Chapter 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

CHIP

" How about Monday night ?" I groaned and tugged on my hair. "Who says that, Chip? What is wrong with you?"

I was at Reese's house getting dressed faster than I had ever before. The masquerade ball had already started and I refused to be any later than I already was. But I was furious with myself. Furious for what I'd said to Monroe last night and I just needed to get there and find him.

It was hard to force myself to take the time to put my costume on when I just wanted to get there but I knew I'd be upset later if I showed up in my jeans. I couldn't sit still or stand in one place. I was squirming and antsy as I struggled with the buttons on the brown leather corset I was putting on over my white dress. Brownie had gotten me this costume and left it at Reese's for me, like the best big sister in the world. It was a pirate costume and it was actually gorgeous. The white sleeves dangled off my shoulders and the necklace was cut low so I still felt sexy with all this material on. Once I got the corset on I grabbed the gold waist chain with gold coin charms and hooked that around me. Next I put on the gold necklaces and the gold hair chain with a big gold flower.

I turned to look at myself in the mirror. In the back of my mind I registered how pretty I looked but all I saw was the look on Monroe's face. " There aren't any events on the calendar so we won't be missing anything of spooky season ," I said, mocking myself.

"Who says that shit, Chip?" I looked to myself in the mirror and threw my arms out. "What is wrong with you? Monday night at seven? We can go to that little restaurant down by the beach on the south side? Finnigans? REALLY? Really. What is it a business meeting? You had to check your calendar first. You might as well send him a confirmation email."

I groaned and snatched my mask off the table. Took me a second to actually get it hooked over my ears because I just couldn't stop fidgeting. But the overall look was really spectacular. I was even more annoyed with myself for ruining the night with needing to search for Monroe.

There was a knock on the door. "Chip? You ready?"

"Yeah." I grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. "Whoa, look at you."

Holden's sister Marissa stood on the other side in a black leather gown that flared just above the knees. Her mask was a black cat but it had silver spikes sticking out. It was bad ass.

"Thank you . . ." she grinned then winked. " Captain. "

I chuckled and twirled the skirt of my dress around. "I just love ballgowns."

"Then let's get to the ball so you can dance." She nodded for me to follow her out the front door and over to her Jeep Wrangler. "I'm surprised you didn't go with Reese and all your sisters."

I groaned. "I'm a bit of a mess."

"A boy?" She backed out of her spot then sped down the long driveway at Dunn Farm. "Only a boy could keep a girl with that costume away."

My face heated. "More like me being stupid about the boy."

"Don't worry, Monroe's a pretty level headed guy."

I sank in my seat. "Was it that obvious?"

"To literally everyone, yes." She cackled. "But don't worry, we saw many big players on the Island go down in the same kind of misery at Christmas. My brother included. Your sister really messed him up."

"She did? I mean, Holden doesn't seem the type to get dramatic?—"

"No. He just didn't shower for like four days and spent the whole time chopping wood." She grinned. "It's just funny because if he had just taken a shower that first night he would've seen the soulmate mark. But no. Men ."

I looked down at my arms and sighed. There was no missing a mark, there just wasn't one. Part of me wondered why two of my sisters got soulmates when the rest of us didn't. But that was dangerous mental territory so I stopped myself from going there. Soulmate or not, I woke up this morning knowing with my full heart that I was madly in love with that man. So taking it slow was futile. I was a mess right now. The argument that we needed to take it slow to prevent getting hurt was irrelevant. I was hurt now. There was no saving me from falling for him because it'd already happened.

Now I needed to just give in and give my heart a chance.

Marissa was nice enough to let me sulk with my own despair the rest of the ride until we pulled Into the parking lot next to The Pemberley Hotel. At Christmas time, the big ball was inside the Vauntero estate because it was super, super special. But the Halloween masquerade was a bit more wild and that called for the hotel. The Island's oldest, most iconic hotel.

The ball had definitely already started but the crowd outside was surprising. And a tad overwhelming. I knew I needed to go in but my feet seemed glued to the ground.

"It's okay, Chip. Take a minute." She started to walk backwards. "Collect your thoughts then come in. I'm sure he's in there looking for you right now."

I bit my bottom lip and nodded. My nerves were frazzled.

Something moved in my peripheral vision. When I looked I found that pink parrot sitting on top of the glowing pumpkin outside the front main doors. I smiled at it. "Hey, I've seen you."

The bird turned its head to look at me.

"Ya know, I'm a pirate. You're a parrot. We kinda go together." I flicked my hair to the other side and draped it over my shoulder. "Want a ride inside?"

The parrot squawked then hopped onto my shoulder.

I grinned. "Let's go."

Somehow having this random wild parrot on my shoulder gave me a false sense of security. The bird sitting on my shoulder made me look cooler, that was for sure, and somehow that helped me feel more confident as I marched through the front doors.

I'd never been inside this hotel but it was breathtaking. The white walls with shiny gold trim and hardwood floors was a breathtaking combination, then add on the dim candlelight flickering and I was done for.

