Ch.02

TIA POV Finally! I thought as I looked at myself in the mirror, taking in my appearance again. The dress was more than just fabric and stitching; no, what Chen's design had created was a work of art. From what it was sketched on paper to what it looked like on my body, there was no other word to describe but magical. Every intricate detail of this custom design—the hand-sewn beadwork tracing along the bodice and the detailed embroidery seamlessly played along the hem—seemed to vibrate with life, adding energy to the dress. I continued to admire how the soft light caught the subtle patterns on the silk. I smiled as I admired how the colour kissed my light olive skin. I looked absolutely perfect; almost impossibly so. I would be the belle of the ball, for sure, in this dress. How could I not be? The softness of the blue against the warmth of my complexion created a breathtaking contrast that the guests would surely admire. I’ve always loved my olive-toned skin, rich with gold and bronze undertones. In this dress, it almost appeared to glow. One might even say it shimmers! I rolled my eyes at the thought. I ran my slender fingertips along the bodice, taking in the texture of the embroidery. It was soft and raised just enough to tickle under my delicate touch. The neckline framed my collarbones. It was a gentle scoop, not too bold but not shy, the perfect accent for my natural curves. In this, I felt regal and ethereal, like a queen in heaven. The dress was something crafted for the Goddess herself. I almost felt guilty for wearing something so divine. I smiled. A real and luminous smile that reached my big, chocolate-brown doe eyes, creating delicate crinkles in the corners. I felt— beautiful. Realizing myself, I looked around to make sure I was alone. I’m unsure why I even check around; I was always alone, but I would hate for someone to see me break character over a dress, even if it was clearly designed from the heavens above. “Well, this is it. Showtime!” I exhale deeply. I hated what I was about to do. I hated lying and pretending to be something I wasn’t, but I understood it was a necessary evil. I had to protect myself, even from those who are meant to love and cherish me. A knock came to the door just as I gave myself one last admiring smirk. “Miss Tia, your guests are arriving. The Alpha and Luna have asked you to receive them properly.” I struggled to keep my shoulders pinned back straight. Of course, I would have to go down and receive my own guests. It was my birthday celebration, and I was meant to be the guest of honour, but instead, I will be standing at the front to receive my own celebration attendees. Hilary and Simon were the last to arrive to make a grand entrance during their birthdays, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I forced the boiling bitterness down and blanketed my emotions with a neutral expression. Show no weakness, show no real emotion. That has been my motto since I returned all those years ago. No one can know, so let no one see. I greeted each guest who arrived with a polite smile. When questioned why I was greeting the door instead of being inside and celebrating, I cleverly brushed it off that I wanted to inspect gifts of worthiness; after all, a girl only turns eighteen once. What did I care what these people thought of me? They were my parents' alliance, not mine. I was only eager to meet one person—my mysterious fiancé. Delta Allan Price from the Ravens' Peak pack had a curious reputation; he was described as a bit of a ladies ' man and a ruthless warrior in battle. His family line was Alpha blooded, but as a cousin with several brothers ahead of him, Delta status was his highest available rank, so the rumours were that he took his frustrations out on the battlefield. I wasn’t surprised he was a manwh.ore, most ranked males were before mating. Some, unless with their true mates, still were. If you took a chosen mate instead of your true, your wolf rarely felt the need to mark them. Without the mate's mark, you’d never know if there was infidelity or not unless you caught it with your own eyes. Many chosen pairs chose not to mark; it made things easier if it was a bad match. It was a heck of a lot easier to get a divorce than to remove a mate's mark. Both parties had to accept the rejection to remove a mate's mark, or you needed a coven of witches. Covens willing to help with something like that were tricky to find. It was viewed as a better option not to mark with my generation; marking was the way of concealing your lies for my parents' generation. Mine couldn't be bothered with the extra effort. Too much hassle. I knew Delta Allan Price wouldn’t mark me, and with his reputation, I was more than okay with that. He should know, however, if he strays, then I could too. I didn’t intend to do so, but I still reserve the option as it is my legal right. Arranged marriages were nothing more than a business transaction; if he were going to lead in a specific direction, I would also. I would not be a mockery if forced to be sold off as cattle. I had my pride, after all. It was bad enough that I never agreed to the marriage; I knew my legal rights and planned to invoke them just as soon as I could. I could hear the celebration inside. It was getting into full swing, and it was time for me to head back inside. My parents were already downstairs, mingling with the crowd. Despite my colour theme being blue and white, my mother and Hilary wore elegant silver dresses that complemented their freshly applied tanned skin. Neither my mother nor my sister got the olive skin pigment I did, so they were sporting their beautiful fake n' bake bronzer, and I relished it. My father, brother, and even Beta Miles, my sister's mate from Fisher Brooks Pack, all wore silver accent pieces to complement the females. I shouldn’t be surprised by this hostile takeover attempt, but it still hurts. My wants were never accepted; they were always wrong and changed to suit what Hilary wanted. Push