Beloved

28

"Alright," Darla interlocked her fingers and stretched her arms in front of her, "ladies and gent, we have a mission."
"Indeed we do. We are not leaving this mall until we've found the perfect dresses,"Kayleigh glanced at Lucas when he cleared his throat, "and suit." She marched to the door and opened it wide while Darla and Lucas each grabbed Gaia by her arms and marched her through the door. Arianna and Michelle exchanged smiles and followed the youth to the formal wear shop. Within two hours Gaia was exhausted, feeling like she'd tried on every dress the shop offered in her size. Kayleigh, Darla and Lucas had all found beautiful attire, which only increased Gaia's frustration.
The attendant narrowed her eyes appraising Gaia for several moments before popping her eyes wide and rushing to the back room, telling Gaia she'd meet her in the changing room with 'just the thing'.
The attendant entered the changing room carrying a length of beaded cloth in her arms and helped Gaia slither into it, then stepped back to appraise Gaia with a critical eye. She nodded and gestured for Gaia to turn to the mirror and see for herself. Gaia turned with a sigh. When she saw her reflection, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "That's me?"
The amethyst purple off-shoulder, floor length sheer dress hugged her body from the sweetheart neckline to her mid thigh. The trumpet skirt flaring from just above her knee gave her slim figure curves she didn't know she had. The appliqué lace and beadwork leaves and flowers strategically covered her bits, retaining the air of elegance to the otherwise racy garment. "Well, let us see it," Darla said.
"Come on out, girlfriend," Lucas called.
Gaia slowly tore herself away from her reflection and gingerly walked to where the others were waiting.
Kayleigh whistled.
"Oh, my," Michelle breathed. She and Arianna looked Gaia up and down, walking around her, appraising every inch. Darla, Lucas and Kayleigh put their heads together and whispered, "Wow.", "Dante's going to freak out.", "He is going to want to tear that off of her and..." the two girls clenched their fists at their chests and squeed.
"We'll take it." Arianna handed the attendant a black card. "You're going to need shoes."
The attendant took the card and handed a shoe box to Arianna, "These match the dress. She looks to be a size five, but these are five and a half."
"I wear size five shoe," Gaia confirmed.
"Well, let's try them on you, dear," Arianna approached Gaia as Michelle helped her daughter sit.
"Heels? Of course they have to be heels," Gaia groaned, eyeing the pumps with disdain.
Arianna frowned at the socks on Gaia's feet and pulled them off. Michelle slipped the shoes onto Gaia's feet and helped her stand. Kayleigh scoffed, "Oh, those aren't even that high."
"Well," Michelle stepped back to look over her daughter once more, "you certainly are a vision." She clicked her tongue and shook her head, a small satisfied smile tugging her lips.
"You're beautiful, Gaia," Arianna affirmed. "Go change and we'll eat." "Finally," Gaia exclaimed, turning and nearly tripping as she tried to maneuver in the shoes and dress.
Darla and Kayleigh giggled and helped their friend to the changing room. "Kayleigh and I will help you practice walking around in them," Darla assured her.
"It's really not difficult," Kayleigh said, "it just takes some practice."
Her friends all insisted Gaia needed new underwear, and well as other updates to her small wardrobe. When Gaia protested, they said Dante had tasked them with ensuring Gaia got more clothes.
"And I quote, 'a luna should have a variety of options at her disposal'."
"And a variety meant for ripping from off her," Kayleigh snickered as she and Darla pawed through selections of intimates.
Another three hours after lunch, the women and Lucas packed all their purchases into the three cars they'd arrived in and drove back to the territory.
On the way back to the alpha house, Arianna was giddy as she told Gaia of the itinerary she had planned the day of the event. Gaia was fairly certain she could handle the massage, but everything else sounded painful or tedious.
Florian and Dante stepped out onto the porch as Arianna parked the car. Their eyes widened as Gaia opened the door, exposing the bags she was buried under. By the time Arianna had popped the trunk, Florian and Dante were already beside the car to help bring in the loads.
Florian joked that it looked like the women had bought out the entire mall, earning him a playful slap and growl from his mate.
Dante rushed to take the bags from Gaia so she could get out of the car. "Aw, you look exhausted. Here I've got these. You go inside and relax, baby."
