Having a Ball

*Rose*

The next day, Shelby wants to take me shopping. She says it will take my mind off of everything, but I’m not sure that’s true.

After Tristan said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you later,” and leaped out of my bed, I’d lain there for several minutes, trying to figure out what to do. My body hurt, and I felt all alone.

I’d decided I needed to talk to Shelby, and after a tearful explanation as to what was bothering me, we’d gone for a little stroll.

And ran right into the two Alphas I was so embarrassed to see!

I had tried to play it off. I certainly didn’t want them to know how upset they’d made me. But then Shelby had gone and let them both have it. I’d been so mortified, standing there, listening to her go on and on about how dreadful they both were.

We’d walked around the garden a bit, but then I’d come back to my room and tried to get some sleep.

Now, I am waiting for her to show up to take me to the village to shop. I don’t have any money, and I don’t need anything anyway, so I’m not even sure what we’re doing, but I will go.

I have nothing better to do, after all.

“Are you ready?” Shelby asks, popping her head into the room.

I get up off the bed. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

“Why the long face?” she asks as I walk over to her. “Those stupid boys are both set straight now. You don’t need to worry about them anymore.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be the best company for you,” I tell her. “I’ve been trying to get my mind off them, but I just can’t.”

“You need a dress for the ball tonight,” Shelby says as she pulls me out the door. “You have two other perfectly good Alphas waiting for you who aren’t acting like jackasses.”

She has a point, but what are the chances Reece and Eli will feel differently about me than Mark and Tristan?

We get a few steps down the hallway before she stops and knocks on a door near the Alphas’ rooms, and my heart leaps into my chest. “What are you doing?” I ask her.

“Relax!” she tells me. “I’m getting Kelly.”

My heart falls back into place when Kelly comes out into the hallway and greets us with a happy smile.

We take off for the village on foot, and by the time we get there, after listening to the other girls talk about how much fun the ball will be, I’m in a better mood. Maybe it’ll be fun, after all.

I still don’t know how I’m supposed to pay for this. I have no money, and if I’ve earned anything yet, it has gone straight to my parents.

We walk into a boutique, and Shelby goes straight to the back where they keep the gowns. She pulls up a bright purple gown. “This one is so pretty!” she exclaims. “It would look so great on you, Kelly.”

“Yeah, I like it,” Kelly admits. “The blue is pretty, too!”

They spend several minutes looking at different dresses before they notice I am just standing there.

“Rose, aren’t you going to find a dress?” Kelly asks me.

“Oh, uh… I don’t know,” I stammer. I feel my cheeks turning red. “I mean… they seem to be kind of expensive.”

“So?” Shelby asks with a snort. “Honey, you know you’re not paying for it, right?”

I only stare at her, not sure what to say.

“The king has a tab,” Kelly explains. “Any guests of his in the castle will have their ball gowns paid for. No worries.”

“That includes you, silly!” Shelby tells me, but rather than laughing at me, they go back to looking at the dresses.

I see an emerald green dress that catches my eye, so I go over to look at it, but as I pull on it, I feel it tugged in the opposite direction.

“Hey! That’s my dress!” I hear a familiar voice shout at me from the other side of the rack.

My breath catches in my throat. I can’t see her because the rack is too tall, but I know who it is before she stretches up on her tiptoes.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the fucking breeder,” Emily snarls. “Funny I should meet you here. Are you even going to bother to come to the ball? I don’t see the point. It’s not like anyone will dance with you because they want to. Though the poor Alphas might feel obligated to.”

I let go of the dress, starting to walk away from her. I have nothing to say.

She’s probably right, anyway. No one will want to dance with me, and if they do, they’ll be disappointed, just like the two men I’ve slept with.

She doesn’t let me walk away, though. She comes around the rack, two of her friends in tow. “By the way,” she begins as Shelby and Kelly step toward me, alarmed looks on their faces. “I’m super pissed that you talked to Mark about me!”

I turn and look at her. “I didn’t–”

“Save it!” she shouts. “He came to my room last night to talk to me about it, to tell me that he found out that you had heard how disappointed he was. He obviously didn’t want me to talk about that. Why the hell would you mention it to him, bitch?”

“I didn’t!” I say, turning to glare at her.

“I told him,” Shelby spits out, stepping over. “It was me, Emily. Leave her alone.”

Emily’s eyes narrow on Shelby. “You might think you’re pretty fucking special because your husband is the Beta, but my cousin is the king! Don’t you forget that!” She shoves Shelby hard in the shoulder.

“Hey!” I shout stepping over to her. “Don’t do that!”

Emily turns and looks at me for a minute before she starts laughing. “Or what? I bet you don’t even have a wolf yet, breeder! What are you going to do?”

I have no response for her. I don’t want to fight her in the middle of the boutique, so I just stare her down until she turns to her friends.

“Come on, let’s go somewhere else. I guess I didn’t realize this store let in beggars and rejects!” She walks past me and hits me hard with her shoulder. My hands clench but then unclench, and I want to punch her in the face. But I stop myself. I know how angry my parents will be if I find a way to ruin this for them.

When they are gone, I find myself shaking. My blood is boiling, and I feel sweat breaking out around my chest.

“I’m sorry, Rose,” Shelby sympathizes, coming over to wrap her arms around me. “I didn’t know she’d be here.”

I say nothing but rest my forehead on her shoulder. I just don’t understand why Emily has to be so mean! She’s the one who will get to spend the rest of her life with the next Alpha King–not me. She should be happy about that.

But she seems so jealous of my position, that i get to sleep with four Alphas, she can hardly control herself.

“The green would look really pretty on you,” Kelly says, trying to stabilize the situation.

“I don’t want a dress Emily touched,” I spit out.

“What about the burgundy one?” she asks me.

Shelby and I part, and I dab at my tears. I still have to find a dress. I still have to go to the ball, even if no one will want to dance with me.

The burgundy one will do just as well as any others, so I take it from the rack and head to the dressing room to try it on. I barely make it into the room before the tears start falling.

I try to stay quiet because I don’t want to alert my new friends, but I can’t help but sob. What am I doing here? What in the world made me think I could actually do this job?

Then I remember–I never did think I could do it. I’m not here because I want to be. I’m here because I have no choice. My parents insisted I come. Now I’m here, and I’m failing miserably.

Exactly as my parents said I would.

If I can only find a way to make the Alphas really like me, maybe when this is all over, my parents won’t hear about what a failure I am, but so far… all I’ve done is embarrass myself.

“Rose, are you all right?” Shelby calls, and I can hear concern in her voice.

“I’m fine,” I lie, wiping at my tears. I have to stop crying or she’ll come in, and I really don’t want to change clothes in front of her, not that she hasn’t already seen everything I have to offer.

Somehow, I manage to get myself under control and change into the ballgown. When I step out, they are both waiting.

Kelly and Shelby gasp and cover their mouths. My first instinct is that I must look ridiculous.

But then Shelby cheers, “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life!”

“You look gorgeous!” Kelly agrees.

“When Emily sees you… she’s going to be so jealous!” Shelby continues.

“And my brother is going to lose his shit!” Kelly adds.

I feel like they’re just being nice, but when I turn to look at myself in the mirror, I do think the dress looks beautiful on me.

Maybe I am a huge disappointment to everyone, and maybe I’ll fall on my face tonight, too.

But at least I’ll look good doing it.