He didn’t respond right away, but as all eyes turned away from the table and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, I had a bad feeling I knew why he wasn’t here yet.
CHAPTER12
Kiara
“You’resure that this looks okay on me?”
Sarah, the healer, was apparently close to Colton and Devon and I wasn’t sure if that meant that I should trust her or not. It did mean that someone female was here to help, and it was strange.
“You look amazing. Imagine what you’ll look like properly fed and when your wolf can actually help heal you?”
I ran my hands over the dress. I think it was lace, based on the eavesdropping I’d done back at the Cripple Creek Pack. The princess as she thought of herself had sometimes made me help her get ready. I was more than happy to hide in the basement, but there were times she couldn’t deal with her own life. Those were the longest days where she thought I was her personal maid. If she’d have thrown me a scrap of food. Maybe I would have liked her better.
I twisted and turned in the mirror. I smoothed my hands over the dress. I admired my own curves and body. This was what it felt like to get ready for a party. This is what it felt like to be invited.
Sarah was watching me, and then a horrible thought crossed my mind.
“Am I serving the food?”
Sarah snorted, laughed and then stopped when she looked at me.
“Oh, you're serious?”
I nodded.
“Dead serious. Because if I am, this dress isn’t really going to work.”
She combed through my hair and picked up the flowers she’d brought with her. Another thing that I hadn’t understood. Flowers? For me?
Sarah wound in a flower as she braided a bit of my hair.
“Kiara, we all have rolls and rotations. The elder women of the pack and those that are not fighters, mothers and such, always help prepare these events. They love doing it.”
I looked at the plate on my bed that I’d nibbled on. The temptation of a kitchen was too much to resist, and I’d found my way through the house. It had been quiet, and I appreciated not having to run into anymore of the pack. I wasn’t really a part of them.
“Who cooks here in the pack house?”
She wound in some small white flowers next and it felt odd like I was being transformed. No one had ever fussed over me. Not even when I was being bartered for.
“In the pack house sometimes the mothers come and spoil us, but we all rotate. There’s always a rotation of four of us a week. This week, well. I called my mother because the younger guys sort of suck at cooking.”
She laughed, and I found it infectious.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I said. My cheeks burned. I’d never smiled like this, at least not that I could remember.
“Hey Colton. We’re almost ready,” said Sarah.
I looked up, meeting his gaze and couldn’t stop smiling. He was handsome and the man could pull off a suit. Still good looking or not, my mind ran to where Devon was and then let the sinking feeling remind me he was already supposed to be mated.
“Great, because Devon is asking for me.”
I nodded but Sarah swatted me for the unexpected movement.
“Stop. I’m almost done. Colton, you can go down and I’ll bring her.”
He didn’t move. “Nah. I like to make an entrance. I’ll be the most envied man with both of you lovely ladies on my arm tonight.”