Olivia’s POV
The last week has been full of me doing my best to avoid Andre. I was upset that I had hurt him, and I knew that he probably needed some space away from me.
I watched him in the shadows, and I could still see the sadness in his eyes when he looked around, and I ducked out of his sight.
I still didn’t want him telling anyone about our relationship, and I knew that he was more than ready to take it a step further.
I was in my room, lying on my bed. The breeze was cool and I heard Andre’s car zoom off as he was going to work. I had taken a lot of time to give Andre’s proposal some thought, and I had concluded.
Maybe it was time to tell everyone.
I had given it a lot of thought and the consequences that I was so afraid of didn’t seem to be much or even a reason to be afraid.
My mother already knew that once Andre found his mate, she was supposed to step down. It wasn’t my fault that she had gotten cosy in the position for too long. I also didn’t like the way she acted around him. It made me ashamed when she acted so pathetic for him, and he simply shunned her like she was non-existent.
She had been there long enough. The moon goddess had given me to Andre, and no one could question it, not even her. Although she had brought me to this pack, destiny took its course.
I didn’t care what anyone else had to say.
I was worried before that I was doing something horrible by having my stepfather as a mate, but the evidence was already there. He wasn’t my stepfather. She had been forced on him against his will, and he made it clear every day that he didn’t want her.
I didn’t have to care about what people would say in school. I couldn’t care less about their opinions. If anything, they should be envious of me. Andre was a god-like Adonis, and he was kind. Anyone would want to have him if they got the chance.
I didn’t care about what anyone thought. I loved Andre, and being with him made me happy, and it hurt him every time I pushed him away.
What was the point of it all if he wasn’t happy with me? I was the stumbling block to my own happiness, but I wasn’t going to be that anymore.
With my mind made up, I decided I was going to tell him tonight. Tonight was a full moon, and that meant that my wolf could get closer to Andre.
It was perfect!
It would be the best time to tell everyone as well. None of this was within our control, so why did we have to hide it?
I spent the rest of the day planning my surprise for Andre. One could almost think that I was getting ready to propose to him.
Time flew by faster than I thought, and soon, there was a knock at my door. I sat up, and the door opened softly.
A maid came in, and she was holding a bag with a dress inside.
“Miss Olivia, I am sorry to intrude, but I was asked by the Luna to give this to you. She is having a Lunar gathering tonight, and she wants you to wear this and attend.”
The maid handed me the dress, and she left me alone. I tore open the bag and took out the dress. My gut wretched in disgust. This was the ugliest dress that I had ever seen.
It was two sizes bigger than me, and the colour and design were simply atrocious. Why the hell would she pick this out for me? Did she want to make a fool of me in front of everyone at her party?
No way in the universe was I going to wear this abomination.
I tossed the dress on my bed, headed to my closet, and began to select something much more stunning to wear. I was glad that Andre had taken me on a little shopping spree. If I was going to tell him tonight that I was going to be his lady, then I had to wear something that was definitely going to make his jaw drop.
After looking through dresses for a while, I finally settled on a red dress. It was long and elegant, and the fabric was simply luscious.
It was certain to grab attention.
It was closely fitted to my body, and it made my curves a drooling sight. I giggled to myself. Andre was definitely going to love it. Maybe after that, we would have a night together, and I would wear one of those lingerie pieces we bought at the store.
** ** ****
Evening came fast, and I had twirled in the mirror for the umpteenth time since I had put on my dress. I want to make sure that I look my very best for him.
I went over what I would say to him once I was done with my transformation. It was a big day for me. I was terribly nervous, but I had every reason to smile.
The maid came knocking, and when she came in, she looked quite stunned to see me in a dress that wasn’t the one she had given me. She paused for a bit.
I could tell that she wanted to say something, but she decided not to.
“Miss Olivia, everyone is waiting for you.”
I nodded and headed downstairs. I was a little stunned to see that so many people were waiting for me. I heard whispers and side comments about how beautiful I looked.
I turned and looked at my mother, and I could see her face wrinkled in frustration. She was probably angry that I did not wear her ugly dress. However, she quickly corrected her expression and gave me the widest smile I could only see in a situation like this.
“Everyone, meet my daughter and the Alpha’s stepdaughter, Olivia.”
My body tightened instantly, and I felt my airways constricted.
“Oh, shit.”