Infernal

14.

"If you want to make them, go ahead," Alaric challenged. My shoulders sank in defeat and the look on my face made him laugh.

"I really need to learn how to cook," I mumbled, as he passed me a bowl of rabbit food. "Why do you even like this?"

Alaric smirked as he poured milk into his bowl and passed the milk over to me.

"It's high in fibre, that slowly releases energy keeping you fuller for longer," he sounded as if he was promoting the damn rabbit food. But when I looked up, Alaric looked as if he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"You're joking right?" I asked. He nodded his head and smirked.

"I don't know Valerie, I'm just used to eating it," he shrugged, taking a spoonful. I decided not to pester him about the subject and thought that maybe muesli was his childhood breakfast.

I reluctantly ate the rabbit food, it didn't taste too bad after a few spoonfuls. Alaric finished his bowl in record time and then excused himself to his office. Even though he said he had a 'day off' he still had some Alpha duties to take care off.

After washing the bowls up, and making sure that the muesli was pushed to the back of the cupboard, I went back upstairs to sort my tangled hair out.

I was stood in front of the mirror of Alaric's adjoining bathroom. My bright purple eyes stared back at me. It was such a relief to not wear contact lenses anymore, but at the same time, I wasn't used to seeing my natural colour often. The purple was sometimes soft and calming but it could also be harsh and intense depending on my mood. I still didn't know the true reason why I had inherited such eyes and the rest of my family had not. Although, Artemis had told me that long ago purple eyes were a sign of being related to the Moon Goddess... but how was I related to her? I wasn't strong or brave enough to even be associated with a deity as powerful as the Mother of wolves herself.

I picked up my hairbrush, brushing through a few sections of my long raven hair. The knots pulled at my scalp slightly, and I adjusted my grip on the brush; brushing through lightly. In the reflection of the mirror, I saw Alaric enter the bathroom. The door was wide open anyway, so he took that as an invitation to enter.

I watched him, as he watched me brushing my hair.

"Can I take you somewhere?" Alaric asked. I turned around, holding the brush at my side.

"Um yeah," I said. "Where to?"

Alaric smiled softly. "You'll just have to wait and see, its hot outside so dress appropriately."

I frowned, was he taking me somewhere as a surprise?

"Okay," I nodded.

Alaric soon left the bathroom and I heard him enter his walk-in wardrobe. Turning back to the mirror, I stared at my reflection noticing that my face looked a little brighter than usual. I didn't have any dark bags and for once my cheeks had a natural rosy tint to them. It made me think about how I would always use makeup to cover away dark circles and fake a natural rose tint. I was always unhappy back at the Shields pack, it wasn't a happy place to be. I sighed heavily shrugging away my thoughts of my old pack and carried on brushing out my half tangled hair.

Once I was done, I left my hair down, flowing in dark waves down my back. I splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth again. I didn't have any makeup, so my natural face would have to do. For some reason, I found myself wanting to make an effort for not only myself but for Alaric also.

Alaric wasn't in the bedroom nor was he in the walking wardrobe when I finally left the bathroom. I hadn't heard him leave but that was probably because I was in too deep with my thoughts.