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It was early in the morning, the sun barely showing its face on the Ash Oak territory.
I glowered at the shuttle with hate, feeling my wolf snarling with malice in agreement as the cool wintry morning air whipped around us. Gray stood dutifully by my side, my father lingering behind us with my duffel bag and that godforsaken, grey dress bag that held the dress I had never hoped to wear.
My fingers, brutalized by the cold, were numbly gripping my thermos of hot coffee, my second dosage this morning. Because, good Christ, was I going to need it.
I could feel my brother's large, warm hand gripping my shoulder, squezzing me reassuringly as he whispered in my ear how he was proud and to do well, three days would be nothing. I will come back, save your goodbyes... I thought indignantly.
I could hear Alpha Daniel barking orders at the shuttle drivers, his unruly, graying hair bound in a knot on the back of his head. When his dark eyes fell upon me, a shudder went down my spine as he sent me a knowing look.
Shit, did I really want to come back to this pack though? I wondered seriously. There were times when I'd stoked the flames of Daniel's rage and I was quick enough to dodge his punishing hand...but there were other times...I tried not to think about that now.
I turned to face my small family, giving Gray my most convincing brave face.
"What are you doing with your face?"
"Brave face?" I said confused.
"Stop, you look like you have to shit," Grayson grinned, biting down a laugh as he pulled me in a for a brief hug. Dad approached us and tapped my brother offering him my bags, leaving me and my old man to ourselves.
"So," I trailed off. Dad took in a deep breath and sighed before roughly gathering me in his arms.
"...just, don't look at me, kid," His voice sounded thick and strained as if he could barely force the words out and my eyes widened when I realized he was holding back tears. "I thought if I could...If I could keep you at a...if you would just..."
If he could distance himself from me already, it wouldn't hurt when I was gone.
I wrapped my arms around his middle.
"Dad?" I said softly, hearing him sniffle into my shoulder. "You're a complete idiot without mom around."
"That's fair," He whispered a laugh into my hair as he squeezed me tighter.
"You won't have to let go for long, dad," I told him sincerely. "We'll get through this."
"I love you, Marcie," My dad pulled back finally for me to see his teary, grey eyes and I crumbled.
"I love you, Pops. Take care of Gray."
I disengaged myself from his arms and marched toward the idling white van. Just as I was approaching, Alpha Daniel was passing me and caught me by arm, pulling me close as he lowered his mouth to my ear.
"Don't forget what we talked about Marcel," He muttered lowly. "If you fuck with the reputation of this pack-,"
"The last I checked, Alpha Daniel," I snatched my arm forcefully from his hold. "I won't belong to your pack in three days. As far as I'm concerned, in three days, you can kiss my ass and I'll even hold up my dress for you!"
His eyes were aflame as I swept by him and boarded the van. What the hell was I saying?! If I did make it out of the Mating Season...this man was going to have my head on pike and dance with it. Inside the warm van, I took my seat next to Khadra who looked at me curiously.
"What was that all about?" Khadra inquired and I shook my head.
"Alpha Dickhead, being his usual dickheaded-ness."
I raised the thermos to my lips when Khadra suddenly snatched the thermos from me and I let out a cry of anguish as she tipped the cup back and took in a huge gulp before her chocolate brown eyes flew open and she grunted, thrust the thermos back at me before coughing and hissing.
"Hot! Hot!" She whimpered, nursing her aching mouth.
"What the fuck, Khadra!" I snapped, holding my thermos away from her as I glared at her with contempt. "You just committed a form of brutality, assault in the first degree, on my fucking coffee!"
"I'm a little on edge, Marcel, I thought you might have something in there that would help!" Khadra sniffed. I blanched.
"At six in the morning?! Are you crazy!?" I whisper yelled. "You've lost speaking rights until I've finished my coffee."
"Marce-," Khadra groaned but I raised my hand, lifting my thermos back to my mouth to savor my morning nectar. "Who even drinks it that sweet...psycho..."
