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Zoe
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“Vash?”
His familiar face appeared from behind a frothy pink gown. He blushed like crazy, his eyes darting everywhere but at me.
I tried not to laugh. “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you following me?”
“No.”
I stepped up to him and folded my arms across my chest. “Please don’t lie to me. Were you following me?”
This time he stared straight at me. “No.”
“Then why are you here in the same store as me? Did Kieran and Shay send you?”
“No.”
“Is that all you have to say? One-word answers?”
The side of his mouth curled up. “Maybe.”
“Not funny. You scared me half to death! I thought you were a demon. I was—Wait. You didn’t follow me?”
“No. I already told you that. But you should’ve taken one of us with you, you know. You need to take this seriously, Zoe. Your safety is priority number one.”
“I am taking this seriously. OK, I wasn’t, but I am now. I just wanted a few hours to be a normal teenager. I know. Don’t look at me like that. I get it. I’ll be careful.” I sighed then narrowed my eyes at him, trying to look intimidating. “But you did follow someone?”
“Maybe.”
I grinned. “Aha! You followed Cali, didn’t you?”
“I needed to make sure she was safe.” He craned his neck, looking for her.
“So Kieran and Shay didn’t tell you to follow me?”
“No, they didn’t.” He smiled. “I volunteered. They told me your plans during lunch today.”
“Those two are in so much trouble!” I muttered, whipping out my phone to text them both.
Me: Seems my canine stalker showed up at Macy’s just now
A second later Kieran texted, then Shay.
Kieran: Yeah?
Shay: What a coincidence
I snorted and responded.
Me: No. Say hi to the stalker. He’s reading this 2
Kieran: Hi Vash
Shay: Vash
I huffed again, but my anger was vanishing with each letter I typed.
Me: U2 are in so much trouble when I see you next!
I locked my phone, and Vash ducked behind a rack of evening gowns. I glanced over my shoulder just as Cali flitted out of the dressing room in a black strapless dress. Quinn hovered around her, fluffing the hem, while Vash eyed Cali with longing eyes.
“She’d better not find out you’re here. I don’t think she’d want you to see the one she picks out.”
Vash’s phone dinged. He pulled it out, quickly read a text, then tucked his phone back into his jeans. “It’s just Kieran and Shay.” His eyes softened. “Please don’t tell Cali I saw the dress. I don’t want to ruin this for her.”
I smiled. “I won’t tell her. Just be careful. You need to pick something larger to hide behind. A mannequin is not going to cut it. You stick out.”
He looked sheepish. “Thanks, Zoe.”
I looked back toward my friends and saw Cali scurry back into the dressing room.
“Are you going to hang around here?” I asked.
He nodded then dug out his phone and read another text.
This seemed like a good opportunity. “Can I ask you something? If it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer.”
“Shoot.”
“How would you know if Cali was your mate? I mean, can you make her your mate or—”
“I know what you’re trying to ask. Let me back up before I answer your question. The way it works is that a wolf can bite you, or you can be born a Natural. If a male bites an Ordinary and seals the bond, then the female will turn into a wolf and become his mate. If they don’t have sex, the female may join any pack, but the male will be killed.” Vash rubbed the back of his neck.
“If a wolf bites a male Ordinary, they will become pack members. If the new male chooses not to join the pack, then he becomes a renegade—someone with no pack—the area Alpha will track him down and kill him. Some wolves bite Ordinaries to create packs, but it’s frowned upon because we believe people should have a choice.” He stood taller, looking for Cali, then continued. “But if you’re born a wolf, the male will find the female. They will know if they are mates. It’s sort of like love at first sight. That’s how it was for my parents.” Vash paused. “The Naturals are marked at birth with the Heaven’s Mark. I’m sure Shay or Kieran told you about the angel tats?”
“Yes, I know about them.”
Ding. Vash grabbed his phone and read more incoming texts. Leaving his phone in his hand, he proceeded to explain wolf tattoos.
“The last way for it to happen is for an Ordinary to have a unique symbol appear, usually in a private location somewhere on their body. Their mate will already have the identical symbol.”
