Switched Bride, True Luna - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Emily
“It’ll look good in the media to clear up the scandal going around,” Logan said softly in my ear.
My face flushed as red as a tomato. The idea of kissing him in front of all these people was more embarrassing than my family making a scene.
I never even kissed Michael in public, let alone this man I barely knew. And he wanted it to be on camera too.
This is part I have to play, though. I needed to be the loving wife-to-be.
I placed my hands on his broad shoulders and stood up on my tiptoes. I shut my eyes tight, face still bright red, and pressed my lips against his.
It needed to seem genuine, so I held my breath and counted for a few seconds before I started to pull away.
That wasn’t enough for Logan.
He placed his hand on the back of my head and crashed my lips back into mine, pulling my body closer with the other arm.
In front of everyone, he kissed me hard and deep.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
When our lips parted, I was out of breath. Logan, who seemed perfectly fine, kept his lips by my ear.
“It’s customary for you to say a little something and thank everyone for coming,” he whispered. His voice sent shivers down my spine.
He released me and I stepped up to the microphone. Everyone fell quiet, waiting for me to speak.
“Hello everyone,” I said, trying to think of what I was going to say. “Thank you so much for coming and celebrating this wonderful moment with us.” I glanced back at Logan, who smiled at me.
When I turned back to the crowd, I saw everyone’s eyes on me.
This was something I was going to have to get used to. I usually didn’t have to speak in front of so many people. Here, I was the fiancé of a powerful man.
Even if it was all a contract, I want to be helpful and keep my end of the bargain. Logan needs a bride to make him look strong to those who doubted his capabilities. Right now, everyone thought he was an unemotional businessman, but that isn’t what’s always important.
Love. Mates. These things matter to werewolves. And none of these people had seen any of that in Logan.
“Since I met Logan, everything has been a whirlwind. Once, I thought the Alpha of Titanfang was nothing more than a calculating businessman, but meeting him changed something within me. I have finally met the man that completes me. I have never met a man so thoughtful and loving, and I am so grateful to call him mine.”
I took a deep breath, my eyes scanning over the audience.
“I also want to thank all of you for being here to witness this once in a lifetime moment. Logan and I are stronger together, but we are also stronger with the support of all of you. So truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
The crowd cheered as my speech came to a close. Logan stepped up behind me, his marge hand landing on the small of my back.
“Well said,” he told me softly. His compliment made my heart swell with pride.
We stayed only a little while longer, making a few rounds as a couple to greet our guests. Then it was time to go.
In the car, I had a moment to relax and breathe.
Relaxing only made the anxiety start to rise. I knew nothing of supporting an Alpha. I had never gone through any Luna training, and I didn’t know what responsibilities were now going to fall to me.
“What are we going to do now?” I asked.
“Buy clothes,” said Logan as if it were obvious. My eyes narrowed.
“What?”
Logan pulled the car up to a couture boutique. Looking out the window, I instantly recognized it as one of the hottest shops in the capital.
Chloe and her friends constantly talked about it. The shop was difficult to order from as they were often backed up with orders, and the designer only created a limited amount of stock. Appointments were booked up to a year in advance, and the shop was picky about who they sold to, usually only selling to the upper class.
Chlose constantly complained to our parents that she didn’t have one of these dresses.
“Here,” said Logan. When I turned to look, he was holding a black credit card out to me.
“What’s this?” I asked, staring at it.
“Pick out whatever you like. You’ll need a new closet, but there’s an important formal event coming up, so a dress for that is a priority.” He shoved the card into my hand.
“I can’t let you do that. I can get something on my own.”
“Emily, you are now my fiancé. A part of that,” he tapped his credit card in my hand, “is giving you what you need to be a true Luna. Don’t worry about it.” He reached across me and popped open my door.
“You’re not coming in?” I asked. He shook his head, one hand running through his dark hair.
“I’ve done my fair share of shopping the last few days.”
I sighed and slid out of the car. I made a promise to myself to pay him back once I got my mother’s inheritance.
I glanced back at him, and he smirked at me.
“You’re not scare of a little shopping are you?” he asked. I shut the door before he could tease me anymore.
I walked into the shop and was surprised by how empty it was. No one seemed to be there. I walked around for a moment, looking at the racks of dresses.
Normally, I don’t care too much about fashion. Most of my clothes are old outfits of Chloe’s or Hannah’s, and I had so few dresses.
“Do you have an appointment?” came a voice from the back room. I actually don’t know if I technically have an appointment.
“I’m here to order a dress as Alpha Logan Duke’s fiancée,” I said. An evergreen dress with a low back caught my eye, and I reached out to it. My wrist was caught quickly before I could touch it.
“What are you doing?” she snapped at me. I recognized the brunette immediately. She was one of Chloe’s close friends.
“I’d like to order a dress,” I said, pulling my arm out of her grasp. The woman, whose name was Renee I think, snorted at me.
“There is not a single item in this store that you can afford.”
I showed her Logan’s credit card. “I think I can.”
Renee snatched the card out of my hand, looking it over. “This card belongs to Alpha Logan Duke. Did you steal it?”
“Of course not. If you didn’t hear before, Logan sent me here to get a dress. I’m his fiancée.”
“That’s ridiculous. Chloe is going to marry Alpha Logan, she told me herself a few days ago. You’re not fooling anyone here. You must have stolen this card,” said Renee. She went up to the register and called a number.
She talked to someone on the other line for a while to determine if the card was reported stolen or not. When she hung up the phone, she scowled at me.
“It’s not reported stolen yet, but I’m sure it will be soon.”
“It’s not reported stolen because it’s not stolen. I’m here to buy a dress, and I expect to be treated as any customer would be,” I said. I wanted to get out of this suffocating place as soon as possible.
“There is no way this is real!” said Renee. She pressed a button on the counter, and an alarm started to blare. Another woman, this one in a pencil skirt and blazer, came over with two security guards.
“This woman has come in here with Alpha Logan Duke’s credit card claiming to be his fiancée, but she is a fake!” Renee cried out.
“How did I not know my fiancée was fake?” Logan said as he strolled into the store.