Page 132 of Freeing My Alpha

My shoulders raise. “What? Is it weird? I mean, I'll admit I thought ‘Couture’ sounded a bit excessive.”

Lilian groans in the passenger's seat, dropping her head back. “She’s a Greenfield Luna. What do you all take her for?”

Rainn gapes at her mom from the second row despite Lexi death-gripping a strand of Rainn’s wavy hair. “Mom, come on! Who does the Celestial lady ever take as a client?”

“Who else would she take except the Greenfield Luna, you mean?” Lilian meets my eyes, giving me a soft smile. “Almost no one.”

I’m already self-conscious about the eyes that’ll be on me today, so my heart rate skyrockets.

Yasmine gapes. “Dang, Luna. So you went to Celestia for your Luna dress too?”

Lilian smooths a hand over her silver bun. “Of course I did.”

Rainn gasps. “Mom! Why don't you ever tell me these things?! Does that mean she'd take me as a client too?”

“Of course, Rainn.” Lilian melts into a smile I recognize: the one I only see when she thinks of Alpha Ritchie. With everyone falling into an awed hush at her expression, she softens her voice. “Your father spoiled me to death, taking me to the best dressmaker in the Pacific Northwest. He'd want the same for you.”

I swallow hard, reaching between the seats to rub Rainn's arm as a bittersweet excitement rushes through her watery smile.

In the following silence, anxiety bubbles throughout my core until my stomach loudly growls. I clear my throat. “But I thought we'd be going somewhere similar to a wedding dress shop?”

Amy uses the back of her seat to yank her body as far around as she can manage beneath the steering wheel. “No, girl, this is in the middle of the flipping woods—”

Kira grips my arm. “On a bleeping mountain—”

“And she makes mating ceremony dresses, yeah, but she doesn’t alter them for most wolves. Mainly only Lunas.”

“Bleeping mountain!” Lexi laughs.

I laugh with her, reaching over the seats to squish her little shoe. “That was so silly, wasn’t it?”

“Yes!” Lexi steals my hand, placing her toy car onto it. I’m not sure if it’s on purpose, but she successfully softens my tense shoulders.

Yasmine crosses her arms as she drops back into her seat, spreading her knees despite her tight skirt. “Huh. Yeah, that all checks out, actually. Especially for our top Alpha's Luna.”

With that, Amy starts the car.

By the time we reverse onto the winding forest road, the ever-present wolves have already moved on like Noah always does. Everyone settles into their seats, accepting this conclusion only a minute after making a huge fuss.

But I haven’t settled. Something strikes me as off. Of course Noah is the top Alpha of the Greenfield pack, otherwise I wouldn’t be the Luna.

Between this uncertainty and my nerves about becoming Luna next week, I groan at the heavy rolling in my abdomen.

“You okay?” Kira asks.

“Yeah.” My voice comes out shakier than I expect. “I just feel a little sick.”

Only Amy, Kira, and Yasmine know it’s because I might be pregnant. Thankfully, Kira rubs my back, releasing her protective Alpha scent before anyone has further questions. “Let’s pull over, Amy. We’ve gotta eat something before there’s no restaurants in sight, anyway.”

I’m grateful to stretch my legs, especially when I’m welcomed by Rainn’s warm hug.

Affection wells in me whenever I smell her sweet, familiar-but-not scent; a touch of her scent overlaps with Noah’s. I bet it’s similar to how Noah’s children will smell when I finally get to hold them.

That thought only heightens my nerves, too much excitement flooding my wiry stomach. I grip it, taking deep breaths as we enter the restaurant.

Rainn slips her soft hand into mine. “Hey, do you want me to get you something for your stomach? I bet they have some crackers.”

“Thanks, Rainn. I actually feel better now that we’re holding still.”

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