Cursed Blood

The second Rebecca was out and dressed again, admittedly a while later since getting out of ballgowns was no easy task, I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the store. Zen said quick goodbyes to Izzy, who made him promise to bring me back at some point, before escaping as well, the three of us running to the other side of camp to put distance in between us and the talkative, short-tempered pixie. The tattoo artist was panting as we came to a stop, while I was wheezing from laughter.

"Rebecca," I giggled, but it came out raspy as I was out of breath, "you... you cursed us... by indirectly forcing us... t-to meet Izzy."

She snickered, stretching her arms high above her head. The tattoo-covered blonde werewolf sported a long skirt and tight bandeau, her torso exposed. More tattoos littered her skin, but she was still graceful and gorgeous. I laughed as she began to yawn, looking worn out as if Izzy's store had zapped her energy. Zen was still panting as he straightened, putting his hands on his hips. Eventually, a cool feeling washed over me and my energy was replenished.

I dragged my fingers through my hair before sighing, turning toward Rebecca.

"Anyone who's going to the ball tomorrow has to attend a dinner party tonight," I told her hesitantly, "so... we should eat and get going."

The Darkblood sighed before cracking her knuckles, sending me a grim smile. "Guess so."

We stood in awkward silence for a moment before Zen cleared his throat, running his hand through his hair as if it was a nervous habit. "I'll grab you guys something to eat and you two can get pretty, okay?"

I nodded my thanks to him before I got pulled away by Rebecca. I followed her like a puppy until we reached a hut on the outskirts of the camp, a little ways away from all the others. She threw me a cautious look before pushing open the door, allowing me to slip past her before she closed it behind her.

Inside the hut was a simplistic living space and kitchen. A hallway branched off into more rooms, but I was too focused on absorbing it all to notice. Her kitchen looked well loved, and there was a leftover hint of the scent of pastries on the air. Coats and shoes laid in racks and on pegs next to the door, and I could see a ratty looking ball sitting beside a small pair of shoes. The couches were maintained, and the table was covered in wire and beads. The werewolf watched me as I took in her home, feeling a familiar homey vibe from it.

It felt like my home at the farm. A wave of pressure lifted off my shoulders as I felt free -- free from the eyes of people in the castle and the idea of always having to look the part of someone living among royals. Part of me wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep for a week, but I knew I didn't have the time.

"It's not much, but--"

"It's a really nice home," I interrupted Rebecca, walking toward the hallway. She followed me, casually passing ahead of me. Four doors were in the hallway, one of them already open. Rebecca knocked on the first closed door and shot me a sly smile.

"Who is it?" A soft voice called.

My eyebrows shot up as light footsteps came toward the door before a young girl hesitantly heaved it open, her twinkling eyes an identical shade to Rebecca's. Dimples were idented in her cheeks, and her hair was in a cropped chocolate brown style. Instantly I could see the resemblance between her and the werewolf beside me, especially when her eyes began to sparkle like Becca's.

"Daisy," the werewolf said softly, "this is Cloud, my friend. She's just coming over for dinner before we leave."

The short girl stepped out of her room, twiddling her thumbs behind her back. She stared at Becca with wide eyes before giving me a suspicious glance.

I knelt down and held onto the reins of control to keep back my Darkblood as the shy girl began to observe my features. "Are you a werewolf too?" I asked her with a shrug, trying to keep it light between us.

"My name's Daisy," she announced, "and I'm Rebecca's little sister. I'm a werewolf too, I shifted for the first time not too long ago."

Through her shy demeanor I could sense her newfound confidence. A smile broke out on my face as she proudly turned to her sister, who was happily watching our interaction. "Shouldn't you two be getting stuff done, Becca?"

The older werewolf nodded, leading me toward a second bedroom. Daisy followed us as we entered the room, Rebecca instantly unearthing a formal dress. She held it up for me to see and I shot her a thumbs-up, Daisy approving as well.

"I'll fly us over so I can get changed there. We should eat first, then you can get changed," I proposed, slowly getting to my feet. Daisy bounced up as well, just as a knock came on the front door. The young werewolf rushed to get it, but I made sure to watch over her as she pulled open the door. It was Zen, and he greeted Daisy with a wide smile. Under one arm were quite a few containers of food, and Rebecca came out when she smelt the warm nourishment that was just for us.

The four of us sat down on the couches in their homey living room as Zen unpacked multiple containers of food. I began to laugh at something Daisy said as Rebecca handed out plates, a smile on my face as we joked about Izzy's shop and the Darkblood camp. The underlying sense of looming threats and secrets was practically non-existent as I spent a simple dinner with my newfound friends, already prepared for the party of snobs ahead of me.

~○•○~

The second we were done, Rebecca was dressed and made up with her hair done and I was waiting outside with my entire form on display. Daisy and Zen were long gone, the artist saying something about taking the young wolf to a sports game among the children of the camp. My wings were quivering in excitement and anxiety as Rebecca locked up her house, wordlessly grabbing my hand.

"All good?" I checked, just in case. I wanted to ask about her parents or other family, but knew better than to upset her now. She nodded and we embraced each other like it was a hug, but really it was me making sure I wouldn't drop her as I shot into the air, Rebecca screaming in shock as we climbed into the sky. She gasped, eyes glued to the ground as I began to soar, keeping us high up in the air as I headed for Mythic Mountain. The werewolf was silent in her amazement, watching the ground go by at crazy speeds as I pushed my wings to go faster.

With the wind going by, it was nearly impossible to catch the words of others.

But then, I caught a snippet of Rebecca's words.

"...you would've loved it, Mom..."