|| Preparations and Precautions

The dream ended and I woke up, that was a realistic dream but just like other dreams, I couldn’t recall it. Odd I thought, I usually have terrifying dreams or painful memory flashbacks. Now that was some imagination right there.

I got out of my room, and rushed downstairs only to see dad getting ready for his duty, he rushed towards the door, “I’ll be back before midnight.” he announced before slamming the door shut. And that’s how I spent my birthday, yay.

An eerie feeling crept on me, and the hair on my neck stood up. I walked towards the door to lock it, and ran towards my bedroom. My phone chimed, it was by Zen.

Still awake? pls call me

My heart starts to beat fast as I reply, my phone rings a heart beat later.

I pressed the green button, “Hi”

“Hey Adria, you good?” his voice laced with concern.

“Um, yeah why?”

“..You don’t know?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, is everything okay?”

“Damn,” he mutters, “another murder case around your area”

I shuddered, this is crazy, five murder cases in a row.

“It's terrible, please lock the doors- the guy who died was from our school..”

“How did you know about it?”

“I was passing by Silvergrass and saw the sealed area,” he muttered, “They didn’t let me see, but I had a glimpse of it- it was terrifying,” he breathes out.

“His parents must be devastated” I muttered, as I know the pain of losing a loved one.

“Yeah, I actually hated that guy.”

“Shut up,”

He then lightens up the mood by changing the topic and talks about what he did the whole day. Eventually I had to lie down on my bed with my phone pressed to my ear. Zen is really nice and makes me laugh a lot.

“Hey Adria, you still there?” he whispers softly over the phone.

It is getting really late now, when is dad going to come back? He promised that we’d do something together, it's been so long since we had done some family time.

My eyelids become heavy, “Adria?” he whispers.

“Yeah,” I yawn, “what were you saying?

“I wanted to ask you something,”

“Yeah I’m listening,”

“I really wanted to ask you in person but I don’t want to wait an longer-“

“Zen, just say it,” I blurted out, my heart’s pounding fast

“Adria,” he says, “will you be my date to the Royal Galle?”

I gasped, oh my god, did he just ask me that?

“Zen...um” I start off, “Why- why me?”

“What do you mean by why? You’re so smart, funny and kinda cute- the only girl who actually wants to be friends with me not get in my pants, I like it.” a smile cracked my lips.

He slowly adds, “So what do you say?”

I smiled, holding my breath and answered him, “Yes.”

Aiden (Adria’s adoptive father) POV

I step out of my house and towards my car. This is the first time in ten years that there has been five murder cases in a row. My phone rings and I immediately answer it, “I’m on my way,” on the other end I can hear police sirens. I start to speed up.

“We have sealed the area,” the officer said, “It seems like an animal attack.”

I ask some questions while turning the wheel, in a distance I can see some officers in the dark forest, wandering around the body, and few asking questions to the people. “I’m here,” I stated and hung up the call.

I got out and a smell of blood filled the air, I walked towards the scene, there was a young girl with blonde hair, sobbing her heart out as the officer asked her questions. I joined the officer investigating the body,

“How long?” I asked as I noticed the wounds. A young boy, no older than 20 with blonde hair and skinny body, Deep claw marks stretched all over his body, the clothes were ripped and soaked in blood- there were bruises around his throat, it looks like the attacker went for the throat. His eyes widened in fear and his mouth gaped open- what a horrible way to die.

“Fifteen minutes,” the officer replied, “was walking in the woods with his little sister,“

Another officer observed while looking around “Looks like it has been attacked by an animal- a wolf.”

“Wolf? Do you think wolves live in this forest?” I asked, “They don’t live here anymore,”

“Wolves do reside in the Empire,”

Few nurses walked over and covered the body with a cloth, they slowly picked it up and walked towards the ambulance. Wolves left Wayford many years ago, there is no reason for them to come back- unless…

“This is the fifth murder case in the same forest,” the officer remarked.

Then it suddenly hit me like a train,

Werewolves.

Adria

All day school is buzzing with excitement, wherever I go, people just can’t stop talking about it. In the gym, In the classrooms, In the bathroom. Posters about the Royal Galle stuck everywhere, they didn’t even leave the cubicles.

