Chapter Eight
"Would you please stop fixing your hair?"
"Perfection takes time, dear Luke. I must make sure my hair is properly swooped and styled to stun these puny non-creatives. Like an English male model."
"Or Medusa." Jasper glares.
He and Luke are making their way down the corridor of the West Wing, passing ancient oil paintings and gilded mirrors hanging upon the walls, all of which Jasper keeps checking his reflection in as they move, constantly moving one lock of hair this way or that. As always, he is dressed impeccably, as if he is to be having dinner with New York's most famous and powerful, instead of going to a stuffy parlor to drink brandy, smoke cigars and play cards with the other male pack members.
Though they are not allowed to wander the manor or go anywhere near the East Wing, Mr. Bridgeton had specified that each of them has been invited to participate in several casual events to meet the other males and begin the process of forming alliances, building familiarity, and (though it is not said out loud) establishing who is the Alpha among Omegas in terms of future power and respect.
This is the first of events in which Lucas will have to suffer through, both because he hasn't drunk ever since that wild night with Jasper, knows better than to ever bet against him in cards, and because it will be nothing but thick phony smiles and bragging as each male tries to prove they are the strongest, the most powerful, and most deserving of their pick of corresponding allies. He knows as soon as he enters, everyone will be staring and nipping at his heels, trying to win his friendship and impress him enough that he may consider them an ally in the future, making it so they can not only return home with a mate but with an accomplishment their parents will find worthwhile.
Jasper, of course, is not phased. He has held firm in his decision (which he often acts as if his decisions are law) that the whole event is ridiculous, as all packs are meant to be allies, as they are all children of the Moon Goddesses, and it will only create more conflict and agitation (especially for the males) to try and compete for attention. Lucas hopes he will not drink too much; Jasper has been known to start both torrid love affairs and intense fights after a few.
Lucas tries to ignore the worry and spouted the usual rhetoric: that this is not a competition but a chance for the next generation of Alphas, Lunas, and Betas to meet and become friendly, so that if they ever face difficulties, they can all upon each other for assistance. Though secretly as he and Jasper make their way, he can't help but feel Jasper may be right.
The parlor is, like the rest of the manor, clearly very old and decorated in the same Victorian décor as the rest of the West Wing. Polished red wood oak floors stretched out beneath antique pale threaded rugs, chaise red velvet lounges, and oiled round coffee tables, a black brick fire place built into the wall and already stocked with a roaring fire that, infused with the thick cigar smoke, makes the room feel almost sweltering. Several boys have already discarded their dress jackets over the backs of chairs and couches, engaged in already intense poker games, the chips and the bets rising higher and higher with each male's pride on the line. There is a loud buzz of conversation, mostly boasting and loud laughter amplified by the dark liquid most held in crystal glasses.
Lucas immediately feels himself straighten his spine, sizing up the room. Out of the forty-something present males, only about six or seven come from families and packs as impressive and prestigious as his, including Walter Huntley, a nineteen year old son of the Alpha of the Kent pack. Lucas does not know him well but they had met almost four years ago, when their fathers had met in regards to a rogue incident. Lucas briefly debates on going over and reintroducing himself, but as far as he remembers, Walter had been stoic and soft-spoken during their last encounter, not much interested in conversation.
Lucas watches now as another boy comes over to the brooding, dark-haired Walter, eagerly reaching out for a handshake and saying something with a laugh, but Walter just brushes him off, downing the rest of his drink and strolling from the room. It is an approach Lucas himself had once considered to gain respect and admiration: act above everything, never acting truly interested in anyone so that they wanted something they could not have: his friendship. But while the tactic seems to work for Walter, who has four boys follow him from the room, Lucas has found his charm lies in a much more direct approach.
Pulling on a charming and somewhat self-deprivating grin (as if he couldn't believe he found himself in such a situation but was going to make the most of it) he and Jasper begin weaving their way through the room. "Ugh atrocious," Jasper comments as they make their way to the bar, Jasper pouring most of a dark bottle into his glass, along with whatever is left in his pocket flask. He takes a deep drink before gesturing around the room. "I don't know who dressed these lads but they are hopelessly behind in the fashion department. I hope their mates can curb that quickly enough."
