ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)

“Freaking amazing.” Clarissa clapped her hands loudly, her eyes twinkling as she watched Zaramanni twirl in her dress. “Absolutely amazing. I knew this dress was this one, but now that I see you in it…” A sharp breath and Clarissa moved closer to Zaramanni, her hands cupping the shoulders of her dress. “... I am more than certain that I did a great job.”

The image in the mirror was strange to Zaramanni and that was because she was so beautiful.

She had never seen herself looking that good.

Before that moment, she never felt amazing about wearing clothes.

What good were clothes if they failed to hide her uniqueness from prying eyes? That was what Zaramanni thought whenever her Granny tried to make her wear clothes that were fancier than her normal wear.

But at that moment…

Coupled with the shine in her hair and the unexpected glow on her skin, she was gorgeous.

Zaramanni felt really, really good about herself.

And Clarissa didn’t fail to share her excitement.

But the she-wolf soon went to drag her own dress from the other suitcase.

Zaramanni turned to face the room and a melodic sound reached her ears.

“Oh, the party is starting now. Put on your slippers,” Clarissa ordered, nodding at the pointed, open-back slippers that she reserved for Zaramanni. The gemstone glued to the footwear attracted Zara, so did its low heel.

After sliding the slippers on, Zaramanni’s lips wore a small pout and she listened to the distant and melodic sound. The music was hardly audible, but it pricked Zaramanni’s interest.

Placing her hands on the waist of her gown, she asked Clarissa, “What kind of music do the wolves of Zenrada listen to?”

“Oh,” Clarissa struggled with dragging her cream-coloured gown down her body and Zara moved closer to help her, “we have different types of music. But we do have specific music for certain events.”

“Oh.” When the dress situation was sorted out, Zara helped Clarissa with her zipper. Then, she asked, “Can you give me an instance?”

“Hmm… When there is an official mating ritual, we play a piece of music called Bassik.”

“Bassik,” Zara repeated.

“They are solemn sounds that reflect the importance of a bond between mates.”

“What is a mating ritual? Is it a moment where your mate calls you… mate?”

Zara’s cheeks were almost flushing with shyness because her question caused her to recall the steamy moment she and Zoey had under the bright moon and by the shimmering riverside.

That was a day she would never forget.

“No.” Clarissa turned to face Zaramanni.

Zara ignored the suggestive smirk on the she-wolf’s face and appreciated the beauty of her gown. Primarily a mermaid-shaped gown, the attire had streaks of gold running on its front. Also v-necked, the simple attire came with a huge scarf that was connected to the sleeves.

“The mating ritual is the union of mates in the presence of the moon goddess,” Clarissa completed her statement.

“Oh.”

“It is not what you were thinking.” Clarissa tucked her feet into her square-foot glass slippers.

“I was not thinking about anything.”

“If you say so,” Clarissa ended her statement with mirth in her voice. “I guess we are set,” she said after a quick look around the room.

Then, after pushing the empty suitcases aside, she hooked her arm with Zara’s and they walked out of the room, both ladies exchanging flowery scents with the atmosphere.

The more they walked, the more people they met on their way and Zara began to notice that some were in their wolf form.

Watching the wolves roam the large, glossy corridors on all fours made Zara wonder if they would be fully naked when they shift to their human form.

It would be quite a sight if they start transforming and raiding the space with their nakedness.

It would probably be traumatizing as well.

As she shook her head to get rid of that thought, Zara soon realized that all eyes were turning to catch a glimpse of her presence. She did not fail to take note of the many expressions darted in her direction as she and Clarissa walked past room after room.

Some wore courteous smiles, some appreciative glances. Some, for some reason known to them, wore sneers.

But Zara soon deduced that it was easy for them to tell that she wasn’t one of them.

Or, perhaps having a foreigner at the party was strange to them.

Either way, Zara was surprisingly not affected by their stares and sneers.

The more she walked, hand-in-hand with Clarissa, the more she felt a surge of pride in her soul. Zaramanni decided to lean on that feeling even though there was a huge chance that it wouldn’t last.

“Tsk, jealous bitches,” Clarissa cursed and Zara looked in the direction the she-wolf was sending death glares.

In a corner of that large room that had many pillars connected with solid arches, was a gathering of ladies who collectively wore some kind of jumpsuit, each person donning a different shade of the designed cloth.

“Look away,” Clarissa spat at the she-wolves and when Zara noticed one of them growing a white-furred tail, she tugged at Clarissa’s hand.

When Clarissa faced her, Zaramanni asked, “Are we not there yet?”

“Soon.” Clarissa turned to glance at the women again. “Word must have gotten around that you are Beta Zoey’s mate. Those crazy ladies won’t stop stabbing you with their hawkeyes.”

“Let them stare all they want, Clarissa.” Zara noted that the music was louder as they advanced their steps. “They can’t have Zoey because he is mine.”

“Ohh…. I like that,” Clarissa praised with a hailing tone while they walked past a little crystal fountain that was placed in the middle of the room that had an alluring ceiling. “I love that feisty statement.”

Chuckling at the she-wolf’s excitement, Zara noted that they were walking into another room.

This one was similar to the past rooms but larger.

So large that it entertained a great mass of people who were chattering over the music.

Most of them held wine cups in their hands as they got engrossed in their conversations. Their colourful outfits also outmatched the calm tone of the room.

“Clarissa?”

“Hmm?”

“What is the music playing called?”

“Amassik. It is a lively tune, isn’t it?”

“It is somewhat energetic. If I burst some moves, I will definitely lose a good amount of calories.”

“Kah-lur- ri?” Clarissa was confused. “What’s that?”

“Ahh, it’s just something medical.”

Truthfully, Zaramanni had no idea how to go about the explanation. She barely paid attention in her Biology classes and since she was not able to attend even a day’s lecture in college, anything related to school stuff was dead to her.

And, Zara didn’t like the sound of that. So she urged herself to visit the manor’s library more often.

At the end of the day, all knowledge is knowledge.

“Oh,” came Clarissa’s response, but it was barely audible.

The music became louder and they approached another space. And this room appeared to be the stop for the fancy party.