Chapter 4

The night of the ball had arrived. My heart thundered as I stood at the front of the line of Mate Trial girls outside the large ornate doors of the ballroom, waiting to be let in. I could hear Ava’s loud laughter from her place near the back of the line, obviously wanting to be the last girl in because she thought that would make the best impression.

I wore a mask that covered the upper half of my face, beaded in the same crystal material as the borrowed dress I wore. I was glad that all of us girls did wear masks, as it was a masquerade ball. I didn’t want Alpha Elijah to recognize me immediately, especially when his impression of me had been less than favorable.

After all, he was the judge of this beauty contest, and I had my sights set on winning that prize money. The prize money would allow me to pay off my debt, maybe even hire a private investigator to search for my missing child.

Even if I didn’t win first place, I needed to place in the top five to get something.

The doors opened and I took a deep breath as all eyes turned to the crowd of girls. I stepped into line and began descending the stairs, one step at a time.

As I made my way down, my eyes locked onto Alpha Elijah’s icy blue ones from where he stood at the foot of the stairs.

He looked incredibly handsome. He stood tall and commanding, his broad shoulders accentuated by a tailored black suit that perfectly fit his muscular frame. His dark hair was nearly styled, a few strands falling casually across his forehead, giving him an effortlessly powerful and intimidating presence.

And most importantly, he was looking at me. Not the others. Me.

That was a good sign, right?

“Who is she?” I heard someone say as I continued my walk down the long stairs, and another person shushed them. I made it down the stairs and smiled tentatively. Alpha Elijah continued to hold my stare for a long moment before turning as the next girl came up behind me.

The next girl descended the stairs, her glittering gown trailing behind her, but the Alpha barely cast her a brief glance.

As each girl came down it was about the same; he gave a curt smile, and then as if drawn by some invisible force, he kept stealing glances in my direction.

By the time Ava came down in her long, green, mermaid-style evening dress, he looked at her for all of half a second before he looked back at me. I saw my stepsister absolutely seethe and flick an accusing glare in my direction, even though I could tell that she didn’t know it was me.

She would’ve done worse if she had known.

Once all the girls had filed in, we began to mingle with the crowd. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the dance floor, smiling and nodding as an older woman prattled on about how amazing the opportunity of being in a Mate Trial was for us girls.

But then the crowd in front of me moved. No, parted.

I felt my breath catch as I saw a familiar, tall figure striding toward me. Elijah had his eyes laser focused on me like a target.

“May I have this dance?” He offered his hand. I suppressed a gulp before placing my hand in his and letting him lead me closer to the source of the music.

The string quartet began a song as we started to move around the dance floor. He turned me in a various set of spins, and I followed his lead with relative ease.

The tension between us grew palpable as he kept his gaze on me. But he didn’t say a word.

Then, as the music swelled, he leaned in close. His breath was warm against my ear as he hissed, “How dare you wear my mother’s dress?”

Before I could answer, in one swift motion, he pulled me away from him, my arm fully extended as he held me at a distance. Then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, he spun me in a tight twirl, bringing me back close until our faces were mere inches apart.

I steadied myself and calmly replied, “Keeping it locked away in a display case is where the dress goes to die. It deserves to be appreciated.”

His grip on my waist softened, the sharpness of his expression easing as his eyes traced the lines of the dress. “You’re bold,” He muttered, his anger fading into something more thoughtful. “My mother would’ve liked that.”

I blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in his tone. “I didn’t mean any disrespect,” I said, my voice softening. “The dress just inspired me.”

He twirled me again, slower this time. “I can see that. Mother did always think the pieces she had made should be lived in, not hidden away. Perhaps I’ve been too sentimental about it. She would’ve wanted someone else to wear it, to appreciate it.”

He dipped me, and his gaze searched mine. As he pulled me up a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “You know, it really suits you. A stunning dress for a stunning girl. Though I don’t think I quite remember you from my previous meeting with the girls from the mate trial.”

I raised an eyebrow, sensing the playful edge in his tone. “Stunning, you say. Well, I can’t be that stunning if you don’t even remember me. But maybe that shows that the first impression really isn’t always the greatest.”

“Perhaps,” he mused.

The dance ended, and with a swift motion, the Alpha reached up and removed my mask.

“It’s you,” he said, his eyes narrowing as recognition dawned on him. My stomach fell. There was no chance of me getting this prize now, not with him remembering me now, on top of him being upset about the dress.

He might have forgiven one of the other girls for wearing it, but we’d already been off to a bad start.

Suddenly, Ava’s voice cut through the air, filled with fury. “Agnes!” I guessed she’d finally spotted me. She’d probably figured I hadn’t come since she had destroyed my dress, and now she knew that the Alpha had slighted her during her grand entrance—for me.

But before she could reach me, a small hand grabbed mine and threw it up in the air. “I declare Agnes the winner!” Thea squealed with a bright smile. She looked adorable in a white dress with a matching bow in her hair.

Ava stormed over, her face twisted in disbelief. “Who gave you the authority to make decisions for Alpha Elijah, you little brat?! You’re just a worthless mutt!”

Her shouts made the crowd fall into stunned silence. Even the band had stopped playing.

Elijah narrowed his gaze on her, and in a murderous voice asked, “Who exactly are you calling a mutt’s daughter?”

Ava froze, the blood draining from her face as she looked between him and Thea, realizing precisely who she was to him. She stumbled back, her shock evident. I just stood there, watching it all unfold with a little bit of glee.

“I’m sorry!” she said quickly and fled from the ballroom, practically shoving others out of her way. I heard a few shouts and jeers, but I hardly heard them now. My mind was on one thing and one thing only by this point.

I stared down at Thea, who still held my hand, grinning up at me. Did this mean I had actually won the $100,000 prize? Was this real?

I smiled at Thea, gratitude swelling in my chest for this sweet little girl, but then I did a double take as something on her neck caught my eye. A faint mark, on the back of her neck—a crescent moon shaped birthmark—identical to the one my own baby had when she was born.

My breath hitched.

Could Thea be my lost daughter?