Lucas rolls his eyes. "I highly doubt their focused on their attire, Jas."
"And that is why they've gone this far without finding their mate. Maybe their mates are hiding in fear of those ten dollar J.C Penny khakis." Lucas scoffs, trying to block out Jasper's nonsense as he scans the room. Normally, he would embrace his best friend's inane chatter to distract himself but tonight is important for both his pack and his father and Lucas has never once allowed Jasper to distract him during functions important to his future leadership. Already several eyes have landed on him and a few males have begun whispering to each other. He can see the change in their expressions, the straightening of their spines as they adjust their jackets. The son of the Ileana pack Alpha, the strongest pack in the country, has arrived and they want introductions.
But instead, he ignores them and takes a sip from his glass, waiting. Let them come to him. Let them think he does not need them. Let them think they only need him and he can not be bothered to go out of his way to make friendships. He is a Knight, son of Johnathan Knight, and he must keep that image in mind. This is a game Lucas long ago learned to play well and he knows every move he must make.
Within moments, the bravest- or drunkest- of the litter strolls over. "Lucas Knight!" The boy calls cheerfully, cheeks already blushed with alcohol. He is around his and Jasper's age, tall with wavy orange locks and freckles everywhere from the top of his forehead all the way down to his fingertips, dressed in an ill-fitting dove grey suit. "Warren Smith, future Beta to the Sarey Pack, pleasure to meet you."
They shake hands while Jasper casts an unimpressed look at the boy's suit.
Don't you dare, Lucas warns him silently.
Oh come on, the poor boy looks like a fuzzy orange wrapped in aluminum. Like an overexcited hamster.
Not a word, Jas. Out loud, Lucas smiles indulgently. "A pleasure."
"Quite a shindig, isn't it?" Warren gestures around the room with his glass excitedly. "Never thought we'd be here huh?" Lucas schools his expression into neutrality, casting his eyes about the room as if he were starting to get bored. "No, I knew I would."
He sees Warren tense at the lull in the conversation, clearly desperate to keep it going and make a good impression, before Lucas continues, letting the tension fade with a chuckle. "But only because no girl would have me any other way." Let Warren think he is kind and entertained. So long as Warren remembers Lucas controls the duration and importance of the conversation.
Warren visibly relaxes and laughs at the joke a moment too late, relief obvious in his expression. "I know what you mean! My father makes jokes similarly all the time. I think he's secretly been worried I would never wind up with a mate and then where would our family be? Left with a Single for a son and no heirs!"
Warren laughs loudly at his own joke, seemingly unaware of Jasper tensing at Lucas's side.
Uh oh. Lucas knows what is coming and his eyes dart to Jasper, who's eyes have narrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down. "Yes, where would your family be, dear Warren?" He asks icily. He takes a step forward, fingers tight around his glass. Lucas can hear the growl in his voice. "You know, I recently heard that your father's position as Beta is actually in question, that your pack's Alpha has been less than pleased with your father's lack of responsibility. That your father may actually be challenged for the title, dropping you and your family down in the lower ranks of the pack. I think it much more prudent to focus on the threat of you and your family loosing that title- and Lucas's interest- than the topic of a mate who will no doubt be discouraged when she learns of your threatened prospects."
He casts Lucas an innocent look. "Don't you agree, Luke?" Warren immediately flushes pink, looking like a young girl's baby blanket speckled with red polka dots. He opens his mouth once, closes it, opens it a second time while Jasper watches him, then snaps his jaw shut and spins around on his heel, fleeing like a kicked dog.
Lucas casts Jasper a look. "Was that really necessary?"
"Completely" He replies defiantly. "We can be polite enough to endure someone wasting your time but not when it comes to insults. You forget I am to be your Beta and it will be my job to look out for you. I think helping you avoid making connections with people that are soon to be nothing more than an after thought falls beneath that category. You are a Knight- the bravest and most powerful of the lot. Everyone must be reminded of the consequences that come with forgetting it. Now-" He refills his empty glass and takes Lucas by the arm, steering him toward the poker tables. "Let us go make friends." ~*~*
The garden party is held far out in the gardens of the manor estate. A good distance from the manor itself and partially obscured by the towering hedges of the hedge maze, it is far away enough that any males passing by the windows on the upper floors will not see the event or any of the attending females, who will soon be their mates.
