Chapter 22: Dress To Impress

ANNABETH’S POV

I slammed the door to my room and pressed my back against it, chest heaving like I’d just run from the border itself. The wood was cold against my spine, grounding me, but it didn’t stop the tremor running through my hands.

The hallway was silent now. Kael’s presence had vanished with the soft click of the door, but his scent still clung to everything, something wild that made my pulse race against my will.

I slid down to the floor, knees drawn to my chest, and buried my face in my arms. The stone floor was freezing through the thin fabric of my tunic, but I didn’t care.

Riven’s words wouldn’t leave me alone.

“A mate isn’t something you choose. It’s something that chooses you.”

Why would this fate choose me?

The thought made my stomach twist.

He wasn’t supposed to be affected by me.

And I sure as hell wasn’t supposed to be affected by him.

But I was.

Goddess help me, I was.

The memory of his eyes in the kitchen flashed behind my eyelids, dark, intense, burning with something he was trying desperately to cage. “I’m not hungry for food.” The way he’d said it, low and rough, like he was barely holding himself back. Like I was the only thing he wanted to devour.

I pressed my palms against my eyes until I saw stars. This was ridiculous. I was supposed to be a prisoner. He was supposed to be my captor. This wasn’t supposed to get complicated for me. It wasn’t supposed to make my heart pound and my skin flush and my body ache for something I had no business wanting.

I exhaled a shaky breath and pushed myself up. Staying on the floor wasn’t going to help. I needed to move. I needed to think. I needed to wash this feeling off my skin before it consumed me entirely.

The bathing chamber was across the room, separated by a heavy wooden door that muffled sound. I turned the brass handle and stepped inside.

Steam immediately wrapped around me, thick and warm, carrying the faint scent of herbs. Mrs. Halloway must have set it up much earlier. The stone tub was filled to the brim with hot water, a thin layer of steam curling off the surface like a veil. A folded towel sat on the wooden stool beside it, and a small vial of oil rested on the edge.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at it.

No one had ever done this for me before. Not like this. At the Red Moon pack, baths were quick and cold, taken in the river with whoever happened to be washing clothes nearby. This… this was luxury to me. This was care. Too much care.

I stripped off my clothes without thinking, letting the rough fabric fall to the floor in a heap. The air hit my skin, raising goosebumps, and I stepped into the water with a hiss.

It was scalding at first, almost painful, but then the heat seeped into my muscles and melted the tension I hadn’t even realized I was carrying. I sank down until the water reached my shoulders, letting out a long, shuddering breath.

For a few minutes, I didn’t think about anything. No Kael. Not even my pack. Nothing. Just the quiet sound of water lapping against the stone.

I closed my eyes and let the silence hold me.

When I finally opened them again, my fingers were pruned and the water had cooled. I stood up slowly, water cascading down my skin, and reached for the towel. The fabric was soft against my damp skin, absorbing the moisture as I dried myself.

My eyes landed on the wardrobe in the corner of the room. It was tall and dark wood, ornately carved with wolf motifs along the edges. I hadn’t paid much attention to it before. I’d assumed it was empty, or filled with Kael’s things.

But now the door was slightly ajar.

Curiosity pulled me forward. I wrapped the towel around myself and stepped closer, pushing the door open with a soft creak.

Inside hung a dress.

Deep forest green, simple cut, flowing fabric that fell just below the knee. No jewels. No embroidery. No gold thread or ostentatious details. Just elegant and Beautiful in a way that didn’t scream for attention but commanded it anyway.

I reached out and touched it, my fingers brushing against the soft material. It was silky.

Mrs. Halloway must have left this here for me.

I stared at it for a long time, my heart beating faster for reasons I didn’t want to examine too closely.

I didn’t know why I put it on.

Maybe because the rough, ill fitting clothes I've been wearing all the while made me feel like a prisoner. For once, I wanted to feel like something more than that... I wanted to see if I could still look like myself.

The dress slid over my skin like water, cool and smooth against my body. It hugged my waist and fell in gentle folds around my legs. The neckline was modest but flattering, dipping just enough to show the base of my throat.

I turned to the mirror mounted on the wall.

The girl staring back at me didn’t look like the scared, disheveled human who’d been dragged through the snow two weeks ago.

She looked… composed. Put together.

My curls were still damp from the bath, clinging to my neck in dark, wet strands. I grabbed the wooden comb resting on the vanity and began working through the tangles, starting at the ends and working my way up. The comb glided through easily, the rough knots smoothing out until my hair fell in glossy waves down my back.

It shone. Really shone. Like the dark feather of a raven’s wing in the moonlight.

I tilted my head, studying my reflection. The green of the dress brought out the warmth in my skin. My lips were slightly red from the heat of the bath. My eyes, usually dull and exhausted, looked brighter. Alive.

I looked good.

The realization hit me like a cold splash of water.

I looked good. I actually looked better than i used to look. Even back home.

But immediately, the question followed, Why?

Who am I trying to look good for?

Myself?

Or for him?

The thought made my stomach twist uncomfortably. I didn’t want the answer to be him. I didn’t want to admit that part of me cared what he thought. That part of me wanted him to see me and… and what? Approve? Desire? Notice?

I turned away from the mirror abruptly, my cheeks burning. This was dangerous. This was exactly the kind of thinking that would get me hurt.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus on something else. Anything else.

Then There was a soft knock at the door.

“Annabeth? Are you decent?”

Kael’s voice. Low. Steady and Controlled. Like he hadn’t been standing in the kitchen a few minutes ago looking at me like he wanted to devour me whole.

I swallowed hard and straightened my spine. “Yes,” I called back, my voice steadier than I felt.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror. The girl staring back at me looked beautiful. I nodded at myself. Ready to meet his eyes again.

Even though my heart was betraying me.

I opened the door.

~~

KAEL’S POV

The hallway was getting colder by the day. The mansion was quiet this early, most of the wolves still asleep or out on patrol. The only sound was the distant howl from the birds.

I was already dressed in my formal suit. Black, fitted, and sophisticated. Ready to set journey to go settle some cases. I liked to look the part I was playing.

My mind was set on the task I had ahead. The scent markers along the south ridge reported some disturbances overnight. Someone was probing around their territory. And I would deal with it.

I reached Annabeth’s door and paused. I heard her having a bath earlier and She was probably done now. I wouldn't want to barge in on her naked. For her own sake.

I shouldn’t be here. After the way she made me feel this morning in the kitchen, I didn't trust myself right now around her. But I needed to see her. I couldn’t leave without inhaling her scent for more strength.

I raised my hand and knocked once.

“Annabeth? Are you decent now?”

My voice came out steady. Controlled. Like nothing was wrong. Like I wasn’t standing here with my heart pounding and my blood running hot for reasons I refused to acknowledge.

There was a pause. "Yes," Then the door opened.

And all of my carefully constructed control shattered as I saw her standing in that green dress.

~~~