The reflection in the mirror bounced back at her and her hand traveled on its own to her neck. She loved the feel of the necklace that adorned her neck and she admired the pendant lovingly. Its intricate design was rare and special but she was never allowed to show it off. She was brought to reality when the ever nagging voice in her head hummed softly.
“Bella?” She called out of herself.
“As always, I’m right here.” Luna Bella replied cheerfully.
“Keep quiet!” She ordered, slightly irritated at Bella's cheerfulness.
“I can’t, I’m just so happy this morning.” Luna Bella's voice rang in her head once more.
“Keep quiet or get out of my head!” She yelled.
“We both know I can’t get out and technically you’re arguing with yourself, because there’s no one around.” Luna Bella pointed out, chuckling happily.
“Please tell me, how can I get rid of you?” Tiana demanded with an air of desperation.
Luna Bella laughed loudly, “No way hon, coz we stuck together.”
“Why!” Tiana demanded, her irritation getting the better of her.
“Because I’m your wolf!” Luna Bella snapped at her in annoyance and continued her humming.
Tiana groaned and touched the necklace again. “Bell?” She called softly, after a couple of seconds.
“What is it again?!” Luna Bella barked at her.
“Do you know why mum gave us this necklace?”
“This is the upteempth time you’ve asked me.”
“I'm curious.” Tiana replied warily.
"I am too, I don’t know why. I am technically a wolf not a seer.” Luna Bella answered.
“If she wants us to have it, why can't we wear it proudly?” Tiana queried, confused at the situation.
Luna Bella was silent for a while,“I think she’s protecting us.”
“From what?”
“I’m clueless.” Luna Bella replied and resumed her humming.
Tiana ran her hand over the pendant, she’d had the necklace on since she was ten. It was her tenth year birthday present.
“Never let anyone see or know you have this on, Tiana.” Her mother had told her that day as she helped her secure the lock on her neck.
“Why?” She'd demanded as her curiosity got the better of her.
“It’s your guide to those who need you…it’s your family too.” Her mother replied.
“But if they can’t see it on my neck, how can they know they need me, mom?”
“Darling, they’ll find you when it’s time, until then keep it on and keep it safe.” Was her mother’s reply.
She combed her long hair and carefully curled it into her favourite bun before heading to the bed to examine the clothes she had arranged earlier before going to take her bath then headed to the vanity table. Carefully collecting her contact lenses from its box, she carefully wore them. She had always had them on since she could remember to call her name whenever she was going out of the house. Her parents had spent a fortune to get this particular one that concealed her eyes’ colours perfectly. She had brown eyes that always changed colours according to her emotions. Her father had once told her that it was an abnormality that came from his own side of the family tree and not forgetting to always mention how unique she was to have them.
Today had come with a lot of expectations for her, she had an interview by 4 P.M at Sean Corporation right after all the classes she had lined up for the day as being schooled in History at a prestigious University such as Tena University came with a high price of dutifulness, hard-work and diligence. She wore the white long sleeved shirt with navy blue stripes and carefully did the buttons after making sure her necklace was well concealed. She dragged her nude hose over her legs and gracefully wore the knee length navy blue skirt she had borrowed from her kid sister Emmaline. She sat on the bed to enable her to put on the 4" peep-toe heels.
“Tiana, breakfast is ready.” She heard her mother call her.
“Hang on mum, almost done, I'll join you guys soon.” She replied.
She wasn’t from an affluent family though she carried herself like one, her family was one the many families living above average in the commercial city of Lagos. She was the eldest of two girls, her father worked as a banker while her mother was a teacher but recently there were discussions between her parents to start a catering and business academy. Her father still had a poultry farm that earned him income on the side. Her parents were Alex and Karen Mante.
She grabbed her Boston bag hanging on a nail in the wall and poured its contents on the bed. She wanted to be sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. She picked her pen and scratched the tip on her palm to confirm it was still working properly then picked the notebook and her lipgloss. She had never been an avid fan of cosmetics…she had to look classy today specifically for that interview if she was to ace it.
BEING CLASSY IS THE MAJOR TOOL TO GETTING A JOB.
She’d read that in one of those many articles about interviews. She put on her favourite pair of hoop earrings and slipped on her ever reliable wrist watch then walked to the mirror to check herself, she looked prim and proper.
Her mind wandered as usual, she couldn’t for the life of her stay calm, not even for a full damn day. She either talked to Luna Bella, remiscened the past or day-dreamed about the future. As a child she had a pretty sheltered life unlike her younger sister who was termed as the life of the party. She had no friends in school, no one wanted to be friends to a girl who’d beat the living daylight out of them. She never seemed to get the human relations right hence she became an introvert.
