It was bad.

Of course, it was bad.

Sean now made it his mission to drag me out of my room and torture me for two hours every day. He calls it 'training' but I call it torture.

Part of me regrets allowing myself to get to the point I can't handle it anymore, but he was pushing me harder than before. Part of me was grateful he was hanging out with me again though, and the boxing training really gave me a chance to land a punch or two on him in return.

It had been another couple of weeks and Phoenix had officially been gone for 6 weeks total. When it hit the one-month mark I had anticipated his return but it never happened. So I waited, for what I don't know. But part of me was missing him, a weird part of me I couldn't understand. It must be the mate bond because the goddess knows he avoiding me like the plague.

I still found myself sneaking off to Phoenix's room every night since I first discovered it. It has gotten to the point I can't last an hour in my room before I go up to his. I don't know what I'd do when he would come back.

I was snapped into reality when Sean finally signalled that training was over. I was doing yoga so it wasn't that bad but when I tried to stand I found my legs to be shaky.

"I really kicked your ass today huh?" Sean laughed and picked me up off the floor.

For the last week or so he's been taking it as a habit to pick me up when I'm being lazy. At first, I hated it but as training went on, I took it as it came since my legs turned to jelly.

He carried me on his back as always before he set me down on the back door's steps.

"You always do." I moaned.

He chuckled. "That's true, but it's my job."

"Wish I had a job, I get bored," I grumbled.

"You'll have to talk to Alpha about that. I'm just here to direct your emotions into training." He snorted.

I sighed and rubbed at my ankles. "I'm doing good though?"

He nodded. "I'd say you're caught up. Nearly on par with others your age."

I smiled softly. "Thanks."

He nudged me and we sat in silence for a while. I had a hair appointment at 11 am. Molly had persuaded me to go for a "makeover" since I constantly moan about my hair getting knotty.

"Where are you going?" Sean asked when I stood.

"Surprise." I smiled down at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "My sister?"

"How'd you guess?" I teased.

He shrugged. "She's everywhere."

I laughed and nudged him goodbye. I wandered my way from the packhouse to find Molly in her store. It was a five-minute walk to the shopping area of pack lands and I didn't encounter many other wolves thankfully. Molly wasn't working today but her store was the only place I knew and had been so we met there.

She greeted me warmly, dressed in a pretty red summer dress. I was still dressed in my workout clothes but didn't have time to shower. Molly lead me down the small road for another minute before we stopped outside the salon.

She nudged me inside first and I stood awkwardly as we waited for the woman to greet us. She turned to us expectantly, greeting Molly with a warm smile. She was a lot older than I expected but her hair was dyed a vibrant pink and red, reminding me of a lollypop. Her blue eyes widened as she noticed me beside Molly, the wrinkles around her eyebrows furrowing as she studied me.

"This is her?" She quirked an eyebrow.

Molly nodded and pushed me forwards. "Fix her Holly, please."

I gaped at Molly as she forced me into Holly's grasp. She took me by the shoulders and lead me towards a back room. I turned to look at Molly with a frightful glance but she just raised her thumbs at me before going to sit by the TV.

We walked through a net curtain and into the small hallway. Holly opened a door to my left and turned on the light. It was a shower room?

"Get washed. You are dirty." Holly tutted before pushing me inside and closing the door.

I stood for a moment, blinking in surprise. Looking around the room I found towels in a cupboard and robes hung on some hooks. I shakily talked myself into this before stripping off my clothes and climbing into the shower cubicle. It was easy to use thankfully and so I stepped into the warm water.

I showered quickly, using the Salon products that were sat on a shelf. They smelt good like strawberries and I could feel my hair getting softer already.

Once I was done, I towel-dried my hair and wrapped myself in the white robe. I put on a pair of slippers I found in the towel cupboard and deemed myself done. I could feel my nerves growing, my head feeling fuzzy, but I forced myself out of the room before it ended in a panic attack.

I found Holly standing by a large black chair, setting up an array of products. She heard me coming and turned from her work to smile at me.

"Come sit, we'll start with your hair. Do you know what you want?" She asked.

I sat down in the leather chair as she draped a black cloak around me. I'd never had my hair cut before, so I wondered why I had a backwards cape. I couldn't move my arms to touch anything.

"She doesn't know. Do your magic." Molly chirped from the seating area.

Holly hummed an okay and began to tackle the knots in my hair. "You have a lot of unhealthy hair here. What did you wash this with? It is so dry and split."

I frowned deeply, my reflection copying. "I d-didn't have much access t-to soaps in my old pa-pack."

She paused her comb and gave me sympathetic smile. "Okay."

