ChapterTwenty-Two
Briar
“Guys, I look ridiculous,” I said as I tried on what felt like the sixteenth dress.
“This one is terrible on her,” Beckham said, waving his hand like he could curse the dress off of me.
“Agreed, no more green,” Miles said.
“Onto the next!” Maria, the lead stylist, declared, ushering me back behind the curtain. I’d forgotten my modesty after the first five dresses, and I was far too pregnant to independently get in and out of them without hurting myself.
“I’m going to look awful,” I said, more to myself than anything, as I studied the gaudy sequined ball gown I’d been maneuvered into.
“Not if I can help it,” Maria promised. “Stop! This isn’t it.” The girls stopped trying to adjust it and stepped back. Maria gazed at me, head tilted to the side, and her eyes roamed over my frame. “Favorite colors?”
“Black and bright blue,” I said without thinking on it too hard. “I’m more of a sexy-yet-not-too-revealing type. I don't want to be self-conscious at this event. There are going to be some people there who will try to tear me down.” Not that I really cared, not deep down. Despite being worried about having to field commentary from others, I was finally comfortable in my skin. Other than the occasional hormone burst and the weight of the baby bump, I was at a good point of pregnancy. No morning sickness, constant kicking to let me know Oliver was thriving, and even the exhaustion had subsided again. Now that I was here, I wanted to accentuate the bump that I’d become attached to. It felt like I’d been pregnant forever, but I knew I’d miss it a bit when Oliver was finally here.
“Fuck them. You’re gorgeous, and those men are head over heels for you. That, and how you feel about yourself, is all that matters,” she said sternly. “For a mix of sexy yet modest, I think I have a dress in mind.” She rushed off while her assistants helped me out of the gown. I stood there in my boyshorts and strapless bra, crossing my fingers that this would be the last dress. When she came back, she ordered me to turn away from the mirror, and I did, trusting her enough to listen. They got me in this one much easier, and the satin underlay was soft against my skin.
“I think you need to see this one in the other mirrors,” she urged. Her face was full of excitement, which boosted my own as I followed her out to the platform where the guys were waiting. Beckham’s jaw dropped, and Graham was beaming. Ellis slowly looked me over and discreetly adjusted himself while Wells let out a whistle. Tallon smiled up at me, nodding his head like this was the one.
“Well?” Miles demanded. “What do you think?”
“I haven’t seen it yet,” I admitted with a shake of my head. “I’m almost afraid to look.”
“Take a look,” Graham ordered. When I turned and faced the three-panel mirror, I smiled. The dress hugged my bump perfectly, showcasing it. The material was soft and delicate, the nude satin covered in a pretty black lace. It had long lace sleeves and dipped low to show off my breasts, which I thought looked fantastic in this. Pregnancy had given me an extra cup size, and I hoped I didn’t lose them.
“Wow, Maria,” I breathed out. Like a little girl, I let my excitement lead. I spun around to take in the cinched back and the flow of the skirt. It pooled around my ankles at what somehow seemed the perfect length. It didn't look like I’d need alterations, and the material had enough give in case Oliver had another growth spurt.
“This is the one,” she agreed. “I had a feeling.”
“Holy cow, you look amazing, Briar!” I spun around at the familiar voice, a huge smile on my face.
“Katelyn!” I called out, hopping off the dais and heading over. “Did you make it free of Olivia’s clutches?”
Her eyes darkened, and she shook her head. “No, she’s still trying to fight us, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Plus, it seems you made it out worse. Are you okay after that shooting?”
“What? How did you hear about that?” We’d followed every news outlet, and not a single one had breathed a word of the shooting. They’d somehow swept it under the rug.
“I realized I forgot to ask for your number just in case we needed a witness or something if they came after us again, so we drove around just in time to witness it. Our dash cam got the whole thing. We gave it to the police. Did it help?”
“You did?” I gasped. Now, my men were around us.
Graham stepped up, close to my side, giving Katelyn plenty of space. “Tell me you have another copy?” he asked gently. I could hear the anxiety in his voice, which was something I’d yet to witness. Graham never seemed shaken by much of anything.
“They took my memory card from me,” she admitted with a frown. “They didn’t give it to you?”
“No, they said they had no evidence of our shooters,” I admitted bitterly, unsurprised but entirely unhappy that they’d withheld pertinent evidence.
“I knew that place was shady!” she bit out.
A man who I assumed was her husband stepped up behind her. “It backs up to your email. I paid extra for that feature,” he reminded her, and she gasped, nearly throwing her phone as she snatched it out of her purse. She recovered quickly and opened it up.
“Holy fuck, you’re right! There’s a whole drive.”
“Here, babe, I’ll do it,” he promised, and Graham followed him over to the side.
She glanced at me, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this. They refused to give us your names or anything, so I had no way to find you to call and check in. I was so worried. That was insane.”
“I was lucky,” I admitted, giving her a brief rundown of our injuries and recovery. “But me and the baby are fine, and so is our alpha.”
“That’s great,” she said sincerely. “I’ll be looking like you before too long.”
“You found an alpha?” I asked excitedly.
She shook her head. “Not yet, but we’re looking into alpha surrogacy practices where they help couples like us.”
“That’s so exciting,” I gushed, giving her a hug. “I’m so happy for you. Let me know if you want Graham’s lawyer to take a look at your case. He’s been great.”