Shadow Moon: Secrets

Shopping

Scarlett POV

                Lily and I walked into the mall together glancing around at the crowds of people. It almost overwhelmed my senses at first. Lily raised an eyebrow at the taken back look on my face. “Just breathe, the increase of your senses will become second nature. “She whispered wrapping her arm with mine.

                I hadn’t thought of that when we’d made this plan. My senses were stronger. I could smell the food court, the many perfume shops and all the different people. Some were human, some smelled different. This would be a challenge to get used to. I hadn’t expected the intensity of my senses being increased. I nodded and followed Lily’s lead through the mall.

                She was shorter than I, but not by much. Barely standing at 5 feet tall to my 5’3. Somehow though she seemed much more graceful about bobbing and weaving around the many people gathering around and looking through the different shops. “So where to first?” I asked with my eyes still flicking around.

                “I was thinking we’d check out this small boutique. They have some gorgeous gowns.” She gushed dragging me further along with her. Eventually we rounded a bend in the mall, and she drug me into a shop full of poofy frilly gowns. I shuddered looking at some of them.  “Trust me!” She said after catching the look on my face.

                “This doesn’t look like me.” I stated simply. Before I knew it we were in the back of the shop and she had been right. There was a large selection of sleek designed gowns. My green hazel eyes immediately fell over an emerald, green gown. It had a slit up the leg to the thigh and appeared to be fitted in a sweetheart neckline. Simple, but gorgeous. “This one!” I stated finally emulating the excitement Lily had while looking around.

                She came over grabbing one in my size and looking it over. She twisted the hanger from one direction to another as if thoroughly examining it. “This could work but we’ll need accessories to take it up a notch. You only get introduced once. You just have to make a statement!” She explained. Leave it to Lily to teach me how to be a girly girl. I laughed grabbing it from her. “Hang on, hang on I’ll try it on and then we can see if you approve.” I smiled walking towards the dressing room.

                A moment later I came out with the dress hugging my curves perfectly. I walked towards a trio of mirrors standing in front of it. You look stunning! Deva cheered. She wasn’t wrong. The dress fit almost as if it had been made with me in mind. The only problem was it was a couple of inches too long. I frowned a bit. Saturday was only days away. I should have shopped sooner. Being short always meant needing alterations.

                As if answering my thoughts Lily bounced over handing me a pair of rhinestone encrusted stiletto heels. “Try these with it.” I stepped back and slipped my feet into the shoes before standing once more and looking into the mirror. It was perfect. The heels were between 3 to 4 inches tall. It would be difficult, but I could manage walking in them. I turned slowly in a circle and shrugged my arms at Lily as if waiting for her comments.

                “Spin one more time.” She placed her finger to her lip and nodded. Small noises of approval escaping her lips as I completed my turn. “I love it, but just in case why don’t you try on one or two more to be certain?” I was pretty sure she only asked because she hadn’t expected me to find one I liked so quickly. “Grab a couple and bring them to the changing room, please?” I said agreeing to her terms before I headed back to slide out of this dress.

                It didn’t take too long before Lily brought over a cocktail length hot pink dress with a large dip in the open back. I cringed pulling it off the hanger and slid it on. I didn’t even need the mirrors to tell me this wasn’t going to happen. “There’s no freaking way I’m wearing this Lily! I look like a hooker!” I walked out; I had left the heels on for the full effect. The way the dress fit was fine, but I couldn’t help but compare myself to Barbie. With my waist length blonde hair and this horribly pink dress. “Hooker Barbie. Gross.” I cringed heavily looking at her.

                Lily busted up laughing, falling backwards into a nearby chair holding her gut. “I’m sorry Scar, I just had to do it. I knew you’d hate it. You’re totally right though. You look like hooker barbie!” She continued to laugh softly before throwing her hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay. You can get the green one!” Apparently, my looks of disapproval had gotten me out of having to try on more dresses. Thank the goddess.

                I rather like the pink. Deva added with her own little sense of snark. Now even my wolf was messing with me. I laughed myself as I changed back into my street clothes. I was so thankful to be back in a t-shirt, jeans and my beat-up converse. I smiled at my own reflection in the mirror. This hadn’t been as awful as I had thought it would be.

