Bite Down Harder

Bite Down Harder 3

Chapter 3: The Pack

“What took you so long?” Dakota asks me.

When I come out of the bathroom my hair is all over the place. Dakota would believe me if I told him. He wouldn't believe I just actually met the Alpha Wolf. He wouldn't believe that I just gave the Alpha wolf head in the bathroom. He wouldn't believe that the Alpha wolf got a little wild, face fucking me into oblivion and pulling my hair in all sorts of directions. By the time the Alpha dog nutted I felt like I had survived some type of raging sexual tsunami or something.

I have to adjust my dick in my pants over and over. I'm still turned on by it. I had never sucked another guy's dick before. I had never even thought about it. I always found Dakota attractive but I had never acted on it with him or any other guy for that matter. I loved pussy. I loved vagina. But goddam it I think I just discovered that I might really really really like sucking dick.

“I'm good,” I state smiling.

“You ok?” he asks me.

“I actually am feeling a lot better about this,” I respond.

Dakota gives me a weird look. He looks like he wants to ask me some more questions or something. I think he's actually really suspicious and is about to go in more detail but our escorts aren't having us waste anymore time then we already have.

The old ladies escort us past the grand foyer towards the grand staircase. After the grandstair we go up a secondary staircase. The staircase leads a hall with elaborate red carpet and beautiful embellishments. Every few steps we'd see a unique looking chandelier dangling overhead that just helps to define everything.

I'm blown away by the beauty of it all.

They first show us where we are going to be sleeping. Thankfully Dakota's room is right across the hall from mine. I don't even have a chance to really stay in my room and get a feel for it before we are rushed away again by the old ladies. God knows where they are taking us now.

We head to a small wing that isn't too far from my bedroom.

As the old ladies open the door someone walks up to greet us.

“Oh god. You're late. He's late!” the woman states.

She grabs me all of a sudden. There is a heavy set flamboyant man with her that immediately starts BRUSHING my hair out of no where. As he is brushing my hair I see this woman attempting to rip off my clothes. There is no introduction or anything. They are just ripping at me. I'm so confused by all of this. The old ladies leave us in the room with this crazy aggressive woman and this fat flamboyant man.

“Excuse me,” I state, once I'm almost down to my underwear, “Who are you?”

“He's LATE!” she replies panicking.

It's Dakota who is standing there at that moment looking at me, “Yas, this is Nadia and her brother Nadim from the Czechoslovakian Pack. Your mother hired Nadia to be your beautifician.”

Nadia is this skinny looking sickly white woman. She looks as though she has not eaten for weeks. She is beyond skinny with a sunken in face. I have to admit even though I'm worried about her health she does seem to dress nice and carry herself well. She had a crisp looking white suit on that seems to embody class and elegance.

“Beautician?” I ask, “Why do I need a beautician?”

“Seriously?” Nadia asks.

Nadia isn't asking me either which is weird. She looks as Dakota and I can see him blush red with embarrassment already. I see Dakota giving me that hard stare that he's given me before. He just wants me to shut up and I guess be passive. It's easier said then done for someone like me though.

“He's...new. Have patience with him,” Dakota tells Nadia, “He doesn't really understand how things...are. It's only been him and me for a while.”

“I don't have time to train pups. I flew here via Coach because I owe Yona a favor and she told me that her son had the chance to be the Beta wolf for the top Alpha Dog in the United States. From what I'm looking at I don't see much of a chance at all.”

Nadia looks me up and down. She's clearly a bitch. I guess I mean that in every sense of the word. She purses her lips up at me.

Her heavy set flamboyant brother smiles, “I think he's cute. C`mon Nadia. Look at that face. Gorgeous. He has potential...”

Nadia doesn't seem that amused. She's acting as though I wanted her to be here. God knows what favor she owed my mother. Come to think of it I never knew who my mother always talked to on the phone. Maybe my mother kept in touch with her wolf friends or something more than I knew growing up. My mother had done a damn good job of hiding it however. Sensing how out of touch I was with the wolf world I think my mother had done too good of a job hiding it.

