The DarkNess Within Him | ✔

Chapter Thirty Five - Part 1

“You have magic fingers, Mer,” I praise when I stare into the mirror, looking at the single braid that slides effortlessly down my back with faithful intricacy. With the help of the attached hairpiece intertwined in my natural hair to make the braid, an illusion of length is given as stops only at the tiny intersection between the base of my spine and arch of my ass.

“Ah, thank you!” She coos, moving away from me to take out her makeup palette and I stare on dreadfully. Mer looks at me, her amused gaze concealing her chuckle when she says, “I know you hate makeup but it’s your engagement so lighten up. I promise to make the makeup light and natural. It’ll be like it isn’t even there.”

I sigh, doubting that highly when she moves towards me with a small instrument meant to shapen my eyebrows. I don’t like makeup. Other than a coat of lip gloss during the colder weather and maybe lipstick and eyeliner here and there when I tried to look beautiful for Jayce and Mason or on my birthdays - which also happens to be New Year’s day - I never wear makeup.

The only reason I’m even letting her paint my face with this stuff is because of the engagement. It’s tonight. Apparently, Kian’s pack has a tradition. Whenever a pack member of theirs plans to marry a female from another pack, there are two engagement parties instead of one. The first one has to be done in the girl’s pack. It’s a fairly simple process of inviting pack members, family and friends to eat, drink and dance until midnight and then at midnight, there is an exchange of necklaces. The necklaces have lockets with pictures of the significant other. Therefore, I’ll have to wear a locket with Kian’s picture inside and he’ll wear one with my picture inside. The lockets are kept on until the wedding/marking.

Now, I feel Mer’s makeup instrument working on my face; the gentle strokes of the sharp eye pencil as she draws my brows. She better make this look natural or else...

I plant my hand on my thigh, feeling the rough satin lace of my black dress. I smile, remembering the dress I dragged Mer to the store to help me pick out for the occasion. A simple black tube dress that stops mid-thigh and covered on the surface with satin lace. The lace extends to the top part, concealing my chest, the top curve of my breasts and back then drags on as fitted sleeves until it stops at my wrists. Despite my problem with dresses, I have to admit that I quite like this one. Especially the sleeves. Satin sleeves look surprisingly good on me.

This dress makes me feel feminine especially with the way it accentuates the curves of my hips. My only problem with it would be the length. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with my body. I’m not the type that frets over my looks. Never have been. It’s just that it feels so strange to not have my legs covered.

“Kayla?” Mer calls when she applies the first coat of lipstick onto my upper lip. I look at her, watching her eyebrows furrow in deep concentration and then she continues. “Are you sure about this?I mean, I have nothing against Kian. He’s sweet but I just can’t picture you with him. It seems far-fetched.”

“I’m sure,” I chide, despite feeling my chest clutch tight within me. I’m not sure. I’m not sure at all. In fact, with each day that passes, I regret this decision more and more. It’s a constant battle between changing my mind and keeping my word.

“Why don’t I believe you?” She chimes when she takes the lipstick tube away from me. “I mean, you’re wearing black. Who gets engaged in black?”

“Black is my favourite colour!” I argue.

“Well that jackass Alpha Brian won’t like it. Trust me,” she scoffs when she takes subtle steps away. She exclaims when she says, “don’t do this Kayla, no version of power is worth having a demon like Brian as a father-in-law.”