Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law-Chapter 97: Masked

On the night of the masquerade ball, Isabella was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. She had considered hiring a professional makeup artist and hairstylist for the event, but she always liked her makeup better when she did it herself.

Now, as she took a step back from the mirror, Isabella was glad that she had gotten herself ready. She had curled her dark hair into soft waves that flowed down her back. Her silver eyeshadow perfectly complemented her dark blue gown, and her full lips were painted a bright pink. She put on her silver high heels and glanced at the clock.

Her pulse quickened in excitement. It was about time for Elliot to arrive. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She couldn't wait to show off her distinguished fiancé at the gala. To Isabella, this night felt like their official debut as a couple, and she wanted everything to go perfectly.

They would share a limo with Jasmine and Axel, and she couldn't wait to have fun with her friends. For the first time in a long while, she could spend time with three of her favorite people at the same time.

She only wished her father would have an equally good time, but it seemed highly unlikely. Isabella cringed when she thought about the number of women who would be vying for his attention. Her Aunt Delilah would surely be one of those women. Isabella didn't dislike her, but the fact that she was obsessed with marrying her cousin's former mate was creepy. Her skin crawled whenever she saw Delilah ignore her father's repeated rejections.

But Isabella comforted herself with the knowledge that her dad was the Lycan King and could take care of himself.

After one last approving nod at her reflection, she walked out of the room with her head held high.

In the hallway, she almost ran right into her father.

"Dad, you're ready!"

"Dad? Do I look that old?" A familiar voice came out of his mouth, sounding vaguely offended. Isabella's eyes widened in surprise. Upon taking a closer look, she realized the man didn't have any silver streaks in his hair.

This was her cousin, not her father.

"Sorry, Axel!" Isabella apologized with a laugh. "I wasn't expecting you to look like my father. Why did you suddenly decide to cut your hair?"

Axel ran a hand through his dark brown locks. "I wanted to look my best for my date," he answered, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "I can't wait to ask Jasmine if she will be my girlfriend. But now that you mention I look like Uncle… I think I should go and change."

"Don't be ridiculous. You look very handsome. It's a compliment to be compared to my father," Isabella assured him, and leaned forward to straighten his silver-colored tie. "I see you're already matching Jasmine's dress."

"I have to be the best date she has ever had, if I want her to become my girlfriend," Axel said determinedly.

Isabella clapped her hands excitedly. But her smile faded as something occurred to her. A seed of doubt began to grow in her mind, and soon she couldn't ignore it.

"Axel…are you sure that's a good idea? You haven't known Jasmine for very long, and you're not fated mates."

Axel took a step back from his cousin and frowned. "Well, I could say the same about your courtship with Elliot. You haven't known each other for that long, and you're not destined mates either," he pointed out.

Isabella sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry I said anything."

But she still had doubts that Axel was doing the right thing. Since she cared so much about her cousin and Jasmine, she needed to say what was on her mind.

"Have you thought it through, though? Your entire family and pack are in Germany. What will you do if Jasmine doesn't want to uproot her whole life to move away with you? Her family and friends are here. And you're supposed to be the next Alpha of your pack. You can't stay here."

Axel paused. Then, he opened his mouth only to close it. Honestly, he hadn't thought much past asking Jasmine to be his girlfriend.

"Jasmine and I will figure everything out," Axel said with confidence he didn't necessarily feel. "Besides, I have unlimited funds for airplane tickets if that's what it comes down to. Distance doesn't matter when it comes to matters of love."

Isabella's eyes widened.

"Wow…I've never heard you talk about a girl like this before."

"I've never felt this way about a girl before," Axel admitted. "Jasmine is…special to me. I've really fallen for her."

The two cousins walked down the grand staircase together. In the foyer, different colored masks were laid out on a table for them to take their pick from.

Gareth joined them after debriefing his security detail for tonight.

"Good evening," Gareth murmured. "You look beautiful," he told his daughter and reluctantly shook Axel's hand.

He couldn't stop thinking about how his nephew was taking Jasmine to the gala tonight, and then he would ask her to be his girlfriend.

The three of them selected their masks. Isabella chose a pale white mask that covered her eyes. There was a single white feather on it and beaded detailing down the side. Unknowingly, Axel and Gareth picked out almost identical black masculine masks.

Isabella stared in awe at the two men. With their black suits, haircuts, and tall, powerful builds, it was even harder to tell them apart.

Elliot—who was wearing a simple dark blue mask to match his fiancée's dress—arrived and bowed to his date, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.

Isabella blushed and put a hand to her mouth, giggling.

"My Beta will be here soon with Jasmine," Axel announced to the room.

Soon, the front door opened, and when Jasmine walked through the entryway, the room fell silent for the first time that night.

The diamonds on Jasmine's dress were sparkling almost as much as her blue eyes. Her honey-colored hair was pinned back in an elegant braid that fell down her back. Jasmine's plump lips were painted a dark red that went perfectly with the silver color of her dress.

Axel's mouth dropped, and he tried to catch his date's eye, but Jasmine couldn't tear her gaze away from Gareth.

Out of the corner of his eye, Elliot was staring at her too.

A dark blush spread across her cheeks, only enhancing her beauty.

Isabella ran forward and clutched Jasmine's hands. "I'm so glad you're here! You look amazing."

"So do you," Jasmine replied, trying to keep her eyes off of Gareth.

"Come and choose a mask," Isabella instructed, pulling her friend to the table.

Jasmine could feel Gareth's gaze on her as she selected a black mask with intricate silver designs.

After Axel helped her put on the mask, they were ready to go.

Gareth watched them get into the black stretch limo, his gray eyes watching Jasmine until the door shut behind her. Her sweet scent stayed with him long after the car drove away. He would never admit —even to himself—that he would give just about anything to be the one escorting Jasmine to the gala.