“He's too...masculine,” Nadia tells her brother in this heavy European accent as though I'm not even in the room examining my face over and over.

Jesus Christ. She really was my mother's friend.

“Sorry that I was born with a dick,” I state.

“What is this? What is this talk-back?” Nadia asks me.

“It's called a reply,” I respond.

Nadia seems outraged when she turns to Dakota, “Dakota is this what Yona raised? Is this the best your pack can do? Some aggressive Beta? I might as well pack my bags and go home now. He stands no chance at all of winning anything.”

Nadia isn't just talking when she says that either. She literally retreats back to her work station. I watch her putting away all these kits. I think she expects me to apologize or something when she does the dramatics. Clearly this woman doesn't like me. Clearly she doesn't think I'm a good fit to be here. And the funny thing is I actually agree with her.

It's Dakota who grabs her and pulls her close. He's soft and gentle with her. I almost think he's trying to charm her or something like that. Dakota has that tender touch. I've seen it personally. He's gentle and charming when he wants to be.

“Nadia please.”

“He won't win. There is some top competition here. The Orlando pack has a boy here that looks like a porcelain doll. The New York City Pack sent twins with eyes the color of pearls. Yona sends me her stubborn ass son to work with? I came out of retirement for this?”

She looks over at me again as though expecting me to beg her. I refuse. It's so odd that these people really think I want to be here. Little do they know I signed on for this against my will. Sure I met the Alpha wolf and he was...something amazing, but I still wasn't willing to put my pride aside even if it was the for one of the sexiest guys I ever laid eyes on.

Dakota touches the sides of her face, “Please Nadia. You were famous in Europe for grooming the most elegant Beta Dogs. If anyone can whip this boy into shape it's you.”

Grooming? Why the fuck was I starting to feel like someone's show dog or something?

I roll my eyes so hard that I think they'll never come back around for a second. Why was he kissing this lady's ass? He needed to get her a sandwich and an attitude adjustment as far as I was concerned. Then again this was Dakota and his one cause at life was getting me prepared. Whatever that meant.

“Nadia, sister. Think about it. If we do this it'll be big. It's going to be one of our greatest accomplishments,” her brother Nadim says smiling.

Nadia thinks for a moment. She looks me up and down. Her cranky looking eyes are weighing the pros and cons of this situation. I didn't see any pros. God knows why she would come all the way here just for this stupid show dog competition. What? Were they going to have me turn into a wolf and prance around and do dog tricks for the Alpha? Why the fuck were they all making such a big fucking deal out of this stupid thing.

“Fine,” Nadia states.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Dakota says giving her a huge kiss on the cheek. I think Nadia seems to like the kiss a little bit more than she likes to admit.

She exhales after his kiss and blushes a deep red. I can see why people would blush with Dakota. He was so damn charming. He was that innocent charming as well. He was so unaware at the fact that he may have even been really flirting with her to get his way.

I was so confused. Why the fuck was this so important to Dakota in the first place?

“Ok. Ok. Ok,” She answers him and her accent gets so deep I barely understand when she says, “Now ...Pup. I need you undressed.”

“My name isn't Pup. It's Yas,” I respond.

“You can call him whatever,” Dakota corrects me, “As long as you help him out. C`mon Yas. Let me help you out of your clothes.”

“No help from you. Get out Dakota. You'll be a distraction.”

“I've seen him naked a million times,” Dakota tells Nadia, “I'm not going to be a distraction.”

Dakota was so clueless. All these years and he was still so clueless about it. He's looking at me with this disconnected sense of reality. He has no idea how long I've had a crush on him.

“Speaking from experience most Beta wolves are gay,” Nadim states, “So you might more of a distraction then you know Dakota.”

