'Shut up.' Rebecca responded to the she wolf in her mind.
They sat there in silence for a few minutes while they waited for Savvy and Hunter. They just enjoyed touching each other; no kisses, just simple caresses to cheeks, hands and necks. They just stared into each others eyes, recognizing the connection between their souls. When her siblings came, Hunter asked if they could give Natalia a ride home, and Lucky was back to his jovial self when he nodded his agreement. Rebecca slid back into the passenger seat while their three passengers climbed into the back seat.
"Grandmother gave me money and told us to stop by the dress shop after school to pick out our clothes for the dance. Can you drop us off, Lucky?" Savannah asked with a smile. Rebecca knew something was wrong. Savvy wasn't excited about the prospect of buying a dress like she would normally be.
"I can do better than that, I can come with. I need to get my tux as well." He put the car in drive once everyone was in their seats. "So I’ll drop Natalia and Hunter..."
"I can come along." Natalia smiled as she pushed her black cat glasses up on her nose. Rebecca was beginning to like those glasses.
"I should get a tux, too." Hunter grumbled quietly in the back seat.
It was all Savannah needed. "Are you going? Who’s the lucky lady?"
"I am." Natalia beamed.
Savvy hugged Natalia and ruffled Hunter's hair. "It’s about time."
They arrived at the mall within a few minutes. The mall locations in Phoenix were located strategically, making finding a mall very easy. Lucky and Hunter headed to the tuxedo store while the three girls went to the dress store only a few doors down. Savannah made a beeline to a beautiful pale blue dress on the left side of the shop. Natalia headed towards an orange dress which was perfectly suited for her coloring. Rebecca stood in the center of the place looking for anything she would consider wearing. Before she became a werewolf and immersed herself in a dangerous world, she wasn’t the type of girl who wore dresses, and picking one out today seemed like a ridiculous notion. There was no guarantee that she would be safe at the dance. If she was under attack a pair of pants and tennis shoes would be far more practical than a skirt and heels.
Rebecca stood watching Savannah pick a princess dress that if it was white would’ve made a fantastic wedding gown. She quickly found rhinestone hair clips and a darker blue satin hand purse. Then she found a pair of heels that shined under the light. Rebecca found herself envious of how simple and happy Savvy’s life was. She had created the perfect teen life regardless of the turmoil they had faced in the past. Briefly it made Rebecca wonder how Savvy was so fortunate to have such a wonderful life when the mirror image of her was so messed up. When Savvy was finished she turned her eyes on Rebecca and frowned. She hung her dress and accessories on the rack by the dressing rooms and headed towards Rebecca.
"What’s wrong, sis?" Concern laced Savvy’s voice.
"I don't think a dress is my best option. Are there any pant suits?" Rebecca asked seriously.
"No, you’re going to wear a dress." Savvy pulled Rebecca towards a deep purple dress that looked like something a Disney character would wear.
"Oh, no." Rebecca shook her head. The wolf chuckled in her mind.
"Oh, yes! Just try it on and then you can turn it down if you like." Savvy pulled Rebecca’s size off the rack and shoved Becks towards the dressing room. In moments; all three of them were in the dressing rooms. Savannah managed to get in Rebecca’s stall. It wasn't like they hadn't been changing in the same room since they were little children, but now Rebecca actually had to put the dress on.
The dress really wasn't that bad. It had a heart shaped bodice with shiny rhinestones embroidered in the top and the skirt flared out like a bell. It would have been horrible if it had stopped there but the soft purple sheer material that covered the bottom of the dress made it more modern and a little bit dreamy. The skirt hid Rebecca’s feet which gave her an idea. She could put a pair of jean leggings under the skirt and wear her tennis shoes without anyone being the wiser. Rebecca suddenly felt a little bit better about attending the dance.
Savvy zipped Rebecca up and took a step beside her sister. They stood side by side, Savvy in her form fitting light blue satin dress and Rebecca in the princess purple one. They shared the same face but both of them looked uniquely beautiful. It was one of those moments when Rebecca realized how lucky she was to have Savvy in her life. Savvy’s smile was infectious and soon they were both giggling.
