Chapter 5

Morning light spilled through floor-to-ceiling windows before I was ready to open my eyes, and for several stupid seconds, I honestly thought I had passed out somewhere expensive after drinking too much.

Then I moved beneath sheets softer than anything I had ever owned, and the faint scents of unfamiliar wolves moving through the hall reminded me exactly where I was.

Silvercrest Manor, and my wolf stretched awake inside me while I stared at a ceiling high enough to make my old apartment feel like a storage unit, and every piece of furniture around me looked like somebody had spent money without checking the price first.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, I had been Hailey Monroe, the girl Mooncrest Media humiliated and escorted out with a cardboard box.

Now people here were calling me Courtney Monroe.

A knock sounded at the door, then a woman’s voice came through before I could answer properly.

“Miss Monroe, your father, Alpha Dean asked me to let you know Ms. Mitchell and her team will arrive within the hour.”

“Breakfast can be brought upstairs whenever you’re ready.”

I sat up and pushed tangled hair away from my face. “Thank you, but could you please tell me who Ms. Mitchell and her team are coming to do?”

The Omega cracked the door open after I told her she could enter, and she kept her gaze respectful without acting frightened of me.

“Ms. Mitchell is handling your wardrobe fitting, hair appointment, makeup consultation, and anything else you want adjusted before meeting with the Alpha later.”

I stared at her for a second while surprise pulled a small laugh from me. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize he had arranged all of that already, but thank you for letting me know.”

“What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking, and how long have you worked here?”

“I’m Emily, Miss Monroe, and I’ve worked here for years.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

After she left, I crossed into a bathroom that could have swallowed my old bedroom whole.

By the time I showered and came back out, breakfast covered a small table near the windows, while six clothing racks had somehow appeared beside the sitting area.

A french woman in a cream pantsuit stood between them with silver-blonde hair cut neatly at her shoulders, and three assistants moved around her with garment bags, cosmetic cases, shoes, and jewelry trays.

She looked me over once, then lifted one perfectly shaped brow. “Dean told me not to change you, and judging by zat face, I am guessing you were not expecting quite zis much.”

I glanced at the clothing racks while trying not to look completely stunned. “I definitely wasn’t expecting this many options before breakfast, but I’m starting to realize yesterday changed more than I understood.”

Lauren Mitchell smiled slightly while one assistant rolled another rack toward us. “Zat reaction is perfectly normal, ma chérie, and we will take our time until you are comfortable with all of zis.”

Then she stepped closer and studied my face without touching me, while something unexpectedly tender replaced the sharp professionalism in her eyes.

“Ah, zere she is,” Lauren murmured. “You have Luna Natalie’s eyes, and seeing zem again brings back very beautiful memories, but zis is not ze time for me to cry unless zey are tears of joy.”

My smile faded slightly at the mention of my mother, while Lauren blinked quickly and recovered before the emotion could fully take over.

“She would have wanted me to make her daughter ze prettiest woman in every room,” Lauren continued with a small smile. “So you must forgive me, Courtney, but I intend to take zat responsibility very seriously.”

My chest went totally hollow for a second, and I couldn’t stop wondering how different my entire life would’ve looked if Natalie had actually been around to raise me.

Growing up without a mom meant figuring out everything the hard way in cheap thrift stores, but having an actual Luna by my side probably would’ve made me feel like I wasn't constantly fighting the whole world alone.

For the next hour, people measured, pinned, brushed, blended, debated fabrics, and moved around me like this kind of chaos was perfectly normal.

Dad appeared in the doorway halfway through another fitting, and every Omega passing behind him lowered their head slightly before continuing down the hall.

I looked at the racks before turning toward him. “Did you really arrange all of this just for me?”

He leaned against the doorframe. “I wanted you to feel prepared and taken care of like a true Alpha’s daughter.”

I glanced down at the tailored cream trousers Lauren had chosen. “I’m grateful, but I’m still trying to understand why clothes matter this much in your world.”

“It’s your world too now, although I know that probably doesn’t feel natural yet.”

I turned toward him while keeping my voice softer. “Then help me understand how it works.”

Dad stepped farther into the room. “When you walk into a room carrying Monroe blood, wolves are going to study your scent, your posture, your clothes, and every reaction you give them before you speak.”

My brows pulled together while I listened. “So they’re going to judge me before they actually know anything about me.”

“They are, but presentation can stop unfamiliarity from being mistaken for weakness.” His gaze softened while he looked at me. “Your clothes don’t create your authority, Courtney, but they can make people think twice before testing whether you know you have it in you.”

