AMELIA'S POV

Without saying a word, Megan took me to find a stylist. Took? Sorry, I meant she nearly dragged me all the way down there.

"Scratch the maids," she said. "We're going to need the royal stylist for your case. Nothing flashy. Simple colors to keep you hidden."

Once we arrived at a large white door, Megan swung it open and marched us in to find the royal stylist.

My eyes wandered around, settling on the bright pink desk in front of us. Whoever this stylist was, she really seemed to like pink.

"It's an emergency! An all clad in black with clumpy mascara emergency!" She called out, making me feel even more self-conscious about my outfit.

A red-haired girl walked out of nowhere, head to toe in pink, and gasped when her eyes landed on me. My eyes averted to the ground in embarrassment.

"We need to get you dressed!" She exclaimed, ushering me into a dressing room.

Even the dressing room was pink. Pink chandelier, pink tables, pink coat hanger. How much pink could this lady have?

"Okay, I have the perfect color. Red will bring out those brown eyes, a little gem on the neck-"

"No, no, no! Listen, Krystal, my friend here wants to be a Plain Jane. A simple color, nothing too flashy."

Megan interrupted the stylist, Krystal.

Krystal raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, as you please. Makeup?"

"Light. Preferably no lipstick. We want natural as natural can be," Megan responded.

I chuckled silently as Krystal's mouth dropped. She wasn't expecting that, huh?

"But this is the ball! We can't have her looking so-so-plain!" She exclaimed, exasperated.

Megan raised her eyebrows at Krystal, as if to say, you got it, sister. Krystal sighed and nodded.

"One pink gown coming right up." Krystal trudged out of the room.

I laughed at Krystal's antics. She was so disappointed. I felt bad, but I knew this was what I needed to go back home.

Something to keep me hidden until the event was over. I couldn't be seen, let alone talked to.

Krystal came rushing back in with a spark in her eyes.

"I found it! And don't you worry, it has some sparkle!"

Megan smacked her forehead in annoyance.

"Remember what I told you?" Megan questioned me.

I looked down at the ends of the pink gown shyly.

"Stay in the back. Don't look at anyone. Make it seem like you're invisible."

"And if anyone asks you who you are?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Amelia Dawn from the Greystone pack in Northern Alaska. An...uh...omega." I replied.

Megan grinned.

"This might just work."

I hoped so. My nerves were getting the best of me. I barely remembered the last part, which was the most important. And to top it off, I was so shaky.

Megan linked arms with me and grinned even wider, if that was possible.

"Let's go!" She whispered, pulling me towards the staircase.

I slowly ascended the staircase with Megan, careful not to trip over myself. I couldn't make a fool of myself this time. Images of me falling into the pool filled my mind, but I pushed them away.

As soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs, Megan gave me a thumbs up and disappeared into the crowd of people. I took a deep breath and retreated to the corner of the doorway. I can do this! Just act invisible. That was my specialty. Not that hard.

After what seemed like hours of just standing there, I grabbed a drink. I poured myself some punch and retreated to my corner. Everything was going well. No one approached me, just the occasional glance, and I was all alone.

Just peace by myself.

Suddenly, a drum began banging. I winced at how loud it was and pressed a hand against my ear.

When it finished, everyone turned to look at the top of the stairs. There stood a guy in a suit, looking down at all of us.

"Announcing! Alpha Christopher Lee James!" My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as his scanning eyes connected with mine. Thankfully, he continued to look at the rest of the crowd, and once he finished, he ascended the stairs.

Pure authority surrounded his aura. It was most likely because he was an Alpha, but he had something that made him different. It was arrogance, as if he were entitled to something better.

People started whispering, some narrowing their eyes. Right away I knew he wasn't good news. I knew he had a bad reputation from the way the people were reacting.

The crowd parted, and I realized that this man was coming my way. There was nowhere to go, so the crowd of people pushing me forced me out of my corner. I gulped as I found myself nearly a yard away from this man. How did I even end up in the front? Hopefully, no one approaches me. Especially not him.

The man seemed to read my thoughts, and his steel-blue eyes flickered in my direction. I cursed myself for not acting more quickly and getting to a safe place.

"You." His deep voice rang through the ballroom.

I looked around, but everyone was staring at me. There were no mistakes. His eyes were looking straight at me, full of anger. He was talking to me.

