ALEX
“Stay here,” I instruct Haisley before stepping out to meet the person who knocked.
“I’m so sorry, sir. I just realized we asked Miss Haisley to go into the wrong dressing room,” the clerk explains apologetically.
“What do you mean?” I ask, feeling confused.
“Miss Haisley’s dress is actually in fitting room 5, not 1,” she clarifies.
“Oh,” I respond, understanding the situation. Does that mean I was wrong in my assumption?
“Yes, you were,” Eden interjects in my mind. “The poor girl was innocent, and you punished her.”
“Getting face-fucked isn’t really a punishment, in my defense,” I retort.
“Because she was trembling with need?” Eden counters, his tone tinged with sarcasm.
“Yes,” I admit.
Eden rolls his eyes in response.
“What do you think about her?” I ask, changing the subject.
“I feel the connection, but it was a lot to take after just losing one mate,” Eden responds.
“Same way I feel,” I agree.
“I doubt. Your dick has been in her pussy and mouth in the last hours,” Eden counters.
“And if I remember correctly, who was the one who didn’t stop me?” I remind him.
“I hate you,” Eden jokes.
“Same,” I reply, and we both burst out laughing. We weren’t ready to fully accept Haisley as our mate, even though we couldn’t resist her.
“But there is also something I didn’t understand,” I continue after our laughter subsides.
“What’s that?” Eden inquires.
“The night we found out Alice was our mate. I didn’t lose control as much as I did with Haisley,” I confess.
Eden takes a deep breath. “I also noticed my pull toward Poppy is stronger than it was with Alice’s wolf, and the time spent knowing we were mated to either one of them isn’t that much, but I can still tell the difference.”
“Hmm… I wonder why,” I mull over the mystery.
“I don’t know, but probably we will find out with time,” Eden concludes.
“Yeah,” I agree and cut off our connection, noticing the clerk’s mouth moving.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” the clerk apologizes as I pull my focus back to the present.
“Pack the dress and bring it out front,” I instruct the clerk before walking back into the fitting room.
I find Haisley changed back into the dress I almost ripped off her body when I wanted to fuck her this morning.
“Is everything alright?” she asks, her lashes still wet from the tears she shed from taking me hard in her mouth. Her voice sounds hoarse, and my heart clenches in my chest, but I push aside the feeling.
Without a word, I grab her hand and drag her out of the fitting room and out of the store. I open the car door and gesture for her to get in while I walk back to collect the dress. Once I have it, I return to the car, ready to head home and hoping to end the day without any more surprises.
***
HANNAH
As we drive back to the pack house, I start feeling a little sleepy and decide to close my eyes for a bit. When I open them again, I find myself in a dimly lit room, illuminated by the soft glow of moonlight filtering in through the curtains. The room has simple decor and doesn’t carry anyone’s scent, so I assume it’s a guest room. I pull the covers back and drop my feet onto the plush carpet beside the bed, feeling its comforting softness underfoot. I scan the room for any sign of Alex, but he’s nowhere to be found. I notice a shopping bag on the side table and a note beside it. I pick up the note to read it.
The note says, “Here is the dress you are supposed to wear. Try it now and let me know if we need to make adjustments to it.”
I look into the bag and find a silver and white gown. Following the note’s instructions, I try it on. To my surprise, it fits perfectly and, in my opinion, looks fabulous on me. As I stand by the mirror admiring myself, my mind suddenly drifts to what happened earlier in the fitting room with Alex. Did he come to realize I wasn’t responsible for what happened with the dress? And if he did, why didn’t he apologize for accusing me of trying to seduce him in the store?
“Maybe it’s because you also enjoyed being accused,” Poppy suggests.
“That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t apologize,” I retort.
“I think it does to him,” Poppy counters.
Before I can protest further, a sharp rap at the door interrupts our exchange, halting the conversation in its tracks. With a sigh, I reluctantly tear myself away from the mirror.
Approaching the door with cautious steps, I peek out, offering only a glimpse of my presence. I don’t want whoever it is to see my dress.
“Miss Haisley, dinner is ready. I’ve been asked to escort you to the dining room,” the omega says.
“Oh, alright, give me a minute,” I say, closing the door behind me. I quickly change out of the dress and into my own before heading out the door.
The omega leads me through the corridors, her steps echoing softly against the polished floors as we make our way to the dining room. As I step into the room, I find the Sky Pack Alpha family already seated at the table.
“Hello dear, nice of you to join us. Please, sit,” Luna Marley greets, gesturing to the chair opposite Alex.
“Thank you,” I murmur softly, the weight of his gaze-or lack thereof-weighing heavily on my conscience as I settle into my seat.
Alpha George gives me a nod when I glance his way. Lorenzo and Cameron glare at me with hatred in their eyes before continuing to eat their food.
As I begin to fill my plate with the offered delicacies, Luna Marely’s voice cuts through the din, asking about the fit of the dress.
“Yes,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper, the raspiness of my throat. I notice then that I have a sore throat. My cheeks flush immediately, realizing why my voice was hoarse.
“Oh my goodness dear, what happened to your voice? Is everything alright?” Luna asks, concerned.
“No, everything is fine,” I quickly reply, hoping she won’t press further.
“Are you sure?” She persists, causing my cheeks to redden even more.
“Yes, I probably just had a sore throat from the sleep I just had,” I say, my gaze moving to Alex, wondering if he knew he was the reason why I had lost my voice. Again, he doesn’t spare me a glance, just cutting into his chicken in front of him and eating gracefully.
Luna Marley breathes a sigh of relief. “That’s okay, just make sure to take care of yourself. We don’t want you getting sick before the ceremony.”
“I will,” I say, finally digging into my food, but I stop at her words once again.
“I heard you’re graduating soon. George and I thought it would be nice to gift you and Alex a house in the human part of town. There, you can plan your future together while Alex continues his work in the human world.”
“Uhmm… thank you,” I stammer, shocked by her words. We weren’t even married yet, and they were already gifting us a house. Why did that sound like the worst idea ever?