"If you can't taste the diabetes, you aren't doing it right, now hush," I told her, closing my eyes as I felt the van jerk forward, commencing our journey to the neutral territory.
It was late when we finally hit the neutral territories and stopped for the evening in Illinois. According to the shuttle drivers, we were on a tight schedule and had made great timing, arriving at just past 11 pm in Chicago, making for over a 16-hour drive from Rhode Island. We had made very few, brief pit stops for refueling and were required to go to the bathroom.
We had reservations at a nice hotel in a big city (that wasn't Chicago.) Big cities gave me anxiety, and I was worried if all went wrong I would be mated off to somebody from Crimson Timber and possibly live in a big and busy state like California...however, I was curious to know what the West Coast looked like.
Being able to stretch my legs after the ridiculously long drive felt like heaven on my muscles as I exited the van and reached my hands toward the sky with a satisfying squeal. I felt Khadra groan behind me as she clambered out of the van to stand by me and withdrew her phone, the white light casting a glow over her face.
"I imagine when we hit Central Point we'll fall back an hour," Khadra mumbled, flicking through her social media quickly before locking her phone and facing me. "Let's get checked in. I'm sure you're going to want to talk to your dad and brother and let them know we stopped."
"Yeah," I sighed, watching as she slung her overnight back across her shoulder and breezed into the hotel.
It was almost hard to believe that the same girl that foamed at the mouth at the mere mention of the Mating Season was now...accepting defeat. It sickened me what this did to strong-willed women.
The checking in process was quick, the other girls were given their keys and room assignments, of course, their roommates as well. We were informed that our shuttle drivers also dual as the chaperones and enforcers and would make sure we were in our rooms before they retired for the evening.
Khadra was in the well-furnished hotel room laying on one of the queen-sized beds on the phone with her parents and younger sister, smiling as she babbled brightly about how she was fine and looking forward to everything. But I could see the pain in her eyes as she lied, the tightness of her lips as she forces the lies out of her mouth.
I swallowed nervously as I watched her and I pulled out my phone, looking at my lock screen to see the picture of Gray and me.
We were at the harbor after a run before the exam season started.
That day, my brother, Khadra, and a couple of Gray's friends had come on the run when we stopped at the harbor, shifting back to enjoy the sunset together. Khadra realized she left her phone at my house and asked if she could use mine to call her family to let them know we were heading back.
I had just handed her my phone when my brother hopped on my back and shouted that I was to carry him back to the house and called me noble steed. Khadra, between her laughter, managed to take a picture of the moment.
I sent my brother a quick message, worried that if I heard his voice or my dad's that I would break down into tears.
Stopped for the night at a hotel in IL.
Love you dumb ass. Tell dad I love him.
My phone dinged with a response.
Gray: Love u too child.
Gray: I'll be there tomorrow. Don't die loser.
I smiled fondly, taking some solace in knowing that my brother would be at the Mating Season this year before I locked my phone and set it down on the bed and unzipped my bag. I quickly changed into a pair of old, snug athletic shorts that were good for nothing else but sleeping in and a comfy thin t-shirt.
"Keep your bra on," Khadra reminded me just as I'd unhooked it. "The mother hens have to cluck over us before we go to bed."
My face soured.
"Ugh, right."
We stood outside of our room for a good five minutes, and I took this time to catch Khadra up on my meme collection as we waited. Nearby, the other girls were waiting, quietly conversing or texting on their phones before the hens, as Khadra so tactfully put it, finally made their appearance.
I wasn't able to tell what these guys looked like in the van, but the shuttle drivers, pardon me, the enforcers, were massive. Thing One had cropped auburn hair and thick arm muscles as big around as my head and pecks as big as my...well...head...Thing Two had short, curly brown hair and reminded me of the tv character Johnny Bravo.