It is an elegant affair, like something one might find in the parks of London in the early 1800 or 1900s. Girls in exquisite dresses of pastel colors sit at crystal tables beneath white tents eating small cakes and drinking tea from beautiful china teacups, some strolling about arm in arm with each other admiring the flowers and cherry blossom trees, some even playing croque with colorful balls zigzagging through delicate bushes and cobblestone. Beneath the noise of delicate laughter and excited chatter, there is the music of violins, which are being played by a group of servants in white on a small stage in the center of all the activity.
Carter watches all of this in nervous apprehension, standing just off to the side. She would have been uncomfortable at any event like this under normal circumstances (not that she would have been invited) but to make matters worse, she has also had to endure it in an ill-fitting dress of bright yellow that the maid had found for her to wear. The color is atrocious, far too bright for her pale pallor, making her appear sickly, the dress falling awkwardly straight down her thin body like that of a box, though she isn't sure having a beautiful dress would have helped; Carter has not worn a dress since she was four years old and she knows anyone looking at her now would be able to tell she is far more comfortable in jeans and a large sweatshirt.
The maid had done an excellent job pulling her long dark hair up into a chignon bun, placed just so that delicate little curls fall down by her cheeks, but it is already falling into disarray as Carter has been nervously and irritably picking at it since she left her room.
Based on the austere and graceful appearance of the other girls, she is sure she appears frumpy and awkward, definitely out of place. Careful to remain unnoticeable, she stands toward the back of the whole event, closer to the tall bushes and hedges so she will not be easily seen, and watches all that is going on around her. She has never cared for the company of crowds (or the company of anyone aside from Joey for that matter) but she has always enjoyed people watching.
Some of her own packmates are here besides Joey. Jessica Ryner, the girl who has caused such a scandal with Ryan Hamilton by declaring their relationship openly, sits alone at a table picking at a piece of cake, looking down-right as miserable as Carter feels. Carter wonders if she and Ryan are still clinging to their taboo relationship despite where they both are or if Ryan has cast her aside so that his new mate will not be angry.
Gazing at Jessica's mournful expression, looking on the verge of tears, Carter feels a pang of empathy rush through her. Though Jessica has never befriended her or been extremely friendly, she has also never made fun of Carter for her disability, one of the few who simply ignored the drama of it. And while Carter will be rejected for something seen as a major disrespect to her pack, Jessica has only been following her heart, too in love and too happy with someone, and she may be rejected by her mate because of it.
Carter thinks back to Joey's words the day that they had seen her and Ryan together, so involved with each other it was like they were the only two people who existed. "It's a shame that the rules have to be different for us." Yes, it certainly is a shame. Mate or not, it had been obvious Jessica and Ryan loved each other and because of that, if they have different mates, they will likely suffer from that love for the rest of their lives.
Carter is so hurt by the thought, her own heart overwhelmed by such a sharp sting, her feet begin to move on their own accord. Carter does it realize she is moving until it is too late and suddenly she finds herself at Jessica's side.
She stands in silence for a moment, waiting for Jessica to look up from her tea, which she has refilled with several tiny tears. When the girl's eyes finally move up from her table and find Carter, she starts in surprise and gasps, her hand flying to her heart. "Oh! I'm sorry; you startled me!"
She attempts a smile small before her eyes take in Carter before her. Her expression visibly tenses, both surprised and nervous. "Cord-Carter" Jessica stammers in surprise. She does not sound anger or disgusted. Merely shocked at such an unexpected guest. Though not unpleasantly.
A awkward moment passes before Jessica waves a slightly shaky hand toward the seat in front of her. "Please- won't you join me?"
Though her surprise is clear, her tone is also unmistakably warm and her adorable features melt into a timid smile, though she is also evidently nervous. She does not wear a mean leer like that of Haley Whitmore or Garret or her gestures seem genuine, if a little unsure.
