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CHAPTER 29
“You shouldn’t go tonightif you aren’t feeling well....” Eloise brushed a hand over my back as I lost my breakfast in the toilet. I had gone to spend the night with Pack Russo, but instead of a relaxing night, I’d spent the majority of it curled around the toilet bowl, trying to quell the nausea that had started after dinner. I had chanced a breakfast burrito this morning and was completely regretting it now.
“It’s the last party before the primaries,” I replied miserably as another round of dry heaving made my entire body lock up in pain. “Besides, I’m pretty sure it’s from the sketchy corn dog I ate on the boardwalk yesterday. I just need to drink a bunch of gatorade and I will be fine.”
Eloise just sighed and stood. “I’ll get you a fresh one from the kitchen.”
Three hours later, and I was feeling markedly better. I was even able to joke with Owen and Leon as I put my makeup for the party on.
“So you’re telling me that you are skipping what is shaping up to be an epic family vacation...for a boring party?” Owen teased from Leon’s arms as they cuddled on the couch.
I grinned at him from over my makeup mirror and shrugged. “It’s crazy, I know. But I’ll go on the next vacation, I promise.” I was exhausted from all of the events, fundraisers, parties, and galas that we had attended over the past two months. I was ready for a break, but the primaries were only a week away, so a break would have to wait.
It was crazy how much my life had changed from even just a year ago. I now knew more about politics and elections than I ever did before, and I found that I actuallylikedit.
While we were going to be heading into the primaries, Tibby, Eloise, and their packs were heading for a two-week trip to Cancun to enjoy the sunshine and sand.
“Boooo!” Owen complained, and Leon shushed him by putting his hand over the beta’s mouth.
“We’ll bring back souvenirs, Madeline.” The alpha said with a grin as Owen rolled his eyes.
The doorbell rang, and a minute later Ric’s voice came from the front entryway, “Madeline, your boyfriends are here to pick you up!”
I checked my phone and gasped because, apparently, I’d lost track of time. I wasn’t even dressed yet!
Leaving my makeup out on the coffee table, I bolted for the stairs. “I still need to get dressed, give me ten minutes!”
My dress was already hanging from the mirror when I entered Eloise’s room. Eloise was sitting with Vivi in one of her papasan chairs and reading a book on her tablet. When I burst into the room, she glanced up at me with an amused expression.
“I was wondering when you would be coming upstairs to get dressed.” Eloise said, her brown eyes watching me as I stripped out of the t-shirt and leggings that I’d been wearing all day.
“I lost track of time talking to Leon and Owen downstairs.” I replied sheepishly as I pulled the black evening gown over my body. “Zip me up?” I asked, and she reached over the baby to pull the zipper up on the dress.
“I love this dress, it’s just so gorgeous.” Eloise gushed as I glanced in the mirror to check that everything was sitting in the right spot.
I had been saving this gown for tonight since the fundraiser had a black and white theme to it. The black dress was high necked and elegant looking with a soft tulle skirt that gave me the appearance of having bigger hips than I actually did.
“Your back also looks good. Adair and the rest are going to be drooling over you all night instead of actually doing their jobs.” At Eloise’s compliment, I spun to get a look at the back of the dress, which was low cut and exposed the majority of my back. I was secretly glad that I’d spent time out in the sunshine with Eloise this summer, because my skin had taken on a golden hue that made the black of the dress stand out.
“Thank you, I’m excited that this is one of the last events we have to attend before Summer really kicks in. Adair gets a little bit of a break after the primaries and I’m looking forward to having him and Rio all to myself for a little while at least.” I said as I began to slide the gold jewelry that I’d picked out onto my neck and wrists.
“Has there still been no movement on the Marcus front?” Eloise asked, sounding a bit surprised.
“No, there hasn’t been,” I turned to exchange an eye-roll with her before working on tying a pair of gold gladiator sandals to my feet. “I swear, I’ve never met anyone so stubborn before. I actually think that he might have Leon beat.”
Marcus acted as standoffish as ever...except for the fact that whenever he looked at me, he looked like a puppy that had just been kicked. As if it wasmyfault that I’d had to put a boundary between us, and not his actions that had caused it.
But I had bigger fish to fry at the moment other than the wayward British alpha with commitment issues.
“Okay, this is the full look.” I said, giving a little twirl so that Eloise could get a complete look at it. “What do you think?”
“Very pretty, now get downstairs Cinderella before your carriage leaves without you.” Eloise grinned, mimicking the words that I’d said to her two years ago when I dressed her for her first gala with Pack Russo.
“Thanks, Fairy Godmother,” I joked and gave her one last wave before heading downstairs to join my alphas. Little did I know, that the giddy feelings that I was feeling were going to have soured by the end of the night once the clock struck midnight.
