THE DEPARTURE
ZURIA
As the first snowflake fell, it whispered secrets of a winter fairytale waiting to unfold. I have always loved this time of year because it evokes memories of my childhood. I still have vague memories of my parents and, just the ones I have left, are always enjoying and playing in the snow. I can hear the graceful sound of my mother’s laughter as my father held her in his arms. Luckily for me or my memory, I don’t know when all this changed. Sometimes I even think those moments are just my imagination. Because I grew up with my grandparents as if I were their daughter, even though I know I am not. I grew up in what is our family home. This house that gives off a special and unique smell. And that now at this time of year is intensified by my mistress’s constant meals. She loves to cook and, as I said before, at this time of the year, even more so. Christmas time. For us, this time of year is special because, apart from its religious connotations, it is the only time of the year when we all get together, my uncles and aunts and cousins, in the family home. It is not very big and with the Christmas decorations that decorate even the smallest corners of the house, I don’t know where my grandparents find the space to accommodate us all. Normally I have to share my room with my cousins. This year it won’t be like that. The reason is that this year I will be twenty-one years old. Exactly on the 24th and, as is customary in our family since the day of our twenty-first birthday, we have to stay away from home for two sad, long years. This does not mean that we will be able to return. It is simply the time that our parents consider necessary for our independence. After this time of exclusion from the family circle, we can only return on special dates. The reason for this is very simple, we are foxes and, as such, we only live in packs until what we consider to be our coming of age. Even if I have to live apart from my family, I know that I will return to live in my village, Pradologo. The best place to be and to enjoy. It is situated in the valley formed by the junction of beautiful mountains. The temperature here is cold even in summer and I love it because, unlike my family, my fox is a Vulpes Lagopus, i.e. I am a polar fox. No one in my family can explain it, because they all have orange fur. I, on the other hand, when I transform, I have beautiful white fur and my ears are smaller and rounder than the rest. I love my difference, although for some members of my family it may be a bad luck. But I don’t care. All I can think about is that these two years pass quickly so that I can return to my family. I may not be able to live in the family home, but the village is big enough for me to move in. I can buy a prefabricated wooden house. Something not too big and settle at the beginning of the forest. I can continue my studies to become a teacher and apply for a place in the village school. I don’t know if my difference also carries with it this obsessive need I perceive to remain part of the herd. I have always felt the need to belong to something.
I kicked through the snow waiting for my uncle to come out of my mistress’s house and take me in his van to catch the train to the city. Together they have decided that I will spend my two years of exile in Big City. The city furthest away from our village. The only good thing is that my uncle Adonis lives there and will give me a job in his company. They’ve even found me the flat where I’m going to live. Everything is already prepared. The only thing missing is me and my old satchel that I carry on my back with all my clothes.
-Come on, lazybones! Get in the van! - my uncle’s soft voice brought me out of my thoughts.
I obeyed his orders without complaint and climbed into his old truck. When I closed the door, a smell of cut wood and sawdust hit my nose. My uncle Mateo is a furniture maker. Everything is handmade, his designs are unique: he carves them and his wife paints them with beautiful motifs, depending on the client. Sometimes they are children’s, autumnal, Christmas...
-Don’t frown, Zuria,” protested my uncle. It will be impossible for any boy to notice you in the city. Just like you’ve made it here.
-That’s not the way it is,” I grumbled.
Although I knew his words were true. In the village, no boy had dared to approach me, because of my sour character. Although I believe that, if at least one of them had caught my eye in some way, it would have been different. I don’t like to waste my time on short-lived courtships. In fact, I am the only one of my group of friends who has never had a boyfriend, even though I had been encouraged to go with them to the discotheque and bars in town. It was all to no avail. My track record preceded me, and when I look in the mirror, I don’t think I’m entirely ugly. My face is strawberry shaped and dotted with small freckles giving me a more boyish effect. My hazel eyes are big and round. I have normal lips: not too big and not too small. My cheekbones are slightly raised, which makes my chin look sharper, giving me that strawberry shape to my face.
-What will happen if I don’t adapt? - I asked as I took off the woollen hat my mistress had given me last winter.
-We have all adapted. It is the law of life.
-But I am different.