“I don't care if he's gay. That's ridiculous. He's like my little brother.”

It's crazy how strangers seem to pick up on something faster then Dakota does. I don't know what Nadim and Nadia pick up on but I know they are smart enough to know that I'm not completely comfortable with Dakota being here.

“Right. Ridiculous,” I echo Dakota trying to make this moment the least awkward as possible.

“I need to work in peace without you here. Leave,” Nadia states.

Dakota leaves the room at that moment. When he leaves the room Nadia and Nadim look at me for a few seconds.

“He'll need makeup. And an outfit. We don't have time to make exact adjustments so we'll have to do with what we can,” Nadia states, “We need a color to base the outfit on. What is the Alpha's favorite color Nadim?”

“Everyone tells me that it's red.”

“I don't give a shit what his favorite color is,” I state.

Nadim laughs, “You have to love his spirit.”

Nadia doesn't seem halfway as amused, “You know what. It's your grave. What is your favorite color, Pup?”

I want to argue about wearing makeup. I don't wear makeup. I want to argue about her calling me a pup. I want to argue about being here so bad. The way Nadia looks at me though makes me think that all of my arguments won't really matter to her.

“Black. Like my mood,” I tell her.

“I know just what to do,” she responds.

It takes hours. Literally it takes hours. I've never had my face contoured before. Nadim is some sort of genius when it comes to make up. He's pretty chatty too. Nadia keeps getting my measurements and leaving back again. I'm not sure what she's up to but Nadim is the one who is having the most conversation with me. I learn a lot about him. He was a Beta wolf for a very powerful Alpha wolf in Europe once. The Alpha wolf got tired of him however and got a younger, more handsome Beta wolf. Nadim has a deep sense of sadness when he tells me the story. He tells me that the Beta wolf is always close to the Alpha wolf. Sometimes a brother, sometimes a close friend but the majority of the times the Beta wolf was a lover. The most powerful Alpha wolves held competitions for their Beta Wolves.

“The competition has many names,” Nadim tells me, “The Beta selection, the Choosing, the Mating Season. Whatever the name of the competition, once chosen you'll be the second most powerful wolf in the pack just based off of your status.”

“It's like some sort of arranged marriage?” I ask.

Nadim laughs, “Sort of. In a way. I'm not promising love, though. No. Not love. Not from...him...”

“Walid?” I ask, “What do you mean by that?”

Nadim stops talking. He looks around. He looks nervous. There it goes again. That fear. That was a weird thing to say. He was almost making it sound like Walid was incapable of loving someone or something.

“Nothing. Listen. It's nothing to be worried about young wolf. I hear the sex with the Alpha wolf is amazing. He's young. He's attractive. He's rich as hell. He's powerful. You won't need for anything if he chooses you. You know the best part of it. Your pack will elevated as well. I think that's important especially to a pack like yours.”

“What do you mean a pack like mine?”

“You know? Your pack. It's just a weak, irrelevant pack,” Nadim says, “There's no pride in a pack like yours who was all but slaughtered back in the day. If Walid chose you, then your pack would at least be relevant again.”

Relevance?

“Is that why Dakota and my mother have me in this?” I ask, “For fame?”

Nadim smiles.

“Not fame. Pride. Relevance. Every dog wants it's day...”

I'm outraged at that moment. I'm fucking outraged. I just feel sick to my stomach. I guess I never thought about the motivations of why I was sent here. It was just tradition bullshit and I had to do it according to my mother. Now I was hearing that the real reason this was being done was because of my pack's pride. They'd fucked shit up so bad in the past that now they needed me to come save their fucking reputations.

“Enough talk. We can't keep the Alpha dog waiting,” Nadia erupts from behind the curtain, “The ceremony has started. We have to get you in your outfit. NOW!”

“My sister is the charming one, isn't she?” Nadim states with the deepest intent at sarcasm.

