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Glancing at Danika through the mirror, I nodded to her. She smiled at me and started to work on my hair. My mind wandered over everything. The feelings I felt toward Nolen, the way he acted around me, and the dream. “Danika, did you feel different with Sawyer before your eighteenth birthday?”
“No, not really. I mean, who wouldn’t be attracted to your brother? Why do you ask?” I shook my head with a frown as she continued to shape my hair into something beautiful. What could this be? This pull to him, and my Goddess—that dream! Glancing back up at Danika, I stared at her expressions as she tucked strands of hair into the updo that she’d constructed. “I had a weird dream last night.”
“Oh really? What was it about?” Her gaze never moved from my hair.
“Well, it started out I was running in the woods. Like I was searching for something. As I continued to search, I saw a figure, and something told me that I needed to go to that person. I was almost there when the figure turned around; its eyes glowed. You know, like when your wolf is at the surface? Before it turned, shifted, and ran away. I tried to follow, but the wolf was too fast, and when I reached the point where it had been, I felt like I had lost part of myself. I then saw another figure, and it seemed to be laughing. Making my skin crawl. Is that not weird?”
Danika was silent as she surveyed her work on my hair. She then nodded and regarded me through the mirror. “It is a little, but do you think it may be your mate who’s the figure you’re chasing after? I don’t know about the other one, though. Anyway, your hair is done. What are you going to wear tonight?”
I shrugged my shoulders as I gazed at myself in the mirror. She’d done a fantastic job on my hair, which made me wish that I had an older sister. But I guess, since she was mated to my brother, she was now more my sister than ever before. She grinned at me before she went to my bag, digging through the items of clothing that I’d brought with me. “I don’t think I brought anything too fancy since I won’t be on the stage this time.”
“But you will be with us in the box. I’ll be right back. I think I have something you can wear.” Danika walked out the door, leaving it open.
I glimpsed someone walking past the opening. Slowly making my way across the room, I peeked out, glancing each way down the hall before I saw Nolen coming out of his room. He looked over at me and grinned, I waved at him, and he made his way to me. My mind was racing as I stared at this gorgeous wolf coming toward me.
He stopped before me, and his eyes took in the outfit that I had slept in the night before. Luckily Danika had fixed my hair; otherwise, he would have seen my bedhead. “Happy Birthday, Nolen.”
“Thanks. I’m happy you came to my party. I mean you and your family.” Nolen kicked his feet as he ran his hand through his styled hair, messing it up. He was wearing regular clothes at the moment. A cotton shirt and a pair of Eddie Bauer shorts. He had freshly showered, and the scent of his shampoo attacked my sinuses as he continued to run his hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t miss it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you goodbye the day you left.”
Nolen nodded before he let his gaze roam my form again, taking in my sleepwear. I was glad I’d showered last night. “It’s okay. I didn’t want to say goodbye to anyone. It was hard enough to say bye to your brother. Um… Your hair is nice.”
I hadn’t thought I could keep my composure if I had tried to send him off back to his pack. I had contemplated on not coming today. But I had to see him again; something inside of me had urged me to go. “Thank you. I’m not ready yet; Danika should be back any moment. She said she had something for me to wear.”
I tried to turn when his hand clutched mine, bringing my attention back to him. His expression was pained as he held onto my hand. “Amora... I’m sorry about last night. I don’t know what was going through my mind.”
“What do you mean? Nothing truly happened,” I told him, searching his eyes with mine. I felt my heart break a little with his apology, because it meant he hadn’t wanted to kiss me, right?
“The kiss? Or, actually, the almost kiss. I know you’ve told people you are waiting. So, I’m sorry.” Nolen fidgeted as he ran his hand through his hair again, making it appear as if he had just woken up.
“Oh! It’s okay, Nolen. I do want to wait. But I don’t think I would have regretted it though.” Peeking up at him through my lashes, I didn’t know why I told him the last bit; it’s not like he wanted me or anything. His eyes flashed the color I had seen at the sparring match, before he tilted his head to the right.
