All of his life, Joey has been raised to know there are three very sacred bonds in the eyes of the children of the Moon Goddess: the bond between the Moon Goddess and her children, who blesses them with her abilities to shift; the bond between an Alpha and a Beta, who are closer than that of brothers, who will understand and support one another without ever having to speak a word; and the mate bond, the most sacred of bonds, between two mates destined to love each other with a love more than any love has ever been. Each child of the Moon Goddess is raised to understand they will one day experience at least two of these bonds and they will be the most important things a pack member will ever experience.
Joey, however, can not help but feel this is untrue. Can there not be more than three sacred bonds in one lifetime? Are there not others with whom one can share their soul? After all, he has his bond with Carter.
He sits across from her in the sleek black car carrying the two of them to the airport. It is early morning, far earlier than allowed regarding Carter's strict "Don't Talk To Me Before Ten AM or I Slit Your Throat" policy. It is still grey outside, the custom rich green and browns of Montana rushing past as the road flies away under the tires of the car, carrying them further and further away from the Pack House and closer and closer to their futures.
The soft leather seats of the car are faced across each other so Joey can look at his best friend as she gazes silently out the window, her dark wild hair down around her face. Joey is sure it is intentional so he can not see her face and read her emotions as easily as he is able, but it does not help. Ever since they were children, he has been able to understand Carter in a way no one else has ever seemed to, as if the two of them share their own telepathic link. He knows without truly feeling it (as one would with the mate bond) that Carter is tense, her slight shoulders bent forward as if she will cave in on herself to avoid all that is coming.
She looks tired, He thinks worriedly. She didn't sleep again last night.
The last few days have passed in a whirlwind of activity as those who were preparing to leave for the ball shopped, packed and consulted with mated parents for advice. Joey's own parents had been kind in their advice and had made their unending support clear. It had been nice to hear but Joey had been more focused on that of his Sunshine, who has been even more reclusive and shut-off the last three days after visiting the portrait of her dead mother.
Joey saw Carter leave the room by accident, having been casually passing by on the way to her room. He had seen his friend rush away, glistening tears trailing down her cheeks stumbling as if she couldn't get away from the past and it's injustices fast enough. Joey had gone after her to try and offer comfort but Carter had locked herself away in her rooms and refused his visits. He had respected her need for space; she had always been one to try and handle her scars and nightmarish life on her own despite his promises he would do anything she asked as long as it helped.
He had gone to check on her later each night incase she finally decided she was ready for his company but instead found himself listening as she struggled with her nightmares. Being mute, Carter could not talk or scream or make much of any noise but hearing her gasp and cry in her sleep, hearing her struggle on the other side of the door to fight off whatever was plaguing her- it was a pain Joey is certain he will never forget.
Last night, the night before they were meant to leave, he had been standing outside her door, fist raised to knock, when the door had finally been flung open and his small companion stood on the threshold, her hair a rat's nest, her cheeks and eyes swollen red with exhaustion and tears. She had not tried to tell him what was wrong, she had not tried to make him understand. Instead, she had merely looked at him in that special way of her's: the cold expressionless mask she wore around so many others gone, leaving her vulnerable and bare, desperate for someone-anyone- to realize she was in pain and not belittle her for it.
Without a word, Joey had simply opened his arms and she collapsed into them, sobbing into his shirt front. He is the only one to ever see Carter vulnerable. He is the only one to ever see her cry. To everyone else, Carter is a fortified fortress. As a child, she had been so open and trusting, so desperately hopeful that people would forgive something she hadn't even caused, but as more and more people (her own pack members who were meant to be like family) cut her down and treated her like lesser than dirt, Joey watched as she slowly became colder and more remote over time, refusing to allow anyone but him to see past the mask she wore, refusing to show the weakness everyone is certain she is.
Studying his best friend now, Joey feels his chest tighten with anxiety. He knows exactly how Carter feels about mates and knows what she expects to happen: she expects to be rejected, cast aside just as everyone but him has done to her. And though he knows she tries to act as if she not only expects it but has come to accept it, he knows the true pain Carter will feel if the one person truly destined for her does not want her. And he knows, though he doubts she would even admit it to herself, that the tiniest part of her might dare to hope things could be different. That someone out there besides him could want her.
