The Alpha's Stolen Luna - Chapter 202: Chapter 202

: Sutton
“Is this really necessary?” I asked as the seamstress pulled out another swatch of fabric. “This just seems like a lot to get done in such a short period of time.”
“Nonsense,” Narya said. “You are the centerpiece of the Luna ceremony. So it is required for you to look your absolute best.”
“Not that that is hard to do for Sutton,” Tarrah chimed in. “She’s always gorgeous.”
I felt my cheeks blush at the compliment. I still wasn’t used to being fawned over like this. But I was glad for the help. Mostly because it seemed like the girls were more than happy to take on most of the tasks. I found that I wasn’t picky about most aspects of the event. The only thing I was insistent on being involved in was the floral arrangements. I gave some input to that would give them a good idea of my tastes and, for the most part, they girls shared the same aesthetic preferences as I did. So, that would make the process so much easier.
The only thing that may end up stressing me out was the dress. Tarrah was insisting on a bespoke custom made gown for the occasion. That would require a number of design sessions and fittings just, not to mention the cost, just to get it ready in three weeks. I tried to convince them to just let me purchase a premade dress but they weren’t having it.
I inevitably gave in when the dress maker showed up with a cart full of supplies to get started. I still had my hesitations, but I knew their hearts were in the right place. And I had to admit, I really like the work the designer had showed me. So it wasn’t hard to get a little excited about wearing something so elegant.
“I think lace is the way to go,” the woman said as she started to pack up. “I’ve got the three top designs to get me started. I’ll get back to you in two to three days with a final mock-up. If you have any changes or preferences you want to add, you know how to reach me.”
“I think we’ll call it a day, too,” Simone stated. “It’s date night.”
She gave me a wink as she grabbed the folder of tasks she’d put together. Most of my guests piled out of the apartment, leaving Tarrah and Helene left. Helene was sitting in the chair in the corner looking tired. It had been a long, exciting day. I worried she overdid it.
“Helene, why don’t you go lay down for a little while,” I suggested. “The guest bed is comfortable.”
“I’m okay,” she insisted. “But I think I will head back down to our rooms and check on Dad. I’ve kind of left him on his own all day.”
“He’s coming up for dinner in an hour or two,” I reminded her.
“I know,” she said with a smile. “We’ll be here.”
“Do you want me to walk you down?” I pressed, helping her to the door.
Helene laughed. “Sutton, really, I’m fine,” she said. “I promise, I really am doing so much better these days.”
“You just look tired, is all,” I pointed out. I was used to her downplaying her illness even when she shouldn’t.
“Nothing an afternoon nap won’t fix,” she said. “But I do also have to take my next shot soon, which is back at our place. So, I’ll so you soon. And yes, I can make it down on my own.” She gave me a tight hug. “I love you.”
“Love you, too,” I said.
I watched as the elevator doors closed between us. I let out a heavy sigh, knowing I would always worry about how she was feeling.
“She is just cute as a button,” Tarrah said from the living room. “Seriously, I just want to put her in my pocket and carry her around.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, she’d keep escaping,” I told her. “She was always headstrong, even as a kid.”
“Well, I like her,” Tarrah reiterated. “She’s sweet. I’m glad you have her here.”
“Me, too,” I agreed, falling back into the couch. “You’re staying for dinner, right?”
“Of course,” she replied cheerily as she grabbed my mother’s box from the cabinet under the TV.
I’d filled her in on everything that had happened at the capital and she was happy to lend a hand deciphering what my mother had left for me. Thanks to Denny’s job having him travel a lot, she’d seen more of the country than most people I knew. I hoped she would be able to see something I couldn’t with that experience.
“So, we know the name of the mystery woman,” she recapped as we pulled things back out. “Now, we need to figure out how to find her.”
“Yep,” I replied. “Supposedly, everything I need to know is in this box. We started going through the letters earlier, but I think the journals are going to be more help.”
“I’m sure reading love letters from your bio-dad was too tempting to pass up,” Tarrah commented. “It must be strange getting to know him this way.”
“A little,” I said. “I think I’m still getting used to the concept that the man in these photos is my father.”
“Haven’t you known for a while that you had a different biological father?” Tarrah questioned.
“Yeah, but Wesley was still my father to me,” I said. “That didn’t change. Especially since my mom wasn’t around to tell me about my real dad and no one really knew anything about him. I’d just accepted that he would be a mystery to me the rest of my life. If I’m honest, he’s still kind of a mystery in these.”
“What do you mean?” Tarrah asked.
“Well, I am getting to see who he was as a person, I suppose,” I said. “At least, I’m who he was with my mother. How much he loved her. Some of his core values and beliefs. But I still have no idea who he was, where he came from, if he had family. You know, things like that. It’s hard to see him anything other than my mother’s lost mate.”
“I guess I can understand that,” Tarrah said staring at a picture of the two of them. “They really did look happy though.”
I let out a sad sigh. “Yeah, they did,” I said. “They seem so… carefree here. It’s hard to imagine they got to feel that way often. But from we’ve gotten from the letters, I believe these were taken in a special spot for them. But so far nothing mentions where that is.”
“Well, they likely kept it a secret,” Tarrah said. “From what I know of Princess Leanetta, she liked to ditch her guards quite often.”
“That’s what Soloman said too,” I confirmed. “Apparently she had a few different places she would escape to when she wanted to get out away from the royal lifestyle. But he didn’t know where this place was.”
Tarrah sat up straighter as she flipped to a new photo in the stack.
“But I might,” she said with a broad smile.