"Danny is going to find you breathtaking in that dress." Rebecca told Savvy with a smile.
"And Lucky will be speechless when he sees his beautiful princess. Are you still going with Lucky?"
"Yes. And I told him what happened with Gabriel. I want you to know that. It actually helped us work through the block we were hitting. We promised to focus on figuring this out with all three of us."
Savvy hugged Rebecca so tightly she lost her breath. "I’m so happy you worked through it." Then Savvy spun Rebecca around. "We’re going to have so much fun Friday."
They quickly changed out of the dresses and put on their regular clothes. For the moment the princess effect created from the amazing dresses was lost. Rebecca felt normal; until her wolf started hearing the sounds around her. The cash register, the excited voices of other girls, Sundae among them. Now she understood why her wolf was becoming alert. It served as a bittersweet reminder that she would never be a princess, but she was special.
They exited the dressing rooms and found Natalia in her dress. Orange would have never been a color Rebecca could pull off but Natalia’s auburn hair, blue eyes and pale skin made the dress look amazing on her. She was much prettier than Rebecca ever noticed. She had always been the quiet mousy girl in the corner that watched but never really participated. The wolf added ‘she is far more dangerous than you ever could imagine. Guardians hold the key to the spirit world.’
Sundae was viewing her reflection in the small space, too. She wore a frosty pink dress made of the same sheer material that covered the bottom of Rebecca’s dress. It seemed fitting for her; almost surreal.
"Sundae and Natalia, you both look amazing!" Savvy gushed, causing both the girls to blush. Savvy grabbed Rebecca’s dress and took their items to the cashier.
"You’ve changed." Natalia told Rebecca quietly.
"I don't know what..."
Natalia smiled; it was all that was required to quiet Rebecca’s protest. "The wolf in you has made you a stronger witch." She flipped her auburn hair behind her shoulders and tossed a look in Savvy’s direction, making sure she was still preoccupied at the cash register.
Rebecca gave her a confused look, "I thought I couldn’t be both a witch and a wolf?"
"That’s the belief, but you’ve shown an affinity to air elements which means you must carry some of the witch within you." Natalia answered simply.
Rebecca nodded again. It made sense.
"If you’re ever in need of a guardian for your pack, I’m here for you." Natalia slipped Rebecca a business card which she quickly stuck in her back pocket since Savvy was already heading back towards them. "All powerful alphas need a good guardian from time to time." Natalia slipped into the dressing room without another word.
"You do look beautiful, Sundae." Rebecca smiled at the girl who still scared her a little.
Sundae smiled through her reflection back at Rebecca. "Thank you." She tossed her long silver hair with black streaks over her shoulder, "How have your dreams been lately?"
Rebecca turned and tilted her head in an attempt to examine Sundae, in that moment she was terribly frightening. Her dreams hadn’t been great. Surely, Sundae wasn’t responsible for them? Rebecca tried not to allow the frown on her face but Sundae’s look of satisfaction told Rebecca she failed. "My dreams are fine as far as I know. Why?"
Sundae moved closer, the silence stretched painfully between them. Sundae touched Rebecca’s face, gently. "Your advice was very inspiring and helpful." She smiled. "As a thank you, I’m in your debt. Let me know, little wolf, when you’re in need of a dream weaver and I’ll be there to help you." Relief flooded Rebecca, up to that moment she had no idea how much Sundae worried her.
"Hey, Sundae, how’ve you been?" Savvy's voice broke the spell between them.
Rebecca nodded her thanks and acknowledged Sundae’s offer. "Sundae was just telling me how excited she is about the dance Friday." Rebecca lied; it was becoming a painful habit. And each time she did it the lies got easier and easier and the guilt got deeper and deeper.
"Perfect timing." Rebecca told Lucky and Hunter when they walked into the store. All three of the girls had their bags in their hands and were ready to go.
Lucky grinned mischievously and kissed Rebecca softly on the lips. "I can't wait to see you in your dress."