it away, focus! A mantra I told myself daily was becoming more frequent, but I chose to ignore it. I walked around the room, ensuring I left my impression of what I wanted everyone to believe. I knew what they all thought of me. Tia Henry is the youngest daughter of the ever-kind and loving Alpha Markus and Luna Ava. She was spoiled rotten to the core. Nothing good harboured within, and selfishly destroying the family's good name. They thought I bullied Omegas for fun and got entertainment over oppressing those beneath me. There was even speculation that I was not the real Tia, that the wrong child had been returned to them, and that I bore no resemblance to my adored family. I suspected this was one of the reasons my mother made sure that the portraits of her family bloodline were always on display—not because they were smearing me and my existence, but because they were questioning her integrity. I watched from afar as Hilary worked the room with poise and ease. Her smile was elegant and carried her effortlessly from group to group. They all loved her. She was the poster child of Cherry Ridge Pack. I hated how great she looked in that silver dress. It was so similar to my own dress's unique design that I wouldn’t be surprised if she reached out to my designer and had it copied for herself. As always, I was upstaged. I walked over to where Beta Miles and his twin brother, Alpha Tyson Roberts of Fisher Brooks Pack, stood. They weren't identical twins, thank god, but they both had strikingly similar features, which made them both stand out in a crowd. Although most were uninterested in my presence or wary of my criticisms, neither of these two males dismissed me. I felt like they could see past my stone mask, and it felt refreshing to be seen, even in small doses. “There is the birthday girl!” Beta Miles smiled, offering me a side hug. He always gave me the best hugs. I always felt recharged when he was around. That was rare in my world. But I couldn't afford to break character in front of so many, and I was always relieved that Miles understood that. I knew I would get a proper hug once everything calmed down for the night. Miles always seemed to understand the mask I wore. He was my favourite person, but I knew it would be only a matter of time before Hilary turned him against me. She thrived on isolating me. “Hey, Miles.” I greeted back. I was mindful of my facial features, but offered him a slight curl of my lips and softened my eyes. I knew he understood. “Happy Birthday, Tia. Sarah sends her wishes and apologizes for being unable to make the trip.” Alpha Tyson offered. Sarah was Alpha Tyson's Luna and was due to give birth to their first pup any day now. It made sense that she couldn’t travel. I liked Sarah; the main reason was that she didn’t like my sister, which was rare. Everyone seemed to fall prey to my sister's charms, everyone except for Luna Sarah. For that, I make it a point not to be my typical bratty self around her. No, I reserved that for the rest of the sheep following blindly. “Think nothing of it, Alpha Tyson. Please let her know that I am excited for you both and hope to get a chance to meet the new addition when the pup arrives.” I offer the same slight curl of my lips before I pull it back with Hilary's approach. I rolled my eyes at her obviousness. She hated the attention not being on her, and me talking with her mate and Alpha without her interference was a clear no-no to her. “There you are, dear sister. Your guests were asking about you. Perhaps you should mingle more efficiently.” Hilary’s voice was painfully sweet. Anyone overhearing would think she actually cared. “Okay, and?” I asked in a bratty, bored tone, as I examined my manicure. “These people have travelled a long way to celebrate your eighteenth birthday. Don’t you think you should respect that?” Hilary’s smile looked almost painful, as she pulled it back tightly. She reminded me of that creepy Smile movie poster. It was unsettling. “Correction, dear sister. They came for mother and father and began sniffing Simon's backside so that when he takes over, they can hop onto that alliance train. No one came for me. Wasn’t having me greet everyone at the front door, despite being the birthday girl, enough to appease the ass-kissery? Or do you have some lipstick I can borrow? You do it so well, I imagine you would prefer we use the same shade.” I flipped my hair with my trademark eye-roll and turned my attention back to the Beta and Alpha pair watching in hidden amusement. “Gentlemen, if you would excuse me, not only had my ever-so-devoted sister hijacked my colour theme with this atrocious aluminum foil tablecloth wrapped around her body, but her lips are tired from the continued ass-kissing she's been scurrying around all evening doing. It appears to be my turn.” I didn’t wait for a response; I left. I could feel Hilary’s burning glare on my back as I left the group, moving to the opposite end of the room to be alone. I wasn’t alone for long, however. Simon’s overbearing presence and grip on my arm. “What the f***k was that over there?” he growled low in my ear. “Simon, I suggest you let go of my arm before I make a scene.” I looked up at him; my expression remained unreadable. “And you know I will.” I yanked my arm out of his grip and left him standing there, fuming. I hated it here. I hated being married off like livestock. I hated everything. This wasn’t a birthday to celebrate me. It was a political gathering, complete with fancy attire and cake. I’ve made enough of an appearance, so I left. I already knew I would not be shifting tonight. I made sure I told my family that I felt none of the usual signs suggesting I would shift tonight, so they distanced themselves from me and focused on their contacts in the house. I didn’t need to be there anymore; my fiancée didn’t arrive as promised. Some birthday, I thought with a sigh as I made my way to my secret hiding spot. Tonight, like every night, I will spend the evening alone.