Mate to the Mated

I Look Good In Black

I hope everyone had a spooktacular Halloween. I'll include a picture of my costume for anyone who might care, lol. Anyways, enjoy the chapter, and comment any ideas you have for the story!

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We followed a larger trail until we came upon a series of generously sized houses. It was very suburban feeling, leaving me wondering how exactly it managed to stay hidden from the public.

Jaime walked up a small path lined with garden gnomes and knocked thrice.

Carmen opened the door with a wide smile. “Finally! I was about to ask Ryan if he'd heard about you disappearing!” She ushered us into her home, shutting the cold air out behind us with a shudder.

I let my eyes take in the front room, The walls were painted black, but the dark color was mostly obscured by the hundreds of drawings and paintings that were pinned to them. A large dining table sat to the right of the front door, covered in fabrics and two different sewing machines. Behind Carmen were two black leather couches, both covered in mounds of decorative pillows, and a small bar that separated the main living space from the kitchen.

The tall blue haired she-wolf grabbed both Jaime and I by our wrists and dragged us to one of the couches. “I’m going to go grab the winter collection. You two stay here.”

I watched her run off up the stairs with wide eyes, and Jaime giggled. “I told you she was excited.”

Carmen came running back down the stairs with a mountain of black in her arms, a wicked grin on her face. “You’re special client number one, today, so you get first pick.” She set the clothes down on the ottoman and began to dig through them. “Are you more of a skirt or pants wolf?”

I shrugged. My sense of style had always been an accumulation of whatever my mother thought was cute for me and represented the shop well, since I was usually the one manning the front counter.

“Whatever you think will look best. My mother usually picked my clothes for me, so I’ve learned not to have much of an opinion.”

Carmen gasped. “A little dress up doll for me!” She gave me a wink. “Don’t worry, you’ll learn quickly to have an opinion. I rub off on everyone, eventually.”

She pulled me up from where I was sitting and handed me a small stack of clothes, freezing when our eyes locked. It was the strangest sensation, like she was staring into something past me, even though we were making eye contact.

“Carmen?” I nudged her gently, and she shook her head with a giggle. “Sorry, my sister was talking to me. Apparently without her mate the city suffocates her.” Her grey eyes lit up. “Oh, I bet she would love to meet you! She’s always had a thing for oddballs.”

I tried not to take her comment as an insult.

“Her mate is definitely an odd one. Runs a giant liquor business, owns a whole bunch of clubs for the supernatural downtown and shit. That’s how they met, actually.” She patted the clothes in my hands. “Go ahead and change. If you’re shy, the bathroom in just on the other side of the staircase.”

I followed her extended finger to go change, keeping my ears peeled as I heard Jaime start to speak.

“Who’s your next special appointment?” Jaime used the same voice she would if she had been asking a young pup about their day at school, but I couldn’t blame her. It was hard not to indulge in Carmen’s excitement. It was obvious that this business was her passion, and for her to be selling to other wolves she deemed to be well respected was huge for her.

I stripped out of the sweater and leggings that Jaime had let me borrow and laid out the garments Carmen had made.

“Mike is coming by after he’s done with the trial for his usual loot. He planned on picking up some things for Vanessa, but I think she’s planning on making an appearance of her own, so I suppose I’ll have a couple’s fitting.” I fumbled while pulling on the tights.

Mike? Mike Kuza? My mate Mike Kuza?

“Alpha Cerulli called for a new suit, too, so I assume he’ll be with Kuza. Those two are as close as brothers.”

Of course the two wolves I was trying my hardest to avoid would be coming to see Carmen. Even though it wasn’t too surprising, considering their gothic styles, the prospect of running into both of them together made me want to bash my skull on the sink.

I finished pulling up the tights and threw the dress over my head. My eyes caught my reflection in the mirror, and I did a double take.

The dress was a little over the top, covered in leather straps and silver chains that pulled the fabric in different directions on my body, but I liked it. I looked like I had a figure, which was rare, and the black clothing accentuated my light coloring.

“I think he’s part of the reason Kuza hasn’t wanted to try for any pups, which is a little disturbing, if you ask me.”

I made my way back into the main room quietly, listening to Carmen and Jaime as they spoke.

“I don’t hear your sister complaining.”

They both paused their conversation when they saw me, and Carmen squealed. “Oh, it’s so perfect! Jaime, doesn’t she just look like a princess?”

Jaime nodded, shaking her head a little. “Don’t let my daughter catch you calling anyone other than her that, though.” She motioned for me to spin around, and I did so confidently.

I looked damn good in black.

Carmen went back to the pile and handed me another dress, this one much simpler, though it was made of a rich black velvet that added the same amount of depth. This time she didn’t let me go to the bathroom, she very nearly stripped and dressed me herself. I blushed a deep crimson, and they both found this amusing.

“Oh, honey, your body is nothing we haven’t seen before, don’t be shy.” Jaime stood up from the couch and came over to adjust the hood of the dress. “Carmen, do you have a belt?” Carmen nodded and pointed to her dining room.

“They’re all over the chairs. Take your pick.” Jaime left my side to go look at accessories, and I searched the room for a reflective surface.

Carmen giggled and dragged a body mirror out from behind a stack of fabrics. “Do you like it?”

Before I could respond, there was a sharp knock at the door.