Chapter Fourteen

Minx caught up with me on my way to the elevator to get ready for dinner with Jude, Miles, and Pax. "Cleo, wait. I'll ride up with you. What's the hurry? Dinner isn't for an hour, and we hoped you would eat with us."

"I won't be here to eat tonight. I'm going out."

"You are?"

"I need to go get changed." I wasn't sure what to do to look special or at least as if I was happy to be asked to dinner. My outfits were not only limited, they all needed to go into the laundry to be wearable. At least I could shower and brush my hair. And my teeth. "But tomorrow if the offer is still open." I really wanted to spend more time with my sisters and get to know them.

"I'll come and keep you company. What are you gonna wear?" She clapped a hand over her mouth. "What am I thinking?" Grabbing her phone out of her crossbody bag, she tapped on the screen. "We have to get you a phone so you can be part of the group chat." Stowing the device, she pressed the elevator button.

"When I can afford it, I'd love to." How cool would it be to join them in the group chat? I had to find a way to earn some money for things that weren't included in the very generous scholarship package. And just to have a little in my pocket for nonessentials I might like.

We rode up to my floor, and to my surprise, Minx got off with me. It wasn't her floor, but it did seem like everyone walked me everywhere here. But no sooner did we get inside my room than Minx's phone buzzed and she pulled it out. "Oh good, they'll be here in a minute."

"The girls?"

"Yeah, oh shoot, I didn't tell you what we said. We really need to get you a phone." She turned her screen to face me and my eyes filled with tears.

"You three are the best sisters ever." Not that I had anything to compare them to, but I couldn't imagine any better. "You really don't have to do all of this."

"It's our pleasure." She opened the door again and peeked out. "Elevator's here."

Fifteen seconds later, the other two burst into the room, arms laden with clothing. Ava had a bag over her shoulder filled with makeup and hair care products. "Why aren't you in the shower, Cleo? We have to get started if you're going to be ready for your dates on time."

I started for the bathroom then stopped. "How do you know what time I need to be ready and who I'm going out to eat with?" Was someone gossiping?

Kiki giggled. "We don't know the exact time, but with curfew during the week, we know it's not going to be too late."

"Okay, I'll give you that…"

"And we would have to be dense not to have noticed the way a certain trio of studly shifters are paying attention to you." Ave fluffed her hair. "We're proud of you. It must run in the family."

"I'm not even sure this is a date," I protested. "Or if I want it to be."

"Shower, now!" Minx gave me a little push. "And we can talk about whether you want the sexiest available males on campus while we do your hair and makeup and pick out your ensemble for the night."

As I headed into the bathroom, Ava said, "If we ever doubted that she's our family, this would fix that."

"She's a chip off the old sister block," Minx agreed.

"I can hear you!" I called before closing the bathroom door most of the way. Shifters weren't worried about nudity, and I wanted to hear whatever they had to say. It was more complicated having relatives of my generation than I'd counted on. "Don't tease."

"We're not teasing." Kiki's voice followed me into the shower. "It's got to be more than a coincidence that we all have multiple mates."

When I emerged from the stall, my hair up in a turban and a bath sheet wrapped around my body, they moved in like a pack of hyenas, except with makeup brushes and a blow dryer. I'd never worn much makeup, mostly because my father never felt it necessary to give me any. So, the layers and shading and false eyelashes were a whole new experience for me and one I wasn't sure I felt comfortable with until they stepped back and turned me to face the mirror over the sink.

"What do you think?" Ava, who had taken the lead in the makeup department leaned over my shoulder, a question in her voice. "Too much?"

"No." I actually had been thinking that, but looking in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. And it wasn't a bad thing. "Who is she?"

" She is you, and you are stunning." Kiki lifted the silky strands of my usually braided or ponytailed locks. "Should we put it in an updo?"

"It's not the prom." Minx smoothed my hair. "Did they say where you're going?"

"No, they didn't. Shoot I should have asked." My pleasure in the new me created by my sisters submerged under a layer of panic. "It matters, right? What I wear? In the compound I wore either the jeans Angie smuggled me or those ridiculous robes Father found appropriate. Why do I think robes are not the thing for a date…even if I'd brought any with me? My jeans are all dirty and I don't have anything better and—"

They all hugged me, and while I recognized they meant to be comforting, something more happened. My sisters and I melded in some sort of connection I'd never known was possible, and energy built between us. My animals crowded inside me, wanting to see, wanting to know them. It was incredible.

And then, as quickly as it began, everyone moved apart, and they dragged me out into the bedroom. "We brought several outfits," Ava said. "But since you don't know where you're going, black is always a good choice."