"Ladies," Thing Two said. "Tomorrow is going to be busy. As soon as we hit Central Territory the first act will start. As you are all aware, that entails-,"
"Are we alone on this floor?" I pointedly asked, staring at the few doors that did not have girls stationed in front of them. Thing One glanced down at his clipboard for a moment before his eyes darted to my room number.
"Conway, Marcel?"
"In the flesh."
"This floor has been reserved for the females of Ash Oak only."
I heard Khadra's teeth snap at the word female.
"As I was saying," Johnny Bravo continued. "This entails the traditional parade. All tributes from each pack are required to participate in this parade. There will be media coverage for your families back home to see so please, do not make a mockery of yourselves. Sister Edith would like me to remind you to present yourself with honor, dignity, and respect.
"The Elder Council will be in attendance, please remember your customs and courtesies when speaking to any of the Elders. There will be no addressing the males tomorrow, should any of them approach you, which they shouldn't, alert the nearest enforcers."
"And how do we do that?" I heard Irma ask inquisitively.
"I hear the best way to get anyone's attention is to scream," Thing One stated sarcastically. "There are always enforcers around. If a male is forcing himself on you, one shout and an enforcer will be there."
"This is sick," I grumbled.
"How does the parade work?" A nearby female I barely recognized asked. "I barely grasped the concept through the flood of seminars we've been put through."
"It's a circuit," Thing One explained as he breezed by checking us off from our rooms. "After the first round in your human form, you will shift and navigate the parade once more. Only the route will open once more before you reach the end."
"Where does it lead?" She asked and he sighed as he stopped in front of her.
"You really didn't pay attention at the meeting did you?" She blushed. "The route is to the dormitories, nice place, considering they are only used once a year for a few days."
I felt myself boil with rage at the comment. Only a few days...
"That is where the shuttles are waiting with your belongings and you will check-in. That is usually where there is the most chaos. The ones who get done the quickest usually don't have to get stuck in all of the turmoil."
I perked at the comment. Those who get done the quickest...?
"How bad does it get?"
"It gets bad. Every year there's always somebody who screws up the counts. Think of it like first come first serve. The first person to arrive at the dorms gets the first pick of the rooms and the security they don't have to walk around naked looking for their bags in random vans,
Thing One checked off the last girl and nodded and heard Khadra huff.
"With all the new articles and amendments, they keep adding you'd think they'd do something to avoid that happening every year," Khadra muttered darkly.
"With that being said, once we arrive in Center Point Neutral Territory, you will need to already be presentable for the parade. The parade begins at high noon tomorrow, since we will hit a time zone we will gain an hour. But we will need to leave here by no later than 06:15 am. Do not make me come drag you out of your room, ladies," Thing Two threatened as his partner rejoined him.
With those final words they left, the girls retreating into their rooms for the evening, and I groaned looking at Khadra pathetically.
"What's the point of even going to sleep tonight? Where the hell is Center Point Neutral Territory?" I asked her as she held the door open. The second the door closed I unclasped my bra and slingshot it across the room.
"If my knowledge serves me corrects? Somewhere near the realm of Kansas City?" Khadra stated as she flopped onto her bed and I launched myself onto the cushiony relief of my own.
"Bum fuck..." I grumbled. "Khadra, I don't think we're going to be in Kansas anymore after this-,"
"Kansas City is in Missouri you troglodyte," She groaned, clearly trying to fight back a smile as turned off the bedside lamp. "Go to sleep, idiot."
Beaming, I obliged and hit my lamp's switch. But just before I felt victims to sleep's cruel clutches, Khadra said something that made my heartache and my eyes flew open. Because everything that Sister Edith said at the bonfire made sense all in that one breath...
"Marcel...I hope whatever pack I get put in, it's the same one as you."
(A/N) Enjoy~
***What do you think of Khadra? How do you feel about the Conway Family separating?
What do you think the Mating Season is going to be like?***
Drop your thoughts!
Until next time, marvel at this picture of Yato from Noragami being my absolute spirit animal.