Nadia isn't even attempting to be nice about this. She pulls out the outfit and I look at it. It's strange to say the least. I've never worn anything quite like it.

“Time to make an appearance,” she said.

I leave the room and Dakota is already dressed waiting for me. Dakota has on a tuxedo. It is firmly fitting and makes him look super handsome. Seeing him waiting for me like that with his handsome tuxedo is something that I used to dream about so many times. Now that Dakota is out here doing it, my heart races.

“What took you guys so long...” Dakota starts but then stops when he sees me only to whisper a soft, “Wow...”

Dakota's gaze lingers.

For that moment that he is looking at me I don't know how to feel. I guess I feel naked. The way he just stares at me was so weird. It makes my heart skip a beat a little bit praying that he was going to break the awkward silence and say something. He doesn't. He just stares and his mouth hangs open slightly as though not really recognizing me.

“I'm assuming that's a good thing,” Nadia states sighing before she states, “I still got it.”

“Always the humble one, huh?” her brother asks with more of his legendary sarcasm.

Dakota's green eyes flicker against the light as he looks at me.

“You look...” he states seeming like he is going to say something but then stops. He seems to be rethinking his statement before he finally says, “The Alpha should be impressed with how you look.”

I wonder what Dakota was really going to say before he stopped but I just smile.

I'm wearing this luxe white cape. My hands peak from cuts on the sides. The cape was made from this dexterous macreme lace and sheer tulle. It has this seductive polish that seems light and yet firm and stiff at the same time. I have to admit there is nothing masculine about this at all. The feminine touch in clothing is something I wasn't used to. I was a white shirt and ripped jeans kind of guy.

As I walk forward I can tell that this look is perfectly simple in it's silhouette yet somehow it just looks like I'm wearing a million bucks on me. It doesn't take away from dedicated work that Nadim did bringing out every feature in my face as well.

I feel like a canvas and I realize why my mother would fly this woman all the way from Europe all of a sudden.

“I'm glad you---I mean the Alpha will like it,” I state.

Dakota gives me a nod. He doesn't smile fully. He does this kind of quick awkward smirk thing. He gives me a nod, “Take my arm. I'll escort you down.”

“Is that necessary? Why do I feel like Belle about to meet the Beast?” I ask, “I'm a grown ass man with hair on my balls.”

Dakota sighs deeply. I can tell he is annoyed.

“You had to ruin the moment?” he asks.

“The moment?”

I wasn't aware we were having a moment.

Dakota sighs a little bit and shrugs, “Listen. Please don't talk like that in front of these people. Please don't talk about how much of a man you are and oh yeah, please don't talk about your balls. You have to be something closer to Belle. He's the hunter. You are the hunted. That's how it is.”

“Right. Don't want to embarrass you. You have to get you reputation back.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Let's go.”

Dakota stops me, “No. What do you mean by that, Yas?”

“We're late, Dakota,” I respond, not in the mood to talk about this, “So lets go. Duty calls, right?”

Dakota is reluctant to drop this but I think he knows that we have to leave. I can tell he wants to continue talking about it when we start making our way down the grand staircase. We make our way to a grand ballroom and even though we need help from the staff, we manage to find it easily. This fucking castle was fucking huge to say the least.

The ballroom is filled wall to wall with people. Well I shouldn't say people. It was full wall to wall with werewolves.

Looking in the room I have never been so...confused.

“What the hell is going on?” I ask Dakota.

I wasn't sure if I was at a frat party or some classy upscale fundraiser. It seemed like a mix of the two. Everyone was dressed the part. That wasn't the problem. There were rows of guys in tuxedos and women in beautiful elegant gowns. That wasn't the issue. What I got confused about was the group of people who were acting like god damn animals.

They sit apart from everyone else. Everyone is so well behaved and having this elegant party and then there is this group of people. They seem drunk out of their asses. They are loud and seem to hold all the attention in the room. Everyone is interested in what's going on at that table.

