30
After a long, dizzying mountain drive, I wobble on my feet outside of Celestial Couture.
I’m clammy with nerves. I hope I look nice enough.
But once we’re inside, the grandiosity doesn’t hit me the way the women described the shop. It’s beautiful, but it looks a lot like other wedding dress stores I’ve seen. Maybe Lycans aren’t used to how elaborate human weddings are.
Rainn takes my hand, running me to the nearest dress rack. “What do you think? Do you prefer something minimal? Maximal? Big and flowy, or tight and lacy?”
I grip the back of my neck, struggling to not hide my bloated stomach as nerves settle in. “Well, what do Luna Ceremony dresses usually look like? I know they’re white—”
Kira drops five blaring-white dresses on the floor across the room with a loud clatter. Yasmine backs up with Lexi in her arms, accidentally stepping on the de-racked dresses as she allows Lexi to yank another off the rack.
My stomach sinks. “Oh— Oh, my God—”
Amy rushes over to whisper-scold them, but the minute I turn back to respond to Rainn, she’s face-deep in the wedding dresses, giving them deep sniffs.
With that, I speed-walk to Amy’s side, better equipped at wrangling toddlers than a group of stubborn, hyper Lycans.
Amy nearly drops the dresses she’s cleaning up when she takes one look at me. “Oh, God, what’s wrong? You look pale.”
Everything is chaos, and we just got here!
Amy bites her lip, failing to keep from laughing at me with a snort. I don’t know what to tell you with a pack of excited wolves, girl. Impulse control flies out the window. She stands, linking her arm in mine. But hey, they’re behaving better now, aren’t they?
I look back to find Kira and Yasmine doing their best to fix the dresses, singing a clean-up song with Lexi, and at least Rainn is only sniffing them.
But then Lilian disappears behind the staff-only door at the back of the store.
My heart flips. “Um, is she supposed to go back there? It looks closed off.”
Amy shrugs. “This is a Lycan store, and Lilian is the Greenfield Luna. I doubt Celestia minds.”
Why is everyone suddenly acting like we’re snobby royalty who can do anything we want? I know Noah gives off regal vibes, but that’s just him. Lilian is too approachable with her pack members to expect the royal treatment, and Noah doesn’t even accept an extra pay cut from the Elders unless he can donate it all back to the pack.
Before I can contemplate further, my friends call out from the store’s every corner, holding up dresses.
Kira beams. “You have to try these on! We”re making a pile of the hot ones!”
“Oh, um—”
“At least try one!” Rainn says.
Two breaths later, I’m bombarded with a dress pile-on from all angles.
Amy can”t stop laughing. “Now that you can”t see a thing, let me guide you into the dressing room.”
With Amy steering me by the shoulders, I tuck myself into a small dressing room with two sloppy armfuls of white fabric. The second I look in the mirror at my aghast, windblown expression, I laugh. I really do look like I”ve been wrestling with a pack of wolves.
I didn’t preview any of these, but my friends are so excited that I better try on the one that I like best to show them.
Flipping through them, I do find a favorite. Its bodice slopes against my ribs, framing my breasts in a lacy heart shape and making them look fuller. Actually, are they bigger? My heart flips. They certainly look it—far more so than when I mistook PMS for pregnancy.
I hoist up the dress to analyze them, but my brows furrow in the mirror at my flat expression. Every dress is gorgeous and expensive, and I love how this one looks.
But they’re wedding dresses. And I’m not getting married, I’m becoming the pack’s Luna. Noah”s Luna.
My shoulders deflate in the reflection, and my hopes fall with it. I don’t know what I’m imagining myself to look like, but when I imagine myself mating with Noah in this, it’s not quite there.
But I don’t want to have to go out there and sound like a spoiled brat for not feeling this one. I’m not royalty.
Amy pops her head in, and I yelp in surprise.
When she jerks her head back, offended, I have to laugh. “Hey! What if I was naked?”
