Page 47 of The Alpha’s Heir

I caught her wrists and held them against my racing heart a moment more. “This is a mistake.”

“It isn’t,” she rushed to say. “You don’t understand. This is meant to be. There’s something I have to tell you, and it’ll all make sense.”

“Don’t say anything else,” I hissed, dropping her hands as I took a step back. “I made a mistake, Miss Meg. I apologize for taking advantage of you.”

“That’s not what happened.” She shook her head.

“It is.” My tone left no room for argument.

The hurt on her face would haunt me for the rest of my life as I said, “I promise this won’t happen again.”

Meg gripped her chest as if I’d stabbed her there, but I had no time to explain.

“Roman, are you here?” Helen’s voice rang out in the front hall, no doubt having seen my car parked outside.

I hardened my heart as I took another step away from Meg, putting more distance between us.

“Please wait,” she whispered.

But it was already too late.

I took one last look at her pretty, devastated face—committing this moment to memory and knowing I’d never get one like it again—before I glanced up at the camera above her bedroom door.

Science, what have I done?

16

Meg

“How am I supposed to breathe in this?” I tried to inhale and then exhale, but I couldn’t fully extend my lungs.

Say the word and I’ll slice us out. My wolf was trying hard not to panic while another layer of white silk was pinned against my waist.

“Hold still.” The dressmaker hissed at me as he stuck in another pin. He’d arrived just after I’d finished a breakfast of yogurt with bits of grains on top like some crunchy sort of garnish, and I’d been put on the makeshift platform in the front sitting room.

It took everything in me not to bare my teeth at the human male.

“You’re not supposed to breathe.” Helen sat perched on the edge of the sofa, moving her fingers over the screen on her lap in a flurry of activity. I didn’t even know why she was here.

As shifters, nudity didn’t bother us as much as it did humans. Mom had said being naked was a major taboo in the city. Even wearing only your undergarments was frowned on. Why they’d put me on display while I was stripped and re-dressed for this wedding was beyond my comprehension.

The sitting room had another fake fireplace. This one was adorned with gilded portraits of old men and women who looked very important as they watched me get prodded and pinned.

“It’s not very practical.” I turned as the dressmaker directed, stealing another glance of the driveway outside the windows. The rain had come back. A cool misting that fogged up the glass. And I hadn’t seen Roman all weekend.

I touched my lips unconsciously. For the past two nights, I’d lain in bed replaying that earth-shattering kiss right before he’d torn the floor out from under me and fled.

Still think we should’ve chased him down, she gruffed.

“I said, hold still.” A needle pierced my side.

I growled.

The man paled.

“Enough of that.” Helen slid the case closed over the screen. “It’s fashion. It’s not supposed to be practical. And he’ll never get a tight enough fit if you don’t stop wiggling.”

I puffed out my chest, hoping beyond all hope that she was right and he wouldn’t be able to make the dress any tighter. If this was fashion, you could count me out.