Alpha's One Night Bride
Alpha’s One Night Bride – Chapter 9

Sabrebite was a charming contemporary town of different shades of grey bricks and modern paved roads. The sidewalks were made of cobblestone that led to the town’s center where we stood. Surrounding us were high-rise buildings.

The warm mist of the air tickled my features as the scent of freshly baked bread, from the nearby bakery, made its way through my senses. I could hear the chatter of the town and the giggling of those that swarmed through the busy streets.

A small hole-in-wall shop sat at the back end of the town’s center. On display, in the window, were the most gorgeous wedding gowns I’ve ever seen. One was made of white feathers, a formfitting gown that expanded towards the bottom reminding me of a swan spreading its wings. Another dress was gold, accented with white pearls that expanded and grew larger towards the bottom of the fabric.

The light dinging of the bell, as we entered the shop, alerting a small, figured woman sitting at her sewing machine. She had her dark hair pulled up into a messy bun, equipped with a pencil and a couple of knitting needles to keep it in place. Her bright green eyeshadow brought out her emerald eyes; she had a thick layer of pink blush coated over her high cheekbones.

She looked amongst us and eagerly stood to greet us.

“Essie!” Jonathan greeted her first.

“I was wondering when you’d make an appearance at my shop! Word around town is you found your mate,” she winked at him before her eyes switched to me. “And you must be Arina.”

Word traveled fast.

I noticed she had a slight southern tang in her voice, and I couldn’t help but wonder she was from.

“Arina, this is Esmerelda. She’s the best designer in town,” Jonathan introduced.

Shaking her hand, Esmerelda added. “Please, call me Essie.”

Essie pulled me apart from Jonathan, spinning me so she could measure my body with her eyes. It was awkward being judged by a woman I hardly knew, but it was something I was going to need to get used to if I was going to be the luna of an Alpha.

“Essie will take care of you, Arina. With whatever you need,” Jonathan assured me.

I couldn’t help the smile that played on my lips as I watched Essie eagerly scramble around her shop. Pulling out different fabrics and color swatches; she worked quickly. I was in awe of her, but I also couldn’t help but be a bit nervous.

“I know this is a huge step,” Jonathan whispered from beside me; the nervousness on my face must have been clear.

“It’s a lot,” I admitted, sheepishly. Draping his fingers through mine, he squeezed my hand tightly.

“Things will get easier. You’ll see,” he promised. “This is your home now and I want you to feel as comfortable as possible.”

He was right.

I agreed to marry him, which meant Sabrebite was my home, and this was my new pack. Though, part of me felt a little guilty for abandoning Jessica without a single warning. I made a mental note to reach out to her later and tell her of the news.

Essie returned with a full gown in her possession. My mouth hung open as she pulled me towards the changing room to try it on. I was surprised that the dress fit my body perfectly as though she created it specifically for me.

Looking in the mirror, I hardly recognized myself. I looked like I aged years. My hair fell messily around my shoulders and down my back; I brushed the curls that fell around my face, with my fingers and let my hair fall back into place. My pale green eyes stared at the dress I had on, and my mouth hung open in awe.

It was an off-white, formfitting, gown. The “V” shape center dipped down between my breasts, revealing the small cleavage I had. The gown was accented with a cluster of flowers and leaves, matching the soft fabrics and off-white colors. The flowers and leaves were matted together to cover my torso. As the dress reached my waist, the fabrics grew thinner until you could see my legs through the clear lacy material. Down the sides and the back was a thick fabric that delicately flowed to the ground with matching off-white stems entwined throughout.

“Woah…” Jonathan breathed. I had forgotten he was nearby. Turning to him, he was eyeing me, his eyes wide with wonder. “Arina, you look…” his voice trailed off as my cheeks turned pink.

“Beautiful,” Essie finished for him.

Breaking through the thick silence of the room, was the familiar sounds of my cellphone that remained in the pocket of my jeans which was thrown on the dressing room floor.

Scrambling to get my phone, I nearly fell over when I saw the caller ID.

Rock

“I had to find out my own daughter was getting married by Gregory?” Alpha Rock went in to say almost immediately after I answered the phone.

Gregory was the Alpha in Moon-valley; he was a bit older, but I remembered how close Jonathan and Gregory used to be when he would visit me at school.

“You aren’t my father anymore. You haven’t been in a long time,” I shot back.

“As Alpha of Ironclaw and your father, I will be attending the wedding,” he growled.

“You aren’t going to step foot near my wedding.” I tried to keep my voice tame, but I could hear it begin to waver.

Jonathan was by my side quickly; I was scrambling around trying to get my clothes back on.

“You aren’t going to have this wedding without me being there, Arina,” he threatened. My fingers began trembling as I gripped my phone; I could feel the rage begin to burn within me.

I didn’t give him a chance to say anything more before disconnecting the line. Shoving my phone into my pocket I turned to face Jonathan. I hadn’t noticed I was crying until he used his thumb to gently wipe the tears from my face. I buried my face in his chest and allowed for his warmth to soothe and calm my body.

He draped his arms around me, protectively and held me close to him for a few moments. I knew Alpha Rock wasn’t going to stay away from the wedding regardless of what I said to him.

“I’m not going to let him touch you,” Jonathan vowed to me.