“Are you serious?” She breaks into a devilish grin. “There’s not a single portion of your body I haven’t seen after your first heat—”
I slap my palms over my eyes. “Oh, my God, stop, stop! Don’t remind me! My wolf had zero filter for everything I said and did that day.”
We laugh, but my smile quickly fades as I catch a glimpse of us in the mirror. I can’t bear to look at Amy’s sobering expression.
She softly strokes my back. “Hey, you okay?”
I try to smile, forcing back the water clouding my vision. “Sorry, I’m overwhelmed.”
Amy draws me in for a tight embrace. I sigh in her arms, laying my head on her shoulder. She whispers, ensuring no one else can hear us, but it feels like we’re 13 again and having a sleepover. “Are you still having a lot of pregnancy symptoms?”
“Yes. I really need to pee again.”
Amy giggles. “Then let’s go. They can all wait a few extra minutes.”
Wriggling ourselves out the dressing room door in an epic battle against this fluffy skirt, Amy and I dissolve into giggles. She has to hold my dress for me as I pee, and I groan.
“I don’t think this one’s going to work for a mating ritual.”
Amy’s grin darkens, and I know I’m in trouble. “Yeah, how’s Noah going to find your clit in this mountain of fabric?”
I gasp. “Amy!”
We erupt into laughter, howling loud enough for Kira to knock on the door. “You two sound like you’re up to something in there. Everything okay?”
“We’ll be out in a minute!” Amy laughs. Then she sniffs the air. “Hey, this might be kind of weird, but my wolf smells something different on you today, A. Especially since you just peed.”
“Ew, stop! What do you—” I check behind myself to wipe, and my heart stops. I cry out, forcing Amy to suck in a panicked breath.
“What’s wrong?!”
I’m in tears within seconds, hardly able to breathe. “Amy, no— There’s pink— It’s blood—”
Amy gasps. “Aliya, wait! Wait, look at me—”
I shake my head, choking out desperate sobs. I thought I wasn’t getting my hopes up that our pregnancy attempts worked this time, but now I feel my world crumbling, spinning on its head just before it falls. The first thing I imagine is Noah’s crushed expression when I tell him tonight.
Right on cue, Noah mindlinks. Are you okay?!
But Amy steadies me on the toilet seat, gripping my shoulders hard. “Listen to me before you freak out: it’s not what you think!”
“What?” I grip my aching heart. If Amy gives me false hope, I’m afraid it’ll destroy me.
But she squeezes my shoulders again. “Right before you saw that, I was about to tell you something huge, okay? Take a big, deep breath.”
I try to suck in a shaky inhale, but it ends in a harsh cough. “I can’t. My heart hurts so badly, Amy—”
“You’re pregnant, A.! It’s implantation bleeding. I can smell it.”
My tears stop instantly. Amy breaks into a wide smile, but my brain still hasn’t caught up.
“How do you know what you’re smelling? What if it’s just my period, and it’s all just been chemical?” My voice quivers like it’s ready to shatter.
“Remember when my friend Evelyn got pregnant in college? And she thought her light spotting was a period, but I tried to convince her otherwise and she didn’t listen to me?”
My heart flips. “God, I forgot about that. You were so concerned for weeks that I finally convinced her to stop drinking at parties, just in case.”
“Yes! My wolf knew right away, but of course I couldn’t tell either of you why I was so sure. And when Ev missed it the next month, turns out she was pregnant the whole time.” Amy pokes the tip of her nose. “She should’ve believed my wolf nose, since she was absolutely, super pregnant after that. Just like you are now, babe.”
I swallow my racing heart, too terrified to trust Amy’s confirmation. “But why are you so sure about me?”
“Because your pheromones started smelling super, super sweet this morning, and it’s only getting stronger. And that tiny speck of pink isn’t how your period usually starts, is it?”
