Outlaw (Wolves of Royal Paynes #4) - Kiki Burrelli Page 0,99

hair aside while Jazz helped him hook it on. Sitka rushed to the mirror, posing again and again to enjoy the necklace from different angles. "This is—you didn't have to do this. I wanted to dress you all. But this. I don't think I could've imagined anything as beautiful as this in my cell. Thank you, all of you. Truly."

Before anyone could ruin hair, makeup, or clothing by blubbering into a group hug, Isaiah hollered from down the hallway. "Time!"

After one last look at himself in the mirror, Sitka wrenched the door open, grabbing Storri's and Jamie's hands as he marched down the hallway.

Isaiah waited for our group to gather at the foyer before heading down the hallway and playing his part as escort as well as announcer.

The concept of being announced had been Storri's idea, but the others quickly jumped in to voice their agreement. For most of us, this ball was symbolic of all those moments we'd missed out on while running from murderous parents, locked up in a cell, or strapped to a table watching your friends and family be experimented on. Not one of us, save for Dr. Tiff and Maria, could say they'd grown up with a normal life. Hallie had devoted most of her high school years to her ex, doing what he wanted to do.

But not tonight. For this one night, we were princes and princesses.

The closer we got to the ballroom—using the regular entrance since the secret passage might get dust on our clothes—the louder the string music grew, pumped in from speakers installed in every corner.

The alphas—plus Alejandro—had been in charge of the decorations. Not in designing or planning them, but in putting them up. I still hadn't seen the room in its full glory. The last I'd seen it, the room had been mostly empty, except for the large metal frame against the wall that held the drop cloth covering the finished mural. My second surprise.

Isaiah pushed open the double doors at the top of the stairs, revealing the warm glow of candles and ambient overhead lighting. The floral scent of wildflowers and sharp pine drifted out to the hallway where we were gathered.

Maria, Jamie, and Siobhan were first, each introduced by Isaiah to the crowd of people who already knew our names. We'd asked the Walker omegas to join in, but they'd made the point that if everyone was announced, no one would be there to see it. Plus, more than one of them seemed eager to stay in the background, and I wasn't about to push any of them into anything that would make them nervous.

After the first three, the doc and Hallie were introduced. Doc received a loud round of applause from the Walker pack—she was technically their pack doctor, after all—and Alejandro hadn't been able to wait for Hallie to make it halfway down the stairs in her dress and heels before he rushed up to meet her.

"You look amazing," he grunted, flashing bright white teeth.

Hallie snorted and bumped her forehead into Al's shoulder. "So do you."

He and the other alphas all wore variations of a tux. I couldn't let myself look at Diesel yet, not without sprinting down the stairs to leap on top of him when it was my turn.

"I present to you," Isaiah continued once Hallie had cleared the stairs, "Omega Storri, mate of Faust and father of four."

Storri's cheeks burned red, but the smile stretching his mouth was proof that he loved every minute. With his head high, he took the first step down and promptly missed it, causing the room to gasp. Faust was there, at the ready for his endearingly clumsy mate. He caught Storri before he fell, spinning so it looked like he'd been unable to wait before dipping his mate and kissing him.

I peeked around the door while they made it the rest of the way down. Alejandro and the alphas had done exactly as we'd asked. At the far end, the white linen-covered tables sat grouped together, surrounded by white, wood folding chairs. The refreshments table sat along the wall to the left, laden with decadent desserts, fruits, veggies, and a meat tray for the purists. Jazz had gone above and beyond baking a variety of petit fours that easily surpassed the most beautiful thing he'd ever created in the kitchen.

Streams of white gauze and twinkle lights stretched like a many-pointed star from the center of the ceiling, while well-placed candles lit up the dark corners and