Chapter Two

"I'm a smoke show every damn day, but tonight I'm finally gonna have major competition!" Elsbeth Lange squealed as she gave her best friend a tight hug, careful not to wrinkle either of their outfits.

"Stop it," Giavanna laughed, waving her hand in front of her face in an attempt to stop grateful tears from trickling out her eyes. "You are a miracle worker."

"Pfffffft! Please. You gotta have good raw material to pull this off. Unmated folks are going to literally ask you to step on them," Elsbeth stated as she turned Giavanna towards the floor-length mirror.

Giavanna knew she was far from ugly, but she had never really paid attention to her appearance. Functionality was much more important to her than fashion trends once she turned 14 and began her training for the Alpha Royal Guard program. Her wardrobe mainly consisted of leggings, fitted t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts with the occasional pair of sweatpants thrown in during winter. Twin french braids efficiently kept her hair from being used against her when sparring, a lesson she had painfully learned the first day of training preparation. Her one concession to typical feminine style was her fondness for stiletto-shaped nails, and much like her hair, it was a decision based on self-defense rather than trends.

At this moment, the mirror showed her loose ebony curls flowed down her back with a black raw crystal crown, ensuring the hair stayed off her face. Elsbeth had kept her makeup simple with a dark smokey eye and her heart-shaped lips painted a deep red, the colors highlighting her cognac brown eyes as well as complementing her warm olive skin. Giavanna loved the matte red nail beds blended into a black tip manicure and the extra height her strappy black lace-up high heels provided. But what made her feel most confident and powerful was the tailored black suit she wore. The jacket was fitted, with wrist-length sleeves and a very subtle flare at the bottom. Her pants were wide-legged and high-waisted, topped with a blood-red, strapless, sweetheart necklined corset. The black lace overlay, tasteful black beaded accents, and steel boning made Giavanna feel confident and sexy.

It was a huge break from traditional Mateship Ball attire. Women were taught to leave their shoulders and necks uncovered, resulting in complicated updos and off-the-shoulder or strapless dresses to tempt their mates into marking them as soon as possible. But unlike most other women, Giavanna did not have a palette of pristine, unblemished skin. This wasn't an issue for anyone in her forward-thinking pack, though males visiting her pack territory had made their aversion to such things well known. Because of her naturally small stature, she always felt like she had to push herself the extra mile during guard training, resulting in her body being a patchwork of unattractive scars and bruises. She hated to think about what kind of shape she'd be if she weren't gifted at evasion techniques.

Turning to Elsbeth, Giavanna beamed at her friend. "Els, you look radiant. If the Moon Goddess doesn't bless you with your mate tonight, I am going to have words with her."

"Ok, ok, enough sap. Shall we go dazzle our families?" The strawberry blonde winked and linked arms with Giavanna at the elbow before guiding them to the top of the staircase. "All right, how about I go first? That way, you'll still have a supporter in the crowd even if your family flips their shit."

Giavanna hugged her best friend, then shouted downstairs, "Move aside folks, hot stuff coming through!"

Hoots and hollers echoed up as Elsbeth began strutting down the stairs, occasionally pausing to pose dramatically. The champagne sequins that covered her strapless gown scattered light with every step she took. Her curly hair was pinned in a low messy bun; a few strands pulled loose to frame her face. She made sure to lift the hem of her dress so everyone could admire her blush-colored peep-toe stilettos and fanned her face dramatically to show off her glittery manicure when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

After allowing everyone to compliment and faun over her for several minutes, Elsbeth announced excitedly, "Prepare to have your mind blown. Come on down, G!"

Giavanna took a deep breath and hurried down the first few steps, her eyes glued to the floor. Someone gasped, and her eyes closed. She cringed and waited for the lecture about honoring the sacred experience of finding your mate or how her mate won't be able to smell her due to her covered neck to begin.

"Oh my goddess, baby, come here!" Giavanna peeked through one eye and saw her mother with her arms outstretched, tears dripping off her face. Mia and Aria were squealing, their eyes wide as they excitedly batted each other's arms. Elsbeth's mother clapped enthusiastically before yelling at her 15-year-old twin sons to stop wolf-whistling. It was her father's beaming smile that made Giavanna rush down the final few steps.

"You're not going to fight me on this?" Giavanna murmured into her mother's shoulder as they hugged.

Anita laughed wetly. "No, baby. Your Aunt Rosalie had a little chat with your father and me about taking a different approach to your ball attire. She didn't give us many details besides that you wanted to be comfortable with your body." Mario wrapped his arms around them and quietly rumbled, "If it makes you feel better, I would have hated any outfit you wore tonight. I don't like the idea of our little one possibly leaving us tomorrow."

"Ok, that's enough touchy-feely business," Elsbeth declared, waving her cell phone in the air. "Let's do photos and then get a move on."

After what seemed like hours of posing with every conceivable combination of family and friends, the pair headed into the warm night air, hoping for an unforgettable evening.