White Dress 2

Astrid’s Point of View

I couldn't get myself to sleep. It was already past midnight, on a Sunday to be exact, and I was feeling positively giddy on the inside. I've been looking forward to this day ever since I first encountered the witch in that abandoned church.

I stayed awake until the early hours of the morning. Because it was a special occasion, I was able to carry on with my daily routine without hesitation. At first, I was quite alarmed that a goat with a human body kept peering at me and standing with all his might behind me whenever I sat at my study table or checked my reflection in the mirror. But this time, I had the courage to speak with him.

"Please guide me on this day," I remarked, which elicited a smile and grin from him.

It was around afternoon when I went downstairs. I noticed that everything was in working order and my mother was doing household chores when she became aware of my presence.

"So, have you decided whether you will attend the party or not?" My mother asked me curiously. Her tone was evidently hopeful, as I knew she really wanted me to go there and have fun.

"Of course, mom," I responded in a polite way.

The party was about to begin. But, of course, everything took place in a different setting.

My father instructed, "Astrid, please keep an eye out for your sister."

"I promise that I'll keep an eye out for her. I will make sure that she’s safe," I said with a fake smile.

"Thank you, Astrid. We’ll go ahead now. We’re allotting some time at the office today," he said, and then they both went outside the house.

I could still hear Atasha’s snoring upstairs, and it was getting more frequent. I shook my head, becoming too annoyed with it. I decided to put on the dress that my mother had given me, then glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I looked at myself in awe. It was the perfect match for me. I tried to put some makeup on my face, making myself look more appealing.

"There you go, Astrid..." I uttered once I finished, looking at a beautiful face and an hourglass body.

I smirked and then went outside to take a walk. Everyone was staring at me, and I didn't care to pay attention to what they were saying behind my back. Whether it was praise or insults, I ignored all of it. Once Atasha got cursed, my plan would be a success. All of the werewolves here in this filthy place would be slaughtered, and they didn’t have any idea of it.

The thought of it made me laugh out loud. I bet it would be such a great sight… them begging for mercy and wanting to live but in the end, they would face death in the most horrible way. I couldn’t wait to see it myself.

I only stopped laughing when I realized that some scrutinizing eyes from a distance were pinned on me.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" I told him when I walked past the elderly gentleman who had been staring at me for quite some time.

I continued walking around our small village while humming some melodies. I made sure to memorize each place, people, and how they threw insulting looks at me. I wanted to remember them before this whole place vanished in the near future. I pity this whole pack, who would have to taste their medicine. They have wronged me… and never would I let it slide. Whatever was bound to happen, they deserved it. They asked for it.

I spent the majority of my time roaming through the middle of the corn field before deciding to visit the abandoned church. There I decided to take a seat on a bench from its outside and rested there for a bit as I realized that I hadn’t had a good sleep last night due to my utmost excitement to fulfill my plan. Even though I was in an uncomfortable posture, I couldn’t help but feel relaxed and relieved, knowing that my plan would work as expected today. My entire emotional state was positive. It was like a nice sensation... great progress to accomplishing my goal.

"Atasha!" I sucked in a breath and opened my eyes when I felt that I had taken a long nap. "Shit, I don’t have time anymore!"

I pulled my hair and got on my feet. My heart raced fast as I sprinted towards Leo’s house and I didn’t care much if he saw me in an ugly state as a result of this.

It felt horrible to run from the cornfield to Leo’s residence with the dress I was wearing. It was such a relief that I managed to run as fast as I could without getting myself tripped up on the ground.

"Here you go, Astrid. You are finally here," I mumbled as I glanced at the enormous gates of Leo’s residence.

I looked around and noticed a large number of vehicles parked in front of his house. It was, indeed, a grand party. I even noticed a couple of wealthy and influential families of the pack who seemed to have been invited to his birthday party too.

"Greetings, Astrid! It’s good to see you here!" Mrs. Schwartz's voice came over the air, and I grinned and became a little apprehensive.

"Greetings, Mrs. Scwartz. You look really stunning in your dress!" I remarked with a smile.

"Thank you, and I adore your white dress as well," she responded. "You have a striking resemblance to your mother..." Then her eyes went somewhere else, recognizing some of her colleagues and addressing them immediately.

"Once again, it is a pleasure to have you here. Please send my regards to your mother." Those were her last words, and before she left, she tapped my shoulder in a gentle way.

I walked through the gates of their residence and into their expansive garden, where I could see a large number of guests. There were a lot of female werewolves who were dressed in lovely clothes, while the men were dressed in suits and ties.