"Pour me a drink." He commanded, pointing to the table full of cups and drink bowls.

My mouth went dry. I looked straight past him and saw Megan, gesturing with her head at the drinks table. Do it, she was gesturing.

I swallowed hard, and I approached the punch. Grabbing a glass, I shakily scooped some of the red liquid and poured it slowly. I heard a huff.

"You're shaking so much you might as well have spilled it." He spat.

I tried to control my shaking as best as I could and scooped up some more punch.

Please, please let me do this right. Get me through this. I wished to be as far away from here as possible. I wanted to be at home with my cat, watching Netflix, and eating ice cream.

"Are you serious?!" he bellowed.

I didn't have time to even glance at the man when he grabbed the cup, yanking it away, and in the process spilling it all over himself. The ballroom watched in complete silence as he looked up at me in pure hatred.

He grabbed my hand, with the ladle in it, and pulled me with astonishing strength. His eyes grew a dark blue, almost black color.

"I'll teach you a lesson you'll never-" I closed my eyes in fear, waiting for him to go all ballistic on me. I waited a few moments, and slowly opened my eyes back up. Instead of getting ready to attack me, his expression was soft, with a hint of confusion.

Like day and night, the tenderness of his expression was gone and replaced by a frightening one. The darkness in his eyes reappeared.

"Mate." He growled.

I looked at him with wide eyes. Slowly, I peered at Megan, whose face was as pale as snow.

I was in deep trouble.

AMELIA'S POV

"W-what?" I stuttered.

The alpha looked at me with animalistic eyes. I stumbled backwards, clutching onto the table for support. The crowd gasped as my knees buckled under me. I sank to the floor, shaking. I felt the burning stares of everyone in the room, including his.

Mate? Was he going to claim me? This can't be happening! It won't happen!

The Alpha stepped over my frame, growling at the people. "Mine." He snarled at them.

"No," I whispered.

It was so faint I didn't expect anyone to catch it. But absolutely nothing was in my favor. "What?" He bellowed.

I blinked back the tears in my eyes.

"No."

The Alpha yanked me up by my arms in fury.

"You're coming with me. Don't you dare think you can say that to me?" I held back a sob. I was human! I was supposed to go back home! This wasn't the plan!

"What are you all looking at?" he roared. "Are any of you going to claim her? I'd like to see you even try."

Everyone stared at me in pity. No one was going to save me. No one.

The Alpha began pulling me away from the ballroom. His grip was so tight that I wasn't able to escape.

"Megan! Megan, please! Get me back! Find my mother! Anyone!" I screamed.

Megan began charging at the Alpha at the speed of light. But before she could grab hold of me, he threw her back like a rag doll, sending Megan into a wall. Her body fell limp on the floor.

"Megan!" I cried, watching my only hope fade away.

"Don't you dare think of getting away? Your little friend will suffer more consequences if this happens again." He hissed.

I whimpered at his tone of voice. However, he didn't seem to be fazed at all. He was cold-hearted and evil. A monster.

I kicked and scratched and hollered at the top of my lungs all the way out of the estate, but it was all in vain. He dragged me out by force with no hesitation.

When we reached a black limo, I began kicking and screaming again with even more force. He opened the door with one hand and threw me into the car with the other.

I quickly pushed open the door, but he was faster and slammed it closed. I quickly reached over to the driver's seat and locked the doors. He huffed in frustration and kicked the door, making a dent. I sighed with relief. If I couldn't get out, I would stay in!

The moment I let my guard down, a pair of hands grabbed me. I screamed, hitting and kicking the person holding me. While I was fighting against the arms keeping me hostage, the doors were unlocked and the Alpha got into the driver's seat. With no time for me to react, the car took off at a ridiculously high speed.

"Are you going to be quiet now?" He questioned, glaring at me from the rearview mirror.

When I stopped fighting, the arms released me, allowing me to get a better look at the person they belonged to. A guy around my age, with almost pitch-black eyes and brown hair, met my gaze. I averted my eyes to the floor.

"What's your name and rank, wolf?" The Alpha growled.

I shifted my eyes outside the window.

"The Alpha has asked you a question! Answer him!" The man next to me demanded.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my arms. There was no way I'm going to answer someone like him. I was going to get back home no matter what.

There was no way he was my other half. I completely loathe him. I hate him! I hate my mate.

