Chapter 25

[Evelyn’s POV]

Let’s just get this nonsense over with.

It was the day of the Luna gathering and I had absolutely no desire to even get out of bed. Of course, Alexander was already up and gone by the time my eyes fully opened. It was times like this where I could really use a few words of support.

I knew, deep down, that he had no real obligation to accompany me to this damn event. But in a strange way, it made it more bearable.

Rolling out of bed, I stopped mid-movement and was smacked with a heavy sense of déjà vu. The last time I felt this unenthusiastic, it had been the day of my own wedding.

A humorless, unattractive snort tore from my throat as I got myself and headed into the bathroom.

It didn’t take long for me to hear the jovial knocking on my bedroom door. No doubt, it was Nina, Claire and the rest of the team.

I let out a long breath and braced myself for the circus that was about to take place.

“Come in,” I said

Both Nina and Claire stepped through the door with a slew of team members, carrying various trucks and a long garment bag.

Oh, the dress...I’d been so focused on trying to find ways in which to ground myself through this gathering that I had completely forgotten about it.

As far as the research went, I couldn’t honestly say that I felt any more confident about my personal etiquette skills than before. I felt like my best chance at getting through today was going to be if I just remained silent.

Yeah, we’ll see how long that’s going to last.

“Oh, Evelyn,” Nina gushed. “Just wait until you see what Claire has done for your dress.”

We all watched with growing anticipation as Claire slowly unzipped the garment bag to unveil the stunning gown within it.

“Whoa,” I whispered.

I was truly beginning to believe that Claire was some kind of magical seamstress when it came to designing clothes. The velvet fabric was soft to the touch and actually looked like it was changing color each time the natural light from the window would hit it.

It was a dark shade of green when kept in the shadow but as soon as it hit the light, it faded to a light sage color. Along the neckline, Claire had sown tiny rose buds and other material to look like leaves and real foliage.

The whole design reminded me of the gorgeous gardens that were well-tended in the back of the house.

“It’s beautiful, Claire.”

Oh, God. It was too beautiful. Could someone like me actually get away with wearing something so gorgeous?

I was sort of hoping to fade into the background while the event was taking place. Wearing a dress like this was going to intentionally make me stick out without a doubt.

“Are you ready?” Claire asked with a supportive smile.

There was no denying the anxiety that spiked through my system. As time ticked on—the closer it came time to leave, my worry was growing worse.

Calm down, Evelyn. Remember, Alexander will be there with you. You can do this. For Christ’s sake, if you can be married to one of the most ruthless and intimidating Alphas in the region, then you’re more than capable of living through one Luna gathering!

Letting out a long, deflated breath, I nodded my head. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Nina helped me step into the dress while Claire began lacing up the back. The garment fit like a custom glove, melding to each one of my curves. One of her team members was in the midst of pinning back part of my hair into a loose chignon style.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s perfect,” I said with a gracious smile. “Claire, you’ve really outdone yourself. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

She beamed under the praise and turned to reach into one of the smaller trunks. “Just one last thing and then you’ll be perfect.”

My bottom lip trembled in shock as I beheld the large emerald stone attached to a silver chain. She circled around me to properly adjust the necklace around my neck. After that, came a matching set of earrings as well as a ring.

“Were these the jewels that Alexander had settled on?” I asked, feeling numb.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “He thought they would go well with the dress. Plus, they bring out the green in your eyes.”

My eyes widened. Did Alexander actually notice something that specific about me?

Nina was practically bouncing with excitement. “Evelyn, you’re going to be the most beautiful Luna there! I just know it.”

A Luna’s purpose is a lot more than just looking pretty for others.

Still, I carried on just wanting to get the day over with. When we were finished, I made my way out of the room and headed down the grand staircase. My heart hammered frantically with every step but managed to calm down the moment I saw Alexander waiting for me at the bottom landing.

[Third-Person’s POV]

Of all things he could be doing today, Alexander was dressed in a sharp-looking suit patiently waiting for his wife to finish getting ready for an event that neither of them wanted to go to.

Ah, so this is what married life is supposed to feel like...

Alexander glanced down at his watch and grimaced. He tried to mentally calculate the amount of time that would be considered reasonable to stay before making an undeclared exit.

He could easily think of several other meaningful things that needed to be worked on as opposed to being roped into another pointless gathering. More importantly, he didn’t need to be made to feel like a public spectacle anymore than he already has in the past.

Regardless of his status, not many people were willing to look past the mask and wheelchair that he chose to bind himself to.

It’s all done with a purpose...The only real person who needs to believe my story is the Alpha King.

Over the last few days, Alexander had seen very little of Evelyn. Even though he’d known where she was most of the time, he wasn’t entirely sure how it all made him feel.

It wasn’t as though she had ever opened up to him about what she was doing in the library. That, alone, irked him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Evelyn looming at the top of the staircase. For a moment, he didn’t even realize it was her. He had become so used to seeing her in just casual clothes and barely any makeup.

Now, the woman—his own Luna—was made to look like a gorgeous woodland fae queen. All that was missing was the tiara on top of her head to match the jewels he and Claire had pre-selected.

Evelyn graciously descended down the stairs, never pulling her eyes away from him. Alexander felt his heart hammer within his chest.

God. It had been years since someone had left him this speechless and star-struck.

Perhaps, today wasn’t going to be a total waste after all.

“Hello,” Evelyn greeted with a light smile. “You look very handsome.”

He opened his mouth but something was off. Alexander couldn’t find the ability to speak. He wanted to tell her just how beautiful she was. Hell, seeing her like that nearly made him want to throw his whole act away and haul them back to the bedroom.

The thought of anyone else getting a chance to see her like that was utterly grueling.

Right as he was about to speak, Oliver came rushing to his side.

“Sir, we have a problem.”