Alpha Elijah had once again firmly sent me back to my rooms while he went to console his daughter, probably to ask her what had happened without any onlookers. Now in my room, my mind still whirled as I thought of the encounter with the alpha and his daughter, Thea. She was a clever little six-year-old, to be able to make up such an elaborate story of being one of the maid’s daughters when she was in fact, the alphas.
Ava had not treated the alpha’s daughter well during that interaction, either. I wondered if she would’ve pretended to fawn over her more if she knew. If she did, that façade wouldn’t last very long anyhow, since she didn’t care for kids much.
I, on the other hand, was already missing the vibrant little girl. I thought of her age, six. The same age that my little one would have been.
If my child was still with me, would she be as sweet and lively as Thea? I often wondered what my child would be like, and seeing children the same age as mine would have been always led me thoughts of my baby. That’s why the thought of the money propelled me forward, to find my child and be reunited.
A knock sounded at my door. I opened it to the sight of a politely smiling maid.
“All trial participants presences are required in the common room, now.” She said curtly. I nodded, and headed toward the room that resembled a fancy airport lounge, stocked with snacks and champagne. The participants filed in, giving me either death glares or looks of interest as they took their seats in the room.
A charming male with short brown hair and green eyes entered the room.
“Hello ladies, I am Beta James, Alpha Elijah’s second. I have brought you all in here to announce the beauty ball the alpha is hosting.” He surveyed the room as he spoke. The girls erupted into excited chitters at the news, but I was unsure if all this pomp and circumstance would be worth it.
“Of course,” Beta James continued, “The ball is a section of the trials where you each will be put into consideration to be the alpha’s mate, but there is another benefit to this ball as well. On
the night itself you will be judged by fashion, looks, and poise, and the top five contestants will receive cash prizes, with a large sum of $100,000 being given to the winner.”
I widened my eyes in shock. That amount upped the stakes. I needed to win that money, at whatever cost.
“Now,” The beta clapped his hands together and a group of maids scuttled in, “You will be shown to the dressing room where you may choose from a selection of gowns. Choose wisely.” He smiled at them and exited the room as the maids shuffled them to the dressing room.
The gown selection was vast, with a wide range of gowns in every shape, length, color, and size. There was also a selection of fabrics off to the side on one rack, in case anyone wanted something custom made, the caveat being that they would have to create the dress themselves. Of course Ava and her clique had found the most expensive designer dresses immediately and growled, making hurtful comments to anyone else who got near them.
I rolled my eyes and decided on taking some of the fabrics, a simple sheath dress, and other materials I would need to make my own dress and left quietly back to my dorm. The simple dress would be my base, that I would make some serious modifications to.
My late mother had been a highly sought after fashion designer, a skill that she had given to me. I often made my own clothing in my spare time, using thrifted pieces and fabric to come up with something brilliant. I looked at the materials before me and set to work.
After two days of work, I’d finally did it. The dress was beautiful, a stunning blend of vintage elegance and modern flair. The original black sheath dress now featured intricate lace detailing along the neckline and sleeves, giving it a timeless, ethereal look.
I’d also added delicate embroidery in shades of silver and gold that shimmered subtly in the light, with elegant patterning down the bodice. I’d added layers of chiffon to the skirt which created flowy movement, but the fitted waistline accentuated the curves of my body.
I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out, and knew that if my mom were here, she would be proud of me too. I’d been holed up in my room the past two days working on it, and my stomach growled in displeasure, so I went to the dorm kitchen to find something to eat. I grabbed a prepackaged deli sandwich and an orange juice and headed back to my room.
Ava walked by me, smugly, holding a pair of scissors. “Nice dress.” She told me, snapping the scissors at me with a demented grin, and she laughed as she passed. My eyes widened and I rushed to my room.
I gasped as I took in my once perfect dress. She had cut it into pieces, absolutely decimating it past the point of repair. I groaned, tears welling in my eyes.
Fury at what Ava had done waged in the pit of my stomach, but I also felt hopeless. There was no time to fix it now, the ball was tonight. Instead of having to be in my room and look at it, I took the sandwich and juice outside to the gardens and sat under the tree where I first met Thea.
I sat and chewed the sandwich, disheartened. I’d lost my chance at the prize now. There wasn’t any point of me even going tonight.
Suddenly, Thea appeared, surprising me and breaking me out of my saddened thoughts. She laid her head in my lap.
“What’s wrong?” She asked in her sweet, melodic voice. I was glad to see her, since it had been a few days.
I sighed. “I worked on a dress for two days for your father’s beauty ball and I walked in to see that my stepsister had destroyed it. So I guess I’m not going tonight,” I took another bite of my sandwich and held the unopened juice out to her. “Want some?”
She shook her head, standing up, and pulling at my arm. “Come on.” She urged, and I had no choice but to follow. She was strong for a six-year-old.
She led me to a room upstairs. Inside the room, the sole item was an exquisite gown in a glass case. I gaped with my mouth open.
“Wait…” I gasped, “This is my mother’s work.” I stepped closer to the gown’s glass case, marveling at it.
It was a breathtaking ballgown. It shimmered under the glass case’s built-in lights, the lights catching the sparkles within the intricate beadwork. It was a light blue, but the crystal beads made it look more like silver sparkly diamonds. It had a sweetheart neckline and the skirt flared out wide, in a perfect traditional ballgown style.
I remembered this dress particularly, a fond memory of my past. I’d never expected to see it again. Mom had received a commission to make this dress when I was only five years old, and it was one of the first pieces where she’d asked me to draw a design for her. I’d proudly shown her the drawing, and after some adjustments, my mother had turned my childish sketch into a perfect ballgown.
It had been one of our proudest moments together—a shared creation.
Thea pulled a ring of keys from her pocket and opened the glass case.
She whispered conspiratorially, “Don’t tell Daddy.”
