A Twisted Anthology: A Twisted Design Book

Love is Blind Part 2

My parents were probably going to kill me when they saw how much I spent at the mall. They were generous, but I might have taken it a little far. I’d pay them back for it. One positive side was that the sales lady actually did end up giving me a twenty-five percent discount on my purchases.

After we had lunch, we shopped for a little longer and picked up some accessories for me and the girls. I had a lot of fun. We headed back to Ashley’s car to go to her apartment in the pack lands.

We were staying the night there after the club, unless we ended up hooking up with someone. I could call Ashley to come get me in the morning, if I actually found someone. I had to be home in the late morning to start helping with my brother’s birthday party.

Tonight was a special night at The Neutral. It was fae night. No vampires allowed, unless they worked there. Humans would be turned away at the door so the fae could hang out without their glamour on. I was looking forward to meeting some fae.

With luck, some of them would let me touch them so I could see them. I’d never met a fae before, but my brother had. He knew the queen of the fae for the area. He described her to me and she sounded beautiful.

At Ashley’s place, we hung out and talked about the club and our expectations for the night while snacking. Gemma was hot to take a fae guy home. She wanted to try something different before finding her mate. Fae would definitely be different.

I was just hoping to find someone to talk to. I wouldn’t be opposed to going home with a fae, but it was as likely as going home with anyone else. Maybe I’d get to flirt a little. That would be enough of a thrill for me.

We started getting ready. Gemma did my hair and Ashley did my makeup. I always felt useless in this part of the night. I couldn’t help them like they helped me and I couldn’t tell them they looked good.

Our plan was to go out for a late dinner together before heading to the club. Ashley made reservations at a restaurant down the street from the club, so we could walk to both places after parking. I was excited because I had been told the food was amazing.

When we were ready, we loaded into Ashley’s car and headed out. We sang along to the songs on the radio as we drove. This was one of the times when I felt the most free.

The restaurant was wonderful. They had a braille menu. I always asked on the off chance, but they actually had one! I was even more impressed.

The food was really good, though, small portions. It was not made for werewolves. We usually went to Carroll’s if we were going out. It was owned by werewolves and had large portions for werewolves.

As we walked to the club, I started catching the scent of fae. They smelled like plants, flowers, earth, lightning, rain, so many things. I could smell witches and some other shapeshifters. We weren’t the only ones who wanted a peek at the fae in their natural forms.

“The line isn’t too long. We got here at just the right time.” Ashley said as she and Gemma stopped.

“Great!” I smiled.

We chatted a little as we waited for our turn to get in. Ashley talked about what was going on at work. She was working as her brother’s assistant. I could never do that. Aside from being blind, I don’t think I could take orders from my brother all day long and still like him.

They were finalizing all of the treaties with the witches and the fae in the area. I was excited for what this meant. The treaty with the vampires and with Queen Bellamy of the Eaten Heart Collective had secured a lot of safety for us. We saw the benefit in the fight with the hunters.

When we got to the door man, a vampire, he checked our IDs to ensure we were over twenty-one. They had a hard time telling the age of most beings because they lived so long. At least, that’s what I’d heard. I hadn’t met a vampire before.

“Why are you handing me her things?” He asked.

“She’s blind and can’t see them. It’s just easier if I pull her ID and put it back.” Ashley explained.

“What’s the point in coming on fairy night if you can’t see them?” He scoffed.

“I can’t see you either, but that doesn’t change the experience of getting to meet a vampire for the first time.” I smiled. “If I’m lucky, someone will let me touch them so I can see what they look like.”

“You want to see what I look like?” He asked with slight amusement in his voice.

“Please.” I replied, making Gemma and Ashley groan.

I reached out my hands and he put them up to his face. I slid them around, noting his narrow jaw, thin lips, smooth cheeks, and crooked nose. He took one of my hands and brought it back to his mouth, letting me feel his fangs.

“You seem very handsome. Thank you for letting me see you.” I told him.

“You ladies have fun.” He said after stamping our hands

The girls pulled me past him and into the club.

“Do you have to do that face feeling thing with everyone who asks?” Gemma laughed.

“It’s fun. They enjoy it and it actually does give me a good idea of what they look like. I’ve done it with you two several times over the years and, when I saw you through Blanche’s eyes, you looked almost exactly as I imagined.” I chided.

