Getting out of bed early, Aileen jumped in the shower, excited about going back to the Rayborn Valley and giving her dream another shot. Packing her bag with the essentials and keeping her wallet and phone in her jeans pocket, Aileen wrote a note for her mother and stuck it in the fridge door. 'Going for research will be late, don't wait up for me.' it read in messy red handwriting. She ran to the bus stop. Despite having enough time to reach the place, stumbling on the edge of the footpath, Aileen took the empty seat, relaxing her racing heart.
The sky was pink, and the clouds were white. Aileen reminisced about the weather she had witnessed in college. It's the same, she thought while looking up and raising her arm to feel the cool breeze. She smiled, knowing that fate was with her, telling her that this was the day everything will go according to her plan. The bus stopped at exactly 8:30 am, and Aileen got on with other people, taking the last seat at the back of the bus. Blocking out the rest of the world with her earphones, Aileen relaxed on the seat, and closed her eyes, waiting for her destination and dreaming about the opportunities coming her way.
The bus reached 10 minutes early at Rayborn Valley as expected, and Aileen got off, skipping towards the village, leaving the tourist behind. The village was quiet today. She didn't see any vendors or kids playing out. There was no smell of spices and delicious treats. Where is everyone? She thought about making her way to the hills the boy had shown her. I hope I see him today. I'll make sure he never steals from anyone else.
It wasn't a hassle walking up. Aileen secretly used her speed, looking, either way, making sure the coast was clear. The iron gates were opened wide, and there was no sign of the guards she had seen earlier. "Good." She mumbled under her breath and grabbed the straps of her bag. Aileen entered the Spirit Bones.
It was beautiful inside. She smelled deeply and caught distinct scents at the same time. Basil, apple, spices, and pumpkin. She walked across the yard, watching the stone mansion rising in front of her. The wooden doors curved from above were opened. She could smell a hint of blood on the iron locks. The yard was empty, so she checked the time on her phone. 9:00 am, "shit, I'm late again." She said and covered the last few steps with a hasty run. Promising herself, she would tour the garden later.
It was a mess inside. Everyone was moving from one room to another, carrying either an enormous pile of papers or weapons strapped on their backs. Feeling small among the big wolves, Aileen noticed a woman in an Omega's orange and white uniform and followed her inside a grand ballroom. She knew she was at the right place when she saw other wolves her age, nervously standing in a line. A long table for three was set up, and she saw three old men with different eye colors sitting and writing.
"excuse me." She tapped on the shoulder of a scrawny-looking boy, who had a laptop bag slung on his shoulder and was fidgeting at his place. "Yes." He turned around quickly, surprised. "What is going on here?" she asked, whispering, but knew that everyone else could hear her as she saw a few heads turn around to look at her. Aileen put away a strand of hair behind her ear and ignored the eyes. "Registration." He said, nodding his head. "Oh," Aileen replied and looked around, confused. Noticing her expression, he answered. "Get in the line."
"oh," she said, finally understanding her task. She was the last person to get in the queue because the gates closed, and she heard the iron gates outside closing. Biting her lips, she played nervously with her fingers, praying the guy had kept his promise. As fast as she thought of him, she smelled him in the air. Aileen looked up suddenly, following the familiar scent, and locked her eyes to the closed door. Standing in an ease position was the guy she had met twice.
Feeling her eyes on him, he nodded his head once, confirming that he sees her. She nods back, telling him she will keep the part of her deal. He looked away and kept staring straight, with his arms back and his posture straight. But Aileen didn't tear away from her eyes. Deep, deep down, something didn't feel right about the deal. Was she sad? A thought popped into her head. No, no, she shook her head to drain away from the thought.
No matter how much she tried hard to tear away from her eyes. Aileen couldn't stop staring at the perfect shape of his face and his blue-gray eyes, which stared at the off-white wall. Did she like him? Was it a crush? Aileen looked down when she noticed him looking at her again. Shit, she thought, he saw it. What was more infuriating was that she was blushing.