It occurs to Carter that maybe it is not that Jessica has stayed away from the drama, thus staying away from Carter, but maybe Jessica has simply stayed away from EVERYONE, save Ryan, who she had fallen in love with. Maybe Jessica has simply never known, much like Carter, how to interact well with others.
The thought unexpectedly warms Carter's chest and she shakes her head, though she allows the corners of her mouth to turn up in a small smile. Jessica immediately returns the gesture and watches curiously as Carter instead traced a line down her cheek and touches her heart, pointing at Jessica.
Jessica's timid smile immediately faded and she lowers her head. Carter can see her lower lip trembling.
Reaching out a hand, she touches Jessica on the shoulder. She does not seem disgusted by Carter's touch and instead raises her eyes, the size of dinner plates, which hang on Carter in a sort of tired desperation, the exhaustion from a broken heart. They widen in surprise when Carter opens her mouth, very clearly mouthing her thoughts:
It will be okay.
She does not wait to see Jessica's reaction. Instead she turns and swiftly walks away, refusing to look back as she moves. She is unsure what had come over her. Carter has never been the sentimental and comforting type. She and Jessica shares no special connection. Still, Carter feels as if she can relate to Jessica's plight, only she has been spared the sweet torture of falling in love and then being deprived of it. She is simply just meant to be alone forever. There will be no temptation for her.
Carter is so absorbed in watching scrambling away from Jessica, she almost doesn't see Haley Whitmore pass by, a gaggle of girls already surrounding her, hanging on her every word like the pack of pathetic popularity-chasers back home. She is dressed in another expensive pastel dress, her thin brown curls pulled up into a fancy braid, her face painted in elegant makeup, though the many layers of it can not quite hide the sharp point of her nose or lack of roundness in her cheeks. Carter isn't sure how she has gotten so many people to adore her (especially with her lack of beauty queen looks she pretends to have and her nauseating whiny attitude) but is sure it has something to do with her family's high ranking and all the money her father holds.
"Like I would ever be caught dead in tulle," She is saying loudly. "No, no, my dress is made of French lace and chiffon. Totally glamourous and sexy. Daddy had it custom made so I would look my best the night of the ball. He just knows my mate will be a future Alpha and that I'll become a Luna one day and I know he's right. I can't wait to get to my new pack and start running the show. They will be so lucky to have me." The girls surrounding her titter in agreement. It seems they had all sought out the most obnoxious and powerful-looking girl at the garden party, found Haley and swarmed her, eager to get in good with the "future Whitmore Luna." Carter rolls her eyes and prayed that Haley ends up with an asshole just as obnoxious as she is, lower than a rogue. Let her see how proud her father is of her then.
"No, guys, the shoes are Jimmy Choo" Haley is suddenly much closer now, strolling right towards where Carter is trying to stay out of notice.
Not wanting to be seen and face humiliation (or getting kicked out for knocking Haley's teeth out) Carter quickly ducks into the hedge maze, hiding behind a tall blooming hedge. She hears Haley's high heels click pass and then fade away into the chatter and music.
Carter allows herself a sigh and leans back into the bush, closing her eyes. She can not wait until this torture is over. Granted every day that passes brings her closer and closer to the ball where she will be rejected and humiliated, and she will have to go home and deal with her family's crumpling hold of power over their pack, but that is all something she will just have to deal with. Maybe once all of this ball nonsense is over, she will go home and come up with a plan of some sort to fix all of it.
Taking a deep breath, she opens her eyes and finally lets her body relax for a moment. Her eyes drink in the rich greens of the hedges and grass, the bursting pink blossoms that bloom in random patterns throughout the greenery. She breathes in the intoxicating scents and allows herself to be pulled away from the garden party, letting it all fade away as she slips off the small flats the maid had put her in, tossing them aside as she walks barefoot through the maze. She has no idea which way she is going and sure she is going to end up lost but the further she moves, the more the party fades, the music and the chatter eventually resolved to nothing at all after a few minutes.
