Rue
"You'll have to cut and dye your hair, then use contact lenses." A woman briefly informed me and I frowned at her in confusion.
"What does 'dye' mean? And contact lenses…?"
The woman sighed, and behind her, Landon let out a fond l laugh before stepping forward to place a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"She's not from this place, where she was from is quite backward, so go easy on her." He said to the woman who he just introduced to me, that's supposed to help me get ready for my new life.
The woman was a skinny and tall figure. She had a flawless looking face and skin. But she was scowling, and sounded like she had better things to do right now.
"Backward? Like medieval? That still exist?" She asked Landon before glancing at me for a moment and Landon nodded before walking up to me to ruffle my hair. People are usually scared to touch my hair because of the two colors, but he acted like it was normal and not something unusual and weird, and that made my chest ache.
"Have fun with Aria, I'll come collect you in a few hours, okay? Then you'll get taken to the school tonight." He informed me and after a few more exchanges, he turned and left with Elias, whose house we spent the night at, then it was just myself and Aria.
"So, Medieval, huh? What do you guys wear? Breaches and corsets? That kind of shit?"
I shrugged awkwardly and nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
She barked out a laugh. "That's hilarious. You don't get sweaty?"
Not knowing what to say, I remained silent. Almost immediately, she clapped her hands excitedly and looked around the store we're currently in— it was a mall, according to Landon. Apparently, his friend is rich enough to rent it out for me and Aria to have privacy in it for a few hours. It was filled with shelves after shelves of so many things that I could recognize.
"Let's get to work then!" She chanted, then began to pull me to shelve after shelve, picking out different things and handing them to me. As I trailed after her, I was bursting with excitement over the new life I was about to start living. Landon assured me I'd be safe in Syrulix, and I believed him.
He also said I just had to blend in and all would be well.
I was looking forward to experiencing living like a normal teen. Since I grew up as a slave, I wasn't opportuned to attend school like other kids. A kind maid in the pack taught me all the things I know, and she taught me to read and write as well.
At this point, Aria had finished picking out everything she believed I'd need, and now I was trying some of the stuff on. They were all masculine clothes, pants, shirts, shoes, and so on.
"You'll have to use this binder at all times, perhaps except when you're about to sleep. No one must find out you're a girl, so hiding your breasts is very important. It's very good you barely have anything on your chest." She snorted at the last part and I scowled at her while she laughed before urging me to take off my shirt.
She helped me wrap the binder around my chest. It was so tight and I almost couldn't breath but she told me I'd have to get used to it.
I then changed into male clothings and she nodded as she looked me over, then she clapped her hands and pulled me towards the bathroom here in the mall. In there, she pulled out scissors and what she claimed was the dye she'd apply to my head.
A few hours later, my long hair was chopped off, and only reached my chin now, then she colored the hair so it was a deep brown. The brown hair framed my face, and paired with the contact lenses now in my eyes, which hid my two colored eyes, I looked completely different from my normal self— almost unrecognizable.
"You still look too pretty for a boy. Your plump lips are constantly in a cute pout, and your face… this disguise barely did a thing in making you appear manly if I'm being honest. It would have been better if you were a little taller at least. You're what? Five foot two?"
When I kept staring at her, she sighed. "Oh well, I guess this would have to do. At least you look different, and that's the initial point."
She began to pack the hair supplies into a bag while I looked at my reflection again.
"We're leaving right now, your brother is waiting." She called out and I turned around to regard her.
"How do you know my brother?" I asked and she shrugged.
"You'd have to ask him, kid."
I scowled. "I'm not a kid."
She laughed this time. "You're seventeen." She pointed out as she stepped out of the bathroom while I trudged after her. She briefly stepped away to answer a call, and I decided to look around a bit.
I took the first turn, staring longingly at the hair accessories piled high over a shelf, while inwardly noting that I'd have given to have one of those while growing up. I abruptly turned sideways to resume walking when I walked right into a hard chest.
A startled squeak escaped my lips on realization just as I began to fall backwards.
But the boy I walked into, grabbed my wrist before I could hit the ground. I blinked up at him, cheeks flushing against my will when our eyes locked. He was so tall, and his blue eyes sized me up as he righted me just as he dropped my hand. His hands went back into his pockets, his black hair pushed away from his handsome face. I stood like a zombie, struggling for what to say.
"I'm sorry—" I began, but was cut off by the sound of people running towards us. My eyes instantly widened, my heart lurching into my throat.
At the last moment, I realized the people running were staff of this mall, and they stood some feet behind the boy I had just ran into, their heads bowed, while one of them struggled to get his words out— and I realized it was because of fear.
"Mr Blackwood, y- you can't be here, please. A co- costumer already rented it out for a few—" the man still speaking trailed off when the boy threw him a sharp glance, right before he cocked his head.
"I won't be long, I only need to pick up a thing then I'll be gone." He drawled before nodding at me.
"Is this who the store was bought out for?" He drawled, then his eyes raked over me before his lips twitched. "Spoilt brat much? What the hell does someone need a whole mall rented out for?"
I flinched at the coldness in his voice and the disgust and judgement in his eyes directed at me.
The staff tried speaking but he glanced at them and they swallowed their words again. It was clear that this boy welded power, for the staff to be acting this way around him.
Who the hell is he?
Footsteps echoed from behind me then Aria was placing her hand over my shoulder.
"Is there a problem? And sorry, but this mall was rented out by us."
"Is that your little brother?" The boy asked Aria, clearly referring to me, and it took a few moments to remember that I had officially begun my disguise as a boy.
"You need to leave." Aria said instead in response, but she felt super tense beside me.
I expect the boy to argue. He didn't. He only chuckled softly then walked up to the shelf beside where I was standing and picked out a fancy hair clip. He glanced at me one more time before turning and leisurely walking away.
I let out a long breath once he was gone and turned to Aria.
"Who's that? The staff seemed to be afraid of him."
"That's Jason, the Alpha prince of the third biggest pack in the country." She revealed and my mouth fell open.
"Oh."
She nodded. "Yeah, and he's quite… intense. But, that's not our business and I doubt if you'd ever come across him after today anyway. Now, let's go meet up with your brother!" She said and I nodded as I fell into step behind her, but I couldn't shake off the intensity in those blue eyes that sized me up minutes ago.