Connection Through Blindness

Chapter 27

"You're so pretty!" a little girl gushed in awe.

"And you don't even wear makeup to look that good," an older girl said.

I shook my head, a smile on my face. "You don't need makeup to look pretty. You are," I correct lightly. "Girls wear makeup because they think of it as art, in its own way."

"I like video games," a boy interrupted a girl before she could say anything.

"I do too!" I confessed excitedly. "I prefer the old games, though. And some of the new ones."

"Like what?" A teenage boy asked, eyes shining.

"Like Mortal Kombat and the old Super Mario Bros and Assassins Creed and Black Ops. You know, along those lines."

The kids went into their own loud conversations, but when the Beta Ryan arrived, everyone got in line and went to attention like the military cadets would if their CO called them to attention.

I chew on the inside of my bottom lip. "You don't have to do that every single time," I said.

"Sorry," they apologize.

"But," I carry on, "it's good that you do because it shows the respect you have for your senior."

"Hey, I'm not that old," he joked.

They laugh and went on with their conversations.

"What's up?" I asked as we walk away.

Ryan visibly gulps. "How do you win over your mate?"

That question, and the way he said it, made me wrap my arm around his like how the women did when they held their dates. But it didn't mean anything like that. It was more friendly than a relationship.

"You have to find who you are before you can win her over. Do you know who are?"

"How can I be myself if I'm so nervous around her?" he asked nervously.

I couldn't help but laugh at him. He took my laugh the wrong way because he frowned. "It's not funny," he grumbled while looking down at the floor.

A leaf fell past his head and I quickly snatched it up, twisting it between my fingers. "I know the situation isn't funny," I agree, sobering up. "But the way you act like a teenager boy on his first date is cute."

The sky was very cloudy and dark today - like it always was - but something was different. The dark clouds didn't hold a threat to the land. They were starting to brighten. I took breath fulls of warm air and enjoyed the calmess it gave me.

"You must look inside yourself and speak the truth when you're with her. Never lie to her. Be who you truly are on the inside," I advise.

He still didn't seem at ease. "How would I do that?"

"Look in your heart and figure it out because I can't answer that for you; you have to do that. It's not going to be easy though," I tell him truthfully. "You've hidden who you were to serve the Alpha King, but now it's time to become the person you were always meant to be."

I allowed him to take his time to process that information as we continued to walk to no particular place. When he was ready he turned to me with a huge smile.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, coming to a stop and holding my hands.

With a smile on my face, I squeeze his hands. "No problem, Ry," I brush aside the thanks.

Not even one minute after the Beta left did Ray swoop down and scream his head off. Then I felt what he felt, and I knew it wasn't good.

"What's wrong?"