Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 225

Chapter 225

Elowen

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Over the next few days, I managed to carve out some much-needed relaxation time for myself. One of my first acts of rebellion? Rejecting

the traditional coronation gown Kaius had selected for me.

Too conventional. Too bland. Too… not me.

So I did what any modern wolf would do-I dragged Evelyn and Scarlett to the human world to go shopping.

Scarlett gripped the steering wheel as we drove into the city, glancing at me through the rearview mirror with obvious skepticism. “Are

you absolutely sure about this? Using a wedding dress instead of traditional werewolf ceremonial robes? What if everyone hates it?”

Evelyn, who was lounging in the passenger seat with her arm linked through mine, waved dismissively. “Oh please! Who cares what

‘everyone’ thinks? I hate those traditional robes too-they’re ridiculously long, drag on the floor, completely hide your figure. The dress

has more presence than the person wearing it! What’s the point?”

I grinned. “Exactly! Which is why today, your mission-should you choose to accept it—is to help me find the most stunning wedding

dress in existence.” I squeezed Evelyn’s hand. “I know this isn’t technically a wedding, but a coronation under the Moon Goddess is

basically a marriage declaration anyway. I want Kaius to be absolutely blown away.”

Scarlett laughed. “Well, don’t blame me if my taste is questionable!”

“Oh, you can absolutely blame me for having terrible taste,” Evelyn chimed in with a wicked smile. “But you can’t blame me for being brutally honest! You know my sharp tongue is exactly what you need to quickly eliminate the truly hideous options!”

I sighed, already regretting my decision. “Well… I’m starting to second-guess bringing you two along.”

The bridal boutique was absurdly high-end-all marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and intimidatingly perfect displays. A perfectly groomed sales assistant glided toward us, her professional smile firmly in place.

“Good afternoon! Which one of you lovely ladies is the bride?”

Evelyn turned to the woman with an equally artificial smile. “Oh, can’t you tell? Who among us looks most desperate to get married right

now?”

I felt heat creep up my neck. “Evelyn!”

The sales assistant quickly pivoted to stand in front of me, her eyes lighting up with commission-driven enthusiasm. “Oh my goodness, miss! You’re absolutely gorgeous! Please, follow me-we have an extensive collection that would be perfect for you!”

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The first dress I tried on was a full princess gown-layers upon layers of tulle, intricate lace, and a train that could probably double as a

tent.

The sales assistant clasped her hands together. ‘Oh, you look like a dream! Absolutely stunning!”

Evelyn’s eyes practically sparkled. “I completely agree! Look at that lace detail, and that V-neckline is perfect-shows off your

boob beautifully! And the way it cinches at your waist then flares at the hips?” She made an exaggerated chef’s kiss gesture. “Kaius is

going to have a nosebleed the second he sees you!”

I turned bright red. “Evelyn!”

Hoping for a more measured opinion, I looked at Scarlett.

She was frowning.

Instead of commenting on the aesthetics, Scarlett crouched down and lifted the hem of my skirt, examining my legs and testing my range

of motion.

“No. Absolutely not.” Her tone was clinical. “This train is way too long-you can’t run in this. And if you need to kick someone, the hoop skirt will get in the way.” She tugged at the fabric around my waist. “This corseting is too tight. It’ll restrict your movement if you need to

draw a weapon.”

The sales assistant’s face went pale. “D-draw a weapon?”

I shot Scarlett an exasperated look. “Scarlett! I’m going to a coronation ceremony, not storming a battlefield!”

Scarlett’s expression remained deadly serious. “We still don’t know the exact details of this Moon Goddess trial. But in my experience, you

should always be prepared for combat.”

Evelyn couldn’t contain her grin. “You know, she makes an excellent point! And who says coronations and combat are mutually exclusive? I guarantee someone’s going to say something offensive during the ceremony. When that happens, you’ll want to be able to march over and challenge them to single combat!”

I stared at both of them, completely done. “You two are insane.”

I tried on several more dresses, ignoring their increasingly ridiculous commentary, until I found it.

A sleek mermaid silhouette that hugged my curves perfectly before flaring out at the knees. Elegant lace overlay. A subtle train that wouldn’t trip me up. Sophisticated but still allowed for movement.

I stepped out of the dressing room.

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Chapter 225

For once, both Evelyn and Scarlett fell silent.

“Well I prompted.

Even nodded slowly. It’s perfect. The balance between gorgeous and functional.

Scarlett walked around me, examining from every angle. “I can work with this. You could definitely throw a punch in this if needed.”

Im not going to punch anyone!”

“Better safe than sorry,

We bought the dress.

As we loaded the garment bag into the car, I settled into the back seat with Scarlett while Evelyn said she’d be “just a moment.”

That moment” turned into fifteen minutes.

When she finally reappeared, she was carrying a suspiciously discreet shopping bag and wearing the most self-satisfied smirk I’d ever

seen.

She slid into the passenger seat and immediately turned to face me, pulling out several items from the bag.

My jaw dropped.

Lingerie. But not just any lingerie-utterly scandalous pieces that barely qualified as clothing. Lace and silk and strategically placed openings. A bra that was more suggestion than support. Panties with a slit right down the middle-

“Evelyn!” I shrieked. “What the actual-

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“You’re welcome!” She beamed at me like she’d just presented me with the crown jewels. “For the good of the kingdom! For the future of the royal line! For the swift production of an heir!” She held up a particularly obscene piece-a teddy with cutouts in places I didn’t know cutouts could exist. “Consider these your battle armor for the coronation night!”

Scarlett’s face had turned bright red. She was determinedly staring out the window, pretending she couldn’t see any of this.

I couldn’t form words. Just stared in horror at the collection of “garments” Evelyn was proudly displaying.

“Don’t be stubborn about this!” Evelyn wagged a finger at me. “When you’re enjoying yourself later, you’ll thank me! Trust me-Kaius will

lose his mind!”

“I am going to kill you!”

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