The problem is that I am still pretty pissed off. I've been had. Utterly, and completely had. Shay had played me like a fool, curb-stomping my ego in the process. She isn't good for my blood pressure. Yeah, so maybe the bitch --pun not intended-- seemed to have felt a touch of shame towards the end of our little encounter, but it wasn't enough to sooth my invisible wounds, and sate my dangerous need for revenge.
Revenge. Now that is a treacherous thought. The animal inside me stirs at notions like that, drawing so close to the surface of my consciousness that I can almost feel fur bristling beneath my skin. I have to shake this, somehow get over my anger. Or at least learn to compartmentalize it.
Such a feat requires meditation.
For most people, meditation usually entails deep breathing, silence, and perhaps some yoga. My typical routine is pretty far from normal. To start, I sync my phone up to my blue tooth speaker, and start up a play list titled 'Fucking Rock.' Then, I hop into a blazing hot shower.
Listening to the Slipknot remix of Marilyn Manson's 'The Fight Song' is a pretty odd way to calm down, I know, but it works for me. The key is that I need music loud enough, and aggressive enough, to drown out the thoughts screaming through my head. Over the years, I have found metal artists to be the most successful in accomplishing this, drowning out my internal monologues and laments, until my only thoughts are the lyrics roared forth from my own throat.
The current playlist, my own personal 'mix', features a variety of artists including All That Remains, Metallica, Abigail Williams, and Rammstein. The kind of music that might concern good, wholesome, catholic parents. I know I don't fit the typical 'metal head' stereotype, but I don't fit the werewolf stereotype either. At least, not to my knowledge.
Ok, so maybe howling along to Ozzy Ozbourne's 'Bark at the Moon' isn't a great sign, but this playlist predates my bite.
Regardless, by the time I exit the shower, scrubbed to a rosy pink, smelling fresh, and mildly hoarse, I am feeling better. Some of my anger has dissipated alongside the steam that floods my miniscule bathroom. I feel more together, more centered.
Normally to end my little ritual I would remain gloriously nude for a while longer, basking in the power of simply being able to parade around in my birthday suit in my own home. However, I don't feel like risking another embarrassing surprise encounter with a certain she-wolf, who I am eagerly trying to forget about. So, begrudgingly, I dress for the day. Just jeans and a graphic T-shirt, with only a light touch of makeup. Shay hadn't mentioned formal dress as a requirement for whatever we are doing today, so I choose comfort over flash. I do make an effort to select clothing without holes, however.
While my hair dries, I spend some time lounging in bed and cuddling with the twins. Both the cats seem at ease now that Shay is gone, and they purr happily as I pet them. Unfortunately, school work beckons, as it always does. The readings I have assigned are particularly dense, and the worksheet due for toxicology makes my head ache. As the pain behind my temples worsens, I call it quits and spend some time doodling instead.
It takes me two or three knocks to register that someone is at my door. The noise startles me when I finally notice it, and I jolt upright in my chair, looking around with wild eyes. I glance at the clock, spying the time: 12:55 pm. With a grimace, I give myself only one guess as to who my visitor is. Joy.
Not in any big hurry to see Shay again, I look back down at my doodling. The image laid out before my eyes gives me reason to pause. Looking at the picture now that it's finished makes something in my belly stir curiously. I had set out with a vision for my sketch, but the end result looks quite different. The face of a woman, unknown to me, stares up from my sketch book. Half of her face is shrouded in shadow created by heavy shading, while the other half is hidden by a mask that looks to be both avian and lupine all at once: a mix of fur and feathers, dark hollow eyes like a barn owl, and a sly, elongated grin filled with dagger like teeth. One of her hands, tipped with raptor-like talons, tears at the bare skin of her exposed shoulder. The gashes left in the wake of those claws yield no blood. Instead, dark fur juts from the wound.
Weird, even for me. My art is typically the work of my subconscious, and sometimes the final products come out looking nothing like my original vision. Often times the subject matter seems rather dark, too. Maybe I'm a little too angsty for my own good. No time to mull it over however, as the knocking at my door is becoming more assertive.
