Ritual

"Ritual?"

"Yes."

Melissa replied primly.

"What is it about?"

"It's an initiation ceremony carried out to welcome any new member to Stone Shadow pack. Especially when it's into the royal family."

Lucas replied.

"That's so…"

I was at loss for what to say. I did not know how to describe how it what I'm feeling. An initiation ceremony? I never knew activities like that existed in packs. And why too? Why did they feel the need to do such?

"Archaic? Interesting?"

Lucas was gauging my reaction from his intense study of my expression, not to mention that his brother Aaron would not stop making me uncomfortable with his stare and the worse part was I did not know why he was staring at me that way. What was he trying to do? Bore a hole through my face with his eyes? I squirmed a little in discomfort, I could not meet his stare. Zach was the only person in the room who behaved he did not give a damn. The guy loved whatever he was doing on that phone more than what was happening around him.

"I don't know. Maybe a little of both."

I responded.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. You'll be in and out before you know it."

I looked uncertainly from him to Melissa who, though she was physically close to me, emotionally and mentally kept her distance. I think when I was settled, after this whole ritual thing, I was going to have a one on one discussion with her.

"It does not hurt, does it?"

"Nope."

Lucas shook his head.

"Okay."

"Are you ready to come now, Katherina?"

I heard a growl. It was small but there, like a rumble from within. With surprise I turned to see who had done it. It was Aaron. His eyes were on Melissa.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness."

She apologized, fear evident in her body stance.

What was happening? Why was she apologizing? Had she wronged him without any one of us knowing?

But then she turned to me.

"Are you ready to come now, Your Highness?"

I faced Aaron and stared at him. Now I understood what he had done, and I was not pleased at all. He was only making my job harder. Melissa was going to only hate me more and that was not what I wanted. But there was nothing I could do except apologize to her when the opportunity presented itself.

"We need to go get ready too, Kathy? Can I call you Kathy?"

Lucas was coming off the bed.

"If you like." I passed him an innocent smile, then my forehead creased in curiosity. "Wait, you said you need you get ready too."

"Mh-mm"

He nodded, straightening his shirt that had been slightly creased when he had laid himself on my bed.

"Why? I thought you said it was for new royal family or any new addition to the pack?"

"Yes, but the royal family are meant to be there. It's as important as the ritual itself. Everyone will be there."

"Okay."

"So get up and get dressed. Don't take too long so dad does not get upset. He hates being kept waiting."

Lucas advised.

"I'm sure he would not mind it though since she's a newcomer, so take your time to prepare but for my sake, not too much. See you at the ritual, hot legs."

Zach said and stood from the sofa in my room and walked out the door.

Hot legs? How crazy and perverted could Zach be?

"Hey, don't be a creep. She's our step sibling."

Lucas admonished, following him out. It only made me smile. I guess I was going to be 'hot legs' to Zach.

I was almost startled when Lucas' head appeared at the doorway.

"Good luck, Kathy."

"Thank you, Lucas."

But he was gone. What a bubbly, weird guy, but I liked his personality though. It was welcoming, in its own odd way. It remained Aaron in the room. He slowly stood and walked to the door.

"Good luck, Katherina."

"Thank you."

I didn't know why I felt compelled to stand immediately he did. I met his gaze and aside this calmness, there was this maturity that oozed from his personality. Maybe he was the next Alpha and had to be groomed to stay the way, to possess the characteristics worthy of an Alpha. Our eyes locked and he gave an encouraging smile, my lips responded before I could even fathom it.

"Melissa, help her dress right."

She nodded in respect and moved a little to allow him passage even though there was enough room already to accommodate his slim, tall frame.

He nodded his goodbye and I responded in same manner. Then he was gone.

"So he said something about helping me dress right. Do they have a dress code for this thing?"

"Yes."

She walked briskly to my closet and dutifully began to find, well whatever she thought I needed but would not want to tell me. I sighed, why could Alpha David not have given me a different personal maid? Someone that was a welcoming and sweet as Lucas. And if I told Alpha David to change her, he'd want to know and that could cause some serious issues for her, which I did not want. I would not want to carry around the guilt of being responsible to for someone's predicament. Melissa might lose her job or worse, be thrown in a cell for disrespecting a member of the werewolf royal family.

I was going to try my best to get to her. To understand her reasons for being the way she currently was to me.

"Here, Your Highness."

The flatness of her tone was hard to miss.

"I'm sorry for what Aaron did."

"Please, try on this dress so we can proceed downstairs."

"I'm sorry."

I was not always comfortable when people tend to have something against me, which was why I try not to intentionally make anyone angry or treat them bad.

"I'm supposed to be escorting you to the place of ritual, Your Highness."

Not knowing what else to do, I nodded. "Okay."

Then began changing my clothes for the ritual.