Joey also knows how Carter feels about hope. She sees it as something like a poisonous infection, deadly if allowed to spread. Better to be cynical and pessimistic, to expect the worse and prepare for it, so that the shattered remains of her heart would not face even more splintering. Joey can not bare to think of what will happen the night of the ball. He worries what will happen if he is near Carter if she is rejected and if he will be able to control his rage towards the man who dared refuse such a wonderful creature.
Sometimes, though he holds no romantic feelings toward her, Joey wishes he could be Carter's mate. She is his best friend, something closer than family, something beyond words. How does one explain the bond shared with someone you know every little thing about, from the nightmares and daydreams they have to the sound of their heartbeat on a quiet morning in the woods? He and Carter share a connection deeper than that of a Beta and Alpha, something beyond complete and total understanding of another person- something vulnerable and sensitive to the rest of the harsh world with nothing to protect it but each other. He loves her beyond anyone he has ever known, even if it is not the love shared between two mates.
There is no heart pounding or sweaty palms or late nights waxing on about her beauty to himself, though she is extremely beautiful. If he were a normal human male, he would no doubt want her, as all of them would, though human males seemed as if they would shy away from Carter's intense emotions and strength, her independence. Joey thinks it is one of the most beautiful things about her. Still, he also knows there is a rare and precious life breathing within Carter, something delicate but utterly real and alive. Something deserving of loyalty, of friendship and love. Sometimes Joey wishes he could give her all of those things, including the love she would forever go wanting for, that the Moon Goddess chose him for her eons ago so that he will not have to worry about anyone hurting her, so that she will be loved and cherished.
Unfortunately, however, fate did not work out that way- he is meant for someone else. Though he does not hold nearly the amount of distain Carter does for the idea of mates, the topic is just as bizarre and alien to him. Like Carter, he has always avoided the topic, simply because to think of the subject of mates is to think of Carter being alone, to think of himself pulled away by a different woman, though he was tries now to be excited. If nothing else, for his parent's sake. His mother had been so thrilled, bouncing up and down with joy when they received the invitation. They are only lower-ranking pack members and never expected to get such a high honor. Joey, of course, had been thrilled as well but not for the same reason as his mother: he had been excited (and relieved) because Carter will not have to go alone. He will be there to protect and support her, just as he always has.
For a moment, he briefly wonders how his new mate will feel about his closeness with Carter. He has never experienced the mate bond before but he has heard from others it is a very powerful and possessive thing and mates can easily become defensive of their partners, especially the males. Will his mate be possessive and want him to stay away from Carter? Would she hate his Sunshine and go out of her way to hurt Carter? The thought seems unthinkable. Joey knows, somewhere almost like an instinct, that he is meant to protect and support Carter, almost like the bond between an Alpha and a Beta. If his mate demands he leave Carter, Joey is certain it will not work.
He has made a promise both to Carter and himself that he will never become one of the people who abandoned her. In his own way, he loves her more than he has ever felt love for anyone else.
"How ya feeling, Sunshine?" Joey asks now, pulling a charming grin across his face. It is a reflex at this point, to be charming and mischievous, sometimes to worm his way out of trouble or avoid his mother's annoyance. Mostly though, it is for Carter. She has so few light-hearted moments throughout her days, so few moments filled with laughter and ease. Since they were children, Joey has tried to be that light for her, that support. If she sees his worry, if she sees his fear for her, she will be both embarrassed and angry- Carter does not accept pity from anyone.
She glances over at him. Though her topaz eyes are beautiful and startling much like her mother's had been, that beauty is marred by the violet hollows beneath them, along with the ashen color of her cheeks. Joey can see exhaustion in her expression, along with a sense of deep depression, and knows she must have been struggling greatly. The mask she so often wears is back in place, cold and empty. It is one she wears often, though rarely in front of Joey.
After a moment of hesitation, she gives a half-hearted shrug. Had anyone else asked, she would have simply ignored them.
Joey reaches over and taps on the book in her lap. "How do you like your new book?" It is a new novel he had gotten her when he went out to buy his suit for the ball, a darker and beautifully written book about the story of the Red Queen and how she had once been a sweet and loving girl before she fell in love and had her heart broken, driving her into the mad and bloody queen legend held her as. Carter had seen it the last time Joey had dragged her out into public and he had thought it would cheer her up during this difficult time. If nothing else, books always seems help heal her pain when nothing else could.
