Unclaimed

Chapter Eighteen- Full Moon

I sat on my iPad until sundown, sending email after email. Signing checks, approving purchases, just an endless wall of responsibilities staring me in the face.

"Beau?" Judas's voice breaking me out of my reverie. I look up at him to see him by the stairs. He was dressed differently. He must have been able to get some of his own clothes shipped in. Dressed in a long sleeveless open robe like garment, it was white, the pants matched along with the heavy boots he wore. His hair was slightly damp and brushed out of his face, falling over shoulders in the most perfect way. And he was painted. Painted white lines overlaying over his inky tattoos that were displayed proudly over his skin. His chest, torso, stomach, arms, nearly every bit of exposed skin was marred with inky old tribal art.

Over his pre existing tattoo sat painted white lines that graced over his arms and collar bone. Dots outlined the salt white pathways, even tracing over his face.

"Cassie is waiting to paint you." He jerks his thumb over the ledge.

"I'm done for the night anyways." I say and stand heading with him downstairs. Finding Cassie laughing with Yazmin as she paints her. Brush sliding over exposed skin as she painted blue flowers all over my sister.

"I've never painted myself for a full moon celebration." Yazmin giggles as she dressed in a simple white sundress. "We always wear white and go running with the pack, it's pretty standard."

She says and I stand in the living room, watching them with my arms crossed as I remember those celebrations. I would never run with the pack, I felt so out of place among them. Running with them seemed like a waste of time.

"Our festivals are a bit more lively. Everyone brings food, we dance, we sing, sometimes we set up this huge white sheet and a projector for an outdoor theater." Cassie says gesturing with her hands, the size of the structure. "Thankfully we have enough bourbon and beer to keep the party going until sunrise."

"You make beer too?" Yazmin asks looking at me in shock.

"Yes. Ten miles outside of town in a distillery." I answer.

"We also have a dispensary, so you'll definitely smell-" Cassie starts but I interrupt.

"Okay!" I cut Cassie off gesturing for her to keep quiet as my mother eyes me suspiciously. Cassie finishes up with Yasmin and I sit down in the chair in front of her, taking Yazmin's place.

Cassie brings out a different jar of paint. This color was blood red.

"MaryAnne sent some clothes from her neighbors dress shop for tonight." Cassie says gesturing to the black shopping bag behind her. I roll my eyes as Cassie begins to paint me. "It would be rude of you to deny a gift from your neighbors." She teases.

"Is it too late to remind everyone who's supplying the alcohol for this festival?" I ask and everyone in the room laughs. Once Cassie is finished painting me I head up to my room to change. The clothes themselves seemed impossible to figure out, until my mother came upstairs to help me.

"Isabeau?"

"I never had any problem with normal dresses." I sigh as I hold up the black piece of fabric.

"It's a set. Come let me help you." She says and I turn stripping out of my clothes while my mother helps me dress. She stands behind me constantly twiddling with my hair, as I survey myself in the mirror,

It was a set alright. A skirt that wrapped around my wide hips barely covering my ass, thankfully it was more of a loincloth so I wasn't subjected to complete exposure. The hem of the skirt reached to the floor as the sides of my thighs and legs were left completely exposed showing all of the tribal red paint that sat on my dark skin. The top only covered my breasts. Thin string fastened around my back and neck holding the top in place as the black fabric barely covered the darkness of my nipples. The hem of the shirt falling in an asymmetrical pattern to my navel.