I was glad she left it at that because I didn't want to talk to this stranger about my life. Her hands on my hair were soothing and I almost died when I saw how much she intended to cut. She had tied a hair tie to my hair at both sides, and I winced when she cut at least ten inches off.

Holly spent the next hour cutting and styling my hair. I had kept my eyes on her the entire time, only turning to glance at Molly occasionally when she spoke. The conversation was easy until it got to the mate part.

"Do you have a mate, Nova?" Holly wondered as she put some kind of oil in my hair.

I eyed the short length, it reached just above my breast and my head felt so much lighter and cold. But there were neat layers of hair all around, their edges tidied neatly in one row, not like the many lengths I had previously.

Molly must've seen the doe eyes I was sending her because she spoke for me. "She does, but she won't give me the details."

Holly's gaze turned to my face in wonder. I felt like she could stare into my soul, her hands sat on my shoulders as she scrutinised me.

"Oh is that so?"

"Yeah." Molly snorted. "I thought it was my brother at first, 'cause they're always together and he's training her."

Holly's eyebrow raised. "Training? Personally?"

Molly nodded. "Yep. She was an Omega at her old pack."

I gave Molly daggers but she just grinned innocently at me.

Holly chuckled. "Well dear, whoever this mate is better to realise what he's missing because once I've done with you, there will be men at your feet."

I blushed and looked away at my slipper-clad feet. She pulled off the backwards cape and I watched as all my hair slid like water onto the ground. I got up and stretched slightly, taking a drink from the coffee I was given.

"Come, let me show you what makeup is best for you." She gestured me to another corner.

This time there was a glass table and two chairs, and a mirror sat on top of it. There were about six drawers underneath and upon further inspection, I saw it was all makeup.

I sat beside Holly as she routed around. "Now although you are pale you have the most beautiful eye colour I've seen. I think the best eyeshadow to go for is the light browns, golds and purples..."

She set out a few pallets on the table and my interest peaked. I had always been interested in makeup, the girls in my pack always transformed themselves and I thought if they could then I would transform too. Mum's hand-me-down foundations didn't match my skin.

Holly began on my eyes first, saying she would do my foundation after in case she didn't like the colour she chose. As she painted my eyes, I couldn't help but compare it to painting in art form. Blending colours and contouring outlines. Just the same just a different canvas.

Once she had done I studied myself in the mirror, surprised at the outcome. I had a bronze ombré into brown colour, a black line sat along my lashes which were also painted black.

"Like it?" Holly wondered.

I nodded enthusiastically. "I do."

She grinned. "Let's continue then."

She colour-matched me to the best foundation and it turns out that I was True Ivory. She covered my face with many things, and I tried to take inventory of what she used and where she guided me through it.

When she was done I looked at myself amazed, I looked and felt like someone different. Someone who should be confident not a wuss like me. My blonde hair had colour, brought to life. My face was void of any redness or blotches, instead, it was covered with creamy makeup and contouring colours. My lips stayed nude, only a light pink gloss to make them shiny.

"I-I-" I stammered.

"Look great, I know." She teased. "Now take this, it's your outfit for tonight."

"T-tonight?" I wondered taking the dress bag.

"The Alpha's return ball silly." She chuckled.

"B-ball?" I looked at Molly now.

"Me and Sean didn't tell you because we knew you'd chicken out of going." She shrugged. "But yeah, there's a ball to welcome back Alpha Titan and I think you're going with Sean. He's the one who set this all up."

I gaped at her, then gaped at Holly, then down at myself still in my robe. "What do I w-wear now?"

"Oh yeah!" Molly chuckled before throwing another bag at me, this one just a standard plastic storage bag.

I opened it to find my own clothes from home. "O-okay. I'll go get dressed then..."

I dreamily made my way back into the shower room where I slid off the robe and into the clean underwear and clothes. I put my trainers back on and filled the bag with my dirty clothes. I wasn't long, careful not to ruin my face even though Holly assured me the setting spray would work.

"What time is the ball?" I asked as I re-entered the salon floor.

"7 o'clock. Sean's picking you up at 7. Alpha Titan is due to arrive around 8." Molly smiled. "Now here, take these. Courtesy of my douche brother."

Yet another carrier bag was handed to me, except this one has the Salon logo on it. Inside was all kinds of makeup, some in multiples. Oh, I was gonna give Sean a piece of my mind, spending all this money on me. And lying! Both of them lying to me!

My wolf laughed at me. 'At least you look sexy.'

I groaned. And what will that prove?

'Well...' I could hear the teasing of her voice. 'Looking this good and having Sean on our arm surely is going to make a certain mate of ours jealous.'

More like pissed off. I added.

'Exactly. She mused. Show him what he's missing.'

Oh, she was onto something there. This was gonna get interesting.

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