Page 91 of Mating Mia
I start to cry, the tears coming hot and fast. I’m not sad, not even a little. I can’t believe this is real.
Finn kisses my cheek, then my lips, salty with tears.
“I told you,” he murmurs. “You were made for our pack. Don’t underestimate us.”
“We have to do the wedding now,” I say, laughing shakily, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. “Before, it’s impossible to fit into my chest.”
Kane chuckles a deep rumble that vibrates through my chest. “Whatever you want, omega,” he says. “We’ll make it happen.”
Jace squeezes me tighter, his voice muffled in my hair.
“You’ll be the hottest pregnant bride,” he says, and I blush.
The bridal shop is all white walls and soft sunlight, the air thick with perfume and the low, desperate hum of women trying to find the one dress that will make them believe in magic.
I stand in a row of wedding gowns, running my fingers across satin and tulle, letting myself get lost in the idea that all of this—marriage, family, a second baby—could actually be mine.
Ash is at home with the alphas. For the first time in months, I’m completely alone with my mom. Just us. No toddler shrieking for attention, no pack vying for my scent, no interruptions except for the occasional saleslady gliding by in soft shoes.
Mom walks the perimeter of the store, pretending to be engrossed in the “mother of the bride” options, but I catch her sneaking glances at me every few seconds. It’s like she can’tbelieve I’m really here, and that we’re doing this. I understand how she feels.
I hold up a dress, squinting at the price tag, which would have definitely caused me to faint in the past. But Kane gave me an unlimited budget, which still perplexes me.
“Do you think this is too much?” I ask, and my mom laughs, her dimple appearing just like mine.
“I think you should try it on,” she says.
I take the dress to the fitting room, and the saleslady—who can’t be more than nineteen and has a nervous, eager energy—helps me shimmy into it. The fabric is cold, heavy, but as I tug it over my hips and settle it into place, something electric happens. I look in the mirror and don’t see the awkward, bruised girl from the farm.
I see a strong omega queen of her pack. And thinking of that makes my face turn red, but it’s how the alphas make me feel.
The dress is a mermaid style, tight through the waist and ass before flaring at the knees. I turn, checking my profile, and almost laugh at how sexy I look in this.
The alphas are going to lose their fucking minds when they see my ass.
I step out of the fitting room, smoothing the dress over my stomach. My mom is waiting on the little couch, her own dress draped over her lap, and when she sees me, she covers her mouth with both hands.
“Oh, honey,” she breathes, her eyes instantly filling with tears. “You look… You look perfect.”
I stand there, awkward, shifting from foot to foot as she blinks and tries to compose herself. The saleslady quickly hands my mother a tissue as I admire myself in the mirror.
I turn, checking myself in the three-way mirror, and for the first time in my life, I love what I see. The dress hugs my curves, accentuates my ass, and somehow manages to make myboobs look huge. I imagine Kane’s reaction—his jaw clenched, eyes dark, trying not to admit how much he wants to rip it off me. Jace would make a joke, probably something filthy, but he’d mean every word. Finn would just stare, quiet and intense, memorizing every inch of me.
“I’ll take it,” I say, voice thick. The saleslady beams, already picturing her commission, I bet.
Mom dabs her eyes with a tissue, then stands to hug me, careful not to wrinkle the fabric. She smells like chamomile and fresh laundry, a scent that’s both new and ancient, like it’s been imprinted on my DNA since birth. I wonder if Ash will remember my scent the way I remember hers.
After the paperwork and the endless fussing over alterations, we escape into the heat of the day and walk two blocks to the ice cream shop. It’s almost empty, the only other patrons a pair of older women arguing over crossword puzzles and a bored teenage couple glued to their phones.
We order sundaes and find a booth near the window.
“So,” she says. “You never talked about the family who raised you. What were they like?”
I look down at my melting sundae, watching the chocolate sauce seep into the vanilla ice cream.
“It wasn’t great,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “The people who kidnapped me weren’t the greatest. They’re in jail now anyway.”
She reaches across the table, squeezing my hand. “I’m so sorry, Mia. If I could have gone back in time, I would never have given you up. I had just given birth and was frantic…”
