Chapter 23

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Evy would claw out the eyes of the next person who came anywhere near her with wax, especially hot wax.

They had been primping her for a while now and she had been plucked, prodded and poked enough. She felt like she was a china doll. But she grudgingly had to admit she never had looked prettier.

Since the whole ball thing came up her life had gone crazy, first it was the outrage from Max and Jeff. Jeff went ballistic but Max went nuclear. He had been absolutely against it refusing to listen to reason. It had taken two days of sweet talking by her and a lot of reassurances by Sebastian and Alex for him to grudgingly accept.

Sebastian had spoken to Roma and got her approval as well. They all knew at the end of the day they could not afford to snub the American council publicly, it would set a bad precedence. Even though you were enemies, plotting to kill each other privately you had to smile and play nice publicly.

"Diplomacy is the art of saying nice dog, until you can find a stone" Sebastian had told her. To be honest she did not know much to begin with, what she knew was the American council was cheesed off with the Roma wolves for their takeover of Colorado. She also knew that they might have been responsible for the attack on her and Alex, beyond her nobody had told her much.

Now she was supposed to remember names and faces of important wolves that she would encounter in the ball and they expected most of the American alpha's to be there and they would study her every move, assess her and make opinions. Talk about pressure!

Alex and Sebastian were god sent helping her sooth her nerves and stuck to her side throughout. She had been so over her head in the last two days with preparation for this event that it was a blessing in disguise. For she hardly had time to think about anything else, most of all her absent mate.

She cursed the mate bond for the hundredth time. People said it was a blessing, that it was a gift. A big fat lie! A fucking curse that's what it was. You could never feel whole without your mate next to you, it was like a piece of you was missing and the bond would constantly remind you of that. Most of the time it stayed in the background like a dull ache but in times like this when she had a moment to think and think about him it exponentially exploded crippling her senses making her crave her mate like nobody's business. She missed him, she surely did and how could she not? She fell in love with him, not only because he was her mate because of the person he was and spending every day with him only reinforced that feeling. But the bond took missing him to an unnatural level, it was tugging at her constantly to find her mate and be with him.

She had moved back to her house and that helped as well, she spent a lot of time with her mom going over catalogues for her dress for the upcoming ball. Sebastian had engaged a fashion consultant from New York for her dress, and when she balked at that he told her that she was representing Roma in the ball and she should look nothing but the best.

Representing Roma! What did she know about representing anyone let alone a country???

Alex had stepped in, told her not to worry and everything would be taken care of, all she had to do was be herself. Mostly that's what happened, Sebastian and Alex were taking care of all the details and arranged everything all she had to do was show up, to be honest she didn't ever have to do that, everyone showed up at her doorsteps instead. Her dresses were flown in, once she shortlisted five dresses from the catalogue all five were outstanding, pity she had to pick one so she picked the green dress, simple but elegant and she had to admit she looked amazing in it.

Today the beautician had showed up with her minions. Alex smiled at her devilishly and told her that he has thrown in a surprises package for her. He cryptically told her that she would like it and Max would love it. She was sold on Max would love it part, how could she not do something Max loved? IF only she knew the pain involved, she gritted her teeth as she recalled the pain...Brazilian waxing hurt like a bitch!

On top of that they waxed her entire body, her hands, arms, legs every single thing. Her whole body was pulsing in dull pain.

They would be leaving in a few hours, today was the day of the ball. The plan was to fly to Montana, a hotel was booked for them to get ready and then drive down to the ball and then fly back in the night. There was no point staying there more than they need to.

***

"Fuck!" Sebastian cursed looking at his phone.

"He is at it again?" Alex asked.

"He is like a rash that you can't get rid of" Sebastian cursed. Max was getting on their nerves.

He kept calling from Africa trying to run this operation from there, after a while Alex and Sebastian simply stopped picking up the phone and immediately he switched over to sending them a million messages.

The phone rang again.

"Will you be picking it up?" Alex asked. Max would not be giving up.

"No, not now, can talk from the car and try to keep it short" Sebastian added.

"Is everything set?" Alex asked Sebastian. They had been tirelessly working on the trip.

"Yes" Sebastian declared. He already had fifty men on the ground in Montana. The penthouse suite in the hotel was blocked off by his men and after through reconnaissance they gave a green light. Another twenty men were already at the venue in the Lockbourne pack land. The event would have top security, every invite scrutinized and every face verified, the plan was that the ball would start at seven but Evy will show up only at eight, the one hour delay was just to verify potential threats in the guest list.

"What's bothering you?" Alex asked a distracted Sebastian.

"Nothing" Sebastian said. Everything was running smoothly, that's what was bothering him.

"We leave in ten" Alex said walking out of Sebastian's room.

***

Beta Crawford was frothing at his mouth, his blood literally boiling. He had been asked to keep away from Lockbourne pack lands. Why? Because they were throwing a ball in honor of that bitch! That bitch and her entourage of Roma wolves had ender his men's lives ruthlessly, he still had nightmares about that and he wanted Revenge but, now adding insult to injury they were throwing a party in their honor! Honor...really, they were murderers all of them!