Arianna glared at Florian as she, too, went inside the house mumbling under her breath that she'd at least raised her son right.
Florian sighed, "You let her off too easy, son. They wanted all this, they can bring it in and put it away themselves."
Loading his arms, Dante answered, "I didn't let her off easy at all. Gaia hates clothes shopping. Despises it with a passion. I figured her friends would have an easier time convincing her to round out her wardrobe than I've been able to coax her to, and I told Darla, Lucas, and Kayleigh to make sure she gets some of everything."
Florian's brow rose, "She hates shopping? That's unusual." He lifted the dress boxes out of the trunk and closed it.
"If it's for anything that takes longer than an hour, and a price tag over twenty bucks she gets irritated and antsy," Dante chuckled. "What little of a wardrobe she has, I've had to buy for her, mostly behind her back."
"Huh. What's that like," Florian asked.
"It can be annoying in its own way, but I've never known anyone so appreciative of everything I get her, so there's that."
Once all the purchases were inside, Arianna sorted them, having Florian carry hers and both dress boxes to their suite, and Dante take the rest to his room.
Knowing Gaia would procrastinate putting everything away, he went ahead and emptied all the bags and snipped off the tags. He figured it gave him a sneak preview of the lingerie she'd been forced to buy.
Gaia woke from her nap just as Dante was finishing up in the closet.
"Hey babygirl, you feel better?" He shut the closet door and stuffed the final bag into the one he'd carry to the trash when he left the room.
"Mhmm," she stretched, then opened her eyes wide when she noticed all the bags were empty, and stuffed together. "You put everything away?"
He crossed the room and sat beside her, saying, "Yeah. I figured it was the least I could do." He cradled her face in his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb, smiling as she leaned into his touch. "I didn't see the dress you got for the ceremony, though. Were you not able to find one?"
Gaia frowned, "I found a dress, it was in a box," her eyes widened, "Oh, no! Did we leave it behind? I thought we put it in the trunk!"
"Oh, there were two large boxes in the trunk. I guess mom took it to her room for some reason."
"Oh, good. She probably has a better idea how to store it than I do."
Dante snorted, "No. She just didn't want me to see it yet. It's about dinner time. You ready to head downstairs?"
Gaia nodded.
Downstairs they found Arianna had already made dinner and Florian was setting the table. After dinner Gaia and Dante cleaned up the kitchen, then joined his parents in the den until Gaia started to fall asleep.
***
The day of the luna ceremony, Gaia woke in Dante's arms. Used to waking alone since he left for training in the mornings, she smiled and squirmed, snuggling closer to his body.
His chuckle alerted her that he was already awake.
"Good morning beautiful mate. Did you sleep well?" He rubbed his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent. Her scent had changed. She still smelled of summer berries and sea breeze, but now there was a hint of forest in the mix.
"Hmm, morning," she sighed happily. "I did, but waking in your arms is even better. Shouldn't you be at training, though?"
"I should, but it's not every day my little mate is going to be officiated as Luna, and I want to spend all the time I can with you before my mother confiscates you for the day."
Gaia groaned, "She's going to torture me."
Dante laughed, "Well, it's going to be torture for me to be away from you," his hand slid to her abdomen, "and our baby."
"I'm going to miss you, too, but you aren't going to be waxed and plucked-"
Dante's breath hitched and he lifted his head, "You're getting waxed?"
"Yeah," Gaia said dejectedly.
"What exactly are you getting waxed?"
"Um, I have no idea. I don't even know what it is, I just know it sounds painful."
"Huh. See if they'll do-"
"Dante, you're not seriously making requests on what pain I'm going to endure today."
He sighed, "Fine. Wanna get some breakfast?"
"Yes!" Gaia wriggled out of Dante's embrace and flipped on the table lamp so she could see where her pajamas had been tossed. She happily pulled on her clothes and slipped into her robe. Glancing at Dante, she saw he was still in bed, watching her glumly. "What?"
"We were snuggling..."
Gaia planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head, "You mentioned the 'b' word, implying food."
Rolling out of bed he scoffed and rolled his eyes, muttering, "As if breakfast is more important than snuggling."
"Look mister. I'm pregnant. Food is infinitely more important."
Dante grinned as he pulled on his own pajama bottoms, "Yeah, yeah."
