Listen to me 155

Sloane

After lunch, Aunt Samara pulls me into her room.

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“I know it’s early and I know we didn’t have time to discuss it, but I got you a dress for your Alpha ceremony,” she says.

“You what?” I ask.

“This is a very important moment, Sloane, not just for you. This s history in the making. You’re going to be the first ever female Alpha. I’m not letting my niece make history in a sports bra and shorts,” she huffs. “Now, I know this isn’t exactly your style, but you need to be bold and make a statement, so I got red,” she says, going to her closet and pulling out a dress bag.

She unzips the bag, showing me a thin strapped, red sequin, floor–length dress. Attached to the thin straps is another blousy sleeve that falls into a cape in the back, adding even more elegance to the dress.

“It’s beautiful, Aunt Samara,” I say.

“Do you like it?” she asks, watching me closely.

“I do. Benedict is going to hate it that he doesn’t match me,” I say grinning.

“Well …” she says, shrugging.

I narrow my eyes at her.

“Scarlet may have called him.”

“What?” I exclaim.

“He seems hellbent on showing a united front between the two of you. And since you don’t seem opposed to that, I didn’t argue with her about calling him.”

“What dress is she wearing?” I ask.

“Her mother brought a dress for her too, not to worry,” she says. Come on, let’s get you dressed so we can see it on.”

When I put it on, I stare at myself in the mirror. I’d dressed up for Benedict’s birthday and Alpha ceremony, but this is different. This dress is more elegant, more … Alpha. It’s meant to command a room just by being worn.

“Oh, you look beautiful. Not that you aren’t always beautiful, Sloane, but seeing you like this, ready to make history …” Aunt Samara begins, her voice getting choked up.

“Thank you, Aunt Samara,” I say, hugging her. “Thank you for always treating me, Slade, and Aria like we are your family.”

“You are my family, Sloane. I love all of you, so much,” she says, bugging me tightly. “Maybe now we can become more like sisters than aunt and niece.”

I nod. “I’d like that.”

She hugs me tighter. “So would I, so stop calling me aunt and just call me Samara.”

“Okay,” I say, smiling when we pull away from the hug. “Do you think everyone will know what’s going on when we walk out

there?”

“Probably. Roman and Austin are going to watch the crowd, get feel for who you may need to watch out for, besides those

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two assholes in the cells, of course.”

“Lucky me, my first job as Alpha is to demote them and punish them for betraying the pack.”

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“Let’s hope that is your first job, rather than fighting your Uncle Kaelin. Not that you couldn’t defeat him, even if you were wearing this dress, but still, it would be nice for you to get one night without having to fight for your position.”

“Do you think the people in the pack will challenge me?” I ask her as she puts my hair in hot rollers.

“They’d be foolish to. You’ve been training them for a couple of months now. They should know how strong you are and how much stronger the pack is because of you and Scarlet. But, sometimes, people don’t think that way.”

She stops and looks at me in the mirror. “If I haven’t mentioned it to you before, Sloane, I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of the amazing, strong, compassionate woman that you are. You are beautiful on the inside and the outside, and I just know, no matter what happens between you and Alpha Benedict, that you are going to make one hell of an Alpha.”

“What do you think about that, Aunt … Samara. If Benedict is my mate, how can we even make that work? It seems fruitless,” I say.

“As fruitless as a female becoming an Alpha of her own pack? Think outside the box, Sloane. Don’t consider things in the confines of what they are now. You’re rewriting history,” she says, shrugging. “Rewrite the pack structure too. Scarlet isn’t going to be a Beta female, she’s going to be a Beta. Daniel will be a …” she stops, looking thoughtful. “A co–Beta, let’s say, just like you and Benedict could be co–Alphas.”

“Co–Alphas,” I say thoughtfully. “Meaning two Alphas running one pack.” I look at her in the mirror. “Combine the packs into one?”

“Why not?” she asks, watching me. “Who says you have to keep your packs separate? Who says that if you combine your packs you can’t be co–Alphas? Maybe I’ll talk to Roman about changing my title,” she says, grinning.

I laugh. “You don’t have to. Everyone already knows you’re stronger than Uncle Roman.”

“Aren’t you stronger than Benedict?” she asks.

“Not by a lot.”

She shrugs. “I’m not that much stronger than Roman either. But I think the Moon Goddess chose him as my mate because he could handle a strong woman like me. Benedict seems to be that same kind of man, a man who isn’t intimidated by his mate’s strength. If anything, it seems to me that he encourages your strength. And goddess knows he’s the only one who has been able to get through to you about being the confident woman I’ve always seen in you, but you never allowed yourself to be.”

“Well, that girl is about to be put to bed. When you’re an Alpha, there’s no choice BUT to be confident and to rule as if you have all the answers, at least when you’re in front of the pack.”

“Exactly.”

She takes my hair out of the rollers and helps me style it. She’s just finished when there’s a knock on the door. Scarlet pokes her head in.

“Damn girl. We match!” she says, walking all the way in. She’s also wearing a floor length red dress, but hers is much more ‘Scarlet‘ than mine. The top looks like a corset, turning into a brocade covered mermaid style skirt that hugs her hips to mid–thigh, then flairs out around her, ending in a short train.

I smile at my Beta and hold out my hands to her. “Are you ready for this?”

“Are you kidding me girlfriend. I was born for this. I was born to be your bestie, your secret keeper, and your Beta,” she says, then gets serious, holding out her pinky. “Bestie Promise that we’ll always stay close, have each other’s back, work through any problems we have together, and always support each other.”

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I don’t hesitate; I reach out and hook my pinky with hers. “I Beste Promise.”

I hold her pinky and pull her into a hug. “I love you, Scarlet.”

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“I love you, Sloane. Okay, stop trying to get me to ruin my makeup. BWFive and Bethany are here. And damn, your man is looking really hot. He looks ready to claim you all over again, Alpha,” she says, grinning.

“My man IS really hot, Beta,” I say, grinning at her. It helps to slow the butterflies in my stomach. “Ready?”

“Let’s do this!” she says.

I quickly hug Samara, then Scarlet and I walk arm–in–arm down the stairs. I look down and see Benedict waiting for me. He’s standing with a bouquet of red roses, wearing a black suit with a red tie and pocket square that matches my dress, and a look of blazing possessiveness.

I step away from Scarlet, walking toward him. “Damn, you look hot,” I say.

“I was just thinking how lucky I am to be with someone as gorgeous as you,” he says, pulling me against him and pressing his lips to mine.

Before I get overly distracted by my desperate need for him and Aisling’s loud purring in my mind, I look at Bethany.

“Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me.”

“As if I would miss this,” she says, smiling.

“I’d like to have you both on the stage with me, if you don’t mind. I’ll bring you up as witnesses, but I want you both there,” I

tell him.

“Then that’s where we’ll be,” Benedict says.

“I think the pack might be catching on,” Daniel says quietly.

I look at him and wink. “Don’t you look dashing?” He’s in a dark grey suit with red lapels and bow tie that matches mine and Scarlet’s dresses, making it clear that we’re all a unified front. The pack won’t understand yet, but they will soon enough.

I look around, hearing the pack whispering about our elegant attire.

“Everyone, please join us outside. Alpha Waylon has an announcement,” Grandma Judith says, walking in and clapping her hands together. She looks at me across the room and nods subtly

“Shall we?” I ask Benedict.

“Absolutely,” he says, then leans down to my ear. “You’ve got this beautiful and if that asshole Kaelin shows up, he won’t know what hit him.”

Just as long as he doesn’t show up before the Alpha ceremony is complete.

Cedella

Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.