Chapter 16 - Lilly

Chapter 16 - Lilly
Misty's P.O.V.

After talking with Adam and Sal, it was decided that Sal would become the next alpha of the Golden Moon, and Adam would return to the palace with us. He said he wanted no reminders of Steven and Marie. He also thought Justin would be devastated if they left.

I'm sitting in the middle row of the SUV with Lilly while Vaughn sits in the front passenger seat, and Ivan sits behind us as we drive to Platinum Moon. They weren't happy with not sandwiching me between them like usual, but I knew Lilly needed me. She's nineteen, but so beaten down that the poor girl has no self-confidence. I will make sure to change that. The further we get away from Golden Moon, the more relaxed she becomes. By the time we're pulling up to our house, she's almost smiling.

"Do you have a shed or something in the back for me to stay in? I can also sleep on the ground under the trees." I look at her with my mouth open.

"Is that where Steven had you sleeping at Golden Moon?" I ask her as we get out of the vehicle.

"I was in a shed. One of the other packs had me sleep under a tree. I'm an omega, so no one cares." She shrugs, and I hug her.

"You're not an omega anymore. Here, we have no titles other than alpha, beta, luna, king, and queen, but none of us go by our titles. We are all treated equally. You're my assistant, and your name is Lilly. Those are the only titles you will go by from here on out. Okay?" I ask her softly. She looks down and smiles.

"I always admired you. Even when Steven and Marie were mean, you didn't let it get to you. I was too scared to do that. Thank you for bringing me here." She's so pretty with her blonde hair and blue eyes.

"You're welcome. We have a spare bedroom that you can use. Adam, Karina, and Justin are staying here too. Don't worry about clothes or anything else, we'll get everything you need. It's time for you to start living and stop being scared. Tomorrow, we're having a girls' day and going shopping." I tell her as we walk into the house, arm in arm.

"Are we invited?" Vaughn asks. I turn and look at him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't know you were a lady. When I said girls' day, I didn't think that included men." Lilly giggles next to me, and Vaughn's expression softens.  

"Fine," He says before walking off. I lead Lilly to the spare room on the second floor. She has her own bathroom. When she looks around, she acts as though she's scared to touch anything.
"Are you sure this is okay? I've never slept in a room like this or in a bed so soft." She runs her hand over the bed in awe, while my heart breaks.

"This room is yours for as long as you're here." Lilly sighs and sits on the edge of the bed.

"Do you think my mate will still want me after what Steven did? What if he's repulsed and rejects me for someone who's not damaged goods?" Her tears stream down her face as she looks at the floor. I sit next to her and put my arm around her shoulders.

"If he's not man enough to pick up the broken pieces of your heart, then he doesn't deserve you. You deserve happiness, Lilly, and I won't let you settle for less." She looks up at me with a smile while wiping her tears away.

"You're what I always pictured in a sister if I had one. Thank you, luna." She puts her head on my shoulder.

"If we're sisters, don't call me luna. Call me Misty." I hug her and we sit in silence for a few minutes.

"Tonight, we'll have dinner with the king and queen. I'll bring you a dress to wear, okay?" Lilly's eyes fill with fear

"I can't eat with them. I'm only an …" I raise my eyebrows, and she stops talking.

"You can and you will because you're part of this family. Why don't you get some rest? I'll be back later with something for you to wear. Are you hungry?" I ask her as I stand.

"No. Thank you." Lilly still looks scared, but I'm not giving in. This will be good for her. Besides, Victoria and Gerald are sweethearts.

When I leave Lilly's room, Vaughn and Ivan are standing with Justin, waiting for me. The littlest of the three looks annoyed.

"I'm sorry. Was my presence needed?" I ask them. Vaughn and Ivan are trying not to laugh while Justin taps his foot.

"Who do you have in there?" He asks as though I just brought Satan himself to stay in the house.

"Lilly, she's from Golden Moon. Steven was mean to her, so I said she could be my assistant. Is that okay, young master?" I ask and bow to Justin slightly.  He smiles and nods.

