Chapter 131


    Book Two – Ch.# 23 “…Is that a phone?” he asked, still appearing shocked.


    “…Yes?”


    And he immediately walked over to me, starting to scan the area around us. Almost as if he were


    checking to see if anyone else had seen me. “Quickly put it away,” he said.


    “What’s wrong, Kieran?”


    I asked the question but still did what he requested, stuffing it back into my pocket.


    “Communication and recording devices like that aren’t allowed here,” he said. “It’s the only way we


    keep ourselves safe. They potentially jeopardise our entire kind’s secrecy. You’d be best to just leave it


    switched off in your suitcase and don’t let anyone know you have it.”


    …I guess that made sense. I’d been wondering myself how they’d managed to keep their existence so


    unknown all this time. If someone started taking videos of people turning into wolves, I could see how


    that would quickly uncover the truth. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know,” I said. “My friend was worried about


    where I disappeared to. I just called to let them know I was safe.”


    “You don’t need to apologise. It’s my fault. I should have told you before we got here.” He then exhaled


    and rxed himself, the danger now gone. “It’s slowly bing a little better ever since we started


    business with humans. We even have andline phone for that reason now. I guess if you wanted to


    call someone, I could ask permission for you to ess it. Its use is monitored by the Elders.”


    I thought about it for a moment but realised that if I used a public phone, I would have limited freedom


    in what I could and could not discuss openly. Especially if mentioning things rted to my father or the


    drugs, it could make all of this effort to keep it hidden pointless.


    “Thank you… I’ll be sure to let you know.”


    I didn’t enjoy lying to Kieran but, for now, this was the only way. So much was riding on that call from


    Zac that it didn’t leave me with many options. No, I would need to keep my phone nearby and hope for


    the best


    “Come on,” he said, touching my shoulder. “I’ll show you around some more ces. We’ll need to be


    back at the house by about five o’clock though. We’ve got that dinner tonight.” In amongst everything


    happening, I’d almost forgotten about the dinner nned for tonight. It sounded as though everyone


    who was even remotely important would be attending, which was a little nerve-wracking.


    “Sure,” I said


    And we left soon after, It was a fun day in the end, all things considered. After a stressful morning with


    the doctor’s appointment and the cell phone incident, it managed to recover back into an enjoyable


    time spent with Kieran.


    And though it was slow, I was starting to learn more things by being around him. Like his sense of


    humour… his smile… the way heughed. And I noticed how easy it was for me to open up because of


    that.


    Every now and then I would find myself stopping after realising howfortable I seemed to be, so


    contrasted to my normal guarded nature… and I would sneak a look over at him. But every time I would


    do so, I would find him already watching me, his hazel eyes instantly sending little butterflies through


    me.


    ...And I would wonder what he saw when he looked at me.


    By the time five o’clock came around, I was almost sad to see the private part of our daye to an


    end. Now, with the expectation of meeting important figures tonight, I knew that I would need to be on


    my best behaviour, careful about how I presented myself.


    ‘Best behaviour’… no, that was how I used to describe working assignments for my father. But I wasn’t


    going to the dinner tonight for him. I was going… for me.


    This was something that *I* wanted to do. “…You look beautiful,” Kieran said as I approached a little


    whileter.


    My cheeks burned in response, his words catching me off-guard.


    I’d spent thest hour quickly getting ready for the dinner, so I was relieved to hear he thought so. But


    he, himself, looked exceptionally handsome too, something that made it hard for me not to stare. It was


    as if every time I saw him, I was struck a little bit more by his features.


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    “Thank you,” I said quietly.


    “Everyone will be waiting already.”


    And so we began walking to where I remembered the dining area was. Only, as we entered back into


    therge space, I was amazed by how different it appeared.


    It had beenpletely rearranged and now resembled a fancy restaurant more than the casual eating


    area I recalled. Everywhere I looked, I saw pristine white-clothed tables with candles and flowers. Many


    nicely dressed people were also already seated and chatting amongst themselves.


    “Kieran!” a voice said, and I turned to see a young man speaking. “It’s good to finally see you. Sorry I


    couldn’te by earlier.”


