You Are Most Welcome Alpha

ll੨੩ll... A Burning Passion...

The night was blooming, the sky lit with the stars like twinkling diamonds and the moon full and bright. It was very cold despite it being the months of spring, the cackling flames in the fireplaces hearth the only source for the toasty warmth.

Today was the dinner night Greysan had arranged for me to meet with his family, the current Alpha, his Mate the Luna and their younger son, Greysan's brother and his Mate.

I was dressed in finery, marveling at the sight of myself before the full mirror. Greysan had personally requested for something more authentic when I asked for what I should be wearing.

With Arvina's talent for makeup and my seamstress abilities, I was adorned in an olive westernized lehanga I had seen once in some fancy wedding sketch form and finalized that I wanted to recreate it.

I gave a twirl, and nod of approval. It had tight sleeves to the bent of my elbows with a high neck and a spilt going down the front and fanning around my back in a long skirt before coming up high to my naval at the front where it was parted from. For the bottoms I wore a matching salwar styled pajama, each overlapping pleat neatly creased from ironing, the fabric all done with thick golden spun embroidery adorning it in swirls from my collar bones down, the inside folds of my skirt and running the fastened ends of my baggy trousers and sleeves.

I decided to straighten all my wavy ends, matching a pair of heavy, dangling golden earrings of rounded gold plates with tiny detailing rhinestones of shiny white in swerving rows around the smooth curves and a studded nose ring. The ear set was of artificial gold like most of the jewelry worn in India and at parties, the nose ring the only true gold with phony sparkling studs.

I stroked the jewels on my nose and sighed from the memory of my grandmother, in her coiled bun of black and silver with large rounded specks too big for her face and warming smile, presenting the custom made nose ring she had gotten made just for me the last time I visited her. She would've definitely heard about my runaway and probably shunned me on behalf of her daughter, though I knew for a fact she wasn't like that sort of women to break relationship easily upon another's demands.

I always remembered my grandmother as the women who endured her hardships silently whether it would be someone saying bitter words to hurt her or whenever her eldest son chose to be drunk that day and decided to create a commotion on the street of their colony. She would act as if it didn't matter. The truth was though she'd weep alone in the washroom where others wouldn't be able to see. Luckily now I had this nose ring to remember her by, even though I'd know she'd still love to hold me close to herself in an embrace despite what others may care to say. I was lucky to have worn it the day I was saved. Shaking the feeling of disgust and guilt, I allowed Ari to carry on her work on my face.

She had done my winged eyeliner in thick black, tracing it with golden accents over a smokey eyes and luscious red velvet lips. Thanks to her, I didn't need to try my feeble attempts in covering the slight scarring of my face from my previous acne. The way she winked her eyes was all the confirmation I needed that I was ready. She then got herself ready in another westernized lehanga I had sewn, this one in a deep burgundy shade with silver thread and salwar bottom and longed kameez opening at her naval and lower back with long panels of fabric coming down on either side. Unlike mine, hers exposed her mid riff by about an inch. Neither of us had chunni, deeming them as an unnecessary.

Greysan had told me about two weeks beforehand so I had time to prepare with the prototypes. The fabric and jewelry was ordered and purchased online and arrived within a matter of hours.

Another trait my parents never choose to comment on was my ability for fashion and tailoring. Being a seamstress meant nothing more than a janitor or elementary teacher to my parents; it was common practice for many older women of our culture to master in and a decent means to earn a few quick bucks while staying at home. But to them, it would come handy when they'd need some tightening done or a button to be sewn.