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“I know so. All you have to do is ask when you’re ready. Now, enough sadness. You have two girls waiting for you to go shopping. Here’s my credit card. The pin code is 2832. Put anything you want on it, and don’t hold back. You have a big closet that needs to be filled.” Celeste took the card, but I could see her hesitation.
“I would like a job. I don’t want to be a burden,” she said.
“You have a job. Luna is not an easy role. We will talk about the duties when you come back. I’ll make a few calls to see who can help you with it.”
“Okay,” she finally agreed and gave me a quick, awkward hug before running out the door. As soon as she left, I felt her absence like a black cloud hanging over my head. I sighed and picked up the phone to make some calls. Maybe work would help the time pass quickly until she got back.
Chapter eleven
Celeste
Ididn’tliketakingMarkus’ credit card. It felt like I was taking advantage of the mate bond, but I knew I needed clothes and had no money. I would be meeting many people in the foreseeable future, and I couldn’t wear the oversized jeans he gave me. The sports bra had tags, so I knew they were new, but it provided zero support and was a little small.
I sat in the back seat of the SUV while a warrior named Gabriel was driving, and Zack and George were seated behind us. I couldn’t help but feel bad for them. They were warriors who trained to fight battles, and here they were, supervising three girls on a shopping trip.
“Celes-I mean, Luna?” Maya said timidly.
“It’s just Celeste, Maya,” I replied.
“I don’t have any money,” she whispered.
“Markus said he was buying, remember? We‘ll use his card,” I reminded her quietly.
“It doesn’t seem right. I didn’t earn this money,” she said, shifting uncomfortably.
I sighed, knowing exactly how she felt, but instead of agreeing with her, I squeezed her hand gently.
“Maya, we’ve worked for people without getting anything in return since we were little. I am not all that comfortable taking his money either, but we deserve to have more than one change of clothes. We’ve never gotten anything new. So let’s just enjoy today, and maybe we can find a way to let him know how thankful we are later. Maybe you and I can make some dinners for the pack house at some point. Okay? Think of this as an I.O.U.”
She smiled brightly at that and nodded, then turned to look back out the window in fascination. Neither of us was allowed outside the pack grounds since we were taken from our homes as small children, and seeing something other than Blood Moon buildings around us was refreshing. Throughout the drive, I noticed Kelly listening to our conversations, but she didn’t interrupt or add anything of her own. I think she was confused and unaware of how we lived in Blood Moon.
“Alright, girls, prepare for the shopping trip of your life!” Kelly chirped happily as we parked. She wrapped one arm through each of ours and dragged us across the parking lot towards the mall. I was amazed at her energy. I was done with the thrill of shopping after two stores, but she kept dragging us from one to the other. Zack and George took a few trips down to the SUV to drop off all the bags while Gabriel stayed with us as we continued through the stores. The more we shopped, the more anxious I got at the amount of money we were spending, but she kept blowing off my protests and continued buying more and more items.
She took us into a fancy store and insisted on a few outfits for ”official luna business.” I balked at the price tags, but she just handed the credit card to the salesladies, and they, in turn, kept us occupied with champagne and outfits to try on. It was the same with shoes and bags. The only thing I was allowed to veto were shoes with heels because when Kelly insisted I try to walk in a few pairs, I almost faceplanted.
We also hit a couple of make-up stores, and by the time we hit the food court, I was on the verge of tears. I could barely eat my fries, as tasty as they were, while Kelly and Maya were chatting it up.
“Luna, are you okay?” Kelly asked. I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Kelly looked worried but continued to eat and texted on her phone every now and then throughout lunch but otherwise didn’t ask more questions. She took us to a few more stores after lunch, but I couldn’t concentrate anymore. When she gave me a dress to try, and I saw the two hundred dollar prize tag, I burst out crying, unable to stop myself.
“What’s wrong? Is there a pin still in the dress or something? Luna?” she asked in a panic, trying to check the garment for the cause of my tears. I tried to explain, but nothing but blubbering came out. Kelly and Maya looked lost while Gabriel, Zack and George barged into the changing room, prepared to fight. They looked very uncomfortable when they realized the danger was a nineteen-year-old girl crying. I don’t think that was something they trained to deal with. I wasn’t aware how much time had passed while I attempted to calm myself as people entered the changing room, only to be turned back around by the helpless warriors, who were eager to fixsomething. Suddenly, I felt sparks on my arms, and someone knelt down and lifted my chin.
When I saw Markus’ concerned face, I started sobbing all over again. He tsked and picked me up, sitting down in the same spot with me on his lap. He rubbed my back, trying to soothe my sobs.
‘You ready to talk yet?’he mind-linked me a while later.
‘I’m sorry,’I sobbed.‘I tried to stop her.’I cried as a new wrack of sobs left my chest.
‘Stop what? Who hurt you?’he growled.
‘No one. I just-I just wanted a couple of outfits, but she... but she…’I stuttered, unable to continue and watch anger fill his eyes when I told him how much we spent.
‘She what? Did she not let you buy them?’
‘She wouldn’t stop!’I whined.‘We’ve gone to fifteen different stores, and spent so much money. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop her. I kept the receipts, and I think I can return most of them later. Please don’t be mad.’
‘How much do you think you spent today?’
