Mated by Contract to the Alpha
Chapter 268
She paced slowly in front of the class. Design is not just about making pretty clothes. It’s about solving problems, challenging conventions, and understanding the complex relationship between the human body, fabric, and social context.”
Professor Jones turned to the large digital screen behind her, tapping it to bring up a series of images–cutting edge designs from recent runway shows. “Today, we begin with an exercise in design thinking. You have thirty minutes to create a preliminary sketch for a garment that addresses a specific need or problem. The theme is ‘Protection and Vulnerability.”
She checked her watch. “Your time begins now.”
Around me, students immediately bent over their sketchbooks, pencils flying. I hesitated, the blank page before me suddenly intimidating. Protection and vulnerability. The words resonated deeply, evoking images of my children, of Dominic, of the pack I now helped to lead.
For a few seconds, I felt frozen, doubting my decision to return to school. What was I doing here, among these young, unburdened
talents?
Then, almost unbidden, an image formed in my mind–a garment that could transform, adapting to the wearer’s needs, both concealing and revealing. I thought of the duality of my own life: human and wolf–adjacent, mother and Luna, protective and vulnerable.
My pencil touched the paper, and suddenly the anxiety melted away. Lines flowed from my hand, creating the silhouette of a dress with panels that could shift and change, offering both protection and the freedom to reveal one’s true self. I incorporated elements symbolic of my own journey–subtle references to the moon, to motherhood, to transformation.
I lost myself in the creative process, barely aware of time passing until Professor Jones’s voice broke through my concentration.
“Five minutes remaining,” she announced.
I quickly added the final details to my sketch, including notes about fabric choices and construction techniques. As I sat back to assess my work, I caught Mia glancing at my sketchbook, her eyes widening.
“Wow,” she whispered. “That’s incredible.”
Before I could thank her, Professor Jones called time. “Place your sketches on your tables, face up, she instructed. ‘We’re going to conduct a silent gallery walk. Move around the room, observe your colleagues‘ work, but no comments until everyone has seen all the designs.”
We rose and began to circulate, examining each other’s interpretations of the theme. The diversity of approaches was fascinating–some had created literal armor–like garments, others had used transparency and layering to play with the concept of vulnerability, and a few had taken abstract, conceptual approaches.
When I returned to my seat after viewing everyone’s work, I found a small cluster of students gathered around my sketch. They dispersed as I approached, but their expressions ranged from admiration to intimidation.
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Professor Jones made her way to each table, offering brief comments on the designs. When she reached mine, she studied my sketch in silence for a long moment.
‘Interesting,” she said finally. “You’ve incorporated multiple symbolic elements while maintaining wearability–not an easy balance to achieve.” She tapped a particular detail on my sketch. “This transformation element is particularly intriguing. It suggests a garment that adapts to the wearer’s changing needs and circumstances.”
She looked up at me, those amber eyes assessing. “There’s maturity in your design thinking, Rebecca. A depth of lived experience that
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Chapter 268
informs your creative choices.”
I felt a flush of pride at her words, “Thank you, Professor,”
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As Professor Jones moved on, Mia leaned toward me. She never compliments first–day sketches, she whispered. “You must be really
good.”
When class ended, I packed up my supplies with a sense of satisfaction I hadn’t felt in years. As students filed out, several stopped to introduce themselves or compliment my work. For the first time since arriving at the academy that morning, I felt like I truly belonged.
