"Why are you helping me?" Inez asked when she saw that the woman had started pulling the gowns out of the glass cases.
Tracy paused upon hearing her question. She turned and looked at Inez before saying to her, "Well, let’s say... There was a time when one of my friends asked me to help him, but I refused because I feared getting involved with him. You remind me of that friend a little."
Was she talking about her father? Thought Inez, but then she took a look at how young Tracy looked, and she shook her head. There was no way Tracy was involved with her father, given how she looked like she was of the same age as her.
"What happened to him?" Inez asked in a soft whisper.
"Hmmm?" Tracy turned around as she took off the pink gown that was worn by the mannequin. "I am not sure; maybe he passed away, or maybe he vanished without letting anyone know where he went. I only saw him when he came to ask for my help, and ever since then, I haven’t heard anything from him."
"I am sorry." Given that the man never returned, there was a good chance that he was dead.
Tracy laughed upon hearing her remark. "Don’t be. That man is alive—if he were dead, then I would have known."
"So you are helping me just because of this reason?" Inez asked. Something about the woman’s kindness troubled her, but it didn’t feel malevolent, like the woman was trying to harm her. This was kind of weird because after she ran away from the Venus pack, Inez had never stopped doubting others. She was wary of them at all turns and twists.
Not unless they prove to her that they could be trusted.
Tracy had done nothing like that, and yet Inez couldn’t help but trust her.
"No," said Tracy. "I am helping you out because you helped Selene. She might not remember it, but before opening this store, I used to follow my mother, who died not long ago. I have visited the Red Blood Hill pack a few times with my mother, and there I met with Selene. Before she was poisoned, she was quite a fascinating woman, powerful and confident. However, once she was poisoned, Selene locked herself up. Never stepping out of her lodge and never visiting anywhere."
She paused and turned to look at Inez. "You can say that I am quite a fan of Selene and her courage. The she-lycan who killed twenty shifters on her."
"I just did what I think was right," said Inez with a hint of bashfulness in her tone. Everyone kept saying that she saved Selene, but the truth was that it was Selene who had held herself together in the face of excruciating pain.
"You are modest," Tracy said as she handed the pink gown to Inez. "Try this first; let’s see if it suits you."
Inez took the dress and went to the dressing room, where she changed into the dress that Tracy had given her.
But the second she stepped out, the woman pushed her inside without even taking a look. "No, this is hideous; try this one."
"Not this one either."
"This one doesn’t look good either..."
"Nah, uh, this doesn’t go well with your hair."
"Your eyes—it doesn’t suit your eyes."
Inez didn’t know how many dresses she had changed before the woman finally handed her a blue gown. It was a beautiful dress with royal blue fabric; its skirt with pleats was blue on the side, while white lacy fabric adorned the middle. Artificial jewels decorated the bottom of the skirt and waist. As well as the right side of the off-shoulder gown.
Once Inez wore the gown, she couldn’t help but fall in love with it. She hoped that the woman wouldn’t tell her that she looked hideous in this gown as well, because if Tracy did that, then she was going to barge right the fuck out of the dressing room; she was getting tired of playing dress-up.
"Does it not look stunning?" questioned Tracy, admiring her work that she had created with her own hands. "Let me see where it needs to be fitted."
While the woman took the measurements, Inez realised that the jewels on the dress shimmered under the light. It was quite a sight to behold. As the jewels glimmered with all the colours of the rainbow.
Inez stayed still as the woman made a few more alterations to the dress and then turned to look at the woman who handed the gown to her after packing it, she said to Tracy, "Thank you. I will return it."
Tracy’s eyes glimmered with amusement as she looked at Inez before saying, "I am afraid that will not be possible."
"What do you mean?" Inez asked with a frown. Did she look like someone who would steal a dress? No matter how beautiful it was, she would never do something like stealing.
Tracy’s smile widened. "Oh, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say that you would not return the dress. It’s just that—"
"Miss Tracy, you are needed here," an assistant called from outside the room, and Tracy paused before turning to look at Inez. "Don’t think too much; I don’t mean any disrespect."
And before Inez could ask what the woman meant, Tracy had stepped outside.
Inez stayed where she was, with the bag in her hands. She looked around the room before turning around and walking out as well. She walked over to where Tracy was standing next to Selene and heard Selene say, "Can these dresses be fixed?"
Tracy took the dresses that Selene was holding, and Inez realised that these dresses were the ones that Nyx had given to Selene.
Inez sighed, wondering if Selene had changed her mind and was quite glad when she heard Tracy say, "I am afraid that these dresses cannot be worn."
Selene frowned and asked, "Why?"