Page 9 of Zodiac Beasts

I forced a provocative chuckle that I didn’t actually feel, wanting some semblance of being in control of this confrontation.

Adrian’s silence was deafening. He didn’t deny the phone number thing, because he knew I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t already know. Her phone was still open on the text when I’d plugged it in for her, and I wasn’t going to pretend I didn’t see it.

“Like I said. It’s complicated.” He mumbled, near inaudibly.

“You’re confusing complexity and stupidity.” I was still waiting to hear his justifications, but that would require honesty and emotional vulnerability, and we both knew he was capable of no such thing.

“Why are you so angry? You’re the one who started this mess. You got what you wanted, didn’t you? You should be thrilled.”

“I’m not angry.” I snapped. “You just caught me at a bad time. This might shock you, but I have a life outside of tormenting you.”

“I’m not sure that you do.” Was… was Adrian making a joke? Fuck, I really did break him. “Either way, I’m literally going to see you in my Astrology Club tomorrow, so you’ll have to sit down with me eventually. Why not do it in a private and reasonable environment instead of avoiding me. I’ll grab takeout and come by later—”

“Who said I’ve been avoiding you?” I waved off the fair and accurate accusation by interrupting him.

“You haven’t been home, you’ve been skipping class all week. Don’t dip out of the country again like a fucking coward.”

Ha! Adrian was calling ME the coward? How fucking rich.

“Are you stalking me now, Brother Dearest? I had no idea you cared so much.”

“I don’t. But I do care that neither one of us blows up our entire life and breaks the covenants of Graves in the process. The last thing either of us needs is to be on the other end of that Graves Penitentiary Death Row Program.” Yep, he definitely cared.

“They’d have to catch me first. You will, too, actually.”

“Stop being petulant. Would you prefer if I used our linked mate bond to get your attention.”

I raised a brow at the impressive audacity. Openly offering to fuck Lila in between moons was, admittedly, an attention grabbing threat from my prudish Incubus brother. But that was also an idle threat, and we both knew it.

“Please. FUCKING please. I would love to see you make such a commitment.” This time my laugh was completely genuine. “Anyway, this was a fun chat, but I’m hanging up now. See you whenever I feel like it.”

“Wait—”

I hung up, then put my ringer on silent, not interested in one more word of that conversation.

He’d managed to dodge the question, but I legitimately wanted to know how he would explain his actions in a way that didn’t involve admitting he had more than a professional interest in his student. Though I didn’t have the patience to drag it out of him at the moment. I already felt rejected enough by Lila. I didn’t need to be reminded that Adrian wanted to shove me out of his life, even after I was the one who facilitated his newfound… whatever it was they’d built together.

Quite frankly, I was done with being rejected by everyone. This whole situation had turned into the “Fuck Marcus and his feelings” Olympics.

With a sigh, I glanced at my phone and the three missed calls that had come in in the last twenty seconds. I glanced, instead, at my last text to Lila. I’d sent it this morning, while I’d been waiting at Graves Penitentiary for this bland hunting game.

She hadn’t replied. Maybe she hadn’t seen it yet. It was still early, and she had work today. So I reread my message, ignoring the uncomfortable drop in my stomach on every pass.

Me: Do you want to meet up sometime this weekend and talk about that mate mark rejection ritual?

Chapter 5

Dusting shelves, recommending outfits, running the cash register, then more dusting, folding, and rearranging. As spring inched closer to summer, Threads of the Magi had gotten busier and busier with various denizens of Graves coming in for this year’s summer fashion trends. Ceto was often staying late, working full time in the back to keep up with demand, so I was juggling more than ever at the front of the house. How he’d ever run this place alone, I’d never know.

“He’s not going to be able to resist you.” I said with a smile as I rang up a perfect little black dress for a young woman hoping to impress her long time crush. The way people opened up to me about their lives while looking for clothing was surprisingly fun. This little boutique, filled with handmade clothing, inspired such a personal shopping experience compared to the stores I was used to.

In an odd way, the deeper I found myself in this strange world of monsters and men, the more normal life stresses felt easy by comparison. When once my social anxiety and general shyness would have had me stumbling over every sentence, today I was carrying on like a functioning member of society. Though some people still seemed to instantly dislike me, a majority were warm and quick to overshare. Having people treat me like someone worthy of kindness and respect shockingly gave me confidence around strangers for the first time in my life.

After the usual pleasantries, she headed out the door, and I exhaled. The shop was empty at long last, and I was ready for my lunch break.

Upon stepping into the back room to grab the sandwich I’d been fantasizing about my entire shift, I saw Ceto working away on his sewing machine, piecing together some sort of summer dress. He was completely absorbed in his work, and I didn’t want to bug him. When he was sewing, his focus seemed almost trance-like, and it would be a crime to disrupt it.

So instead, I grabbed my lunch and my cellphone, and I returned to the front of the house just in case any more customers sauntered in.