Chapter 83─Mishka at the morning fashion show

Mishka was very happy with her stage outfit as she stood on the stage finally on Saturday morning.

“It blends in well with the background,” she commented to Elle, the model. There was a mirror which stretched along the entire wall opposite the stage, so performers could see exactly how they looked on stage.

“You are completely unrecognizable,” Elle remarked with a sincere look in her eyes. Mishka felt at ease with the comment.

“Sometimes it helps to look completely different. My levels of self-confidence increase and I’m completely at ease then,” Mishka commented in a low tone of voice.

“Like when I was dancing with Bruce while I was wearing a mask,” she told herself inwardly.

“Oh, but I wouldn’t for a moment guess that you have insecurity issues. You’ve been singing for a while now,” Elle commented, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Oh, it depends on the audience,” Mishka replied.

“So, you actually take notice of the crowd while you’re performing. That’s a surprise. I thought that musicians focus entirely on the music and the dance routine when they’re on stage,” Elle remarked. She looked quite impressed to learn that Mishka was interested in the audience.

“But Bruce will be watching me instead of dancing with me this time,” Mishka told herself.

“I better get a grip on myself and imagine that no one is judging my performance. I should ignore him and any strangers completely until after my performance,” she advised herself.

“How about backup dancers?” Elle asked. “Are you gonna be the only dancer?” she continued with a curious frown.

“No, I don’t have any but do you have suggestions? I need to rehearse with them ahead of time though, so it won’t help to throw them in now,” Mishka responded.

“Oh, there she is already,” a man’s voice declared from behind Mishka while she faced the backstage area.

“It’s him. He came to meet me himself after his staff let me in,” Mishka told herself before turning around. Her stomach muscles were immediately tightening up.

“Why am I so nervous when I see him in his mansion, but in the woods he looks completely harmless and so easy to approach?” she asked herself.

Bruce was dressed in a casual jacket and a pair of designer jeans.

“He’s dressed casually, but he still has a regal look about him. Is it because he perhaps has a high ranking as a wolf?” Mishka asked herself as she smiled back at Bruce.

He walked straight towards her and Mishka completely forgot about Elle standing next to her.

“Let me welcome you this time because last time my cousin Lyle did it,” Bruce remarked as he stretched out his hand to Mishka.

“Oh, you guys are so formal in your home,” Mishka responded with a nervous giggle as she shook his hand.

“I have to do it the right way. Welcome and make yourself at home. We will tell you when the models will be ready, so you can rehearse with the stage crew so long,” Bruce responded.

“Then I sing the song again while the models parade?” Mishka asked with a nod and a smile.

“It feels so silly having to confirm the obvious, but I have to do it. It’s a customary habit anyway,” she told herself inwardly.

“Yes, please. The models won’t parade for too long,” Bruce responded with a cheerful grin.

“Then I hope that you will join us on the terrace for a lunch break while the technology team edits the video?” he asked with his eyes slightly bigger from anticipation.

“Oh, thank you, that’s kind of you,” Mishka responded with her brows raised in surprise.

“Great, then I will see you in a while,” Bruce responded with a glittering smile on his face.

“That’s gonna be interesting,” Mishka thought to herself as Bruce walked away.

“But for now I should focus on the music,” she told herself firmly.

While she resumed her rehearsing, Mishka thought about Theresa’s daring attitude.

“How dare she spy on my home so openly,” Mishka asked herself.

“There must be something which makes her so confident. I hope she doesn’t show up here today. I expect her at the ball tonight, but if she shows up here now, it won’t be good at all,” Mishka thought to herself.

A short while later, Mishka’s jaw dropped when she saw the colorful and gorgios dresses and pantsuits that the models were wearing for the show.

“Does Bruce really come up with all these designs? He’s better than I thought,” she told herself.

The music starting up behind her reminded Mishka that she was there to sing.

***

Theresa could not believe her ears when Jean called her.

“How can she have a grandmother who’s a witch? She herself looks so naïve,” Theresa remarked in confusion.

“My aunt didn’t say that Mishka was a witch. She said that Mishka’s grandmother and her friend are witches. My aunt met them at the witches’ council meeting,” Jean responded.

“Wow! So, they’re pretty soon gonna find out that we’re responsible for making the humans sick,” Theresa commented in a tone of panic.

“By the time they find out about what we did, it will be too late. I am not gonna be worried about them. I just want to get Mishka kidnapped and out of the way,” Jean responded in a curt tone.

“You aunt won’t allow it. She wanted to help you with charms and tricks. Not criminal activity,” Theresa responded in shock.

“My aunt doesn’t know what we did on the mountain. She thinks we were only stalking Mishka in the village,” Jean responded.

“But this kidnapping is on you, girl, I’m not participating,” Theresa stated in a firm tone of voice.

“So, you’re not gonna back me up if something goes wrong?” Jean asked in a shocked tone.

“I was okay with making them all sick, just to test the power of that powder,” Theresa responded.

“Now, why would we want to make people sick just for the fun of it when I’m on such a serious mission?” Jean asked in an angry tone.

“Getting into trouble with the pack means that I will have to move somewhere else. I love this place and I’ve already caused enough of a stir by stalking the humans. I don’t want to be expelled from the pack. You have your entire family here, while I’m alone,” Theresa responded.

“It’s alright by me then, if you want to do things only halfway. But you’re already in trouble because of your boldness. Those humans can easily identify you,” Jean warned.

“Well, I want to keep my profile low from now on, especially since I now know that her grandmother and her friend could bewitch me.

Maybe I should go away for a while so they can forget me,” Theresa remarked in a sombre tone.

“Then you can just as well kidnap Mishka and take her away with you,” Jean suggested in a livelier tone of voice.

“You’re not thinking straight. That will only make everyone come after me.

Anyway, if it’s any consolation, a model friend of mine says that Bruce is having a video recording of a show today and they suspect that Mishka will also be there,” Theresa announced.

“Really? Why are you only telling me now?” Jean asked in a shocked tone.

“I only just found out, what do you think?” Theresa responded in disbelief.

“Well, I’m going to get her myself,” Jean remarked in a very determined tone of voice.