Page 9 of Zodiac Monsters

Chapter 3

This girl was amusing and a tragedy in the same breath. Though tragedy did often amuse me, so that made her perfect, really.

I simply could not begin to imagine growing up with zero knowledge of my heritage. I’d never realized that was a privileged stance before, but it hadn’t occurred to me that there were shifters out there who never bothered to explain something as critical and inescapable as the class system to their children.

I frowned at the thought. To not even know if she was an Alpha, Beta, or Omega was perhaps more an advantage than a curse. Either she was going to go through life blissfully unaware and never have to be subjected to our rules and expectations within the shifter hierarchy, or she was going to end up in a horrifying situation where she found out the hard way where she stood in the world.

But I couldn’t smell anything on her, other than the vague signatures of her multiple mates, so it was hard to discern what she might be. Not that that was unexpected. To have one mark usually served to hide a shifter’s scent from others, but to have two—it would take something damn near fated to sort out her scent from the tobacco and rosemary and sage notes.

One of those signatures was all too familiar, which I should have taken as a sign to stay far, far away from her. And yet, like a moth to the flame, I was incapable of ignoring Lila when she was looking so cute and curious in the library. A girl with glasses, lost in a book, was the kind of bait that could entice me to walk right into an unburied bear trap.

Maybe that was a form of fate, too. The universe and the stars demanding I confront the past for such an appealing future.

I was getting ahead of myself. All I knew about her was that she was book smart and real world ignorant. I’d never even asked her what star she was born under to know if we were compatible. She could be an earth or a water sign for all I knew. Not that I’d had much luck with fire or air signs either. Up until now, I would have been perfectly content to never match with another person again. I couldn’t explain what was drawing me to Lila.

Perhaps that was her appeal. She was a curious thing, and I never tired of having something new to engage my mind with. Especially not something I’d never encountered before. Would her predicament with her Alpha mates prove problematic, or would she let me get a closer look?

It was no matter. If she was going to work with me at the shop, it wouldn’t take long to bond with her. I had plenty of ways to get the information I wanted. If anything, she needed my help, and I certainly wouldn’t mind being an ally.

It’s not like I had many friends these days. Not since last year’s mistakes.

Who was I kidding? Friends were never my strong suit. Being outcast and solitary was the only social skill I had mastered. Contentment with being alone was my blessing and my curse.

I shook my head, banishing bad memories. I’d rather focus on this bit of serendipity and see where it goes.

As I headed off to Art History with Professor Abernathy, lost in thoughts of entrancing brown eyes behind large lenses, I couldn’t help but notice the way my lips had tugged themselves into a grin at some point in my internal soliloquy. I covered the lower half of my face, self-conscious that such a feeling might be visible to those around me, and I dragged the smile downward until my face reflected my usual empty neutrality.

That was troubling.

Betraying emotion wasn’t a good look for me. Not if I wanted to keep avoiding the attention of Alphas. I was solitary for a reason, and getting mixed up with another shifter whose status was unclear was reckless at best. The farther I walked from the library, the more clear my folly became.

Maybe I was already letting my guard down a bit too far around her. It would be foolish to assume she was safe based only on her air of innocence. She could be just as Alpha as the rest of them for all I knew. Why was I letting her in so easily?

Odd. That wasn’t like me. Wanting to talk to anyone at all wasn’t like me. Was this some sign I was getting lonely? This month wasn’t one I typically worried about in that regard.

I couldn’t say why I’d had the desire to approach her in the first place, but the urge had been overwhelming from the first day I’d sat behind her in Calculus.

She hadn’t had the marks yet at that point, but I still hadn’t picked up on a scent signature. If she had one at all, it was incredibly suppressed, and she hadn’t lasted long before she was imprinted on by others. I never really got the opportunity to distinguish Lila from everyone else.

All I knew for sure was that she never reeked of sweaty meat.

Hmmm, I wonder…

Mother had just left me to a solo shift at Threads of the Magi when my curious and adorable classmate showed up at the store. The bell over the door jingled as she nudged her way inside. Her wide eyes were glazed with uncertainty, and her tentative movements dripped with nerves. She was dressed in what was probably her most formal clothing outside her school uniform, and I had to acknowledge that she was as fetching in an oversized sweater and black leggings as she was in a short skirt. Maybe even cuter. Comfort, glasses, and un-styled hair was an underrated look on a woman. The way soft wool hugged her curvy frame was playing to some portion of my brain that wanted to hug and cuddle, and I found myself wondering where such a thought came from.

An affectionate portion of my brain didn’t exist, yet it sure seemed to want to when she was around.

“So you said I could maybe have a job? That wasn’t a joke, was it?” She asked through a half laugh, half nervous shake.

“Do I strike you as practical joker?” I responded rather flatly, entirely on accident. I should have been better at playing along with social cues by now, but exhibiting ordinary emotion was a constant challenge. I cleared my throat and met her rich eyes of the most lovely cedar. It was so unlike what I was used to from others within our sphere. Just brown enough to appear ordinary to most humans, but with a hint of pink flecks that gave her away. My eyes had always been so blatantly inhuman in their complete absence of color, and I was jealous of those who could blend better than I could. Or at least those whose eyes could handle color contacts while intermingling with the natural world.

“I guess not.” She said with a hint of relaxation. How unexpected that I might relax her. “So what do you need me to do? Is there a uniform?”

I shook my head. “The only uniform is being presentable, so I can’t see you having much issue with your personal wardrobe. I’ve yet to see you be inappropriate.” Instantly my mind ran with that statement in a direction I wasn’t mentally or emotionally prepared for, and just as quickly, I squashed the imagery.

Where did that come from? Have I EVER had such a lewd thought about a woman?

I adjusted my glasses. “Your current look is fine, but you’re also welcome to choose an outfit from our inventory should you see something you like. Consider it a sign-on bonus. As we sell clothing, it’s actually quite helpful to have an active model wearing the designs, demonstrating how attractive it can be on a real, humanoid form.”