ARIA
I wake up in my bed and realize that I have no clue when and how I got here. The last thing I remember is me and Lex staying to stargaze when my birthday arrived but no miracles happened.
What’s more interesting, I am in just my underwear… My dress from yesterday carefully lying on a chair nearby. Huh!
I take a quick shower and wonder in my walk-in wardrobe for what seems like hours choosing what to wear. Funny, usually it doesn’t take this long...
I settle on an ochre wrap floral dress with short sleeves and then spend eternity doing my hair. Only to end up going downstairs with my usual curls down.
“Stop that nonsense of yours!” I hear Alpha Dickon’s husky voice, “You are already a disappointment enough for me! You are going to be the worst Alpha in history!”
I am a bit shocked by what I hear, so almost miss a step and fall down, but luckily, use the rail for support in time.
They both look at me in shock, even though I wasn’t too loud. But I guess for werewolf hearing that was like fanfares announcing my arrival.
“Aria! Morning!” Alpha d**k, I mean Dickon says and leaves quickly, leaving his son and me alone. Looking at Hunter – he doesn’t look too well. Not that I care. I guessed a long time ago that all that s**t he regularly gives me has to come from somewhere. But because he crossed the line of normality years ago, I don’t feel sorry for him anymore. He was never sorry for me. And I am no saint myself, so… we are where we are.
“Still here I see,” I pretend like I heard nothing, he may buy it because he thinks that all humans are practically incapacitated in hearing, vision, and everything else. And I am right since he looks relieved at my words.
“Your mother very generously offered us to stay the night in the guest cottage,” he smiles.
“What a thrilling story!” I roll my eyes as I pass him and he catches me by my hand.
“I couldn’t leave, was too worried to be late for your party,” he smirks, “And I will have a very special present for you today.”
“OMG! What is it? Dead raccoon? Paint bomb in my face? Another bucket of water? Or maybe you decided to go all Carrie and upgrade it to pig blood this time?” I snort and his face looks perplexed. Hmmm, strange.
“You are going to like it,” he says menacingly, “I promise.”
“Yeah, I’m sure!” I yank my hand out of his and walk into the kitchen.
I am super late, so I probably will have to go through leftovers or just settle for my usual – yogurt and granola with fruit. But when I enter the first thing I see is Lex sitting at the table with a paper spread in his hands.
“Ah, Aria!” he smiles hopefully, “Morning! Any news for me?”
“No,” I shake my head. Poor Lex, does he really still believe that anything is going to happen today?
“And what news are you waiting for?” Hunter follows me and I turn to look at him with an it’s-none-of-your-business kind of face.
“None of your business,” Lex says my thoughts out loud.
“Hmm!” Hunter chuckles and lands on one of the seats, “I thought it would be something interesting since you’ve been waiting for it from early morning with this cold cup of coffee of yours and the newspaper opened on the same spread.”
I don’t want to play with Forrester, but I can’t help looking at Lex questioningly. He furrows his brows for just a second and takes a sip from his cup, clearly pretending that he is enjoying that.
Well, it’s better than stupidly hanging out under the staircase,“ he smirks at the wolf and Hunter gives out a growl. While Lex flashes fire in his eyes for just a second.
Just what is going on with these two?
“Boys will be boys,” my inner voice tells me and I bite my lip to hold back a burst of laughter.
After a very awkward breakfast, I hurry to find my mum. She is in the main hall, at the station with all my presents.
“Happy birthday, baby!” she runs to me and gives me the warmest hug, “Can’t believe you are 18 already! This is crazy!”
“Thanks, mum!” I embrace her and then look around, “What is up with all these?”
“This year you get more presents than usual. From all the Alphas and all the heads of Covens. I am having people to check what is there to be safe and…”
“Oh, please, you know I am not going to be opening those!” I snort. I never do. It’s mostly tacky jewellery to impress my father or something completely bizarre. Like a tooth of a rare shark or something. What would I do with that?
