The Wolf in Sheep's Skin

Chapter 49

Quinn sighed on the pedestal, crossing her arms. I could imagine her eyes rolling as she kept shifting her weight on each leg. I kept my focus, paying attention to the little champagne gem I was sewing onto her dress.

It needed the extra piece, and once I finished, I began on the next piece. Maeve was swiveling in a chair nearby as I worked on Quinn’s gown. My brow was furrowed, and my hands worked tediously, searching for more imperfections.

“Are you almost done? We’ve been at this for hours.” Quinn grunted.

“I’m just adding a few finishing touches. Almost done.” I scanned her dress, finding a little string sticking out. I snipped it with my tiny scissors and continued.

Quinns dress was nearly perfect, but this was the first big event where someone would be wearing a dress from the shop. I’d ‘finished’ the gown days ago but kept coming back to it. Finding flaws, small things that needed fixed. I chewed my bottom lip, searching for more potential unpolished sections.

Olivia didn’t change our family’s plans to be nice. She knew what she’s doing, she has to have something planned. What could she be up to?

The back of my neck itched while I continued to work, much to Quinn’s displeasure. She groaned and tugged the dress out of my hands as she turned towards me. I scowled at her.

“The dress is fine the way it is! I’m done, get me out of it!” She growled and balled up her fists at her side.

“Your dress needs to be perfect! I’m not done.” I shook my head no, spotting a few more sections that needed work. “Everything needs to go perfect.” I focused back on her dress, but she tore it from my hands and leapt off the pedestal.

“It won’t be perfect! Nothing is, I’m not, the night won’t be perfect!” Quinn snarled out, leaning towards me. I recoiled, gasping as she let out a loud growl.

Quinn stormed out of the room, her champagne dress fluffing around her. Her stomps carried her up the stairs before I could stand up. A door slammed, and Maeve and I jumped. Maeve looked at me with wide eyes, wincing.

“What was that?” I frowned and whispered, watching the door she’d run through. “I only had a little more to go.” I stared at the needle and thread still in my hands.

“She did say she was done like two hours ago.” Maeve muttered. I met her eyes, and she pressed her lips together.

Quinns words played through my head. Did she think I mean she had to be perfect? I didn’t mean that. I only wanted her ceremony to go well tomorrow.

I deflated, sinking back into my chair. F*ck. I was only trying to help. I pursed my lips and played our conversations about her ceremony through my head. Tomorrow won’t be perfect. It’s at the pack house. I groaned, tossed my needle and thread on the pedestal in front of me, and rubbed my eyes.

They burned from working on the dress nonstop for the past few days. It had consumed me since I’d found out about Olivia changing the ceremony.

“Want me to go?” Maeve asked. She’d been watching me all day, squinting at me. My talk with our dad kept popping into my head, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d told her about it.

I’ve been so focused on my stuff, I didn’t listen to Quinn today. I just worked on the dress, thinking that would fix things.

Or keep my mind clear. Jay popped into mind, and I grunted, shaking my head.

I sighed, and my gut sank as I hefted myself out of my chair. A perfect dress isn’t going to make Olivia go away.

“No. It’s my fault.” I pursed my lips and climbed the stairs. On the top floor, in Maeve’s apartment, there was a big metal door with a sturdy doorknob. I worked at it, and shoved it open with my shoulder. There was a little set of stairs that I followed that led up to the door to the roof.

I shoved that door open too, and the cool evening breeze hit me. The sun had just finished setting, and within a few hours the stars would peek out. Have we been here that long?

I blinked at the evening sky and shook my head. Quinn was nearby in a cr*ppy lawn chair that the three of us had hauled up here. We were on the roof top, overlooking the nearby mountains and the little Main Street below.

I sank into a chair next to Quinn, who turned her head away from me. Her dress engulfed her, poofing out from the sides of the chair. It was frumpy and would end up wrinkled from sitting in the chair.

I bit my lip and stopped myself from saying so.

“Quinn, I’m so sorry-“

“Everything can’t be perfect; you can’t control everything. Things can’t be forced to be perfect Gwen.” Quinn scowled at me, crossing her arms. I stuttered over my words and sighed, deflating into the chair.

“Do I do that?” I mumbled to the ground.

“Sometimes.” She shrugged and rolled her eyes. “You did with the shop when we moved. Anytime we go to pack stuff, always picking things out that’re wrong with our dresses. I mean, you always talk about finding your mate as if you’re looking for the perfect man. Not everyone can be prim and proper all the time.” She pouted, turning away from me.

My heart sank and I rubbed my face, sighing.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize… I didn’t know I was doing that.” I shook my head. “I didn’t mean to imply that you have to be perfect. I don’t think that. You’re a person. The only way you could be perfect is just… being you.” I stared at the ground, my stomach aching.

“My dress is fine the way it is. I don’t want to do anything else to it.” Her tone was sharp and clear. I nodded and clasped my hands together in my lap, fumbling with my fingers.

“I know. It’s a lovely dress and you’re going to look amazing in it.” I eyed her and her shoulders softened. “I’m sorry your ceremony isn’t at home. I guess I just thought that if I made you the perfect dress, that would fix things. But it won’t. And I know Olivia has to have some awful reason to switch your ceremony. I’m worried what she’s gonna do.”

I hunched over in my chair, all the energy leaving my muscles. Wild imaginations of Olivia and what her plans could be ran through my mind.

The streetlights twinkled, and the mountain range silhouette stood out against the dusky gray sky. The breeze made Quinn’s gown crinkle.

“So what?” Quinn whispered. “What can she possibly do? The night’s not going to be perfect no matter what. I just want to have fun.” She shrugged, picking at the gems on her gown.

I opened my mouth but all I could muster was a croak. I blinked at Quinn, unable to form words. What can she do?

The whole pack will be there. She could pull me into a room alone, but who cares?

She can yell at me all she wants. She just can’t get away with ruining things for my family. And I doubt she’d dare get caught sabotaging someone’s celebration in front of the whole pack.

“I… I don’t know.” She could get someone else to do it, but even that’s a stretch.

“I heard what mom said to you. She said the same thing to me. That I’ll be more included in the pack. Have a better future and relationship with them, and all that cr*p. I don’t care about that, I just want to have fun with my friends.”

I stared at Quinn in awe. Of course. She’s just thinking of teen things. I smiled and my heart warmed. Good. She should get the opportunity to worry about those things. Normal things, like spending time with friends.

Sure, she should worry about joining the pack and where she’ll fit in. But she’s still a teen. She should worry about teen stuff too. She’ll have plenty of time to worry about the rest.

A twinge of pain touched my heart, and I sank back into my chair.

She’ll get to have a normal life. She won’t have to spend all her time stressed, worrying about moving and joining new packs all the time. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

“I hadn’t thought about that. I’ll relax, I promise. Your ceremony should be about having fun. It is your birthday party after all.” I grinned at her, released her hand, and leaned back in my chair.

I’ll deal with the stressful parts. Like Olivia. I’ll be d*mned if she’s going to ruin Quinn’s night.

“What do you mean you didn’t think about it?” Quinn gave me an odd look. “You didn’t want to have fun at your ceremony? Or are you too old to remember what it was like at my age?” She laughed, rolling her eyes.

I tensed and my cheeks warmed. I gnawed on my bottom lip, my mind racing. Do I tell her? I’ll have to explain it all to her. She’ll ask too many questions not too. I don’t want to take away from her night, but she’s asking.

I already decided to trust her knowing about my dominance. I can’t lie to her about this.

“I didn’t have one. Dad and I decided it would be best.”