At twenty-one she couldn’t boast of a boyfriend not that she was bothered but she hated guys with everything in her, it could probably be because all the guys she had met were all assholes, egoistic bastards who believed in the total subservience of women and she hated that.
“You're just a control freak.” Her sister, Emmaline had jokingly told her one day at family time.
Well, it was either that or be a door-mat for some guy. All she truly wanted was a man she could share with not one who would want to dominate her. One who would sweep her off her feet while she remained standing. Well, she was unlucky in that aspect so all she did now were blind dates with random guys from dating sites in search of the very man who’d treat her like the queen she was.
Though there wasn’t any pressure on her to work, she was tired of drooling around the house and her parents rather she stayed at home to work. In their own words, they just wanted her safe, but could they be faulted for that? No…she was different from everyone she’d ever come across. She had the tendency to become violent and she always resorted to it which scared her, it still does.
She didn’t spare a second glance at the job posting Ad when she saw it on F******k despite how under-qualified she was for the job. She wanted and needed to feel the thrill that came with having a job and a pay-check at the end of each month. She was stupefied when she received the invite for an interview.
“Guys, I applied for a job.” She'd announced it at dinner that evening. The silence that followed her announcement could be cut through with a knife.
Her sister was the first to speak, bailing her from the awkward silence,“Really? When?–”
“Never mind, you’re not going.” Her father interrupted briskly.
“Tariana…” Her mother had called her full name tenderly which was rare.“We agreed on a no work policy for you, didn't we?”
“Mum, dad,” Emmaline had answered in her place and Tiana was grateful for such a nosy sister. “I think it’s a good idea, let her do it.”
“Never!” Her father barked in response and Tiana felt her control button zap off.
A dangerous air sizzled around them as she looked her father in the eye,“Either you let me work peacefully or I leave this house and never return!”
She was sure her eyes had turned gold and her voice had a convicted calmness to it from her father’s fidgets.
“Honey, what your dad and I mean is that it’s too dangerous out there.” Her mother had explained gently. Her mother's tone confirmed her suspicion, they all knew whenever her eyes turned gold, everyone and thing in sight was in grave danger.
“Mom, I’m twenty-one.” Tiana began slowly,“I can handle myself fine, I’m dying of idleness mom. I aced to the interview stage.” She announced in an eerily calm tone.
“When is the interview?” Her father asked in a defeated whisper.
“Two weeks from now, plus I’ll be getting my own place if I get the job…” Her mother’s fork fell from her hand making a loud clatter on her plate. “Please let me prove to you that I can take care of me too.” She had added glancing at parents with a pleading look.
Her parents had shared a look and sighed defeatedly.
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Tiana listened raptly to Professor Kima’s lecture on ‘History of killings around the world by shape-shifting monsters over the years.’ and she got bored after fifteen seconds of the class so she zoned the Professor out. “Guys, Emmaline and I'll go out tonight.” She’d announced at dinner three years ago when she turned eighteen “No.” Her father’s stern reply came, he turned his focus to the bowl of soup he was eating. “But–” “There are no buts!” He’d reprimanded her harshly. Her vision turned red, jolting to her feet, she demanded with a furious growl,“WHY?!” “We’re protecting you.” Her mother’s gentle voice answered her instead. “Protecting me?” She asked, sarcasm dripping from every word,“You overshadow me! I'm never allowed out but Emmaline has it, infact freely!” She vented her frustration, screaming. “Tiana!” Her father called her name with steel. “And she’s just a year younger than I am but you let her have everything she wants!” She yelled back, bitterness coating her e
Tiana slowly walked out of the campus, careful not to trip on herself. Cursing herself for not riding her bike to school this morning, it’d enabled her to get to the Island faster. Lagos State wasn’t just called the centre of excellence for nothing. It had everything in full; arrays of choices to be made, uncountable number of people pillaging the highway both on foot and on vehicles, foul smells characterized many of the bus stations and traffic congestion was the order of the day on most highways. Approaching Iyana-Iba, a popular bus-stop known for its notoriety, she checked the time on her wristwatch. It was already 1:50 P.M which meant she could be stuck on the road as it was a pretty late time to ply the highways in Lagos. Especially for a drive from the Mainland of Lagos to the Island. Waiting at the bus-stop for the public commuter bus, she quietly observed how people hurried about their affairs. The highways which were supposed to be for motorists only were now shared by trade