My new parrot friend squawked and moved closer to my head like it was hiding from something. I glanced up and down the hallway that was full of people chitchatting. There was no one I recognized except for the Bow family at the far end of the hall, it was hard to miss them and their red hair. For a brief moment, I considered going over to talk to Willem about help with travel stuff but then decided that would be inappropriate. Also if I went over to say hi to them now, I'd never find Monroe. I needed to find him now, I needed to fix the mess I'd made of us.

I needed to apologize for my panic.

The parrot squawked and flapped its wings on my shoulder.

"I agree," I grumbled. "Let's go in."

Having the parrot on my shoulder helped ease my anxiety because it tricked my brain into thinking I hadn't arrived alone. I was feeling pretty good until a bombshell of a blonde stepped out in front of me looking like she belonged on a magazine cover or runway. That long blonde hair hung perfectly with the slightest curl at the ends. Her pointed fae ears were adorably subtle as they blended in. Even though she wore a red and black lace mask over the top half of her face, I knew exactly who she was.

I smiled. "Hi Colette!"

She spun to face me and my jaw dropped. She'd dressed as a sexy devil, complete with red horns, a golden trident, and a red dress that barely covered her body.

"CHIP!" She grinned and leaned in to give me a hug then stopped short. "Oh, you have a real parrot on your shoulder."

"Yeah, we met outside." I chuckled. "Pirate. Parrot. It just works."

"You're hilarious. I love your family. You're all wonderfully quirky in the best of ways." She gestured to my costume. "And you looked incredible."

"Thank you." I shrugged one shoulder. "You look fierce. And like maybe you're trying to punish someone."

Her smile turned wicked. She winked playfully. Those green eyes were bright and sparkling. "We'll see."

I shook my head and laughed. "Hey, have you seen Monroe anywhere?"

"Ya know, I don't know." She pursed her lips. "It's so hard with the masks, it's like my brain can't identify people just by their eyes unless I stare at them for a long moment. I am definitely someone who never would've realized Clark Kent was Superman."

That was a reference to a movie or show but I sucked at that. It was hard to keep up when televisions didn't work under the water. But I smiled all the same. "All right, well, if you see him tell him I'm here and looking for him?"

"I'll send him your way, Captain."

When she sauntered off, I turned and continued my search. I spotted Pickles and Dawson in the middle of the dance floor in what actually looked like a wedding dress and tuxedo. But no Monroe. I ducked my head and slipped behind a row of people so they wouldn't see me. I didn't need them seeing just how much of a mess I was.

Carter and Ria were up ahead talking to Constantine. The girls wore gorgeous butterfly masks whereas Constantine's mask was solid black. One of the Vauntero sons stepped forward and held his hand out to Carter. She blushed and put her hand in his, letting him lead her onto the dance floor. Wait. No. That must be Lexington Prescott.

Ria turned and wagged her eyebrows at Constantine. Playfully, she managed to get him onto the dance floor. To no one's surprise, the crowd cheered for him but then he glared and all chatter died instantly.

The music changed and the crowd moved. I saw Reese and Holden dancing, holding each other lovingly. Trevor Dunn and boyfriend Caleb Bow were right next to them. I paused at the edge of the dance floor to see who else was out there to pick out Monroe in the crowd. I spotted Jude and Cameron staring into each other's eyes while Nicole and Daphne danced a few feet over. Gemma and Halley, Cam's wild Vegas friends', dragged two guys onto the dance floor.

My father was even out there with one of the sirens from Key West who was closer to his age. This caught my attention for a moment because I hadn't seen my dad show any interest in a woman besides my mother. But she passed a long time ago. I hoped this was the start of a romance for him, he deserved to find happiness again. I glanced around for my sisters but I only could find Reese and Pickles. And both of them were staring at our father with glistening eyes and small smiles.

Behind them, Jimbo was teaching a group of toddlers ballet on one side of the dance floor. But he was dressed in a chicken costume so it just looked ridiculous.

That's weird, where's Sal? They're always together.

Focus, Chip. You need to find Monroe and fix this.

Whatever this song was, I was terrible at knowing names of musicians and song titles, but it must have been popular because it seemed like everyone had rushed out to the dance floor which caused the outer circle to be more narrow.

It was bumper cars just to get through.

Sal jumped out in front of me with a wide grin. There was no mistaking who was beneath that chicken costume. "Well there you are, little miss."

I froze. "Oh, hi?"

He tilted his head forward like he was trying to see me through the screen of the chicken eyes on his hood. "You playing hide and seek? Gonna need to do better than that?—"

"Dad, leave her alone." A girl wearing a red crayon costume waddled over to us. It looked like a difficult costume to walk in because it was just a red tube that fell to her knees. She wore a red pointed hat and a red mask over her eyes. The brown hair made me wonder if Sal's hair was brown before it went silver. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his. "Must you pester every single person here tonight?"

He rolled his eyes. "Shaylee, I can't help that I'm a popular guy."

Shaylee pointed a finger at him. "Remember that Lexington isn't afraid of the Vaunteros or Prince Riven. He's besties with Zuriel. So if you screw up this ball at his mother's hotel . . . he can't get deported. Keep that in mind."

