Surreal

BERTHA

As I lead Fredrich out of the pack house with our hands intertwined, I could feel the lingering stares off my peers on me. Even though I tried to disregard it, it made me uncomfortable.

“Should I command them to stop?” Friedrich inquires, his voice coming out in soft whispers.

A small smile splay across my lips. “Is it obvious?”

“The stares? Of course,”

I let out a full smile. “I meant; was it obvious that their stares made me uncomfortable?”

He nods. “It made me uncomfortable as well”

When we’d reached the pack’s gate, I slowly let go off his hands. “We’re here. I guess I’ll see you around”

Friedrich holds onto my hands. “Spend more time with me, please”

I pressed my lips onto each other to resist blushing. “I’m needed inside”

“It would just be for a few minutes”

I slowly nod. This decision might upset my peers but I equally wanted to spend more time with Fredrich. I wanted to get to know more about the sort of person he was.

Taking my hands back into his, we walked out through the pack’s gate. “Do you have a certain place you want to go to?” I ask.

“I would like to take you to my place” I stilled. “But relax, I said I would wait and intend to”

“For now,” He continues, “Let’s just parade the market square. Is that okay with you?” I nod.

It was my first time entering the market square for leisure and not to run an errand. Because of that, it was my first time noticing the beautiful decorations hanging down the wall and each shop stand.

“There are so many decorations” I spill out.

“That’s because the annual moon festival recently ended”

“Annual moon festival?”

Friedrich couldn’t hide the look of surprise on his face. “You don’t know about the annual moon festival?”

I shake my head. “I barely leave the pack house.”

“And is that a thing of choice?”

“At first it wasn’t but I suddenly got used to not wanting to leave the pack house”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“You want to know why they treat me that way, don’t you?”

“If you are ready to tell me, that is”

“Well, my father passed away when I was still a toddler. Mother keeps our identity a secret.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never asked her incase the topic might be too hard on her”

Friedrich nods his head. “I understand” We come to stop at a long empty bench. “Should we sit?” I nod. “Do you need something to drink?”

“I’m good, thanks”

“Then continue when you’re ready”

“Because of our secret identity, my peers often treated me as an outcast but I think their actions became justified when I’d turend18 but was mateless”

Friedrich grazes his fingers across my cheeks. “Nothing justifies their actions. It was wrong of them to have treated you that way. Why didn’t you ever fight back?”

I shrugged. “It was a hassle”

“I promise you from now on, I’ll protect you” Standing up from the bench, Fredrich pulls me up along with him. “I want to get you something. Can I?”

How could I say No when he asked in such a soft tone? “And I would like to return the favor”

“You have already done so in more ways than one. Let’s go” Friedrich leads me to a beauty stall shop where he gets me a dress. “Can you change into this? I want to take you somewhere”

With a fluttering heart, I nod; taking the dress from him as I move to the changing room. I had troubles putting on the dress but a lady had come around to assist me. “You look breathtaking” The lady complements.

Embarrassed, I looked away from her as it was the first time I heard such words and they sounded sincere not forced. “Thank you”

“Your husband is a lucky man”

“My husband?” I repeat, taken aback.

“Oh sorry, I thought the man waiting outside was your husband”

Blushing, I respond. “We are not joined together yet”

“I’ll take my leave now” The lady says as she exits the changing room.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn’t move for a second. It was difficult to believe that the girl looking right back at me was…ME.” Is this really me, Ziggy?” I inquired with my voice choking up.

“It is” Ziggy, my wolf responds. “So, take in every single bit of it”

And I do. I admire myself in disbelief. Friedrich must have thought I’d died as he rushed over to the changing room knocking fervently on the door. “Bertha, area you still there?”

“Just a minute” Fixing my hair one last time, I step out of the changing room. Once our eyes locked, I stood in my spot completely left breathless by the look in Fredrich’s eyes. It was a look that said so many words.

“Oh my...” Friedrich gasps, his eyes raking up and down my frame. “You’re so beautiful”

I glanced away from him. “Thank you”

Friedrich cupped up my chin to look him in the eye. “Don’t shy away from me”

“I can’t help it” I confess. This was the first time I’d felt loved by someone that wasn’t family. It was a feeling I was still finding hard to accept and believe. “It all feels surreal”

“Then let me remind you about how real this all is” Friedrich says, leading me out of the changing room and the beauty stall into an unfamiliar building.

“Friedrich, where are we going?” He says nothing until we come to a stop in a small apartment. Fredrich leads us up into an empty room; shutting the door instantly behind him.

“I know I promised to wait but...” His voice trails off as if he was fighting himself against spilling out the next words but he says it anyways after much debating. “Let me make love to you, Bertha.”