A small smile pulls at the corners of Carter's lips as she turns to face him, cracking the mask, holding the book a little tighter in her hands. Joey can't help but smile back. He had known the topic would cheer her up, if only slightly. The subject of books is only thing that can truly excite her. She gives him an eager nod and reaches out, her fingers, tracing along his arm to form letters:
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L
W-R-I-T-I-N-G
Her fingers are warm and light on his skin. Joey smiles. "The writing style, you mean?"
His best friend nods eagerly again.
Though he is better at reading Carter's thoughts and emotions than anyone else (not that anyone else has ever really tried) there are times when she has a specific thought in her head that she wants to share. Neither of them had ever learned to speak sign language as even if the two of them had, no one else in the pack would have bothered to try and communicate with Carter anyway. Instead, as children, they had developed a secret language between the two of them where she traced letters across Joey's skin. It had been one of the biggest reasons they had faced scrutiny as potential lovers- the casual contact and the secrecy of their words.
"I'm glad you like it" He grins. Truth be told, he is sure she truly likes it because it is about another girl destined to be left alone and loveless, though admittedly, Joey hopes Carter will have a better fate than that of a mad queen in favor of chopping off people's heads, especially since Carter will one day be in a position of power.
That is not all Joey hopes for, however. He watches as Carter trails her fingers along the edge of the cover, her eyes tracing the image of the lonely Red Queen, and feels anxiety squeeze tight in his chest. She likes it because she sees the darkness of the Red Queen in herself, an blunt and cynical corner of his mind whispers. He violently squashes the thought. Carter is antisocial, rude to those she either doesn't know or doesn't like, and there is a rumbling fire deep within her that other's mistake for dangerous, but she is not a villain. She is not evil or murderous. Hurt, perhaps, and frightened to let others near, but never thirsty for revenge or bloodshed. Not that any of their fellow pack members have ever given Carter the chance to be something other than a villain; they all have treated her like a future serial killer, a child on the verge of bursting into the next Charles Manson or Wicked Witch of the West.
Joey winces suddenly, thinking of their send off. While he and every other pack member had had a send off of sorts, crying mothers and proud fathers clapping proud sons on the shoulder, Carter had stood off to the side watching, arms wrapped around herself and looking annoyed and bored. Her father, the Alpha, had not even come out of his office to see his only child off on the most important event of her life. Of course every present pack member made note of the slight, eying Carter with amusement and distain as if they took pleasure in being given vindication in their biased opinions. Joey had had to take deep breaths, to force himself not to leap at anyone leering at his friend. Carter had seemed unaffected, her eyes roaming the line of car as if she were bored, perhaps ready for a nap. Joey had wanted to trace along her skin, to ask her if she was alright but there had been too many people.
What he really wants to ask now, though, is whether it had hurt her. Carter had been far too young to truly have any good memories of her father and had had no relationship with him since her mother was killed. Had she even expected her father to see her off for such an important occasion? Had she been disappointed when he hadn't? Is it something she even thinks of now, after so long of the man being a shadow of a father to her? Joey is certain he is the only person Carter truly trusts, perhaps even the only person she cares about in general.
Joey bits at his lower lip, wondering if he should say something. He can feel it in his bones that Carter is hurting, though whether it is the idea of her father's abandonment or her possible upcoming rejection by a soul mate he is not sure. Besides, Carter has already dove back into her book, drinking up the tale like a deliciously addicting fine wine.
Joey takes a breath and tries to control his own nerves, staring out the window. The airport draws closer and closer as the wheels beneath the hired car continue to turn and Joey feels as if he can feel the minutes slipping away, leading closer and closer to a future where nothing will ever be the same.
And Joey can not protect Carter from it anymore. ~*~*
By the time the trip is over, Carter begins to vow to herself that the next time she travels (and there will be a next time) it will be to a much more enjoyable destination. With white sand beaches and not a chance of running into a fellow pack member. And lots of antique and book stores. Somewhere she will not arrive appearing greatly stressed- maybe even sickly.
