Chapter. 4

 I wake the following day, and the sun is already beaming through my window. I blink a few times and roll over to grab my phone. I almost jump out of bed when I see it is already eleven. I still have time for a run, but not as long as I would have if I had got up on time. I slip on my clothes and head downstairs. I grab a glass of juice, and when I drink it, I think about the man from the diner yesterday. He must be one of the unmated Alphas. I know he isn't my mate, but something about him made him easy to talk to. I shy away from most higher-ranking wolves. I have never been afraid I only do it to stay unnoticed.  

 "I like him," Ember says in the back of my mind. 

 "Yes, he was nice." 

I head to the door to grab my shoes. I need to get going if I plan to get back, shower, and clean up before I have to head to Juliana's house. I run a little further than yesterday before I strip my clothes off and put them in my bag. I let Ember take control. The shift is quick and liberating. She takes off in the same direction we usually run. She is taking her time enjoying the forest and all it has to offer. We reach the lake, and she walks up to drink. I hear a noise coming from the other side of the lake. Ember lifts her head and ears and looks. She turns and bolts back in the direction we came.

 "What was it? I didn't see anything." I say.

 "Other wolves are running." She doesn't say anything else, and she doesn't have to. She is running at full speed. We made it back to my house in less than half the time it took us to get to the lake. I shift and head in the house before even dressing. When I walk in the door, I am startled to find Juliana and Shawn standing in my living room. I grab a jacket hanging by the door and wrap it around me. 

 "Give me a minute to get dressed. I will be right back." I tell them. I try to keep as much of myself covered as possible. I know we are werewolves, and nudity comes with the territory, but that is  Juliana's mate, so I don't want to walk through my house naked with him here. I jump in the shower and clean off really quick. I don't need to wash my hair. I did that last night. I dry off and throw on leggings and a T-shirt. I head back downstairs, and they are sitting on the couch waiting on me. 

 "I take it you went for a run?" Juliana says, giving me a sideways look.

 "Yes, I overslept and decided to go when I got up."

 "Did you run into anyone? Did anyone see you?" Shawn asks, looking worried.

 "No, but we were at the lake. Ember was drinking when she heard something from across the lake in the woods. We bolted before anyone ran upon us." Shawn looks relieved when I tell him. 

 "We came to warn you not to run or be in your wolf form. The others all got her around nine they decided to go for a group run. They were headed in the direction of the lake. You were already gone when we got here."

 "Well, thankfully, we dodge a bullet. Thank you both for coming to warn me, though." I tell them, giving them a smile to ease their minds.

 "Well, we need to head back, but I am going to leave my car here. You can drive it to the house when you are ready." Juliana says, and I give her a big hug to say thank you. 

 

 After they leave, it doesn't take long with cleaning and doing laundry to be time to head to Juliana's to get dressed. I wonder if they would believe that I am sick.

 "You need to go. We deserve to have a mate. I know the Goddess would not forget us." 

 "A mate will complicate things. I have to avenge my parents and brother." I tell Ember so she can remember what the plan is.

  "A mate could help us with our plan." I had not really thought about that. So I will go, but my plan can not change. I made it to Juliana's house a few minutes earlier than I had agreed to. I knock and wait, but it doesn't take her long to throw the door open and drag me in. I can't help laughing at her as she pulls me to her room and throws me in a chair. 

 "Are you excited?" I ask her cause she is acting a little crazy right now.

 "Well, yes, it is not every day that I get to dress you up like a doll." 

 "You better put the breaks on no funny business," I tell her, giving her a serious look. I don't use a lot of makeup, and tonight will not be any different. She only laughs and starts doing her magic, as she calls it.

 Over an hour later... "Ok, I am done. Let's slide this dress on now." I stand and go to turn to look in the mirror, but she grabs my arm. "not yet." So to appease her, I wait to look. She holds the dress while I slide in it not to mess up my hair and makeup she just spent so much time fixing. I stand up and straighten the dress. She hands me a pair of sandals. They are beautiful. The straps are covered with studs. They look like straps of diamonds across my feet. 

 "Everything looks so beautiful." 

 "You can look in the mirror now," She tells me, and I slowly turn. I gasp... Indeed gasp, I don't even recognize myself. I know it is me, but it is like the 4.0 addition. My skin is shinning, and my eyes are bright. The dress looks stunning with the sandals. 

 "I can't go looking like this." Is all I can say.

 "What do you mean do you not like it?" Juliana asks, almost sounding heartbroken. 

 "I look great. That is the problem. Everyone will be staring at me." She busts out laughing like gut-wrenching laughing at me. 

 "That's the point. You want to look stunning at a mate ball," She says after she can finally stop laughing.

 "I don't know. I am nervous." 

 "It's ok to be nervous, and remember I will be there too."  I hope she is right and this goes well.

 I help Juliana get ready and do her hair. I do it in an updo. I braided stips on the side back and fastened them into the bun. She looks amazing. Her dress is green and makes her eyes pop. 

 "Shawn just said that I have to meet him at the hall, so we need to get going." I am still nervous and not sure if I can do this.

 "You got this. You have Juliana and me there with you. You are going to rock this. I told you that you were a diva too." I can't help but laugh at Ember calling me a diva. But, her encouragement gives me strength.