I glanced over, and Danika was stopped in the middle of the hall watching our encounter, a slight smile on her face making me blush. Glancing back up to Nolen, his eyes were back to their normal blue that pulled me in. “I’ll let you get ready. See you in the backyard later. Thanks again for coming; it means a lot.”
Nolen winked at me and then strolled back down the hall, passing Danika with a nod in her direction. Danika came up to me, her smile broad. She turned me around into the room and steered me toward the bathroom, a lavender piece of cloth draped over her arm. “I think you have a crush!”
“No, I don’t. He’s one of my friends.” Glancing over at her from the corner of my eye, I watched as she laughed at me. Did I really have a crush on him? Had I let myself fall for someone who wasn’t my mate?
“Okay, keep telling yourself that.” She continued to guide me to the restroom as I reached for a pair of panties on the bed. Oh shit! Had Nolen seen my underwear on the bed? “Here, go in there and try this on. I’m sure it will fit you.”
Nodding, I took the garment she handed me and entered the bathroom. Turning to the mirror, I gazed at myself in the tank top and shorts. Goddess, why did you let me stand there in this in front of him? I must have looked goofy as hell. Placing the outfit Danika gave me on the counter, I dropped the shorts and replaced them with the black lace underwear I had brought into the small, tiled room. I tugged off the tank top, my breasts freed from the cloth that bound them.
I grabbed the outfit, stepped into it, pulled it up, and slipped my arm in the single strap. Smoothing the wrinkles out, I then looked up. The Fuchsia jumper fit me perfectly; the pants clung to my butt and thighs but widened after the knee. Its top had a single sleeve that opened in the middle before a sash tied around my waist, completing the look.
The color complimented my skin tone, and I fell in love with it as soon as my eyes landed on it. I turned and stepped out of the bathroom; Danika gave me a whistle as she fixed her hair and makeup at the dressing table in my room. I blushed and sat down on the bed as I dug through my bag to find my black stilettos. Seeing them, I slipped them on and stood up.
“So, what all is planned for today?” I turned in my heels to the vanity mirror and glanced at Danika as she finished up. Would Nolan notice me? I was still modest in all respects of the word. Nothing like what I’d seen some of the other She-wolves wear to a shift.
“I’m pretty sure the males are doing some guy things that they think are cool until the actual party. But the females are all still getting ready.” Danika lifted her gaze to me in the mirror, a smile playing on her lips.
I glanced around the room and spotted a clock. It was only noon, so I still had hours before Nolen shifted. What would I do until then? My stomach growled at that exact moment, rumbling at me. “So, what are we going to do?”
“I figure we could watch the guys before the festivities. Sawyer has been asking me when I will be done getting ready for hours now.” She laughed as she placed the last bobby pin in her hair. Danika smiled at me through the mirror, turning her head from side to side. “Come on. First, we need to find something to eat. I’m starving.”
I nodded and waited for her to stand up from the vanity. We left my room, making our way to the dining room. The floor we were on was decorated as well; music could be heard throughout the house. The aroma of different types of food floated up to me, and my stomach rumbled louder, making Danika laugh at me.
Wolves were still busy placing decorations everywhere in the packhouse. I was excited that Nolen would finally have a party fit for an alpha at his pack. He truly deserved it, with as much stuff as he had gone through before coming to my pack. We reached the end of the steps and started down the first-floor hallway to the dining room.
Some doors on the first floor were open, revealing the she-wolves in them getting ready. Each one wore a dress that barely covered anything on their body. I guess they were hoping to be Nolen’s mate and Luna. None of them deserved him. He was too good for them and their backstabbing ways. They only wanted him because he was now in line for the title and was no longer the scrawny little boy they’d bullied. I felt Danika’s hand on my shoulder, bringing my attention to her. “Amora, are you okay? You look a little pissed.”
