The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate Chapter 158

Athena

I showed the message to Tristan who laughed.

"You should tell her no," he said.

"I know," I said, typing back a response.

Me: You're stuck with him. Just like I'm stuck with him being best man. We suffer together.

Kiara: This is your fault, you know. You're the one who made us work together.

Me: I thought it would help!

Kiara:You thought wrong. The man is insufferable.

Me: But you're still doing it?

Kiara: Of course I'm still doing it. I'm not going to let him run me off. I just needed to complain for a minute.

I smiled at that, at least Kiara wasn't actually going to quit, even if she and Derek drove each other crazy.

"Crisis averted?" Tristan asked.

"For now," I said.

He pulled me closer and I settled against his side, his hand still on my stomach even though there was no visible sign of the babies yet, I was almost seven weeks now and while I'd had some nausea and fatigue, I wasn't showing at all.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, like he did multiple times every day.

"Good," I said honestly. "A little tired but good."

"You're eating enough?" he asked, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of discomfort.

"Yes, mother," I said teasingly. "I'm eating enough."

He'd been monitoring my food intake like a hawk for the past three weeks, making sure I ate regular meals and stayed hydrated, making sure I took the prenatal vitamins Mara had prescribed, he was attentive to the point of being slightly overbearing but I loved him for it.

"I'm just making sure," he said. "You're eating for three now."

"I'm aware," I said. "You remind me every day."

"Good," he said, completely unapologetic.

We'd also had several discussions about me going back to work at the repair company, Tristan had initially said absolutely not, that I should rest until after the babies were born, but I'd argued that I'd go crazy sitting around the house doing nothing for seven more months.

We'd finally compromised on me working two days a week, just enough to keep me engaged but not so much that I'd exhaust myself.

"I still think two days is too much," Tristan had said when we'd agreed.

"And I still think zero days is too little," I'd countered. "Two days is the compromise."

He hadn't been happy about it but he'd agreed, mostly because he knew I wouldn't back down and partly because Orion had supported me, pointing out that Sarah had worked throughout both her pregnancies.

"Speaking of work," Tristan said now. "You're not going in tomorrow, right?"

"No," I confirmed. "Tomorrow is the dress shopping day, remember?"

"Right," he said. "The great dress hunt."

"It's not a hunt," I protested. "It's shopping."

"Sarah has you scheduled at four different stores," Tristan pointed out. "That's a hunt."

He had a point, Sarah had scheduled appointments at four bridal shops for tomorrow, determined to find the perfect dresses for both ceremonies.

"It'll be fun," I said, trying to convince myself as much as him.

"If you say so," Tristan said. "Just promise me you'll take breaks if you get tired."

"I promise," I said. "Sarah won't let me overdo it anyway, she's almost as protective as you are."

"Good," he said.

My phone buzzed again and I looked down to see a message from Sarah in the group chat.

Sarah: Reminder that dress shopping is tomorrow at 10am. Meet at the first shop. Don't be late, Kiara.

Kiara: I'm never late.

Derek: Except for that meeting last week.

Kiara: That was traffic.

Derek: Sure it was.

Kiara: You know what, Derek?

Sarah: ANYWAY. Athena, make sure you eat a good breakfast tomorrow. It's going to be a long day.

I smiled at Sarah's attempt to redirect the conversation before Kiara and Derek could start another argument.

Everyone knew we stayed together.

Me: I will. Tristan will make sure of it.

Tristan: Damn right I will.

Leah: Aw, you two are cute.

Kiara: Disgustingly cute.

Derek: Agreed. Stop being cute in the group chat.

Tristan: Never. Get used to it.

I laughed and put my phone away, snuggling closer to Tristan.

"Tomorrow is going to be fun," I said. "I get to try on wedding dresses."

"Just don't send me pictures," Tristan said. "I want to be surprised on the actual day."

"Deal," I agreed. "Though you might see me in the mating ceremony dress before the human wedding dress."

"That's fine," he said. "As long as I don't see the main dress until you're walking down the aisle."

"You're such a traditionalist," I teased.

"About some things," he admitted.

We spent the rest of the evening curled up together on the couch, talking about the wedding and the babies and everything that was coming in the next few months, and I felt this deep sense of contentment settle over me.

This was my life now, planning a wedding with the man I loved, preparing to become a mother to twins, building a future with my family.

The next morning came too quickly, I woke up to Tristan already awake and watching me with that soft expression he always had in the mornings.

"Good morning," he said, leaning down to kiss me.

"Morning," I mumbled, still half asleep.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired," I admitted. "But okay."

"Any nausea?" he asked, his hand going to my stomach.

"Not yet," I said. "But the day is young."

"Come on," he said, climbing out of bed. "Let's get you fed before you have to leave for dress shopping."

Sarah me a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, fruit, and yogurt.

They all watched me like a hawk to make sure I ate everything.

"I'm going to explode," I protested after finishing most of it.

"You need the energy," Tristan and Orion said together, I looked at Sarah who gave me a pleading look. "You're going to be on your feet all day trying on dresses."

"I know," I said. "But I'm stuffed."

"Good," Tristan said, looking satisfied.

I and Serah left the house at nine thirty and we headed to the first bridal shop where Leah and Kiara were already waiting.

Kiara looked excited and nervous at the same time while Leah was practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

"Ready to find your dresses?" Sarah asked as we walked inside.

"Ready," I confirmed, though I was suddenly nervous too.

The first shop was beautiful with racks and racks of white dresses, a consultant came over immediately and led us to a private area with a large platform and mirrors.

"So," the consultant said, pulling out a tablet. "Tell me about your wedding."

"Actually weddings," I corrected. "We're doing two ceremonies, a traditional ceremony at night and another wedding the next day, so I need two different dresses."

I couldn't say mating, not everyone are like us. Need to avoid questions.

"How wonderful," the consultant said, her eyes lighting up. "That gives us so much more to work with, what kind of style are you thinking for each?"

"For the traditional ceremony I want something that feels natural and connected to the earth," I said. "Maybe something flowy and romantic, not too formal."

"And for the wedding?" she asked.

"Something more traditional," I said. "Elegant and classic, the kind of dress you picture when you think of a bride."

"Perfect," the consultant said, already making notes. "Let me pull some options and we'll start trying things on."

She disappeared into the back and I turned to find Kiara, Leah, and Sarah all watching me with huge smiles.

"What?" I asked.

"This is so exciting," Leah said. "You're getting married and we get to help you find the perfect dresses."

"No pressure or anything," I said with a nervous laugh.

The consultant came back with an armful of dresses and we started the trying on process, the first dress was beautiful but too formal for the mating ceremony, the second was perfect for the mating ceremony but I couldn't picture wearing it, the third was too simple, the fourth was too elaborate.

We went through twelve dresses at the first shop and while I liked several of them, none of them felt right, none of them made me feel like a bride.

"It's okay," Sarah said as we left the first shop empty-handed. "We have three more appointments, we'll find them."

The second shop was similar to the first, lots of beautiful dresses but nothing that spoke to me, I was starting to get discouraged by the time we got to the third shop.

"Maybe my expectations are too high," I said as we walked inside.