“I think you just do it so you can touch people and make them feel weird.” She snorted.

“I’ll trade places with you. You spend your life in the dark and I’ll stare at cute boys all day.” I chuckled.

‘Just so you know, that dude was ugly as sin.’ Gemma linked me.

‘Truth.’ Ashley responded.

‘Mike told me that vampires don’t like being touched, especially not by werewolves. That vampire took the time to make an offer that was out of character for his species. He didn’t need to do that. It showed that he has a kindness in him that would make anyone beautiful.’ I said.

“Let’s go find some actually handsome people for you to touch. It’s a great ice breaker.” Gemma giggled.

They pulled me along with them as they searched. The music was loud and the energy in the club was high. I could smell so many different species and they all sounded like they were having fun.

“Hotties spotted.” Gemma told me as she stopped.

“Damn. They are cute. Only two of them, though. One has wings. That’s so cool.” Ashley replied excitedly.

We headed off in the direction of the guys they’d seen. Suddenly, they stopped short. I didn’t know why. Maybe someone got to them first?

‘Abort mission. They’re kissing each other.’ Gemma linked.

‘No. If we do this with a bunch of different people and not just hot straight guys, then they’ll actually talk to us instead of thinking we’re just out to feel them up.’ Ashley insisted.

‘She’s right and you know it, Gemma.’ I added.

She sighed and started forward again. We slowed to a stop and I could smell the forest and ripe melon. I couldn’t help but smile. It reminded me of the picnics we would have when we were kids.

“Hi. I’m Gemma. These are my friends, Carmen and Ashley.” Gemma said.

“I’m Rosario and this is my fiancé, Sean. You’re werewolves, right?” A man asked.

His voice was deep and rich. Like syrup. I really liked it. His and his fiancé’s names sounded familiar. I worked to remember where I’d heard them before. 

“Yeah.” Gemma replied.

“Oh, goddess. Rosario Adair and Sean Flowers. You’re the fae princes!” I exclaimed.

They laughed.

“No one calls me a prince…. At least, not to my face.” Sean replied.

His voice was soft and gentle. Like a cuddle in voice form. They were well matched. The combination of their voices was perfect.

“I’ll call you a prince to your face, my pixie prince.” Rosario murmured.

My hearing was a little better than the average wolf, so I would just pretend I didn’t hear that, or the slight moan from Sean. It was always a little heartbreaking for me to meet couples who were that in love. I’d always dreamed of having that sort of relationship with my mate.

“Why did you come over? Was it our dashing good looks, or my Sean’s beautiful wings?” Rosario asked.

“Well, we’ve never really met fae before. And Carmen really wants to see you.” Gemma said.

“We’re right here.” He responded.

“I’m sorry. I’m actually blind. I see through my other senses. If it’s not too much trouble, can I touch you?” I asked.

“You’re looking right at us. I can’t believe you’re blind.” Rosario said.

“I’m looking in the direction your voice and scent are coming from. I’m looking where I can hear you shifting the weight on your feet and his wings fluttering a little.” I answered. “You can ask Alpha Trent if you don’t believe me. My brother is his Beta, Mike Rosen. I grew up around Trent and I’ve been blind since birth.”

“I’ll ask Gray.” Sean replied and I heard the rustle of cloth.

I listened as he tapped out a message on his phone. I thought fae were supposed to be able to tell if people were lying. Maybe it was a scent thing like we had and it was just weaker than a wolf’s sense of smell.

There was a mechanical buzzing of a phone on vibrate. Hopefully, it was Gray messaging back. He was four years younger than me and had moved from the pack lands to live with the Master vampire of the territory. They shared a mate.

Gray had just gotten back from his honeymoon a few days ago. I hadn’t realized he knew the fae princes. It sounded like his life was a lot more interesting than mine.

“Gray says hello, Carmen. He wishes that he could come out to meet us, but Echo smells too much like a vampire to be let in. He confirms it, Rosario. She’s really blind.” Sean said.

“Fae night is only once a month. Maybe we can all figure out a time to go dancing together. I know Echo would love it.” Rosario replied.

“I can’t imagine Victor at a club like this.” Sean laughed.