"We're here." I sighed and went to open the door, only to have it pulled right back in my face. I turned to face the alpha, who only glared at me. I huffed and waited until he got out of the car and opened my door for me.

What a gentleman. Really, kidnapping and threatening was true chivalry.

I slowly got out of the car and watched as the other man climbed out. I thought over my options. Obviously, this Alpha guy was extremely strong.

If I ran off now, my chances were probably slim to none in escaping. If I stayed the night and kept quiet to myself, I could probably escape.

I looked over at the alpha, who was already staring straight at me. I shivered in fear as his eyes scanned my face.

"You will not hold her down? Prevent her from escaping?" The other guy asked.

The Alpha scoffed. "It's pointless. There's high security within a 5-mile radius here. Even if she made it past them, she would run into some... trouble."

I raised an eyebrow. Troubles? What kind of trouble? Could I get through them?

The Alpha seemed to catch on to my thoughts.

"Don't even think about escaping. You'd be torn to shreds." He growled.

I looked down at my feet, which were now forming blisters from how long I had been in heels. I groaned as the Alpha and the brown-haired man began walking ahead of me.

I took one painful step at a time until I caught up with the two. When I arrived, I noted how large the house was in front of us. No, house was not a fit term. This was a mansion! Maybe even bigger than an average-sized one.

After some knocking, or should I say, pounding by the Alpha, we were let into this massive mansion. As soon as I entered it, a young girl dressed in a maid's outfit was awaiting us. The Alpha snapped his fingers.

"Get her dressed, cleaned, and prepared for examination." He stated in a gruff tone.

The girl nodded and motioned for me to follow her. I didn't look back at him and went straight down the hall. After some time, the girl turned to me.

"I'm Valerie. Do you know where you are?" She asked.

I shook my head.

She squinted her eyes at me.

"You're not from around here, huh? Well anyway, you're in Alpha James' home."

I scoffed. "Home?"

Valerie chuckled, "I guess calling it a home would be an understatement, right?"

I smiled. Valerie was alright. Maybe I could find my way out of here with her help. The rest of the journey was silent until we reached a room. Valerie spun around. There were twinkles in her eyes.

"This is your room. It might be a little simple, but it's the only room fit for a lady." She shrugged.

I nodded and entered it. What I saw made my jaw drop. The entire room was utterly gorgeous. I let my fingers graze the bedsheets and roam over the dresser.

"It's... gorgeous." I whispered.

Valerie smiled. "There's another part of your room that has a shower. The Alpha wants you cleaned up and dressed."

My heart dropped. "I have to meet with him?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"Then I'll get ready. Thank you, Valerie." I stated.

Valerie bowed and left me alone in my room. I quickly scanned the bedroom and ran to the window, pulling at it. Locked.

I raced to the bathroom and tried to open the bathroom window. I tugged and tugged until it finally flew open. I grinned and threw my fist in the air.

I found my way out. Now all there was left to do was meet with the Alpha. I wasn't so sure how I was going to figure this one out.

Back at the ball, Megan's group of friends were struggling to understand how Megan had allowed a human into a sacred and traditional event, let alone admitted her as a fellow wolf.

"Do you know how much you have jeopardized this pack? Let alone how much you jeopardized our families?" A tall girl, Rebecca shrieked.

Megan narrowed her eyes at the group of angry girls.

"I understand how much danger I put us through, but I promise this wasn't supposed to happen! A human can't have a mate! Alpha James is planning something. I don't know why he chose Amelia, but we need to get her back as soon as possible!" She exclaimed.

"We? Are you grouping us with you, Megan?" A short blonde, Ella, shot.

Megan ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Look, I'm not asking you guys for much. All we need to do it go to his pack, grab Amelia, and leave."

"You mean get us all killed? You know how he is, Megan. Did you forget how he and his family murdered your father?" Rebecca shouted.

Megan's eyes grew darker.

"Don't you dare speak about my father?"

"They murdered mine too, Megan! Don't tell me I don't have the right to speak about this, especially since he's the reason my family isn't the same." She stated.

"You know what? I don't need your help. I'll go get her myself." Megan hissed and turned on her heel.

"Megan, stop!" One of the girls cried.

"You'll get killed!" Another cried.

"Megan!" Rebecca shouted.

When hearing Rebecca, she stopped in her tracks. "You can't do this alone! Why do you even care about this human girl? Let him have her! Maybe the humans won't notice her absence."

