Chapter 38

Maeve’s POV

“Ouch!” I gasped as Elysia yanked fiercely on the corset ribbons, cinching my waist and thrusting my bust upward.

“Breathe in, girl,” she instructed again.

I inhaled sharply, then exhaled as I tucked in my stomach. Seizing her chance, Elysia pressed her full weight against my back and tightened the ribbons even further. I groaned, every tug squeezing the breath from my lungs.

“I think this is a little too tight,” I admitted, fearing my ribs might crack.

I was already breathless enough without this contraption. And my nerves were as raw as they’d been the night before—I was about to attend my first meeting with allied packs outside the capital. I had first met our Luna at her inaugural summit, so this was a momentous affair.

Elysia sighed, loosened the tension just enough, and finally tied a grand bow at the back. She stepped away, and I turned to face her. The beta female’s sharp eyes appraised me, then softened into an appro