Chapter 65

Miranda

Under my bathroom light, the dress Sebastian bought for me holds a very, very deep plum color. I didn’t notice it under the dim lighting of the private parlor, instead focusing on Sebastian and his lips. My focus shifts to the golden accents of the dress. My fingertips graze against the cool metal, feeling how thin and flexible the metal is and just how well it has been integrated into the dress.

The dress must have cost a fortune…more than I could ever possibly dream of. It’s a dress fit for the Alpha King’s future Queen. Does this mean that Sebastian wants me to be his?

I hide a smile that creeps up on my lips. My teeth capture my bottom lip, which has been slicked with a dark lipstick, and chew on it. I catch a glimpse of my eyes in the dirty bathroom mirror.

The purple hue pops out at me. It’s a sight that I almost didn’t recognize due to years of me changing them. Leaning in towards the mirror, I slightly widen my eyes, tilting my chin to get a better look at them.

The violet irises are vibrant, glowing even. I inch closer, noticing a speck of gold hidden between the iris’ layers.

I sigh and pull away from the mirror, tearing my gaze off of myself. My lips purse and my hand reaches for the eye changing vial. Right as I’m about to snatch the bottle, the bathroom door creaks open. Three heads poke through the sliver, their eyes trained on me. My shoulders relax. I meet their smiles through the mirror, matching them.

“What are you three doing?” I question with a chuckle. My hand attaches to my waist and I turn my torso to look at them, my hair flipping over my shoulder. They creep into the bathroom and corner me against the counter.

Ella holds her arms up and I take her up on her cue, hoisting her onto the bathroom counter. She beams at me, her hands grabbing the loose fabric that hands off of my shoulder. She gently tugs on it, her smile turning bittersweet.

“I wish I could have a dress like this,” she sighs, eyes traveling up and down my dress. I lean in, poking her nose.

“When you’re old enough, I’ll buy you one. Deal?” I smile at her. She nods and giggles, looking down at her kicking feet. Her heels click against the wooden cabinets. The repetitve sound used to annoy me but now I find comfort in it.

“Mommy, you look good!” Noah chimes in. I turn in the opposite direction, my eyes meeting his. I lean down and rest my hands on my knees.

“Thank you, Noah, that is very kind of you to say.”

“Are you going to change your eye color?” Evan’s question catches me off guard. My breath gets caught in my throat and I hesitate to respond. My violet eyes meet his. A piece of my heart breaks when his bottom lip pouts.

“I…” my voice falls. I look at myself in the mirror. A flash of confidence strikes my heart. I smile and turn back to Evan, leaning back down. “I’m not going to. It’s about time the world accepts our purple eyes, don’t you think?”

Evan’s smile grows, covering almost the entire bottom half of his face. He jumps into my arms and I give him a tight hug, Ella and Noah quickly joining in.

Later…

A car takes me down Sebastian’s gravel path that leads to his mansion. The closer we get to the mansion, the more light seeps into the dark night sky. Lanterns line up along the path, growing brighter and brighter with every inch.

The car stops and the driver gets out, rushing to the back door where I sit. The door opens and he holds his hand out to me. I take it and step out, my heel meeting the ground, and quietly thank him. My breath is taken away by the sight of his home.

The warm lights run up the front walls of the mansion, tangled with the green vines. A red carpet runs up the stone steps, leading all the way to the open front doors. A faint sound of live music can be heard through the house.

It’s breathtaking.

“Ma’am,” his Beta’s voice snaps me from my trance. He stands at the bottom of the stairs. He holds out his arm to me. I gently take it and he guides me up the stairs. Other wolf nobles stare at us and whisper but we pay no attention to them. We step inside the mansion and the memory of his cold home is instantly replaced with the version he has set up.

“Wow…” I murmur. His Beta smiles, pleased with himself. We weave through the crowd of elegantly dressed people. My dress’ gold shimmers under the golden light, sparkling. “He outdid himself.”

“He wants to impress you. I’ll consider his mission a success,” his Beta muses, leading me up the stairs. I chuckle and blush, holding my dress so my feet have room to move.

The second floor comes into sight and I’m greeted by Sebastian, who wears a tiny, yet very welcoming smile, and the suit from the parlor. It looks even better on him now than it did before. He steps to the edge of the stairs, holding his hand out to me. I eagerly take it and thank his Beta before he disappears.

“Sebastian,” I breathe, “it’s…spectacular.”

“Thank you,” he pulls me to his side. People pass by us, the world becoming a blur while time moves slow. His eyes read nothing but love and adoration, his typical furrowed brow and hardened eyes nowhere to be seen. His gaze travels up and down my body before landing on my face.

My cheeks heat up. I feel his eyes memorize every part of my face. When our eyes meet, his lips slightly part. He leans in, licking his lips.

“Your eyes are…breathtaking.”

“Sebastian,” I melt under his touch. He pulls me in, our faces growing close, but are interrupted by someone clearing their throat to the side of us. I don’t look and instead close my eyes, holding back my annoyance.

Sebastian is the man of the hour, after all. It makes sense for people to want to get a chance to speak with him.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Miranda.” The hair on the back of my neck stands. My eyes shoot open and I turn to see my father standing beside us with Lily at his side. She wears an emerald color dress, one that matches the color of Sebastian’s eyes. How tacky.

My father turns his gaze back to Sebastian. He gently moves Lily in between us. I take a step back, letting go of Sebastian’s hand, but his grip tightens and he pulls me back to his side. He places distance between us and them, his eyes narrowing at the other lowly Alpha.

“What an extravagant party, my King,” Lily bats her eyelashes at him. Her hands reach for Sebastian’s jacket but he slaps her touch away.

“You were invited out of pity. This even can help repair your image, Lily, I suggest you do that instead of playing your father’s games,” Sebastian’s words are ice cold. I used to be on the other side of it, knowing just how isolating it can feel. “Now, if you’ll excuse us,” Sebastian gently moves his hand from mine, placing itself on my hip.

The Alpha King leads us away from the duo, my heart fluttering inside my chest as I lean into his side, a smile blossoming on my face.