The trip itself hadn't been that bad. After arriving to the airport, she and Joey had said their goodbyes as they were required to take separate flights, as males and females were not allowed to arrive together to avoid any unforeseen meetings. Joey's flight had been nearly three hours behind her's, yet he had insisted on coming to the airport with her and seeing her off, though he looked extremely hesitant to do so when they moved to place her luggage on the conveyor belt.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Joey had asked carefully. Despite his bright smile and string of endless bad jokes, there had been a slight tension to his movements, his walk always a few steps ahead of her and slightly in front, as if he had been prepared for a outbreak of war at any moment.
Carter had scowled at him, her eyes narrowed in disdain. She had been far more irate than she typically would be but the lack of sleep and combination of fear and stubbornness to not feel fear was grating on her already-frayed nerves. She had known Joey's intentions had only been well-meaning but even in the human world, he had a terrible habit of acting like a bodyguard to her, as if she couldn't do the simplest of things alone. Joey was the only person who had ever been gifted leeway to her stubbornness and irritation but even he was not in pervious to her fierce independence. I'm not a child, Joey. I think I can sit on a plane for a few hours without spontaneously blowing up.
Joey had nodded, having had the decency to look apologetic. "Sorry, Sunshine." He had wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her close to his chest and Carter had allowed him to; his hugs were the only she ever allowed herself to feel comfortable in. "Are you sure you packed enough? Enough books? Enough Mountain Dew?" His grin was mocking but Carter fought a smile, knowing he was thinking of her dreaded bag with distaste. She had only packed a few shirts and pairs of jeans, filling her suitcase full of books and a mess of other random bits and pieces including a brush, some vitamins, a phone charger, several cans of tea, salty snacks, etc. The backpack well reflected her messy-comfortable atmosphere, similar to her rooms.
Joey had looked slightly relieved by her small smile. It had not escaped Carter's notice that Joey had been watching her with worried eyes the last few days, especially after her nights of nightmares and violent crying. She knew he was worried about all that was to come, not only the ball but everything it would lead to. Though neither of them had been eager to admit it aloud, they both knew this would be the start of a whole new relationship between the two of them- one where Carter was more often alone, where Joey would be expected to care for another girl, his future bride. Carter can't help but feel excited for her best friend to find his mate; it was time for him to be attentive to someone else that made him happy. But he would have to get used to the idea that he would no longer be allowed or even capable of being Carter's shadow any longer. It had been both a startling and slightly unsettling thought.
Then, with a long hug, she had left Joey at the luggage pickup, not daring to turn around to watch his worried emerald eyes as she climbed onto her plane, settling in for a long three hour flight, slightly relieved for the silence. Without Joey watching her, she had been free to stare out the window of the plane, watching the landscape fly away thousands of miles beneath her, free to let her misery show. She had known now, while she was alone, was the time that if any tears needed to flow, it would be the time. All of her her anxieties and fears were rolling around deep within and Carter couldn't help but think of when she first began having her strange dreams, of the mysterious stranger with dazzling eyes and a heart-stopping smile. She doubted someone so handsome could possibly be meant for her, especially someone kind enough to reject her gently.
The first hour crawls by slowly but Carter finds the reality of the ball setting in, though her body can't help but feel numb to it all- a pin cushion that feels no pain. Maybe it is her brain's way of trying to help her cope with the upcoming shame and tragedy of all she is to face. Once, when they were children, Joey had began studying psychology to try and help her avoid and confront some issues weighing heavy after her mother's death. If Joey were here with her now, he would look at her and read her expression, perhaps suggest the faraway feeling she has is her brain's way of calming her before the anxiety storm can begin. But Joey is not here and all she knows for certain is that she is exhausted and eager for a nap. Anything beyond that (dealing with getting settled into her room, getting ready for the ball, meeting her mate and being publicly rejected) seems to be a far off nightmare she can't yet process.
For the remainder of the flight, she tries for a few tears but nothing ever comes of it. Instead she merely stares out the window, watching the land below pass and wondering what different lives she could be living down below.
