Lydia's POV
"Felisha?" I couldn't help but burst out in surprise. She smiled and walked close, taking each step gracefully.
"Y-you are here too?" I added, looking at her, and she smiled and sat close to me on my bed. "Yes, I am," she replied. But the strange thing here is the fact that she addressed me as "obryn Lydia" instead of just "Lydia" it's just crazy. I thought she's my best friend? I muttered under my breath, unable to comprehend her actions.
And the way she's unusually calm just gave me chills. "How is your back? I heard you were whipped," she asked, her face filled with concern, and I breathed out heavily. Of course she cared about me what was I thinking?
"It's better than before," I replied and closed my eyes for a while, then opened them.
"W-what is wrong?" she asked when she saw my moist eyes. I smiled sadly and wiped them off. "I was just thinking about my family," I replied, and she pulled me into an embrace, causing me to feel more pain in my back but the pain in my heart is greater than the one in my back.
"It's gonna be okay," she reassured me, and I nodded in reply. Then she got up. "You have to come out to eat dinner. I was asked to call you and this obryn," she said, pointing at Mia.
"Her name is Mia," I corrected, and Felisha smiled shyly. "Okay... I'll meet you guys outside," Felisha said and left.
I took a deep breath and was about to wake Mia, but she got up. "You were awake?" I asked in surprise.
"Of course. And that girl... I don't like her," Mia replied and got down from the bunk, following the steps they created on the bunk.
"Um... why? I mean... she's a good person," I tried to defend Felisha, but Mia smiled and handed me a jacket. "Whatever. I just don't like her," she said. "Let's go before we run late," she added and wore the jacket. I did the same, and we went outside, but I didn't see Felisha. I sighed in frustration and allowed Mia to lead the way.
We got to a big, old-fashioned dining room where other girls sat in rows and columns, with a table in front of them and food on their tables. But the strange thing is that they were not eating; their heads were down, looking at their food like robots.
"Are they okay?" I whispered to Mia, and she tried her best to hide her smile.
"Yes... that's the tradition," she whispered back and pinched me, signalling me to keep quiet or else we would be in big trouble.
I stayed quiet, and she led me to a room in the dining room where we picked plates and were served small portions of food. I almost asked for more, but I had to restrain myself so I wouldn't cause any trouble.
Mia showed us where to sit, and we sat down, now mimicking other obryn looking at our food like robots which made me almost laugh out loud. This werewolf world is just funny!
We stayed like that for a minute, and it looked like it was for hours before I heard an unpleasant voice.
"Eat."
The woman's voice was cold and commanding, sending shivers to my spine.
I ate slowly, maintaining etiquette, but when I looked around, I saw many unpleasant eyes staring at me, which made me uncomfortable. Mia nudged me.
"Eat faster," she whispered, but I was shocked. How was I supposed to eat faster?
I'm not used to such a thing, and for the first time, I ignored her and continued eating until someone approached me. Raising my head, I met her fierce gaze, making me shudder.
"What are you doing?" came the woman's angry voice. I looked at her, and her shirt had a "PH1" on it, making my lips spasm. Why do all the women that have "1" added to their position have anger issues?
She held my face in anger.
"I'm talking to you!" she yelled, causing me to come back to my senses.
"I-I am eating," I replied, my voice trembling.
"Is that how you eat here?" she asked, looking around.
"No, madam!" the girls replied in unison, and I was lost for words. Won't eating fast cause indigestion? I thought.
"Here you eat fast! You're not in your home of comfort anymore! You're an obryn and not some kind of princess! An obryn behaves like one and not like a normal park member. Understood?"
I nodded before I could even think of it, and finally, she let me go. I looked at my food and lost my appetite immediately. I couldn't bring myself to eat again. The food was actually strange to me, but I had to eat and now I don't feel like it anymore.
"Not eating?" came her voice, and I smiled and quickly ate the remaining food, making me almost retch, and everyone except Mia began to laugh at me.
After dinner, we went back to our room, and my other roommates were present.
"Hi—" I wanted to greet one of them, but she cut me off, giving me a cold answer.
"Not interested," she spoke and lay on her bed, turning her back to me.
"Don't mind her, she's like that sometimes," her bunkmate my other roommate spoke with a warm smile.
"I'm obryn Judith," she said, stretching her hand for a handshake, and I took her hand.
"Lydia," I said, then corrected myself.
"Obryn Lydia." She smiled "Nice to meet you."
"Same," I replied and went back to my bed, where I sat down quietly, deep in thought.
"You good?" Mia asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah," I replied and lay on the bed.
"Good night," I spoke, and she replied,
"Good night."
I closed my eyes and was pulled into a deep sleep. In my dream, I saw myself walking in a lonely path, where I saw a man walking in front of me his back muscular and well-built. When I got closer to him, he turned towards me, his smile beautiful and captivating, and he spoke.
"Lydia..."
His voice was magnetic and alluring. I was stunned, and he stretched his hand to touch my face and I woke up from the dream, sweating profusely.