Chapter 21

Evaline:
Alpha Kieran noticed the masks and the cap in my hands when I returned to the front section of the store. Instead of asking it out loud, he just arched his eyebrows in a silent question.
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him the truth.
“I want to keep my identity hidden,” I said, gripping the fabric between my fingers. “At least until I pass the exams and make it into the academy as a student. If one of your brothers is there during the exams, I don’t want to risk them recognizing me. The masks and the cap will help with that.”
He listened quietly with an unreadable expression on his face. But as I spoke, a new, horrifying thought crashed into me.
How could these masks and cap help me hide? If the brothers were indeed going to be present during the exams, wouldn’t there be possibility that they would have lists of the students’ names taking the exams?
“Are they going to be there?” I asked, completely failing in hiding the panic in my voice. “Your brothers, are they going to be present during the exams?”
My mind was starting to fill with questions. Could they disqualify me from taking the exams? And if yes, then would they?
I was still struggling to get a grip on myself when I felt fingers softly brushing over one of my eyebrows. Startled, I looked up in time to see Alpha Kieran pulling his hand back. The look on his face almost made me believe that even he was surprised by what he had just done.
He buried his hands in his pant’s pockets as if to physically stop them from doing something unnecessary again. “You don’t have to worry about my brothers. Draven is still a second-year student at the academy. So, he can’t be present at the entrance exams.”
That was one down.
“But Oscar is a different story,” he continued. “This will be his first year as an official trainer at the academy. He’s going to be present during the final round of exams.”
I swallowed. I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt about this piece of information.
He went on, as if completely oblivious of the storm brewing inside my head. “I’m a professor at the academy and the person in-charge of the entrance exams. So, you will see me there,”
That part I already expected, but my mind was already moving to…
“And Alpha River?” I asked, almost dreading the answer. Follow current novels on.net
“River only comes to the academy now and then. He has more pressing matters to handle as the ruler of the Rogue community. It’s unlikely that he’ll be present during the exam week. His chances of appearance are just as low as Draven’s.”
I released a slow breath.
So the ones I had to worry about the most was Oscar. The only good part about this was that I wouldn’t be seeing him until the very last round.
I watched as Alpha Kieran tilted his head slightly, his gaze locked on me. “You don’t have to worry too much about my brother recognizing you during exams.”
I nodded, but I wasn’t completely convinced, and it seemed like he understood my lingering doubt because a moment later, he said, “I can help too.”
Before I could ask what he meant, he turned to Melinda and called her over. Once she arrived, he ordered, “Take her to the back and change her look.”
Melinda blinked in surprise before nodding. “Understood.”
“Wait-” I started, but before I could protest, Melinda and her assistant ushered me into a deeper section of the boutique.
Everything after that happened in a blur.
I was quickly made to change into a fresh pair of clothes and new shoes. The fabric felt strange against my skin. It was warm, soft, and unfamiliar.
After that, I was made to sit down in front of a mirror, and Melinda’s assistant started working on my chipped nails, shaping and painting them with a neutral color while Melinda herself focused on my hair.
“Hold still,” she murmured as she ran her fingers through the strands.
A few minutes later, I saw black dye seeping into my silver hair.
“This is temporary,” she explained when she noticed the horrified look on my face. “It’ll fade in about two to three weeks. But until then, no one will recognize you from your hair alone.”
Next, she handed me a pair of contact lenses, and instructed, “Try these on.”
I hesitated but did as told. The moment I blinked and looked at my reflection, my amber eyes were gone. replaced by a deep brown color.
I almost didn’t recognize myself. When I entered the store about an hour ago, I was looking like a homeless girl. A stray. But now, I was hardly able to believe the reflection staring back at me.
My new clothes fit me well. They were not too fancy, but comfortable and well-tailored. My waist-length silver hair was now jet black, and my amber eyes had darkened into an unremarkable brown.
With the successful transformation being completed, I was finally allowed to step out of the back room.
Alpha Kieran was waiting by the counter, checking his phone, but the moment he looked up, his gaze locked onto me. It was hard to read his thoughts as he kept his expression neutral, but i could tell that he was satisfied with Melinda’s work.
“These changes will help you stay unnoticed,” he said, crossing his arms as he studied me. “Your hair and eyes would have given you away immediately if Oscar saw you.”
I nodded, still mentally adjusting to my new appearance.
I was still me… but I wasn’t.
The silver-haired girl who had suffered through years of pain, loss, and rejection, she wasn’t visible anymore. The girl right now looked like someone new.
It wasn’t a fresh start, but a temporary disguise. And I was determined to make the best out of it.
Kieran watched me closely before speaking again.
“Are you ready?”
I inhaled deeply, steadying myself before I answered, “Yes.”