The Rejected Mate

The Masquerade Part 1

   Artemis' s POV

   Today is the day, the big 18. Right now I'm in my studio finshing the last touches on Marie's dress. I told Marie that I wasn't going to let her see it till tonight. I slid the dress gently in the dress bag and go to head home. Before I can step into my car, I start to feel burning hot pain throughout my body. My bones begin to crack in various places.
    I drop to the ground as fur begins to sprout all over my body. I look down to find pitch black paws I go over to a little blue pond thats over by my studio. I look at my reflection in awe. Im completely black expect for the blue and green on all four leg the design of my tattoo. I still had my forest green eyes but they had gold fleck in them.
          "Hello!" says a voice my in my head.
          "Hi? Are you my wolf?" I ask.
          "Yes. My name is Sapphire and your is Artemis." Sapphire says.
         "Sapphire... That's a beautiful name." I tell her.
         "Thank you." She replies with a little laugh.
         Go to my truck and pull out a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie with my muzzle. I shift back into my human form and slip the clothes on then climb into my truck and head home.
    When I got home Marie and Kat were standing there with Hope. What the what. I haven't seen Hope since the snogging scene with her and Beck. I climb out of the car. "Hey guys" I said. Marie and Kat reply back with a hello while Hope glares at me, what in the world did I do.
         "You little bitch!" Hope starts off. "You forgot about girls day!" She finshes making me let out a sigh of relief. Kat brust out laughing.
         "You should of seen your face!" She breathes out.
     "To the spa and salon then?" I ask.  Marie and Hope nodd there heads while Kat grimaces at those two words. Hope grabs Kat's and my arms and pull us to her red convertible.
        When we get you the spa Marie and Hope tell them to give our group the best treatment they got. They starting off with swedish massages then a red clay facials. Then after that they start painting our nails. Hope's a pastel lilac, Marie's a french tip design, Kat's a semi-sparkly midnight blue and mine a deep blue.
         Then they began on our hair. Hope had an elegant bun with a ringlet on each side, lining her face. Marie had her hair curled and in a half up do. Kat had soft, romantic curls casading down her back. They turn turned me away from the mirror as they did my hair.
     When they turn me around I gasp. My hair is and half up and half down do. The ringlet casading down my back and around my shoulders with small white roses place in the part that is up and a few placed in the the part that is down. "Its beautiful. Thank you." I tell them. That reply with a bright smile.
    "What about makeup?" Hope questions making them roll their eyes but the begin on the make up. Hope's has lilac eyeshadow and eyeliner that wings out slightly and a lovely shade of coral lipstick. Marie has a white to aqua ombre eyeshadow design and a darling petite pink colored lipstick. Kat has a light smokey eye and a daring bright red colored lipstick. Mine is a white to black ombre with eyeliner the wings out elegantly and a graceful crimson red  colored lipstick.
    Marie apparently brought along Kat's and my dresses here,Hope brought along hers and I brought Marie's.  I hand Marie the bag containing her dress then she hands Kat her dress and my dress to me. Hope changed into a purple mermaid style dress with a black lace inspired design mask. I wait to see my gorgeous friends in there lovely dresses before changing in my dress, a strapless black silk with lace covering the corset. I gently place my gold mask that has an incredible design of twists,turns and swirls and pearls encrusted on it. Kat has a dark blue mask with an elegant design of spirals. Maries mask is a lovely white mask with a feather and diamonds encrusted on it.
        "You all look gorgeous." I state as I exit the dressing room.
        "And so do you" Marie says to me with a bright smile.
        "Thank you." I say, returning the smile.
        "The limo is here!" Hope calls out. Of course glamorous lil Hope rented a limo.
     We head out to the limo which looks like the traditional limo but white from the outside but when you step in there are these luxurious leather seats and colorful lights allumniting the bottom of the seats along with a bar with champagne. "Uh Hope... Champagne? Really?" I question.
         "You're eighteen. Plus you have had shots of vodka one time" she says like its no big deal as she pours four glasses. She hands it to all of us.
         "Cheers to Lil Midnight who is growing up." Hope says.
         "To happiness." Marie says.
         Kat and I look at eachother before saying in unison "To Life! L'chiam!" quoting Flidder on the Roof.
        Kat and I burst into a fit of giggles before we take a sip of the sparkling champagne,  which she spit out.
       "Do we have any regular wine?" Kat asks.  I hand her a glass of Black Raspberry Merlot.
       She takes a sip then sighs "Much better." She says.
    After about 30 minutes of sipping our drinks and chatting then driver notifies us that we are here. We climb out of the limo,greeted by the shimmering ice sculptures of two wolves howling. Beck comes and whisked Hope off to somewhere. When Marie, Kat and I enter at the top of the staircase the room goes silent, everyone staring as we glide gracefully down the stairs. I feel uncomfortable under their stares, I began to feel self conscious.