Chapter 2
“You okay there, kitten?” Damian asked quietly. I was in deep thought and didn’t realize the conversation drifted off in the back, and he noticed I didn’t have my usual sarcastic remark to them. “Kitten” was a nickname he called me when we were little because, apparently, I had a temper and feisty personality that did not match my size. I didn’t hit my growth spurt until I was fourteen, so the nickname stuck.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I sighed.
“It will be okay, no matter what happens, I will never forget you.” He mind-linked me, not wanting everyone else to overhear. I turned my head and gave him a sad smile. He always said that, but I knew when he finds his mate, she would be all he thought about, and she would not want us to be as close as we are. I understood, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt like a bitch. You don’t know who your mate will be until you both are eighteen, so even though Damian is nineteen, we won’t know until next Friday.
“YYYYEEAAAHHH, we are here!” Holly screamed, snapping Damian and me out of our conversation. I quickly got excited again.
Six stores later, I emerged in a stunning silk, deep red gown. It had a sweetheart neckline with a corset top that hugged my hips and ass and cascaded downward. It had a high slit that showed off my toned thigh perfectly.
Hearing gasps, I looked up and everyone was staring with their mouths on the ground. I wasn’t stupid; I knew how good I looked and how to make a statement. This dress was all statement. Damian recovered first and let out a low growl. Everyone immediately shut their mouths and turned their heads.
“Holy hell, Nina. That dress was made for you,” Holly said after finally emerging herself. She was wearing a short, thigh-length satin royal blue dress. It looked like a goddess dress, with the way it wrapped around her over and over, giving her curves and legs for days, and with silver peep-toed heels.
“Thanks,” I beamed. “That looks amazing on you, too!”
“Well, that does cover more than I was expecting,” Trevor grumbled, still not pleased with how short it was.
“Okay, boys. Time to check out and find you all tuxes!” I said.
Suddenly, I heard Damian’s voice in my head as I was stripping. “Kitten, I hope you’re not too fond of that dress because even if I am not your mate, I will be ripping it off you come Saturday night.”
I smirked. My cheeks got red, and my panties instantly got wet. “And who said I will let you?” I teased back.
“I will come up behind you, pin you to a wall, and take you right here, woman,” he teased right back.
“The whole store is about to smell my arousal, you want that?” I whispered, trying to get ahold of myself. I didn’t hear anything back but he chuckled.
“Come on, boys. Let’s get a head start on those tuxes,” Damian said out loud. “Hurry up, girls. We will be on the other side of the store!”
“Ass.” I mind-linked him with no effort.
After we changed out, Holly and I found the boys, and they had already finished, so we headed home. Zach, Holly, and Trevor were in the back arguing about who was the better dancer and I found myself looking out the window, spacing out. I felt like my life was going to change in a week and I didn’t know why. I just had this bad feeling. I always had this knack for knowing things. Like, if something bad was going to happen or if someone was lying. Maybe I was just in tune with nature or whatever, but I felt more at peace when I could run or be in the woods. Maybe that’s why I felt an ominous feeling. I needed to go for a walk in the woods around our pack. We finally got home and I quickly told people I was tired, and that I was going to call it a night.
Thankfully, my parents were not home yet, so I hid my dress and went for a walk. It was starting to get dark out and I loved this time of day. Dusk was so beautiful with the reds and oranges painting the sky. It was late April, and it was starting to get warm out, but I still wanted to bring a jacket. I hated being cold, and dusk in April was still a bit chilly. There was a small meadow about half a mile from my house that I loved. I liked to lay there and look up at the stars. There was a small opening in the canopy that allowed the sun or the moon’s rays to peek down. Even though the stars were not quite out yet, I still laid there and let my mind wander. That was until I heard a stick snap and the smell of coconut and rainwater filled my nose. Damian.
“I knew there was something wrong with you.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Oh really, this is where you run off to when you’re stressed about something, so talk to me, kitten.”
I sighed. He knew me too well. “I just have this feeling. Like something bad is going to happen next Saturday. There will be like five hundred kids from all over here for the prom. Things are going to change. I just don’t know if it’s for the better.”
Damian knew of my “feeling” I get. Multiple times, my instincts had never been wrong and had saved us a time or two. He laid down beside me and was quiet for a while. The stars were out now, and they were beautiful.
“I have always liked you and admired you. You would be a perfect Luna and I would be proud to be your mate. Even if we aren’t mates, we will find a good balance. I will be jealous of any mate of yours that is not me, but as long as you are happy…”
“If only it was that simple,” I said quietly. I knew we had talked about this multiple times, and we had fooled around too, but I would be heartbroken if we weren’t mates. I had secretly wanted him as a mate since we were little.
“Do you feel like it’s something else that is going to happen?”
“I just don’t know.”
“Kitten…”