Screw them all! Screw their politics! If that bitch was coming here she will not return back alive! Lockbourne and Charles can take a piss for all he cared.

He looked at his second crop of recruits he had painstakingly trained, they were ready and loyal to him.

"Boys" he said looking at his group "Tonight, we have a party to crash."

***

"Ready?" Alex asked Sebastian.

"Yep" Sebastian answered.

"Let's go, pick up Cinderella then" Alex grinned.

Sebastian picked up his sword and joined Alex at the entrance of the Room.

Alex just looked at it "a bit conspicuous isn't it?" Sebastian simply shrugged.

They were dressed casually all of them would have time to get ready in the hotel booked for them in Montana.

***

"You ready to leave?" her mother asked her.

"Yep" Evy responded with butterflies in her stomach as the event was nearing she was having cold feet.

"You look great dear!" Her mother assured her. Evy looked at herself she was in a Jeans and a t-shirt.

"Mom I am in a jeans and a t-shirt" she admonished.

"And you still look great and once you wear that dress you will look outstanding!" Her mother exclaimed.

Evy simply rolled her eyes and smiled at her mother.

"Be careful!" Jeff's voice broke through gruffly.

"We will Jeff" Evy assured him.

"Any sign of trouble, you leave and at all times ensure Sebastian or Alex have you in their line of sight" He added.

"Sure, Jeff" She promised.

Jeff would get an ulcer if he kept worrying and thankfully before any further safety instructions could be read out her ride arrived.

The trio stepped out of the house Alex and Sebastian had already stepped out of the vehicle, and a few Roma wolves went in to her house to retrieve her luggage.

"Take care of my girl" Jeff ordered the two men.

"We will sir" Alex said with a smile "She will come back safe"

The bags were now loaded in to the car.

"Bye mom" she hugged her mother quickly.

"Break a leg dear!" her mother whispered back hugging her daughter back.

She turned to Jeff and hugged him quickly "Don't worry too much and don't haggle mother!" she said firmly.

"Cheeky girl! Take care" he pet her affectionately.

She smiled at him and turned and took a deep breath. "Let's go"

***

She was not sure how time flew by. She had caught on some z's on the airplane and before she knew it Alex was gently shaking her awake.

This was a small jet they had hired and it would wait to take them back.

Once landed they were quickly whisked away to the hotel. There her gaggle of beauticians were waiting, they had been asked to come along as well and as soon as she stepped in to the room they started fluttering around her and before she knew it she was ready. To say she was impressed was an understatement. She had never looked so better in her life. She quickly pulled out her phone and took a few selfies and sent them to Max. She was not sure what time it was out there in Africa and she did not even know if he would see them now.

A knock on the door came and Alex stepped in, her smiled broadened "Not bad Alex!"

"Not bad? You mean hubba hubba isn't he hot?" He gave a sly grin. The rascal was looking devilishly handsome for sure.

Sebastian entered and her eyes widened, he was wearing a navy blue long coat, it looked like an official Roma dress or something but man was he as sight to see.

"Sebastian! You look sexy" Evy spat out.

He just raised an eyebrow at her, noncommittal. But was that a blush on his cheek?

"I am not bad and he is sexy? Alex whined petulantly.

She ignore him "let's take a picture guys, my mom is dying."

They duty fully came and stood next to her on either side and she quickly took some pictures. Putting her phone in her clutch she entwined her hands in both their hands and told them

"Gentlemen, take me to the ball"

***

She had come out to the balcony to catch her breath. Alex saw her going through the door and nodded and from the first floor balcony she could see Roma wolves standing guard outside, Alex must have informed them.

The had arrived to the party an hour ago, it was grand and lavish and who is who of American werewolves were present there and he had been circulated around being introduced to each one of them and had to do small talk. Till now no one showed their hostility openly and everyone were polite and friendly with her, all of them seemed nice.

She had danced with a couple of them and Alex as well and she just wanted to catch her breath and stepped out. The night was pleasant and the view of the forest outside was beautiful.

"Beautiful isn't it" a voice broke her out of her reprieve.

She looked back startled.

"Sorry to startle you" he said.

She looked at him, he looked old like he was around sixty years, his hair white, some wrinkles on his face and he had a gentle aura a pleasant smile and was definitely not a threat.

"Yes it's beautiful" she said to his earlier statement.

"If you would like to be alone I can leave, I just stepped out to get some fresh air, it's getting stuffy in there will all the alphas egos going around, I hope you don't mind an old stooges company" He told her with a twinkle in his eye.

She smiled at that "No I don't mind" his grandfatherly presence welcoming. She put her hand out "I am Evy" she said introducing herself.

He took her hand in a gentle grip looked at it gave a gentle shake and released it.

With his trademark smirk he said "and you my dear, can call me Charles"