The One He Claimed

The One 30

Chapter 30: Dress Sophie I understand why Hunter wants to have the Luna ceremony tonight. If the pack hasn’t sworn their allegiance to me as their Luna, then anyone could contest my position and title. However, it feels like there is so much going on, so much that we need to do just because Hunter claimed me the way he did, that I’m struggling with the idea of having a party instead of protecting our borders or helping around the pack. Since I’m in our room, I don’t know how many of the pack members are leaving. I stop, looking around the room. Our room. It smells deliciously of pine in here and while it’s got a very masculine feel, Hunter said I could add anything I wanted. I’ m not the same girlie girl I was two years ago, but the room. could use a woman’s touch. He left me here while he went to see about finding a dress. While I’m alone, I look around, poking my head into the bathroom and seeing masculine scented shampoo and body wash and dark towels hanging neatly on the towel rack. Maybe I could get some cream-colored towels to offset the darker colors he seems to like. I’ve just stepped out of the bathroom when there’s a knock at the door. “Come in.” The door opens and three women, omegas by the smell of DCOM O 16:53 268 vouchers them, step into the room. “Hello, Luna. Alpha said you needed a dress for your ceremony tonight,” the one woman says. “Yes, please come in,” I say, and the women all come in. None of them look up at me. “May I ask, have all of you decided to stay?” This does cause them to look up. “Yes, Luna. We’re all staying.”

I smile and slowly approach them. They look terrified of me. I’m sure they don’t know what to expect of their new Luna and depending on what they’ve heard of me, I may be pretty frightening to them. “I’m so grateful that you will to trust your Alpha and I to keep you safe with the battles that are to come. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the pack remains safe for everyone. Now, since we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, can I have your names?” “I’m Elodie, Miss,” the one carrying a bunch of gold material says. “I’m Aria, Luna,” the one carrying scissors and measuring tape says. “And I’m Natalie,” the one carrying pins, needles, and thread says. “I’m Sophie, as I’m sure you all know by now.” “Yes, Luna.” 16.53 Chapter 30: Dress “So, what do we have here?” “We’re hoping that gold is okay with you, Luna. It’s the only material we have on hand that is fancy enough to make a gown for this evening,” Elodie says, holding out the gold material. I frown, stepping forward and touching the material. “Make? As in you’re going to sew something before the ceremony tonight?” I ask, appalled. “Yes, Luna. We’re very good at what we do, but with such a limited amount of time, it will be very simple,” Aria says. “Our apologies, Luna. If we’d had more time…” Natalie begins. I hold up my hands and they all stop talking. “Is there nothing that is already made? I don’t want you to go to all this trouble for me.” They all look at each other. “But…it’s your Luna ceremony.” “Well, I know, but to your point, you’ve only got a couple of hours. “We promise it will be beautiful, just simple,” Aria says. “That’s not my concern. There are so many other things going on. I know that some of the pack members are leaving, that must be leaving more work for everyone. No one has time to make me aNôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

dress.” “We want to do this for you, Luna” Elodie says. “Yes. We would be proud if you would wear our dress tonight,” Natalie says. 16:59 ■ Chapter 30: Dress 1288 Wouchers “Please, Luna,” Aria says. I sigh. “Alright. What do you need me to do?” I strip down, once again reminded that it’s been a long time since I’ve been around those who are comfortable with nudity. The three women begin wrapping the material around me, talking in a language that I don’t particularly understand about darting this and hemming that. “If you don’t mind me saying, you’re very thin, Luna,” Natalie says, looking up at me from where she’s putting pins in the hem of the dress. I smile. “You all know I’ve been on the run for two years, right?” They nod. “Well, when you’re alone and hiding, you don’t really have the ability to cook food like you do here in the packhouse. I don’t know who made the pork that Beta Kinsley brought to me and Alpha Hunter last night, but I can tell you, it’s the best thing I’ve put in my mouth since I left the packs.” Elodie smiles. “My sister, Eloise, works in the kitchens. I’ll tell her you said so,” she says. “Thank you. It’s praise well deserved.” “What do you think of one strap on the dress, Luna? On the side opposite of your mate mark?” Natalie asks. “You mean so my mark is clearly visible?” I ask, looking in the mirror across the room and bringing my hand to the mark. I haven’t had any time to really look at it. 16:53 Dress 11 288 Wouchers