The way he was acting one would think he’d never been to a homecoming dance before. It made Rebecca wonder briefly if he had missed out on this event in his own school experiences. Rebecca shook it off and told him. “You may be pleasantly surprised."
"She looks like a princess." Savannah offered. "And how does our little brother look in a tuxedo?"
"I’m only a year younger than you, and I’m hardly little." He pushed her playfully away from him and took Natalia's hand in his. "I’m sure you’re going to look exquisite, too, Nat."
"Count on it." Natalia grinned at him as everyone walked towards the mall exit. In that moment, Rebecca felt a level of satisfaction and contentment. She had Savvy, Hunter and a supernatural boyfriend at her side. There was nothing in this, or the hidden world she now lived in, that could destroy this moment or this feeling.
Chapter Twenty One
~"In every conceivable manner, the family is our link to the past, bridge to our future."
~Alex Haley
Rebecca
Monday night Gabriel, Lucky, and Rebecca worked out a schedule. Tuesday and Thursday she would work with Gabe to rebuild the pack, and Monday and Wednesday she would train with Lucky. In order to maintain the cover story with Lucky, Rebecca decided to meet Gabriel at South Mountain instead of letting him pick her up. It was also a good way of keeping Gabriel safe from Savvy; she was still not completely over the kiss she witnessed.
The drive to South Mountain was fairly easy because they decided to meet around eight to avoid rush hour traffic. When she arrived, she was surprised at how worn down Gabriel looked. He was generally rugged with his long hair, high cheek bones, angular face, and full lips, but today he looked much worse for the wear. The usual ponytail he wore was gone and his dark hair fell in soft waves around his shoulders. In this light it looked jet black but in daylight it was a dark brown. His face had at least a day's growth of facial hair which was also different from his usually clean shaven look. The easy smile on his face never met his eyes; which displayed purple half moon circles under them. It was pretty obvious to her that he hadn't been sleeping much lately. A hint of guilt filled her at that thought because she felt his lack of sleep was because he was keeping an eye on her and the family at night. He’d been extremely protective since he made it clear he thought they were mates.
One thing she had in common with Gabriel was fashion sense. They both wore ripped jeans and t-shirts. Hers was off the shoulder and purple and his was tight across his chest and black.
He opened her door before she could reach the handle and offered his hand to help her out of the car. Rebecca slapped it away and got out herself, one of these days Gabe and Lucky would realize she didn’t need help out of a vehicle. These men had some sort of idea in their heads that she was incapable of performing the easiest tasks. It needed to stop. He didn't move when she refused his help so when she stood up they found themselves inches away from each other. Rebecca’s body betrayed her once again as her heart sped up and her breath became shallow. If he kissed her again she knew she would lose control.
"I’m not going to kiss you again, not until you ask me to. No matter how much I desire it." It was as if he read her mind which made her uneasy. She knew she could call him telepathically, but wondered if it went both ways. Could he hear her thoughts?
‘The connection gets stronger throughout the mating process.’ The wolf answered her.
Gabriel continued, after running a nervous hand through his hair and taking a step back, giving her space. "Lucky and I agreed to give you some space to help you choose which one of us you want. Tonight is just business, I promise." He held up his hand in the Boy Scout’s oath position and Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh at the idea that he was once a scout.
"Were you really a boy scout?"
"Yes, ma'am. I sure was." He took her hand and led her over to the picnic table that was only a few yards away from the car. "I figured we could start by setting up meetings with the rogues. There are some I would endorse and others I can’t, but ultimately it’s your decision who can rejoin and who will be left out in the cold. I can have interviews set up as soon as Thursday night."
"That sounds like a good place to start. I can interview them all and then sort them out." Rebecca pulled her notebook out of her backpack and began taking notes. "So how many rogues are there?"
"About one hundred and twenty."
Rebecca narrowed her eyes on him, "Seriously? That’s almost half a pack charter."
He nodded his head, "there’s something you should know. Tomas exiled most of the rogues and left them with the understanding that they were still part of the pack even though they were not chartered or recognized."