Dakota points at the group of people, “Those are them. The Vanderbilt pack.”

“They look like...” I struggle to find the words, “Wild dogs.”

“That's what happens when you take over everything.”

“It's the Alpha's original pack?” I ask.

I am still being escorted into the room by Dakota. He nods at that moment and leans in to whisper, “You've met Amina already at the airport. There are others you should know in that pack. Amina's lover is the one that looks like a movie star named Fang. Fang is the Alpha's brother. Beside that couple is another couple. Mayorga and his lover Qadir. Qadir has been rivals with the Alpha for years. The older guy who seems like he had too much to drink was Timus. The girl standing alone in the group with her tit almost popping out of her dress is Naomi. She has been the Alpha's lover for years...she never got the title that matters however. Do you got the names?”

“Amina, Fang, Mayorga, Qadir, Timus and Naomi,” I repeat.

He nods, “Good. They'll be helping the Alpha make his decision. It's important to know who the important wolves are in Vanderbilt.”

The Alpha's pack gives no fucks. The one that Dakota calls Qadir is holding up a barrel of wine over his head. The barrel is about the size of my little brother. He doesn't give a shit though. He downs the entire thing. A few of the others are wrestling in their little VIP section. The one girl has her tit out and flirting with damn near every guy that passes by.

They are acting as though they run the world.

And maybe they do. Maybe they run the Wolf world.

“There he is...” I point out to Dakota.

Walid is sitting there. The guy has no shirt on. He gives no fucks. He has on some leather pants. He looks like some badass rockstar with a gold chain hanging down. Everyone else is wearing tuxedos and this guy has on no shirt. He has a beer in one hand, a cigar in the other hand and fur coat laying on the sofa that he has in the middle of this elaborate ballroom. He crouches over, rubs on his crotch and takes a long puff from his cigar. He's such a MAN. That's the only way to describe it.

“How'd you know?” Dakota asks me with a tone full of suspicion.

“Huh?” I ask.

“How'd you know that was him?” Dakota asks me.

I shrug, “Look at the guy. Looks like the most important guy in the room to me. All he's missing is a crown.”

Dakota nods as though that was explanation enough. I think he knows I'm right. Walid just looks important and even from across the room he has a smell to him that no one else has. It's this strong, masculine musk that smells like sex in a hot sauna. He doesn't see me right away but I notice him. He seems to not have a care in the world. Every eye in this place was focused on this guy but he could care less about anyone or anything. He just seemed so far removed from everyone.

“It took Walid some years to grow into what he is now. He's big shit now,” Dakota tells me, “Those people with him. They will be testing you and the other boys to see who is the right one to be Beta. Today is the first test and probably the most important one.”

He was going for the first impression argument. My stomach turns.

“Thanks for making me feel comfortable.”

“You'll be fine. But we have to part ways.”

“What?”

“You have to go with the other Betas...” he states, “Up there.”

I don't even notice them. I don't even notice the group of boys standing up silently in a balcony on the second floor overlooking the ballroom. If I haven't been nervous before I am definitely nervous now. I look back over at Dakota. He doesn't say anything but he smiles and gives me a confident nod. I guess that should mean a lot especially coming from Dakota.

I move forward hesitantly. I make my way towards the stairs that lead to the balcony. There is a guy who asks me my name.

“Yas Packer.”

He seems to recognize it and he steps aside.

I walk up there. My heart is racing. Fuck. Why am I so nervous?

As I make my way up there I notice the people who are up there. I count 19 others beside me. They are all boys. The youngest has to probably be about 16 and the oldest has to be in their mid 20s. I'm kind of disturbed by the younger looking boys. They all seem nervous and scared. It could be Yuma in this situation and he was 18 now. He was still young to deal with this kind of stuff in my opinion.

“You've got to be kidding me...” a voice says.