Glorious scenery was present in this garden, as well as a massive grand fountain featuring a beautiful sculpture of the great Alpha Simon of the Silver Moon Pack, which was the focal point of the area.

I turned around and took a glance at the people in my immediate vicinity. Everyone looked to be in their best attire. My eyes could not seem to stop wandering as my entire surroundings screamed of elegance and wealth.

"Hey, watch your step!" A woman, who I bumped into, hissed at me.

I looked her directly in the eyes as I remained silent. Her expression was grim; her lips formed a thin line and brows were furrowed as she threw a dagger at me.

"Please accept my apologies. It was entirely my fault," I said, even though deep within I wanted to pull her hair. She then rolled her eyes and went away.

"Can you tell me who that girl is?" I overheard her asking one of her friends behind my back.

"Mariane Greene’s daughter. Don’t you recognize her face?"

"Oh! She has a twin sister, right?"

"Well, yes, and at the very least, her twin sister, whose name is Atasha, is more easy-going than her…"

I shook my head and smirked bitterly. Their remarks made me more eager to locate my twin sister. I walked and blended into the crowd as I searched for Atasha. It didn’t take long before I could find her.

"There she is…" I uttered under my breath.

I watched her socializing, and when she went outside of Leo’s house, I didn’t waste much time and approached her.

"Let’s go to the church, Atasha. I have something to pray to the Moon Goddess for."

Even though she looked hesitant and confused, she still agreed to come with me.

"I apologize if I have troubled you, Atasha, but I really would like you to accompany me." I held her hand and squeezed it.

"Astrid, It's perfectly fine with me. I'm always available to help you," she replied in a kindest manner.

I led the way, and we reached the corn field. Our shoes were already covered with mud, and I could see from her expression that she was a bit uneasy because of the route we took. Even our clothes had some dirt already.

"Astrid, are you certain that this is the correct route that will take us to the church?"

"Yes, Atasha. Please put your faith in me," I said.

I continued walking even though I was already drenched in sweat. I kept crossing my fingers, hoping that we would be able to make it on time. I was aware that the witch’s time was limited and she didn’t want to waste any precious seconds waiting for us.

In addition, at the back of my mind, I was also worried that Atasha might change her mind about accompanying me. The fact that she appeared to be a little perplexed as to why we were going this route troubled me a great deal.

"Hang in there, Atasha. We'll be there shortly," I stated, taking her hand and giving her a sincere look.

"Yes, Astrid, I do have a prayer that I'd like to offer up to the Moon Goddess too. It is intended for you to be happy. Whatever that bothers you will be washed away and I want you to succeed!" My eyes widened upon hearing those words. I smiled at her.

"Thank you so much, Atasha. You're such a wonderful twin sister, I truly admire you." I responded, then continued, "You do believe in me, don't you?"

"Without a doubt, Astrid! So please, let's go back to what we had from the beginning. I felt that you were already distancing yourself from me. You're my one and only true friend, after all."

I then embraced her tightly. "Listen to me, Atasha. Whatever happens, we are twin sisters. Nothing could break us apart," I mumbled and gently caressed the back of her head. "I promised you that!"

"I heard that you like Leo. Is that true? Is that the reason why you distanced yourself from me? I didn't like him at all. I believe what's worthy of him is only you."

That was a real slap in my face. It was as if she was emphasizing that Leo didn't like me back, which is why I was acting this way. It was not the only reason why I acted differently. I felt like I was trapped in a cage, and even if I tried so hard to please people, I would always be a shadow of her.

That’s not fair, Atasha... I wanted you to die. I wanted everyone here to suffer a tragic death.

"No, Atasha. I didn’t distance myself from you because I liked him. I know he likes you more than me. That's why I want both of you to have enough time to get to know each other, and I am completely fine with that. In fact, I am confident that I will be able to meet my mate when we turn eighteen…" I smiled at her.

"You're right, Astrid. We should wait until we come of age to meet our mates. I'm so sorry to think that way!" she responded. ‘

"That's fine, let's go!"

I was thrilled when we arrived at the church. I glanced at Atasha and saw her confused expression. I already expected it. It was the first time she’d been here in an abandoned church on our land.

"Let's go inside," I suggested, and we did so without hesitation.

Seconds after entering the church, I could feel the presence of a sinister aura surrounding us.

"Thank you very much, Lord of darkness, for your guidance and helping me…"

And from there, a smirk escaped my lips.