Sins Among Royals

A lone young woman stood behind a counter in a small dingy video store, staring out at the world beyond the enormous glass windows at the front. Thanks to the invention of the internet the small video and music store had become less and less popular with those seeking new music to listen to or new films to watch. The store was an old relic in the modern world. Despite their fall in sales and business the shop still catered to a small group of locals that liked buying music in person, it provided for those who loved finding oddball gems, off-the-wall classics, and hard-to-find treasures. With a little recording studio out the back, it also attracted small-time artists wanting to lay down tracks or entire albums or demos.

Thankfully for Indie, the young woman running the store, her boss didn’t like running his business all that much so left her to her own devices, most of the time. At the very least he didn’t like being cooped up for hours a day doing the same old thing day after day. He often took weeks and months off to spend at home with his family or on vacation in other parts of the country, odd for someone whose business was in decline, or so Indie thought. Perhaps he had different ways of making money for the store that she wasn’t privy to? It was a thought Indie never dwelled on too much; she had far more important things to do like organize records, re-price everything and turn it into the perfect image of the store she had in her mind. Her store.

Stepping out from behind the counter she ambled towards the window and stared out at the darkening skies with curiosity. A chill hit her suddenly, and she got the feeling that rain was imminent. The weather station had forecast bright, sunny weather but everyone knew that during autumn you could experience four seasons in one day.

Standing at the window staring up at the slow-moving clouds above the first drops of water began falling on the pavement outside. Indie couldn’t help but grin, her hunch was right. Across the street from the video store were a flower shop, a clothing store, a hardware store, and a butcher’s shop. All businesses on Main Street were friendly competitors, and when one needed help, others often pitched in to make sure things got done. As the rain steadily grew heavier she noted the woman at the flower store having trouble taking in her many baskets of flowers off of the sidewalk stands.

Running to the door Indie flipped the open sign behind her and pulled the hood of her jumper up over her head. Looking both ways quickly she ran across the street with little trouble and came face to face with the woman at the flower store as she dropped a bucket of flowers and cursed.

“Hey, Emma! Did you want a hand?” She questioned the woman curiously. Before Emma could answer, however, Indie had already picked up two baskets of flowers and handed them to Emma who now stood in the doorway. “Here take them, so you don’t get wet,” Indie insisted as Emma began pushing the baskets along the floor of her small store instead of returning them to their proper display spots, she’d have time for that later.

“Thanks, Indie!” Emma grinned against the splashes of rain that still managed to fall against her skin. “I appreciate it, honey,” before long the pair had finished, and the rain steadily grew heavier. Indie’s jumper was soaked, but she didn’t mind and barely noticed. “Why don’t you come in? I’m sure I have a spare jumper around here somewhere,” Emma seemed hopeful and somewhat desperate for Indie to stay but with all the rain Indie could be sure of one thing. It had been the same thing every time Indie offered her help to Emma, but she didn’t know how to politely tell her she wasn’t interested. Relationships between humans and werewolves were primarily forbidden, there was something about Emma that made Indie think she wasn’t human but she wasn’t a werewolf either. What was she?

The thought didn’t linger too long however as Indie smiled sweetly before stepping out towards the curb, “sorry Emma but I better get back to the store. No doubt Lucas is trying to call.” Lucas, the boss that never wanted to be in or around the store he owned. She didn’t know what possessed him to keep it running, but it couldn’t have been financially viable for him.

Indie bade a quick farewell to Emma before running back across the street to the video store. Pushing the glass door open she heard the familiar chime sing as glass hit the small cylindrical tubes suspended in the air with thin string. The pleasant chiming sound was welcoming despite the sporadic weather outside. Locking the door behind her quickly she made her way to the counter where an old landline phone rang with a blaring tone.

Picking it up quickly Indie took a deep breath in, “hello! You’ve reached Vinyl and Lace, how can I help you?” The cheery tone of her voice caught Lucas off guard as she heard him stammering on the other end.

“What the hell are you still doing there? Lock up and get your ass home you guys are expecting flash floods, apparently.” Lucas’ words caught Indie off guard.

Their area was prone to flooding, and she’d failed to see the possible dangers in the sudden downpour. Autumn was a tricky time of year, and things could change in an instant. A small stream could turn into a raging river within an hour, and although her home wasn’t too far away it was far enough to cause concern should she get stuck somewhere.

“If you get stuck you’ll have to sleep at the shop,” Lucas droned on the other end. He didn’t mind Indie staying because it meant someone was there to look after his store but he knew she wouldn’t go for it. As much as Indie loved working at Vinyl and Lace, she often complained that odd things happened at the store. None of which Lucas has been present for.

“Yeah okay, I’m going,” She replied far too quick and hung up the phone. Soaking wet and shivering Indie locked all the doors and turned off all the lights. Exiting through the front door, she quickly secured it and ran around to the alleyway between her store and the pet shop and found her apple red car sitting under a ripped and torn canopy.

