to eat. I take my place next to my Father who smiles at me lovingly.

“Are you excited for tomorrow, Cub?” He asks. Everyone’s eyes land on me then, even the waitstaff. I shift in my seat before answering with “Of course, I can’t wait to see all the effort Mom and Allie put into it! I’m sure you both did an incredible job.” Alice smiles in pride, and Mom chuckles to herself. Geralt continues to look at me for a moment before returning his gaze towards the delicious looking food set before him. I understood why he was so entranced though, this was a really good looking feast; better than normal somehow. I turn to my father, a quizzical look in my eyes.

“What’s the occasion? They really went all out tonight! Thank you for all the effort!” I direct the last statement to the waitstaff, and they bow at me in return. I always tried to make sure they felt appreciated, especially the cooks because I know for a fact I could never top the abilities of our cook, Joan. I catch her eye and she winks at me. Gods I loved her. My Father laughs and gestures to me.

“You of course! We figured you’d probably be a bit busy tomorrow night so we wanted to the opportunity to honour you as a family.” As those words leave his mouth, my heart feels so full. Although I was born with the curse of being different, I was also born with a loving family who truly cared for me. Nothing could get better than this, wolf or not. I wrap my arms around his neck and he chuckles once again; returning the favour. Geralt begs to start eating, and his stomach growls in agreement. We all laugh at that, but my Mother stops him before he can complain more.

“Wait! I almost forgot. We’re giving your gifts to you tonight. I don’t want ours to be lost in the myriad you’ll receive from the rest of the pack.” She disappears, with Alice and Geralt in tow. My Father smiles at me.

“While we’re alone, there’s something I need to tell you.” He starts. I furrow my brow, hoping I wasn’t about to get myself in trouble. “I don’t ever want you to feel ashamed about your wolf.. or lack thereof. We aren’t completely sure what’s happened, but you best believe we’ve had every archivist on the continent on the case Sierra. And I think we may have made a breakthrough-“ He’s cut off abruptly by my siblings and mother re-entering the room. I go to encourage him to continue but he shakes his head. Great, another cliff hanger. Alice plonks down across from me, a stupid grin plastered on her face and hands me a pile of gifts. My mother pushes a small bag across the table in my direction, and my brother hands me a simple little box. I beam up at them.

“You guys really didn’t need to do this! I told you I didn’t need gifts this year!” I protest, but they all insist regardless. Alice chimes in with “Open mine first! Right now!” and so I do. I place her stack of gifts on the table, and open the first on top. It’s a small box, and inside it was the most gorgeous opal ring I had ever laid eyes on. I put it on and it fit perfectly. She looks so excited, and I want to give her the reaction that would make her the happiest. But I can’t think of anything. Tears of happiness well up in my eyes. “Alice, I..” She shakes her head. She already knows what I’m about to say, I can feel it.

“Don’t. Open the rest of them and then do your crying you big baby.” She says. I laugh and continue, knowing she had my best interests at heart. I open the second, third and fourth. She went all out this year, and I feel a twang of disappointment in my chest because I know she would’ve been saving for months for these. I get to the last one, and open it slowly. Although my parents and Geralt probably already know what I got, I still want to savour this moment. I finish unwrapping and it’s the most gorgeous silk scarf I’ve ever seen. It’s a vivid blue, similar to that of the front of Deanna’s store, with a navy floral pattern and gold detailing. I put it on immediately, striking a model pose that makes my family laugh.

“Well? How do I look?” I say expectantly. Alice laughs and claps for me. “You look as pretty as ever, you’re welcome by the way!” I stand up and move around the table to give her a hug. I can’t believe she put so much thought and effort into these, despite how often she heard me complaining about not wanting gifts. I am truly the luckiest not-wolf alive. I thank her profusely before reclaiming my spot at the table and going for Geralt’s gift. I open it quickly, not liking being the centre of attention even if the attention was from my own family, and I gasp. Inside was a silver dagger with a raw moonstone set in the base. Geralt looks at me triumphantly.

“It’s sterling silver. I had Gabriel make it specially!” He exclaims, and I lean over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you G, it’s gorgeous!” I respond, and he smiles harder. I try not to think about how much he spent, and instead make a note to slip some money under his door when he least expects it; same goes for Alice. I love them with all my heart and appreciate them more than anything, but I really didn’t want them spending their money on me of all people. I give Geralt one last grateful look before I move to the last gift on the table. The bag my Mother had slid to me a bit earlier. I open it and find two boxes of different shapes and sizes. Emerald. I sit, confused for a second as to where the voice in my head had suddenly come from, but with my parents looking at me expectantly I knew I couldn’t waste anymore time. I had to open them. I open the first one and am met with the most gorgeous pair of.. Emerald earrings I had ever seen. My Mom chimes in before so can even question it however. “Don’t worry, Deanna already said that she wouldn’t tell us what you were wearing.. But she did tell us the colour. We had a jeweller sell us something that would match perfectly earlier today, we wanted you to feel like the princess you truly are, sweet girl.” I well up, knowing how much effort they had all put into my gifts this year. I open the next one, only to be met with the most gorgeous gold necklace, with the biggest emerald pendant I had ever seen. Yep, I’m going to be sobbing all night. I make sure to thank everyone profusely through my tears and wavering voice. We all ate, shared embarrassing stories about my childhood, and reminisced until finally it was 10:00 PM. The waitstaff had already come and gone by then, and finally my Mom stands up. She dusts herself off before looking at me.

“I truly hope you love all of your gifts as much as we love you, Sierra. Tomorrow is going to be the best day of your life. Alice and I took care of everything, and you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Now, all three of you run along please. Your father and I have a discussion to have.” I look up at her gratefully before leaving the table. I did love my gifts. All of them, and I would keep them near and dear to me as long as I was drawing breath. I make it up to my room finally, and found a place for everything I had received that night. Alice’s ring would stay on my finger, and the rest of her gifts would be centrepieces on my bookshelf. Geralt’s dagger found it’s own place in my bedside table. I hoped I would never have to use it, but it bought me comfort just knowing it was there. I smiled, knowing that would be exactly what he was aiming for. And lastly, the jewellery I had received from my parents found it’s own special place in my locked jewellery box. I didn’t often wear flashy jewellery, as I found it an unnecessary flex, but the flashy items I did own got stored in here. I smile in satisfaction, I had felt an overwhelming level of joy and love tonight. And that feeling was something I would take to my grave with me.

I get dressed into my nightgown, and slip into bed. Not even worrying about the ‘dream’ I had had earlier. My family was the only thing I thought about as I drifted off to sleep.