She exclaimed.

"That's not what you would say if it were your sister, your daughter, or your cousin, huh? The humans are bound the notice, Rebecca. I will not be the first to be kicked out of the pack, so I suggest you shut up before they find out you wanted to leave the human in the hands of the most dangerous alpha." Megan shot back.

Rebecca opened her mouth to say something but shut it in an instant. Megan smirked to herself, knowing her words struck some truth.

She picked up her dress and began hurrying to Amelia's room, hoping to find a clue to look for the human girl.

AMELIA'S POV

After I showered, there was an outfit on my bed, most likely picked out by Valerie. I groaned when realizing it was another dress, and that the only footwear I had was heels. I quickly got dressed, and looked went out of my room.

"I knew blue was a good color on you!" Valerie squealed.

Valeria laughed.

"Just a few minutes. I'm supposed to guide you to Alpha James' office."

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air at the sound of her voice.

"How long were you standing there?" I asked.

I nodded and followed her silently. I scanned my surroundings for possible escape routes, noting any paintings or decor that would help me find my way if necessary.

Valerie opened the door for me as I made my way into the office.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. Where was he? What did he want from an examination? What did he mean by an examination?

"Calm down. I can hear your heart racing from over here." A gruff voice stated.

My eyes widened. He could hear my heart rate?

I felt my hands tremble as Alpha James emerged out of nowhere. I stood as stiff as a soldier as he circled me.

He stopped in his tracks. I shivered as I felt his hot breath. This was way too close for comfort, but I couldn't bring myself to move. My feet were glued to the floor in fear.

"You can't escape. No matter what you do, it's pointless. You'll have to answer to me." He whispered.

His deep voice was almost playful, like he was teasing me to see if I'd really do such a thing. I snapped my head away from him, narrowing my eyes at the ground.

I could feel my cheeks heat with how angry I was. Did he think he could treat me like this?

He sat on top of his desk, watching me shift uncomfortably.

"You're squirming. Nervous?" The Alpha crossed his arms.

I pretended to be looking at my shoes, as if they were the most interesting things in the world. Alpha James scoffed.

"I know what you're thinking." I stopped my fidgeting and peered at him with curiosity.

"Such a handsome mate, I could just stare at him for hours on end-" My cheeks burned.

"What did you bring me here for?" I interrupted.

The Alpha narrowed his eyes at me. He scooted off his desk and walked straight up to me. His face was merely an inch away from mine. His eyes scanned my face.

My breath was caught in my throat as his blue eyes flickered over my lips. My head was screaming at me to get out and run as fast as I could.

"Are you wondering what my purpose was in bringing you to the mansion or my office?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

I put some distance between us. "The office, obviously."

The Alpha rolled his eyes. "You really think I'd try anything?"

I scoffed at his words. The Alpha ignored me and continued.

"State your position, your full name, and previous pack." He said.

My mind went blank. What was it Megan said? Amelia Dawn from the Greystone pack? What was my position?

"Well?" he spat.

I panicked. Just as I opened my mouth, random information flew into my brain.

"Amelia Dawn of the Greystone pack. An Alpha." I blurted.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"An alpha female? Are you telling me there is no alpha male from this Greystone pack? Where is the Greystone pack located? You'd better be telling the truth, or you will regret it, Alpha Amelia."

My body grew rigid as he said my name. Alpha? Why did I say alpha? Wasn't that the highest position?

Oh, I'm so in for it! I gulped and nodded.

"My pack is in northern Alaska. We're not that well known, since it's a small area. My father died when I was little, so yes, I am the only Alpha."

I lied straight through my teeth.

He studied me hard and long until he seemed satisfied with my answer. I internally sighed in relief, that is until he stood straight in front of me.

"You will refer to me as Alpha Christopher. Consider this a privilege. No one refers to me by my first name. Ever." He hissed.

I expected something more intimidating than that.

He was already an intimidating person as it is.

"You will join me for dinner. Don't be late, and dress less desperately." Christopher eyed my dress with an emotion I couldn't make out.

I suddenly felt self-conscious and allowed my hair to hide my face. He just called me desperate, as if I was trying to get him to like me!

He marched out of the office, not even bothering to say goodbye. I looked down at my dress and pulled at the hem.

It wouldn't take long before things started going the other way round.