“Yes.” “I’d like that. I think Hunter would too.” They all chuckle. “What?” “Our Alpha is a very possessive man. Perhaps you’ve noticed. He’ll be thrilled to have your mark on display like that,” Elodie says. “Luna, now that we’ve got your measurements, would you like us to make a few dresses for you? Everyday dresses, I mean?” Natalie asks. “That would be wonderful. I only have a couple of outfits that I took when I had to run.” I chuckle. “I don’t remember the last time I wore a dress. I think it must have been the night I ran,” I say sadly, remembering that night. A moment later, the door opens, and all three women step back, baring their throats to Hunter. “Sophie?” Hunter says, walking toward me and wrapping me in his arms. “What is it?” I ask. He looks down at me. “I should ask you. I felt your sadness just now. What happened?” He looks around at the three women as if they have the answer. “Oh, I was just remembering the night I ran. It’s nothing.” 16:53 Chapter 30: Dress He runs his hands up and down my arms. “What made you think. of that? Seeing your parents tomorrow? I called your father. I asked to see him in the morning, but I didn’t tell him why. I thought it would be a nice surprise for him,” he says, smiling at me. “Thank you for that. It will be a nice surprise, but the sadness was from me remembering the night I ran because it was the last night I wore a dress. Until tonight,” I say, gesturing to the women.

“I remember that dress,” he says, before turning to the three women. “Is this the color you chose, Elodie?” he asks, stepping back and looking at the material draped over my body. “We only had gold and black, Alpha. I thought we should use gold for the more festive occasion,” she says. He looks me over, and I feel my cheeks heating. “Are you going to leave this shoulder bare?” he asks, his voice going soft as he strokes my mating mark, sending shivers through my entire body. “Yes, Alpha. We thought you’d like our Luna to show off her mating mark during her ceremony.” “You were absolutely right. Well, I’ll leave you to it. I just wanted to check on my mate,” he says, leaning down and kissing me softly before stepping away from me, not dropping my hands until he can no longer hold them. “I’ll be back. Mind link me if you need anything,” he says, and I smile as he closes the door. 16:50 Chapter 30: Dress 1283 Vouchers He runs his hands up and down my arms. “What made you think. of that? Seeing your parents tomorrow? I called your father. I asked to see him in the morning, but I didn’t tell him why. I thought it would be a nice surprise for him,” he says, smiling at me. “Thank you for that. It will be a nice surprise, but the sadness was from me remembering the night I ran because it was the last night I wore a dress. Until tonight,” I say, gesturing to the women. “I remember that dress,” he says, before turning to the three women. “Is this the color you chose, Elodie?” he asks, stepping back and looking at the material draped over my body. “We only had gold and black, Alpha. I thought we should use gold for the more festive occasion,” she says. He looks me over, and I feel my cheeks heating. “Are you going to leave this shoulder bare?” he

asks, his voice going soft as he strokes my mating mark, sending shivers through my entire body. “Yes, Alpha. We thought you’d like our Luna to show off her mating mark during her ceremony.” “You were absolutely right. Well, I’ll leave you to it. I just wanted to check on my mate,” he says, leaning down and kissing me softly before stepping away from me, not dropping my hands until he can no longer hold them. “I’ll be back. Mind link me if you need anything,” he says, and I smile as he closes the door. 16:54M Chapter 30: Dress “You really do love him, don’t you?” Natalie asks. She’s the youngest of the three women. “I do. I love him more because of what he stands for, because he’s willing to fight for the rights of others. That’s the kind of man I’m proud to call my mate and my Alpha,” I say passionately. I see Elodie duck her head and smile. “What?” I ask her. She shrugs. “I knew we made the right decision to stay.”