~Chapter 4~
1137 Words
"I can tell you this with certainty now, I will never miss our previous residence. This place makes me feel at home." Lucea says to her father.
She is holding a glass of wine in her hand and standing with her parents and the rest of the pack members around the large bonfire created for the purpose of their initiation.
All the one thousand pack members are standing around the bonfire and celebrating the homecoming of Lucea's family with food and drinks and music.
And, of course, the traditional bonfire. They've just performed rituals that tie the family to the pack, and now they are officially members of the Bright Moon pack once again. Lucea couldn't be any happier.
"I am glad you like it here. Makes me feel relieved. I hope your sister feels the same way," her father says.
"Oh, she does, don't worry," Lucea laughs, recalling the excitement on her sister's face when she told them about Roderic.
"She told you so?"
"Uhh, yes." Lucea drains the last of the wine and excuses herself, placing the cup onto a nearby tray.
"I must go and find Mia. She told me she was going to get a sweater in the house but she is taking forever."
"Alright," Her father nods, tapping his foot in time with the drums that are playing loudly.
Lucea walks away.
The bonfire was made a little far away from the houses; one has to pass through a few trees before reaching the pack house, which is nearest when you are coming from this side of the territory.
As she moves through the sparse trees and hums a low tune to herself, she stops suddenly.
She thinks she heard sounds come from behind a nearby tree, sounds of people who are obviously enjoying themselves.
Moving with the stealthiness of a cat, she goes to peer around a particularly large tree.
She scrunches her nose up in disgust.
A guy and a girl are eating each other's faces viciously, while the guy gropes around the girls body, one hand lifting up her skirt enthusiastically.
She doesn't know either of the people so she just makes a disgusted sound and walks away from them.
Hearing the sound, the couple stop their furious kissing and stare at Lucea as she continues walking away.
"Shoot!" She hears the guy's voice swear. When she looks back at the couple, she notices the guy has left the girl alone, walking away quickly in the direction Lucea came from.
Lucea pauses and calls.
"Hey," then waits as the girl begins to walk towards her.
"Hi there," Lucea can tell the other girl is trying to look and sound cool even in the moonlight. And after what she was doing. "You must be one of the members of the new family that have just arrived. My boyfriend mentioned about you and he couldn't stay with me for long because he had to come and welcome you all, as the Alpha of the pack and all."
Lucea starts walking again and the girl falls into step beside her.
"Your boyfriend is Roderic?" She looks at the girl whose long nose can be seen protruding from between the long curtains of hair on either side of her face. Her black hair goes down to her waist. Lucea is impressed. Hers is shoulder length, but that's because she has a tendency for cutting it every few weeks.
"Yes. He is my boyfriend."
Poor Ruth.
Lucea looks at the girl more carefully. She remembers Mia telling Ruth that Roderic only dates girls with model bodies, and she has to admit the girl beside her is a perfect example of such.
She has a very slim body, so slim that Lucea wonders if she eats. She is wearing a short, black leather skirt and knee length boots with a tiny top to match that stops just above her navel, revealing a shiny belly button ring.
"That's good."
"Promise me you won't give in when he makes advances on you." The girl suddenly says with a look of desperation on her face. "Of course, you are not the kind of girl he would normally go for but your face is pretty, and you can never tell with Roderic. He likes girls too much."
Lucea is surprised, failing to understand the other girl's thinking.
"Does he cheat on you?"
"All the time. We've been dating on and off for a long time, and he never hesitates to date other people when he is tired of someone. Especially new girls. He forgets about me, then comes back when he tires of them."
Lucea wants to ask why she agrees to go back to him if she has a brain that works. But that would be rude.
"Do you love him?"
"Is there any healthy female that doesn't? We consider it a blessing if he finds interest in us."
"We?" Lucea frowns.
They are nearing the pack house now.
"Every young woman."
"I see. So, what's your name?"
They enter the pack house and Lucea almost gasps as the light shines on the girl. She is so beautiful. She is wearing too much of make up but one can see she is extraordinarily beautiful even without makeup.
"Cassandra."
"Nice name," she grins. " I am Lucea."
"Nice to meet you, Lucea. Can you join our little group at school? I have two friends and we always hang out the three of us. You can be the fourth."
Lucea thinks about Mia. Oh, but it wouldn't hurt to expand her circle, now, would it? "Yes, no problem." Lucea smiles. "And I promise you I am not going to give in if your boyfriend ever makes advances towards me. He is not my type, oh, Lord knows I don't even date."
"Cool. I will be off. I live in a nearby pack so I have to go. It is clear that that useless boyfriend of mine is not going to escort me," She rolls her eyes. "I heard your parents have already taken your transfer forms to the school and you are starting on Monday. See you there!" Cassandra waves and rushes out of the hall they are standing in.
How did Cassandra get that information when she, Lucea, doesn't know? Has she been snooping around?
But it's good to know that she will start going to school with her fellow wolves, if at all she is a wolf herself.
The big house is eerily quiet because everyone has left for the ceremony outside.
Lucea is momentarily startled when someone suddenly approaches her.
"You are not going to have me as a friend if you are going to hang out with that group of feather brains. " Mia says fiercely, passing by her. "Choose one!" She disappears through the door.
- Writer
