Night had fallen.
Xin Yi sat in yet another room while female wolves fussed over her. Combing her hair, applying oils to her skin, dressing her in silk
She felt nothing
Qing Lin's face kept flashing in her mind. His tears. His broken voice. His desperate kiss. "Lift your arms," one of the females said.
She lifted her arms mechanically. They slipped a soft and flowing dress over her head. It was the color of midnight blue with silver embroidery that caught the light.
It was beautiful.
She hated it.
"The Alpha will be pleased," another female whispered.
"She is very lucky," a third one muttered, her tone filled with bitterness and jealousy.
"To be chosen so quickly—"
"She does not even appreciate it—"
"ENOUGH." The older female from earlier—the one who had given her the Moonpetal lotus—stepped forward. "The Alpha chose her. That is final. Now finish preparing her."
They finished in silence.
When Xin Yi finally looked in the mirror, she barely recognized herself.
