SERAPHINA'S POV
"Can you tilt your head a little to the right for me?" Juliet's words are slightly muffled by the pins held between her lips.
I comply, angling my head to the right in this awkward position.
Juliet moves in again, pinching the golden fabric taut against my body before securing it with pins.
So much has changed since Saturday.
Since Artemis and I got together.
Olivia mentions that I seem softer now, that my smiles come more easily than when I first arrived at this school.
How could they not?
Back then, I had to be on guard constantly. The school couldn't understand or accept why a human like me would be among them.
After all, in their eyes, humans are far below them in the grand hierarchy of beings.
I had to fight my way through the dirt, made a few friends along the way, and through all the chaos and danger, the dynamic between Artemis and me evolved.
Finally, I got acknowledged.
Now here I am, in a sort of relationship with the once-spoiled Alpha prince who hunted me down just months ago.
I'm getting fitted for an annual welcoming ceremony for new members of the Black Wolf Council.
According to April, the council isn't just a student governing body; it's a gateway to future success.
Council members have opportunities to network with influential wolves and councilmen in the Wolfdom, and on rare occasions, even the Alpha King himself.
They get to gain political experience, amass connections in high places. It was like a guaranteed access into their world - if you impressed them well enough.
No wonder Morgan was so obsessed with joining the council that he even threatened both Kamila and me.
Soon, I will be formally welcomed into this elite group during their annual ceremony for new members.
And for that, I'm here with Juliet, tapping into her surprising talent for tailoring. The robe was designed for a wolf, so it needs adjustments to fit me.
I gaze at my reflection in the full-length mirror, taking in the robe that drapes elegantly over my form.
All I can do is smile at the person looking back at me.
"How does it look?" she asks, with all pins out of her mouth.
"It's perfect," I respond.
It's not exactly my size, but it's much better than the mountain of fabric I was swimming in minutes ago.
"You look so pretty, Sera," Alice compliments, walking closer to us with two cups of lemonade.
She hands one over to Juliet and then to me and I take a sip, taking in the refreshing citrus flavor all at once.
"Congratulations," they say in unison.
I shake my head instead.
"If it wasn't for you guys, showing up and believing in me, I wouldn't have gotten this far; it wouldn't be me wearing this," I gesture to the robe.
The two girls are suddenly overwhelmed with emotions and tears well up in their eyes before they run up to me, engulfing me in a bear-tight hug.
I'm being squished by the two half-man, half-wolf girls and don't mind that my ribs hurt or that I can't breathe.
I enjoy every bit of this moment.
From the corner of my eyes, I spot Gabe in the corner.
He leans on the wall silently, remaining in the same position he's been since we started this whole fitting process.
He's here because, technically, he's a member of my campaign team.
Technically, he helped me get where I am today, but because of our complicated history, he keeps his distance, respecting the fact that I probably want nothing to do with him besides being professional.
I haven't even seen him since the whole Kamila framing incident to thank him for the protest he started to get me reinstated.
I watch him while we pull apart and while Juliet takes off the robe to stitch the places she's pinned together.
Alice follows her out of the room, suggesting a few twists to add to the robe, leaving just the two of us in the room.
The moment the girls leave, his eyes follow them, and he leans off the wall to follow suit until I stop him.
"Gabe?"
He pauses in his tracks, slowly turning to me nervously.
There's an immediate awkward silence that follows.
I regret stopping him, not knowing what exactly I'm supposed to say to him and how to have a conversation given our rocky past.
But surprisingly, he speaks first, with a nervous smile and eyes that look at everything but me.
"Congratulations," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks to you, the omega wolves have a lesser chance of being looked down upon by other wolves."
"Like I said, it's all because of you guys," I say, watching him.
Maybe if he never made that deal with the Artemis of the past, we would have been best friends by now.
"Thank you for what you did with the protest; I never got a chance to thank you back then."
He nods his head, a smile he tries to hide finds its way to his lips, and he finally meets my eyes.
"I know it's not enough, but I wanted to make it up to you somehow."
"No, it was enough," I assure him.
In a school where everyone is looking for just one flaw to point fingers at me, standing up for me like that was more than anything.
I open my arms wide. "I still haven't gotten my hug from you."
His eyes widen a bit, taken aback by my words. Then he turns reluctant and unsure.
A second passes, and he steps forward, his hands slowly wrapping around my back.
I sigh, hugging him, feeling the lightness that comes with forgiveness.
"If you ever bite me in the ass again, I'm going to rip your tongue out and shove it up your ass," I threaten him lightly, and he laughs.
His chuckle is soft and genuine, vibrating through his chest. I feel his shoulders relax, slumping with comfort before we pull away to look at each other.
He seems less scared of pissing me off and more relaxed.
Just as I'm about to tease him about being scared of me-especially when he's the one who's a wolf-the door opens slowly and another person walks in.
"I'd advise you to take ten steps away from her... Gabe," Artemis says the moment he walks into the room.
He immediately takes his place behind me, pulling me back against his chest, farther from Gabe.
The relaxed expression on Gabe's face tenses up again, and suddenly he's bowing frantically, avoiding eye contact with either of us as if he's a wet cat caught in the rain.
"Artemis!" I look at him with a frown.
His expression dulls, and he tilts his head towards the door, signaling for Gabe to leave.
Gabe does, scampering for the door, leaving just the two of us.
"What was that about? We were finally talking again."
"Why were you so close to him?"
"We were hugging. It's what friends do."
"Since when did you become friends with him?"
I frown, warning him with my eyes, and he sighs, giving up.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes with ease, leaning in to give my cheek a light peck.
I don't think I'll ever get used to the electrifying feeling of his kisses that spark against my skin like fire.
Nor him being so soft and gentle with me, always afraid of pissing me off and quick to apologize before I can even get truly annoyed.
This version of him feels different.
He kisses down to my neck, grazing his teeth in a way he knows will tickle me.
I laugh against my will, shifting away, trying to break free from his hold, but he lets me go. He pulls away to smile while watching me laugh.
"I missed you," he says, his blue eyes dreamy.
I pause to stare. "I missed you too."
Being the head of the council, he's been busy all day preparing for the event of the year.
The fate of everything essentially rests in his hands.
"Have you used your invitation?" he asks, and I nod eagerly.
I've invited my family to be present for my inauguration. I sent the invite to Miss Lucy, and just this morning I got a response saying they will be coming.
My heart hasn't felt this full in years. I've achieved so much, and being a part of this council is just the beginning of my success.
Hopefully, nothing will stand in my way.
"There's something I want to ask about," he suddenly says, breaking into my thoughts.
The look on his face turns serious, and I pause to look at him.
"Is everything okay?"
"Of course. It's just something that's been on my mind for a while," he says, trying not to worry me too much, but I can't help but worry.
"That night when we kissed, why did you stab me?" The question leaves his lips, and I freeze in place.
My eyes widen, nearly popping out of their sockets.
Maybe I spoke too soon about today being perfect.