Sal looked to me and winked — then sprinted full speed. Shaylee cursed and raced after him.

"NASH!" Torren yelled from within the sea of people. I didn't see her until she shot up into the air above everyone's head as a little teal colored hummingbird. "NASH, WHERE ARE YOU?"

I heard Nash's laughter. "I'm on the dance floor, love."

The hummingbird spun in a tight circle and wobbled in the air, causing everyone beneath her to dive out of the way. " Oh boy. Torren is being Torren again. " I chuckled.

Luckily, Nash was on top of things. He held his hand straight up until Torren flew over and landed on the tip of his finger. Slowly, he lowered his hand. And then the human version of Torren was standing there.

The song changed again and it was like getting caught between two currents. My parrot friend took off, not that I blamed it. I was pushed and pulled in opposite directions every other step. There were too many people too close to me. I couldn't see anyone's faces at this point, not from this angle. Not with the masks on. I needed to get to higher ground. To do that, I needed to get all the way across the ballroom. I ducked my head and weaved my way through the crowd, focusing only on the gaps between bodies big enough for me to slip through.

A small wolf darted out right in front of me.

I squealed and tried to stop but the top half of me flew forward. A large warm hand caught mine and yanked me back upright. I turned to thank my savior when my gaze landed on the inside of my right forearm. I choked on a gasp and froze in place. My heart pounded so hard I felt it in my ears and in my toes. It thundered and rattled my bones. My chest was growing tight because I wasn't breathing.

An image was inked on my skin nearly from wrist to elbow. The image was of two pinkish seashells floating in purple and blue water swirls. It was beautiful and it hadn't been there a moment ago. Which meant this wasn't a tattoo or just any magical image.

It was a soulmate mark.

I have a soulmate.

I have a SOULMATE.

For a moment, or maybe an hour, I just stared at it in shock.

Then my brain started to function again. I had a soulmate. The rules were clear, any adult over the age of eighteen could be marked with a soulmate. In order for the mark to appear we just had to touch - skin to skin - on Megelle Island. Sure, we could touch off the Island as much as we wanted but the mark wouldn't appear. It was a safety measure so we didn't just sprout magical tattoos in front of humans. Sirens also had to be literally and physically on land on the Island for it to appear, because the ocean wasn't technically the same thing. For that reason I never suspected I'd get marked.

But no matter how long I stared at it . . . it remained.

Oh God. Hold on. Monroe. It's not Monroe. No, no, no. My arms were trembling when I looked up to find the man who'd caught me, the man who was my soulmate.

A man dressed in black a silky, loose fitting black shirt and black pants stood just a few feet In front of me. He, too, was staring at his own arm. I tried to see who it was but he wore a black mask that covered all the way down his nose. Colette was right, it was really hard to tell who a person was just by their lips and jaw. And the guy hadn't looked up yet so I couldn't see his eyes. The wide-brimmed black hat he wore also cast a shadow over his face.

He was dressed as Zorro and it felt horribly fitting. I'd come here tonight solely to find Monroe and tell him I'd fallen in love with him and to hell with the risks and this Zorro just showed up and stole me away. Because I could never date Monroe knowing I had a soulmate.

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. My mouth was dry. I licked my lips and just stared at him until finally, he looked up at me with dark eyes. Still, I couldn't really see his face with the hat and the mask but it felt familiar.

We held our right arms out and compared the images on our arms.

They were identical.

I reached up to my mask at the same time he did. It was like the world had slipped into slow motion. People were probably watching this moment but I just didn't care. I was terrified to see who was beneath this mask, to see who was about to break mine and Monroe's hearts.

Zorro yanked his hat off and I saw thick, dark hair. Then with both hands he pulled the black mask off his face.

I gasped. Loud. My eyes watered, I shook my head. OH, IT'S YOU . I couldn't believe it. My knees buckled but he dove forward and wrapped his arm around my waist to catch me. Our faces were inches apart.

I knew the exact moment he recognized my eyes because his whole body froze. His dark eyes widened. " Chip? "

Tears pooled in my eyes. I swallowed through the hot lump of emotion in my throat. " Monroe. "

He reached down and gently tugged my mask off my face. He exhaled and swayed on his feet. " CHIP. "

"YOU." I reached up and ran my fingers over his face as a tear slid down my cheek. "It's you. You're my soulmate."

He nodded, his cheeks flushed and his eyes glassy.

"It's been you this whole time and we just didn't know."

Monroe chuckled and wiped that tear off with his thumb. "There goes taking it slow then, eh?"

A strangled cry left my lips and then I tackled him. Our lips crashed together.

"So do we have another elopement on our hands tonight?" We pulled back and looked over to find Mateo Vauntero holding a wine glass full of blood. He winked and gave us a smirk. "Family tradition?"

"I am not getting eloped. I want a big wedding."I looked up at my soulmate and grinned. "I think I deserve a big one."

"A big wedding, eh?" He laughed, his eyes twinkling. "How big we talking?"

I cupped his face in my hands. "I want the whole damn Island there."

"We'll have to skip the invitations and just post a sign on Main Street."