Huffing out a breath of air in resignation, I finally get up and answer the door, pushing the drawing to the back of my mind. Shay greets me with a thousand-watt smile, which leaves me somewhat surprised. I had been expecting a quip about making her wait.
"Hey you. Ready to go?" That lilting accent of hers makes her sound excited, though her body language reads as calm enough. The werewolf is dressed casually in a forest-green polo, jeans, and sneakers with her leather bomber jacket slung over her right shoulder. To my relief she makes no attempt to step inside.
"Yeah, just let me grab a jacket..." I mutter, sounding a touch sullen. Shay sighs and shakes her head at me while I grab my coat, giving me a look that speaks of disappointment.
"Look, Rabbit, I swear to you that this won't be anything like meeting the elders. This will be fun, alright? It'll prove to you that not all Varg are the monsters you consider us." She leans in a little as she speaks, looking at me intently, and I pitch back in order to keep the distance between us constant. The werewolf allows her displeasure to show on her face for only a brief moment, before her mask of indifference slips back into place. "Let's get a move on, then." Her voice sounds somewhat resigned.
Good. I seriously doubt I'm going to have any fun on this outing, and the bitter, nasty part of me is pleased to see Shay in similar spirits. Misery loves company, and all that jazz. Normally being passive aggressive isn't my style, but I can't use my normal weapons of blatant sarcasm and snide comments against Shay, or at least I don't feel safe enough to use them. Who knows what might set the woman off?
On that same note I decide it's wise not to keep Shay waiting any longer, and step out of my apartment. The werewolf takes a step back out of the doorway, waiting silently for me to lock the door and pocket my keys. She gives me a sort of half smile that doesn't reach her eyes, and we don't speak again until we're getting into her Prius.
"So, we're going to a little store downtown called Embody. Do you know it?" It sounds like she is trying to be friendly, though a touch of awkwardness makes itself known in the way her voice wavers ever so slightly. Like she isn't quite sure how to break the silence between us.
"I do, though I've never actually been before." I answer honestly, trying to slowly let go of my residual resentment. Shay is obviously trying, and though I am still wary of her motives, maybe I can try to surrender a little of my hostility...at least until she gives me cause to be angry again.
I know about the store through Caroline, who positively adores it. From what she told me it's a privately owned jewelry store, with a prominent selection of handmade one-of-kind pieces.
"My friend, the one we're going to meet, owns the place. She makes most of the stuff they sell." Shay doesn't look at me when she speaks, eyes glued to the road, but the werewolf seems a touch more confident.
"Really? Caroline absolutely loves that place." I glance briefly at Shay to see a smile tugging at her lips. The knowledge that my friend loves to shop at a business owned by a werewolf is both startling and comforting. At least we are going somewhere vaguely familiar.
"Sounds like Caroline has good taste. And I'm sure you won't be disappointed, either."
Unable to come up with a suitable reply, I let the conversation lapse back into silence, returning my gaze to the world passing by through my window. Shay doesn't seem to mind, however, and the quiet between us doesn't feel quite so oppressively awkward.
The drive isn't a long one, thankfully. That means I only have a limited amount of time to over think the situation and start to panic. By the time we arrive I am nervous, but not out of control. I manage to keep my fidgeting to a minimum, and even fake a smile in return for the one Shay offers me when we are parked and ready to exit the car.
"Really, Rabbit, just relax. This is going to be painless; I swear." Shay coaxes, stopping momentarily in front of the door to the store. The werewolf looks to me, waiting until I nod. Then, her face lights up with a manic grin and she all but charges inside. "Oh Maid Maaaaarian!" She sing-songs with exuberance, opening her arms wide as she leaps towards the front counter. My eyes widen with surprise. I hadn't expected Shay to act quite so...silly.
The only person in the store is a woman stationed behind one of two registers at the check-out counter. Her hair is honey-blonde, falling in loose cherubic ringlets that sweep over her shoulders and frame her heart-shaped face, and rosy cheeks. She is lovely, maybe a few years older than Shay. Her laugh, bell-like and warm, fills the store as she rolls her eyes.
"Shay Kerrigan, always with the theatrics. Calling me 'Maid' never gets old for you, does it?" Marian giggles. Shay's eyes light up like fireworks, and she smirks down at the other woman.
