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CHAPTER 20
Music swelled fromthe orchestra pit as I stared up at ballet dancers twirling around on the stage. It was late January and the night of SFOFA’s Annual Winter Ballet. Normally, we would have skipped the event, but Cherry was one of the mice inCinderellaand wild horses couldn’t have kept us away.
Tibby, Eloise, their packs, and Rio were all sitting in the row next to me. Adair would have come with us as well, but he had a tour of California that had started the week before in Los Angeles, and he wouldn’t be back until just before Valentine’s Day. Marcus, who was still just as standoffish whenever I visited their apartment, had gone with him.
“She’s so cute.” Rio whispered in my ear as Cherry daintily danced across the stage, followed by two bigger omega girls. She was dressed in the cutest gray leotard that had a pink tail pinned to the back of it. Someone had pinned gray ears into her hair and painted her face with little whiskers. It was still concerning how tiny she was, but Tibby assured me that she was eating regularly.
“Isn’t she?” Tibby said, leaning over my lap to gush with Rio. The two had become fast friends over the past couple of months—and Tibby had even started to sell her baked goods at Golden Gate Grind.
I hushed them as the music quieted to near silence as the dancer who was playing Cinderella wept on the floor of the stage. She was crying because her stepsisters had just finished tearing her mother’s beautiful dress to shreds. Cherry and her fellow mice encircled the dancer, dancing around her in unison until there was a flash of light and a loudcrack! Another dancer stepped onto the stage in a glittering costume that told the audience that she was Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.
The rest of the play passed quickly. I held Rio’s hand tightly as Cinderella and the Prince danced together on the stage at the end of the play. The curtains closed to loud applause from the crowded audience.
Tibby, Eloise, and I linked arms and made our way to the door, and I watched as more than one alpha did a double take to watch us go before they were promptly glared off by one of the alphas or betas that were following closely behind us.
“Do you think they’ll let us see her?” I asked as we stepped into the busy lobby and found an uncrowded corner to stand in. Scanning the crowd, I caught sight of Chairwoman Bells chatting amongst a group of alphas while an older, stern-faced alpha stood directly behind her.
“That’s Senator Bells,” Rio murmured into my ear. “Adair hates him.”
I glanced back at him, my next question spilling from my mouth before I could catch it. “Why?”
“He perpetuates the whole Academy system in California. I guess he’s related to one of the original founders of the Omega Academies in the states, so he feels the need to keep it going...for family honor and all that.”
I frowned, watching as the alpha placed a hand on his mate’s back before he led her to a set of stairs. Clearly they were done chatting with guests for the night. “So I take it hewon’tbe supporting Adair’s run for Governor?”
Rio snorted. “No, definitely not. He’s already thrown his hat behind the other guy that’s running against Adair in the primaries.”
“That’s Ivan Bennington, right?” I’d been taking the time to educate myself on all things politics over the past few weeks, and I’d learned alot about the older alpha from Adair’s party who wanted to keep the status quo in California.
“Right,” Rio nodded. “The guy who has spent more time purchasing ads to slander Adair than actually doing any campaigning.” We exchanged twin eyerolls.
“I wish I understood anything that you two are saying. Sometimes it’s like you guys are speaking a different language.” Tibby joked from where she was cuddled inside of Cobb’s arms.
“I’m still learning.” I replied as Ric, who’d gone to speak to Carolyn Smith, rejoined us. He was frowning by the time he reached us, and his shoulders were tight with frustration.
“I take it they aren’t going to let us see Cherry?” Eloise asked, mirroring Ric’s frown. Her expression became troubled by whatever was coming from my brother through their bond, and for a minute, the two just stared at each other until Ric’s pinched shoulders finally relaxed, and he released the breath that he had been holding in one longwhoosh.
“No, and Carolyn was being cagey about it, which is never a good thing.” Ric pressed a kiss to the side of Eloise’s head before turning to face the rest of the group. “We need to head back anyway. We’ve only got the babysitter until eleven.”
Hugs and kisses were exchanged and soon Rio and I were walking hand-in-hand back to his truck. As we walked, I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what was going on behind the walls of the San Francisco Omega Academy. I had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
It turned out thatI didn’t have to wait long to get the answer to the question that I asked myself on the night of the ballet.
A week later, I pushed a rack of clothing into Chairwoman Bells’ office and unknowingly walked into something that would change my life forever.
Chairwoman Bells had a plethora of parties and Spring Galas that she was supposed to attend over the next couple of months. I definitely had my work cut out for me seeing as she had completely nixed my last presentation before I could even get through it. That had hurt, but I’d licked my wounds, and I was back with a set of clothing that I was sure that she would like.
I immediately began to organize myself and get the presentation booted up on my tablet. The Chairwoman completely ignored my presence as she continued to type on her computer. After our initial meetings for the winter, Bells had taken to treating me like another piece of furniture in her office, just like Zoey had told me that she would.
Over the past few weeks, every single day was spent buried in our style catalogs. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones trying to find the Holy Grail of modern fashion...and failing miserably. It didn’t help that I couldn’t ask any of the other stylists for help. The majority of them had blackballed me at the direction of Zoey and the Barbies, and it had yet to wear off. It had been over three months, and I was still the office pariah.
I wasn’t even able to design as much as I wanted to because I was so busy all the time. Sometimes after Adair or Rio went to bed, I would sneak back into my living room to try and sew. After making clothes for Cherry back in November, my brain had been stuffed full of more ideas for a children’s clothing line, and I had been slowly building it out. I didn’t know if it would ever see the light of day, but I loved each new piece that came together.
“Good morning, Chairwoman Bells.” I plastered my Maddie-smile onto my face as I greeted her.
Bells didn’t respond, but continued to type on her computer, completely finishing whatever she was doing before standing and heading over to her office couch. She held a manicured hand out for her tablet without looking at me.
“Did you take my notes into consideration?” She asked as she began to flip through the presentation that I had loaded up on her screen.
