Chapter ４

It took me a long while, and I didn’t quite have time to complete them all before I needed to start getting ready, so I pushed them to the side for the time being. Collecting all the cosmetics samples I’d managed to stow away and everything my friends had given me over the years —expiration date what? — I began putting on my ‘glamour face’, as Sarah would say.

After I was pleased with my minimal eyeliner, eyeshadow, and strong lip, I turned to my hair, plaiting it into a smooth braid. In a sense, it almost seemed ceremonial, and some of the anxiousness in the back of my brain ebbed when I picked out some baby hairs and curled them so the curls complimented my appearance.

If I had any luck, some of my friends would have images on their phones that I could later ask them to email me. And even if we all went our separate ways, I'd always remember the good moments we had.

I stowed all of my items away in their hidey-holes and walked out early.

picked up a second tie, looked at it, and then put it down. I felt silly deliberating over what to wear like a teenager getting ready for prom, but I wanted to make a good impression on the few local alpha males I would be meeting.

It essentially meant strong, well-organized, in charge, and successful. Half of my nervousness stemmed from the fact that so much was being said by a single garment.

After much deliberation, I settled on a simple black option. It had gravitas and simplicity.

I gathered the necessary components from my seldom used walk-in closet, spread them out on the floor of my living room, and paced for the better part of 10 minutes. Obviously, this is an essential step in getting dressed. While I was at home, in my mind I was already at the meeting and going through my prepared remarks.

“the previous alpha had big shoes to fill….”

In spite of the fact that I had just recently assumed my position as pack leader after Bert Saw's tragic passing, I didn't want to get off to a boastful start by mentioning that fact. Those who need to act superior over the deceased are either weak or vain.

The previous alpha may have messed us over royally, but he died in a raid that also lost his pack the moonstone. As he had no children of his own, he had put his beta, one William Henry, in charge until I came around.

Even though I was born to lead, I must admit that I was a little... anxious.

Yet I had to rein it in because the more seasoned alphas in my pack would smell weakness a mile away, and that was the last thing we needed.

After pacing for a little more, I returned to putting on my suit, and this time, I fastened my tie slowly and deliberately in front of the mirror. The outfit was finally finished, and I immediately felt better. I also felt a bit more put together and in charge, which was precisely what I needed.

After looking at the time, I knew I wouldn't have much time to go to William's residence on the outskirts of town. This wasn't a party where showing up late was considered chic. Oh no, I didn't want to give the senior alphas a bad image by wasting their time.

There had been, never would be grovelling. I also had no intention of turning into a fanboy who would bend over backwards to please them. But I did think it was important to appreciate the experience of the pack leaders and acknowledge their achievements.

I hastily left, got in my vehicle, and drove to William's place. It would have been more convenient if he had met me at my apartment, given that we both possessed cars. Nonetheless, we were being a bit more careful about our timetable predictability since we still hadn't located the guy who'd murdered Bert.

I beat the previous record by a wide margin, and if I sped a bit, nobody noticed. Fortunately, William was all set to leave when we arrived. My car was safely parked in his tidy little garage, and I climbed into the rear of his stealthily protected conveyance.

It looked like any other sleek black Vehicle, but I knew it had extra security features like bulletproof glass and metal plating on some of the doors. That wouldn't be enough to withstand a full-scale assault, but it would give you some valuable time to assess the situation and devise a plan. If there's one thing I picked up on the battlefield, it's that sometimes seconds may make all the difference between life and death.

"Have you found anything yet?" As William was behind the wheel, I voiced my curiosity. To this day, I find it incredible that he could get about the city without resorting to a GPS since he had memorised so much of it.