Chapter 23

[Evelyn’s POV]

The personal fitting with Claire had gone off without any further issues. Once Alexander had left, much of the tension had gone with him.

Claire offered me a kind, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m going to make sure that you’re the best-looking Luna at that gathering.”

I tried to return her smile but my worry toward the gathering was just too great to ignore. Honestly, when all of it was said and done, the dress didn’t matter. Nor the shoes. Nor the jewelry.

Anyone could look like they belonged at a Luna gathering. It all depended on the clothes one would wear.

Dressing the part was one thing...However, acting the part of the sophisticated and dependable Luna was a complete other.

This wasn’t just any other gathering. The royal family was the one hosting, which meant the pressure was twice as heavy on my shoulder.

Normally, Claire and I would fall into numerous deep conversations while she would be fitting me for my clothing. Not this time. There were far too many thoughts that were occupying my mind and I knew I needed to do something about them.

What if I ended up saying the wrong thing? What if I accidentally acted out of turn? Oh, God. What if I made a fool of myself in front of the literal Alpha King??

The mere thought of the possibility made me shudder internally. There had to be something I could do to settle my nerves and ease my worries...

There has to be a way for me to learn basic social etiquette skills before the gathering.

There was no point in lying to myself, when it came to social cues, I knew very little. The whole prim and proper image that most women were meant to stick to, for someone in my particular status, never suited me.

I was never the stand-still and quiet type. Yes, I knew when to be respectful and to whom; however, I wasn’t the kind of person to sit back and do nothing. I wanted to make a positive change in whichever pack I was with. I wanted to discover new ways to help people and make them feel secure.

Wanting to be hands-on in my pack was a considerable strong suit. Unfortunately, it was also my biggest downfall. There had to be a way for me to learn how to tamper down my attitude...

“Alright that should do it,” Claire announced with a satisfied look.

I hardly glanced at myself in the mirror. The dress was far from being completed. But from the current looks of it, it was set to be one of the finest pieces I had ever worn.

“Thank you, Claire.”

“Do you want to take a look at any of the jewels that Alexander has pre-selected for you?” she asked.

Not really. What I really needed to do was start up on some personal research.

I forced another smile. “I don’t think so,” I told her. “I trust you and Alexander have chosen the right pieces to go with the dress.”

I stepped off the platform and readjusted my clothes. By the look on the designer’s face, I could tell that Claire was a bit put off by my refusal. After waving her goodbye, I left the drawing room with the intention of heading to a place where I knew I was going to find what I needed to help me.

The library.

...

“Good God, what the hell was I thinking?” I muttered under my breath.

Kingston Hall must have been home to at least three dozen books on basic proper etiquette for young men and women. The problem was finding the right one that really applied to me. I spent the last several hours pouring over various texts in hopes of finding at least something code I could follow when in social settings.

All I wanted to do was ensure that I wouldn’t make a fool of myself or Alexander. But my attempts were feeling fruitless.

I’m not giving up. I have to find something that’s going to help me.

My eyes were tired and I had no idea how long I’d been hauled in that part of the house. All I knew was that the sun had already set beneath the horizon and I was purely exhausted.

My vision was becoming too blurry to focus and see straight. Everything became hazy around me.

Maybe I could just let my eyes rest for a little bit...

[Third-Person’s POV]

Where the fuck is she?!

To say Alexander was agitated was a total understatement. It was well past midnight and a majority of the staff had all retired for the evening. Even Nina bid him goodnight and left for her private room. But Evelyn was nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t like her to wander the halls so late at night—not that he believed that was what she was doing. Then again, Alexander had no idea what his wife was up to. When dinner came around, he was stunned to find that Evelyn hadn’t joined him in the dining room like she always did.

He’d asked Nina where she was and all the housekeeper told him was that Evelyn was in the library and that she didn’t wish to be disturbed. Alexander was by no means bothered by the fact that Evelyn had taken to spending her time in the library.

It just seemed like she was intentionally avoiding him.

Alexander first noticed Evelyn’s slight shift in behavior earlier when he had Claire come over to help her with the new dress fitting. Evelyn couldn’t have appeared less interested in the idea of getting a new dress. In fact, she seemed downright upset with him insisting on the matter.

Right as he’d been gearing up for an argument, she immediately folded and let the issue drop. Alexander felt like he was getting whiplash. He didn’t know what to do or how to deal with it. So, like usual, he buried himself in his work until it came time for him to call it quits and head to bed.

Only, Evelyn wasn’t there. And needless to say, the man was beginning to grow concerned. He called for Oliver and when the Beta showed up and demanded answers.

“Evelyn can’t possibly still be in the library. Where the hell is she?” he snarled.

Oliver shook his head. “Sir, I haven’t seen her come out of the library since she first went in this afternoon.”

That’s impossible. Did that mean she hadn’t eaten anything all day? What the hell is she thinking?

Without a second thought, Alexander stormed down the hall toward the library with a very frantic Oliver chasing after him.

“Sir!” he hissed loudly. “Sir, wait!”

Right as the Alpha reached the library doors, he felt the firm hand of his close friend pulling at his shoulder. He whipped his head around and snarled.

“What?”

“You’re not in your wheelchair, Sir,” he stated. “What if she sees you?”

Shit. He hadn’t even realized it. Right as he was about to head back to the bedroom, Oliver stopped him once more.

“Hang on...She’s asleep.”

“You’re sure?”

“Oh, yeah. She’s out cold.”

The two men silently slipped into the library and made their way over to where Evelyn was stationed. Alexander’s brows pulled together in confusion. What the hell could she have been reading that caused her to lock herself away like this?

Oliver picked up one of the books to show Alexander its content.

Etiquette?

This Luna of his was one puzzle after another.

“Sir?” Oliver whispered. “Why don’t you head back to the room and I’ll wake her up?”

Alexander reached his hand out to stop him. “No.”

I’m bringing her back myself.