"Nope."
Marian rolls her eyes again, but she can't stop smiling. Gently, she reaches up to touch the side of Shay's face, briefly cupping her cheek. Then she focuses her attention on me, and her expression becomes tender. "Hello there, you must be Nikole."
Until now I have held back, keeping quiet as I linger near the door. Shay's friend is nothing like I had expected. Not that I really had any idea what to expect in the first place. Marian just seems too...nice. My first impression is that she seems maternal, warm, and kind of bubbly. Is this woman really a werewolf?
"Uh, yeah. Hi. You can call me Nikki." I introduce myself, taking a few more steps into the store, not wanting to seem rude. Marian's smile becomes larger, and she moves from behind the counter.
Shay looks pleased as well. She turns her smile to me and beckons me closer, a request I fulfil with minimal hesitation. It's only when I'm in range of her surprise bear-hug that I notice something unexpected about Marian.
She is pregnant. Very pregnant. No wonder she seems maternal, the woman is huge! I blush and awkwardly return the hug, trying not to stare at her bulging belly as it brushes against my own. To her credit, Marian's smile never falters in the face of my discomfort.
"Welcome to the family, Nikki. I'm Marian, and these are my two girls." She giggles kindly, patting her distended stomach through the loose, cream-colored maternity top she's wearing.
"Thanks, it's nice to meet you." I say with a small grin of my own, still a touch shy.
The lovely blonde takes a moment to look me over in a way that makes me feel a tad embarrassed, but not overly uncomfortable. "She seems like a nice girl, Shay. Cute, too. Glad to see you didn't scare her off." Marian casts a wry grin in the black wolf's direction, and I duck my head to try and hide the blush tinting my cheeks with color.
It's Shay's turn to roll her eyes, but Marian doesn't give her a chance to reply.
"Please let me apologize for this ruffian here, Nikki." Marian says, turning back to me. "She can be a real pain to deal with sometimes." Shay looks ready to defend herself, but with a pointed look from Marian she shuts her mouth with a scowl that makes her look far younger than she actually is. "She's told me a little about you - nothing personal so don't worry- but enough for me to understand some of what you've been through." Very gently the woman takes my hands, holding them in her's. Her touch is tender, as if she's afraid she might break me. "I'm so sorry, hun. You've had a rough time on your own, and no one has offered you much help."
"Until now." Shay is quick to get a word in, and Marian beams a smile at her that seems to hold more meaning than just delight.
"Until now." The older woman repeats, briefly stroking the backs of my hands before releasing them. Her actions make my stomach feel warm, happy; as if I have just eaten a hearty meal while basking in the sun. Nothing about this woman invokes fear in my heart. She is utterly non-threatening, which is an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise. Unlike Shay, unlike the elders, Marian seems to lack the feral 'edge' the others radiated. I would never have pegged her for a werewolf. Something about her presence, her aura perhaps, is soothing at its very core.
"Thank you, Marian." I murmur softly, genuinely grateful. Marian just continues to smile and shakes her head, indicating that no thanks is necessary.
The moment of serenity is interrupted when Shay claps me firmly on the back with enough force to offset my balance. "See Rabbit? I told you there was no reason to be nervous." I totter forward a few steps, having been caught completely off-guard by the strength of her blow. I'm unused to experiencing a werewolf's power second-hand. Marian, quick as lightning, moves to brace me with her gentle hands against my shoulders.
"I swear to the Moon in the night's sky, Shay. You are such a damn puppy sometimes! Act your age once in a while, will you?" She snaps with an unexpected display of ferocity.
Shay seems undaunted however, and shrugs noncommittally. "It was just a love tap. Nothing she can't handle." Some of my earlier resentment towards the black she-wolf is beginning to resurface. Lucky for me, Shay's response does little to placate Marian's abrupt display of temper.
