She barely ever stopped moving, constantly playing with some kind of fidget spinner or walking laps around the room while I tried on the dresses someone (probably Merrily) had carefully selected for the rack they offered. I only saw one bargain mark on Liv, a small gray swirl on her hip.
Merrily wore loose lounge clothes that covered her skin completely. The sleeves were even long enough to go over her hands. They were basically nice-looking, toffee-colored pajamas that suited her curvy figure perfectly.
Her wavy, auburn hair fell loosely to her chin, cropped before it reached her throat, and her light skin was smooth and clear. Shesat curled up in a ball on a couch the whole time, without a single inch of her body touching anything she didn't absolutely have to.
And then there was Callum.
Neither of the women who he said were basically his family tried to kick him out of the dress shop. They didn't buy into human superstition about men not being able to see the wedding dress, I guess.
He sat eerily still beside Merrily, his arms folded over his chest as he remained sprawled out on the couch, with his gaze tracking my every move. The magical tattoos on his hands kept catching my attention.
"This one's fine," I said for the sixth time, my fists full of silver tulle as I stood there looking like a cupcake on the little platform the shop had.Immortal women were married in silver or gold gowns, so I’d tried a few of each.
I didn't want a wedding dress, so any of them would do. Even this puffy tulle monstrosity that was basically the wedding version of a tutu.
We were wasting time. I hadn't wasted this much time in my entire adult life. For my business's sake, I couldn't afford to.
"That one’s awful," Liv said without looking over her shoulder.
Had she even seen me in the dress?
"It's pretty, but not right," Merrily said, her chin resting on her knee lightly.
I huffed. "You guys have said that every time."
"It's annoying," Liv agreed.
"One of them will be right," Merrily assured us.
I looked pointedly at Callum. "I remember being told that you get to make every decision in my life from here on out, so why don't you just pick one?"
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"For fuck's sake." Liv strode across the room and leafed through the dresses on the rack. I hadn't bothered going through them. I really didn't give a damn what I wore to the wedding I hadn’t agreed to attend.
"I have a lot of work to do," I said. "Someone needs to pick one, and I don't care, so?—"
"Here." Liv shoved a gold one into my arms. "This is it. Put it on."
"If I put this on, I'm not wearing anything else," I warned.
"Unless it's not right," Merrily said.
"Just put it on." Liv stepped back and began another lap around the room.
I looked at all of them. With Callum sitting still as a stone, Merrily curled up in a ball, and Liv walking around with a fidget toy, the vibes were... odd.
"Are you all insane?" I asked.
"Yup." Liv didn't bother denying it.
"Fae magic is difficult." Merrily pulled her legs in tighter, eyeing the couch she was sitting on with some wariness.
I wasn't going to pretend I knew what they meant.
Shaking my head, I went back into the dressing room. One of the store's employees silently helped me into the dress Liv had given me. It was sleek, with smooth, light gold fabric that clung to my body, tight enough to show off my athletic werewolf figure but loose in the torso and straps to give it a little flow as it stretched into a halter top that wrapped around my neck comfortably
It was the best one I'd tried on, by far. I'd give Liv that.
