Tasting 194

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194–The Red Gown

Nora:

“What is this?” I asked, my gaze fixed on Silas, who held a crimson dress in his hand. Not just any

dress, but the one I had picked out in the mall before choosing Brody’s option.

“Now you don’t have to worry about a gown,” he whispered, passing by me. As he entered the

room, I saw Lord Atwood following behind him.

“He mentioned he had something that might cheer you up,” Lord Atwood explained, and I realized

why he hadn’t come to ask me to dinner.

“She liked this gown initially, so I suppose no harm done,” Silas said to his father, placing the gown

on the bed and turning to me. The white hoodie made him appear so imposing and pristine.

“Try it on, and if it needs any alterations, let me know,” he smiled faintly, but it was his gesture that

touched my heart.

“Thank you so much,” I said with a sniffle, almost on the verge of breaking down at his kindness.

“Oh no! Please don’t cry again. It’s time you prepare yourself for the ball. Go show them all who will

be the most gorgeous,” he playfully pinched my cheek, sending a shiver through my body.

Lord Atwood watched us with satisfaction, finally seeing his son getting along well with his

stepsister.

“I don’t know how I will ever repay you for this,” I was becoming so

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194 The Red Gown

weak when I should have been stronger by now. It was just that a mate’ s betrayal can really mess

someone up.

“Okay, let’s go cat something now. I’ve been starving,” Lord Atwood rubbed his tummy like a child,

hinting at the truth about skipping dinner because I hadn’t joined them. The three of us walked

downstairs to dine.

Nash wasn’t home and would arrive early in the morning. Cain chose to skip dinner, probably

because he was upset with me for constantly confronting his girlfriend and accusing her unfairly

when, oddly enough, she was innocent.

Ryker, as usual, was nowhere to be found, likely at the border. That’s when I recalled the patient

who had wandered around the woods. I swear I recognized her, but then again, it might not mean

much. Silas was the pack’s doctor, so it’s natural he wouldn’t remember everyone, and his

association with her wouldn’t necessarily mean anything.

Every pack member received treatment from Silas, so just because someone commits a crime

doesn’t imply Silas knew their intentions. Besides, I was too happy with him to be suspicious of him

not remembering her. He had done a lot for me.

After dinner, we all retired to our rooms.

“He’s so nice,” I told Akira, twisting the ring on my finger as we discussed the gown.

“Of course, he really cares about you now,” she replied, but there was a hint of playfulness in her

voice that I couldn’t ignore.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you talking so strangely?” Her tone made me wonder what was

on her mind.

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“I’m sure you know what I mean,” she giggled, causing me to frown at her.

“No, I don’t. So please, tell me what’s been on your mind,” I placed my hands on my waist, standing

before the gown and admiring its beauty.

“What if—just hear me out,” she quickly interrupted me, “what if you let me out around him on the

full moon, and we–”

I had to interrupt her because what she was suggesting was outrageous.

“That is crazy. Why would you even suggest something like that? Don’t we have enough mates

already?” I groaned at her, but in the back of my mind, this idea had been recurring lately. It didn’t

seem like a

coincidence that I was fated to three of the brothers. Why would the Moon Goddess leave out one

of them? Could it be more than fate, maybe even a miracle?

“Is it, though? It would be strange if he’s the only one who isn’t our mate,” she remarked. She

wasn’t entirely wrong, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see how he would react to this news.

Then again, it’s not like there’s anything we can do about it.

“Akira! We need to accept that we’re with Brody now, and he’s been nothing but loving towards us,”

I emphasized, making sure she understood that betraying Brody wasn’t an option, especially after

all he had done to protect our reputation.

He had been there for us when we needed his support. I couldn’t just hurt him and move on to

someone else. I had been feeling down about myself ever since Cain and Ryker used and dumped

me. I felt like I needed to stop being so focused on physical attraction and commit to someone,

whether I felt a mate bond with them or not.

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“You’re probably right. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. It’s like trying to figure out how

many Pokémon I have,” she said, making me laugh with her statement. After trying on the gown,

pretending to be a princess and waving my hands at imaginary subjects, I finally decided to put it

away and go to sleep.

When I woke up, it was early morning. Way too early. I had left one of the windows open, so the

noise of birds in the early morning startled me awake. I tried to go back to sleep, but after fifteen

minutes, my stomach started growling. Changing into blue jeans and a white top with wet hair from

the shower, I headed downstairs. I needed a snack before breakfast. Everyone else was still

asleep, as it wasn’t their usual waking time. I’m not an early riser either.

Once I reached the kitchen, my steps halted because I realized not everyone was asleep. There

was my handsome, shirtless mate in the kitchen, his hair also wet and his eyes scanning the

refrigerator.

Some warmth inside me encouraged me, and I sneakily approached him on tiptoes. Nash had his

entire head in the fridge when I poked him in the back with my fingers and yelled, “Boo!”

Well, let’s just say, I made a mistake.

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