THE LYCAN KING’S SECOND CHANCE MATE

ASHANTI'S POV.

With time, the people around stop looking at me and resume their activities so I decide to linger around some more. I'm in the section of the lobby where various clothes have been put on display on mannequins, in shelves and on hangers and there are people, mostly women in each aisle, checking out one or two outfits. I cannot help but smile proudly each time someone compliments a dress design, a fabric or the colour combination. It took a lot of time and effort and hardwork to get here.

As I walk along the aisle, the sight of a red, shimmering dress, sloughed between other dresses of different designs, grabs my attention. With creased brows, I hasten my footsteps towards the dress to check it out. When I arrive at the spot, I stretch my hand towards the row to the hanger on which the dress is hanging from and gently take out the dress from it. I hold the dress up, admiring it when suddenly, a hand appears from nowhere behind me and snatches the dress. Quickly, I whip my head behind to see who it is and I'm greeted with a heavily baked face which belongs to a woman who seems to be in her forties. There's a wide shallow smile on her face that screams trouble.

“I got it first.” The smile has disappeared. Now she's frowning as though daring me to call her a liar. I take the dare.

“That's a lie. You snatched the dress from my hand.” I tell her flatly and her gaze grows darker.

“No, I did not!” Her voice is higher than it should by the time she says the last word. That attracts stares from the other clients and even a sales girl who calmly approaches us.

“Is everything alright here?” She asks in the sweetest tone.

“I got this dress first, but this girl seized it from me and now she's trying to gaslight me!” The woman firmly accuses, still using her loud tone. More people swarm by to watch the drama unfolding.

“Ma’am…” The Sales girl calls. “If she seized the dress like you claim, why is it in your possession and not hers?”

Brilliant question!

The woman looks from me, to the girl and back to me, completely speechless.

“Are you calling me a liar?” She suddenly bursts out. “Your manager! Where is the Manager of this store? I need to see your manager!” She starts screaming and other salespersons rush towards us to see what's going on. “I am a VIP client here. I should be able to get whatever I want!” She's still yelling and it’s grating on my nerves.

“Ma’am, you have to calm down. Your loud tone is distracting others.”

I don't like the attention were getting right now. No one has recognized me yet but it's just a matter of time before someone does and blows off my cover. I mean to reveal myself today, but not like this.

“She can have the dress.” I tell the sales girl who's trying to settle our problem. “I'll get something else. She can have that one.”

“Are you sure Miss?” She asks kindly and I flash her a gentle smile as I nod my head.

“I promise it's fine. Just let her have it.” With that, I walk past the women and start heading for the elevator. My cell phone starts ringing in my bag and I come to a halt to fish it out.

It's my mother again.

“Hello mother.” I call, pressing the phone against my ear after swiping the answer icon.

“Where are you?”

“In the building, why?”

“I just arrived.”

Now I'm standing Infront of the elevator door, waiting for it to arrive.

“Alright. I'm going up.” My heart starts hammering in my chest when I end the call. The elevator arrives a few minutes later and I step it, thanking my stars there's no one here with me. I press the floor number I'm heading to as the door closes and drown myself in my thoughts when the ride begins.

Things are going to take a drastic turn when I reveal myself. People will be shocked and amazed and confused. Some will be infuriated. After I mysteriously disappeared from Reagan's pack, there was an intense search for me that lasted almost an entire year, but because I was kept hidden in my mother's house, I was never found by his men.

Apart from my family and a few other people whom I work with or who work for me, like guards and servants, no one else knows my whereabouts and there have been many speculations about that. Many theories of my disappearance have been formulated. Some say I mysteriously found my way to the human world and now I live there with humans. Others say I might have done surgery to change my looks so I will never be identified. Others are convinced that I'm dead.

These stories and many others will resurface when the announcement is made today and it's making me scared.

Mother was the one who convinced me to do this. I was okay with working in the background till the end of time, but she wasn't satisfied with the idea.

When we finally meet in her office, she first goes to the conference room to address the staff member of the company while I stay behind, waiting for her to signal me to join them.

As I wait, my thoughts travel back to Alpha Reagan.

I would be lying if I said a single day has passed without me thinking about him. He has been on my mind every single day and there were times when I had to hold myself back from shape shifting and running all the way to his pack, to his castle in my wolf form.

I miss him.

I miss him so much that it hurts and a huge part of me still loves him. Still yearns for him. Still pesters me everyday about dropping everything and going to meet him, but I can't do that.

I will not!

“Let's see if you keep up with that mentality when we get to the Lunar Crescent Pack for the Fashion King Competition.” Lena chimes in from nowhere and I roll my eyes, exhaling heavily.

The Fashion King Competition.

That's the main reason why Mother succeeded in convincing me to reveal myself to the public.

It's a competition whereby famous designers from various packs all meet at the Lunar Crescent Pack and engage in a Fashion and Design competition which lasts six months and the winner of that show gets to be crowned Fashion King of the season. The competition is hosted every five years and I cannot begin to explain the benefits that come with the title of Fashion King. It's a title people are willing to do anything to get.

I didn't want to join, but mother convinced me to and now, I have to reveal my identity because I cannot compete as an anonymous designer.

If I go in for this competition and win this show, it will take my brand to a whole new level. I know I'll have to deal with Alpha Reagan. I'll cross that bridge when I get there, for now, I…

A knock interrupts my thoughts. The door opens, revealing Ryan, who stands in the doorway with his usual poker face.

“It's time.” His tone is so chill, it makes me smile despite the nervousness bubbling in my chest. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

This is it.