She’s right. I grip Amy’s arms, unable to stop my rising smile. As nausea wracks my core, I choke out a giddy sob. “Oh, my God, I think you’re right. My symptoms are extra strong today too. I could puke from how bad this bathroom smells, if I wanted to.”
Amy erupts into laughter. “Oh, shit. Hurry, hurry— Let’s go back to the dressing room.”
I hobble to the sink on shaky knees, still processing.
Aliya? You feel okay now, but I thought something horrible happened,Noah mindlinks.
My heart flips. I forgot he mindlinked me. I can’t tell Noah yet, not until we’re face-to-face. Plus, I’m having a hard time believing it yet. And a dark reminder is glued to the back of my mind: I still haven’t missed a period, so it’s still possible I won’t carry to term like Natalia warned. Sorry, my love. False alarm. I’ll tell you later.
Amy quickly dabs off my running mascara, but she freezes when she takes a full look at my face in the mirror reflection.
Her grin spreads. “Are you going to be okay?”
I laugh. “I’m just— I’m stunned, Amy. Do you really think—”
Which is when someone knocks on the door. Amy opens it to reveal Lilian with an unfamiliar, lavishly dressed woman in tow. I quickly blink away my fresh tears, gripping Amy as this stranger sputters like we’ve done something atrocious.
“Oh, Goddess! Oh, Luna Lilian, no, no, no! Are these your Greenfield wolves?! Where is my soon-to-be Luna?” The woman holds her palm against her forehead, her sharp, black nails fanning high in the air.
I step out from the dressing room, my heart pounding into my ears. “Um, hi.”
The Sexy Luna Taskforce swoops in, surrounding me with their supportive scent.
“Here she is!” Rainn says.
Kira leans in, utmost seriousness deepening her voice. “We need her to look sexy as hell.”
“Sexy,” Lexi whispers for the first time.
Amy’s eyes bulge in horror, and I bite my lips, tempted to laugh.
But Celestia waves her hands, every gesture sweeping over the air like she’s smoothing fabric folds. “That’s precisely what I’m saying: you’re in the wrong section!”
Amy and I give each other an amused look as we follow Celestia into the back of the store, behind the staff door. Passing through a dim hallway, the light at the end of it richens into a golden, airy hue, hitting the beaded fabric at the doorway at just the right angle to make it glitter like snowflakes. As we step into a room with high ceilings and carved wooden walls, we find the most lavish, intricate, expensive-looking clothing I’ve ever seen in my life.
I stop mid-walk, gaping at the dresses around us.
No, these aren’t dresses. They’re ornamented lingerie.
Good thing I wore nice underwear today.
Amy meets my wide eyes and barely contains a laugh. Are you surviving?
Amy, did you ever imagine me getting married in lingerie?
Her eyes sweep my body. Girl, I don’t think anyone will complain.
I flush—right as Celestia looks me in the eyes.
“Much better, yes? Take your time to look around. I’d be happy to alter anything you’d like, no extra charge.”
“Oh, wow. Even with the rush charge?”
“Absolutely, Luna! I’ve been awaiting your ceremony since you both met!”
My heart flips. She’s the second professional now to say so—another reminder of the eyes that will be on us, not just at the ritual, but the rest of our lives.
I smile. “That’s so incredibly generous of you. Thank you so, so much!”
The women gape in excitement, shock, and anticipation, hanging on Celestia’s every word.
But I don’t know what to do or say. This is a lot more attention than I’m used to—well, outside of Noah’s attention.
Celestia smiles, striding to the most glamorous dress rack. “I recommend these more intricate mating dresses for you, of course. But you’re welcome to try on anything here.”
“Wow, this is...” I run my fingers along the nearest lacy dress, large slits on either hip and airy, sheer fabric from bust to toe. Noah could just slip his hands up my thighs, parting the fabric in one swift movement, and—
I cover my mark with my palm, hoping it hides the sudden burst of lust in my scent.
Now that I’ve had a moment to recover from my panic in the lobby and near-meltdown in the dressing room, it’s clear my emotions and reactions are heightened beyond control today. Are these mood swings?
