217
Peter
Her expression was flat. I felt the distance between us growing as she looked at it. Her fingers trembled slightly. My heart sank as I saw the confusion and fear in her eyes. I narrowed my eyes at the malicious glint on the edge of it.
Perhaps I had been cursed.
Her voice was filled with worry as she asked, "Peter..."
She paused. She shook her head and held it out to me.
"I suppose you should give this back to her-."
"Michelle--"
"Whose is it?" She asked. "Are you taking her shopping for a gown as well? Dating? Is she a distraction the way I was?"
I said nothing about it as my head started to pound, and the urge to take the pin from her and tell her the whole truth started to push at my teeth. I tightened my grip on her hand and balled my other fist.
"You have every reason to be upset."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Given how we parted ways last, but never have I ever considered you a distraction."
Her jaw trembled. "That's not saying much."
I smiled. "It says everything."
I searched her face, tracing the doubt and fear in her eyes.
"You're the only woman in my life, and I would never do anything to hurt you."
She looked at the pin and then back to me.
"If you're a bit calmer, I'd like to point out that it wasn't in the car when we got in nor the entire time we drove here."
Her shoulder slumped a bit, and a bit of her anger seemed to vanish as she blinked at me. She seemed to calm slightly at my words, but the tension still lingered in the air. I knew that this situation had rattled her, and I wanted to put her mind at ease.
"Emmanuel." My beta turned, and his eyes widened in shock and a bit of horror. "Please take it. Keep it for now. I want it analyzed to our witch contact."
Emmanuel's expression mirrored my own concern as he
carefully accepted the hairpin. "Of course, Alpha. I'll take care of it."
He took it, and I heard him wrap it in a handkerchief and put it in the glove compartment before he cranked up the car and drove towards Castle Gowns.
Michelle fiddled with her sleeve. "I'm sorry."
I smiled and threaded our hands together. "Think nothing of it. I am... I should have perhaps warned you. My liaison suspects that maybe I have been cursed."
"But why?"
I shook my head. "There are many reasons. I haven't had the chance to look into it fully. Vasil is working on it. I don't want anything to come between us, Michelle."
Though it seemed like something was attempting to do so.
"So if at any time you think I am behaving strangely, I want you to call Vasil or David." I gave her Vasil's number. "At the least, Vasil can protect you from whatever this curse may make me do, and David has no hesitation about potentially dismembering me in your defense."
"That seems a bit much!"
I chuckled. "For your well-being? It is too little."
She smiled a little, but she didn't lean back against me. The carefree joy from earlier had been replaced by a sense of unease.
Throughout the drive, I kept a watchful eye on Michelle. She was relaxing as we drew closer, but there didn't seem to be any hope of us regaining the warmth and easiness of earlier.
I led her into Castle Gowns with a wry smile. Every mannequin was dressed in a ball gown that could put any princess to shame.
Michelle glanced up at me, worrying her lip.
I leaned down to whisper to her. "You're tempting me."
Her eyes widened and darkened as she looked up at me. A bit of light flickered in her eyes.
"And I still couldn't pull off chiffon."
She laughed as a clerk drifted towards us.
"Welcome to the Castle," she said. "How can I make you a princess today?"
Michelle hesitated. "I think we'll just look around. I'm a bit out of my depths."
"Of course. Let me know if you want to try anything on!"
We walked through the racks, searching until she came up on a ballgown on a mannequin.
"I should have just stuck with the naked dress."
I snickered. "I don't think so. What's on your mind?"
"I'm no princess..."
I took her hand, lacing our fingers together.
"I have been thinking... Perhaps being a princess is beneath you."
"Oh?"
"I was thinking queen may be more to your personality."
She frowned. "Queen?"
"A luna... in the truest sense of the word, would be queen of a territory." Her eyes widened as she looked me in the eye. "Perhaps it is a bit too early to be speaking of it in concrete terms, but I want you to know that I think of it."
She ducked her head. "Peter, that's... Is that normal?"
"What?"
"To be essentially talking about... marriage after only a few dates?"
"We tend to make these decisions... rather quickly," I said. "That's not to say you have to agree or that it will change the pace of our courtship--"
"Courtship?" She asked. "Seems... a bit official, doesn't it?"
I smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Did you expect me to date you with no intentions? After all this time?"
Her lips trembled. "I... guess not."
She squeezed my hand and turned. "I guess I'll just start somewhere, then."
She looked up at me. "If I'm... practicing for a role, not auditioning."
I smiled. My heart fluttered as I pulled her closer, lifting her hands to my lips to kiss.
"Probation with a guaranteed tenure."
She flushed and slipped away from me back to the clerk. I tuned out what they talked about and looked around, trying to guess what she was thinking. Soon, the clerk led her further into the shop towards the dressing rooms.
I was intrigued by how quickly things were moving. Perhaps Michelle had already seen the dress she wanted. My mind went back to the hairpin, like a persistent itch. The ache wasn't lessening. Images of Lucy in a lace gown stormed through my mind and twisted a knot of tension between my eyebrows so tight my eyes watered.
I sent a message to Vasil.
It's getting worse. Get the pin from Emmanuel.
I headed towards the dressing room just as the clerk stepped out with an excited look.
"Michelle?"
The clerk's expression was full of mischief.
"Yeah?" Michelle asked, her voice a little breathy.
I stood outside the dressing room, my heart racing with anticipation. The moments felt like an eternity as I waited for Michelle to step out.
"Nothing to say?" I asked, smiling. "Not even commentary on the hanger's style?"
"I'm… a little speechless."
The curtain rustled, and then she emerged like a vision from a dream. Time seemed to slow as I took in the sight of her. The dress she wore was a deep shade of midnight blue, adorned with delicate silver embroidery that shimmered in the soft lighting of the boutique. The bodice looked like stardust had been thrown across it. It was like looking at the night sky on a new moon.
The bodice of the gown hugged her curves to her waist like a corset and bared her shoulders. The sweetheart neckline was revealing just enough to be alluring yet maintain an air of elegance. The flowing skirt fluttered around her. It didn't look as heavy as most ball gowns. My breath caught in my throat as I gazed upon her.
Michelle's eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and a hint of shyness. She twirled slowly, allowing the dress to sway with her movements, and I couldn't help but feel my heart skip a beat. I could see it in her face. She loved it, and I was more in love now than I thought possible.
"You look absolutely stunning," I whispered, my voice filled with awe and admiration. The words tumbled out without any conscious thought as if my heart was speaking for me.
The pain was forgotten for those few precious moments when our gazes met. A soft blush colored her cheeks as she met my gaze, and a radiant smile graced her lips. It was a smile that lit up the entire room, and I felt like the luckiest man in the world to be the one she was smiling at.
She lowered her gaze modestly. "You really think so?"
I reached out to take her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine. "I really do, and I can tell by the look on your face you think so, too."
I led her into a slow rocking step, dancing to music that wasn't playing.
She bit her lip and nodded. "I feel... queenly."
It took everything in me not to kiss her.
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