Chapter 3

As we walked back to our dorm room. Elena filled me in on every detail after we split in the courtyard. She had been invited to two twenty- first birthday parties and made friends with atleast thirteen people.

"When you're unpacking my bag can you arrange my closet by colour this time?" She asked, more like ordered without sparing me a second glance. Sure it would take me till midnight to organize the room by myself because she insisted in bringing every pair of shoes and article of clothing she owned.

"Sure..." I muttered.

"And do you mind if I used some of the space in your closet. These just aren't big enough to fit all my clothes."

"Sure..."

I got to work while she plopped herself on her bed and began texting. Atleast the work distracted me from how weird my wolf was behaving. I didn't know who I could talk to about it.

But I was certain that this was not normal.

"Oh and just a heads up. We going for a bonfire tonight," Elena announced.

I groaned. I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was organize all of this stuff so I could sleep early and be fresh for classes in the morning.

"I asked daddy to get me a new dress for tonight. Just in case I meet my mate tonight." I paused. She hald always talked about meeting her mate about how she had their lives already planned out. "I mean there will be alot of students at this party. And I'm confident he is here. Alot of people meet their mate at the academy"

There was a knock on the door and she groaned, getting up to answer it. She pulled open the door and shrieked that the person holding the boxes placed them down and held their ears. "It came, it came and so fast!"

"Just sign here," the man said and Elena made quick work of that and grabbed the parcel, shutting the door in the mans face.

She placed the package on her bed and opened up to reveal two other smaller boxes accompanied by a bouquet of white roses. She squealed again and i was certain this time I heard a wolf howl in the distance due to the hugh frequency this girl was letting out.

She tore open the first box. Inside was a breathtaking rusty rose coloured dress, covered in delicate beadwork. The skirt flowed in soft layers and the neckline was adorned with tiny crystals that caught the light.

Elena held out a card and read it aloud."For my beautiful girl. Make me proud. Love, Dad." Elena pressed the card to her chest and picked up the roses to smell them. "Oh, Dad!"She immediately pulled out her phone. "I have to text him a thank you."

I turned back to my suitcase. "Dahlia," she called again and I looked up. She was holding out the second box."This is one is addressed to you."

I blinked. "For me?" I was confused.

"Yeah," she sounded surprised too and turned the side of the box that just had a simple card on it that said for Dahlia. No sweet note nor encouraging words. Just for Dahlia. "Well open it," she put the box in my hands.

I tore at the packaging and beneath all the fancy paper and cardboard lay a deep emerald green dress. It was simpler than Elena's, but the fabric was exquisite I traced my finger tips over the tiny green stones shimmering along the bodice.

For a moment, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I'd never owned anything like it. "Lets try them on..." Elena said and immediately rushed to put hers on.

I took the dress into the bathroom to change and

when I stepped out a few minutes later, Elena was already dressed in hers admiring herself in the mirror.

She looked up. Then she stopped. Her expression changed so quickly that I almost missed it.

I turned towards the mirror. The dress fitted perfectly. My dark hair fell in loose waves around my shoulders, and the green brought out something in my brown eyes I'd never noticed before.

I looked nice...

Not conventionally pretty in the way Elena was, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. But warmer in contrast.

"Well?" I asked nervously.

Elena walked around me once, studying the dress. "Take it off."

I blinked. "What?"

"Take. It. Off."

"Why?"

She gave a short humourless laugh. "Because you're not wearing that tonight." I looked down at myself.

"Is something wrong with it?"

"Nothing is wrong with the dress." Her voice sharpened.

I stared at her. She twirled in her dress. "Look at mine. Look at yours. Mine is elegant. Yours is…"She waved a hand at me. "Attention seeking."

I felt my cheeks warm."How is it attention seeking?"

"Because you're trying too hard."

"I'm not."

"Dahlia, please." She sighed dramatically. "You know how people are going to look at us. You're supposed to be my sister, not my competition."

"I didn't choose the dress, Elena."

"Daddy did. "She said it as though that settled everything. "Maybe he wanted you to look nice, too, but didn't realize how silly this dress was because he was too busy finding mine. You know he always makes sure I have the best things. I am his daughter he would want me to look the best." She never bothered to hide the truth when we were alone. She loved reminding me that I had been brought into the family, not born into it.

So I deserved nothing.

I looked towards the mirror again. For one moment, I'd allowed myself to imagine what it would feel like to walk into a room without being ashamed of my existence.

Elena reached for the zipper at the back of my dress. "Take it off. You can wear the black one you brought."

"But..."

"Dahlia."

One word, one warning. I lowered my eyes. "Fine."

She smiled, satisfied, and returned to her own dress. "Great we will send yours back tomorrow. Put it back in the packaging."

I nodded in response.

"And please do something with your hair. We don't want you looking like you've just rolled out of bed tonight."

I changed without another word. But I didn't put the emerald dress away. I folded it carefully and placed it at the bottom of my suitcase. I wasn't sure why but maybe a small, disobedient part of me wanted to keep something beautiful that belonged to me.