Blue

LAKE

“Lake, are you sure you’re up for this today?” Riley asks as I turn my car into a parking spot at the mall.

I do my best to smile for my best friend and my mother. My whole body is still slightly shaking.

“We can go tomorrow if you want, sweetie,” my mother reassures me. Her hand lands over mine on the middle console.

“Guys, we’re already here,” I say. “Let’s go have fun.”

I haven’t told Mom or Riley about what I saw. I want to get all my facts straight before I go accusing Jake of anything.

Besides, it’s the Full Moon Ceremony. I want to try and have a little fun, at least. The Moon Goddess knows I can use a break from all the drama.

Mom and Riley are looking forward to the ceremony, and I don’t want to ruin it for them by being mopey and paranoid.

As we walk through the doors of the mall, Riley excitedly shows me pictures upon pictures of the dresses she has picked out. Most are white with lace detailing or mermaid style.

“I really want this one!” Riley sighs happily. “Their site says it’s in stock in my size.”

I look at the dress and gasp dramatically. Unsurprisingly, the dress is white. But the bodice is tight-fitting with a sweetheart neckline.

The long lace sleeves flare out at the hands. The skirt flows out and isn’t too much of a princess style but more like a mermaid.

“It’s like you’re wanting a human’s wedding dress,” I joke and smile lightly.

We she-wolves never get to pick out something as beautiful as a wedding dress. Nor do we get an extravagant wedding or reception. It’s just the permanent mark on our shoulder and popping out babies to help the repopulation of our kind.

Don’t get me wrong, the females in my society are raised on this, and we truly accept it as part of the wolf culture.

That doesn’t mean we can’t pick out a white dress and wear it to events such as the Full Moon Ceremony to show off our mated status.

“Oh, stop teasing the girl,” my mother says. “When your father and I had our ceremony, I wore something quite similar to what Riley is picking out. The sleeves were just a lot puffier.”

Riley and I laugh lightly. My mother wore a beautiful white dress in the eighties. The sleeves were bigger than my head.

“Food or shopping first?” I ask. Riley’s eyes light up as she walks in the direction of the dress shop.

~There goes my opportunity to go to my favorite fry shop for at least another three hours.~

~

The dress store is packed to the brim with humans looking for their homecoming dresses and shoes.

The school’s homecoming is on the same night as the ceremony, so almost all the females in our grade will be here over the next few days.

“I found it!” Riley squeals after rummaging the racks for the past fifteen minutes. “I have to try it on!”

“Hold on, honey,” my mother giggles. “First, Lake has to find her dress as well.”

I groan inwardly. Shopping for girly things such as dresses and heels is not my forte. I can barely walk in my old Converse without tripping over my own feet.

I allow my mother and Riley to storm the racks for dresses they think I’ll look good in. Riley shoves all their picks into my arms and drags us to the dressing rooms.

We give our dresses to a nearby worker. I calmly usher Riley to get in the room first.

My mother is sitting on a comfortable chair with her phone pointed to the curtain Riley is behind. After a minute of anxiously waiting, my best friend emerges with an enormous smile on her face.

“Oh. My. Goddess.” My jaw is on the floor. “You look amazing!”

The tight fit of the dress and skirt make Riley look two inches taller. The sleeves complement her tan skin, and the neckline makes her bust a little bit fuller.

“That was easy.” My mother laughs.

“Uh-uh!” I say before Riley has the chance to even think about going behind the curtain again. “You know the drill.”

My mother whips out her camera once again and takes a million pictures of Riley. I’m here to cheer my best friend on and encourage different poses.

“Your turn!” Riley pushes me into the room she just left. She leaves me alone with the thirty dresses they picked for me.

***

“I don’t like it.” My mother scrunches her nose. “It doesn’t flatter your figure at all.”

“The color isn’t you either.” Riley agrees.

Feeling hopeless, I go back into the dressing room and take off the dress. It’s been an hour or so, and I’ve tried on at least ten to fifteen dresses. None of them have felt right.

“How many are left, Lake?” Riley asks.

I look at the wall where I hung all the dresses. “One.”

I take the dress off the hanger, then slip it over my shoulders. It fits my waist fairly perfectly. I take a deep breath and turn to look in the mirror. My eyes widen.

I can’t believe my eyes.

The deep-blue dress makes my eyes pop. The neckline is just below my collarbone, and the lace feels soft against my skin.

The bodice is as tight-fitting as Riley’s. The skirt is layered lace that comes to my knees, then fans out to the floor behind my legs.

“Lake?” my mother calls. “Are you okay in there?”

I clear my throat and open the curtain. My audience’s jaws drop, and their eyes widen. I gather the skirt and step up on the platform in front of the large mirror.

“Lake…,” Riley says. “I’ve never seen you in something so…”

“You look like a luna,” my mother states. “A strong, proud luna you were always meant to be.”

I simply nod and look back at my reflection. The atmosphere is mixed between the three of us. Riley and my mother are starstruck, while I’m not sure what to think.

“Jake is going to love it,” Riley says.

~Jake.~

~

That name and the thought of him are starting to give me anxiety. My palms get sweaty, and my heartbeat gets rampant. It’s been like this since he confronted Lucas.

As the excitement grows with Riley by my side, gushing over how I look, my gaze goes back to the mirror. I can’t help but see something white flash by the corner of my eye.

~Was that…?~

~

“Hang on, Riley. I gotta go check something.” I start walking out of the store, following that flash of white.

“Lake! We didn’t pay for the dress yet!” my mom calls after me.

“I’ll be right back!” I say, running outside.

I make my way through the mall, seeing a trail of a white cloak turning corners and moving through the crowd. Eventually, I’m led outside to a secluded area.

The girl in the white cloak is waiting for me.

“That’s a beautiful dress,” she says, her face hidden underneath her hood. “It suits you.”

“Who are you?” I demand. “Are you a witch?”

I see her smile, and she pulls back her hood to reveal herself. She has striking red hair and white eyes. Her pale skin is like snow.

“Don’t believe everything you hear.”

Lynne growls in my mind. She doesn’t trust this girl.

“Who are you to Jake? What do you want with him?” I ask.

She laughs, a sound that reminds me of the tinkle of a wind chime. “Are you jealous? That’s cute. Don’t think I didn’t notice you creeping around us earlier.”

My face goes hot with embarrassment. She knew I was stalking them.

“Jake and I are just…friends,” she says. “And I just asked him for a favor, that’s all.”

“Spit it out,” I growl.

The girl shakes her head and turns to leave.

“You’ll find out at the ceremony, Lake Mavris.” She smiles at me, and the sight sends a chill down my spine. “It’s going to be a night you’ll never forget.”