Chapter 15
Olivia's POV
“Yes,” I blurted out, crossing my arms and planting my feet. I stared Ethan down. “It’s just for show anyway. Any dress will do. I don’t see the point in wasting time and energy on meaningless things.”
The second the words left my mouth I felt the flicker of anger darken his expression.
“You want to turn our wedding into a bigger spectacle than the one with Aiden? I don’t want anything of him at our wedding.” His voice was low, almost a growl, and it made my wolf stir uneasily.
Her voice whispered through my mind: Why are you trying to make him jealous? Stop provoking this Alpha.
Was I? Maybe. A part of me wondered if pushing him like this would break through his infuriating calm. I had seen him act possessive when others were around, but that was just for the show.
A part of me wanted to know, maybe even hoped, that he felt something besides calculation for me.
It was foolish to push an Alpha too far. Realizing I was teetering on a dangerous edge, I forced myself to breathe and regain control. I straightened up, letting the tension drain from my body.
“Look, I got distracted in the lab and lost track of time. I’ll be there. On time.” I said, my tone slipping back into something formal and composed.
I could still feel his gaze burning into me, but I kept my expression neutral. This wasn’t the time to pick a fight, even if I wanted to know where it might lead. Ethan didn’t respond immediately, but the storm in his eyes didn’t fade.
The piles of tulle and silk and lace grew around me. The assistants fussed, shoving me in and out of dress after dress. It looked like a fabric massacre in here.
Each gown felt heavier than the last, and not just because of the fabric. My heart wasn’t in it. And my mind wasn’t here, it was still in the lab thinking about all the progress I wasn't making.
I was so close to a breakthrough in my perfume formula to make the scents more accurate, but it wasn’t quite there yet. I’d also been trying to perfect a new version in cologne.
“What do you think?” Mia’s voice snapped me back to the present as she adjusted the train of the gown, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Any of them are fine,” I said, forcing a smile. “I just want to be done.”
The designer frowned, looking between me and Mia with a sympathetic but frustrated expression. “Luna, if you aren’t looking forward to this wedding, no dress will satisfy you.”
Mia huffed angrily, “That’s nonsense!” She glared at the designer, but I barely heard their exchange.
I wanted to confide in Mia. Tell her that this wasn’t about the dress or the wedding, but I couldn’t. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Before I could even think of how to respond, Ethan’s deep voice filled the dressing area.
“If criticizing the client’s love life is part of your job, then I doubt your professionalism.” Ethan’s scolding made the designer shrink back in apology.
But he didn’t stop there. “Everyone out.”
The designer and her assistants slunk out of the dressing room. Mia hesitated, but quickly followed when Ethan shot her with a pointed look. “Everyone.”
I felt a wave of embarrassment flood over me as I glared at him through the mirror. I felt like a doll standing in this overpriced gown.
“But I… need them to help me get out of this dress,” I mumbled.
Instead of helping, Ethan just stood there, arms tense at his sides. “Is marrying me in a wedding dress so unbearable?” His tone was sharp. “This is what you agreed to.”
I opened my mouth to stammer out an explanation, but my words faltered. I couldn’t think of what to say, couldn’t express how exhausting this whole arrangement had become.
All I could come up with was, “It’s bad luck to see the bride in her dress, you know.”
Ethan’s gaze darkened, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips. “Don’t forget, you were wearing a wedding dress that night.” His voice lowered, almost a taunt. “I wouldn’t mind giving you some new memories in one.”
My whole body heated as Ethan stepped closer. He raised his hands and slowly unzipped the back of the dress, his fingers trailing against my skin.
The memory of that night flashed in my mind. Of Ethan’s body pressed against mine, fingers playing my body like an instrument. I remembered the way his eyes devoured me before his tongue did. And the cold way he dismissed me in the morning.
The thought was like a bucket of icy water on my arousal.
Before I realized what I was doing, I shoved him away, my hands instinctively clawing at him, desperate for some space. My nails scraped across his neck, hard enough to draw blood.
Ethan flinched, touching the fresh wound with a dark look in his eyes. But then, he exhaled slowly, the fire in him seeming to die down as he wiped away the blood.
“We’ll stop for now,” he muttered, stepping back. “I’ll have them make you a new dress.”
The moment I opened the box and saw the wedding gown, my heart skipped a beat. It was almost a perfect creation of my dream dress.
I knew Mia noticed it too when she gasped. “Oh, my Goddess, Liv! This dress looks exactly like the one you designed when we were kids! Remember? After that stuffy wedding we went to?”
I nodded, a barely audible “Yes” escaping my lips.
I lost the drawing I made years ago, but it was all there. The long mermaid silhouette, the intricate lace details, the fact it wasn’t pure white… my dress was elegant with a modern edge to it. I loved it.
I never thought I’d see it brought to life, especially not for this show wedding.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror, the gown hugging my curves exactly like I had imagined, I couldn’t shake my suspicion.
Recreating my childhood dream wedding dress was the boldest move I’ve seen Ethan make yet. It was damn dear check mate in the plan for our ‘perfect Fated Mates’ arrangement.
Part of me was impressed he’d even thought of it. The other naïve part of me hoped it was an olive branch.
I wanted to believe he would gift me something so meaningful just because it would make me happy, but I reminded myself not to be fooled by this sweet gesture.
Just because he had this dress made didn’t mean he cared about the girl who had dreamed of wearing it. I wasn’t that child anymore and our fairytale romance didn’t actually exist. This wedding wasn’t about love, it was about survival and keeping my Pack together.
The dress was beautiful, but it wasn’t for me. It was for the image we needed to show the Alpha Council of a bond that wasn’t real. And I couldn’t let myself forget it. No matter how perfect it seemed on the outside.
Mia’s voice cracked with emotion. “You look stunning.”
I forced a small smile. “Thanks,” I said, but inside, I felt hollow.