Celestia absolutely notices my scent, her grin widening. “You like this one, don’t you?”
“I—” Swallowing hard, my eyes land on the whopping price tag. It far exceeds what Noah and I agreed on, nearly tripling the amount I’m comfortable with; while I want to dress fancier than I ever have for the ceremony, I’d much rather put a big chunk of our money down on a new house than on a dress I’ll wear once.
Celestia flips the tag over. “Oh, pup, don’t look at that. I owe your mate a favor much larger than that.”
My stomach drops, and Celestia only smiles wider.
But I grip my arm. “What? No, that’s not right. I”m not taking anything here for free.”
“Oh, it is right. From one Omega to another, there’s no more survivable pack out there for us than your Alpha’s.”
I stiffen. “Thank you for supporting my mate, but I”m my own woman, and—”
Celestia covers her mouth with a gasp. “Oh, goodness! I”m so sorry, that”s not what I meant. You”re my Luna too. Of course I want you to feel like your best self for your mating ceremony. It”s my honor!”
“Oh, sorry, I—” I cut myself off, studying Celestia”s confusion. Maybe I’m the one fumbling cultural norms by missing something huge, as usual.
Okay. No more apologies. I”m just going to focus on the important part of this issue: maybe Celestia would be honored to gift her work to me, but I’d like to respect her value as an artist and working Omega.
My stomach burns the second I return my attention to the stunning dresses at my fingertips. “Are you sure you want to give anything here away? This is your gorgeous handiwork. Gorgeous, gorgeous handiwork...”
“Let’s just say... I wouldn’t be here without Greenfield. This is nothing.” Celestia’s sudden sincerity doesn”t help my raging heartbeat. But her words still strike me the wrong way.
“Nothing? This is better than anything I imagined.”
Celestia laughs. “But? You’re not jumping to try them on.”
“But... Nothing. There’s not a single thing I don’t like about the dress. Any of these dresses.”
“You’re worried you can’t pull it off, aren’t you?”
My telling silence lends to Celestia’s smirk.
“Most Omegas feel the same.” She leans in. Her cool hand on my shoulder sends a shiver down my arm. “But a good Alpha knows the timid ones come with the hottest surprises.”
My heart spikes with excitement—and fear.
She whispers into my ear. “Don’t let a label tame you, pup. I can smell the dominance within you, waiting to be unleashed. Let the dress carry you there. Indulge.”
Celestia pulls away with a wink despite me flushing down to my neck. When I realize she’s not leaving anytime soon and likely plans to help me try on dresses, I grasp Amy’s hand.
Like the best friend she is, Amy jumps in without hesitation. “Trust me, Celestia, we’re not letting her go home with anything less than she deserves.”
Celestia beams. “You have a good set of friends here, I see. Well, good. I’ll be chatting with our current Luna when you need me.”
I give her a forced smile. “Thank you for your generosity, Celestia. Truly.”
The Sexy Luna Taskforce swoops in—minus Lilian as she keeps Celestia occupied.
My friends lower their voices, but that isn’t saying much.
Kira lowers into a hiss, but only after putting her palms over Lexi’s ears. “Are you fucking kidding me?! She’s giving you the goddamn dress for free?!”
Amy grips Kira’s arm. “Shh, Kira!”
“For reals, though! What the hell did Alpha Noah do?!”
“I don’t know either, but I”m not comfortable with taking the dress without paying her for something,” I say.
My best friend is a sneaky philanthropist, though. Yasmine checks over her shoulder, deciding it’d be safer to mindlink. I can only guess she was a Rogue at some point. There are plenty of anonymous Omegas that Noah and Ritchie saved from abuse in other packs. And Noah has a terrible habit of forgetting to tell us when he encounters some seriously horrible shit. Maybe he really did save her life and kept it private for her, especially if it made her feel extra vulnerable.
