Chapter 17:
Cara:
I heard the voices first. If that statement doesn't make me seem crazy.
"Ssh… you'll wake her"
"She needs to wake up anyway. We have to get her ready"
"Poor thing, sometimes I just don't understand that woman"
My sleep clouded mind didn't fully understand what they were saying, just that they were saying something. It was too early and I'd had too long a night to be woken up this way. The voices kept murmuring, whispering, the floorboards creaked slightly under them and the sound of cloth rustling reached my ears. With a groan I dragged the sheet over my head.
"Oh, good. She's awake" someone said. Her voice was light and airy, something you'd picture a nice old lady sounding like. I didn't like it.
"Go away" I mumbled.
A chuckle. "Sorry, dear, but rise and shine. We've got work to do" Not only did the prospect of doing work seem really unpleasant, having the sheet then ripped out of my hands and tossed on the floor was even worse.
I blinked in the way too bright sunlight, trying to remember when the morning had ever been this sunny. The sudden brightness made my headache, caused red and yellow splotches behind my eyes. Not even five minutes and I was sure this day was going to be a bad… in a long chain of bad days.
"Now. Which color, powder blue or white?" Something was shoved in front of my face at too close a range, forcing me back off my elbows and squinting.
Slowly as my vision came swimming back I pieced together the scene in front of me. Hovering over my bed were three women, varying from really pale to really dark. The one in the middle turned out to be the one who had spoke, holding two pieces of cloth under my nose. They were all young, maybe not college young but not old. The lightest one had white blonde hair tied back in a braid, the middle one had hair the color of honey, pin straight in a pony tail, and the darkest one had hair curling all the way down her back. I was insanely jealous of all three.
"Who are you?" I blurted out before I'd had time to think. I blushed, stupidly embarrassed and shy in front of these three obviously beautiful women. I felt my cheeks flush, heat rise on my neck and at the same time I cursed myself for letting it show.
"Your fairy godmothers, duh" Said the blonde one. She got very expressive looks from the other two, who just sadly shook their heads. It reminded me vaguely of Quil and Embry around Paul.
"We're here to get you up and dressed and ready for the big day ahead, that's all" The darker of the three spoke for the first time. She smiled down at me where I lay sprawled in confused shock. "I'm Helene. This is Tori and Devin"
"Add an 'E' and I'm Devine"
"In what parallel universe?"
"Hmm… jealousy? How-"
"How irrelevant and time consuming. Quick, now pick one" the two fabrics were shoved into my face again while the room fell into silence again and my mind struggled to keep up with them.
Firstly it was too early for this amount of thought to be going on, second I still had no idea what was going on, and third the two swatches in front of me looked practically the same, the blue so light it was almost the same color as the white. All I could do was sit and stare at the two while I tried to wake myself up but it was hard. I'd stayed awake too late last night, wrapped in my own thoughts about so many things that I'd barely closed my eyes before these three were shaking me awake. In hopes that they would give me room to breathe, I nodded toward the blue.
"That one" I mumbled. Devin, the blonde, pulled a face- obviously not her choice- but the other two nodded and seemed please.
The sun was pouring into the room, illuminating literally every inch of old space. Sounds of life came flouting in through the open window and I realized that something felt different this morning. Not just the fact there were people here, talking to me and looking like they didn't want to kill me, but something….
"Hey, get up! We can't dress you like that" My eyes darted to the Three. They were too happy, too bright, for me and when I looked over at them, my entire body froze.
I realized what was different. The room was spotless, perfect, pristine. Completely rejuvenated. No cobwebs, peeling wallpaper, dust. Nothing. Every surface was clean and shining and in the center of the newly redone room, they stood with a huge mirror, tons of really frilly looking fabric, shoe boxes, flowers, what could only be makeup and who knows what else. If I didn't know any better…
"Dress me for what, exactly?" I dared to ask. The majority of me didn't want to know, but curiosity as always won out.
It was a bad sign when they exchanged glances, heavy with something I couldn't read. The bed springs creaked as I pushed myself up, heart starting to thud faster.
"You… don't know?" Tori asked, sounding totally dumbfounded. I felt the need to remind her that I didn't know much locked up in a room for a few days with nobody to talk to but David and even then… not much for words.
Devin burst out in a rush, "How could she not know? It's like common knowledge!" Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Well, she was raised outside of the Pack. Maybe nobody told her" Helene added. They were keeping me out of their seemingly prvate conversation.