-Zuria, - whenever he spoke to me, his voice was soft and gentle as if he was afraid of hurting me - you will adapt perfectly. And if you don’t, I’m sure you’ll get the others to adapt to you. As you have done with your friends.
-What if I do it wrong and Uncle Adonis gets angry?
He waited a couple of seconds before answering me as if searching for the exact words.
-Although Adonis has a bad temper, deep down he has a big heart. He is the most like you.
-I don’t know - I hesitated.
-Keep in mind that it’s only two years. Then you can choose where you want to live - I knew that this year Adonis was not going to go at Christmas to make it easier for me to come.
Although he was more taciturn than the rest of my family, he had decided to go into entertainment and owned several nightclubs all over Big City. He was often featured in the press, both for his amazing parties and his new conquests. There were always pictures of him grabbing or making out with stunning women. From now on, my life would be like this. I would find men willing to give me a night of pleasure, no matter what I looked like or who I was. The sound of the car’s brakes brought me out of my imaginary world of parties, men and lust again. He parked the car while sneaking furtive glances at me, probably wondering what the hell my little head was up to. He politely opened the door for me and grabbed my bag. We walked into the station together and made our way to the platform. Some of the men stared at him, while the women smiled openly at him or sighed. If one thing was certain, it was that my uncle Mateo had a special attraction that drew everyone.
Outside on the platform, he took the train ticket out of his jacket and placed it in my hand. He gave me a tight hug that smelled of wood and paint. He lowered his face and kissed me on the head.
-Don’t worry about anything. No matter how hard it is, when you least expect it, you will be ready for your new life.
I boarded the train alone. I looked for my compartment and my seat while my uncle followed me silently from the platform. My destination was the last stop on that great train that would take me away forever from the loving arms of my grandparents. I sat in silence until the train began to pull away from the station. Little by little I lost sight of my uncle, the village, the forest... Everything went black. We went into the tunnel through the mountains. There was no turning back. Everyone had said goodbye to me, but none of them had realised what date it was.
-Happy birthday, Zuria - I said to myself as I closed my eyes ready to sleep most of the way.
AIDEN
Like every year, we had to prepare the meeting with the alphas of the different herds that are part of Big City, my domain. Since I had taken over, there had been no more problems between the different clans. There even seemed to be an unwritten rule with the rogues, who were allowed to camp freely in the city as long as none of them caused any trouble. If any outsiders wanted to enter, rogue or not, they had to first ask permission before they arrived. These years of peace and cordiality sometimes seemed to have led to weariness. On me, there was a sense of weariness and boredom that I was seldom able to forget. I occupied my time like any other mortal, running my business, attending meetings and relaxing in the evenings at parties. At almost thirty-five I still haven’t found my mate. I know every single she-wolf and lycanthrope around here. I have even travelled to realms other than my own in an attempt to find my chosen one at the Flower Dances. What is a Flower Dance? It is the dance held by the different packs to welcome the girls who come of age. But it was all in vain. I’ve been looking for her for years and, in the end, I end up finding myself alone in my flat. Although I do satiate my sexual appetite, none of them have made me lose my mind. None of them have made me surrender to her scent. And my sexual appetite is getting more and more voracious.
The buildings seem to blur as my car moves forward. I’m being driven at high speed without wasting a second. My time is precious and I don’t waste it on trifles. But this is a matter I want to settle myself. We head for the White Fox, one of the trendiest places in town. The owner has been my good friend Adonis for many years. A vulpejo who asked me for a residence more than fifteen years ago. I hesitated at first, for fear of mixing wolves with foxes. But during the trial period I imposed on him, before letting him take up permanent residence here, he proved that my doubts were unfounded. Gradually I received more and more requests and today there are more than twenty foxes living here. But they do not mix. They don’t do like us and form a pack. Foxes by nature are solitary. The reason why I am going to your place personally is because this year I want to hold the meeting in your place. I want to do it in a relaxed atmosphere where we can all enjoy a good day of.... let’s call it... business.
