AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come on,” she cajoled, bumping her hip against mine. “Maybe it’s time to show the world what an independent woman you’ve become. A woman who knows her own mind. A woman who can embrace all of herself, including the sexy parts.”
I laughed again, shaking my head, but her words struck a nerve. K;ayden was right. I’d lived so much of my life being who everyone wanted me to be. That’s why this new role had been so freeing. I got to call the shots for a change.
In a moment of inspiration—or maybe insanity—I made a decision: Tonight, I would allow myself to dress the way I wanted.
“Okay,” I said, letting my breath out in a rush. “I’ll do it. I’ll wear the dress.”
Kayden squealed and clapped her hands. “That’s my girl. I can help you with your hair, but I’ve barely managed to learn to do my own makeup well, so you’re on your own there.”
“Now that’s something I can manage.” I giggled nervously as I slipped back out of the dress and donned a robe Faye had thoughtfully included on the dress rack.
And as I joined Kayden at the vanity, digging into her vast supply of cosmetics, I allowed myself a single moment to imagine what Garrett might think when he saw me later tonight.
3
GARRETT
The grand dining hall was mostly empty when I arrived, a handful of alphas, their mates, and some council members milling about and conversing. Dinner wouldn’t begin for another half hour, but I always liked to be early for these things. As Holden’s beta, I wanted to get a feel for the dynamics amongst the guests before the dinner truly got underway. We intended to make many changes, and we both knew they wouldn’t go over well with all the alphas.
“Derek, nice to see you.” I extended my hand to the alpha of one of the midwestern packs, who also happened to be Jessica’s father.
He returned my smile, friendly as always. His pack had always been an ally; Derek and Holden’s father, Bridger, were friends that went way back. “You as well, Garrett. How are you holding up under pressure?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ve got my work cut out for me. Holden and I have a big vision for the future.”
“That you do.” Derek arched a brow. “Have you given any thought to how you’ll handle the transition with the Southwest pack alpha retiring?”
We discussed some of Holden’s thoughts on that, but I didn’t divulge anything he wouldn’t have already heard from Bridger. Even though Derek was an ally, Holden and I wanted to keep our cards close as we started to implement changes. Even those close to us might not fully agree with what we had planned. I wondered how Derek would feel about the newest alpha in our midst—the first female in history.
“Hello, Garrett,” a familiar voice said.
Speak of the devil. I turned to see Amelia pass by. She held her chin high, her body language exuding confidence, but I thought I saw the same flicker of uncertainty in her eyes that I’d seen the day we first met.
Understandable. This was her first official event as an alpha, and there were sure to be men here tonight who wouldn’t agree that a woman should hold the position. We hadn’t made an official announcement yet, but that was a line item on the agenda for the council meeting that would take place after dinner.
I angled my head in greeting. “Amelia. Have you met Derek Martin? He’s the alpha of the North Midwest pack.”
After making the introductions, I excused myself to make the rounds, welcoming the alphas as they arrived. Most were friendly, but several remained aloof, still reserving judgment of me as the North American beta. That was fine. I didn’t need their approval, even if it would make my job easier.
“Holden’s doing a fine job,” Everett Franklin, the Southern Pacific alpha, said with a smile. He lowered his voice. “Even with the territorial disputes that have cropped up.”
My smile faltered for a moment, but I quickly snapped it back into place. “I appreciate that. I’ll be sure to tell him you said so.”
It was a bit of a sore spot, but not unexpected. Territorial disputes weren’t uncommon, but it was frustrating, nonetheless.
A sudden hush fell over the room; my senses detected Holden’s presence even before I turned to see him enter the dining hall with Kayden on his arm. She was beautiful as always in a shimmering white evening gown, smiling radiantly at her mate as he stopped in the doorway and glanced around the room.
“Good evening,” he said, his voice carrying across the dining hall as all eyes turned to him. Not for the first time, I was glad not to be in the spotlight like him. It wasn’t that I minded the attention, but the weight of our world rested on Holden’s shoulders—something I didn’t envy.
Excusing myself with a nod to Everett, I made my way to the head table and slid into my assigned seat. Each place setting had a placard with names written in an elegant script, and I wondered if Jessica had handwritten them herself. Speaking of Jessica…
I glanced around the room, but there was no sign of her. Strange. She was never late for anything. She took her job seriously—I almost never saw her doing anything but work. Then again, maybe she’d been caught up behind the scenes with the staff making final preparations for tonight’s dinner and council meeting.
I drummed my fingers on the table, on edge as I watched guests take their seats, my eyes flicking back to the entrance every few seconds as I waited for Jessica to appear. Perhaps the council meeting had me out of sorts, but the longer I waited, the antsier I felt. It suddenly dawned on me that part of this unsettled feeling had to do with Jessica herself.
We’d both been taken off guard by Holden’s suggestion this morning that I bring her as a date. She’d kept her expression carefully blank, but her deep blue eyes had given her away. The most interesting part was she hadn’t leaped at the opportunity. That wasn’t me being full of myself; it’s just how things usually went when a woman had the chance to be my date.
But Jessica hadn’t appeared particularly inclined to be my date. And now I was the one waiting around for her to show up. It was a position I didn’t often find myself in, and I had to admit, I was intrigued.
