Chapter 21
Ispent most of the day in my room, aside from when Kole was able to coax me out with the promise of grilled cheese and tomato bisque.
Despite shooting an arrow at me and locking me in a cell, I’m finding he’s one of those annoying people who are impossible to stay mad at.
It’s probably because of his adorable dimples that seem to make an appearance when the light hits just right.
Still, I wanted some alone time before the party, so I’ve spent the last half hour soaking in the bathtub. I’m in the middle of debating whether I should get out now that the water has cooled when a knock sounds from the bedroom.
“Don’t worry! I didn’t fall asleep and drown,” I call out, as I wrap myself in a plush robe.
“Oh, good. That would put a real damper on the evening.” Sienna is standing in the doorway with a bright smile and a giant duffle bag slung across her back.
“Oh my god!” I pull her in for a hug and squeeze her for a quick moment before I remember that I’m not really the hugging type. “You’re okay!”
“Thanks to you.” Her smile falls away as she looks at me. “I know what he made you do.” She shakes her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”
I reach for her hand, pulling her through the doorway. “It was probably inevitable anyway. Plus, if you’re not around, who will make me look good?” I say, wanting to breeze over the fact that I have somehow found myself caring for a girl I hardly even know.
She giggles and heads to the bed, tossing the duffle bag on it. “Speaking of making you look good…”
“Please tell me there’s not another animal costume in there.” I eye the bag, trying to sneak a peek.
“Well, the good news is there’s not.” She turns to me with pursed lips. “The bad news is, I have a feeling you’ll be wishing there was.”
She holds up the two-piece costume Thane has chosen for me, and my heart sinks. I may not have watched a ton of movies growing up, but even I recognize the iconic Princess Leia slave outfit.
“Are you sure there’s nothing else in there?” I groan, nodding to the bag hopefully.
“Not this time,” she says with an apologetic look. “But I’ll be by your side all night!”
“For real?” I squeal like that’s the best news I’ve gotten in years, and honestly, it might be.
“Yeah! See… Alpha isn’t all bad.”
My lips part as I stare at her in disbelief. “How can you say that after what he was going to do to you?”
“Because, he didn’t really want me dead. He just wanted you to stop being so difficult,” she answers with a shrug.
I throw my hands up in the air. “Why does everyone keep acting like I’m the problem?”
She sighs and walks over to me, running her hands down my arms. “It’s not that. It’s just… I think it’s different for you because you’re human. For us werewolves, it’s in our nature to follow orders from our Alpha. Maybe you’re just more like the vampires, where it’s less natural.”
“Then why am I the only one fighting against it? If vampires don’t like it either, why are they following suit?”
“Well, they didn’t at first. Thane wasn’t always Alpha, and when he came into power, there was plenty of pushback.” She walks to the bag and begins pulling out shoes and accessories. “Once he killed enough of them, though, the others fell in line.”
“Of course that’s what happened,” I say with a sigh.
“Look, I know none of this has been easy for you, and I’m sure it’s impossible for you to understand, but Thane is the reason we were able to come together.
Without him bridging the gap between the vampires and werewolves, we’d still be living in hiding.
” I open my mouth to say something, but she keeps going.
“And I know it’s not fair that the entire human race paid the price for our freedom, but you have to know that over hundreds of years, our kinds tried to find other ways to make peace, and every time it ended badly.
You don’t know the history of our people.
You only know the last three years.” She takes a seat on the edge of the bed and pats the spot next to her.
When I sit down, she reaches for my hands and puts them in her lap.
“I need you to know that our hatred for the humans didn’t come from nothing.
They cut out vampires’ fangs, sedated wolves so that they couldn’t shift, tore out our claws, hunted us like deer—saving our body parts as trophies, and so much worse.
You know the government kept secrets, and we were one of them.
They knew we existed, but they didn’t realize how many of us there were.
Still, we couldn’t take on all the humans without coming together. To many, Thane is a savior.”
The idea of that is absurd, but it also makes sense. Sienna’s right. I don’t know anything about their history, but I do know how cruel humans could be. Everything she says, I believe.
“I’m sorry,” I quietly offer, seeing the pain of the past painted all over her face.
She shakes her head. “I’m sorry. It’s not fair that those with kind hearts had to die so that we could live.”
“But that’s war.”
She nods. “Unfortunately.”
