Epilogue Part I
EPILOGUE
PART I
________
LIAM
“She’s going to love it,” Tyler said. “No doubt.”
I laughed. “I hope so.”
Dylan lounged against the wall outside our Omega’s bedroom. “Any chance we can stop by dressing room number two, even though we’re not performing?”
“If there’s a way we can go backstage, maybe,” Jack offered. “But there’s no way of knowing if someone will be in there or not.”
The Designation Choice Awards were tonight.
Two years since we’d met Eva and everything changed.
But it was more than that. After fitting sessions between filming and slowly moving toward edgier fashions and more serious roles, Eva was debuting her full new look tonight, along with her finally finished back tattoo.
There would probably be people who didn’t like it. For our part, just seeing the tattoo turned us more than a little feral. Which was why only one of us had ever been allowed in the tattoo studio with her at a time.
Tyler checked his phone. “We need to leave soon.”
“We have time.” But he wasn’t entirely wrong. We couldn’t afford to miss Eva’s red carpet slot. Not tonight. It was too important.
I knocked on the door quietly, and a minute later, Jasmine opened it. “She’s about to get dressed.”
“Can we have a moment?”
“Of course.” She ushered the beauty team out of the room and left us with Eva. She was in a robe at her vanity, hair in big waves that reminded me of the night we met. Her hair was once again past her shoulders. I couldn’t wait to run my hands through it later.
“Hi.” She grinned at us in the mirror. “I’m almost done.”
“We thought we’d help you,” Jack said.
She tilted her head. “With what?”
“Getting dressed. We have some things for you.” I set my hands on her shoulders, smoothing the robe’s fabric over her skin.
“I’m already changing everything up; I’m not sure we can change anything else.”
Dylan took her hand and lifted her out of the chair. “You know us better than that, sweetheart. We made sure it was approved.”
She gasped. “Have you been sneaking around?”
“It’s the only way to surprise you,” Tyler said. “Feel free to be impressed.”
The dress Eva was meant to wear was a nod to the dress from two years ago, but even more daring. It was a purple so dark it bordered on black, with a plunging neckline and open back, sleeves off the shoulder making the illusion that there was nothing holding it up.
Some glittering chains held it together in the front, and some nearly invisible ones in the back. The slit that bared her thigh was there too. It was the most skin she’d ever shown on the red carpet, and was going to look hot as fuck.
Jack handed Eva the large, flat box. She sat it on the bed and flipped it open, taking in the contents.
The necklace was gold with gems that matched the dress. It was long both in front and back, which meant the last jewel would land just above her belly button in the front, and dive perfectly down her spine in the back.
A band of the same hanging jewels for her thigh, and another one for her arm.
Tonight was about change for Eva in her career, but I loved knowing we were dressing her up for us while the rest of the world had no idea. They might get to look, but we got to take home and touch.
But the way she felt right now through our bond was the real prize. Surprise layered with pleasure. Happiness and the feeling of being treasured. Soaking in that feeling was all I’d ever need.
“They’re beautiful.”
“And one more thing.” Dylan lifted a sheet of the tissue paper to reveal a pair of dark underwear with the same jewels on them. There was no space for a bra in a dress like hers.
Eva laughed, the sound joyful. “No one’s going to see how well these match unless I have an intentional wardrobe malfunction.”
“We’ll get to see them,” I said, picking them up out of the box. “Later. Now, let us help you.
“You want to help dress me?”
“Yes I do,” I said softly. “Robe.”
She shrugged out of the robe, exposing the tattoo.
A set of angel wings that flowed from her shoulders downward.
It was a collaborative piece between a few of the tattoo artists in Esme’s pack.
Feathers that were shockingly real, but softened with sweeping, shifting colors that made them feel like they were magical.
Or even that the colors moved as you watched.
In one of the wings, there were words hidden in her father’s handwriting. Esme had a similar tattoo, and Eva had wanted something as well. It was beautiful.
“Here.” I knelt as she turned toward me and held out the underwear for her to step into. She did, balancing on my shoulder as I pulled them up, making sure I dragged my fingers over her skin. She was flushed pink by the time I was standing, nipples hard enough that they would be a problem later.
I tilted her chin up with a finger. “Two years and all the filthy things we do to you… why is this what makes you blush?”
“Because it still doesn’t feel real. I see so many people with partners who don’t care, and then you do this and… I love you.”
There was no resisting her lips. I tried not to kiss her too hard so her makeup wouldn’t be ruined. That part would come once we got home. “I love you,” I whispered.
The thigh band was in Tyler’s hand, and he kissed her leg. “As much as I’d love to spend hours getting you dressed, we need to go.” He wrapped it and made sure it was secure. “We don’t want to miss the red carpet after all your planning.”
“No,” she agreed. “We don’t.”
The jewels sparkled on her arm, and the back of the necklace draped perfectly between the two wings. Jack had the dress, and we managed to get it on and correctly fitted so she wouldn’t actually have a wardrobe malfunction.
But holy shit. She was incredible. The heels that completed the look only made her look more like a badass.
Eva blew out a breath as I took her hand and walked her downstairs. “I’m really nervous.”
“I know. But you don’t need to be. Everyone is going to love it and you. If they don’t, they don’t count.”
She smiled and squeezed my hand. “Oh, I need my phone.”
“I’ve got it,” I told her. “And your clutch, if you actually need it.”
“You’re making it really hard to procrastinate,” my Omega grumbled.
“I know. Let’s go,” I called to the others.
We crowded into the elevator together, with Eva at the center. Her nerves sparkled under everything else, but more than that, she was happy.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered to us.
Four purrs were loud in the silence. Before the doors opened and we had to face the world, Jack turned and winked. “Always, Princess.”