Of ARES

Two | Dinner and a Show

The human cities always managed to be teeming with life while, simultaneously, being the most boring areas within our territory. Within any territory, to be honest.

I pushed through the glass doors lined with fingerprints from people who didn't understand how to use a door handle. A little bell rang out as my black heels clicked against the polished, white floors, taking in the restaurant lit mainly by a chandelier at its center. I was greeted by a male who dressed well enough to look like he was supposed to be my date. His black suit and tie matched nicely with the tight, cobalt dress that practically restricted my normal breathing patterns. He smiled, stiffening as I came closer. Human, I thought. I didn't need to interrogate his scent to make that conclusion.

"Just one?" He asked, peeking around me slightly to see no one follow me in. I smiled, doing my best to ignore how much that one hurt.

"I'm meeting two others," I corrected, my tone sickly sweet. My smile matching it. "I believe they're already here."

The man's eyes widened and looked down at the desk he stood behind.

"Oh, yes. You must be Claudia?" I could have cringed at the use of my full name. Clearly, my mother was the one who had given it to him.

"That would be me." My smile faltered the smallest bit, and he was quick to catch it. Probably mistaking my distaste of the name for impatience.

Moving at a speed comparable to a sleep-deprived Vampire, he urged me to follow him into the bustling dining area. Flat-foot, I'm sure this man could have almost met me at eye-level. However, because I was wearing pumps with a heel that could be used as a weapon, I towered over the male of average height. That, in itself, was enough to draw the eyes of every person in the building.

It was one of the only downsides to eating at Roso's, the lavish, little Italian restaurant located in the center of Benedum, a human city. As it was one of the finest eateries in our territory, Wolves and other Umbran frequented it. We had a right to—the Wolves. Benedum was under our pack's jurisdiction, so we controlled every person that came in and out, supernatural or not. Though, it was still a human city, and the Alpha did his best to make sure it stayed as human as possible. Many humans went several years at a time without seeing any supernaturals, let alone Wolves. My presence at Roso's was dinner and a show.

My height wasn't the only dead giveaway of my genetic curse. Golden skin, a common trait among Wolves, complimented the dark-blue hue of the dress. It was a tone similar to those of the Fae in the Light Realm, only being a few shades darker in comparison. I'd never met one, but I'd heard they were anything but pleasant, resembling more of a Vamp's attitude than an Angel's.

The only other signs being the canines that never exactly went away and the black pack-marking that stuck out like a sore thumb, beginning on the inside of my right forearm, wrapping my wrist, and ending around my middle finger.

Brushing off the awestruck stares and whispers, I found my parents seated at a table in the center of the room. Most likely at the request of my mother. She enjoyed a scenic dinner.

I smiled at my father, flashing my bright teeth and exposing the canines that were still a jaw-dropper despite not being fully retracted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some old woman flinch, probably out of fear that it was a snarl of sorts. Stupid hag. My father smiled back at me. It must have caught her attention because I was no longer seeing the back of her head. The short, black bob of hair was replaced by my mother's joyful face. Then, after glancing down at the dress I'd been wearing, it was replaced by her judgmental face. Typical.

I placed a gentle hand on the man's shoulder who had been directing me. He slowed, allowing me to lean down and say, "I've got it from here." No other convincing was necessary. Poor guy scurried off like a bat out of the Deep.