Shimmer |✓|

//Alpha// Part 1

In a beautifully renovated mansion in the heart of Harbor Village, the Garou Pack were assembled for an evening of elegance. The ballroom was a blaze of beauty and color. Opulence dipped in all silver, couples moved to the orchestra music like angels on air, their steps coordinated to otherworldly perfection. Breathtaking, surrounded by such gilded glamour, one could almost forget we were monstrous beneath.

Par teeth and claws, the Fairway's pearl-colored bricks and sparkling chandeliers fit the status of the night. We were gathered to honor the rise of our Pack's new second-in-command, Alpha Knight. As the Elder's official right hand, he would serve my grandfather in all loyalty. Ethan would also be one step closer to snuffing out my freedom.

"I don't get it, Naomi. Why would Lucas step down? No offense to Ethan, but Luke was the best Alpha our pack ever had. This makes zero sense." My best friend shook her head, shaping her pale features in a delicate frown. Her long sheet of red hair was striking against the usual current of brown and yellow, but Adelle Newport's fiery locks weren't the only reason she stood from the crowd. Addy also had keen intuition, a nose so sharp she could track a feather in a blizzard.

"When has anything in this town ever made sense? Lucas would never step down on his own, he loved his job." I leaned out over the tiny, second-floor alcove, scanning the dancers below and picking out the brightest pair. My eyes narrowed at the sight of my grandfather dancing with his beautiful wife, Diane. The senior duo of the hall, they were also the swiftest, waltzing with a grace acquired through time and skill. "Charles did this. He hates Luke because Luke was my father's best friend. I think my grandfather has issues with being reminded--I should mention Luke more often."

Addy matched my grin with a heartless snicker.

Badly as I wanted it, there was nothing I could do to restore Lucas to his position. As the youngest, greenest descendant in the Noble line, my only job in this pack was to sit still and be silent-which consequently afforded very little authority. It did, however, provide ample time to loaf with my best friend, sipping champagne underage as we spied for more discord-trouble we quickly found in the second-loveliest pair in the room. 

Alpha Knight never missed an opportunity to exhibit his dazzling girlfriend, Eve. The pair danced the room in perfect circles, an angelic, all-white marvel that caused Addy to snap the stem of her wineglass. Scowling, she threw the pieces overboard. "She has to know he doesn't love her. Nobody's that stupid, right?"

"Wrong, though all that hair spray and Sephora do a pretty good job hiding it. When he dumps her, the fallout will be nuclear, darling, nuclear."

Adelle spread her lips, toasting with a wicked grin as she doted on this long-time dream. Her almond brown eyes gained an eerie, golden glow, echoing the sentiment. Adelle and Eve had been enemies since they were old enough to know the word, and it was my duty, as best friend, to make her feel more superior than Eve Garling at all times.

What I failed to relay was that when the break-up did finally happen, it wouldn't be her door the Alpha knocked on. I chased that thought with the last of my champagne, diverting my attention downwards to a more lighthearted distraction. Smoothing imaginary lines from my cocktail dress, I relished the opportunity to stand out my own way. The dress was an adorable number by Furstenberg; I had it delivered in black and grey, the only colors I ever wore.

At my right-hand side, Adelle's silver, waterfall gown was much more appropriate for the evening, blending naturally with the white of the crowd. Tight and form-fitting, the dress enhanced her slender frame, adding an extra layer of beauty that was entirely unnecessary. When it came to looks and height, Adelle had the upper hand in both tracks. There was no doubt she would have been Alpha's pick if Eve hadn't stood in the way.