Chapter 93

Chapter 93
Opening the door to Grant’s hospital room, I was not expecting the sight that I saw. Grant was laying on a bed, a huge bandage over his head, his face that showed was swollen and bruised. Devin really repaid him back. One eye was visible through a little slit that the swelling hadn’t closed. A large gash was under his eye. The doctor explained they had to cut it open to relieve the swelling, so it didn’t put pressure on his eye. Other than that, he looked unharmed.

I walked up to the bedside. “Grant?” I asked. I was about to reach for his hand, but he grabbed his head instead.

“My head is killing me, what happened?” Grant asked groaning.

“It appears Devin figured out you were working with us and returned the favor,” Wyatt said, frowning at him.

“I don’t remember much. Just that we were at the brothel and having drinks. Next thing I know, I am here.”

“You don’t remember anything else?” I asked. Amnesia wasn’t unheard of after a head trauma, but it shouldn’t last long. “Eventually, it will come back.”

“It better. I want to see my niece get crowned in a few days!” he said, trying to smile.

“That is if you are out of the hospital by then,” Reed chimed in.

“I will be there even if I have to leave without their approval. I will not miss that for anything. I have been waiting for that moment for a long time! I have spent years of my life trying to get them taken down, and I want to bask in their defeat when she sentences them to death!” Grant proclaimed. His voice started to rise, but he grabbed his head and settled back down.

“I am sure we can figure something out,” I said, not sure what else to say to calm him down. I didn’t realize he cared so much to watch me become queen. “It will be nice to have a blood relative there.”

The nurse came in and started checking his vitals. “He needs rest and quiet. I am sorry but I am going to have to insist on you leaving… with all due respect,” the nurse followed up, looking nervous.

“Don’t be afraid to do your job. We will leave now,” I said as we made our way out of the hospital.

“That was nice of you,” Wyatt said, sounding gruff.

“What do you mean?”

“If a nurse talked to me like that, I would have shown my dominance. That was very disrespectful on her part!”

“Be that as it may, she was doing her job. I will not fault anyone for doing such. And a hospital worker at that! We cannot rule in a way that people are afraid to do what is needed. We will always step in if needed, but I will not get in the way of hospital workers taking care of their patient.”

“What if it was me in that bed?” Wyatt challenged with a smirk.

“There are always exceptions to the rule. However, if you find yourself in that position, I will have already killed who put you there, and I would never be told I needed to leave. Grant is not you,” I said annoyed.

“Come on, we have one more surprise for you ladies!” Reed said, looking cheerful.

“Oh?” Kelly said as we walked back to the pack house.

“Yes, well, more of our moms have a surprise for you both. I guess you both need dresses for the ceremony. Mainly you, Nina! They have organized dresses to be delivered here, so you can try them on and decide which one you like best to wear. Wyatt and I have some business to attend to, so you ladies have fun!” Reed said, and both boys dipped out, leaving Kelly and me standing there with our mouths open.

“I can’t wear a dress! I will look fat in everything!” Kelly started to cry.

I put my arm around her, trying not to laugh as we made our way back to my room. I could hear Autumn shouting different things and the rustling of fabric. Ugh, this would be a long afternoon!

We walked into the room to see Autumn telling two girls where to put everything and how to hang it. She didn’t even realize we were there, so we just kind of stared at what was in front of us. On the left were more elegant ball gowns. Literally meant for a queen. Beautiful, fluffy gowns with different stones and colors. On the right were still elegant gowns but more flowy and looked more maternity-style dresses. Still beautiful and elegant but more for someone with a growing bump.

Autumn finally saw us and rushed over to us. Her usually neat hair was sticking in every direction and her cheeks were red. She was fanning herself, trying to cool herself off. “I am not sure what you guys would like so I picked one of everything. We can order different colors if need be, and I was assured it would be here in time!”

“They are all so beautiful!” I said, trying to sound upbeat. She narrowed her eyes at me, causing me to lean back.

“Wyatt told me you are not a huge fan of dressing up. Don’t worry, just do as I say, and we will get this over with as soon as possible.” Turning to Kelly, she said, “As for you, you will look beautiful in anything. Being pregnant is not an excuse not to look your best! We will make alterations if needed!” Autumn left no room for argument as she handed us each undergarments and pushed us to our own dividers that were designed for changing. Stripping out of my clothes, I put on the nude strapless bra and nude thong.

Popping my head around, I yelled, “I am ready for the first dress.”

A girl came around with a royal blue dress. It had a sweetheart neckline, corset top to the hips, and flared out in a huge skirt. Rhinestones were light and random at the top and got fuller as the dress went on. Stepping into the dress, the girl started tying the back together.

“What is your name?” I asked her.

“Sofia. I am someone you saved,” she said shyly.

“Sofia… Sofia, didn’t you find your mate?” I asked, trying to think of the list I scanned over briefly.

Her face got bright pink. It matched her strawberry blonde hair, very fair complexion, and petite figure. “Yes, to Maverick. I believe you guys know each other.”

Oh shit! I knew it rang a bell! Kelly’s plaything before she was mated to Reed. “I do know him. That makes me happy you found a good mate!”