    “Camren,” Kieran greeted. “It’s no trouble. I’ve been busy showing Raven around anyway.”


    “Oh, right,” said the man, his eyes turning to me. “The talk of the pack. It’s lovely to meet you, Raven.


    I’m Camren, the Gamma heir.”


    He did a bow and I gave him a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”


    The conversation then reverted to the topic of things Kieran had missed whilst in Lockdale City, all of


    which I didn’t really understand, but perhaps it was caused by myck of concentration. Because in the


    corner of my eye, I couldn’t help but notice the stares I was receiving from a group of girls seated


    nearby.


    Or maybe ‘res’ was a better word for it.


    Immediately, the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I watched them. Almost as if I had a weird


    urge to re back at them. I wasn’t sure why though. It wasn’t the same as the feeling I’d had with


    Allison. This felt less dangerous and more… protective?


    “Ignore them,” Kieran whispered to me. I jumped a little in surprise, him addressing the encounter I was


    having with the girls; much to my embarrassment. I’d been so absorbed by the whole thing that I hadn’t


    even realised Camren had left. It was now just the two of us once more. “…Did I do something to


    offend them?” I asked, confused. But upon Kieran looking over at them, they instantly turned their


    heads, acting as if they were merely talking to each other. “They’re just jealous,” he said. “It’s not worth


    your energy.” “Jealous? Jealous of who?” “Of you. Seriously, don’t give it any thought. Nowe on,


    we’re expected up the front.” I didn’t ask anything further but it stuck with me regardless, wondering just


    how anyone could feel jealous of me. I would happily trade ces with any person in this town if it


    meant avoiding the upbringing I’d had. Hell, if it meant avoiding the issues with my father both past and


    still pending.


    Though… …Though what if they were jealous for a different reason? Like… how I was here with


    Kieran? Were some of them perhaps ex-girlfriends? Lovers? I could see how he’d be incredibly


    popr. He was bound to have a history here. It would be silly to think otherwise.


    But then another thought came to me. One creeping into the back of my mind.


    …If I somehow managed to stay here, to find a way to move my life to Ashwood without fear of my


    father, would I, too, find myself at that table one day? Scornfully looking over at whatever woman


    Kieran came to dinner with? …Was I just thetest obsession? A pet project to help fix? Was that


    maybe why he didn’t feelfortable telling anyone that we were romantically involved? My chest hurt


    a little as that thought invaded me, but I pushed it back as much as I could. He’d been nothing but


    sweet to me so there was no reason to assume the worst. Not yet anyway.


    As we made our way up to the front of the room, I recognised a group of familiar faces already seated.


    It consisted of the people I’d met the other day, plus a few more that I was sure were equally as


    important.


    We did standard greetings to everyone, plus formalities to Victor, before taking our seats. But to my


    immense difort and dismay, I discovered that Allison sat near me. Upon eye contact, I once again


    was ovee with the impulse to attack. A sensation that had no founding or exnation. Just… pure


    instinct telling me to end her. …But I held myself back. I’d promised Kieran that I would spend time with


    her. I needed to stay true to my word. And so I gave her a smile, a wave, and took my seat to chat to


    her, all the while biting back the


    What was it I had told myself yesterday? That I wasmitted to being someone new and more


    positive? Well, talking to his sister nicely was surely a step in the right direction.


    In fact, over time, I may even be close to many of the people around me now. I would need to


    tread extra carefully in these early days to not step on any feet due to my new social ignorance.


    …But… first I needed to navigate how their strange government worked. A struggle to say the least, as


    I continually discovered.


    “Sterling,” said a man, holding a hand out to me. “Pleasure to meet you.”


    He sat himself down in Kieran’s chair and looked at me expectantly. And though I was confused, I still


    shook it, discreetly trying to look around the room.


    Kieran had gotten up from the table only a minute prior and I now felt a little out of ce without his


    presence. Especially with the ever-constant threat of making a mistake in this new environment.


    en


    “…Raven,” I replied politely. He had familiar looking features and my mind quickly began trying to work


    out who he might be. Only, before I coulde to any conclusion, he answered the question weighing


    on me. “I’m Victor’s brother. Kieran’s uncle,” he said, pointing towards where Victor was seated further


    down.


