Page 78 of Fated to the Feral Wolf

I nodded my agreement.

“Excellent.” Reed gleefully rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go see what Texas tailors can do in… an hour and forty-nine minutes.”

A lot,as it turns out. A Texas tailor with a team of ten—yes,ten—assistants could dress us all in ninety minutes flat, in clothing fancier than we’d worn for Bri and Kane’s bonding ceremony. I tugged nervously at the neck of the gown where the strapless side swooped down under my arm, only to have my hand smacked by my assigned dresser, Jewel.

She studied me with pursed lips from the floor to the tips of my hair, which had been styled into a sort of braided-sides, swoopy-curled mohawk. That part was pretty cool. The dress, though …

“It’s perfect, and if you touch it again, I’m going to bite your hand off.” The she-wolf lifted her lip in a snarl, not a hint of joviality in her stance as she nodded. “You’re ready. You can head into the hallway—you’re expected in about five minutes. But if you need more tape, I’ll be in the back of the room with my kit.”

“Uh, thanks,” I murmured, eager to get away from her. She was all sharp angles with not a hint of soft edges, and her personality matched. By the time I stepped into the hallway, my stress was through the roof, which was ridiculous given all we’dbeen through. But between her salty personality and the impending crowds, I was not a happy wolf.

“Shay?” My name on his lips was low and husky. It sent a thrill straight to my pussy, panties going damp with just a single word. I forced myself to turn slowly, even though I was tempted to throw myself at him.

I didn’t want to know what Jewel’s punishment would be for getting horizontal with my mate after she’d perfected every detail of my appearance. And then I spotted him, in a freakingtuxedo, hair slicked back and that devilish grin that made my knees turn to jelly. Fuck, forget horizontal. I’d accept vertical, up against the wall, if it meant I got to muss him up a little.

“Hi,” I whispered, slowly looking up to meet his glowing eyes.

“Hot damn, you are a vision.” He closed the distance between us, and between one blink and the next, his hands were skimming up the sides of my plum gown, fingering the lace trim at the edge. His erection throbbed hot against my belly, which was swooping in somersaults.

It might be worth it to get smacked around by the tailor.

He reached up and touched a curl, twirling it around one finger with an appreciative hum low in his throat.

Shit. I could take her.

“You can’t expect to come out dressed in this hot little number, looking all perfect and untouchable, and just say hi, muzica mea. You’ll give a man a heart attack like that.”

I rolled my eyes at his over-the-top flirting, but deep down inside, I felt like I was having a vagina attack. She wanted him, stat. He was gorgeous in formal wear; his usually unruly hair was slicked back, and the sleek black tux he wore hugged his broad shoulders before coming in to frame his narrower waist. It was ridiculous to feel this turned on when I’d seen him naked, but somehow, that just made it hotter. I was the only one who knew what was under all that fine window dressing. Iknew the real man, and I couldn’t wait to peel him out of it all later. Drive him wild, like I knew he could be.

Settle down, hussy. I have to be presentable for at least two hours.

His fingertips grazed the top of my breast, just the swell that crested above the curve of the dress, and my clit tingled with pure, unadulterated lust as I inhaled a deep breath of his scent. The cedar and bergamot was laced with his own answering need as I slid my hands inside his tux jacket.

Fuck, fine, one hour. You just have to make it one hour.

Dirge’s chest was warm and solid under my fingertips, and suddenly, the anxiety about tonight’s event was gone. He was here. He was my touchstone.

A shudder racked me, the last bit of the nerves working their way out, and he frowned down at me.

“Was that?—”

“Bitches, this better be a good night. Because I don’t want to waste all this fine ass on a boring, freaking political dinner.” Leigh strutted into the hallway with both hands on her hips, doing a little spin to show off a fire-red mermaid gown that hugged every curve she had. She stopped with her hip cocked, displaying said ass with flair.

I laughed and felt Dirge’s chest shake with laughter under my fingertips. What else could you do?

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Leigh. We already know all the Johnson City folks, and I think only a few neighboring alphas are coming,” Brielle stood in front of her own door, Kane appearing at her back as she shoved a white-gold earring into place.

Leigh rolled her eyes. “Listen, I need to get laid, okay? They better have some hot seconds, or I’m going to be hitting the Howler solo tonight, and we all know that’s not a good look.”

I cringed. The Howler was a dive bar about ten minutes off pack grounds where in-the-know humans came to get luckywith a shifter. It was seedy as hell and not at all safe for her to go to alone. The bouncers were good enough, but every now and then, a disgruntled hunter snuck in to take a swipe at a tipsy shifter.

“If you’re looking for a second, look no further,” Gael said smoothly, eyebrow cocked defiantly.

Leigh’s mouth flapped a few times, much like a fish, before she angrily snapped it shut. “You wish you were that lucky. You and your sugarcoated dick are off-limits.”

He threw his head back and laughed, a sound I’d never heard before. “Sugarcoated? My, you must have enjoyed yourself more than I thought.”

The top of Leigh’s head was going to blow off. I was sure of it.

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