One Night

Chapter 207

Audrey

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My heart pounded like a war drum in my chest as I paced back and forth in the small bathroom, the click of my high heels echoing too loudly off of the tiled walls. My voice trembled slightly as I read the last paragraph of my presentation out loud one last time:

“In conclusion, this piece, titled ‘Metamorphosis’, represents not just a culmination of my studies-but a journey of self- discovery and transformation. Each piece tells a story, weaving together the threads of my past and present, human and werewolf, to create a tapestry that is uniquely mine. Uniquely… Audrey.”

The moment I finished reading, I immediately cursed under my breath and stormed over to the bathroom counter, where I angrily slammed my paper down on the marble and reached for my pen.

“No, no, no. I need to change this. It’s awful, Tina. Awful!”

Tina, perched on the counter beside me, grabbed my hand before I could write anything. “I think it’s great, Audrey,” she assured me for what felt like the millionth time since we had come in here. “Don’t change a thing.”

“But-”

“Hey.” She leveled me with a stern glare, silently forcing me to take a deep breath. “You’ve got this. You’ll be fine.”

I pursed my lips and looked away. “I hate presentations.”

“Don’t we all?” Tina laughed.

Huffing, I ran a hand through my hair, careful not to disturb the carefully styled silver streak on display. “I know. It’s just… With my mom being in a coma for the last few weeks of preparations… I feel so underprepared,” I muttered. “Maybe I should ask for an extension. The judges might give it to me, given the circumstances. Another week…”

Before I could spiral too far, Tina hopped off the counter and placed her hands on my shoulders, turning me to look at her. “Audrey, listen to me. You do not need an extension. Your work is amazing, and you know this presentation inside and out You’ve been working on it for longer than any of us have.”

I took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm my nerves. Tina was right, of course; I had been working on this project since last summer. But still, the fear of public speaking coupled with the high stakes of this presentation had my stomach in knots.

And it didn’t help any that my wolf, still furious with me for pushing our mate away, wasn’t here to provide me support. Ever since Edwin and I had last spoken outside the hospital a few weeks ago, she had gone fully dormant, only surfacing to let out the occasional growl or snide remark.

I could have used her strength today, her support… anything to help me get through this.

“Come on,” Tina said, turning me to face the mirror again. “Let’s just focus on making sure you look as fabulous as your work.”

As Tina primped me, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, taking in the outfit I had painstakingly created myself. The charcoal gray trousers hugged my hips perfectly, paired with a crisp white blouse that I had embroidered with delicate silver thread along the collar and cuffs. I had gone for extra high pump heels today, wanting to feel tall and commanding.

But the most significant thing about my look was that my silver streak was on full display, woven into an intricate braid that crowned my head. The rest of my dark hair fell in soft waves around my shoulders.

“You’re sure it’s not too much… silver?” I asked, touching the little silver locket around my throat that I had never once taken off since Edwin had given it to me.

Tina smirked. “Silver is, like your whole thing now. Own it.”

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I nodded stiffly. She was right; I dressed like this because I wanted to make a statement today. Silver was part of who I was, regardless of how I felt about being the Silver Star. It wouldn’t feel right to hide that part of myself when I was presenting a thesis about metamorphoses and identities.

“See?” Tina said, adjusting my hair one last time. “You look amazing, and you’re gonna do

great.”

I nodded, but my heart was pounding for more than one reason. Tonight, after my presentation, Edwin had promised me a date. The thought sent a flutter of excitement through my stomach, momentarily overshadowing my nerves about the presentation.

We hadn’t seen each other in weeks, not since that day we got coffee. Edwin had given me the space I needed since then so I could focus on my project, which I appreciated, but that space also made me feel like a lovesick schoolgirl again.

“You’re thinking about the date now, aren’t you?” Tina asked.

“How could you tell?”

“You just randomly started blushing.” She grinned impishly. “Are you excited?”

Despite myself, I nodded vehemently. “I… I am,” I admitted somewhat sheepishly, then blushed even deeper. “I can’t believe I’m actually nervous about a date with the man who I’ve already spent countless hours with.”

even

Tina caught my expression in the mirror and smirked. “It’s just because of the time apart. You know, you two just need to get in bed together and have some crazy sex, and then you’ll be back to normal.”

My mouth dropped open. “Tina!” I exclaimed, swatting at her, but I couldn’t deny the truth in her words. Despite everything, I lusted after Edwin every night. Once a werewolf finds their mate, they are insatiable. Those feelings never stopped despite our break. I still had… dreams about him constantly.

“I mean, every night I-”

Tina held up a hand, her smirk widening. “Thanks, but I don’t need the details.”

My face turned beet red. “Sorry, I’m just on edge and talking too much,” I muttered.

“It’s okay,” Tina laughed. “But right now is not the time to be thinking about sex. You need to focus on your presentation.”

I nodded, taking another deep breath. She was right. I needed to compartmentalize. Edwin and our relationship could wait. Right now, I had to prove myself to the judges.

“Audrey Klein?” As if on cue, a voice called from outside the bathroom. “You’re up next.”

My stomach dropped. This was it. The moment I’d been preparing for all year.

Tina gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You’ve got this,” she whispered. “Go in there and wow thos

to

stretch

With that, I squared my shoulders, grabbed my portfolio, and stepped out of the bathroom. The hallway seemed endlessly as I walked up to the presentation room, where the door loomed over me like some kind of ominous portal to another world. Each step felt like I was walking through mo*s, my** heart rate increasing with every moment that passed.

As I approached the door, I could hear m**ed voices from inside. The previous presenter must have just finished. I took one final deep breath, trying to center myself as I smoothed down my shirt.

The door opened, and the previous presenter walked out, looking relieved. They gave me a sympathetic smile as they passed. “Good luck,” they murmured.

I nodded my

thanks and stepped into the room. It was smaller than I had expected, with a long table at the front where

Chapter 207

three judges sat. Behind them, a screen was set up for my visual presentation. A staff member was wheeling in my covered mannequin and positioning it by the podium.

Taking a deep breath, I plastered a smile on my face and made my way to the center of the room, my portfolio clutched tightly to my chest like a shield. As I turned to face the judges, my eyes swept across their faces.

The first two were unfamiliar-an older woman with kind eyes and a middle-aged man with a serious expression. But as my gaze landed on the third judge, my heart sank.

“Mr. Black,” I breathed.

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