The voice sounds so...familiar. I turn and see the face of someone I don't want to see and can't stand to see. I'm shocked when I turn and see Ian Page standing there. He had on red. His eyes were his usual dark brown eyes. They were this hazel color. I figure he must have been wearing contacts this whole time to hide his wolf eyes. Actually I think all the Betas had on red or some hue of it except for me. I'm shocked when I see him standing there.

“You? You're a werewolf?” I ask.

Crystal's brother was a werewolf.

“The Philadelphia Pack,” he states, “I figured you were a wolf. I could always smell your mother from miles away. How the hell are you here though?”

“Same reason you are.”

Ian Page gives me that look. I notice that look. He's given it a million times. Ian Page has always been attractive. He was this dark skin pretty boy who the girls seemed to love. He always hated my guts and honestly I always hated his. Right now he was looking at me as though I was nothing. It was the same look he always gave me especially when I was dating Crystal. I wasn't good enough for Crystal back then and now I wasn't good enough to be here.

Ian shakes my head, “I guess the qualifications weren't as high as I thought they were.”

“Clearly if you are here,” I shoot back.

Ian gives me a hard look, “When my sister told me you were gay I was honestly amused. Now that you're here competing to the be the beta wolf I'm just outright embarrassed for you. Like what are you wearing? Didn't you get the memo? Red is Walid's favorite color.”

He says it as though this is some sort of law or something. I had to wear red. Looking around the room I stood out like a sore fucking thumb.

“I'll make sure I take note.”

Ian laughs, “Note? You can take all the notes you want when he sends your ass home in the first round cuts...”

Ian walks away at that moment with a snarl. I can tell the wolf is coming out of him right then and there. I would have been able to smell him back in high school if I had been a wolf then. By the time I had transformed I stopped seeing Ian all together. I feel all of a sudden like he has an advantage because at least he knew that I was a wolf this whole time.

I am trying not to let Ian get to me but it's hard to do. Even after his attempts at bullying me in highschool, I still had a weak spot when it came to Ian Page. He still managed to get under my skin in the most negative way possible.

“Don't let it get to you,” someone says, “The cattiness with everyone is only going to get worse. Here get a drink.”

I turn to see a brown boy. He is a caramel complexion between Ian's dark complexion and my medium tone complexion. He has short brown hair that almost matches the exact same color as his skin. He has a very feminine look and way too much makeup on in my opinion but I think he is attractive in his own way. He looks almost like he is maybe a step or two away from drag. He takes pretty boy to the next level. The guy has these long eyelashes and these arched eyebrows. He has lip gloss on. He's not someone I would be attracted to but he is someone who I can tell would attract certain people.

Looking around though I can tell that he isn't by far the most attractive guy here. Then again...neither am I. Some of these guys...honestly like Ian...are drop, dead gorgeous. I take a long sip of the wine that was handed to me.

“I guess qualifications for this competition are wear red, be beautiful and be evil?” I ask.

The guy laughs, “Well hopefully I get at least 2 out of three of those. I'm Karamo from the DC pack.”

“Yas...from the Pittsburgh pack.”

“Pittsburgh Pack?” Karamo asks and thinks for a minute, “I could have sworn you guys died off or something...”

“We're not that many,” I state, “So I'm here to represent. We didn't have a lot of options obviously.”

Karamo smiles at me, “At least you're tall. I'm super short. Can you believe some of these guys though. They are like male supermodels or something. See that guy right there? He is from the Los Angeles Pack. His name is Prince. Tell me any of us stand a fucking chance. I mean...look...at...that...”

Karamo is right.

I stare at the boy across the room. It's literally a Spanish Ken Doll. The boy's face is perfect. There are no flaws. He has no make up on but there isn't a blemish in sight. His hair is perfectly cut as if it was cut by a hundred very precise miniature razor blades. His jawline emphasizes everything on his face. He has a defined ass jawline that makes him just look like a model. The boy is beautiful and I think he fucking knows it.