“True. Well, we have our proof. Sorry we had to test it. You may touch my face.” Rosario said.

“Mine, too. And I’ll let you touch my wings.” Sean told me.

I held out my hands and they were grasped by two strong hands. I moved forward a little and found myself closer to the smell of forest. My hands were placed on the brow of the man in front of me.

“Go ahead.” Rosario said.

Carefully, I ran my fingers through his hair. It was medium length and had a feeling like young spruce shoots. I loved the velvety texture. I found the bottom of his face and worked up.

Rosario’s chin had a slight point to it and his jaw was narrow, but not in a bad way. His lips were perfectly bowed with a full bottom and peaked top. His cheekbones were high and his brow was smooth. My hands slipped to his ears. They were similar to human ears, but with a point at the top that went about an inch higher than human ears.

I ran my fingers over the edges and the tips, trying to get a good idea of just how they looked. Suddenly, his hands wrapped around my wrists and pulled my fingers off of the tips of his ears.

“Sorry. Was I too rough?” I asked.

“Most fae have pointed ears. They are an erogenous zone. You shouldn’t touch them without invitation.” Rosario answered.

I blushed. “I’m so sorry. Sean, I hope you’ll forgive me for accidentally making a move on your mate.”

“It was cute to see him get all flustered while he was trying to remain calm. You should really only make a cursory pass of the ears. Just get a general idea of them.” Sean chuckled. “That way you’re not invading, and it’s easier to explain as a part of your exploration. Trust me, the sounds fae boys make when you touch their ears, even if it’s for a little while, is really worth the embarrassment.”

“Does that mean I have permission to molest your ears then?” I asked.

“I’ll let you know when it gets uncomfortable. It’s only fair.” He replied.

I held out my hands in his direction and he brought them up to his chin. I usually liked to start at the bottom and work my way up, so I appreciated it. The scent of ripe melon seemed to surround me.

Sean’s jaw was wider than Rosario’s. He had more of a rounded chin. His lips were soft and full. I felt his nose and noted an indent that I was familiar with.

“You wear glasses?” I asked.

“I used to. How did you know?”

“There’s a slight indent that happens in the bridge of the nose of people who wear glasses for a long time. I can feel that on you. Your skin is so soft. Like springtime grass.” I smiled.

“Yeah. I get that from werewolves a lot. My hair and my skin makes them want to roll around on me.” Sean laughed.

My fingers slid over his brow and up to his hair. It was like fine flower petals. I could understand what the other wolves were talking about. I moved my fingers to his ears.

The points on the tips of his ears weren’t as long as the points on Rosario’s. It was almost like a normal human ear, but pointed. He made a slight humming sound and I removed my hands.

“Was that okay?” I asked.

“Y-yeah. No one but Rosario has ever touched my ears since I became a pixie.” Sean said breathily.

“Since you became a pixie?” I questioned.

“I was born a witch without an affinity. I became a pixie a couple months ago. I’m still getting used to it. That’s part of why we’re out tonight. Did you want to feel my wings?”

I nodded. There was a slight breeze as he turned. Gemma and Ashley took my hands and guided me to the wings. I was probably grinning like a child. I was so excited to touch real pixie wings.

They felt sturdy. There was a warm framework that held the fine membranes of his wings. I explored from the tips all the way to where they met his back.

Rosario started laughing. “I think you need to stop. Sean forgot how sensitive his wings can be when you get closer to his back. He thinks he’s being a nice guy by not telling you.”

“Shut up. You’ll embarrass her.” Sean hissed.

I pulled my hands back and blushed again. “I’m sorry. Now I’ve really molested both of you.”

“Don’t worry about it. At least we’ll have a good story to tell our friends. From the looks of our audience, a fair amount of people saw you doing that. I can imagine you’ll have a few volunteers.” Rosario chuckled.

“What are you? I know Sean’s a pixie, but you never told me what you were.” I said.

“I’m a wood elf. The only one in here, so you won’t get another like me.” He replied.

“Thank you for letting me touch you. We’ll get out of your hair now.” I smiled.

“Feel free to come back by if we’re still here.” He offered.

Gemma and Ashley took my hands and led me off. He was right. A few people came up and asked what I was doing. They offered to let me touch them too and told me what they were. After the spectacle had worn off, we made our way to the dance floor.