Wolf of Cinders

Chapter 12

Cyrus's POV

Annoyed. Anxious. Scared. Nervous. That's how I felt as we ran towards the next house. The last house in the pack. It was closer to the border than most houses, pushed away from the town in a secluded area. Other than that, it looked like just another house. My hopes were wearing thin as we stopped, switching back to human before we entered. My father place a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, son. We'll find her." 

I nodded, turning back to the house. "We have to."

We were greeted by a middle-aged woman, who smiled at my father. "Please, do come in." She led us through the house to what I assumed was the living room. We passed by a door as we walked, and I stopped to stare at it. It wasn't much, just a simple door, and yet... 

"Cyrus?" I saw my father's worried face and ran after them.

"It's so good to see you!" The woman smiled once more at my father, who looked at her with confusion. He cleared his throat, sitting down in a chair. The woman stood next to two girls seated on the couch. They smiled at me, giggling. They smelled heavily of perfume and makeup, making my wolf growl angrily. Not my mate either. I made my dislike for them obvious, scowling as they continued to giggle. I heard a noise from the kitchen, and tore my gaze from the girls. I saw a figure disappear from the doorway then, silence.

I watched for a few moments after, before playing it off as a trick of my mind. Finally, after a long silence, my father spoke. "Well... We are here, as you know, to find my son's mate. We have only a shoe she left behind, and request that every mateless maiden of this household try it on." 

The woman nodded. "Of course. Please, go ahead. Eve?" The young girl in green nodded. She stretched her leg out, extending her foot.

I took out the shoe and looked at it for a moment. The worn shoe no longer smelled like my mate, but of the hundreds of other perfume covered girls who had tried and failed in fitting the shoe. I longed once more to smell her sweet scent as I kneeled down and took the girl's foot. She gasped and I rolled my eyes before slipping the shoe onto her foot.

It fit at the beginning, then stopped, the special tucks and curves preventing the shoe from fitting any further than the middle of her foot. The girl huffed. "Let me try." She yanked her foot away, and before I could protest, began shoving it onto her foot. I watched, afraid, as she attempted to stretch the shoe to her size. 

"Please! Stop!" I begged her to stop, but she continued, tugging relentlessly.

The other girl sat listening to my protests before finally stepping in. "Eve. That's enough. It doesn't fit." Eve sighed, giving up on her attempts. I pulled the shoe off her foot and turned to the other girl. 

"Would you like to try? Er..." 

She nodded. "Adalynn. My name is Adalynn. And, I would be honored to try it on." We both already knew it wouldn't fit, but the sharp gaze of her mother kept Adalynn from saying anything.

Once more, I held out the shoe as Adalynn slipped her foot inside. It went farther this time, going to her heel before stopping. "Thank you." She smiled, removed her foot and stood up, exiting the room. 

My father sighed. "Thank you, for your cooperation." 

The woman looked angry, but instead said, "Of course. It was our pleasure."

My father and I stood, walking back through the room and down the hall. The same door I had passed on the way in stood ajar, and I stopped, peeking in. Stairs led down to what was probably the basement. I studied them for a moment, when a sweet fragrance wafted up, clouding my mind. Mate...