11. Esyn
I stood at the top of the stairs, gripping the railing and listening as the doorbell sounded again and again. I thought she said she’d invited ‘several’ women? There must be at least 40 guests here. I felt like I might be sick.
Avelin came up behind me, giving me a sympathetic look. “Esyn, please try to calm down. You nailed your formal tea lesson this morning, and you look beautiful. You’re going to be fine.”
Easy for her to say. Avelin looked like a princess. Her dress was blue with tiny red flowers sprinkled over it, the skirt billowing out and showing off a tasteful portion of her long legs. Her hair coiled up into a french twist and she wore pearls. Pearls, for goddess’ sake.
I wore a cream colored cashmere sweater set with a matching ankle length skirt. Avelin styled my hair for me, pulling the sides up and back with mother-of-pearl combs. She’d lent me a gold necklace and earrings to complete the outfit. I felt like an imposter. They were going to know that I didn’t fit in here immediately.
I followed Avelin on shaky legs down the stairs to the dining room. That morning servants removed the large dining table, and placed several round tables with white linen tablecloths throughout the room. Each table held a grouping of shifter women dressed in their afternoon best, and each woman had a delicate porcelain teacup at her place. Fresh flowers adorned each table. They’d all been chattering but stopped when they saw Avelin and me at the door. You could hear a pin drop as they stared at us. My lower back began to sweat.
Luna Elise stood, moving toward us with arms outstretched. “Ah, here are my girls at last. You all know Avelin of course. I’d like to introduce you all to our guest of honor this afternoon, Miss Esyn Stone.” The ladies all nodded and clapped their hands softly. Luna Elise turned to me and then did a double take. Her face turned red. She grabbed me roughly by the arm and yanked me backwards into the hallway. I cried out at the pain her nails caused as they dug into my skin. I could hear Avelin making polite excuses to the guests before she rushed out behind us.
“He marked you?” Elise hissed with an incredulous look on her face. He marked you already and you let him do it? You hussy!”
“I... I...,” I stammered and reached up to run a finger over the delicate, silver white set of four circles where Ari’s canines had bitten into my skin. The mark that told the world that I belonged to Ari. Other shifter couples had to tattoo their marks if they wanted them. I thought about covering it before coming downstairs today, but Avelin wouldn’t let me. She spoke up now.
“Luna Elise, please! Don’t insult Esyn; you know that Ari won’t like it. They are fated, after all. It is expected.”
Elise’s incredulous face turned from me to Avelin. “Avelin, how can you be alright with this? It’s an embarrassment to you. It might be expected later, but not yet! Now they,” she gestured into the dining room, “will know that the two of them have already been...together.” She pinched her lips together and pulled a face like she’d eaten something distasteful.
The word “hussy” echoed in my head, making me angry, but I couldn’t bring myself to stand up to her yet. She would always see me as an interloper, if I stayed here for one week or fifty years.
Avelin continued. “I think it is beautiful. Fated mates finding one another and falling immediately in love? It’s like a fairy tale. The pack ladies will enjoy the romance. Especially if we make it clear that we are all supportive.”
At Av’s emphasis of the word ‘we’, Luna Elise seemed to regain her composure. She took a deep breath, but the frown never left her face. “You’re correct of course, Avelin. We will enter that room with our heads high, as I’d originally intended.” With that, she marched back into the room.
I braved a glance at Avelin, who gave me a nod, took my arm in hers, and guided me back into the lions’ den.
Elise took me from table to table, the gracious hostess introducing me to each guest.
“Oh my dear, how wonderful to have found your fated mate! Will you and Michael be getting married?” one woman asked me, cutting her eyes to Avelin, who now sat at the head table at the front of the room, chatting with the woman next to her. It seemed like the entire room leaned forward and held their breath to listen to my answer.
“Well. I-”. Thankfully three servants saved me when they entered the room pushing tea carts. “Oh, please excuse me,” I said instead. As I walked away, I heard the whispers.
“Constance! You can’t ask her that! You know that Michael and Avelin are still married!”
“Oh, poor dear Avelin. Imagine having your whole life shattered in an instant and then having to go about with the woman that took your place.”
“I bet Lacey Pennsworth a hundred dollars that this one will be pregnant within the month. She looks like a breeder.”
“Marjorie! You didn’t!”
The ladies tittered and my face grew hot with embarrassment and anger. How dare they? Rich busybody bitches. If that was how you had to behave to fit in with them, then I’d be fine as an outcast.
The tea went on and on. My face hurt from politely smiling and if I drank another cup of tea I would slosh when I stood up. However, I didn’t do anything embarrassing, so I considered this a win.
The elderly woman seated to my left engaged me in conversation. “So, dear. I hear that you are a talented photographer. Maybe I can book a session with you to photograph my grandchildren?”
“Oh, I would love to do that for you, Mrs. Johansen,” I replied, giving her the first genuine smile of the day. I was relieved that I recalled her name. She had a kind face, and I spent a long time talking to her. I looked over when a servant poured me another cup of tea. “Last one,” Avelin leaned over and whispered. “Then we can make our excuses and get out of here.”
Thank the goddess. I breathed a tiny sigh of relief and gulped the tea as fast as I could without spilling or chugging it like a frat boy at a party. I set the cup down delicately and folded my hands in my lap, looking around the room with yet another polite smile on my face. The woman to my left talked to Luna Elise, and Avelin spoke to someone two seats down. I’d never remember any of their names.
As I scanned the room, I began to feel nauseated. Too much tea, too many tiny, pretentious cakes? No, I’d only eaten one bite, the little cakes were too sweet for my taste. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my stomach, but it only got worse. My forehead beaded with sweat and the room started moving. Wait, that’s not right. I had to get out of there, and do it fast. I grabbed onto Avelin’s arm, catching her attention. She must have known from my face that something was wrong because she immediately looked concerned. “Esyn? Are you alright?”
I stood up, frantic to leave. Why couldn’t I breathe normally? My throat began to close up. Panicking, I reached up with my hands, clasping it as I gasped. I croaked out, “No, Av, I feel-”
The room spun and pitched sideways.
Someone screamed.