Everyone’s excitement dulls into an aching sadness. I’m sure Celestia can smell it, but her eyes remain glued to Lilian.
Amy puts her arms around Kira and Yasmine, leaning in. “Alright, regroup. We’re the Sexy Luna Taskforce, and we have a job to do.”
Rainn’s classic smile returns. “You”re right, Amy. What style do you like most here, future Luna? Let”s try to narrow it down somehow.”
I try to stay centered, but my voice shakes through my fading smile. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
Amy frowns, grabbing my hand. “Give us a second, ladies.”
She pulls me to the back of the store, stirring my frozen legs into action.
Plopping us down on a tufted bench, Amy grabs my hand. “Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
“I”m not a goddess, let alone royalty. Everyone’s acting like it, but I’m really not special. I just want to buy a dress. What if I”m in over my head?”
“With Noah?” Amy’s eyes widen.
My wolf growls through me. “No! I”d never say that!”
Amy sputters out a laugh. “Damn, okay! Just checking!”
I grasp my temples. “God, sorry, I’m so weird today. But I love Noah with my whole soul, Amy. This is so important to me.”
“Aww, babe. Then what”s wrong? I mean, maybe I’m overstepping here, but are you having trouble letting yourself be taken care of again?”
I swallow hard, looking down to my feet. “Not like I used to. I want to mate Noah in front of everyone... And I do want to wear something like this while we mate.”
“That’s incredible in itself! You were nowhere near a place to do this before. Just your interest amazes me.” Amy squeezes my arm. “But if you’re trying to force yourself into it, that’s not okay. I don”t care what anyone might think, not even Alpha Noah. If you”re not into any of this, we can call it off. I’ll have your back, all the way.”
My head snaps up, staring directly at Amy. “I love you, Amy. But please, don’t worry. I’m not forcing myself. I want this.”
We’re both stunned at the conviction in my tone. But then my cheeks flare with embarrassment.
Amy slumps. “Oh, babe... Seriously, what’s wrong?”
I shudder back tears, trying not to hiccup as they come pouring out of me. “I want to be the pack’s sex symbol, so badly. But I don”t know if I”m ever going to feel okay enough to do what I want. What if we go through the whole ceremony, and after all this special treatment, I panic in front of everyone?”
I hold my rocky stomach, hoping it doesn’t overturn.
But Amy squeezes my shoulders, sincerity wiping out her worry from moments before. “You know what? That’s possible.”
My heart throbs, worsening my tears.
“But everyone will have to accept whatever happens. Whether you do it or not, you’re their Luna, and you deserve respect.”
“But why does that mean I deserve respect? Just because I love Noah?” I groan. “Everyone’s acting like I’m supposed to be some spoiled princess. If I”m only important because they see me as his pet, it’s demeaning.”
“This isn’t about Noah, but I hear you. I think you need to talk to him about his opinion on Lunas to clear that up. And I also don’t think you know how much you’ve already helped this community, even though you just got here. You weren”t born into being their Luna, and you were given a choice. You chose to carry this weight for the pack. That means something huge to these wolves. More than you”ll probably ever know.”
My heart throbs into my ears. “I have an idea of what it means to them, at least. That”s why I care so much about being good enough for them.”
“But that”s the thing. You’d still deserve their respect, even if you don”t do a goddamn thing. And I think you should own it. I can see you want to.”
I grasp Amy’s hands, pulling her in closer. “A., I do want to be looked at with respect— And maybe even admiration. Even if it’s selfish to want and that selfishness makes me a bad person.”
A grin erupts across Amy’s face, and I’m stunned. She looks inspired.
I”ve never thought it could help others to be selfish, yet it”s real, and it”s happening. Maybe I can be a symbol of hope for our pack by taking up space. Maybe I can nurture them even better this way.
I flick my tears off, chasing the desire in my heart. “I need to mate with Noah in front of everyone, acting as the pack’s leading sex symbols. I don’t just want to, I need to. And I know that sounds weird when I say it out loud since I’m not the usual personality type to be a sex icon, but—”
“Really? Because I think you are. Just because you want this. I love sex, but I wouldn”t want this.”