Jamming the key into the lock on the door of her small vintage mini coupe she yanked the door open and climbed in quickly. Taking the key, she jammed it into the ignition and attempted to start the engine. The car struggled to start, and Indie knew she would be fortunate if her car made it all the way home without puttering out.

“Come on you stupid car!” She scolded the vehicle as she pressed the gas pedal and turned the key in the ignition. The sound of the motor trying to kick over didn’t give her much hope. She had worked long and hard to save enough money to buy her first car. She knew there was no way her parents would but her one and no way they could afford to help her buy her first car. Indie was not disappointed by it when she knew her parents sometimes struggled to put food on the table and pay all household bills.

She placed her hands together and bowed her head, “please lord in the skies above if you make my car work I promise I’ll be a good girl.” She turned the key again to no avail, “I promise I’ll adopt a cat from the shelter and give it the beautiful life it deserves,” She pleaded again. This time a little more seriousness in her voice. Turning the key again the engine still didn’t start. In frustration, she slammed her fist against the steering wheel and groaned, “Please God if you make my car work and I make it home I will stay a virgin till the night of my wedding!” Indie turned the key in the ignition and to her surprise, her car started. She couldn’t help but shake her head and chuckle, “I bet the promise of my first born would have worked too.”

With a small celebratory fist pump, Indie quickly forgot her promise as she pulled out onto the road and raced down Main Street towards the edge of town. The township of Stoneden lay in a long valley that led down towards the ocean. From where the town sat the ocean was not visible but as Indie left the small cluster of buildings behind her and wound her way up the hillside road towards the outlying village of Aspen that changed. The higher up the mountainside she got the more spectacular the view. Through the gaps of the many trees that lined the winding road, she spied the ocean far beyond, but it quickly disappeared beneath a thick veil of cloud that had descended upon the valley. The ocean was her absolutely favourite sight.

Indie soon reached the large flat opening at the top of the hillside road, and the first house soon came into view.

Rain bucketed down in sheets of heavy water, and she saw drops bounce against the dark asphalt that was now illuminated by the headlights of her car. Continuing on her way Indie soon slammed her feet on the brakes as a giant wolf jumped clean over the road a short distance in front of her. Its dark fur was wet and muddy, but the gigantic beast had almost stopped Indie’s heart in her chest.

“Holy shit!” she screamed as she put a hand to her heart and felt it beating rapidly. Sitting in her car in the middle of a road it took Indie a minute to regain her composure. Her head spun wildly, but her bewilderment and shock were soon replaced by anger as she jammed her foot against the gas pedal and sped the rest of the way back to her home.

After a few minutes, she pulled into a driveway, parked the car and killed the engine. A minute later the door to her vehicle was torn open, and she was yanked roughly from her seat. What should have been her safety belt did little to keep her securely fastened.

“Did you hear? Did you hear?!” squealed a rather excited voice. “The next Alpha King is coming to town in a few days!” She jumped from side to side, up and down. The excitement and expectation that radiated from the young woman was palpable and irritated Indie just a little.

Indie growled at the person that held her, “Poppy!” She cried loudly. “Are you crazy? I could have hit you.” The panic Indie felt at the sight of her friend’s large wolf form still had her feeling a little uneasy. She then registered what her friend said, “wait why is he coming here? He found his mate years ago didn’t he?” Indie asked more than a little confused by the news.

It had been big news that the next Alpha King was looking for his mate. Every werewolf girl wanted and prayed that she would be chosen as the Kings mate. Everyone except Indie. The next Alpha King, also known as Noah Blackwood had gone from one pack to another looking for his mate. He couldn’t be crowned Alpha King until he and his mate were well and truly mated.

“Wow! You seriously live under a rock don’t you?” Poppy teased her best friend, there was no way any normal self-respecting girl could not know about Noah Blackwood and what had happened with his mate, but Indie was not a normal girl. “The girl that claimed to be his mate was lying......I don’t even know how but when Alpha Noah found out he had her tossed in jail.” Poppy was far too excited for the news, but Indie knew that if she tried dousing that joy in any way, shape or form it would only serve to inflame it.

“I don’t live under a rock! Unlike you and everyone else our age in this pack, I have a job thank you very much!” Indie gloated with pride in her voice and her posture. She hated that it was expected of her to get married and bear children to her husband in order to strengthen their pack and bloodline. Indie wanted more out of life. She wanted to be more than a breeder. “I mean that’s a really shit thing to happen to someone, but it still isn’t enough to make me care.” She couldn’t help but shrug lazily; it was of no concern to her. The royal family lived far away and rarely interrupted small packs and their governing. They only stepped in to dissolve massive problems or take care of matters that became too big and threatened to expose their world to humans.