"If you wanted more snuggling, you shouldn't have gotten me pregnant, that's all I'm saying. Next time think these things through."
"I've got a better idea," He lunged and snagged her up in this arms so her legs wrapped around his body, "we'll snuggle on the way to breakfast."
Gaia giggled, "I don't have to walk. Not a bad plan, alpha man."
"I think my other plan was better." He opened the door and began to walk down the stairs.
"And what was that?"
"Doing all sorts of naughty things to that sweet little body of yours until you can't walk."
"Mmm, sounds delightful until I envision falling flat on my face later because your mom is insisting I wear heels."
"You're just determined to not enjoy this day aren't you?"
"I can't wait for it to be over, that's for sure."
"I can't wait for you to officially be my Luna, either," Dante paused on the stairs to kiss her and nearly marched her back up to their room, but she clutched his shirt and pulled, insisting they investigate the aromas drifting from the kitchen. In the end a rumble from her stomach settled the decision.
When they reached the kitchen Arianna threw her hands up, scowling, "There you are! Dante, you aren't even dressed? We're running behind"
"Whatever you have scheduled can be put on hold for another hour. My luna needed her rest and now she needs to eat before you take her for whatever torture you have planned for her." He grinned at both the adoration for him on Gaia's face, and his mother's indignation.
"It's not torture, Dante! It's getting her ready for the most important day of the rest of her life!"
"Whatever. She, and my unborn pup need to eat first."
Arianna rolled her eyes, but gestured to the dining table where Florian was scrolling on his Ipad, sipping coffee.
Dante sat in chair, situating Gaia in his lap, and pulled the neighboring place setting beside the one in front of him and began filling both plates from the platters.
Florian peered at his son over his screen and lifted an eyebrow. "Is there a reason she can't sit and eat on her own?"
"I didn't get to snuggle with her all I wanted this morning, so she's sitting on my lap until she's full and ready to deal with mom," Dante said.
Florian shook his head, but didn't say another word. After Gaia had eaten her fill and slid from Dante's lap with a kiss, and scampered to find Arianna, Florian said, "You're spoiling her."
Dante stabbed a bite of sausage and egg, "She deserves to be spoiled."
"You weren't like this with Angelica."
"No, I wasn't," Dante agreed. "I'm a better person with Gaia, she inspires me to be a better person and a better wolf, and she deserves the best I can be for her."
Florian smiled, "Good. She's a good match for you. Hurry up and eat. We've got a full day, too."
***
Gaia found Arianna had attendants preparing in the room she'd occupied when Dante first brought her to the house. In the room the bed had been moved to make room for a table platform covered in cloth and various carry-alls the attendants used for their wares.
First she was stripped naked, given a towel, and put on the table platform where she was slathered in warm wax and strips of cloth. She whimpered every time a strip of cloth was ripped from her skin. She was horrified when the wax was applied to the delicate skin of her nethers, and yelped when the coarse hairs were violently ripped away.
Then the woman ran a twisted loop of string along her face, paying close attention to her brows.
Lunch was brought in and everyone took a break to eat. Gaia learned their names and found they were really very kind women who had apparently seen 'it all', many of their stories causing her face to warm.
After lunch they shooed her into the shower and told her to come back out in a clean towel. Gaia took a moment to examine her face and body in the mirror before she stopped into the shower, marveling at the utter lack of any fuzz she'd never noticed before.
Once out of the shower, she was put back on the table platform, face up, and covered with a sheet. This attendant paid attention to her face, chest and upper arms, first exfoliating and then massaging in moisturizers.
The next attendant had her roll onto her belly and gave her a thorough massage that nearly put her to sleep. After she had rolled over for the masseuse to work on her anterior, she was allowed to lay and rest while the hairdresser and make-up artist set up.
The hairdresser detangled her hair, clucking over Gaia's curls and informing her how best to care for them as she coaxed her locks into an updo.
Gaia was thankful the makeup artist already knew she didn't like heavy cosmetics and appreciated the pointers the artist gave her about make-up.
After she was helped into her dress and shoes, she was put in front of a mirror and her jaw dropped. "Wow."
Arianna entered the room and smiled. "You are lovely, my dear. It's time."
Gaia nodded, letting her eyes roam her reflection one last time before turning away and following Arianna out of the room.