Finally, the plane lands and Carter is escorted out of the gate with her luggage where an aging man dressed in a nice suit immediately finds her at the terminal, walking her to another shiny black car before loading in her luggage and opening and shutting the door for her. He doesn't seem bothered at all by Carter's inability to speak or the long scar peeking from her shirt sleeve and collar, and knows immediately the man is human. No one of their kind would ignore her blunt weakness (and to them, blatant insult) of a legacy. But the driver is mortal and knows nothing of things such as Alphas and legacies and pack rankings. Instead his cares and worries are simple and he smiles at Carter while he drives, talking contently about everything and nothing as they move, never once expecting a response from her.
Carter tries to smile and appear polite but can not help but feel a little uncomfortable by the driver's kindness. Though most of her pack members are not exactly cruel, they certainly don't offer her any sense of warmth, kindness or respect, all because of a tragic instance when she was only a child. It was not lost on her that in the human world, Carter's situation would most likely be completely different, probably far more pitying if not cruel. If she were human, she would still have a mother, a father, a whole family even. She would have a voice and a life so much easier in her hardships. The idea always fills her with a mixture of sadness and guilt and to be around humans does not help. Though they share human DNA, children of the Goddess are wolves in heart and soul- strong, viscous, cut-throat and deadly. It is their nature and Carter has never once fit into the intricate pieces of it.
After a few moments of useless chatter with no response and a few strained smiles, the driver falls pleasantly, though Carter notices he glances at her every few moments in the rearview mirror, kind eyes slightly curious and worried. He must be a father, Carter decides with a pang of bitterness. Only a father would be so worried about a child that was not his.
She tries to distract herself and instead turns to stare out the tinted windows. Never before has she truly traveled like this, except perhaps for when she was only a toddler with her mother. Already the air is so much warmer, salty breezes wafting along white-sand beaches and boardwalks surrounded by colorful buildings expressed with creative street art, spray paint and murals. Potted plants of all varieties hang from open windows, colorful flowers in a rainbow of hues winding down in curtains of ivy along faded red-brick.
The people are just as interesting, dressed in everything from bathing suits to sundresses to expensive suits and some- almost in nothing at all. Each of their activities are just as varied- some dance in the streets, some walk dogs, longboard down the sidewalks, heft surf boards over their heads, play loud music from street corners and collect coins from appreciative listeners. There is life and music and crowds at every twist and turn and Carter is surprised to find that she loves it. At home, there is only ever the quiet of the woods, the small families who all know each other too well where gossip always flies from one ear to the next. Here, Carter could simply slip into a crowd and never been seen again.
As the car pauses at a red light, she studies a small corner street café. It is small but beautiful, with large glass windows and lots of greenery. She imagines herself sitting at one of the outdoor tables, sipping Green tea and reading her latest book. There would be no gossip, no whispers or hateful glares thrown her way. Just a normal girl, sitting in the sunlight living a normal life.
"We will be arriving shortly, Ms. Dawson" The driver says cheerfully from the front of the car, pulling her away from her delicious and impossible fantasy. Already the car is leaving behind the beaches and crowded streets, winding along a more quiet and costal road leading into the rolling countryside of green hills, vineyards and thickening tall trees. Only ten or fifteen minutes pass before the entirety of the lively city life is left behind and replaced by never-ending plantation fields and long expanses of privately owned land covered in acres and acres of trees. It is a different beautiful than the crowded city life- more subdued and quiet, more greenery and moss and the scent of clean pine. It is the beauty Carter is used to in her homeland, though it does little to quell her nerves as the car's tires find an old worn road leading into a thick expanse of towering Red Oak trees.
She leans forward to get a better view and promptly feels her breath leave her.
Though the invitation had dictated the event would be held at a manor estate, the property is still far grander than anything Carter had expected, made up of acres and acres of rolling green hills, stables, gardens and woods, stretching for so many miles that she is sure she will never see the end of it. What she does see, however, is a long winding drive turning to cobblestone, cutting a strict and clean U- shape through an isle of blooming hydrangeas in pink, purple and blue, leading up to the sprawling and intimidating of Berbrooke manor.
