Lyra gasped at her reflection and spun until the skirt bloomed around her. "Mom, I'm a real princess!"
Maria struck a pose, hands on hips, every inch a miniature alpha who also happened to rule a kingdom. "We both are."
"You two look absolutely magical," I said, kneeling to smooth the last of the wrinkles. "My perfect little princesses."
Lyra threw her arms around my neck without warning. "Thank you, Mom."
Maria followed a second later, nearly knocking us all over. "We're the prettiest princesses in the pack!"
"Careful," I laughed, steadying them. "Princesses who wrinkle their dresses before the party starts are still getting scolded."
That earned matching giggles.
For a moment, watching them admire themselves in the mirror, something tightened quietly in my chest — an ache that sho
