Chapter 28

Daisy’s POV

“Don’t give up on your dream. There is always a way for you to accomplish something if you want it badly enough.”

I kept thinking about Victor’s words and his expression when he said it on our way home.

“Actually…I’ve been thinking about your stutter for a while,” Victor suddenly said.

Tears sprang to my eyes.

“Stop making fun of me.” I put a hand on the door handle, ready to leave the car.

“Look at me, Daisy,” Victor tightened his grip on my arm. I’m not being cruel or making fun of you,” he insisted. “I found out there are methods to help people control their stutter… I just didn’t have a chance to look through it and tell you about it.”

I turned around and stared at him.

“You told me you want to be a lawyer and advocate for poor Betas and Omegas,” he said. “That won’t happen if you can’t speak for them.”

“I …I’m listening,” I said. Being able to speak clearly would make it easier to become a lawyer, and it would make me feel like less uncomfortable around other people.

“I can contact the specialist to for more information and ask whether he can work with you,” Victor said. “Do you want to give him a chance?”

I sighed. “Okay. Thank you.”

Victor was trying to help me, and I shouldn’t say no. Deep down, I didn’t know how anything could stop me from stuttering when I got nervous. I’ve tried, and nothing helped.

We arrived at the mansion and Victor made a call. He said that the doctor actually had time to come here today for a first meeting after our dance lesson.

I got nervous immediately after I knew that the doctor was coming today. But it also gave me hope.

We then went straight to the ballroom. A maid handed Victor the remote for the sound system, and we began my dance lesson.

I had calmed down about what happened in class, but I was curious as to why Victor did his research to help me stop stuttering before it happened.

“Why do … do you want to help me with my stuttering now?” I asked. “Does it bother you?”

“I wouldn’t say it bothers me,” Victor replied. “You don’t usually do it when you speak to me.”

“Then why?”

Victor paused and then twirled me around the dance floor.

“It will help you attract William,” he replied. “We need to move a little faster if you want him. He could easily find himself attracted to someone else.”

“I can’t compete with other girls,” I said and stopped dancing so suddenly Victor almost lost his balance. He was right. What if some other girl captured William's heart?

“Don’t panic,” Victor said. “The specialist has assured me that progress can happen quickly. I know you’ll do well if you try.”

We continued to dance again. I tried to concentrate on following Victor’s lead, but I stepped on his foot twice in the coming hour.

My mind was spinning. Was it possible for me to stop stuttering? If so, I would work hard for the chance to speak normally.

After my lesson, Benson brought us some bottled water, and we sat on chairs to await my speech therapist's arrival.

We didn’t have long to wait. Dr. Jonathan Creed arrived with his laptop and a messenger bag full of books. He sat down with me and went right to work.

“Don’t ever be embarrassed by your stuttering, Miss Wilson,” Dr Creed said. “Stuttering is much more common than people know. Five to ten percent of all children will stutter at some point in their life, lasting from a few weeks to several years or all their life.”

I nodded.

“There are more stutterers than people with red hair,” Dr Creed added. “Stuttering worsens when a person is excited, tired, or under stress.”

So far, it sounded like me.

“Stuttering is at its worst when someone feels self-conscious, hurried, or pressured. And situations like speaking in front of a group can be tough.”

“That suh …sounds exactly lah …like me,“ I said. “Can you …you really help me?”

“Yes, Miss Wilson,” Dr. Creed said. “However, you will need to put in the work to make it happen. Stuttering cannot be cured, but I can teach you methods and exercises to help control it.”

“When can we start?” I asked.

“We can start today with breathing exercises and relaxation techniques,” Dr. Creed replied. “Also, Miss Wilson, do you sing? I recommend to all my clients that they sing every day.”

“You wan ..want me to sah …sing?“ I asked with a giggle. My singing will bother people's ears worse than my stuttering.

“You can practice singing while you’re alone if you are shy,“ Dr. Creed said with a smile.

“What should I sing?“ I asked.

“Anything you like,“ Dr. Creed replied.

“How does singing help stuttering?“ Victor asked.

“It helps train a person to let their words flow more evenly,” Dr. Creed replied. “Many famous singers stutter when they talk. You can’t tell because it’s extremely rare for someone to stutter while singing.”

I was stoked! For the first time, I had hope of being able to control my stuttering. I vowed to work hard and do whatever Dr. Creed asked me.

I gave Victor and Dr. Creed a smile.

“Are you ready to begin?” Dr. Creed asked.

“Yes!” I replied.

When Dr. Creed left later that afternoon, I had homework. I would do breathing exercises and sing for fifteen minutes before bed.

The next day I was looking forward to my after-school classes. I told Amy goodbye and eagerly jumped into Victor’s car, ready to begin my dance and speech lessons.

“Thank you, Victor,” I said. “For helping me.”

“No problem,” he replied as he pulled away from my school. “How’s William?”

“He’s great,” I replied. “We sat together again for werewolf history class and study hall.”

“Glad to hear it,” Victor said. Was his tone a little…angry?

I looked at Victor. I couldn’t tell anything from his face.

Did I imagine it?

We were both quiet for the rest of the ride home.

Once we were in the ballroom, Victor was his usual self.

“Let’s try a new dance today,” Victor said. “You’ve mastered the waltz, so let’s try a tango.”

“A tango,” I repeated. “I’ve heard of that one. Isn’t it kind of … um, sexy?” I saw a couple do the tango on television. Since then, it’s been a secret fantasy of mine to tango with a handsome man.

“It depends on your partner,” Victor replied with a grin. “But if you learn, you could tango with William at the ball. Wouldn’t that be great?”

I imagined myself in William's arms as we marched, cheek to cheek, across the dance floor, a single red rose in my mouth. And then he would lean me backward in a low dip.

“Daisy,“ Victor said. “Are you listening to me?”

“Wha …what?” I mumbled. “Sorry, I was thinking about something else.”

“I could tell,” Victor said. He looked at me through narrowed eyes.

I blushed and cleared my mind. “What were you saying?“

“I was explaining how to do the tango,“ Victor replied. He then repeated himself and asked me if I understood.

He held me close in his arms as the music began. The dance was more complicated than I thought but just as sexy and romantic as I imagined.

Surprisingly, not once did William come to my mind as I danced with Victor.