The manor proper is just as grand, if a little more cold and exacting, stretching into four floors of dark grey stone trimmed in brilliant white, surrounding hundreds of gleaming windows along with the outlines of elegant round-rooms cut into the far side of the East and West wings like two twin towers in a fairytale castle. The sharp spires of the roof stretch all the way into the clouds, guarded by what appeared to be wolf-like gargoyles carved from ancient marble and granite. The architecture is old, clearly Victorian, and wound through with hundreds and hundreds of garlands of brilliant green ivy, spilling into corridors, an outdoor pavilion and the windows dared to be cracked open to the warm air. The manor is glamourous and intimidating, briefly reminding Carter of the castle a vampire king would make his home- somewhere dark and impressive and beautiful.
Several cars already fill the drive and as the car approaches, Carter watches as hundreds upon hundreds of girls gracefully climb from their cars, all already fashionably dressed with eager smiles and wide eyes. Servants in pink rush to collect the luggage and offer the girls tea while they are escorted inside, all overseen by a strict-looking woman in a red and black pantsuit, her hair pulled severally from her face in a tight bun, her frown tight and slightly irritable.
"Carter Dawson, I presume?" The woman says seriously as Carter climbs from the car, a warm teacup shoved into her hands as her luggage is rushed from the trunk of the hired car. She does not wait for Carter to answer (or rather, not answer) but instead bussies herself looking down at an extremely long list of parchment, curling almost to touch the ground.
When Carter only nods, unsure of how to proceed, the woman sharply glances up, glaring through her thin spectacles. "You're the daughter of the Andorra Alpha, correct?" The woman's tone is unmistakably critical and in her darkening eyes Carter can see the wheels of her mind turning, narrowing to scowl at every detail of carter's being as if she might be something to be feared. "The mute mutt?"
Carter blinks in surprise, feeling her cheeks color red. To call a pack member a mutt is a great insult indeed, as if someone were to casually say a racial slur in front of the "offending" party. She has been called such an insult several times but it is the way this woman says it- so casually and offended- that Carter can not help but feel her anger rise. She knows. Even one thousand three hundred miles away, this woman still knows of Carter's reputation. Of course she knows.
Feeling her spine unconsciously straighten to that of steel, she refuses to acknowledge the question, instead dawning the cold and indifferent mask she so often wears in the company of others. Joey may always act as her bodyguard and general defender but Carter has never truly needed it. She is avoided not only for her disability and shameful reputation but also for her well-known temper.
The woman flushes slightly at the coldness of Carter's answering expression and Carter knows later tonight this woman will tell anyone who will listen about this moment, most likely making it overdramatic such as claiming Carter threatened her life or that she was mad as a rogue. Still, Carter will not let her pride be so insulted by such an ignorant little woman and she lets a quiet growl rumble in the back of her throat.
"Alright, wait in the foyer for opening remarks and then you will be escorted to your room" The woman finally says tersely before scooting off to the next waiting girl. Despite her fear, she is not fearful enough to pass up the opportunity to be rude one last time. Joey has often said that Carter should not allow it, that she should fight for herself. She secretly agrees, though she would rather scare them into respecting her. She only thinks of violence in her more petty and irate moods.
Carter does not release her glare but continues on past the main doors into the threshold.
The foyer is massive, big enough to hold ten of her rooms back home, painted in a Persian style bronze-gold shade in the shape of a large octagon, split in two by a rolling grand staircase of black Victorian marble and iron railings, disappearing upwards into the upper floors. Before the stairs sits a grand indoor stone fountain carved into the shape of a majestic woman, her hair long and flowing, dressed in only a simply shift. By her bare feet stands a small child astride a powerful wolf, it's eyes hard and unyielding in comparison to the giggling child as they stare ahead: the Moon Goddess and her children, both wolf and human.
But even more majestic is the vaulted muraled ceiling above. Painted in every shade from emerald green to sapphire blue to golden brown, it depicts different but equally beautiful landscapes- a rolling hillside, a flowering meadow, a forest of towering redwoods, a stunning mountainside- all painted so exquisitely that Carter could swear if she reached out, she would touch silk-soft grass and smell the scent of pine. Through these scenes are wolves of all sizes and fur colors, some small children in shades of winter white, some adult and varying from velvet brown to fire-red and ink-black. Some hold flowers braided through their fur, some with crowns painted atop their heads. Occasionally there is a beautiful human thrown in the mix, a werewolf in human form, no doubt. And at last, overtop these scenes of wolves and scenery is a sky of silver and white, lorded over by a familiar woman of devastating beauty with a crown in the shape of a moon on her forehead- the Moon Goddess.
