PREPONING THE MEETING

**Freda

I laid my sights on the tall guard at the door and I began to wonder what the special occasion was.
“Yes?” I adopted a stoic expression on my face as I looked up at the guard.
“The Alpha requests you presence in his room.” The guard replied with a similar energy and he turned around to leave abruptly. The gears in my head began to whirl as I thought about the possible reasons why my father would need me.
I closed the door and walked back to my bed with a trouble look on my face. Kara noticed the change in my mood and she scooted over to my side and nudged me.
“What’s up? Why does it seem like Hector was the one that visited.” Kara said teasingly but I was in no mood for jokes.
“It wasn’t Hector Kara, it was my dad. He wants to see me in his room.” I said obviously disturbed.
“Huh? Didn’t you mention something about you and your old man barely speaking for years now? What does he want?” Kara asked as she too was confused. Kara was the only friend I had so it would make sense that she knew what went on in my life.
“I have a feel it’s related to this meeting with the Vampire king. Well I’m curious and I don’t want to get into unnecessary trouble so I’ll just go.” I stood up and patted imaginary dust from my dress. “Wish me luck.”
I put on my sneakers and I walked out of the room and walked briskly towards my father’s room. I made my way through the massive corridor and after a while I stood in front of the Alpha’s room door. My father’s room door. I hesitated for a while, wondering how I would even start up a conversation. It was funny and sad how my relationship with my father had degraded to the point that we were just like strangers. As I stood there, still contemplating whether to enter the room, his voice boomed from inside the room making me flinch.
“I know, you are outside. Come in.” His stern voice sounded out from inside the room, increasing the tension that had started to build inside of me.
“Fuck it.” I sighed, sucking it up as I pushed open the massive oak door of his room. I looked around the Alpha’s chambers taking in the dark wood paneling, shelves filled with old books and the flickering candles.
My father stood with his back to me as his gaze seemed to be piercing a distant point beyond the floor to ceiling window. He had a troubled look on his face but honestly, I was past caring. I wanted to know why he sent for me and leave immediately, staying around this man for an extended period of time was seriously bad for my mental health.
“You sent for me?” I cleared my throat and asked curtly. A few moments passed before my father acknowledged my presence. He stared at me with a stoic expression and I returned his energy as I stared back at him defiantly.
“How are you?” He broke the uncomfortable silence that was brewing and I suddenly felt a wave of anger wash over me. How was I doing? Seriously? After everything I’ve been through and what I was about to go through, he was asking me such a question. I couldn’t even tell whether it was mockery or genuine concern at this point.
“How am I? You are really asking me this right now? I don’t know dad, maybe if I wasn’t taken from my mother and brought to a place I am ostracized and hated for being different, then I would have been fine. Maybe, if I wasn’t used as a bargaining chip for the meeting with the vampire king, then I would have been fine. So you answer your question dad. I. Am. Not. Fine.” The frustration and misery I had been piling up all these years erupted and I poured it out at my father as I glared at him with hate.
My father didn’t show any reaction to my tirade as his emotionless blue eyes continued to stare at me. After sometime, I couldn’t take the uncomfortable silence and I resolved to leave. I didn’t say another word as I turned around and I was about to walk out of the room when he stopped me right on my tracks by clearing his throat.
“Prepare yourself. We will be leaving tomorrow for the Vampire king’s castle.” My father suddenly announced and I turned my head abruptly to face him.
“What?” I asked with a look of pure shock plastered on my face.
“You have today to pack. We will be leaving for the meeting tomorrow.” My father repeated and turned back to stare into the horizon signaling that end of this awkward conversation.
I opened my mouth and closed it several times before hot tears began to stream down my face.
“Fuck you and fuck this pack!” I screamed at him finally finding the right words to say and I ran out of his room. I ignored the looks directed at me by the other pack members as I quickly rushed to my room.
I barged into my room and I saw Kara completely absorbed in the book she was reading. She turned to look at me and her facial expression shifted quickly when she saw the tears that were streaming down my face without pause.
“What happened to you?” Kara asked as she flung the book she was holding and made her way towards me.
I couldn’t speak. I just wanted to cry my eyes out. I had accepted the fact that I was going to the castle of the Vampire King. I had come to terms with it and I thought I still had more time to spend enjoying my company and Kara’s company but my father just changed the whole thing without even considering my feelings in the matter. Now I had just one day to get my shit together before I leave without the certainty of even coming back alive.
I hugged Kara and cried in her arm pathetically, my friend hugged me back and patted my back while muttering words of consolation. I continued to cry my eyes out and before long I fell asleep out of exhaustion.