Free Saving Scarlett by R. E. Butler Page B

Dana has something special for you.  Why don’t you take her down to the basement?” Miles said, grinning broadly.
    “Okay,” Scarlett said, then stood and shook their hands.  She looked at Ray and Wes, who were smiling in a way that told her they knew exactly what the couple was doing in the house.
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Dana said as she followed Scarlett down into the basement.
    “You, too.  I have to admit to being surprised, though.  Miles and Max haven’t had any guests since we’ve been here.”
    Dana hung the garment bags on the top shelf of the storage unit.  “We were sworn to secrecy.  Tom, Max, and Miles went to high school together.  The pride has always treated us very well, and we’ve always done our part to help out in any way they need.  When he told us what you needed, there was no way I was going to leave you in the hands of men.”
    “What are you talking about?” Scarlett asked, watching as Dana lowered the zipper of one of the garment bags.
    “Your dress, of course!”  She extracted a white dress from the bag, and then moved quickly to the other two bags, pulling white dresses from them as well.  She hung all the dresses on the top shelf.
    Scarlett gasped.  “Oh!  I told Wes and Ray I needed a dress, and they told me they had it handled.  I pictured them shopping themselves and honestly, I wasn’t sure they would even know what size I am.”
    “I had them check your clothes when they called me earlier.  I know you’re going to be inside, so I went with short sleeves even though it’s cold outside.  These aren’t real wedding dresses.  Ray said you would be getting married back in Ashland, so I’ll leave that special dress up to you to find.  These are the best I could do on short notice.”
    Scarlett looked at the dresses and sniffled at the sweet gesture.  Dana put her arm around her.  “It’s okay, hon.  Whatever your family issues are, you’ve got some sweet mates.”
    “I know,” Scarlett said.  She picked up the first dress, a cap sleeve white lace dress, and carried it into the bathroom.  After she’d quickly changed, she stepped out of the room and turned in a slow circle.
    “Oh, that’s nice,” Dana smiled, her hazel eyes crinkling at the corners.
    “Thank you.”  Dana handed her the next dress, and Scarlett went into the bathroom and changed.  The second dress, a strapless organza, was too close to the gown she’d been trying on for her other mating ceremony and she couldn’t get it off fast enough. But the third gown was perfect.  The moment she put it on and looked in the mirror, she knew she’d found the perfect dress.  It fell just above her knees and had a beaded floral design on the hem, with an illusion neckline – white mesh fabric over a sweetheart bodice.  It was the cutest dress she’d ever seen and a far cry from the one she’d been stuffed into just a week ago.
    When she stepped into the main room, Dana clapped her hands and smiled broadly.  “Oh, honey, it’s so beautiful!  Do you like it?”
    “I love it!  It’s perfect!”  Scarlett hugged Dana and fought the tears that tried to surface again.  She thanked Dana and headed back to the bathroom, where she changed into her regular clothes, then carried the dress back to Dana.
    “I’m going to leave it upstairs in the guest bedroom.  Max said that he wanted you to get ready upstairs because the bathroom attached to the guest room is nicer.”
    “Aw, that’s sweet.”
    “He invited us back for your ceremony in the morning.  I hope that’s okay.”
    “Of course!” Scarlett said as Dana put all three gowns into a garment bag and zipped it.
    “I think a sunrise ceremony is so romantic.”
    “It’s about as different from wolf pack ceremonies as I can get, and it’s fitting – we get to start our life together at sunrise, the start of a new day.”  Although in truth, her life had changed irrevocably the night she met her mates.  Touching her