"Yes, I have decided I am going to be one of the guards, so I need to know who's in this house at all times." He turns around and walks down the stairs. We watch him stand next to the front door as though he's guarding us from a sudden attack. That pup is going to be something else when he gets older.

"He was angry you brought someone into the house without his approval. We told him we would make sure you were punished appropriately. After all, I owe you for calling me ma'am," Vaughn pats my butt softly.

"Sorry, we don't have time right now. I have to find a dress for Lilly to wear to dinner tonight. I'm not going to let her hide any longer." They pout, but they let me leave. I go to our closet and don't see anything suitable for Lilly, so I call Victoria. She's so excited that she wants to come and help me dress Lilly up. I knock on Lilly's door when it's time to get ready, and she opens it shyly.

"Hi. I've been thinking about dinner, and I really don't think I should go. I won't be able to talk to the king and queen; I'll be too nervous." Lilly bites her lip, and Victoria steps forward.

"I think you'll be just fine. I bought you a dress. What do you think?" Lilly looks at Victoria in confusion. She has no idea who Victoria is as she reaches out and lightly touches the pale blue dress. She'll look like Cinderella when we get done with her.

"It's beautiful. Do you think the king and queen will approve?" Lilly asks, and Victoria smiles.

"I'm the queen, sweetheart, but you can call me Victoria. I brought this for you." Lilly puts her hand over her mouth.

"I'm so sorry. I should have bowed to you." She begins to bow, but Victoria stops her.

"None of that here. Misty and I are going to help you get dressed. Tonight, we have a special guest coming. I can't wait for you all to meet him." I have no idea who she's talking about.

Lilly has already showered and washed her hair, so we help her into the dress.  She has a beautiful curvy body, and the dress is sleeveless and snug with a slit almost to her thigh.  It shows only a hint of her cleavage, but Lilly won't stop blushing.

"I can't wear this. It's too revealing," she says, trying to cover herself up.

"It's perfect. You look beautiful," Victoria says as I fix Lilly's hair. I leave it long but use a fat curling iron to create waves. When we're done, she really does look like Cinderella—only she has white heels instead of glass slippers.  

I rush to my room to get dressed in my black dress with white trim.  It's similar to Lilly's in style but a bit more revealing.  I need something to keep my men on their toes, and showing this much skin will definitely do it. I grab Lilly, and we go downstairs, where the others are waiting. Victoria returned to the palace to get dressed. She never would say who the special guest was. Everyone looks at Lilly in surprise, and her poor face is so red I'm afraid it will catch on fire. Justin steps forward when we reach the bottom.

"Hello Lilly, I'm the guard Justin. Will you be my date tonight?" He holds his hand out to Lilly while we try not to laugh. Looks like he has his first crush. Lilly smiles at him and takes his little hand.

"I would be honored." Justin beams up at her.

We drive the few minutes to the palace, and Lilly seems less nervous after spending time with Victoria. However, I'm a little nervous seeing the number of people at the palace. It's never been this crowded. Who is this special guest?  

When we walk inside, everyone clears a path for us. I have my men on my arms with the others behind us. I see Victoria and Gerald talking to a young, handsome man with wavy dark brown hair. He freezes when we walk in and looks toward our group. When he starts walking toward us, I see him looking behind me. I turn to see Lilly looking at him with wide eyes.

"Mate." They both say at the same time.

"Hold it just a minute. Who are you to be calling my date your mate?" Justin asks, stepping in front of Lilly. I give the man credit because rather than ignoring my nephew, he squats down so they're eye to eye.

"Hello, young man. I'm Prince Dominick. I just returned from helping a pack overseas." He holds his hand out to Justin.

"I'm the guard, Justin. I guess you're okay then. Looks like I'm alone again." Justin walks over to stand next to me. Prince Dominick? I didn't know Victoria and Gerald had any kids. We all watch as he approaches Lilly.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Dominick." Lilly looks up at him and then down at the floor. I start to step forward, but then her eyes meet mine, and I smile. She smiles back as she raises her head.

"I'm Lilly." Well, it looks like my Cinderella just found her Prince Charming.