Chapter 13

Sammy pulled out the item from the bag and laid it gently on the bed. It was a royal blue, chiffon dress. The bodice with its caped sleeves was fitted and had silver thread weaved through. This flowed into a fitted waist and then a slightly flared skirt that would fall just above the knees. He knew that the color would look great against Trishanna's skin, and it would make her eyes appear even more grey. It was a shame that she didn't have any makeup, but her figure will do just fine.

Trishanna came out of the shower feeling better than she ever felt. It was amazing what hot water, and a razor could do to a girl's self-confidence. Walking into the room, she was surprised to see the dress laid out and Sammy grinning from ear to ear. Glancing lower, she noticed that he had her comb and brush in his hands and even snagged a blow dryer from somewhere. Shaking her head, Trishanna just decided to go with whatever Sammy had planned. She knew that he would give up until he had his way.

Sammy excused himself as she grabbed her best bra and underwear from her drawer. It didn't match but who cares. It's not as if anyone was going to be exploring under her dress anyway. Thankfully, the soap she got recently moisturizes her skin well and the conditioner worked wonders in her hair. After she was done, Sammy came back in and got to work. He plugged in the dryer and skillfully began to dry her hair so that it will form gentle waves down her back. "How are you so good with this, Sammy?"

"Hmm... You know that my job with the Gamma is surveillance, but sometimes I have to infiltrate to get better access to what I need to find. One of the jobs was to be an assistant hairstylist to someone who works with some pretty big names. Guess I picked up a thing or two."

Within an hour, Trishanna was primed and primed according to Sammy's satisfaction. He even got some tweezers and plucked her eyebrows. Finally, when he was finished, he grabbed her hand and led her to the main hall. There was a mirror above one of the side tables and Trishanna did a double take when she saw her reflection. The blue of the dress made her grey eyes pop while making her skin tone look warmer. The silver thread woven in the blouse gave her breasts a fuller feel while the square neckline showed just a hint of cleavage. The skirt flowed like water around her hips and where it stopped above her knees just made her legs look longer. She looked like she could apply for a modeling gig.

Inhaling deeply, Trishanna tried to come to terms with how she looked. "Oh Sammy, is this really me?"

Sammy hugged her and placed a kiss on her temple, "The one and only Rosebud." Grabbing her hand, he pulled her towards the door. "Come on Cinderella, it's time for you to go to the ball."

It's been almost an hour since Trishanna left the party and James was becoming more livid as the minutes ticked by. When he saw Candice deliberately bump into Trishanna, he wondered what the plan was. He saw when she began pulling her to the house and he relaxed a bit only to tense up when he saw that damn Sammy take her instead. He tried to calm himself by saying that they are childhood friends and that if anything was to happen it would have happened already. Of course, Sammy was away for the past two years. And in that time, Trishanna grew into a beautiful young woman.

What could be taking them so long? What if he saw her naked? Flashes of her wet body emerging out of the lake rushed through James' mind. What if Sammy was unable to resist? After all, they are close. Maybe Trishanna would feel more comfortable with him. Maybe she even had a crush on him and now would be the perfect opportunity for either of them to make a move. The thought of someone else touching what should be his made James growl in annoyance.

Deciding that enough time had passed, James was making his way through the crowd of highly intoxicated wolves. Many of the females tried to grab him or rubbed themselves on him. but James had no thoughts other than to get to Trishanna. Just as he made it to the other side, there was a strange murmuring in the crowd. It was so strong that even James could have sensed it. It was almost hard to describe the way the air shifted. Turning confused, James' eyes followed the crowd's only to be met with a sight that he couldn't believe.

Standing across the crowd was Sammy, but that's not what drew the crowd. It was the shy and beautiful Trishanna hiding behind his shoulder that caused everyone to hit pause at the same time. James rubbed his eyes, unsure that the werewine hadn't caught up to him, but when he looked again, there she was. The star of his dreams, the object of his desire. No wonder he didn't notice them, they came from the front of the house and not the back. If he had not been impatient, he would have been the first one to see her, smell her. James didn't like how all these males began slobbering over what was clearly his, and tonight is the night he will make everyone know.

Richard noticed that his Alpha's aura was becoming unstable. He scoffed. Probably feeling jealous of the males looking at his prey. Shaking his head, he clapped his hands to break the strange atmosphere and told the DJ to resume. It also helped the way Sammy draped his arm over her and glared. It sent a clear message that she was not available. Of course, Sammy could never go against his Alpha. Richard looked for Candice in the crowd and nodded toward her. She knew what this meant to set out.

Trishanna felt awkward at the way the music just stopped and everyone began staring at her. She wasn't sure what caused the looks on the faces of her pack members, but it was almost like everyone noticed her at the same moment. From being ignored to suddenly being the center of attention was too much for her. Grabbing Sammy by his shirt, she tried to shrink herself. Maybe it was a bad idea to come back. She could have taken the hot shower and curled up in bed. Who knows, if she pleaded hard enough, she could have convinced Sammy to stay with her and they could have spent the time remembering Rosie. "Are you sure I look alright?"

Sammy draped his arm across her shoulders. He whispered in her ear. "You look amazing, that's why everyone is staring. They didn't know what a gem was hiding beneath those clothes. Don't worry about it." Planting a kiss on her hair, he gently led her back to the bar. "Fellas, can I get a Vodka and Cran for my beautiful date tonight?"

"Umm... Sammy, I've never drank before." Trishanna fiddled with her fingers and the hem of the dress, trying to tug it lower.

"I know that Rosebud, that's why I wanted to have the first drink with you. What do you say? I promise as a gentleman, I will not reveal any of your embarrassing behavior." Trishanna took a sip. "Unless of course, it's to your mate or your kids." Trishanna choked, and some of the liquid ran down her chin and dripped unto her chest. Thankfully, she was able to wipe it before it got on her clothes. The smell of stale alcohol on clothes is not very pleasant.

James watched the drop of cocktail drip down Trishanna's chin and licked his lips. How he wanted to wipe it away with his tongue. Taking another gulp of his drink, he looked at Richard. "So, what's the next step?"

"You'll see." was Richards's reply. Following his gaze, he noticed Candice weaving her way through the crowd toward the bar. No, towards Trishanna. He wondered if he could really trust the plan Richard had. Shaking his head, James simply told himself, that if things got out of hand, he would just swoop in and save his damsel from distress.