My breath heightens, stoking the fire my wolf won’t let go.
Luna... I want to be Luna.
Amy cups my cheeks, staring me straight in the eyes. “There she is. You know what I see?”
“Um—” I wince at how foolish I’m about to sound. “A sex symbol?”
“No. You’re not just a symbol. I see a sex matriarch. And we’re going to make sure you look like one.”
Amy drags me across the room back to the most expensive dresses, grasping the one I had my eyes on.
She thrusts it into my hands. “Try this, and at least two others you love. Fuck what everyone else thinks. Trust your wolf.”
Facing the dresses with fresh eyes, they don’t look like lingerie anymore. They look like how I want Noah to envision me for the rest of my life.
I want him to desire me. Not just my body and heart, but my confidence. I want him to witness the security in myself it takes to wear this after all I’ve been through.
With shaking hands, I grab not three, but four of my favorite dresses—without imagining anyone else”s input.
Shit, this was easier than I thought. Is it supposed to be decided this quickly?
But Amy beams, her voice shaking as she rubs my shoulders. “So?! What do you think?”
“I... I absolutely love these. I can picture enjoying myself in at least one of them.”
“Fuck, yes! I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Amy.”
“Now go try these on while we pick out the sexiest lingerie for you to enjoy after the fact.”
“What?!”
Amy cackles. “You wanted to pay for something, right? Don’t let Celestia pressure our soon-to-be Luna out of getting what she needs today.”
I nearly drop my armful of dresses as I tackle Amy with a hug. “I really do love you.”
“I really do love you too, girl. Always have, always will. Even when you piss me off.”
I sigh. “Just be nice to me when I inevitably have about 20 nip slips in the next hour.”
Amy bursts out laughing before calling the rest of the Sexy Luna Taskforce over. “With what she picked out, you”ll all want to see this!”
Yasmine beams, her fangs on full display. “Our future Luna is trying something on?”
Rainn smirks in a way only a sibling can. “Noah’s going to be so jealous we saw it first!”
Lilian and Celeste follow behind them as our mini pack streams in, all eyes on me.
I keep my shoulders from slumping, breathing into my wolf’s determination to be Luna. “I think I already know which one I love, but I’m trying them all on first—” I bite back a smile. “To give you a show.”
My friends cheer and whistle, and I escape into the dressing room with the biggest smile I’ve had all day. Amy follows close behind, helping me sort the dresses and slip into the complicated getups.
“You”ve got this, girl. I”m so fucking proud of you,” Amy whispers.
I blow out a shaky breath, gazing at myself in the mirror as I strip to my underwear. Most of them don’t feel as exciting as I hoped. My heart sinks when I try the final dress on, and the lace scratches against my skin. I already know it’ll irritate my neurodivergent brain all night.
“What’s wrong?” Amy asks.
But I’m no longer looking at Amy in the mirror; something catches my eye over her shoulder, glittering in the corner.
“Aliya?”
“Oh, my God, Amy... What is that?”
She spins around. Amy falls into a hush as we approach the stray dress. “Whoa. It looks like it’s never been released before. We’d have to ask Celestia.”
I bite my nails. “Do you think that’s rude?”
“Oh, hell no. I think she’ll fucking love it.”
My heart pounds as I look into Amy’s eyes. If I want that dress, I’ll have to be selfish and request it. My feet shuffle. “Amy, I love all of these, but that one...”
I nibble my lip, staring back at the dress with Amy. It consumes the silence in the room, filling it with gentle shimmers under the store lights.
“Let’s ask her,” I whisper.
Amy bolts out the door the second I say the word. Within a minute, Celestia rushes to remove the gown she’s been working on, helping me into it with a beaming grin.
This is by far the most incredible, expensive dress I”ve ever worn. It feels so luxurious that I’m afraid to touch it.
