Page 184 of Alpha Mates

“I’m sorry, Isabel,” I say lamely. I don’t know exactly what to say since I’m not one for social dilemmas or heartfelt confessions. “Maybe we can do more stuff like this?” I suggest. “Or just hang out?”

She brightens, just slightly. “That’d be nice, Julian.”

“Good,” I reply, making a mental note to invite her with me the next time I’m doing something on my own.

With that, Isabel begins to transform me into whatever entity Aiden came up with. We catch up while she does. Life as a delta in a pack as big as ours rocks, and her housemates are all great. Slowly but surely, they’re becoming friends, and that’s heartening to hear considering Beckett is going M.I.A. It’s almost an hour later that we hear Aiden coming before we see him—big heavy steps and a gleeful snicker I’d know anywhere.

“I found one!” he shouts as he bursts into the room. He’s holding one of my older suits like it’s pure gold. It would probably be a little too tight on me, but he looks thrilled.

“Mind if I trash it?” he asks, and I shrug.

“Go crazy.”

The smile Aiden sends me is blinding. He pulls the blazer out first, ruffling it before he dabs it with paint and some kind of powder. Isabel makes her finishing touches to my face, which I’m guessing is a zombie. They work quietly, both ultra-focused on their tasks, while I endure the torture of sitting perfectly still without a book.

“And I’m … done!” Isabel declares as she carefully blots a wet splotch of something onto my nose.

Aiden abandons my wrecked suit to join her side. “Damn,” he whistles and pats her shoulder with a proud smile. “You are seriously gifted.”

Isabel preens and dramatically flips her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, I know.”

“Am I free to look?” I ask, afraid to hope as I rise from my chair only to be pushed straight back into it.

“Aht! No. It’s time for hair now,” she states, and those words—they cut deep within my soul as I watch her switch out make-up for hair products.

“No,” I croak, but Isabel ignores me, so I try my mate. “Please, Aiden.”

Hejust shrugs. Useless. “Sorry,” he says, hands in the air. “I’ll go work on mine in the meantime.”

I sob, and they laugh at my expense.

“Stop complaining, Julian. It’ll only be a minute. You already have some natural waves, so I just need to put something in it to dry it up a little,” Isabel explains while she attacks. “Your hair actually grew a lot.”

I look down, and she’s right. It’s well below my shoulder blades now, but I hadn’t even noticed. I could use a trim, but I don’t dare mention it in case Isabel decides tohelp.

“You next, Aiden!” she shouts as she pulls my hair onto one side. Combing it with her fingers before she finally steps back. “I really am good.”

Aiden stumbles out with his hair set into a slick quiff that oddly suits him. I stand and he takes my place, but not without pointing to the suit waiting for me on the floor. “Get ready. She’s only doing my mouth, so it won’t take long.”

My mouth?

I don’t even question it. I just grab my suit and slip into the attached bathroom.

I turn from shutting the door and almost fall on my ass at my reflection. My brain struggles to compute it—it’s me, but it isn’t. Isabel’s painted a skull over my face, one so stark it looks like a mask.

Thick black circles hollow out my eyes, stretching above my brows and curving over my cheekbones, making the blue of my irises stand out more than usual, almost to a scary degree. The lower half of my face is all shadows and teeth. A dash of black on my nose completes the illusion.

I barely recognise myself. It’s me, though. And for my first ever party, I’m apparently going to be some kind of snazzy skeleton.

Goddess, be good.

Chapter 36

Aiden

“You can’t be serious.”

The psychopath in question does a twirl, causing the torn hem of her dress to flare out.