"If you knock this poor girl into any of my display cases you're paying for the entire fixture, AND cleaning up the mess yourself!" The blonde threatens, with all the righteous indignation of a stern mother. "And then I will call your uncle, and tell him what really happened to his 400-dollar bottle of scotch. " Oh yeah, Marian is undoubtedly the maternal type. Though at the moment she looks more like someone scolding a dog, rather than a child. She's even pointing an accusing finger at Shay, who actually seems to be backing down. The normally stoic woman, with her model-like poise and refined features, is starting to look vaguely horrified. Like a prima donna who has just been slapped, but can't quite comprehend the betrayal.
Something about this scene unfolding before my eyes has me laughing before I can think to stop myself. I bend at the waist, holding my sides. When I had entertained thoughts of revenge this morning, most of my visions involved Shay in some sort of pain. However, seeing her humiliated, I decide, is so much better.
Both women look at me for a moment, surprised. I make an effort to stifle my laughter, but then Marian starts giggling and I lose it all over again. "You-You looked so-so...horrified!" I manage to eek out between fits of laughter, gesturing flippantly towards Shay.
The black wolf stands shock-still for a moment, her mouth open and brows elevated in astonishment as she gawks at Marian, and then at me. Half of me expects her to get angry once the bewilderment wears off, but she doesn't. Instead, Shay just scoffs, shaking her head as she runs her hands through her hair in mock-exasperation.
"Alright, alright, pleased to see you're finally in better spirits Nikole, even if it is at my own personal expense. "
I can't help myself, still giddy from having seen Shay scolded. "You deserve it, after being such an ass this morning." The werewolf's shocked expression returns in full force, clearly unprepared for my rebuttal, and Marian laughs harder, bracing herself on the edge of the counter.
"Oh, oh Goddess! I think my side just split!" The blonde continues to titter from behind her hand, trying to reign in her amusement. "I thought you said she was terrified of you Shay, your words. I'd say your little Rabbit here handles you quite well."
A blush returns to my face as Marian uses Shay's nickname for me, and I finally manage to get myself under control. As the laughter dies in my throat, I worry that I have perhaps overstepped my bounds with the daunting black wolf. I glance cautiously in her direction, only to see that Shay looks equally as embarrassed. She gives me a fleeting look of her own, but upon catching my eye she immediately looks away.
"Shut it, Marian." Shay grumbles, scarcely loud enough for us both to hear. However, the werewolf gives no further inclination of being hurt, or even angry. She just heaves a sigh, and shakes her head before offering a crooked little half-grin.
"Alright, alright." Marian concedes, though her hazel eyes still glimmer with amusement. "I've got a couple of things to finish up before my part-timer shows up for her shift. Why don't you two look around for a little while, and then we'll head out to lunch, kay? "
"Sounds fine." Shay agrees, and I just nod. Marian flashes us a final smile, then waddles back towards the register where she begins counting the drawer. I watch her for a moment, then glance at Shay who is examining a display case to our right. Feeling a sudden need for personal space, I wander over to the opposite side of the store.
Caroline had been honest when she praised this place. Marian's work is absolutely gorgeous, and highly varied. Some pieces are crafted from colorful glass beads, or precious stones polished to a stunning gleam. Other display cases shimmer with works made from gold, platinum, and silver, the brilliant metals reflective of the soft lighting in the store. Whatever the medium, Marian seems well versed in it.
My personal tastes are generally pretty conservative when it comes to jewelry. I'm not particularly fond of gaudy or flashy accessories as a whole, and my jewelry box at home offers only a modest collection of typically simplistic items. Much to my pleasure, I find a display case that holds some particularly alluring pieces. Mostly it contains necklaces: beautiful pendants on elegant chains. Though no expert, I can tell that a meticulous amount of love and skill has been dotingly applied to their intricate craftsmanship.
Breath stilling in my lungs, I brush a hand over the cool glass of the display case, marveling at the beauty before me. One item in particular captures my attention. The pendant is larger than what I normally wear, but its size allows for a remarkable level of detail. It's a tree, a Celtic Tree of Life, if I'm not mistaken. The free-flowing branches and roots of the tree weave together around the trunk, creating a circle that comprises the perimeter of the pendant.
Distracted by signs of movement, I catch a glimpse of Shay's reflection in the glass of the case as she strolls over to join me. At first, she keeps her distance,
You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net