Marcel Conway is fresh on the market for a new year of the Mating Season: a sex auction masquerading as a Peace Trade to keep the packs from going to war. But she's gritting her teeth and digging her heels in, determined to come home to her small bu...
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☽☾☽☾☽☾
The following morning was hell to say the least.
I was fortunate I had Khadra as my roommate who knew me so well as to not disturb my morning ritual. Such as speaking to me before I've had my morning dosage of coffee. Not even Grayson dared to make the mistake at this day and age anymore.
"It's going to be cold," Khadra mused in warning as she brushed her hair and began to apply her makeup. She was careful not to engage me in conversation but to update me on the weather predicament. Clever girl.
I fished out the ridiculous white garb and my face soured. Her brown eyes flickered over to me in the mirror and she pulled a face.
"It's an absolute travesty that that is what we have to wear for this parade," She said hotly before returning to applying her mascara.
I ran a handful of mousse through my wet hair, allowing it to air dry in its natural waves and haphazard baby curls around my face. It maybe wasn't the most desirable hair style, but my mom used to tease me when I was younger by smoothing my frizzy hair and coo at me about how cute my little curls were. This wasn't for style as much as it was for comfort.
I kept my makeup light, shaping my brows and using mascara to brighten my eyes. I did what I could to hide the evidence of exhaustion under my eyes before Khadra decided to come and help.
"You've always been a minimalist," She muttered, swiping a brush wildly across my face. Within moments, she was done and she took a step back to look back and admire her work. "That'll do. Just don't rub your eyes."
I slid on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, throwing the white robe over my shoulder as I quickly stuffed everything in my overnight bag. Khadra stuck her head back out of the bathroom with her toothbrush dangling from her mouth, already wearing the ceremonial white robe and looking like a beautiful virgin ready to be sacrificed in a volcano.
"Coffee run?" She risked the engaging question and I looked up at her, my head aching as I nodded at her. I did a once over. Thermos. Phone. Bag. Wallet. Everything else was in the van.
I was downstairs in the lobby, humming happily to myself as I sipped my sweet morning nectar, watching as the sky outside morphed from black to indigo, streaks of the morning sun threatening the horizon through the window.
I heard someone clear their throat and I looked up to see Johnny Bravo standing before me, looking a bit too impatient. I gauged him for a moment before measuring my first cup of coffee and decided he was not worth the time and effort right now. But Thing Two did not know me.
"Conway," He spoke, his voice cutting through my morning stupor. "We are loading the vans now. You need to-,"
I raised my hand and his sentence fell off as he blinked in confusion.