"Told me what?!" Now I was internally panicking. Whatever was going on, I had a strong feeling I would not like it, like much of what had happened to me recently. I looked from one to other, waiting for them to say what was happening. I was confused, lost in their seemingly private conversations and desperately needing to know what more I was going to be forced to do.
Still, despite my wide, frantic look, none of them spoke. Like they were afraid to speak first. After a minute I realized why they didn't want to say anything to me… my mother. She was the leader, and I was therefore the leader's daughter. Like yelling at the president's daughter, only I had a feeling much worse on the consequences side. The image of her, cold blue eyes, distant smile and face. I suddenly understood their hesitation.
"You can tell me… honest. Doesn't have to leave the room. Just, please, tell me" I really hoped my eyes were pleading enough, really hoped they could see the need to know in my eyes.
"Well…" Helene shifted from foot to foot. She looked down, her hair falling across her face, probably to cover the nervous glance to Tori and Devin. "Um…"
"Come on" I prompted.
"You're getting married!... wooh?" Devin twirled her finger sarcastically while she got glares from the other women but I barely saw.
The blood drained from my face, my heart was beating for fast and so heavy I was sure it would burst from my ribcage. I suddenly couldn't hear their voices, hear the sounds of the outside world. My vision was tunneling while I tried to process what she'd just said... married? As in... vows, white dress?
It couldn't be true, I told myself, but little pieces of the things that had happened over the past days clicked into place so easily I wondered why I could see it myself. David's strange comments about getting used to the room, Diana's own voice telling me I'd be going to where I truly belonged. Suddenly I couldn't breathe right, couldn't get enough oxygen.
"That's enough, thank you" Her voice cut through the daze, snapping the world back into focus almost too quickly. I felt sick, dizzy.
I was vaguely aware of the sad glances Tori, Helene and Devin sent me but my tunneled vision was aimed completely on Diana, who stood in the doorway in all her proud, cold glory. The sight of her made me even sicker than I already felt.
The door shut quietly behind them, leaving just me and her. I was ninety-nine percent positive I had never hated anyone more than I hated her in that instant. Even the sight of her had my teeth grinding, my fists curling and tightening. She just stood at a distance, watching my angry reaction.
Silence stretched between us, hers calm and cool, mine tense and angry. I was still having a hard time thinking straight, believing. However, that look in her eyes as she watched told me everything. I should have known, I thought, that keeping me locked up was the least of my troubles. I should have known and I felt stupid even knowing that.
"I won't do it" I ground out through tight, clenched teeth. My heart was beating so fast it almost hummed and vibrated in my chest. A weird buzzing energy filled my body until I could barely hear anything but the blood in my ears.
Diana regarded me for a minute before saying in that low, collected voice, "You'll have no choice"
My heart sunk to my feet. Of course I wouldn't have a choice, how could I have thought otherwise. Having a choice with her was like… having an airplane without wings. Not possible.
"It's your duty, as the Beta's daughter, as it is the duty of the Alpha's son. Tradition generations long. You won't break it" she said, pushing my heart even further into recluse. I could feel tiny hairline cracks forming even as it kept on beating. I could barely breathe, think, swallow. It wasn't real.
"I… I can't" I whispered. My eyes saw straight through the bed, down through the floor, through the house, through to the core of earth and still I couldn't escape my prison. I felt my fingers ball the blanket into my fist but couldn't remember giving my body the command.
"You can and you will… besides, it's for the best. That boy back in La Push was just a distraction. It's time you grew up"
Jake. The name hit my heart hard. She meant Jake. His mental image flouted up before my eyes, every little detail as I'd memorized him so many times. His russet skin and deep, red-brown eyes. His shaggy hair that never quiet did what he wanted but worked anyway. I could feel his hand in mine, his skin against mine, his lips moving with mine. I heard his voice and his laugh, felt my heart give it's giddy jump at the thought of him, then felt it sputter out when I realized it was a daydream… he wasn't really there, he was nowhere in sight. I could have cried right then if not for the desperate desire to not show any weakness in front of Diana.
"W-who… who's the alpha's…?" I couldn't even finish the question, my throat ached too much, it was so hard for me speak without my voice cracking on the end.
Oh, I didn't want to know the answer because it felt like I would be accepting it. Like admitting I was being forced to do this. I sent a fast, silent prayer that a miracle would happen, lightning would strike the guy, or me worse case. Diana smiled slightly as she looked at the twisted, tormented emotions flash across my face.
"I believe you've met him before. Certainly he knows you, feels quite strongly too. Shame" I could hear the individual thuds of my heart as it slowed. I already knew, before she opened her mouth. "His name is, David? Familiar?"