Healing the Ruthless Alpha novel Chapter 34

Chapter 34

“… and done.” I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in front of me. The makeup artist waited for my reaction but all I could manage was a blank expression as I stared at her work in the mirror.

My Luna Ceremony had come. Cahir didn’t even give me the time to settle in or to wrap my head around all the many things happening in my life at this point. He just sprung the news on me and I couldn’t refuse. I sighed out loud and it may have spooked the makeup artist.

“Do you – Do you not like it?” The lady asked. I caught a fleeting look of nervousness on her apprentice’s face in the mirror. The younger girl stood behind me with her teeth worrying her bottom lip.

“It’s alright,” I answered the makeup artist.

The truth was that I could not focus on the person looking back at me in the mirror. Though my eyes were on the mirror before me, my mind was in a faraway place.

“If you don’t like it, we can modify it to your taste.” I could tell she was nervous as she twiddled one of her many makeup brushes.

“Is it too loud?” Her apprentice asked but I shook my head.

It took a great deal of effort for me to pull myself to the present to inspect the work that had been done on my face.

“Oh.” I blinked to make sure the person staring at me was indeed me. “I –” No words came from my mouth after that. I couldn’t say anything past that as I looked at my dolled-up face in the mirror.

Had I ever looked this good? Did I ever dream of looking this good?

The makeup artist and her apprentice had done a marvellous job in accentuating my best features. My eyes popped, and for the first time, I noticed how beautiful they were. She highlighted my cheekbones and my lips which I always considered dry looked luscious. The makeup was also calm, with neutral colours. Save for the pink lipgloss, all the colours she used were light and calm but she still managed to capture a beauty I never knew I had.

“I never knew makeup would transform me like this.” I touched my cheek, careful not to ruin the hour that had gone into making me up.

“Transformed?” The apprentice looked alarmed as she exclaimed.

“I only highlighted your features with the lightest of makeup,” the artist replied to me with a tight smile. “I felt it wouldn’t be good for people to meet you for the first time with too much makeup. Do you think it’s too much?”

“No, it’s not.” I touched my face again.

The art of makeup was lost on me as I invested my time in serving the wolves of Silver Moon rather than on my appearance, however, even I could see how light the makeup was. I’d seen how the girls in Silver Moon wore makeup and this wasn’t anything close to theirs.

“I love it.” With those words came a breath of relief that launched the two women into long talks and adoration for me and my ‘perfect features.’

“Everyone will love you!” The apprentice assured me.

My mind drifted again after that. No matter how much I tried to calm my heart, how much I tried to stop my legs from bounding on the ground, I could not stop my nervousness. Anxiety made me hot one minute and cold the next and when the artist’s apprentice assured me that the people would love me, I swallowed down bile.

What if they didn’t?

I swallowed hard, wishing to be over and done with all this.

If the people didn’t like me, what would I do?

I didn’t want to be condemned to be hated even in this pack where I would be spending the rest of my life.

A Luna Ceremony. As an omega, especially one hated like me, I was never allowed to attend any of the hundreds of leadership trainings Silver Moon pack organized. Leadership had never been a part of my future but now, Cahir had thrust me into the limelight without preamble.

How the hell was I supposed to lead a pack as their Luna!?

What if the people of Alpha Blood pack hated me? I shivered, wrapping my hands around my shoulders as I swallowed for the nth time, unable to stomach the thought.