"Do you like my painting, Mary?" Lila asked, smiling.
"Yeah..." Mary said absent mindly, her mind somewhere else as she gazed at her empty drawing pad.
They were in art class in their shared university. As always, the class smelled like linseed oil - which wasn't a very pleasant smell in Mary's opinion - since Lila only ever wanted to paint with oils, even though the teacher chastised her regularly to try a new medium.
"Mary! You didn't even glance at my painting!" Lila huffed, using her still wet paint brush to paint her best friend's finger.
"Hey!" Mary instantly snapped out of it. "What was that for?!" She reached out to grab oil paint remover.
"You've been out of it all day, Mary. What's up?" Lila asked, concerned as she slapped the oil paint remover from the girl's hand. "It's not good for your skin!" Lila lowered her voice and whispered as she explained to her friend.
"Nothing..." Mary brushed her off (She couldn't help thinking that it was a good pun, though). Mary reached out for a napkin and dried the paint off. It still lingered, stuck like her like her feelings of discomfort and disappointment. She sighed as she contemplated the remaining residue from the napkin on the black paint on her finger. She didn't want Lila knowing that what she was thinking about was that she was going to mary an alpha werewolf! She tried to keep a poker face on, but she knew that her anxiety was showing as her stomach quietly churned, if even a little bit.
Lila frowned and sighed. "Alright, you don't have to tell me. I guess it's personal." She sulked as she signed her name at the bottom of her bow finished painting.
Oh, Mary thought. The guilt trip!
But Mary wasn't falling for it, since it WAS personal.
"Hey," Mary suddenly asked, changing subjects. "Would you happen to know how a werewolf looks like?"
Lila spun around, stunned. "Why... Why would you want to know that...?" She asked, her voice faltering in fear.
Werewolves were a... Delicate subject to talk about, since the majority of humans were terrified of them.
"Just curious." Mary smiled politely. She didn't want to tell her that she'd be marrying a possibly horrifying beast that would supposedly tear to pieces once he laid eyes on her.
"Well..." Lila started. "I heard they are ugly, hairy, smelly, etc. Worse than wolves. Actually, let's not compare them with those cuties!" She dreamily looked up at the ceiling, imagining two fluffy wolf cubs - not werewolves, just normal animals - happily playing with each other.
"Like this?" Mary showed her friend a sketch. It was a horrendous wolf that was walking on it's too back leggs.
"Yeah, maybe." Lika shrugged her shoulders as she scrunched up her face, taking out her own sketch pad. "I've never seen a real one anyway, so."
Mary gulped. I wonder what she'd say if I said that she was insulting my fiancee? She thought.
She didn't know about the werewolves, and she was torn between wanting to know more and pure terror. What's worse, is that she may have to leave the human city. She might have to go live with the alpha werewolf, whom she didn't even know the name of yet.
And what's even worse is that having contact with a werewolf is still strictly forbidden, and punishable by death!
She banged her head on the table and groaned, mentally exausted as she let it rest there.
Something really isn't right with that girl... Lila thought, pretending not to notice her friend's distress. She said it was personal.
***
A few days later...
Mary looked at the man- Uhh... Male? She thought.
He had sharp, clear, grey eyes and seemed just like a human, but somehow his beauty seemed enhanced. He didn't have any ears, nor did he posses a tail, and he was wearing a fine, white suit, contrasting his black hair. His eyes had her in an inescapable grasp, as if she was bound by a tight rope.
"Hello, princess." His voice was silky and sultry as it reverberated profoundly into Mary's ears, knocking all her organs into a mix as it dissolved throughout her body. She felt like he was the example of a perfect gentleman - male - as he gazed at her with those deep eyes of his. She could see a storm in his grey eyes - not a raging storm, but a calm, sophisticated storm in which after it was finished, a rainbow would surely emerge, for the bright sun shining in them would make a trick of the light. He kneeled down on one knee and kissed the back of her hand, his mouth not showing any sign of fangs as it delixated touched her hand, as if she were a delicate and fragile flower that was meant to be cherished. "My name is Yano Yuu." He smiled gently after raising his head to give her a meaningful look. Mary swore that she saw roses blooming all around him, and petals falling from an unknown source - heaven maybe - and finally resting onto his fine hair and his full eyelashes that would make any human girl jealous.
She was shocked. She instinctively pulled away her hand, and the man- MALE called Yano stands up with ease and grace, as if he had practiced all his life for this moment. "My apologies." He says politely. "I didn't mean to scare you." He shot her an apologetic look, and bowed deeply.
"N-no! You didn't, I... Ehe..." She could feel heat rushing up to her cheeks. She was embarrassed. "You don't have to bow!" She said hurriedly as she gestured for him to get up. And so he did as he was told.
Are we in Japan, or what? She thought. He doesn't look like he's from there either. But he does have a Japanese name. I thought we were in the US...? And do werewolves even have culture? You don't have to be Japanese to bow, though.
Anyway, He doesn't seem so bad... She thought. Wait! I shouldn't let my guard down!
Meanwhile, her parents were watching all of this, tears in their eyes.
"My barbie's all grown up...!" She heard her father whisper, reaching out for the packet of tissues that Mrs. Emmet was holding.
"Honey, I think you mean baby..." Her mother corrected.
"Same thing, they're both red headed." Her father pouted, then blew his nose.
"Umm.. Barbie's blond, you know..." Her mother sighed, but she couldn't help the happy tears flow.
After Mary's parents have cried out all the rest of their tears, they finally straighten themselves out, while Mary is still freaking out, trying to cope with her mixed feelings.
Yano didn't seem like a bad person, but... Mary couldn't let go of the fact that he was indeed an Alpha werewolf, and this could all just be a facade to gobble her up once they were alone. But he wouldn't risk it...
Right...? She thought.
"Anywho, have you packed your bags yet?" Mary's father suddenly asks, offering her a closed-eyed smile.
"Wha- Why?!" Mary was shocked. What was he talking about?
"We're kicking you out!" Her father said cheerfully.