But as I step into my soon-to-be Luna dress, I’m overcome with anxiety, excitement, and an intense, unavoidable hunger. I can feel her rising to the surface, more than ever: the Luna I want to be.
When I look into my own eyes in the mirror, she’s already there, staring back.
My breath short-circuits as my eyes roam across every visible scar, flaw, and oddity beneath the sheer fabric. A faint outline of my nipples peek through the intricate design, but it doesn’t feel vulgar. It feels molded to my body, outlining features that aren’t necessarily good or bad; they just are. Until I take a step back to zoom out my focus, capturing the full image of myself all at once. With every flaw I thought I had, lacy framing adds a certain beauty to them I never cared to notice before.
The rising fire in my belly blazes.
“I... love myself in this,” I whisper.
Amy has been stunned silent, gaping in awe. But with these words, she starts to weep.
“Oh, A.—” I flip around, desperate to soothe her.
But she’s beaming. “Show everyone else. They’re going to be as happy for you as I am.”
Before I can second-guess it, I rush outside the dressing room with happy tears clouding my eyes. The moment everyone’s stare lands on me, the room falls into complete silence.
Followed by wide smiles and happy sniffles. When even Celestia is speechless, I have trouble keeping my head up.
But my chosen family chimes in.
“Holy ship,” Kira breathes, clutching Lexi closer. “Auntie Aliya is...”
“Pretty,” Lexi whispers.
“Truly, Luna, you’re so...” Rainn trails off, overwhelmed with emotion.
But her mother picks up where she left off. “Beautiful. Sexy. Confident. My son will be so blown away by his Luna. Our Luna.”
My heart overflows with joy, forcing me to wipe more tears as they gush from my smiling eyes.
But Yas lets out a frustrated groan, making every head whip to her. “Dammit, I’m so jealous of Noah now!”
Everyone erupts into laughter.
But with my newfound confidence, I let myself loose. “With how well Noah treats me in bed, you should be jealous of me.”
Everyone laughs again, and I drop my head to smooth my dress. I guess there’s still a part of me that’s forever unable to stop feeling shy. Maybe that’s okay too.
Yasmine waves my words away with her hand. “Oh, no, Noah and I aren’t right for each other. I’m way too aromantic for his mushy ass. Especially in bed.”
My eyebrows raise, but inside, my wolf bares her teeth. “You’ve slept with him?”
Yasmine laughs. “I wouldn’t go that far. We tried a best friend sex thing once at 17 and it was just weird. It’s more than old news, it’s dead and buried.”
My throat burns, even though I know it’s old news; if it wasn’t, I’d sense Noah’s attraction through our bond.
But what confuses me the most is how I’m feeling. What’s with my jealous, reactive wolf today? Calm down before anyone smells it. I dated and had sex with multiple people before we met too. So why am I—
Kira glares at me, and my eyes widen further.
“Don’t act like you and Amy didn’t have a little thing in college, right before we met. I’ve always been jealous of that.”
My face burns bright red, but Amy bursts into laughter. “You know you’re my one and only, babe.”
Kira’s chest puffs, her sly smile appearing. “Yeah? Well, I”ll never get tired of hearing that either.”
Rainn tucks her hair behind her ear. “Listen, I—” She bites her lip, peeking into my eyes. “I won’t lie, I’ve slept with Yas also. She’s hot.”
Yasmine’s proud smirk makes us all laugh even harder, softening any jealousy I felt moments before.
“I can agree with that, Yas. You”re hot as hell,” I say.
Kira nudges Yasmine, and Amy and Rainn can”t stop giggling with me.
I feel so free. Like I”m finally with my pack.
Before I can join back in on the fun, my wolf recoils into complete terror, sensing an oncoming threat before my conscious mind does. Everyone stops, staring at what must be pure shock and terror on my face.
A mindlink slices through my thoughts.
Celestial Couture Shop, huh?