Relaxing for what feels like the first time in years, she settles down into a random corridor of the maze, laying upon the grass and closing her eyes. Though the stories are faint, she can still remember her mother telling her of one of her ancestors, of Aurora the Moon Child and how she had been so devoted to the Goddess her hair had turned white. Despite losing her mother and all the hatred and hardship she has faced, Carter can understand that love and devotion to the Goddess. She is the one who looks after all of them, ensuring they will be safe, connecting to them in a way humans will never be able to feel, gifting them with the ability to shift and a soul mate.
More than anyone Carter should resent the Goddess, for her shame, her disability, her mother dying and leaving her with an abandoning father. But it is nicer instead, to imagine that there is someone up there watching over her, making sure that, in the end, she will be happy and things would be well. It is one of the few hopes Carter has allowed herself to ever have.
Sometimes, when things are truly bad, she goes outside and breathes in the scents of nature and the world around her, feeling as if the Goddess is embracing her, wrapping her in a warm embrace to shield her from the world.
The sound of rushed footsteps breaks Carter from her revere and she sits up just in time to see a girl dart around the corner of the nearest hedge, stopping in surprise when she spots Carter.
"Oh, hello there" She says, as if it is perfectly normal to find a girl with no shoes and a grass-stained dress lying in the middle of a hedge maze. She looks around. "Is this maze taken?"
"Thalia!" A furious, tearful voice suddenly explodes with such a venom Carter jumps.
"Never mind, this will do quite nicely" The girl says, not phased in the least, and ducks behind another wall of the maze, just as a girl runs furiously around the same corner the first girl had come in from, her face stained red with tears. She is clearly a guest of the garden party, dressed in a beautiful satin green gown, her blonde hair pulled up into intricate curls, studded with pearls. Carter is sure she would have been beautiful under normal circumstances but at the present moment, her eyes and nose are swollen red and her hair is slightly frizzy from running.
Her gaze falls on Carter, surprised for only a moment before her expression turns furious once more and she storms closer, as if she has prepared for a war. "Where is she!" The girl yells angrily at Carter.
Carter stares. She has wanted to avoid everyone and all of their drama but apparently it has found her.
The tearful girl gives her a scathing look, eying Carter's grass-stained dress and bare feet. "Are you another one, then? Another girl she's gone and fooled around with just to toss aside?" She shakes her head, new tears flowing down her cheeks. Her body is trembling as if she is prepared to shift at any moment and Carter is uncertain if she should try to escape. If this girl shifts and tries to attack, Carter will be left defenseless. Instead, however, the girl's face suddenly crumples and she lets out a hoarse sob. "I thought-" Her voice breaks. "I thought I was the one! I thought we were going to reject our mates for each other and marry! I thought I could change her!" Wishing she could be anywhere other than where she is, Carter shrinks into the bush she is leaning against. A furious werewolf bent on destruction? That she could handle. A heartbroken teenage girl in the throngs of love? Carter would rather jump into shark infested waters.
She looks around for an escape. She has absolutely no idea what is happening or how to make it stop. She has never been one for comforting others, mainly because no one had ever let her. Joey is always the kind one, the one who people come to with their problems and he can solve it just as quickly with a smile or silly joke. Joey is smiles and laughter; Carter is scowls and silence. Should she pat the girl's shoulder? Help her hunt down the girl who apparently broke her heart?
But before Carter can decide what to do, maybe try to pat the girl's shoulder in a comforting manner or run (she is heavily leaning towards running), the girl throws up her hands. "It doesn't matter! I'll be lucky if anyone will have me now after all I've given up for her!" Then spins on her heel and storms away, crying and muttering to herself furiously. Carter is left sitting in the grass staring after her, dumbfounded and relieved the girl hasn't taken her frustrations out on her.
"Is she gone?"
Carter turns to see the first girl peeking from around the hedge. Seeing Carter nod, she sighs in relief dramatically and sashays from around the corner, shaking her head. "I thought for sure she was going to murder me. I tried delicately to break it off but apparently Arabella doesn't take no for an answer. That an Alpha's daughter for you. Though that is a little hypocritical for me to say, as I am one. "
Carter only stares.
