CHAPTER SIX

Distant voices floated into my ears in my semi-unconscious state of sleep, I could hear the little attempts of whispers.

"Should we wake her up? She has been asleep for so long" A meek and feminine voice came.

"No, do not wake her up, she seems tired " A more mature voice came from the same direction.

This confused me even more as I struggled to drag myself out of my sleep. Was it all a dream? I am still in Arizona? I wasn't married off? Relief had automatically swept into the pores of her being.

It was only just another nightmare! Right?

"Humans are really a burden like mother said! We have been standing here for two hours and counting! Too weak, if it were a Luna of our blood and kind then she wouldn't be sleeping at such an odd hour,hmph!" The meek voice snorted, I dared to imagine the owner of the voice had jabbed her hand on her waist in an angry pose.

I really wanted to let her know that I didn't want to be there either, who wants to stay in your godforsaken pack? The girl had referred to me as a human which wasn't supposed to be so if I was still in Arazona, plus why did it feel like I couldn't breath?

I wanted to tell the girl in my dream off, although those voices seemed too real to be a dream. I tried to wake up, I could feel my consciousness at the tip of my fingers, it was just a bit hard to grasp.

Let's wake up, shall we?

"Hush Pup!"The Older voice attempted a whisper which had failed because I could hear her clearly. I was well aware at this point that it wasn't a dream. These people were real, I was married to a Werewolf.

"What!" The meek voice snorted, dragging my attention back to her. My ears strained to hear what they said as I slipped fully into consciousness.

"Do not speak so disrespectful about the Luna, she was chosen by the moon goddess!" The older voice chided.

Moon goddess my foot! I really want to meet this moon goddess and settle scores with her!

As much as I didn't want to disrupt their discussion, I could die if I spent another nanosecond in the godforsaken dress I had on, the curse of a wedding gown and the heavy jewelries that lay on my neck and wrists. I slowly and steadily flipped my eyes open.

How did I enter into such an awkward situation? I tried to recall. The events came rushing in with vivid accuracy. Blake said my help would arrive soon and I had slept off waiting for them— Sincerely speaking, I slept off immediately my back hit the bed. I was so tired and the bed was so comfortable, even better than back home.

I did not know whether to inform the women that I was wide awake already, they could quit debating about me. Words formed in my throat as I opened my mouth to make my presence known, but someone else beat me to it.

"Shhhh!" A new voice hushed. I heard shuffling of feet, like they drew their steps back away from the bed on which I lay. "She is awake!

I stilled and blinked my eyes, for a m

oment, I wanted to be lost in the ceilings of the room, count the light bulbs, wow! I didn't even realize the werewolves used electricity too! So much alike. The room was plunged into an uncomfortable and stifling silence.

Okay! Time to be useful.

I sat up ever so slowly and uncomfortably, shifting me gaze in the direction which I heard their voices come from.

I beheld three women—girls? No! Young ladies. They stood tall in their glory, oh well; I'm not sure about the glory part but they stood before me, red in embarrassment and awkwardness.

The oldest looking lady among them whom I recklessly presumed that she was in her mid thirties coughed in an embarrassed manner, I knew she was about to salvage the situation as she subtly covered the younger lady whom I presumed too was my age if not slightly older, and the other lady who stood a little farther from the duo. She looked the youngest. She looked 15, by the human age range.

"Luna" The oldest woman bowed her head towards me and the rest followed clumsily.

"Mhhh" I acknowledged them almost clumsily as I tried to adjust my crooked voice.

"I am really sorry for our preposterous intrusion" The oldest lady spoke again. She looked intently at me. I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to gauge my character and mannerism to know what step or attitude to assume. If I couldn't see through her then I wouldn't have survived so well in the palace back at Arazona.

As much as I was afraid of the alien-ish human-wolf half breeds, I didn't want to be a Canon fodder. Maybe it dawned on me that as much as I was scared of them, they couldn't hurt me—just yet. I was an object of truce for both Kingdoms and I heard the wolfs were promise keepers. Well, my life was banking on such myth.

I have to bid my time, maybe reality dawned on me seconds ago. They were skeptical of me and I was scared of them. We have one weapon against each other which was the suprise effect. We don't know our next moves. I could use it.

I wanted to survive.

I want to survive,

I'll survive.

So I put on my mirthless smile and look towards the oldest lady.

"May I know who you all are?" My voice came out strong and willful. I would act like the princess I was back at Arazona, only that now, I have to bid my time and thread with caution. I can't afford to act as weak.

"Yes!" The ladies straightened up.

"Ophelia, your grace" The oldest one stepped forward, with a curt bow.

"Rona" The one who had announced my conscious presence dipped her head in a bow.

The one who spoke ill of me took a tentative step forward and dipped her waist in a bow, "Dalrymple, your grace"

She was scared. She gave it away with the twisting of her fingers against each other and the darting of her eyes around the room which reeked of guilt.

I nodded my head and swept my eyes across them.

"The handmaids?" I probed.

"Yes, Luna!" If they could straighten their back more, they would because they stood ever so straight, I didn't like it that instant but; Before letting down my guards, I had to make sure that they were worth it.

I would be a fool to think thy were not spies sent from my new husband to keep an eye on me. They were the perfect pair.

"Very well then" I eased up a smile. "Mine is Hazel"

"Yes Luna" They chorused. Luna. I had to get used to that, though it sounded mocking to my ears.

I ignored the look they shared among themselves and went ahead, "I apologize for keeping you waiting, I had slept off and kept you standing"

"It is our duty to wait on our Luna" Ophelia assured.

I kept my side eyes trained on the girl with the name 'Rona' She was the easiest to read among the trio.

I knew the person to be wariest of was Ophelia. She is someone who embodies surety.

"This dress is suffocating, I say. Help me undress, will you?" I offered as they stood awkwardly.

"Yes"

I got up in a wobbly stance, and the ladies gave way.

"May I know how I am to wash up?" I asked them.

Dalrymple, if I remember clearly, deadpanned, "A bath, with water and soap"

"Oh" I barely made a sound. Just like real humans.

The ladies began helping me remove the layers of my bridal gown and I stared into oblivion.

Bland.

It wasn't like those adventure novels I read in the palace library. It wasn't like the stories told, or the plays I've seen. No life, everything was boring as this tale I am telling you, I promise.

I fancied a wedding night to be the most blissful time of a lady's life, and so have I read in books I had snuck to read when everyone was away. Since I became a débutant I had imagined the man who sweeps me off my feet, take me and flee from Arizona to a heavenly place and have a shotgun marriage, have a lot of marital intercourse which I have always found gross and fascinating at the same time and bear mini us as offsprings!

Here I was, with my dreams crushed under the foot of whomever. I had a shotgun marriage of course, I was no longer in Arazona but I wasn't living the dream. It was a nightmare...

I prayed that I didn't have to do what newlyweds did on their wedding night, because I barely had a wedding and as much as my groom was and is devastatingly and heaven defying-ly handsome and breathtaking, he was a monster, a halfbreed!! I could pass forever.

"I'll run the bath for you, your grace" one of the ladies said but I was far into my prayer to hear her.