In the posters, written in gorgeous cursive and royalty was,

Royal Galle,

The Aldridge Palace,

Tomorrow, 7:00 PM

“Hey.” a voice snapped me out of my thoughts, it was a grinning Zen.

“Hi,” I forced a smile back, Zen approached me looking casual in his sweatshirt and jeans.

Zen smiled, “I can’t tell you how excited i am for this Galle”

I smiled back at him, “First time huh?”

“Yeah.” Zen says, ripping a poster off his locker and opening it, “Just heard of it, thought they made it all up”

“And-” He paused to look at me, wiggling his eyebrows, “-didn’t know the Ball even existed these days,”

I narrowed my eyes, knowing exactly what he meant. Zen quickly raised his hands defensively, “Hey!” He pouts, “You offended a gentleman.”

I mockingly raised an eyebrow at him. He’s ears turned a light shade of pink, as he fumbled with his books. He looked so adorable.

“Hi!” an annoying voice exclaimed. Eugene pushed Vivi forward, her arms crossed and it looked like she’s going to kill him anytime soon. She glared at him and hissed “i swear touch me again and I’ll have fun scratching your eyes out,”

He whispered something in her ear which made her scowl at him.

“I didn’t know you two are a great couple,” Zen said which made Vivi glare daggers at him.

Eugene chuckled “What can I say?” he looked straight into his eyes, his eyes burning.

“Yeah right this Wet Sock has no chance with me,” Vivi mutters making me chuckle silently.

“Sweetheart, get this,” Eugene explained, “You win some, you lose some - except for me I always win–” Eugene was caught off guard as Vivi elbow jacked him in the gut. He winced and quickly removed his arm, standing straight.

“Hey did you hear about the recent murder,” Zen gritted to Eugene. They both glared at each other. I never saw Eugene glaring at anyone, he was the sweet lady’s man. But well, it looks like someone made friends.

“Yeah, heard that- it was Louis, our senior,” Eugene said sharply.

I toned them out when I realized something important, I stared at Vivi until she looked at me then grabbed her arm and pulled her away from them. The boys didn’t seem to notice as they carried on glaring and chatting weirdly.

“What?” she asked me.

“Listen up” I said in a low tone, “Do you have a gown for the Galle?”

“Do we seriously have to wear those?” she grumbled, her eyebrows knitted together, “I mean can’t we just wear jeans and maybe hoodies to the Ball?”

“Shut up,” I snapped. Even though it's the twenty-first century, the Aldridge Palace still follows the classic royalty, “Are you free at four? we can go to Enchanted Beauty- I heard they have got amazing dresses for Balls and they are reasonable too.”

“I’ll take a leave,” Vivi sighed, massaging the back of her neck, “and pick you up”

“Great!”

“You know,” I gushed, “Zen asked me for the Galle!” Yeah maybe I have a tiny weeny crush on him.

“What?” she asked, disappointed, “Can my day get any worse than this?”

“Adria,” that voice called me, I looked up and my eyes were locked in his. His eyes looked like two warm oceans-okay I need to stop staring at him.

“Yeah?”

“Double Date. What do you think?” Zen suggested, a small smile played on his lips. Minutes ago his eyes were hard- I’m definitely getting mad.

“Sure,” I smiled, “as long as she doesn’t have a problem”

“Fine by me.” she shrugged.

-x-x-x-

I finished applying mascara and headed towards my bathroom to change, when I got out my phone chimed, it was Vivi. I rushed downstairs and saw dad observing each of my movements, he narrowed his eyes, “Where are you going?”

“Um, to get a gown… for the Galle”

He didn’t speak for a few moments, I could see the gears of his mind turning, “Fine get home early.” he said while raking his hair, “Please.” it looked like he was troubled by something.

“I will,” I said before slamming the door shut.

A sleek black Audi stood there, in its black tinted glass sat Vivi. I walked over and Vivi rolled the glass down, “Hurry up, grandma!”

I got in the passenger seat, plush beige leather seats enveloped me- then I saw the driver, Eugene.

“When do you want me to pick you up?” his jaw worked.

“I guess an hour will be fine,” she responded “Right Adria?”

I nodded, “it depends.”

Eugene looked at me through the rear mirror, “Freckles, put your seatbelt on.” he called.

“Why the hell do you call me freckles?” I snapped while putting on the seatbelt, I don’t even have freckles. He smirked and started driving.