Chapter 26: Chapter 26 The Purple Wedding Dress
Author
Elara had barely walked ten steps when a strong arm pulled her into an empty service elevator.
The sudden contact sent an unexpected jolt through her body. She was about to scream when she smelled his familiar scent and saw his face.
"You!" she gasped. Her heart was still racing, though now for entirely different reasons.
Alpha Dominic smiled coldly. "Are you a statue? When someone’s bullying you, you fight back. You don’t just stand there and take it."
The elevator was small, forcing them to stand closer than usual. Elara could feel the heat radiating from his body, and her wolf stirred restlessly.
She realized what happened. "That was you back there?"
"Who else?" Alpha Dominic rolled his eyes. "Next time you meet those crazy people, don’t think twice about kicking them. If they sue, I’ll pay for it."
Elara couldn’t help laughing. The sound seemed to affect him too - his eyes darkened slightly as he watched her.
"Got it."
"Good. Since you’re free now, we’re going to try on wedding clothes."
"Right now?" Elara’s eyebrows shot up.
Alpha Dominic raised one eyebrow. "Since we’re actually having this wedding, we need proper photos. My father wanted us to do some fancy destination shoot, which I said no to. Unless you want his idea?"
Elara shook her head fast. She could tell Hunter was trying hard to make their fake marriage real. A romantic trip would be awful.
"No way. Let’s go," she said quickly.
Alpha Dominic drove them through narrow back streets until they reached a plain building in a quiet area. The simple front turned out to be an expensive bridal shop.
As they walked in together, Dominic’s hand briefly touched her lower back to guide her, sending another wave of unwanted heat through her body.
Elara looked at the beautiful dresses on display. Several caught her eye.
At the back of the store, a man with gray hair sat in a chair. "Darling, you finally made it," he called out.
The pet name made Elara’s skin crawl.
[Was this another one of Dominic’s lovers? The designer looked much older, but...]
"Dominic, this must be your bride," the man continued, standing up. "Come with me, darling. I’m Jerry, the owner and designer. Let me show you my best work. It took two months to make. If Alpha Dominic hadn’t begged—"
Alpha Dominic stepped closer to Elara, his presence suddenly protective and possessive. The shift in his energy made her pulse quicken.
Alpha Dominic’s eyes turned ice cold. "Can you ever shut up? Did you talk too much in your last life too?"
Jerry stopped talking while Elara tried not to laugh. She could feel Alpha Dominic ’s tension, the way his muscles coiled like he was ready to strike.
"Get your female staff to help her," Alpha Dominic ordered, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl, "and stop calling her ’darling.’ This is my mate, not your pet."
Jerry rolled his eyes at Alpha Dominic’s possessiveness.
"Come, sweetheart, your dressing room is ready. I’ve picked out the perfect gowns for you," Jerry said, pointing toward the back.
Elara hesitated, suddenly uncomfortable. "You’re... helping me try them on?"
No matter what Jerry’s preferences were, having a man help her change clothes seemed wrong.
"Oh honey, I’d love to, but someone wouldn’t let me," Jerry laughed, looking at Alpha Dominic . "My assistant Mary is waiting for you back there."
Sure enough, Elara saw a beautiful woman with purple hair waiting by the dressing rooms. She felt relieved.
Mary opened the dressing room door, and Elara gasped. The wedding dress inside took her breath away. Under the soft lights, the gown seemed to glow like moonlight. It looked like starlight flowing down in shades of purple, like a galaxy made into fabric.
"Did Jerry design this?" Elara asked, still staring.
Mary smiled. "Do you like it?"
"I love it," Elara said honestly.
The purple color immediately won her heart. Looking in the mirror, she admired how the strapless top was covered with shiny white pearls. Golden threads around the waist caught the light and showed off her curves perfectly.
The big skirt had three layers. The outer layer looked like morning fog, the middle layer reminded her of lavender fields covered in dew, and the inner layer was full of diamonds that sparkled like stars sewn into soft fabric.
"Are you ready?" Alpha Dominic called softly from outside.
Mary opened the door for her.
Elara took a deep breath and stepped out, holding the huge skirt. She moved like a queen commanding the night sky, the long train flowing behind her as she slowly walked toward him.
Alpha Dominic’s throat moved as he swallowed hard. His dark eyes were full of emotion he tried to hide.
"How does it look?" Elara asked nervously.
Alpha Dominic’s lips curved into a small smile. "Beautiful."
"Beautiful? She’s absolutely stunning! This masterpiece was worth every sleepless night I spent creating it!" Jerry exclaimed.
Elara looked at herself in the mirror. She hardly recognized the amazing woman staring back. "Thank you. I really love this dress."
Jerry showed her two more designs. Each one made her feel like she could rule an empire, and she loved them all.
"Did you design all of these yourself?" she asked Jerry.
Jerry paused, looking at Alpha Dominic who sat quietly on the sofa. He pressed his lips together. "Not exactly. The purple one was a team effort."
The purple one—her favorite.
After leaving the shop, Elara politely thanked him. "Thank you. Those must cost a fortune."
Though the shop looked plain from outside, she could tell the diamonds on the skirt were real.
Alpha Dominic smirked. "What, are you planning to go Dutch?"
Elara stiffened. "Hardly, Dominic. You don’t need to worry about that."
There was no way she’d offer to pay for something that expensive!
As soon as they left, Jerry’s assistant looked at him with curiosity. "Boss, why didn’t you tell her he designed it himself?"
"Wouldn’t she be happier knowing her husband made her dress?"
Jerry shrugged. "Who knows what that man thinks? Maybe he’s just bad with feelings," he said with a smile.
The assistant rolled her eyes. Rich people were strange.