He isn't even attempting to try to talk to any of the other boys. He is fanning himself.

“None of us stand a chance,” I agree with Karamo.

“I'm not even going to lie. I thought about sneaking in his room and put bacon grease in his face wash,” Karamo tells me.

I start laughing at that moment, “Is it that serious?”

“It's past that serious. This competition is going to be nasty. Everyone assumes Prince is going to win, but honestly you're the one getting the stares...”

“What?”

“You haven't noticed?” Karamo asks.

Karamo points at me down the balcony. I notice Walid. He's staring up at the balcony. His eyes connect to mine for a minute. I wonder how long he's been staring at me from down there. He winks at me at that moment as though sending me some sort of signal. I can't help but to break out with a smile when Walid sends me a wink.

I'm not the only one who sees it. These boys were all scrambling to find out who Walid just winked at and it was clear that I was the only one blushing. All of a sudden I realize I'm getting a few stares my damn self.

“That was weird,” I state out loud acting as though I was speaking to Karamo but really talking to everyone.

I didn't want anyone jealous at a fucking wink.

“Do you know the Alpha?” Karamo asks me.

“No, of course not.”

“What was that about?” Ian Page asks me walking up out of no where.

Ian isn't alone. He has two boys with him. I don't know who they are. I guess it doesn't matter. They are two white boys who look like they should be in a boy band or something. I'm not sure what Walid's type was but there were guys here from every ethnicity, every race with almost every look.

“I don't know,” I state.

“He's lying,” one of the white boys say.

The other white boy gives me an even harder look. Was I getting grilled right now because Walid fucking winked at me? I was beyond confused at that moment.

“Is there an issue?”

“It sucks that you're lying. You're not that cute,” Ian tells me, “If he winked at you he did it for a reason. So tell us why? There's a lot of boys here way sexier then you and that big ass fucking head of yours.”

“Whoa man, it's not that serious,” Karamo tries to stand up for me.

Karamo doesn't get that far. He gets a stiff arm by one of the white boys that have quickly befriended Ian. Karamo is so slim and feminine that he falls over. He busts his ass on the floor harder than I expected. I'm shocked when I see that Karamo hit his head hard the ground and his nose is gushing blood right now. They don't even seem to care! That's the fucked up part. Ian and his fucking goons seem almost heartless when it happens.

“Yo---are ya'll kidding me?” I ask, “Cool the fuck out. It was a fucking wink. What the fuck is wrong with you people?”

Talking logic to them doesn't seem to get me anywhere. Ian walks over to me. He leans over and grabs me, “Listen you ugly piece of shit. Are you some type of spy or something. Why the fuck did he wink at you?”

“You're hurting me...” I state, “Please let go man. I don't want any problems.”

The wolf inside me is getting angry. I'm trying to calm down and keep my composure.

“You got problems you ugly fucking faggot,” Ian tells me, “Now why the fuck did he wink at you?”

“Because he fucking wanted to.”

“I'm going to ask you again in 10 seconds. If you don't answer, us three are going to take you in the bathroom and we're going to make sure that to add some potholes to your Native American facial features bro. Test me,” Ian states.

Ian is bigger then me. He sounds pressed. I don't know if it's about the wink. Maybe it's about Crystal. The hatred in his eyes is clear.

“Leave him alone,” a voice says.

I turn at that moment to see Prince, the beautiful, break out of the crowd. This guy looks like someone designed him in a fucking lab. When he comes up close it's even more perfect than usual. It's kind of weird and scary. He's one of those guys that you just wonder how they got like that. Like what freak accident caused you to be so fucking beautiful.

It's clear that Ian is intimidated by this Prince guy. He lets go of me. He gives Prince a stare.

“I'm just asking a question bro,” Ian tells Prince.

“He gave you an answer,” Prince explains.