He looked intently at me. “You asked how I would know if Cali’s my mate. If she is, I think this last one would be the answer. I believe Cali would have a symbol somewhere on her body that will match this.” Pushing up his sleeve, Vash showed me a mark of a brown paw print with an intricate leaf design wrapped around it.
I touched it gently, admiring the lines. “So if she has this, she’ll be your mate and that’s it? What if she doesn’t want to be?” I smiled apologetically. “I mean, I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t want to have you, but who’s to say she also wants the tiny little inconvenience of turning into a wolf at a full moon?”
“If we’re meant to be together, she’ll be drawn to me and won’t have a choice.” He frowned. “I know you’re asking because you’re looking out for your friend, and I want you to know you have nothing to worry about. Believe me when I say if she’s my mate, I will love her with all my being. She will want for nothing.”
I had no choice but to believe him. Besides, his eyes were brimming over with sincerity. “What’s the significance of the matching tattoos?”
“It tells the rest of the wolf community she is mated and mine. It’s a personal thing between the pair. The males don’t want the female mark to show, so it’s always someplace where it can easily be covered.”
“But if hers is hidden, how do other males know unless they check her body?” His phone dinged again, and I nodded toward it. “You’re a popular guy.”
“Sorry. It’s just ... never mind.” His eyes lifted from his phone. “To answer your question, the female’s scent changes to match their mate’s after she’s marked.”
Now I was dying to know if Cali had a tattoo of a paw print.
“Hey, Zoe,” Cali interrupted us. We both jumped and tried to look casual. “We’ve been looking for you,” she said. “Did you find any dresses? Oh!” She looked past me and directly at Vash. Both of them blushed. It was adorable. Busted. “Hi, Vash. What are you doing here?”
“Oh, um, I’m looking for clothes,” he replied.
Ding.
“Uh, you do know you’re in the women’s dress department, right?”
He nodded, looking a little less uncomfortable. “Yes. I was walking by and saw Zoe, so I stopped to chat.”
“Okay.” She turned to me, not questioning him further. “So Zoe, did you find anything for yourself?”
I shook my head. “Do you guys want to go? I can always come back and browse another time.”
“No way. We can stay longer if you want. Quinn hasn’t found anything either.” She waved me away, beaming at Vash. “You go look. I’ll keep Vash company.”
“Take all the time you want, Zoe,” Vash said. “I’m not in any hurry to get back home.”
“I won’t take long, I promise,” I said, but Cali ignored me.
Time to get down to business. I was the one who’d insisted on coming here, getting away from the Enlighten subject. I sighed as I walked down a few aisles, picked out a few gowns, then returned them to the racks. I decided to wander over to the clearance ones, and that’s where I found it.
My hands froze, hovering over the next gown: a white chiffon tea-length, A-line style with delicate capped sleeves. I pulled the dress out to take a better look and my eyes traveled to the three-inch white satin ribbon circling the waist. The ribbon had been tied into a bow in the back, and its tails hung as long as the hem. It was absolutely perfect. And only ninety bucks.
I slid into the changing room and undressed, then stepped carefully into the gown. After pulling the side zipper, I stood in front of the three-way mirror and twirled. The back was cut into a heart shape with the point plunging to the waist, and the front had a large, scoop neckline. It fit as if it had been made specifically for me. My search was over. I changed back into my clothes and ran out of the dressing room to pay.
“Looks like Zoe found a winner!” Cali exclaimed. “Shall we go then? I’ll text Rena to let her know we’re on our way to Zoe’s.”
Vash walked us to Cali’s car and continued to his own with our dresses. Now he had an excuse to hang out more with Cali tonight. We pulled out of the garage ramp with Vash driving behind us.
When Cali parked in my driveway, I noticed my house was dark, which was strange, since my parents hadn’t texted about going anywhere. We piled out of the car and waited for Vash, who insisted on carrying the garment bags inside. He scanned the hallway and the rooms, then laid the bags over the back of the couch. I turned on the living room lights and walked into the kitchen, where I saw a note on the fridge from my parents. They’d gone to a movie, leaving Stella with Rena.
“Rena? We’re back!” I shouted, walking through the first door. “Stella? Where are you?”
