Page 138 of Freeing My Alpha

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.

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