Rico’s mind drifted to this morning while he was getting dressed for work, Max, his wolf purred happily and endlessly which got him suspicious. “What are you up to, Max?” “Just leave this damn penthouse!” Max replied irritated. “We still have breakfast to–” “WHO CARES?!” Max snapped at him. As the president and owner of Sean Corporation, he preferred living in the penthouse of Sean Corporation’s HQ and this decision had saved him a lot of stress more than once. The stress of plying the busy Lagos roads daily was cumbersome enough not to add to the stress of working and that was the reason he had a staff-quarters built for all his employees who had no apartment in the Island. Sean Cooperation boasted of three locations off company’s ground in the Island and the fatherest was an hour drive to the HQ. Rico strolled lazily into his office and headed straight to the window to pull the curtains. He had a lot of
Tiana entered the house excited, the faded scent in the air told her no one was home yet, she bounded the stairs two at a time, dashed into her room and straight to the washroom. Running a quick bath, she remiscened on how it was too easy to get the job and her mind drifted on its own to Rico, the man who had given her the job on a platter. The man’s charisma was something else, his voice drove her wild to places she never thought of exploring before. She moaned when Luna Bella showed her images of Roco kissing them, if she was to prepare dinner for the family as the first person to return home then she had to tune Luna Bella out. Humming a tune as she entered the kitchen, she opened the door to the food storage and glanced round indecisively when a large tuber of yam fell into her ray of vision. Examining it carefully, she said a little prayer for the yam that would end up in the digestive system soon and carried it to the kitchen work-top. Grabbing a knife f
Tiana lazily opened her eyes, rolling on her back she stretched loudly, put her hand under her pillow to get her phone, elated at the prospect that she woke before the alarm went off. The screen woke up when she inserted her index finger over the fingerprint sensor. Cursing silently, she jolted out of bed, she was already two hours late for her first briefing. The bright rays of the sun had been sidelined by the heavy drapes of curtains hanging on her windows and she made a mental note to change to lighter ones later. Grabbing the first pair of outfits her hands touched when she opened the closet,“I am never letting them talk me into getting drunk again.” She muttered, hurling the shirt over her head. Her father had suggested they celebrate her new job like adults, she remembered them playing T and D and she got drunk! She couldn’t for the life of her, believe she would be showing up very late on her first day. Squatting by her bed, she dragged out the first pair of shoes her hand t
Tiana strolled lazily into the campus, her curiosity perking as she saw people clustered in groups whispering in hushed tones, some blatantly condemning the killing of people by shape-shifters. The unwarranted killing of pregnant women somewhere in the country by a pack of wolves under the full glare of the moon was the trend of the day and many clamoured for the annihilation of all shape-shifters. The media termed them as monsters in human form who could shift in a blink once their eyes changed colours, she was stunned at the reality that there were others like her. Though she couldn’t wrap her head on why they harmed defenseless women. Both the Head of Defence and Police Chief decreed that the citizenry reported any suspicious person to the nearest Police Precinct. Barely five hours later jungle justice had been meted out on at least hundred persons in Lagos State alone and the toll was rising steadily. She was scared to death, she cou
Rico growled at the receiver when it beeped in his ear, he’d just transferred his anger to his poor mate. The confusion and sadness exuding from their mate bond was gut wrenching. He needed to apologise to her so he picked up the phone. “Yes sir?” He growled when he heard her use the word he hated on him and hung up angrily. He didn’t have the luxury of time to apologise before he left the HQ to ward off another attack. “Wait for me.” He ordered without giving her a second glance as he rushed from his office to the elevator. Rico was exhausted when he finally returned to the HQ, he ordered Brad to go through the underground parking lot whilst ignoring his mate’s scent. He needed to change before seeing her. He didn't want her seeing him all dirty and bloody. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, he headed to his office floor. Hearing her pained grunts as the elevators dinged, he darted to her
Tiana’s family took turns at her side as her groaning started again, her fever increased rapidly. They held one another hoping, praying as she screamed at each touch, crying at how it burned her. Tiana was crying, helpless, her body was on fire, she managed to open her eyes as distant voices whispering her name reached her. She saw the outline of the ceiling through the descending flames. “Fire!!”She screamed, calling the attention of her family for help. Groaning, she jolted out of the bed just before the fires landed on the bed. She rushed to the door and screamed as the heat in the room quickly snaked its way to her. She had to get out of here if she was to live so she grabbed the door knob. She screamed and withdrew her hand when it burned her. “DADDY! MUMMY! EMMA! HELP! FIRE! I’M TRAPPED!” She screamed loudly. The Mante’s watched in horror as Tiana shouted for help. They screamed her name, telling her it was a nightm