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“I want to go out with Roxy tomorrow,” she whispered. “To pick out a dress.”
“For the ball?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You’ve decided?” I asked.
“I… I need to do it. I want to.”
“Alright. Then we’re going.” I’d already checked with Umbra, and he was good to visit Vandle with Decebal. If Shatter wanted to ruin the Lincoln pack at the ball on Saturday, I would hold her hand the whole way.
THIRTY-THREE
SHATTER
I gazed up at the fancy dress shop through Roxy’s car window. It had that high-end look, and I always pictured Aunty Lauren shopping at places like that.
Nervous, I’d kept my contacts in and my hoodie up, hiding my bond when we left the apartment, and don’t think anyone noticed me.
Dusk caught up to us when we reached Roxy’s car, insisting he could drive and wait outside, but Roxy practically beat him back with her handbag then bundled me into the passenger side door.
Ransom had given me one of the plastic money cards he used at the mall, along with the secret four-digit number. He said I could buy whatever I wanted. I thought that was a good thing, but when I told Roxy that at Starbucks she nearly choked on her cream-topped drink.
“So. Revenge dress?” Roxy grinned, eyeing me. I nodded, ready. “I need to know I can face them. And if I’m doing it, I’ll do it with all the strength I can muster. You need one too.”
“A dress?” she asked.
“A revenge dress.” I’d looked it up. We both qualified for one as far as I could tell. The Lincoln pack had dumped her, right?
“Both for the same pack?” Roxy’s face lit up. “That’s going to be amazing.”
In a huge changing room with light pink decor, we had a dozen dresses to try. The woman at the front eyed my oversized hoodie (Umbra’s), but Roxy looked like she belonged, so they let us in.
Roxy went first, pulling the curtain back every few minutes so I could see her in dress after stunning dress while she gave me a rundown on the ball politics.
“It’s a charity ball,” she was saying as I heard her wrestle with fabric behind the curtains. “The Lincoln pack announced they’re officially open to omega applicants, and there was an announcement that they made an ‘exceptional donation’, so they get honorary seating.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Probably that they’re put up at a head table. I’m sure they want to look like they rule the place. But—” Roxy cut off with a little hiss of frustration. “One sec. Zipper.” She drew the curtain to reveal a pretty, sapphire blue dress that was half done up at the side. I helped her hold it together so she could tug it closed. “The event organisers are apparently in a scramble because there was another last-minute donation. They’re setting up honorary seating for another pack.”
“Another pack?” I asked.
Roxy gave me a sly smile before adjusting the dress over her bra. “Your pack. Definitely.”
I considered that. If she was right, we were going to be front and centre. I was going to be making a statement.
Roxy glanced at herself in the mirror. “A bit bulky I think. I’ll be sweating.”
“I love the colour,” I added. “Matches your eyes.”
I sat on the pink vintage couch as Roxy requested a less bulky dress in the deep sapphire colour, mulling over what she’d said.
I glanced at the rack of dresses I’d chosen, eyes falling on one in particular. The most daring one.
Could I…? I wondered.
“If I arrive at the ball dark bonded, with golden eyes on display, they’ll think it was Dusk, won’t they? They’ll think I am the victim?”
