Page 10 of Zodiac Beasts

I settled into my perfect sandwich, then unlocked my phone to check for any new messages from Mom. She’d done a great job of dodging every question, and she still hadn’t told me when she was going to show up and magically clear up my entire life’s mystery. No matter how many times I shot her a ‘can you at least give me a hint?’ text, she managed to redirect the question, as if it was somehow incriminating to talk to her own daughter about her genetics.

All very suspicious.

Next on my text list, I had a ping from Marcus. I hadn’t spoken to him since the night of the full moon, and it was already mid-week. I wasn’t sure if he was avoiding me or not, but I couldn’t blame him if he was. This whole debacle was becoming a lot to take in, and I had to admit that I wasn’t sure what to say to him either.

I opened the text somewhat tentatively, then my whole heart dropped when I read the message.

Marcus: Do you want to meet up sometime this weekend and talk about that mate mark rejection ritual?

I stared at the text for several moments.

I had technically been the one to bring up mate mark rejection first, so why did this question feel so loaded? Why was it disrupting my own heartbeat? Why was my stomach churning? Why did I have to remind myself to breathe?

I started typing a response, then deleted it. I started again, then deleted that too. I was at a total loss as to how to respond. The last thing I’d been thinking about since the night of the Aries was how to reject Marcus. Unfair as it was, I was struggling to want to reject either one of them. Yet, I was actively and aggressively pursuing Adrian, while Marcus seemed to be actively and aggressively pursuing me, and maybe I’d taken that for granted. I’d been too cruel.

So I answered him, nervously and now without any of the confidence I’d become so proud of.

Me: Do you WANT to show me?

I asked, with the hope that the question was more about neutrally giving me information, and less about the emotional gut punch of no longer wanting to be connected to me.

His response was quick.

Marcus: I think it would be unfair not to at this point.

I reread the response several times, spinning it around in my head. I swallowed another bite of my sandwich, then lingered with my teeth on my lip before I worked up the nerve to ask:

Me: Because you want to teach me more about shifters?

The implied question I couldn’t seem to type lingered.

Marcus: Because I think it’s important that you know you can make a choice. Having a mark on you that you don’t want isn’t good for anyone.

There was the answer I didn’t want.

“If you don’t like your lunch, I do have a kitchen in my apartment. I can cook something for you.” Ceto’s voice made me jump. I shook my head and dropped my phone face down on the counter.

“No, it’s good. Lunch is fine.” I answered almost mechanically while my brain caught up with the present situation.

“Then why are you frowning so deeply?”

“Oh, I…” I glanced down at my phone impulsively, then I closed my eyes, trying to make it less obvious. “No reason.” I said.

Ceto raised both of his eyebrows, very clearly not convinced. “Moon problems?” He asked entirely too casually.

“Moon problems.” I confirmed.

“I’ve never been a fan of the Aries, myself. Not that the coming Taurus moon is much less stressful.” He shrugged without qualifying the statement. “You can always spend the next full moon here if you want to avoid more drama with these Alphas you seem so tangled up with though.”

“I might have to take you up on that.” I grabbed my phone from the counter and shoved it back in my pocket, catching the word “Saturday?” in the brief transition. “But wait, you’re an Omega, right? I know what full moons are like for hybrid Alphas and Betas, but I have no idea what they’re like for Omegas.”

Ceto’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. He paused for entirely too long before he answered, “They’re a lot of work, since I typically do inventory on those nights.”

“No, I mean, what happens when the full moon hits? Do you force shift? Do you have a trigger? Do you need to stay in moonbeam blocking glass or—”

“I’m always occupied until sun up.” He interrupted, and I took the hint. Ceto was an open book with nearly all of its pages glued together. “But between the moon resistant walls, windows, and protection enchantments, moons are a nonissue for me these days. We have wards on the shop, so it’s safe here.”

Safe. I couldn’t imagine Ceto ever being in much danger, but I suppose I didn’t know much about him, his species, or anything else. I still didn’t know what the other half of his bloodline was, but I’d venture a guess that a Gemini form wasn’t much more impressive than a Virgo form.