Day of the Ball - Good Spirits - 1

Aubrianne Ivanov

Aubrianne was simply trying to get away from spending intimate time with Daniel. He had offered to keep her company till she fell asleep tonight. He would sneak out after, but she quickly refused.

When Daniel's heart squeezed in his chest, she brushed him off. He knew a brush-off. He had done it so many times with Jenna alone. But it was ok; maybe the anxiety about tomorrow was getting to her.

Reaching to grab her hands. "Hey, tomorrow will be fine, besides I will be with you every step of the way." He brought the back of her palms to his lips and kissed it, then squeezed her hand comfortably as he placed it back on her thigh where he held it.

And Aubrianne turned to look into his eyes and smiled; yeah, let's go with that, she thought.

Ever grateful that he would still be by her side, she thanked him.

Aubrianne stirred, and her eyelids fluttered open. She stretched her body, sat up, paused, and listened tentatively to the buzzing. Noise from all the hustling and bustling occurring around and in the mansion.

Her stomach immediately drops, and knots quickly form.

The day of the ball finally arrived, and suddenly Aubrianne was a wreck of nerves. This ball is her introduction as part of the Thornton family and empire.

Her introduction as Alpha Theodore Claude Thornton's daughter and her introduction to the community and all the invited prestigious guests.

Her dad is considered royalty, so she is his little Princess. The heiress to the throne. The weight of the situation is very intimidating. Feeling that high expectations are expected for her debut.

All eyes would be on her, from all the elites her father invited to the lowest member of the community. At least she was thrilled he took her advice and included the lesser members of his community.

Aubrianne was firmly against her father's idea to leave out those of lower ranking. Still, she insisted all should be included. Refusing to leave anybody out of the celebration and festivities.

Of course, the born leader in her ever considerate of all her people, she had giggled at that thought. 'Her people.' Nevertheless, her people would not be left out, not one of them, whether they were from a high-ranking family or the lowest-ranked.

She wanted the lower ranked to experience this just like anybody else.

Aubrianne took in some much-needed air and let it out. She rose off the bed and walked to her full-length mirror. Her cream-colored nightgown clung to her body, her wrapped hair covered by her bonnet, eyes now fully awake.

She squared her shoulders.

"You are the rarest. You are Aubrianne Ivanov, a hybrid, a white wolf. You are a powerful witch in the making. You are strong, you are brave, you are magnificent, and you can do this."

"This is nothing for you. You worked that body in front of men for tips, so this should be a breeze, so stop it! Pull on your big girl panties and show them what you are made of."

Aubrianne's body gave a little convulsive shiver as it expelled the last bit of nervous energy from within her. She was ready to take on her day when...

*knock, knock*

"Babygirl? You awake?"

Aubrianne rushed to the door and opened it. A broad smile graced her lips, eyes twinkling. "Dad," she jumped into his waiting arms, feet dangling. She hugged him tightly, and his hands tightened around her.

Setting her back on her feet, "Come in." She moved out of the way as she beamed at her father. She must admit, he looked relaxed, carefree, and like a renewed man.

Theo strolled into her room. He looked around and shoved his hand in his blue trousers. "Do you need me to send someone to help you unpack?"

Aubrianne's eyes darted around her room and saw what her dad was looking at. Her room was a mess from their rushed move Thursday night.

However, she had a plan for those things. She wanted to fix her room using magic, so yesterday, when Daniel dropped her off, she decided to pack for her trip with Jada and put aside all she might need for the ball.

She would attend to the rest when she returned with her knowledge and full magic.

Aubrianne smiled sheepishly, "No, Dad, I have a plan for this when I return."

Lifting an eyebrow, Aubrianne adds, "I want to explore my magic getting this place in order."

Understanding graced his features, "Ok, makes sense."

Aubrianne decided to grab a cup of coffee while they chatted, "Would you like anything?" She offered, gesturing to the setup of everything you could need to make a cup of tea or coffee.

"No," Theo walked to her by the little coffee machine, "I just wanted to check on you before your big night, your big debut."

Aubrianne smiled at her father as she poured the hot water into the cup with mixed coffee contents.

"I am ok, Dad...", She stirred the contents, "I believe I shook off all the nerves." She smiled tenderly.

Theo regarded Aubrianne, there was something on his mind, and he was kicking himself for not coming to her sooner, giving her more time to sit with the information.

Aubrianne's father was expecting a massive turnout for tonight's events. He knew Alphas and select members from their community would be attending from around the world.

Many started arriving yesterday and stayed in the manor, while others were housed around the estate's guest houses.

As such, there would be a high probability that she would meet her mate. He just wanted to ensure she was aware, so she could prepare herself.

And while Theo did not want to be his father and dictate her love life, he still wanted her to mate with someone strong and from a powerful community.

Finished with her coffee, she took a sip and, looking up from her coffee, she eyed her father with a questioning look. He was staring again.

"Dad, what's wrong?" She then made herself comfy on her sofa and patted the seat next to her, wondering if there was more to his visit.

Theo sat, elbows on his knees, as he leaned forward beside her and started. "Sweetie, before things get crazy, I just wanted to ensure that you knew there was a high chance of meeting your mate tonight."

Theo then looked at his daughter. Aubrianne smiled, "Dad, Daniela already gave me the deets on your famous parties and people meeting their mates."

Theo sighed in relief but was not done yet, "This is great, sweetie. Now you are special, and your mate should be strong and from a respected pack."

Aubrianne's eyebrows furrowed, "Dad, there is no way for me to know this until I meet my mate..." She shrugged, "But not like I could reject him if he was not from a prestigious, well-rounded, or well-respected community, remember?"

At her father's questioning look, as if that was not the answer he was hoping for, Aubrianne simply reminded him of what Leia told her of the change this time around because it seemed he had forgotten.

"Yea, Dad, so I need MY mate, my destined mate. Regardless, I must complete the mating process whether or not he was from the lowest community, the smallest or the largest, the weakest or the strongest."

Theo was so wrapped up in his preparations for the ball, and when he was not, he was consumed with his memories of the past.

But, one thing he knew for sure was that he wanted the best for his baby girl, "Well, I guess I have to pray to the Moon Goddess that she blesses you with someone perfect inside...and out," He added as an afterthought, "because I would not settle for anyone less for my baby girl."

Though Theo said it light-heartedly, he was dead serious, and now he suddenly felt like his father, whom he despised.

But she was his daughter, and no scum would be in her life, so in hindsight, it is not the same. Athalia was not a scum.

While he hugged and bid his daughter farewell until the main event, as he had some things to finalize and some guests to entertain, Theo's mind started formulating a plan for his daughter where her mate was concerned.

He needed to be on top of things.

Meanwhile, he sent a silent prayer to the Divine Moon Goddess that she bless his baby girl with a man she deserved, one that would cherish the ground that she walked on, one that would not hurt or bring shame to her or abuse her in any way.