I’m going to ask him as a friend first, I don’t want to have to use my lycanthrope supremacy to get it. That’s not who I am. That changed. My father forced everyone to obey without questioning his leadership. He was harsh and cruel to everyone...none of us were spared his wrath...even I had to beg for mercy for myself many times. And most painful of all... for my mother. The poor thing finally succumbed to his anger and passed away. Her death brought me years of madness in which I didn’t care about anything. I threw myself into the fun of parties, alcohol and sex and filled my life with them. Until my body couldn’t take it anymore and I turned to any kind of illicit substance to keep me going. It was Adonis who time and again picked up my pieces. The only one with enough balls to dare to tell me the truth to my face. Everyone began to fear me as my father. But he made me realise the truth. He treated me like a friend, instilling in me enough courage to stand up to my father... and win.
He fed me and got me back into good habits. He trained with me day after day, until I became strong. Both physically and mentally. He made me focus on my own. A curious thing for a fox, because he was the one who made me think about the pack. If he hadn’t been a fox, he would have been my right hand. Although I defeated my father, I was unable to kill him. So he was forbidden to reside in my domain. I worked hard to restore everyone’s faith in me, faith and strength in the pack. From the day I became their alpha, I wanted to tuck in each and every member who needed my help. Whatever kind it was. It was hard work. On the one hand, I had to convince both those who saw me as weak for not having eliminated my father, and those who had left and taken their businesses elsewhere. Not all of them came back. But those who did, and with those who stayed, I have achieved economic stability for all.
The car stopped outside the front door of the shop. I waited for the door to be opened and got out as I buttoned the jacket of my tailor-made suit from the best tailor in town. Passers-by stared at me in amazement. To mere mortals, I am only the best businessman in town. And since I am the alpha, I try not to appear on the front pages of the gossip magazines that search like crazy for hot information about me. I pushed open the black front door and went down the stairs leading to both the dance area and the bar area, looking for Adonis.
-Do you know that with that stinky fox smell it’s easy to hunt you down?
I saw him sitting on one of the low semi-circular sofas scattered around the venue. There were also small tables where people could rest their drinks while sitting quietly listening to the music, without having to walk to the dance floor.
He was sitting at one of the tables, drinking a cup of coffee. I walked over to the table and sat down next to him.
-How are you, Adonis? Long time no hear from you!
-Well, you know where to find me.
He picked up the pack of cigarettes on the table and, taking out a cigarette, lit it slowly without taking his eyes off me.
-Would you like a drink? The box is closed, so it’s on the house - he offered kindly.
-No thanks, I’ve already had breakfast. But I appreciate it.
-You tell me, what are you here for, friend - for a second it seemed to me that the word friend was uttered with a little reluctance. But when I saw his mischievous half-smile, it made me realise that it was just my own assumption.
-The annual meeting of the alphas is coming up soon. I would like you to provide me with this venue for that day.
-No problem, I can reserve the top for you,” he replied, leaning back on the couch.
-I want the whole place - I watched as he let out all the smoke he had inhaled from his lungs.
-Are you asking me as an alpha or as a friend?
-You know that as a friend - I confirmed.
-Well, that’s going to cost you, wolf,” he picked up the coffee cup again and drank all of it. He took a last puff on the cigarette and stubbed it out, squeezing it into the empty cup.
-I was always told not to deal with foxes,” he let out a low laugh.
-You know it’s no problem. All you have to do is tell me the day - I stood up to leave -. By the way, a niece of mine is coming to spend a few days here.
-I didn’t know you had a family. - The truth is that even though I had known him for so long, he never told me where he came from.
-He has just turned 21. And, according to our rules, that’s the age to leave the nest.
-Just like you,” I said, remembering when he arrived.
-Just like everyone else - he corrected me.
-You know it’s not a problem. Anyway, send the information to my office. So that they take it into account and there are no problems. When are you coming?
-What day is it today? - he asked absent-mindedly.
-Twenty-four.
-Wow, it’s twenty-four already? Just today,” he stood up and grabbed the jacket he had lying on the backrest and put it on.
-My goodness, fox, whose idea was it to leave you in charge of a child?
-You forget that he is of age. I’m just going to pave the way for him.
-I thought foxes moved alone.
-She is special.
-Shit, don’t tell me you’re in love with your sister-in-law and you’re doing her a special favour.
-No, for God’s sake. Don’t be disgusting. She’s my twin brother’s daughter.
-I can’t believe there are two of you. The world should be grateful for that,” I said mockingly.
-Forget me wolf. If you won’t want anything else, I’m going to sleep.
