Distinctly Defiant

Chapter 4 ~ Invited

Chapter 4 ~ Invited

Everett took a deep breath to calm himself as he haggled with the merchant. The clothes he was buying for the wedding were clothes that someone else had order but had decided they did not want to buy so he was just having them altered but the merchant kept trying to charge a much more expensive price than it was worth.

“Do you take me for a fool?” Everett snapped. “If I don’t buy the clothes you will likely just be stuck with them. I can go elsewhere for clothes like these.” That was a lie; he didn’t have time for anything like that.

The merchant paled in the threat of losing money. His skin now was close to the shade of his pale blond hair. “Fine, I shall agree to the last price you proposed.” Everett rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. He wanted this to be over. The merchant quickly made some measurements and hurried away.

“I’ll be back to collect the clothes in two hours or so,” Everett called after him. There was no answer but he knew that the man had heard.

He sighed and left the cool of the shop into stifling heat of midday. He navigated the busy street; everyone seemed to be either getting ready for the wedding, helping set up the wedding or talking about the wedding. He entered the inn his group was staying in and entered the room that he shared with Griffin.

Griffin stood up as he entered and walked over to the small table in the room. He threw an envelope at Everett. He caught the envelope and slid the card inside out. You, Everett Wate, are hereby cordially invited to the ceremonious wedding of Vince Ashworth and Vivienne Thorn.

“Ashworth, what a pretentious, stuck up name,” Everett commented. He gestured with the envelope. “How’d you get this?”

Griffin shrugged. “I paid off a few people, and persuaded some girls. Very hard work, of course.” He grinned suggestively.

“I’ll bet. We really must find some way to thank you for all your hard work,” Everett replied sarcastically. “Well good work.” He tossed the envelope on the bed and lied down beside it. “This almost seems like too much work for one wolf. She’d better be a golden wolf.”

“Well there’s no reason to believe she’s not.”

“There’s no real reason to believe she is,” Everett countered.

Griffin shrugged, having no interest in continuing this conversation until Everett was completely convinced of the bride-to-be’s beastly status. “You have a few hours until you need to get to the Thorn estate. I don’t care what you do with yourself until then but don’t be late.”

Everett thought about it for a moment and despite not having a clue of what he should do decided to leave the room since it didn’t seem as if Griffin wanted much company right now.

“Fine, I’ll pick up my clothes on the way back then it’ll be off to catch ourselves a supposed golden wolf.” Griffin didn’t even acknowledge his statement and Everett left the room not stopping until he was back in the warmth of the sun. He stood there for a moment drawing the eyes of most of the young ladies and women. He winced as he heard a high pitch giggle and then headed in the opposite direction. He had no intention of running into the girl he had spent his time with for most of his group’s late visit to this town. The girl why beautiful had the unfortunate luck to have a laugh so a high pitch that it bothered any and every living thing within a reasonably large area.

He wasn’t quick enough to avoid detection however, he heard a girl calling his name shortly after and speed up, almost running. And somehow the footsteps following him kept up. He sharply turned a corner, narrowly avoiding some young boys playing barefoot in the streets and entered a shop at random.