Dad watched my face while concern replaced the teasing. “Is this too much, or are you okay?”

I shook my head while looking back at the racks. “It’s still a lot, but I really do appreciate what you’re trying to do for me.”

His mouth curved slightly while relief touched his face. “Oh, don’t thank me. You’re my daughter after all, and if your mother were alive, she probably would’ve spoiled you more than I ever could.”

The mention of her again made my eyes drop to the jacket Lauren was still adjusting while I tried not to picture everything I had never gotten to have.

I had spent my whole life without a mother, but I had never known enough to properly miss one, and somehow learning Natalie had existed had created this empty space inside me that suddenly had a name.

There should have been birthdays where she embarrassed me with too many gifts, mornings where she walked into my room without knocking, arguments over clothes, random phone calls, hugs I complained about while secretly needing them, and a thousand ordinary things daughters probably never realized they were lucky to have.

Instead, I had years of nothing from her, and now every story about how much she would have loved me only made me understand exactly what had been missing.

Dad must have noticed something change in my face, and his smile faded while he moved closer without touching me.

“She would’ve loved you loudly, Courtney, and I’m sorry you never got the chance to know what that felt like.”

I blinked quickly and managed a small nod. “I think that’s the part that hurts, since I didn’t know I was missing her until somebody finally told me who she was.”

His eyes turned glassy, but he gave me the space to hold myself together. “Then I’ll tell you about her whenever you want.”

I looked at him and gave him the best smile I could manage. “I’d like that, just maybe not while Lauren has pins this close to my skin.”

Lauren clapped once while Dad gave her an amused look. “Good, ze family moment is complete, and now both of you must stop talking while I fix zis jacket properly.”

Few minutes later, I genuinely couldn’t believe Lauren had pulled all of that out of the same face I woke up with.

My hair looked fuller and softer, my makeup made my features stand out without hiding them, and the entire look somehow made me feel prettier without making me feel like somebody else.

I turned slightly toward the mirror and smiled before I could stop myself. “Okay, wow, I actually look really fucking good.”

Lauren stepped behind me and adjusted one strand of hair near my shoulder. “You look magnifique, ma chérie, and you should never doubt zat for one second.”

Her expression softened as she met my eyes through the mirror. “Now you carry yourself proudly, you learn who you are, and you make your mother proud every single day.”

At that moment, Dad returned a little after noon.

“You look absolutely beautiful, my princess.”

He offered his arm to lead me to his private office which sat on the other side of the manor. I smiled and took it.

Three men rose from their seats the second we entered.

“Courtney, I want you to meet a few people who help keep both Silvercrest and Monroe Holdings from collapsing whenever I decide to ignore paperwork.”

The oldest man approached first, and power sat in his scent just beneath Dean’s.

“Courtney Monroe, I’m Eric Sullivan, Silvercrest’s Beta and CFO of Monroe Holdings, and I’ve been waiting a very long time to finally meet you.”

I took his offered hand. “It’s nice to meet you, and I should probably warn you that I’m still getting used to Courtney, so everything else might take me a minute too.”

Eric’s expression softened while his handshake stayed steady. “Take every minute you need, but nobody in this room expects you to prove you belong here.”

My fingers tightened slightly around his.

Eric released my hand and looked at me for another second. “I worked closely with Natalie for years, and she would’ve been incredibly proud to see you standing beside your father today.”

Emotion pressed hard behind my eyes, but I managed to keep my voice steady. “Thank you, and I wish I had at least one memory of her that belonged to me.”

“You’ll get stories,” Eric replied. “Dean has enough to keep you trapped at dinner for the next decade.”

Dad gave him a look. “You’re supposed to make me sound appealing.”

“I’m your Beta, not your publicist.”

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it, and the other men relaxed slightly.

One lowered his head when Dean introduced us, while the other waited patiently until I finished speaking before answering my question.

I looked around the office while Dad explained how Monroe Holdings controlled major interests in real estate, finance, media, and technology.

The respect in that room still felt strange, especially when none of them needed me to prove anything before deciding I mattered.

Was this how Madison had always felt, walking into rooms already certain people would listen to her and assume she belonged there?

She had been born into that kind of privilege, while I had worked for every bit of recognition and still ended up treated like I was disposable.

Now the balance had flipped so completely. What an irony.

Madison had spent so much time making sure I knew my place, and somehow, without either of us realizing it, mine had always been far above hers.

My wolf stirred with satisfaction. “Wait until she finds out.”