“We are trying. I am trying to learn to trust again. He has been very patient with me. All done!” she said, trying to change the subject. I could barely breathe as she laced it up tight. Grabbing the skirt, I walked out and stood in front of one of two mirrors.

“Hmm,” Autumn said as she came up to me. It definitely made my chest spill out. I tried to cover my cleavage with my hands. The rest of the dress was okay, but I wasn’t feeling the rhinestones.

“I don’t think this is the dress…” I said slowly as I turned to the left and the right, looking at it in every angle. “I like the blue, though!”

Kelly came out of her dressing area and was wearing a very unflattering dress. It was red with what looked like feathers going in every direction, and thick straps that went to a deep V. It had a slip to her knee and hugged her curves. Although she still rocked the curves, the feathers did little to accent her bump. Kelly immediately glared at me. “Don’t even say it!”

“HAHAHAHA!” I couldn’t hold it in.

“Well, that dress isn’t doing much for your tits! Look at you showing off!” Kelly said as she poked me in the boob.

“Okay, ladies, next dresses!” Autumn said quickly, and we retreated to our spaces. In no time flat, I was breathing again and waiting for Sofia to bring the next dress. Walking around the corner, Sofia had a deep purple dress. As I put it on, it was much more form fitting. Mermaid style with a very dramatic flair. It was full sleeves with the top and sleeves in mesh. Black lace designs went over my chest, so it covered the main parts, but the mesh still showed a little cleavage. Black lace surrounded the bottom of the dress. It hugged me perfectly, and the buttons up the back were like putting on a glove. The material was very stretchy, making walking to the mirror effortless.

Autumn gasped as I stepped in front of the mirror. It really was a beautiful dress. I wasn’t feeling like it was “the one” but I loved it regardless. Kelly came out in a silver silk dress that resembled more of a night gown than a dress. She looked stunning in it though. Kelly eyed me up and down as she widened them as far as they could go.

“I LOVE that dress!” Kelly said.

“Why don’t you try it on!”

“That will never fit me right now.”

“Nonsense! Regardless, it is very stretchy material, and I think this will really accent your belly!”

“I think that would be a perfect idea!” Autumn said. “I just love that dress.”

Walking back into the dressing area, I slipped out carefully and handed it to Sofia. She returned a minute later with an emerald green dress. Just looking at the color, I felt like this would be the dress.

The top was a strapless dramatic sweetheart neckline. Instead of around edges, each part over my cleavage came to a point. It was fitted to my waist again, but the skirt was very light and flowy. It had a larger train with it. The whole thing felt like I was wearing a regular dress. No shiny stones, no embellishment at all, just a simple yet very sophisticated dress. The back was a zip-up, and again, it fit me perfectly. I heard Kelly squeal in excitement, so I’m assuming hers fit.

Walking out to the mirror, Kelly had beat me to it. The purple dress also fit her perfectly and it hugged her growing baby bump beautifully. She had twisted her hair up and clipped it in. She looked perfect.

“Holy hell, Kelly! You look amazing!” I exclaimed. Kelly turned and looked at me with all the happiness in the world in her eyes. Autumn had to wipe a stray tear off her face as she looked at her oldest daughter.

“Thank you! You don’t think it is too much? It is your day?!”

I laughed at that. “It is perfect!” Even if it was a tad dressy, she looked too happy and too perfect in that dress for her not to wear it.

“Come on, let’s see your dress!” Autumn choked out.

I stood up to the mirror and smiled. I loved this dress. It screamed elegance but yet sexy without being too sexy. It said ‘I am in charge, but I am not above you.’ Approachable and not flashy. “It’s perfect!”

“We have more flashy dresses if you want to try on something more sparkly?” A lady said in the back. I took a moment to look around at everyone.

“I will not be a flashy queen. I might be in charge and hold the throne, but I am not the kind of person to raise my nose at anyone. I want to set the standard that I care about my people, and their struggles are my struggles. I will not show off my status in that kind of way. This dress is simply elegant and classy.”

Everyone was quiet for a while as they let my words sink in. Finally, Sofia came up to me and kneeled in front of me. “You will be the perfect queen, and I am honored to stand beside you.”

“Thank you!” I said, and Sofia stood up. “Plus, all my jewelry matches already!” I said laughing, trying to lighten the mood. “Sofia, this is Kelly and her mom, Luna Autumn. This is Sofia. She was one of the ladies we rescued, and she is mated to Maverick!” I said, introducing her to them.

Kelly’s eyes widened in surprise, but she ran over and gave her a hug. “I am so happy he found someone! He is a great guy!”

“Welcome to our pack!” Autumn said, also bringing in Sofia for a hug. The surprised look on her face was priceless.

“Y-you will al-allow me to be a member? Pack member?” Sofia said as her eyes got watery.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t we?” Autumn said patiently.

“I just assumed you wouldn’t want me because of my history…” she said shyly.

“Nothing that happened to you was your fault! You deserve happiness and family. We will make sure you feel welcomed and loved,” Kelly said as she gave her another hug.

Sofia looked at me for confirmation. “They did for me when I first became an orphan. They will for you, too!”

Sofia looked at me sadly for a second but nodded and hugged Kelly back. I was pretty sure Kelly wasn’t going to release the poor girl until she hugged her back!