would need to wear. I didn’t realize both boys had gone quiet until I looked up and found both of them staring at me with wide eyes.
Suddenly, I felt self-conscious. “Do I look bad?”
“No.” Henry’s voice was rough. “Fuck no.”
“Maya, you look pale. Are you sure you want to go through with this? We don’t have to go,” Croy insisted, seeming to shake himself.
Finally, I found gold heels and slipped them on, running my fingers through my hair. I shook my head, knowing that not going wasn’t really an option, especially because I wanted to know more about my mother, and the way to do that wasn’t from afar. Plus, having extra help dealing with the coven sounded extremely appealing. As in my mates wouldn’t be in nearly as much danger if we had more help.
Stepping out from the closet, I froze as I caught my reflection in the mirror, realizing possibly why the boys had been staring.
I didn’t look like myself.
I mean, I did, literally, but the woman looking back at me looked like a princess, something that I apparently very much was despite that seeming impossible. There were a lot of factors that played into it, but the dress was… spectacular. That was the only word for it. It had to have some magical element to it that made you look more beautiful than you were. More confident. More self-composed.
Everything that I wasn’t feeling right now.
The actual structure of the dress was far more simple than the other. The bodice was two panels of thick material that were bound in the center with laces. They went over my shoulders and wrapped around the back as well, leaving the sides bare, dipping down to the waist. The thick material appeared to be a satin, but the shoulders were decorated in feathers that started in a deep blue over the gold material and transitioned into shades of purple and then gold where the dress cinched at my waist. From there, the gorgeous tulle skirt went out in a ombre effect in the opposite order down to where it brushed the floor. All of it was dusted with sparkles of pink and gold that seemed to highlight my skin tone. It was a gorgeous garment… and where I should have felt lacking, I instead felt empowered and beautiful.
Brushing my hair back, I considered putting on makeup besides the pink lipstick that I had planned to apply. It was times like this that I wish I’d had someone to help me out like with the dragon council event. I blinked back anxiety as both men offered me concerned looks in the mirror. I didn’t like these looks as much as the ones they’d been giving me before when they’d been staring at me in the dress. I didn’t want to worry them.
“Sugar?” Croy’s voice was warm and soft, making me melt. My skin flushed as I realized I was finally feeling a bit better and in less of an anxiety-induced haze. I breathed in and then out, trying to settle myself. The technique seemed to work to an extent, and I felt a surge of pride for being able to soothe myself, even if it was to a small extent.
“You both look really good,” I pointed out finally, noticing Henry was wearing an almost all gold uniform, accented with the blue that I was starting to realize was common to this kingdom. He looked absolutely gorgeous—both of them did—and it made me a bit worried about the other women that would see them.
“Thanks.” Croy flashed a smile, an authentic one that had the skin around his eyes crinkling, while approaching me. His wolf rubbed against me as I let my head fall back, Henry’s gaze still on my face as I nearly asked him what he saw. I was worried that he read me too well, though. Then again, the man had pretty much direct access to my innermost thoughts, so that wasn’t all that surprising.
“Maya, we need to talk about what happened.” Henry’s voice was soft as my fingers traced over the wolf on Croy’s uniform. The crest brought to mind Jordan and her father’s pack, making my brow dip. There was that persistent, overwhelming urge to go back. I think it was rooted in the realization that there were others like me.
Now that I knew my reality had been unusual, I wanted to save the others. I had to save the others. I couldn’t live with the knowledge that I