Isabella Martini - POV
"Oh, how cute," Sofia's cheery voice made me break out from my trance when I saw that she had picked out a letter that was inside the box. "It's from Arlo," she said as she handed it over to me.
Wear this and wait for me at Sofia's place. I will be there in thirty minutes. And no matter what, don't panic or look surprised.
A…
How the fuck am I supposed to do that?
"We have fifteen minutes left till Arlo comes here." Sofia reminded me, but I shook my head.
"I…I don't think I can do this, Sofia." I mumbled, and the smile on her face faded away as she walked closer to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
"No one would look at you except Arlo when you remove the dress to get into the bathtub, Bella," Sofia reassured me, but I shook my head. Arlo already hates me, so what would he think when he sees my body that is littered with scars?
"I don't know if I can do this," I mumbled when I felt Sofia's finger on my chin as she slowly lifted my face so that our eyes met.
"You know you can trust me, right?" she asked me, and after a long time, I slowly nodded my head. "I will never judge you, Bella. You can tell me what is going on. I feel like you are never your true self with any of us. You are hiding something, but I would never force you to change overnight." she whispered, which made my eyes water. I know I will have to open up. Even though I have been lying to everyone in here, Sofia has been constantly by my side.
But what would happen when she finds out that I am a murderer?
"Sofia, shall we go to your room?" I asked her, and she nodded her head as she stepped aside. She led me out of the kitchen and down the hallway when she opened a door and walked inside. I placed the white box on her bed as I turned around to face her. "Would you promise to not ask any questions?" I asked her, and she nodded her head.
Taking a deep breath, I removed the clothes I was wearing, leaving me only in my undergarments. As I looked at Sofia, I saw her mouth slightly open as she stared at my body. She looked shocked. "How long have you been a rogue before you crossed our border?"
"About three days, I guess," I said.
"I don't think you could have got all these in under three days," she said, but I didn't say anything. "My brother was right."
"What?" I asked her with a frown on my face.
"He was the person who found you at the border along with a few others. He told me that you were not in good shape, and he believed that you might have been a rogue for quite a long time."
Ah, yes, Jacob was the person who found me at the border.
"So, does Arlo know about this as well?" I asked her, but she shook her head.
"Jacob said that Arlo didn't even ask anything about you. So I bet he doesn't know about this."
"How am I supposed to go like this, Sofia? I have no idea what is going through your mind right now. But Arlo is my mate, and what would he think if he realized that the moon goddess has paired him up with damaged goods?"
"You are not damaged goods, Bella. And no mate can ever think that their other half is ugly." Sofia reassured me, but it was still a little difficult to believe that. "We might have to get you ready. There are only ten more minutes left." Sofia warned me, and I nodded my head.
I wouldn't call this a dress at all, and I know that there is no choice. After removing my bra and panty, I quickly slipped the dress on and walked to the mirror to take a look. I looked hideous, and the dress did a poor job of covering my body.
"I look ugly," I mumbled when I felt something heavy in my shower. Sofia had placed a long coat over me.
"You look beautiful. Now, wear this and come out when you are ready," she said as she walked out of the room.
"Our mate would never judge us, Bella," Rose said, but I think the insecurity within me was saying something else.
"I hope so," I told her as I wrapped the coat around me and walked out of the room. As I walked to the foyer, I saw that Arlo was standing there with Sofia.
"Ready to go?" he asked me, and I nodded my head. After hugging Sofia, I walked out of the house with Arlo by my side. My heart was hammering against my chest, and I felt my palms get sweaty as we got closer to the pack house.
"Relax, you might get them even more suspicious," Arlo said in a monotone. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down when we got into the elevator. As we reached his floor, I walked into the hallway when my nose picked up a lot of foreign scents.
Arlo placed his hand on the small of my back, making the sparks calm me down as he led me to his room. As we walked in, I realized that we were not the only people who were going to be in there. The three elders were waiting for us near the bathroom, and I even saw Jacob standing in the corner, but what made me nervous was of the sight of four unknown women who were all looking at me with blank looks on their faces.
"Who are they?" I asked Arlo.
"We need witnesses to confirm whatever they see in here today," Arlo explained as he led me inside the room.
"Let's begin this without delay." Elder Michael said and walked inside the bathroom as Arlo and I followed behind him.