"What are you?" He asks me, breaking the silence. I am quite shocked by this question. Mostly because I don't even know how to answer it.
"Werewolf. I think... And you are a vampire," I state. He nods.
"You don't smell like a werewolf." He lifts his...
I lean forward to look out the window, as we pull up the small road towards a grand castle. It almost takes me by surprise, as it seems to jump out suddenly towards us behind the trees. My mouth opens in awe as I try to take in every detail of this magnificent building. That's when Dom teasing puts a single finger under my chin and lifts it up to close my mouth. I look over at him confused and a bit annoyed, but he just smiles at me devilishly.
"You were drooling," he remarks, and I quickly wipe embarrassedly with the back of my hand around my mouth, but when I feel nothing wet, I realize he was just joking. I send him a piercing look, which makes him laugh and then playfully bump my shoulder with his. At this, I can't hold back the involuntary smile creeping up my lips, and then I giggle as well.
The man driving us stops the car outside what looks to be a wall going all the way around the castle. Another man stands not far away, guarding a door, which would lead us entrance into the castle grounds. I wonder if we are about to go through a search of the car, but then the two men just wave to each other, before the doors are swung open, and we drive through.
Not long after that, we park right outside the giant front doors of the castle. I step out quickly, once again letting myself marvel over the giant structure. My eyes fly to the door, as they seem to swing open on their own accord. But then I notice a small lady in a maid's costume halfway hidden behind each door.
We walk up the steps and venture inside, where the maids now both bow slightly, averting their gaze from us. I have never felt so much like royalty than ever since I started travelling with Dom, and I'm still not quite sure how to feel about it. Simultaneously I feel like an imposter since I'm not a vampire - or royalty - and I also feel like it's unfair how some of these people are treated. But then again, all I've met so far seemed pretty willing - except of course for the people Dom mind tricked into doing something, but that's beside the point.
The man who drove us here bid us farewell at the entrance, before returning to his car and supposedly driving back to his wife. As the doors close behind us, one of the maids gestures for us to follow her, before leading us into a large drawing room of some kind. Several seating arrangements are scattered across the room, making it feel more intimate than the size would normally allow.
I spot a small nook of sofas that seem very comfortable, so I venture over to them with Dom and Alasdair in tow behind me. I plop down on one of the sofas, and sure enough, it's very comfortable. Alasdair sits down on the sofa across from me, and then Dom takes set next the me with one hand on my thigh. It sends a little throb through me as I try to suppress a blush and keep it cool.
I'm still not entirely sure what we are supposed to be doing, but it feels wrong to talk, almost like the room would echo too much and that would be improper, so I remain silent, slightly tapping my foot.
As I sit and inspect my nails, I jerk a little in shock as Dom and Alasdair suddenly shoot up from their seats. My eyes fly up, and then I spot a man and woman, who I assume must be Isobel and Farlan. They are dressed in expensive clothing - Isobel wearing a long regal-looking dark dress with colours of black, red, and strings of gold. Farlan is clad in a suit of some sort, equally Victorian and gothic looking.
I rise as well, but even before I'm standing up all the way, Alasdair, Farlan and Dom are wrapped in a tight embrace, clapping each other on their backs and mumbling all sorts of greeting along the lines of 'So good to see you again', and 'I've missed you'. It's hard picking out the individual lines, however, both because they are all talking over each other, and it's all coated in that thick accent that makes it hard enough to understand as is.
I stand, not really sure what to do, and that's when my eyes find Isobel standing equally as dumbfounded as me. We exchange a smile, and then I walk over to her, feeling very underdressed in her glowing presence. Nothing looks out of place on her, even her hair cascading down her shoulders is the same pretty golden colour, so it compliments her dress perfectly.
I grasp her outstretched hand and then bow slightly telling her my name. She squeezes it way too hard in return and tells me hers, but as my face contorts a bit in pain, she quickly pulls back her hand and places it in front of her mouth.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she replies in a sweet voice and with big surprised eyes. I just shake my head in return.
"No, no, that's okay!" I respond, shaking the pain out of my hand as inconspicuously as possible. Then I poke a finger back over my shoulder at the three guys, now in the middle of looking each other up and down and complimenting each other and stating how each of them has grown since last.
"Alasdair almost crushed me as well, when I first met him, so don't worry about that," I say with laughter in my voice, for some reason not wanting her to feel bad. She seems genuinely sweet, and I can't help but think of Louise when I look at her. She just has that same vibe.
"I just assumed you were a vampire as well, so I forgot to hold back on my strength," she explains, and I'm surprised to learn, that she has a different accent from the people I've met so far. Or, that's not true, she sounds like the woman who checked out Dom at Bonkle House - the one who went and got Lily to greet us instead.
"Where are you from?" I ask before thinking, and mentally kick myself at my directness. But it doesn't seem to bother Isobel, as she quickly answers.
"I'm originally from England, from a city close to Nottingham?" She ends her comment in a question like she is asking me if I know where that is. I just nod in response, even though I know nothing about geography except for the closest landmarks to my old pack's territory.
"What about you?" she then asks me, and I'm not entirely sure how to answer. I decide I might as well tell the truth.
"I'm from the States - a pack in the Shasta-Trinity forest," I tell her, recalling the names that Dom used to describe the places since I didn't really have words for them myself. However, I notice Isobel physically pulling a step back at my comment, and then how the three boys have turned completely silent at my comment. A cold chill runs down my spine, as one intimidating voice breaks the silence behind me.
"You brought a werewolf into my home!?"
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