Chapter 11

We entered the music shop and Jenny was already dragging her feet over the wooden floors. Mathew on the other hand seemed rather taken by the place and looked around with a grin on his face.

"Jenny never said anything about you having any musical talent." Jenny sighed.

"I know she has a few instruments, but I've never heard her play them." She looked at me. "I mean we were both in the choir and won ribbons for the school." Mathew nodded.

"Then you'll have to sing for me later." He wrapped an arm around Jenny and pulled her close steeling a kiss before she swatted him away.

"Mathew…" I waved her concern away and scanned the guitars on display as I ventured further into the store.

"I don't mind. I'm not paying you any attention at… the… moment…" I saw it. The violin that first drew me to this shop. It was tucked away in the far corner of the store looking untouched and neglected. Over the years it had been moved several times getting further and further towards the back of the store. I walked closer and smiled at the deep, almost blood red wood of the five stringed violin. It was decorated with real silver and mother of Pearl inlays of a rose on the body, the sliver vines climbing their way up the neck and a few mother of Pearl leaved were scattered over the finger board.

In all was a beautiful violin until you looked to the head. Made from the same dark wood as the rest of the instrument two black Onex watch from a carved skull. This violin almost seemed to be made from two different instruments stuck to gather. It was a one-of-a-kind piece made by some unknown artist who would often come to the shop to sell handmade instruments. However, over the years the instruments began to take on a darker appearance becoming maqbara and twisted like.

'The music of the world was changing' was the only explanation given for the change.

As I stared at the violin one of the store hands came over with his hands in his pockets and looked at me. He smirked and brushed back his hair as he pulled out the little keys then opened the display case and waved a hand at me.

"I've seen you staring at this one a few times before." He sighed. "It's strange who is attracted to that whack jobs work… but they all sound fantastic." I took the violin and he shuddered. "I think it's a little creepy. I feel it's been watching me for the last three years… like it's been waiting and judging." I laughed.

"That's what I like about it." I saw a few people watching and I looked to the price tag that had been reduced a few times and nodded. "I'll take it." He grinned and clapped his hands.

"Great… but there's one catch." He sighed. "The whack job… woman." He looked to the violin. "The woman that made it said it can only be sold to someone who can play it and is willing to play it." I gave a knowing smirk.

"You basically want me to play before I can buy it." He nodded.

"I'm only a store hand and have a job to follow." I smirked as he reached into the display case and pulled out the bow. "It keeps remarkably good tuning." I nodded and took the bow then pulled off the splint on my hand and tossed it into the display case. Jenny and Mathew gathered closer and watched as I raised the violin and tightened the bow. Once happy with the tension I placed the bow on the strings.

I didn't need to think, a song came to me instantly. It was something my mother use to listen to in the evenings after particularly rough days. The first few notes rang into life and filled the shop. Beethoven's Moonlight sonata first movement. The whole shop became quiet and the world around me went dark. After a few bars it was like I could actually hear a piano accompanying me.

I opened my eye and glanced around. There was a woman sitting at the stores grand piano her hands moving over the keys. She smiled and I walked a little closer as we continued the piece.

After the song came to an end I slowly lowered the violin and looked around. Jenny stood her mouth open and Mathew was grinning like an idiot. He raised his hands and clapped causing Jenny to snap out of her trance.

"What the hell girl?" She walked closer to me. "You never told me you could play like that." I shrugged.

"You never asked. And besides in school it wasn't cool and it never came up in conversation after that." I looked to the clerk who seemed as baffled as everyone else. "So… did I pass?" He nodded and took the case for the violin over to the desk.

"Right this way please." He saw the other clerks smiling as they stepped away from the register. "How would you like to pay?" I took my splint out then put the violin into the case and loosened the bow before pulling out the wad of money.

"Cash." I saw the look on everyone's face. "What? I've been saving up for nearly three years since I first saw it…" I lied, but it was true I wanted this violin from the very first moment I saw it. "I'm just surprised it was still here." I placed my ten thousand down and waited patiently as the clerk counted.

"Ten thousand all here." He closed the lid on the case and patted it. "Good to go. Personally, I'm glad to see it go. It creeped me out." He shrugged. "But as long as you're happy." I nodded and took the violin from the counter.

"Very." I turned to the others and grinned. "Ready?" Jenny nodded still seeming to be in shock as I put the splint back on.

"Yeah, there's a few questions I want to ask you and a mall I want to visit." I nodded and sighed.

"Ok, let's head out!" The three of us walked out and onto the busy street.

We were inside a clothes shop. I looked to the mountain of clothes Jenny had to try on. She pulled back the curtain and smiled.

"Ok, what about this one?" I nodded. She was wearing a strappy summer dress that was snug fitting then flared out mid thy.

"Another winner." She looked into the mirror and nodded.

"I think its beautiful but… the colour would look better on you." She pulled me into the changing cubical and pulled the curtain shut. "Hear you try it." I grabbed the dress as she pulled it off and tossed it into my hands.

"Ok," I quickly changed into the dark green dress. there was no point arguing when Jenny was in one of her shopping moods and she would buy it for me anyway. It was a nightmare having to return things that didn't fit right. She nodded as she tested the fit and smiled.

"Perfect…" She smirked and put on a red dress. "Red suits me better." I nodded them my eyes caught on a strange mark on her chest just above her collar bone. She saw where I was looking and smiled. "This is my mate mark. Its unique to Mathew." She leant forward to show me the strange bruise like mark that looked like a fox curled up.

"I've heard about them but this is the first time seeing one." She smirked and gave me a wink then ran her fingers over the mark. I smelt Mathew approaching.

"Jenny!" He called. "What are you up to?" She giggled.

"Trying on dresses? You want to join us?" He laughed and I could feel his presence on the other side of the curtain.

"Dresses don't suit me darling and you know it." I could feel him wandering away reluctantly. "Oh if Danica wasn't in there with you." He whispered and she giggled.

"Basically, it's a way to mark your mate and you can… influence them with it. He has my mark on him too." I nodded and she held out her hand. "This is my pack mark." I nodded and ran my fingers over it. She shrugged. "It doesn't do anything. It just lets me communicate with the pack." I nodded. "You'll get one too when you join the pack." I remember Bella telling me a little about pack and mate marks but I had never given it much thought. Since my mates had rejected me I never thought I would be marked or belong to a pack.

She had told me that when werewolves find their mates they mark each other, and they can feel if the other is safe and locate them if necessary. It could also do strange things in the bedroom, and many had tried to find a way to replicate that feeling. I sighed and put on another dress.