The Beta Who Bought Me

Chapter 7 - On Stage

Fearing the foreign substance in the syringe, Laurel and Wendy quietly and obediently took seats in front of the vanities and allowed Mary and Maisie to doll them up. Their makeup was done naturally to highlight each of their best features. For Laurel, it was a beautiful smoky bronze eyeshadow that played up her amethyst eyes. Wendy was given a touch of blush on her high cheek bones with a pouty red lip that perfectly complimented her caramel skin.

Both girls’ hair was styled in an elegant low bun with a few loose hairs curled to frame their faces. Finally, they were presented with flowing white silk dresses with empire waists and a braid of golden silk just under the bust. Their dressers tied the silk ribbon laces on the back of the dresses in a simple bow as they finished donning the elegant clothes.

Despite the foreboding situation, Laurel couldn’t help but admire herself in the floor-length mirror as she stood in front of it. She didn’t wear nice dresses often, but this was stunning on her. Combined with the hair and makeup, she really was a pretty picture.

But the reality of the situation started quickly sinking in again as Mary strode over to the girls with two pieces of black silk cloth in her hand. “Sorry about this,” Mary’s words were an apology but her tone said differently. “It is customary that the girls are not allowed to see where they are being led. It used to be only for some of our pack’s ceremonies, but we decided to keep it for the Appraisal as well.” Then, both Laurel and Wendy were then blindfolded and ushered down the hall to a new, unknown room.

The next place they were made to wait in was considerably more modern than the dressing room. The room was colored in stark black and grey with red velvet loveseats. Though their vision was purely blackness, the feel of the plush seats let them know they were entirely somewhere else than the previous room. After Mary and Maisie sat the girls down, they exited quickly, claiming they had some other preparations to attend to. Wendy and Laurel were left alone again, and the room was utterly quiet. Neither girl knew what to say to the other. There was just enough knowledge of the situation to be scared. And also not enough to know what to expect.

After about thirty minutes, Mary reentered the room, and the sounds of elegant music and friendly chatter spilled in on the air with her.

“Are you ladies ready?” Her voice sounded utterly cheerful. Wendy fumbled to find Laurel’s hand and grasp it firmly, before they were slowly led forward. Tears streamed down Wendy’s face as they neared the outer door. “Stop that, girl! You’re going to ruin your makeup and who will want you then?!” Mary’s harsh words made Wendy only cry harder.

A loud smack had Wendy dropping to her knees. Mary had slapped her straight across the face. “Get your friend up, other girl,” she ordered Laurel gruffly. “It’s no longer my problem if you ruin your own chances!” She huffed as she turned around to lead the girls away. Wendy cupped her hurt cheek, and Laurel crouched down to feel for her fallen form. Locating her swiftly, she then gently took her by the elbow to help her back to her feet.

“Are you okay?” She asked Wendy softly, feeling up and down her arms and face for other signs of injury.

“Yeah,” Wendy responded timidly.

“NOW, ladies!” Mary called back to them loudly, now several feet ahead of them into the hallway. Despite still being blinded, they both scurried forward to catch up to her.

They followed the sound of her steps as they continued. The halls were seemingly endless, twisting and turning through multiple back corridors. They could hear the music and laughter fade slightly as they were taken to yet another empty room.

Finally, their blindfolds were removed. The lights were dimmed, but both girls recognized they were being led to a stage of some sort. The elevated floor was dark wood with white Grecian columns flanking the right and left sides of the stage. Mary positioned them both as she saw fit, as if they were store mannequins displaying the latest seasonal fashion, before bringing up the lights.

“Now, just stay as you are. Do not move unless you are asked to do so," she warned them sternly. With one last satisfied look, she opened the adjacent double doors to reveal a luxurious party in full swing.

A few excited gasps erupted from the crowd, who quickly filed into the room where the girls were perched on the stage like two porcelain dolls. Some couples and several single men entered, but they quickly split up by gender. The women stood near the back of the room, next to the doors where they had just entered, while the men shuffled to the front to examine the two girls. Laurel and Wendy found it hard to be able to hold still under the scrutiny of the crowd. Despite the volume of the excited chatter, they tried to listen to what individual people were saying,

“They get prettier each time! Just look at the body on each of them!” A post middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair commented lewdly and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively to another man of approximately the same age. Laurel shuddered at being looked at in such a way by men old enough to be her own father.

“Did you get a good look at the genetic profile of the brunette?” Another man asked.

“Yes! I have never seen anything more compatible!” A fourth man exclaimed in response.

Genetic profile? Laurel wondered. Why would they need or want that? She tried her hardest not to show any emotion on her face as the gross comments continued, but she was utterly disgusted.

Suddenly, she felt herself gasp for air, like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. Laurel could feel someone’s overbearing presence like it was boring a hole in her. A strong scent, like freshly fallen rain in the summer, coaxed her to look out into the crowd. She glanced down to witness the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

He had turquoise eyes that looked like Caribbean ocean waves. He wore a perfectly tailored grey suit with a black button down underneath that hugged the muscles in his arms and chest. His sandy blond hair swooped slightly to the left, and he had just enough blond stubble on his chin to radiate the right touch of danger. He gave her a half-c****d smile while she tried to gain her composure.

Another aura soon joined in, a much darker presence, though not nearly as strong to her as the other. Next to the man with ocean eyes was the face of the man she recognized as her abductor, Alpha Abel. The grin on his face was sinister while he whispered something into the other man’s ear. Whatever he said must have pleased the blue-eyed man because he smiled wide before the alpha winked at her and strode away, leaving the man to continue to release his alluring gaze upon her.

Just when she felt she might buckle under his gaze, the room suddenly darkened, and a hush fell over the crowd as an elegant woman lit up by a spotlight floated across the stage to its center. Luna Grace was dressed in her best finery, wearing a classy blue velvet evening gown with a v-neckline and a cascade of diamond and sapphire jewelry to match.

“Good evening,” she politely addressed the men gathered in front of her. “We have two new beauties for your Appraisal tonight!” She raised her arms to the girls just slightly behind her. “I trust you have all read the summary with their genetic compilations?” The majority of the men enthusiastically nodded along with a few verbal murmurs of “yes”.

The Luna held her chin high with pride. “The silent bidding will begin now. Please remember that you may not address the girls personally unless you win the bid! But do feel free to look, and I am available to answer any questions,” she stated firmly to the audience before excusing herself from the stage.