The boutique she was referring to was all the way in Rock Harbor, a whole forty-five minutes away from Briar Glenn.So that was why she was okay with closing the shop early.
“Isn’t that place a little pricey for a gift?” I asked, considering I’d had a hard time buying the other one when it was on clearance. Neither of them was independently wealthy, and I hated the thought of them spending their hard-earned money on me.
“Relax,” Selene said, gently placing her hand on my arm. “Dec pitched in, so it really wasn’t bad at all.”
Dec nodded. “We wanted you to look like a knockout tonight, even if the dress is just going to end up on Atlas’s floor.”
I snorted. I mean, thatwasthe plan.
Selene laughed her signature raspy chuckle and pulled the dress out of the bag, holding it out to me. “Go. Try it on.”
I headed straight for the bathroom, closing the door with a loudthudbehind me.
“Make sure you come out and let us see it! Even if you don’t like it!” Selene shouted from the other side of the door.
“We mean it, Tegan!” Declan added.
I untied my robe and let the fuzzy piece of material fall to the floor. I caught a glimpse of my body in the mirror before pulling on my dress. My breasts were substantial, with light pink nipples and delicate streaks of white stretch marks. My waist was soft and round and widened to thick thighs, which rubbed together when I walked—also complete with bands of stretch marks.
It wasn’t a perfect body, not by conventional beauty standards, but I loved and appreciated it. Loved and appreciated all the things it allowed me to do. It was strong, healthy, and it obviously called to the desires of an attractive wolven.
I stepped into the gingham beauty and gently shimmied it over my hips.
Please, goddess, fit.
I was sure that we could figure something else out, but I really wanted to wear this damn dress and live out my cottagecore queen fantasies.
When the zipper clicked into place at the base of my shoulder blades, I could have cried tears of joy.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment, admiring howthe dress accentuated every curve of my body, defining my breasts and waist before flaring out at the bottom.
Atlas was going to be foaming at the mouth over the sight of me in this dress.
I looked like an absolute snack.
“Are you ready?” I yelled out to my best friends in a singsong voice.
“Duh. I’m freaking dying out here, Teg.” Declan groaned the last part for emphasis.
I took a deep breath and smiled before turning the knob. When I stepped out into the bedroom, I grabbed the hem and did a little twirl for them, the dress billowing around me.
Dec clapped his hands together. “Absolutely stunning.”
“You look amazing,” Selene said before wrapping me in a tight hug.
I knew Atlas was going to think so, too.
Twenty-Two
Atlas
What the fuck did onewear on a dinner date when you were an absolute gym bro? I’d had a hard enough time finding something to wear for our first date, and I didn’t want to repeat any outfits just yet. I was pretty sure gray sweatpants didn’t count for date attire other than Netflix and chill—which I would totally be down for with Tegan—but that wasn’t what this was.
We’d both made our expectations for the evening pretty clear. I wanted to dress the part.
I rummaged through my closet hoping I could find another pair of dinner date–appropriate pants that would fit over the twin barrels I called my thighs.
“Aha,” I yelled to myself when I pulled a pair of khakis off the very top shelf of my closet. Tugging at the material, I was shocked that it had a slight stretch to it.These might actually work.