“Well, maybe you will still help me to segregate what could be used for our charity later?”, Mum smiles. She runs a charity for orphaned witches and werewolves. Sadly, there are a lot of those in our world. I donate all my gifts to her fund every year. Except for the ones I get from the people I care about.
From a corner of my eye, I notice a medium-sized box with H.F. initials on it. Is it the present Hunter speaks so much about? Or maybe it is from someone else… Why am I even waste my time speaking about it?
“What are you doing here?” aunt Elle appears out of nowhere in the most extravagant dressing gown I’ve ever seen and a sheet-mask on her face, “You have no time to waste today, Ari!”
“What do you mean?” I look at her dumbfoundedly.
“I mean you have a cosmetologist and a masseur waiting in my room! We are going to make a star out of you today!” she says excitedly and I turn to mum with my eyes begging for help. One should never agree to two things. Number one – going shopping with aunt Elle. Number two – going to a salon with aunt Elle. And today she has planned the second right here at home!
“Erm, Mum, let’s start segregating all those gifts right now! Why waste the time?” I ask her putting my hands together in the praying motion. But Mum only smirks to that, shaking her head.
“Oh, no, dear! Not today,” she waves me good-bye as Elle drags me up the stairs already efficiently. It’s easy for her with her werewolf strength.
As soon as I enter aunt Elle and uncle Carter’s wing of the house, I smell trouble. Two absolutely unknown ladies grab me and put me on a chair, rubbing some weirdly smelling stuff all over my face, hair, and body. They trim my hair, rub my feet, use wax EVERYWHERE. Then rub more stuff into my skin… Then do my nails and then rub something into me again.
And just like that - after around four to five hours of absolute torture I am announced to be beautiful enough for the occasion and they let me go.
“Do you need help with your make-up?” Elle asks before I leave.
“No!” I almost yell and run away as quickly as I can.
Back in my room, however, I twirl in front of my mirror and have to admit that I do look good. Hot even.
I get out the dress that Elle bought me for today. The dress that I find perfect!
It’s wine red, strapless, with an asymmetrical front which I find a bit avant-garde, but not over the top, with a short front and long tail at the back. I will be able to move freely in it and yet it fits the celebration and my status as a princess perfectly. Aunt Elle knows me too well!
I put the dress on and put my hair up, letting just a few curls stay down in a sexy way. Just one gold and ruby hair clip to seal the deal plus my silky beige Manolos to finish the look.
Yes, I definitely like what I see.
“And they are going to like it too,” my inner voice says, making me chuckle.
Kieran knocks at my door and opens it without waiting for a reply, whistling when he sees me.
“You look… different!” he says awkwardly.
“Can’t you say something nice? Like that, I look hot a something?’ I roll my eyes.
“Yikes, Aria, I am your brother. If I found you hot there would be something really wrong with me,” he snorts and then gets serious, “But I will tell you that you look very beautiful today, sis.”
“Thanks,” I smile as he offers me his hand. This is our tradition. Dad walks Mum down the stairs and Kieran walks me and Sienna on our respective birthdays.
This time is no different. All the light is on us as we walk down, our reception hall filled with loads of people. I smile perfectly as if we are all good friends, which we are not. Unfortunately, this is just a part of my job as a princess. We all have to do it and so do I. I’ll celebrate with my family later when they all leave us alone.
Applause breaks and the room fills with all those loud noises, people shouting my name and congratulations.
I notice Marissa and her loyal minion Chloe at the other side of the room. Unfortunately, she was also invited since her dad is an Alpha. They don’t clap and don’t cheer for me. Obviously. And yet I give them a special wave just to annoy them more. I wish I could hear what they are talking about now!
“Look at that smug face! She has no idea!” Marissa says and I am a bit taken aback by what has just happened. Why I was able to hear that… Did she say it too loudly?
Aksara