It is beautiful enough to make one weep and Carter is distinctly reminded of the temples her mother once told her stories of, blessed to worship the Goddess. They are spread all over the world in remote regions of the forest, sacred and sequestered away from both mortals and even pack members who have not sworn their allegiance as a servant to the Goddess, much like a monk. Few outside of the temples aside from the United Counsel ever see such temples but they are rumored to be without ceilings, open to the sky above to more easily worship the moon and its goddess.
Between the architecture, the ceilings that never end and the lavish devotion to the Moon Goddess, the foyer is as close as she has ever come to such a holy place. Carter notices several girls waiting around her, dabbing at their eyes. All of them flaunt dresses of cream, pink, yellow, white and lavender, their hair straightened or curled, their faces painted in exotic and unique makeup to further accent high cheekbones, full lips and round, wide eyes of varying jeweled shades. Some glance at Carter with confusion, others with pointed sneers.
Carter feels a flash of panic, remembering her most recent nightmares, before pushing the thought away, furious with herself. She does not care what these girls think of her- she hasn't ever cared what anyone has thought of her. Her only job now is to survive this dreaded ball and to leave no more an object of shame than before she arrived.
After a few more minutes, the woman from the front steps bustles in, walking to the foot of the grand staircase before raising a hand, calling for the attention of the nearly two hundred girls filling the foyer. "Ladies, ladies!" She trills happily. Her attitude is the complete opposite of her dealings with Carter, a smile spreading across her thin lips as her eyes fall upon the more "acceptable" young ladies before her. "Welcome, welcome! To the grand historical Berbrooke estate, built in 1813 by our illustrious ancestors and by the mercy and blessings of the Goddess, herself."
She seems pleased by the smattering applause she receives regarding her pack and family's wealth and power. "We also welcome you to this extraordinary event in history! This shall be the most important moment in your young lives. Before we settle you into your new rooms, there are a few guidelines we must attend to. We will want you to be prepared, won't we?"
A few of the girls nod eagerly, though Carter can't help but notice that many look impatient, eager perhaps to start the rest of their journey towards true love.
"My name is Renetta Fuller and I will be the coordinator of all events!" The woman seems to notice all the girls glancing around in awe and her thin smile grows wider. "Yes, yes, it is quite beautiful. We take pride in where we come from-" she gestures to the Moon Goddess above- "and for that and all we have been given, we give thanks. Now-" She claps her hands together and suddenly her demeanor shifts, similar to the strict and business-like attitude she had had towards Carter earlier. "All of you will be escorted to your individual rooms along with your luggage, after the tour. There, you will find a velvet rope by your bedside which, if pulled, will ring for a maid or butler to come and attend to you. This regards anything from questions about any events, requests for food or drink, requests for entertainment such as music or movies, and even help in preparing for events both before and after the ball, and for the ball itself. Our ladies are quite experienced in helping fine young women ready themselves for such a monumental occasion.
"While you may venture to and from each other's rooms, you may not under any circumstances visit the West Wing of the hotel where the males are being welcomed and where they shall reside. We don't want anyone ruining their perfect first meeting by finding each other before the ball now do we?"
A couple girls appear horrified by the thought but Carter eyes the staircase leading to the West Wing curiously. Perhaps, if she can sneak away, she could wander the floor until the boy meant to reject her finds her. It would be much more preferable to be rejected quickly, in private. Then there would be no need to go to the ball at all and she could go home, no doubt hurt but done with this nightmare. Unfortunately, that means she will not be allowed to see Joey until the night of the ball in two days. Maybe she will be able to see him when she sneaks over to the West Wing.
"However, as mentioned in your invitation, there will be several events to entertain yourself in the time being, supervised and away from the males" Mrs. Fuller continues primly. "This will include garden parties and walks, evening cakes and tea and a formal dinner. After you have all been settled in, there will be a garden party tomorrow afternoon so that you may interact and bond."
It is Carter's turn to look horrified.
"Now!" Mrs. Fuller claps her hands again. "Let us get you all settled in and begin preparing for the most important night of your lives!"