Stripping For The Alpha King

Chapter 57

I was in wolf form for such a short time I hardly had the chance to feel what it was really like. One moment I was on my knees, then I felt like I was bent over on all fours. I must've been standing on my paws which was possibly the weirdest thought I had ever had. It was so unnerving to think that if I had looked in a mirror I would've seen a wolf staring back at me. Not that I had time to even take a step. A moment later I was lying on my back, naked with torn fragments of clothing all around me.

"Oh dear, well at least we know that she is able to shift," Adeline murmured, peering down at me like I was some strange specimen under a microscope.

In that moment I didn't even care that I was naked in front of my mother-in-law. I felt like I couldn't swallow and I was breathing much too hard. I wanted to throw up from the shock as my limbs quivered.

"Are you alright, Keiko?" Holly asked, coming to my side as quickly as she could. she reached down and grabbed my hand, supporting me at the elbow as she pulled me to my feet. I groaned, but moved to stand, almost surprised that I was only on two legs. I stared at my hands for a long time, trying to confirm that I had fingers without claws and fur.

"I'm going to get Ajax," Adeline announced, her eyes sparkling with delight. "He's going to be so excited."

"No," I rasped out, still struggling to catch my breath.

"No?" Both Adeline and Holly gasped in unison.

"Please, not yet," I continued. My legs shook with weakness when Holly released my arm and moved back to my closet. I wasn't as weak as the first time this had happened, but I also wasn't as shocked. Still, it felt like my body weighed a thousand pounds and any movement might send me toppling to the floor. Thankfully, Holly returned to me with a silk robe. After she slid it around my shoulder- hiding my naked body from my mother in law- she helped me sit down on my bed.

"I know he's going to want me to shift in front of him," I wheezed, "I can't. I don't feel like I can control it."

"You need to tell him," Adeline said, a certain glint in her eye made me stiffen.

Holly saved me, as always. "You're right, Keiko. It could be too soon to announce this to everyone right now. You can't stay in your wolf form too long so maybe there is some residual medication in your body. We don't want to push you too hard if that is the case." As she spoke she worked to pick up the pieces of my torn clothing and toss them in the little garbage bin.

"But we can't act like this never happened!" Adeline protested. "Her wolf has finally shown itself. This should be celebrated to the highest order."

"Of course. This is a massive event and it is certainly worthy of a celebration. But we don't want Keiko to hurt herself either. Especially not right before the ball. I think it would be best if we monitored this for the next couple of days. We want to make sure she doesn't shift in the middle of the ball, but I think we should be prepared for it, just in case. With only a few days left before the ball she won't have a lot of time to master her shifts and control them should they arise. I think we should have an extra set of clothing in the ballroom just in case."

Adeline met Holly's gaze evenly. I expected Holly to stutter out an apology or at least back track. She was bold, but maybe not to this degree. I could remember how worried she had been when she first met the royals, the rulers of her kind...our kind. But now she was defending me and nothing made her stronger than a friend in need.

"Clothing would be a good idea. I can't imagine how badly Ajax would lash out if his mate wound up naked in front of all those eyes. We would have to write thousands of apology cards for his behavior," Adeline agreed cautiously.

We paused the tense conversation when there was another knock at the door.

"Keiko?" Ajax's voice was low and uncertain, but he strode in my room with the confidence of a king. "I was told there were scream coming from your room." The bizarre scene in front of him must have confused him because his brow furrowed and his expression could only be described as wary. Not that I could blame him. I was sitting on my bed with my chest heaving in between a stern looking queen and a sympathetic friend.

"Hello Prince Ajax," Holly greeted, dipping into a curtsey. It looked ridiculous in her old work out leggings and crop top.

"What's going on here? Why are you so pale, Keiko?" he interrogated, coming nearer.

It was the queen who turned to answer and I cringed, waiting for her to reveal my secret. "The poor girl has had a shock. You see her dress arrived, but it's a size too big."

At that Ajax let out a held breath and began smiling again. His green eyes appraised me, seeming to like me this short black robe with lace trim on the sleeves, though he was still worried. "Sweetheart, that isn't worth screaming about. We have a seamstress that could fix that in a heartbeat. And I'm sure it's not that bad. How about you try it on for me?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Adeline scoffed, shooing Ajax away. "You are going to be surprised as everyone else when she is announced into the room. Now go, we have to discuss how she will have her hair done and figure out if she is allergic to any cosmetics."

Ajax didn't even protest. With a single eye roll he allowed himself to be dismissed, leaving the three of us alone in the room again.

"There, he's taken care of for the time being," Adeline sighed, "But he's not an idiot. He'll figure it out eventually. The sooner you get this under control the better."