The girl cocks her head to the side, waiting for her to respond. When Carter doesn't, she gives her something akin to a grin, though there is a startlingly knowing look in her chocolate-brown eyes that resembles amusement. She crosses her arms over her fitted men's grey button down, which sets off the ink-black color of her short hair quite nicely. "Bad day?" Carter rolls her eyes, suddenly very annoyed at all of the noise and drama. She glares off down one of the hedge paths. You have no idea. The girl dances a few steps closer, angling her head to better study Carter. Her movements are lithe and fluid, both feminine and firmly confident- someone who is beautiful and they know it. She seems to examine Carter's face very closely for a moment, her piercing eyes studying the tiny details of Carter's features. "You're Carter Dawson, aren't you?"
Carter's head jerks up in surprise. Has her shameful reputation spread? Had Haley Whitmore seen her and gone out of her way to inform everyone of just who exactly Carter is?
The girl nods to herself, seeming oblivious to Carter's horror, cocking her hip to one side in a confident manner. "I knew your father briefly. My father is a Alpha of the Whisperwood pack." Something, a forgotten memory perhaps, clicks in the back of Carter's mind. In all of the years she has been shamed and avoided for her past, there has only ever been one rumor that somewhat distracted others from her. A rumor about the daughter of a well-respected Alpha along the East coast, known for rebellion and confidence in her decisions that often fly in the face of her own pack. Thalia, she is called.
Looking closer, Carter realized this girl before her must be the famous Thalia, known for doing what she wants when she wants. Stories of her romancing women both young and old before they begin yelling under her bedroom window for marriage or unfaithfulness are of legend. Carter has heard of her for years but never expected this.
She reminds Carter of a sort of gothic-manic pixie, blessed with devastatingly beautiful angular features including full pink lips, high cheek bones and almond-shaped eyes protected by full black lashes. Her onyx-colored, slicked back hair is cut extremely short in a pixie cut to better highlight her face, which she holds up to the light in a defiant, confident manner as if nothing in the world could ever defy her.
She is dressed in men's clothing, a grey button down and black slacks, but Carter can tell they are made of expensive material- cashmere or satin perhaps- and more than likely costs more than everything in Carter's closet. At her feet are tall knee-high boots made of black leather and braided laces. An unit cigar rests lazily between her fingers.
Carter waits for Thalia to belittle her, to smirk and ask her to speak or shift, or maybe even go as far as pouncing on her. It is obvious the girls here are vicious, determined to make powerful connections and step on those who couldn't or wouldn't. Thalia certainly be popular, as famous as she is among packs. She certainly won't want the company of a mute, scarred outcast who spread social suicide wherever she goes. Instead, to her surprise, Thalia plops down gracefully right next to her and lights her cigar, taking a long, relaxed puff. She smells of intoxicating men's expensive cologne and rich cigar smoke. "I always thought it was ridiculous, the way people have treated you. You were only a toddler when your mother died. Did they expect you to fight off all of the rogues to save a grown Luna? Or to just die? Would that have been better to them? And your disability-" She scoffs, looking off into the hedges as if she is talking to herself. "As if any of that is your fault."
She glances over to see Carter staring. She smiles a gentle smile and the effect is so beautiful Carter suddenly has no doubt the story of Thalia wooing a royal duchess and then escaping out a bedroom window when the angry duke came home early is true. She could steal anyone's heart, had she had the mind. "I saw you comfort her. That Reyner girl. It was a great kindness; that girl has done nothing by cry since she arrived" She gives a half-hearted shrug. "Rumors can be quiet loud if one gives them the power. However, I find actions far more telling. And I do not think you are as terrible as they say, Carter Dawson."
Her smile became a grin at Carter's scowl. "If you haven't noticed, I am not exactly traditional" She chuckles. Turning, she sticks out her hand and grins. "Thalia Rose. Pleasure to meet you, Carter Dawson. A fellow rebel."
There is no mistaking the pride in her tone.
Carter is absolutely perplexed. In five minutes, this girl had hidden behind a bush while Carter fended off an angry female suitor, plopped down beside her, admitted to spying on her, philosophized Carter's entire cruddy life, then offered her a handshake. Carter briefly wonders if this girl is deranged and determined to steal her skin or lock her in a hole. Thalia only waits patiently until Carter finally reaches out and shakes her hand. Thalia's grin widens and she nods. "Okay, now that that is settled: we are best friends. So, Carter Dawson-" She leans forward, almost nose to nose with Carter, making her want to shrink back- "Why are you here?"
