The Brotherhood

32

The day of Kane's inauguration as the new Supreme was coming quickly and Finley wasn't ready for it. She also wasn't ready for what it would mean for her pack. While Kane would gain new responsibilities as the Supreme, so would their pack. They would have to help Kane run the entire Brotherhood, policing the rest of their brothers. That responsibility had once settled on the shoulders of Abel's pack. Ethan had been the best possible person to entrust with that responsibility. He'd cared for everyone like they were, well, his brothers. Finley was certain that Raynar would be able to do the same. She just wasn't quite sure about the rest of them. 

Today she was at Natalie's once again for her final fitting before the ceremony. The dress that Natalie had created for her was a masterpiece. The satiny fabric clung to Finley's chest and waist like a second skin. From there the fabric flowed beautifully down to the ground over a dense amount of underskirts. Finley looked like what she imagined a princess would look like. Finley didn't know if she liked the feeling of being in a beautiful gown like this. She couldn't move the way that she could in her black pants and comfortable black shirts. Finley wasn't sure that she enjoyed that aspect of the dress, but a part of her loved the way the fabric hugged her body. 

"What do you think?" Natalie asked with barely contained excitement. 

Finley shrugged her shoulders non-committedly. The truth was she couldn't tell what she thought of the dress. It was certainly a dress, "It's alright, I guess. I'm not really an expert on dresses so I don't really know how I feel about it." 

Natalie rolled her eyes at Finley and groaned as she walked forward. She placed her hands on each of Finley's hips. Natalie put her head on Finley's shoulder so that she could look at Finley's reflection better in the mirror. She smiled at Finley, "It's not about what you know about dresses. It's about how the dress makes you feel." 

Finley gazed at herself in the mirror. She twisted around slightly, testing the range of motion that she had when she was wearing the garment. It was hard to determine how well she'd be able to fight in the gown without actually doing any of the movements. She knew that if she did, she'd rip the fabric and Natalie would murder her. Natalie had threatened her multiple times already. 

Natalie sighed again. "Are you actually going to say anything? Otherwise, it's going to be impossible to be your tailor." 

Finley frowned deeply before shaking her head, "I'm not sure what to say. I'm pretty sure that I don't like it." 

Finley expected Natalie to be offended by her words, but instead Natalie clapped her hands triumphantly. 

"Aha!" Natalie exclaimed. "And what don't you like about it?" 

"I'm not sure- I don't -" Finley said, struggling to find her words, "I can't move in it." 

Natalie frowned as she studied the dress carefully. Her gaze traveled from Finley's feet to the top of her head. Natalie pursed her lips. Finley could tell that she didn't see anything wrong with the construction of the dress. Finley would have to explain more and she wasn't sure that she could. Luckily for her, Natalie was used to her particular kind of cluelessness. 

 "Is the movement limited in your breathing or in the skirts?" Natalie asked. Finley felt her shoulders drop in disappointment. That question didn't help her at all. 

"How about... everywhere?" Finley said uncertainly. 

Natalie cursed under her breath as she studied her. Then she put her hands on Finley's hips again, feeling the fabric. She made different adjustments and wrote them down in a faded journal that sat on the cluttered desk in front of her. Finley watched Natalie work, more than a little bit transfixed by her. Natalie was incredibly in her element and it was a fascinating thing. Finley imagined it was what Kane would look like on a battlefield. She imagined it was what she looked like when she was on patrols with Titan by her side. 

When she was done putting everything together, Natalie turned back to Finley. Finley smiled at Natalie in the mirror. Natalie smiled back before pursing her lips again. Then she remarked quietly, "I need you to trust me Finley. I'm going to make adjustments to make this gown perfect for you, but I need you to trust me that I'm going to make it perfect. I know this is your first time ever wearing a dress like this so I want you to love every aspect of it. However, you are difficult to please. You'll give me time and the next time you try this dress on then you'll love it." 

Natalie waited for Finley to say something in response to her orders. Finley didn't have anything to say though. She'd never had a female friend or a sister or a mother, well not a real mother. She imagined that if she did have one, they would be like Natalie. They would be high-spirited and fiercely loving like her. They wouldn't let Finley give up on herself and they would certainly be more stubborn than Finley was. Tears clogged Finley's throat as she gaze at Natalie in the mirror. She was glad that she had someone like Natalie fighting for her. There was really no one better to have in your corner. 

Finley managed to nod at Natalie in the mirror. She felt tears bubble up in her eyes and she ducked her head. Natalie must have sensed that Finley was feeling emotional. Natalie came up behind Finley and wrapped her arms around her. Natalie squeezed Finley tightly. Finley returned the embrace, making sure that she held Natalie just as tightly as Natalie held her. There was something about being held by Natalie that made Finley feel like all her broken pieces fit together again. Finley dreaded the day that she didn't have Natalie by her side. She hoped she'd never have to face that day.