I fumbled with my paints to try and produce the soft orange that I needed to complete the sky of my oil painting. Just as it sounds, I was named after the color blue. My mother, and her mother before her were both painters. It was my mother's favorite color, and so Cyan was born. My parents had both left a long time ago. Not out of lack of love for their daughter, but lack of love for their city.
After the werepeople had emerged into day—to—day society, the human race took it better than expected. They wanted territory, and the humans wanted protection. My parents, however, learned quickly about the strings that come along with such a peaceful agreement. Humans can be paired as mates with werewolves, which wasn't revealed until it was too late. Both boys and girls were stripped from their homes as the years went on, and the unofficial segregation between the humans and werewolves began.
Most humans had moved outside the city. Most lived in isolation, with families sheltering their sons and daughters from being forced into a life they could never return from. The werepeople were kind, but possessive. Knowing it would drive a wedge between the races, it was decided that it was better to keep our distance.
My parents had begged for me to come with them when they moved from the city to the countryside, but I was an artist. The galleries, as well as my inspiration, was in the heart of this mystical city by the west coast. I risked it and stayed.
I should have gone.
"The King humbly requests the presence of all females at his coronation ball on May 20th," Alessia read over the old—timey scroll that had arrived on my front porch neatly in a bow a week prior. She ran her fingers over it.
"You can stop drooling on it," I muttered.
"You have to go," she rolled her eyes.
"And third wheel with you and Ace? No thanks," I grumbled.
"Why are you so afraid of them? So afraid of us," her voice faltered. I stopped the painting I was working so diligently on and turned to face her.
"You know I'm not afraid of you, Alessia. The Royal Court is a different breed of werewolf, no pun intended, and you know it. I'm safer behind these walls," I trailed my fingers along the wood of the easel.
"You act like werewolves are aliens. You've known me since grade school." The frown was eminent in her voice.
"I'm not going to his flimsy ball, end of discussion. Third wheeling with you and Ace is the most horrifying thing I can think of." I turned back to the task at hand.
"Will you at least come with me to get my gown? The alterations are finished," she pleaded.
That little, I could agree on. Alessia came from a werewolf family, I from a human one, and hers was high up in ranks. Her father was a Beta, so money was something that came easily to them. I told her she was wasting her money, but Alessia didn't care. Her mate, Ace, was on the Royal Council. He was the King's personal bodyguard, which left Alessia alone more often then not.
Luckily, she had me. I lived in my parent's old home on the top of the hill furthest from town and furthest from the Royal House. We lived right on the coast, and the view was stunning. My parents had moved away from the werewolf scene as soon as they could get their hands on the new place. I stayed for Alessia.
Going downtown was always a weird experience. The humans stayed on the outskirts of town, and it wasn't because we were outsiders. We were equals, but the werepeople tend to have more drama than usual. Punching walls, fights in the streets, temper, high—testosterone related stuff. We just keep our distance for damage control. But down here with all the boutiques and shops makes you feel like you're sucked into another world. Her boutique was, of course, the best in town, "L'Abito"
As soon as she came out with her stunning red dress on, I knew that Ace was a lucky man. The silk fabric draped in luxurious folds as it cascaded down her long legs. It had a tight sweetheart neckline that illuminated her collarbones, and it cinched into a smooth fabric from her waist up. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I stayed on the polar opposite end of town for a reason. I haven't even seen the Royal Palace in person. I just knew that on his weeks off, he treated her like a princess.
"You look amazing, Alessia," I was breathless.