Silence passes between us for a long moment while we both process the events that have led us to each other today. A human and a werewolf. Unlikely allies, and even more so, unlikely friends. Yet, here we are, finding both in one another.
She suddenly shoots up from the bed, pulling me up with her. “Alright, let’s get you ready!”
By the time she’s done with me, I have a long braid running down the length of my back with the help of extensions and a face full of makeup.
All of which would be perfectly fine if it didn’t also come with a top that’s basically just a bra and a skirt so revealing I can’t even wear underwear with it.
Apparently, that was one of Thane’s special orders when it came to me wearing this outfit.
Surely it’s due to him wanting me to be as uncomfortable as possible, which I certainly am.
“If this is my outfit, then what’s yours?” I ask, slipping underneath the covers while she gets ready.
I never had a girl friend to get ready with. The few parties I went to in high school, I mostly kept to myself or hung out with whatever loser I was talking to at the time. I never really got to experience girlhood, and now I’m realizing how much I missed out on.
“Let me put it on and show you!” She rushes off to the bathroom with a burst of excitement.
When she flings the door open, she’s dressed in a torn white crop top and white pants. Her hair is pulled back in a low bun, and she has two silver cuffs locked around each of her arms.
“Now why couldn’t I be Padme?” I whine, looking her over with envy.
She laughs and turns in a circle to rub it in. “I don’t know if you’re badass enough to be Padme.”
I gasp dramatically, clutching my chest. “I will have you know that I am very badass!”
“Okay, but can you do this?” She throws her hands out, releasing her sharp claws with a smirk.
I snort a laugh and slip out of the bed. “No, but I can pee on you.”
Sienna falls to the floor in a fit of laughter. “Okay, okay.” She waves her hands in the air. “Fine. You’re a badass too.”
A loud knock has us both whirling our heads toward the door. “You ladies, ready?”
“Yes!” I shout, fixing my skirt before opening the door.
Kole is leaning up against the doorframe with a white tank top and tight light-washed jeans that show off his muscular build.
His hair has been straightened and fluffed out in all directions, and there’s a proud smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
His eyes fall to my outfit, and he swallows hard.
I suddenly feel self-conscious, and fold my arms in front of me, though with how much skin is showing in this outfit, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference.
I’m just going to have to accept that this is what I’m wearing and own it.
Kole pushes himself upright and takes a step closer, looking down his nose at me.
“What’s the matter, Grey? Like what you see?”
I run my fingers down my chin, assessing him closely. “Honestly?”
“Mhm,” he mumbles hopefully.
“You look like the Wish version of Kevin Bacon.”
His jaw falls open, and Sienna tries to muffle her snicker from behind me.
“I worked really hard on this!” he says, forcing his way into my room.
“Unfortunately, you can’t fix your face,” I tease, turning around in time to catch the look of shock.
“What’s wrong with my face?” he asks with a hint of genuine concern.
I cross my arms and shrug. “It’s just not Kevin Bacon’s.”
“It’s time to go.”
I turn on my heel to find Thane standing in the doorway, wearing a white mask that covers half his face.
“The Phantom. Nice costume, brother.”
“What are you supposed to be?” Thane asks flatly.
I release a chuckle before quickly biting my lip. Kole tosses his head back and exhales. “I’m Kevin Bacon from Footloose, obviously.”
“Um… okay.” Thane looks a bit confused and turns around to head back out to the living room.
“I think you make a great Kevin Bacon,” Sienna mutters to Kole, as the three of us follow Thane.
“Right? They’re just haters,” he says in a tone I can tell is meant to be directed at me.
I turn around to say something to Sienna when I feel something wrap around my neck. My hands instantly move to my throat, and I whirl around to look at Thane.
“You said no more collar!”
“It’s part of the costume,” he answers with a look that tells me he’s waiting for me to challenge him.
He’s baiting me. Seeing how far he can push before I break, but it’s not about me anymore. It’s about Sienna, and I’m not going to jeopardize her life because he wants to play some twisted game.
“How convenient,” is all I say before turning my back on him.
Apparently, he didn’t like that, because he yanks me back with the attached chain and pinches my face in his hand.
“Turn your back on me again, and you’ll regret it.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I agree with a smug grin.
His fangs snap out. “Be careful, Grey.”
The two of us glare at one another until Kole clears his throat, reminding us we aren’t alone.