“Pfft yeah that shitty little music shop is gonna get you places,” Poppy cackled callously. Indie had always been the quiet, independent one. She didn’t like going out to parties and had always preferred studying and reading to socialising with others, it was a far cry from Poppy, but somehow the pair had an extremely strong bond.

Indie closed the door to her car and dragged her friend towards the door of her family’s home. “I’d love to stand out here and chat with you all afternoon but thanks to you I am now soaked down to my underwear! I was already wet from helping Emma with her flowers.”

“I’m not wearing underwear,” replied Poppy with a crooked smile on her lips. “How’s creepy Emma? I swear to the sacred Moon Goddess she is into you more than you realise.” Poppy couldn’t help but grin, she had seen Emma and Indie around each other, and if it wasn’t attraction, then it was something sinister that she couldn’t put her finger on.

It was then that Indie noticed her friend’s lack of clothing. “Yeah well, you’re naked, and Emma isn’t creepy, she’s just weird. Anyway, you’re naked remember? Can we go inside now?” Before the pair reached the door, it was opened from the inside. Indies mother emerged holding two large bath towels, holding out one to each of the girls. “Thanks, mom,” Indie mumbled in gratitude of her mothers kind gesture.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to drive over Poppy? What if a human saw you?” Although Rita, Indies mother wanted to scold the fun-loving young adult she just couldn’t bring herself to do so. Everyone knew how goofy and sometimes unhinged Poppy could be; it was almost expected of her.

“Don’t worry mama bear! If anyone saw me, they’d probably just create a myth or urban legend that’d go viral on social media, no one could ever explain wolves here!” It was a well-known fact among the human population that the area of Aspen and Stoneden were a hotspot for large wolf sightings, some even believed it was the home of a Bigfoot family, but no one could ever prove it.

All Rita could do was roll her eyes and sigh. Back in her day, there was an air of seriousness about being seen in wolf form by a human and there was severe punishment for anyone that was caught shifting or while in wolf form. The rules now days were much too lax for her liking.

“Is that all you came over for?” Asked Indie as they all stepped into the warmth of the house.

“Well no, we have to discuss dresses and makeup and hair too!” Poppy cried rather excitedly. Her energy level was often too much for Indie to handle but with the announcement of Alpha Noah visiting it had reached new heights and was beginning to bother Indie a great deal.

All Indie could manage was a groan, “I don’t want to wear a dress or makeup!” Compared to other girls in their pack Indie was plain and simple. She preferred sitting in front of a computer screen rather than a mirror. She preferred sneakers to high heels, and the only hairstyle she could do on her own and without help was a messy bun and maybe a knotty ponytail.

“Too bad darling. I’m afraid all unmated females of age are required to attend this party and the dress code is strictly formal.” Rita chimed in knowing the agony her geeky little tomboy would be in. To say the image of her daughter wearing high heels and a dress amused her was a bit of an understatement.

“Being paraded around like a piece of meat isn’t my idea of a good time, you know?” Indie knew her protests would fall on deaf ears, but that wouldn’t stop her voicing her absolute distaste for what was about to happen. “Can I not just dress like I always do? Surely if I were his mate, he would accept me as I am.....wouldn’t he?” Although Indie knew for sure, she’d not be his mate she figured he would prefer seeing the real side of his potential mate rather than someone forced into a dress and cute shoes.

“Oh suck it up Indie! It’s only for a couple of hours on one night of your life. After he’s gone, you can go back to pretending like a human if you want.” Rita understood her daughter’s reluctance to their world, but rules were rules, and if those rules were from the royal family, then chances were she would be punished for not attending in a dress.

Indie huffed and crossed her arms as she felt her wet clothes clinging to her skin. “Fine! But just know that it might be the only dress I ever wear. If I get married one day, I’ll be wearing a suit.” For reasons unknown to others Indie shunned her feminine side. In her eyes she was underdeveloped and scrawny compared to other girls in her pack and because of that, she was rarely noticed by the opposite sex. Even when she’d had a crush on someone she was passed over for someone who looked more like Poppy or someone prettier, bustier and perkier. “I’m going to get dressed.” She mumbled quickly, suddenly self-conscious about her body.

“I’m coming!” Poppy chimed in with a giggle, chasing after her friend.

“Don’t take too long. Dinner is almost ready.” Rita called as the two girls disappeared into the hallway towards the stairs. She couldn’t help but shake her head. The two girls were so different but shared a bond like no one else she knew. Though Indie and Poppy often fought and clashed on many things they were always there for each other at the end of the day. Something she hoped would carry them through the toughest of times. A foreboding feeling washed through Rita quickly. Something big was about to happen, but she found herself hoping and wishing that it was only the anxiety of Alpha Noah’s visit and nothing more.