own. Conor
consoles me, confirming it is a part of the ritual.
It’s hard to
imagine that these girls turn into wolves. The one has scarlet hair and green
eyes. The other two have white hair like the snow and icy blue eyes. They are
extraordinarily beautiful and I wish I knew what they look like when they turn
into wolves. Why Conor didn’t fall in love for one of these girls? They are
like him.
Stop thinking
about other women, Calista. He loves you. He chose you. So, stop doubting your
worth and stand by him.
I have to wash
myself in the lake and then the girls help me get dressed and decorate my hair
with little white flowers. I didn’t want to break the tradition, even if this
isn’t a traditional wedding, so I decided on a white long dress – a different
one from my engagement dress. My emotions are scrambled. Of course I am beyond
cheerful for getting married to the man I love. On the other hand, I am worried
about the ritual…Not knowing what it involves is disconcerting. The absence of
my parents and my family doesn’t make it any easier for me either…
Conor is getting
ready outside with the help of the girls’ husbands. More people come, but in
the hut only women are allowed, so I don’t know how many will actually attend
and what they are preparing. There is a lot of noise outside, which only adds
to my uneasiness. I mean, there will be people I hardly know, that have the
ability to turn into wolves. A knot twists in my stomach. I can still run away…
Seriously,
Calista? Run from so many wolves? You didn’t even succeed in escaping from one.
Thankfully, I
didn’t.
The girls are
really kind with me. They try to satisfy my curiosity and calm my anxiety. Not
very successfully I have to admit, as they are not permitted to reveal details
about the ceremony that will follow. They soothe me however, affirming it will
be a gratifying and unforgettable experience.
A tall, blonde
man opens the door when the night has fallen and informs us that they are
ready.
The girls
proceed, leaving me the last one to get out. I am dumbfounded by what they have
arranged. In the open area in front of the hut, there are torches all around,
embedded on the ground, that light the forest in the most exquisite way. There
are men and women sitting on wooden chairs, placed in a circle. I really don’t
know how they managed to carry all those chairs. A small group of them has some
kind of colored drums in front of them. A cold, blunt silence spreads all
around. So many people and no one makes a single sound. Behind the chairs,
there are two tables laid with food and wine. In the middle is a raised, large,
wooden platform. There are candles on the upper edge of it, along with two
vases of red roses. A red blanket covers the platform. It looks like an altar.
I get scared.
Stories about people being sacrificed in the past in faraway civilizations come
to my mind. I shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong with these people. And as I
take a step back, I see him. He is standing next to the altar wearing black
pants and a white shirt. He is freshly shaven and his hair is cut shorter. He
looks elegant. I’ve never seen him dressed like a gentleman. I gape at him without
noticing I have opened my mouth slightly. Our eyes lock and it’s just him and
me. He breaks a smile. And at that moment all my doubts are pushed aside. I
don’t mind if they slaughter me. I don’t care if they eat me alive. All I care
is that I am his.
I march behind
the girls not knowing where exactly I am supposed to go. Fortunately, we move
towards Conor. He gently crosses his arm over my waist and brings me closer to
him. He looks in my eyes deeply and kisses me. My legs tremble at his touch.
When he removes his lips off mine, he kisses my cheek.
“Don’t be
scared. Trust me, Calista,” he whispers in my ear and retreats from me to the
people sitting on the chairs.
No. Where is he
going? Why is he leaving me alone? My eyes are begging him to come back,
consoles me, confirming it is a part of the ritual.
It’s hard to
imagine that these girls turn into wolves. The one has scarlet hair and green
eyes. The other two have white hair like the snow and icy blue eyes. They are
extraordinarily beautiful and I wish I knew what they look like when they turn
into wolves. Why Conor didn’t fall in love for one of these girls? They are
like him.
Stop thinking
about other women, Calista. He loves you. He chose you. So, stop doubting your
worth and stand by him.
I have to wash
myself in the lake and then the girls help me get dressed and decorate my hair
with little white flowers. I didn’t want to break the tradition, even if this
isn’t a traditional wedding, so I decided on a white long dress – a different
one from my engagement dress. My emotions are scrambled. Of course I am beyond
cheerful for getting married to the man I love. On the other hand, I am worried
about the ritual…Not knowing what it involves is disconcerting. The absence of
my parents and my family doesn’t make it any easier for me either…
Conor is getting
ready outside with the help of the girls’ husbands. More people come, but in
the hut only women are allowed, so I don’t know how many will actually attend
and what they are preparing. There is a lot of noise outside, which only adds
to my uneasiness. I mean, there will be people I hardly know, that have the
ability to turn into wolves. A knot twists in my stomach. I can still run away…
Seriously,
Calista? Run from so many wolves? You didn’t even succeed in escaping from one.
Thankfully, I
didn’t.
The girls are
really kind with me. They try to satisfy my curiosity and calm my anxiety. Not
very successfully I have to admit, as they are not permitted to reveal details
about the ceremony that will follow. They soothe me however, affirming it will
be a gratifying and unforgettable experience.
A tall, blonde
man opens the door when the night has fallen and informs us that they are
ready.
The girls
proceed, leaving me the last one to get out. I am dumbfounded by what they have
arranged. In the open area in front of the hut, there are torches all around,
embedded on the ground, that light the forest in the most exquisite way. There
are men and women sitting on wooden chairs, placed in a circle. I really don’t
know how they managed to carry all those chairs. A small group of them has some
kind of colored drums in front of them. A cold, blunt silence spreads all
around. So many people and no one makes a single sound. Behind the chairs,
there are two tables laid with food and wine. In the middle is a raised, large,
wooden platform. There are candles on the upper edge of it, along with two
vases of red roses. A red blanket covers the platform. It looks like an altar.
I get scared.
Stories about people being sacrificed in the past in faraway civilizations come
to my mind. I shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong with these people. And as I
take a step back, I see him. He is standing next to the altar wearing black
pants and a white shirt. He is freshly shaven and his hair is cut shorter. He
looks elegant. I’ve never seen him dressed like a gentleman. I gape at him without
noticing I have opened my mouth slightly. Our eyes lock and it’s just him and
me. He breaks a smile. And at that moment all my doubts are pushed aside. I
don’t mind if they slaughter me. I don’t care if they eat me alive. All I care
is that I am his.
I march behind
the girls not knowing where exactly I am supposed to go. Fortunately, we move
towards Conor. He gently crosses his arm over my waist and brings me closer to
him. He looks in my eyes deeply and kisses me. My legs tremble at his touch.
When he removes his lips off mine, he kisses my cheek.
“Don’t be
scared. Trust me, Calista,” he whispers in my ear and retreats from me to the
people sitting on the chairs.
No. Where is he
going? Why is he leaving me alone? My eyes are begging him to come back,
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