There is no judgment or rudeness in her voice, only genuine curiosity. She doesn't seem to be implying that there is no one waiting for Carter or that she will be rejected. Carter debates on the truth or maybe just shaking her head no, that she does not want to talk, but it has been so long since someone other than Joey has been kind to her. She wrestles with herself back and forth, weighing between weakness or hopefulness (which often only results in more disappointment) before finally reaching out and touching Thalia gently on the arm, tracing letters there as she has with Joey:
F-A-T-H-E-R
Thalia takes a few moments longer than Joey usually does to understand the letters and piece them together but she doesn't shy away from Carter's touch as if she is something dangerous or sickly. Instead, she only looks curiously delighted as she pieces it together, then looks up. "Your father asked you to come?" She smirks. The gesture is both undoubtedly amused but also self-deprecating, as if she, too, can understand the wishes of a commanding parent. It is a contagious expression, similar to that of a secret shared between friends.
"Or maybe made you is more accurate?" She rolls her eyes. The gesture is surprisingly graceful and even Carter can not help but notice the startlingly beautiful way the girl looks through her lashes. "My father forced me to come. Perhaps hoping it would reign me in to find a mate, though I know there isn't anyone here waiting for me."
Carter glances at her curiously. Is Thalia saying she is meant to be a Single? She has heard of it happening before, pack members who know from an early age they have no one waiting for them, that they are meant to be happier and better off alone. Those rare and few who are are still respected pack members but in Carter's entire life, she has never met one. But before she can try to ask, Thalia continues. "The best I can do is woo a few beautiful young ladies before they find some slobbering oaf to marry and drink all the liquor in the hotel while I do." She winks and before she can help it, Carter finds herself smiling, then frowns, shocked by herself. She has never cared for strangers and has always preferred her own company, if sometimes Joey's. Still, she has met so few kind people in her lifetime, especially people that are kind to her purposely. Somehow, Thalia reminds her of Joey, of an easy friendship formed in a monumentally key moment of her life. She doesn't act as if Carter is a nasty piece of gossip- she acts as if Carter is another nasty piece of gossip joining a club for other nasty pieces of gossip: completely understood and welcomed with open arms. Thalia herself has no doubt probably been the founder as she has been starting trouble ever since her toddler years, if rumors are to be believed.
"So," Thalia leans back on her elbows and angles her face up to the sun. "Will you be attending tomorrow night's ball?"
Carter's frown turns into a down right scowl, though her heart feels as if it's falling into her feet. Tomorrow? Mrs. Fuller had not been very specific in when the ball would be, though she had probably just assumed all the girls would already know and be excitedly preparing.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow night everything would be different. Tomorrow night she would face her rejection. Tomorrow night she would meet the man who will not want her. Though she has been desperate for this whole ridiculous affair to be over with, the fact that it has finally arrived, so final and permanent, that it leaves Carter feeling brittle and tiny, easy to break. Maybe she does not have the courage to face this as she had hoped.
She tries to keep her face neutral, unbothered, but Thalia seems skilled in the art of pulling the motions from another person to the surface. She studies Carter for only a moment for turning her head away casually, glancing up at the fluffy clouds above. "I do not blame you for your hesitation. The entire idea of mates has never been very appealing to me either."
She rolls her head to the side and gives Carter a dramatic wink. "We could always skip it and run from more angry scorned women. I'm sure there is at least another dozen or so after my head."
Carter gives an unamused snort, though she can not but secretly think that might be a more pleasant option for an evening activity.
"Or," Thalia adds lazily. "I could assist you in getting ready. I have not have such an interesting lump of clay before to mold in my image. I would love to piss off afee choice members here who have anything to say against you."
She laughs at Carter's shocked expression. "I know, I know. Though I may not look it, I have great experience in making beautiful women feel stunning. Let us just hope you don't become one of the ones that chases me through a hedge maze."