                “Alright so before you drag me from shop to shop looking for more ridiculous sparkly stuff. What do you say we head to food court and find a drink?” I asked coming out of the dressing room. Lily hadn’t responded. I looked around confused. “Lily?!” I called out instinctively sniffing the air. Her orange blossom smell no longer as strong.

                “Lily?” I called again. One of the shopkeepers came by a moment later as I hooked my purse tighter over my shoulder. “Hey, have you seen my friend I came in with? You know, slightly shorter than me, red hair?” I asked the woman. This wasn’t funny. I get pranking me with the dress but where had she gone. The shop keeper shook her head. “No, I’m sorry I stepped in the back to find a dress that needed restocked. “I pulled my phone out of my bag texting Lily “Hey where did you go?!” As I waited for her to respond I paid for the green dress and asked the shop keeper to have it delivered to the pack house address by Friday.

                I gazed down at my phone still confused as to where Lily had slipped off to. There was still no response. I looked vaguely around the shop before I saw Lily’s bag sitting on one of the chairs. How had I missed that? Lily wouldn’t have left without her purse. My eyes went wide with realization. Something must have happened. I grabbed her bag sniffing the air again. I could smell orange blossoms and a faint stench.

                Deva, what’s the smell. It’s so foul, but so faint. I asked my wolf quickly as I traced towards the door following the orange blossom scent.  “It could be a rogue. Wolves that are without a pack often smell foul, like they’ve gone rotten. Most do. We need a pack to be at our full potential. “Deva responded.

                A rogue. There’s no way one would be dumb enough to grab Lily in the middle of a mall. There were too many people around. Witnesses. I had traced the orange blossom smell down a hall towards a bathroom. My worry quieted a bit. Perhaps Lily had just run off to use the restroom. Maybe I hadn’t heard her tell me where she was going. I clutched both our purses close to me and walked into the bathroom.

                It felt like every bit of my body was on alert. I pushed the door open looking around. Her scent was stronger now. “Lily?!” I called out. I could still barely catch that foul scent that Deva suggested was a rogue. I walked in further still tracing and following her scent. She had to be here. As I neared the back of the room where her scent was the strongest, I heard a faint screeching noise. Like tennis shoes on a basketball court. I spun around to the sound behind me only to be met with a fist to my head knocking me to the ground.

                It took a second for the shock to wear off enough for me to understand what had happened. I rolled over quickly pushing myself back up on my feet and immediately moving into a fighting stance. I gaze at the male before me. He had brown eyes; black long hair tied behind his head. “You’re gonna regret that!” I shouted lunging forward.

                It hurt like hell feeling my fist connect with the side of his face. Immediately afterwards I threw my knee up into his crotch. I pulled my knee up into his crotch once more before using the leverage to shove him backwards. He swung at me, low, towards my ribs. I spun to avoid the hit. Countering my weight into a round house kick, landing it in the side of his head. The guy crumbled and hit the ground. I’d either dazed him or knocked him out. “Lily!” I shouted again. I heard some slight movement behind me again.

                The guy stirred in front of me. Acting as if he was going to get up. I pushed open the handicap stall next to me and saw Lily with a gag stuffed into her mouth. Her hands bound. I kept my eyes on the wolf in front of me. What was I going to do? I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to fight this guy by myself.

                "Trust me, little one. You’re safe with me." Deva spoke softly. I didn’t understand what she was saying. I couldn’t shift. I couldn’t let her take control. How could I stop him? The man in front of me stood up. I looked at Lily again, she was knocked out. She had bruising on her face. She was injured. I put myself in a fighting stance again.

                There was no way I was going to let him get away with hurting Lily. It felt like time slowed down as I took a deep breath and lunged forward again. Except this time, I didn’t make physical contact with him. The wolf flew backwards into the wall. Frozen up against it. What in the moon goddess did I just do? I watched him and while he struggled it was as if an invisible force was holding him there.

                “Who are you!?” I demanded. I had no idea what was holding him there, but I needed to buy time. I moved closer raising my voice again. “Who sent you?”