Bralette
-Vincent-
The brass gates down the sidewalk swung open as if by invisible command. My Invisible command that is. A permanent telepathic link with the remote gate operator allowed me to walk through the gates at any time, even if I was asleep or wasn’t even thinking about it. I turned to see if she was impressed.
Damn. I thought I could, but this is impossible. I could barely control myself touching her shoulder. She looked so much more mature than the last time we had dated. She could’ve been a different person, far more beautiful and collected and slender. My wolf, Khaba, was already taking over and sweeping my thoughts. The things I would’ve done to her, even out here on the street. Am I really this crude?
“What is this place, Vincent?” she asked quietly.“The Moonlight Headquarters for our operations here in Quebec. AKA, my house. Pack House.” I said beaming, and stroking the bronze wolf statue at the entrance. “Now that I think about it, you’ve never been have you?”
One strand of her deep black hair dropped to coil neatly and cutely on the rims of her glasses. God, keep it together, Vincent. You’re the one getting married!“Vincent, the ceremony is tomorrow. I was supposed to get a hotel room. Why am I at your house?” she questioned me. I didn’t quite like that, but it was my fault for not being clear about this arrangement. It was intentional. If I set all the boundaries from the get-go, I wouldn’t get to see her even once.
“All the guests are staying here, dummy. Have you ever attended a wolf union before? It is an insult to the host family if their guests stay outside the Pack House. It means you don’t respect us, and you feel we cannot provide adequate habitation conditions for you.” I lied, taking advantage of the fact that the Naomi I know had never attended a wolf union ceremony before.“Oh, I didn’t know that.” she said, turning her head away from me. That was weird.
We had passed the garden and entered into the open compound of the property. The house, a three storey penthouse built in contemporary style and with a huge cantilever balcony at the final storey, housed about 10 bedrooms for the pack. It was one of those freakshow houses you could find on Zillow a million dollars more expensive than it actually was, which was what I told my accountant to be careful of when we decided to purchase it. On the left to the house, was a long mostly vacant parking lot, save for a few Cadillacs and Range Rover SUVs belonging to some of our upper council memebers.
I heard Naomi hold her breath when it came into view, and it made me smile a little. But I had to think fast as we were apparoaching the double door entrance on the side of the house. We must see each other again.“I heard...the name of your mate, back in the Limo” she started.
Oh, no.
“Vivian Bela-something” she muttered.
“Belastrude. We don’t have to talk about her” I said quickly.
“Why? I mean, this is the woman you are going to spend your life with, right?"
Now I was seriously annoyed. Yes her comment was part of it, but the other reason was the whole sham of a union. Vivian wasn’t my mate. She was as close to being my mate as one of the security personnel that just dropped off Naomi. I don’t know what father is thinking, if he is under some kind of pressure he won’t tell me, and it’s the same with mother. Ever since my sister went missing a year ago, both of them have shut up like clams. It doesn’t help that we’re the only two siblings either as I don’t have anyone else to discuss this with.
Now, the plan was I was to be married to this woman of the Belastrude family, a relatively unknown wolf family. As a moonlight, and the incoming Alpha in a couple of months, I will bear the responsibility of my pack and protect it even at the cost of my own happiness. But the problem is Charles Moonlight, my father. Is he thinking for the greater good of the pack, or something else?
“Vincent?” she asked again. My infatuation with her began to morph into resentment.“I don’t want to talk about this, and I never will. I really appreciate you for coming here like this, Naomi. I do. Please enjoy your stay here. We’ll see tomorrow” I said, already turning back and out.
“Where are you going?” she called out. But I was already out on the garden path. If I stayed any longer, I would take out my anger on her. It was best to leave.“I have preparations for tomorrow. Your dress will be delivered to you, don’t worry. Make yourself comfortable” I said without turning back.
I was out in the garden, reeling and breathing hard. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could make out somebody leaning against the wall where some honeysuckles had called home.
“Well, this isn’t a good sign” he said, inhaling and puffing out some colourful gusts of air.My face lit up a little bit. It was Arthur.“And who let this animal in here?” I chuckled as he came closer, and embraced.“All the other animals, I guess” he retorted.
Arthur Livingsworth. Till this day, I cannot believe that is a real name. But he showed me an ID, mind you. He won’t tell me if it was a birth name, or if he got drunk really one day and did something stupid.“For someone that should be getting married tomorrow, should I be concerned with..” he gestured to face.“It’s nothing.” I brushed off.
“I hope. I didn’t come all this way to be best man for nothing!” he replied.“You do know this isn’t like, a wedding, wedding, right? There’s no best man.”
“Hmm. Ringbearer? Fangbearer? I don’t know. Find something.” he begged. I laughed, but changed the topic quickly. There was something I was waiting for.“And?” I asked him coolly.He swivelled his neck, presumably to check if anyone was peeping.“This is going to blow your fangs off.” he started.