    Upon turning to look, I saw there was an active conversation happening amongst the ‘ranked’ members


    who I’d already been introduced to. Allison included. None of them paid us any mind.


    However, this did now leave me in an awkward predicament.


    I was required to show formal respect to Victor and I knew their hierarchy here was based around


    family lines. Did that then mean Sterling was under that same umbre? Should I be bowing?


    I attempted to look around the room once more for Kieran but he was still nowhere to be seen.


    Shit.


    “Oh wow, the resemnce is uncanny,” I said in an attempt for conversation, choosing to risk


    1. it.


    Heughed and took a sip of his drink. Though not before shooting me a wink. “I got the looks,


    thankfully.”


    It was ament I wasn’t really sure how to reply to, one that made me ufortable.


    ‘Smile, Raven,’ I scolded myself inside,


    And I managed to force a smile in lieu of words. There was something about him that was giving me a


    bad vibe. Though that was apparently bing the norm with many people I mettely. Perhaps all


    my difort was just due to my insecurity; what with me being in an entirely new world. Internally, I


    reminded myself to stop being so guarded and judgemental.


    “Human city, right?” he asked bluntly. “What was that like? Terrible, I imagine.” Was he drunk? The


    longer the conversation went on, the more I felt like he was saying whatever popped into his head. “It


    was… very different from here,” I replied carefully. He snorted at that and took another sip of his drink.


    “Yes, obviously.” What was he expecting me to say? But as I went to open my mouth to reply, it was


    then that Allison came back over, her eyes shifting between Sterling and myself. “Ah, my favourite


    niece,”Sterling cheerily greeted. “It’s always so wonderful to catch up. Please, take a seat.”


    Though confused, Allison took her seat once more. The one she had already been sitting at basically


    the entire evening. “Sterling…,” she said, frowning. Could she tell that he was a bit off too? It was the


    first time I’d seen Allison so serious. Up until now, she had been very peppy all night. “How has the


    packhouse been? Did you go to the temple today?” “Our Great Mother, Selene, blessed us with a


    bountiful feast today,” she replied. “I chose to stay here and help with the preparations for that.” “Of


    course, of course…,” Sterling said. “Then I guess I can’t let the Moon Goddess’ blessing go to waste,


    right?” And he proceeded to down the rest of his drink in one go. I assumed that this was the religion


    Kieran had briefly mentioned to me, the one his sister had be involved in due to her grief. But it


    was a topic I didn’t end up getting a chance to ask about.


    Because it was then that Sterling chose to ce his empty ss in front of me, sparing me only the


    quickest of nces. “Get me another one, will you, sweetheart?” he said, turning to resume talking with


    Allison.


    ...And I stared at the ss in shock.


    Weren‘t there attendants working for that reason? Was this a normal thing to ask?


    But as I mulled on it for a second, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was due to the ranking system. Maybe


    he really was important and I’d shown disrespect by not bowing earlier.


    ...And it was a thought that ultimately made me reach out to grab the empty ss, forcing another


    smile on my lips.


    “Sure,” I said, standing up. “Raven, no,” Allison blurted out. But I interrupted her by waving off her


    words.


    “It’s fine. I don’t mind,”


    Good impressions. I was trying to make good impressions. Looking at Allison, she was only a


    reminder of that very thing. Showing courtesy to people couldn’t be a bad thing, surely.


    “See? She doesn’t mind,” Sterling repeated pointedly. Only, the way he said that made me start to


    wonder if maybe there was something I was missing


    Nevertheless, I left the table and went looking for the kitchen. A quest where I could feel the eyes of


    many people as I walked, but I attributed it to being an outsider in their town. It wasn’t until I finally


    found the relevant hallway to the kitchen that I began to question that motive.


    Because as I rounded the corner, I finally bumped into Kieran… and the look on his face held the same


    confusion I was used to seeing now. The one that told me I was doing something strange.


    And immediately I sighed. …Here we go again.