Revenge served in a black dress (Nora and Jace) novel Chapter 41

Jace

He’d thought he’d picked out the perfect dress, it would hug all her curves and show off how gorgeous she was. He’d not had to guess her size; the women working in the store already knew it. She had told him Nora shopped there all the time, that he’d thought that was good for him. Only now it wasn’t her size at all, but it

was Gloria’s.

Zelda’s boutique was a place where everyone here went to get dresses for mating balls, and all pack functions. Hell, just to go on a date with a wolf they liked, or for anniversaries. It was a large store that

catered for all occasions.

Zelda was 200 years old, and not only was she an accomplished dress designer, so was her daughter, and two of her grandchildren. It wasn’t just a boutique that she owned, there was a full seamstress store out the back that had 20 employees, that made everything from simple summer clothing to winter jackets and, of

course, suits and formal dresses.

Young Holly had smiled at him when he’d gone into the store that morning, “Good morning, Alpha. What can ! do for you?” she’d asked him. She seemed only too happy to help him. It wasn’t often he would walk into this

store to buy something.

“I need a dress for my Luna; the Luna Ceremony will be on the next full moon.” He’d told her, and she’d smiled brilliantly at him “That is a grand event.” She’d nodded. “You’ll find many splendid dresses in here to choose

from.” and then she had showed him a bunch of dresses.

To which he’d ummed and aahed over, he’d spent well over an hour in there, had taken his time looking at the dresses she’d helped him to select. She’d even carefully placed them all on mannequins, and fitted them properly, so he could see them in their full effect.

He’d really liked that mermaid–style dress, and he’d thought it would be perfect. The color would contrast with Nora’s skin and hair. He’d also liked the bling that was on it, dazzling, he’d thought, to help make her shine;

bright like the moon itself would on the night.

Now, as he walked from Nora’s room, he wanted to rip that dress apart. She didn’t even like it, and it wasn’t the right size, but it was, she’d told him, the correct size for Gloria. He’d not known that, or at least he didn’t think so. Had he subconsciously bought something that would suit Gloria? Then gone and presented it to Nora, something that was not only in Gloria’s size, but style as well?

He didn’t doubt Nora’s words on the matter either. When you hated someone for the reason she did, being the

Luna to the pack, when it was supposed to be her title, one would notice the little things about them. Compare them to the things given to you, even. Especially from him, when Gloria was seen to be on his arm all the time, she hated Gloria with a full passion and anything he wanted to give her now was going to be

compared to that woman who was always with him.

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really

So the question was, had he done that subconsciously or had he just listened to Holly? He thoug that very thing. Holly had stated she’d been into the store and bought many things from it… but as thought about that, the things Nora owned, there wasn’t a single item in her wardrobe that even looked close

to what was sold in Zelda’s store.

So how had Holly known what size she was? She couldn’t possibly have known, but he’d nodded and been

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happy with her words, about that someone knew what she liked and her size. He had blipped over the fact

that deep down he knew her wardrobe was thread bare and didn’t have anything fancy in it. He was a temble Mate even now when trying to present her with a dress because he had no idea what to buy for her. Shad stated it herself. Shouldn’t you know what I like?

If he was in any we

attentive at all to her, he would actually know that. Hell, he didn’t even know what color dress to buy, what her favorite color was. Only knew it seerned, how to yell at her and call her childish was all. See all the little things that ticked him off and not understand the reason behind them.

He stalked through the packhouse on his way back to the store when Gloria saw him with that dress bag in his hand. “Didn’t she want the dress you picked out for her?” she shook her head and clucked her tongue, as if to say it was selfish of Nora not to accept his gift.

“Go back to work,” he muttered, and left the packhouse, he would not be drawn into an argument with the woman. She trailed him out of the packhouse, “Jace, perhaps you should show me the dress, and I can see where you went wrong. Let me help you with Nora.”

He looked right at her. “Go away, I will do this on my own, I don’t need your help.” He shot at her, and she stared at him, then just shrugged and walked away.

He heard her murmur “I wish you luck,” though it didn’t sound like she actually meant that, she’d kind of sounded fully amused to him, like she knew nothing was going to work.

He ignored it and took that dress back to Zelda’s, where he called Holly directly to him. She was only 20 years old, born here inside the pack with Gloria seated as the Luna. He knew she’d worked inside this store for four years now, though she wasn’t related to Zelda at all, but was a seamstress, and she was doing a fashion degree at the local university.

“Yes, Alpha?” she asked as she looked at the dress bag in his hand and then frowned at it.

“She didn’t like it,” he stated, “It’s also the wrong size.” He told her. “I need a six, not a four.”

“But the Luna is a size four, she shops here all the time. I’ve served her myself on many occasions.” Holly frowned at him, and seemed to be confused as to why the dress was the wrong size.

Jace closed his eyes as he understood exactly just what was going on. “So, when I said I’m looking for a dress for my Luna, for her Luna Ceremony, you think that is going to be Gloria, and not my Mate, Nora then?” he was staring hard at her now, because why would he hold a Luna Ceremony for Gloria? Who was already in

the seat and held the acting title!

“Oh, um… I didn’t…” Holly stuttered, though she still seemed confused to him.

“I am not mated to Gloria, she is an acting Luna, not the actual Luna, only there until I found my Mate and instated her. Is that not how it works?” He grated out at her.

“I’m sorry Alpha, it’s just that.., well.. For as long as I’ve been alive, Gloria has been our Luna.”

“Yes, the acting Luna to help me out. But she is not my Mate and not my actual Luna,” he bit out. “How do you think I feel, Holly, or how Nora now feels? That I just presented her with a dress that is not only too small, but picked out with Gloria in mind… You put all those dresses on display for me. Chose them all, and guessing, tailored to Gloria’s preferences, yes?”

were, I’m

“Oh… I… I… I didn’t do it on purpose.” She shook her head, taking a step back and away from him. “Just a mistake is all.” she murmured and lowered her head.

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“One that saw me in Nora’s eyes, as trying to make her look like Gloria” He snarled at her and tossed that

dress bag right at her.

“They don’t look anything alike.” Holly shook her head.

“I’m well aware of that fact.” He grated out at her. “You made me look like a damned fool” He roared angrily and watched her bow down to him.

He saw Zelda come from the back of the store and put a hand on Holly. “Leave, Holly I will help the Alpha” Then she pushed her gently towards the back of the store, and he watched Holly scurry away out of sight and as Zelda picked the dress bag off the floor and draped it over the counter behind her, calmly. Before turning to him and addressing him, “Alpha, what is it you’re looking for exactly?”

“A Luna dress, for Nora.” He grated out, used her name specifically, so there would be no further mistakes. She..” he indicated to Holly’s retreating form, “gave me something for Gloria and I took it to Nora”

“Hmm, alright, I can see why the error happened. Please, do calm down, I will help you myself. I believe it’s an easy fix,” she told him.

YON