Ian and the other guys seem to get the clue. I don't know if it's just Prince's beauty that makes them think twice or if they'd heard about Prince bringing security to the castle with him as well. Prince watches Ian until he walks away to make sure that he was leaving me alone. I help Karamo up and give him a napkin. The poor kid was just trying to stick up for me and now he got a bloody nose.

“Thanks,” I tell Prince.

He smiles honestly and gives me a nod, “I just hate people getting picked on man. I don't get why people just don't drink wine and chill. This competition isn't that serious.”

“That's what I've been saying man.”

I can see Karamo crying almost immediately when he realizes how fucked up his nose is.

“I can't let Walid see me like this,” Karamo states, “He'll send me home first round.”

“It's OK,” I tell Karamo, “If Walid would let something so petty be the reason he send you home then that's his loss.”

I try to comfort Karamo for a few seconds but something is happening down there. It's clear something is happening.

“What's going on?” I ask.

Prince looks over at me, “The ceremony is beginning. I'm Prince by the way...”

“I heard,” I respond with a smile, “I'm Yas.”

Prince gives me a smile that is just as wide. Why the fuck are his teeth so white? Like why? They almost blind me when he smiles.

“So who designed your outfit Yas. It's risky coming out here wearing white when Walid loves red,” Prince acknowledges.

I shrug, “My designer and I came up with it.”

“Whose your designer?”

“Nadia, from the Czech Republic Pack,” I answer.

For a second Prince raises an eyebrow, “Nadia. No wonder. It's amazing. I mean you definitely stand out in that outfit more than everyone here. It's like a...show stopper. You're definitely going to get Walid's attention in that man.”

Thanks.

I'm kind of relieved to tell the truth that Prince isn't just handsome but he has a nice personality as well. I'm kind of relieved that I don't have to deal with Ian and his fucking goons right now before Walid walked up.

Music is playing in the grand hall downstairs under the balcony.

“What's happening?” I ask Prince.

“Walid is coming up to get his first impressions of us,” Prince says nonchalantly.

He had no reason to be scared. The guy looked like a human doll. Karamo was struggling to dry his nose at that moment. Everyone else was struggling to fix their clothes, fix their hair and make sure nothing was stuck in their teeth.

Everyone was straightening and standing straight.

This shit was making me nervous as fuck. Still. I looked good. I had on this amazing white outfit. I also had that amazing thing with Walid. Just meeting him in person actually got me liking him. I hadn't expected to like him. I hadn't expected to care about this.

But I did care. I kind of wanted to know more about Walid. Maybe this was my way to do it.

There was no way he was going to send me home after that. Right?

There was no way he was going to send me home if I took a risk with this beautiful white cape.

Right?

So why was I so nervous. I struggle to put a confident smile on.

I see Walid walking up the steps. All of those important people were making their way up to the balcony as well. My heart was in my throat. Sweat rolled down my forehead but I quickly reach out and wipe it away before anyone sees it.

“Good luck to you,” Prince tells me with a smile, holding up his white to toast.

I hold up my cup, “Good luck to you too. You're real nice man. I wasn't expecting that.”

“Really why not?”

“I dunno. I mean I just assumed just because you looked so perfect you'd be an asshole. You seem real down to Earth though. We should definitely be friends.”

We toast and he nods in agreement.

Instead of drinking it though, Prince does something else.

Prince takes his entire cup of wine and tosses it ALL OVER MY FUCKING WHITE CAPE.

At first I'm in denial.

No! NO! NO! This didn't just happen. My entire outfit wasn't just ruined seconds before Walid and the rest of his people walked up here. Then it sinks in! Literally reality and the stain sinks in. Karamo struggles to help me blot it out but it's just making it worse.

Everything is ruined. Everything. I look over at Prince wondering how he could be so clumsy and make such a mistake like that. I don't want to be mad.

But then I see Prince's smile.

An evil smile...pure evil.

Prince looks at his sabotage with satisfaction, “Don't worry. Friend. I'll make sure to help you pack your bags.”

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