“Rena? Stella?” Quinn called.
“Maybe they’re outside and can’t hear us,” Cali suggested.
Vash grabbed my shoulders. “Stay here while I go check out back.”
He started toward the back door, then we all leaped in panic when Rena and Stella ran down the stairs at us, yelling, “Boo!”
“That was so not funny, you guys!” I yelled. Vash and I exchanged a glance. He looked just as spooked as I’d been.
“Hey, did you find dresses?” Rena asked.
“Yes!” Cali exclaimed. “Two winners today.”
“Ooh! Fashion show,” Stella demanded. “I love fashion shows!”
I grinned. “Okay, girls, get up to my room and start changing.” Then I pointed to Vash. “You need to leave now. Go over to Kieran’s or something. Sorry.”
“I’d hoped to stay a bit longer.” He looked at Cali then back to me. “I’ll leave when you gals are all changed, how about that?”
“Fine, but Cali’s coming up with us.” I grabbed her arm.
I grinned all the way upstairs. It was time for “Mission: Paw Tattoo”.
“Hey, since we still have time left, we should do some quick up-dos so we can see what hairstyles look best,” I suggested, motioning for Cali to sit on my bed. “I think Quinn should model it down, and I will wear mine half down. Cali, you should wear your hair up. I think Vash would like to see your face.”
Rena glanced over. “So Cali, what’s up with you and him anyway?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “We’re friends, I guess.”
“Just friends?” Quinn teased. “I’d say you guys are a little more than that.”
Cali looked stunned. “Why do you say that?”
“Do you not see how he stares at you?” I asked. “OMG! He can’t keep his eyes off you!”
“But we only just met a couple of days ago.” She shook her head.
I shrugged. “I think you look cute together. I met Shay a week ago and he’s already told me he loves me. Things can happen fast, if you know you’re meant to be with that person.”
All eyes turned toward me. Oops.
“When?” they shouted at the same time.
“He told me a few days ago,” I told them. “And I know in my heart that I love him, too.”
“Wow, Zoe,” Quinn said, sounding awed. “I didn’t know it was like that for you and Shay. He’s a great guy. I can tell he cares about you. You can see it on his face. He looks at you the same way Vash looks at Cali.”
Cali frowned. “But how do you know that you love someone? That you’re meant to be with that person and not someone else?”
If everything Vash had said was true, maybe I was about to find that out about her. “I guess you know when you know.” I shook my head. “Okay, enough about me. Tonight is about us girls!”
I grabbed a brush and some clips, though I had no idea how I would style Cali’s hair. I only wanted to get a look at the back of her neck, thinking it might be a perfect, intimate place for her to hide the paw print. Cali smiled as I started brushing her long, brown hair, but she looked a little nervous. She almost always wore it down, so this was going to be a drastic change for her. I started lifting up some of her waves and bound them with clips. As soon as I lifted the hairs closest to the nape of her neck, I saw a little brown marking. I was so excited I dropped the brush onto the floor.
She handed me the fallen brush. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. Just look down at your chest so I can ...” With her head lowered, I could see half of a brown paw and leaf mark. It was low on her neck, almost on her upper back, and it was about the size of a ping pong ball. She said nothing as I fussed, making it obvious to me that she didn’t know she had it. I wondered if it had hurt when it appeared.
“Okay,” I said. “You’re done. Now help me into my dress.”
I was the last to be ready, but the first out the door. “Okay, Vash,” I called down the stairs. “We’re coming down. You need to leave.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll go.” He sounded reluctant. “See ya, ladies.”
We modeled for Stella and admired each other, then changed back into our normal clothes, slightly tired after the rush of adrenaline. This must have been how Cinderella had felt after the ball. I checked the time: seven o’clock.
“Should I throw in some pizzas or just make sandwiches?” I asked.
“I already ate before I came over, but you guys go ahead,” Rena said.
“Nothing for me,” Cali said. “I have to leave.”
I walked her to the front door, like a good hostess should, then hugged her. “Bye. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”
I opened the door and all the color drained from my cheeks.
On the front step stood three guys, all dressed in black.
Three Demon Knights.