Chapter 473
Stella
Even though Iâd known that everything Abba and I had talked about made sense, Iâd held out a
small hope that interacting with the people of Constantine wouldnât be soâ¦freakingâ¦weird.
Everyone had been super nice, whether they were talking to me or about me. Thereâd been a few
whoâd touched me, though. Even if it was just my sleeve, it was odd to be such an object of
attention.
My mom had noticed it, too, but she hadnât said much about it. Sheâd been caught up with my bratty
siblings. I was kind of glad for their fussing. Her lack of attention had let me pick out a bunch of
different outfits that I wasnât sure Mom would have approved of.
I stared at myself in the mirror wearing one of those outfits right now. The jeans were loose around
the waist and the butt. Even the legs were a little loose, and also too long. Theyâd drag on the
ground if I didnât roll them up. The blouse Iâd picked out was of sheer fabric printed with flowers in
bold colors of red, purple, green, teal, and black. It had flowy sleeves and a high neckâbut the see-
through cloth made it sexy.
Well, at least I hoped it was sexy. I really had no idea what that meant beyond the sound of the
word. As long as Iâd been aware of my momâs clothing, sheâd favored practical, well-fitting jeans,
boots, and T-shirts, or long, flowy skirts and dresses.
I lifted my chin. This outfit wasnât quite right for Stella Constantine. It didnât fit, and it wasnât a style
that I felt matched my personality.
But for Elleah Whitehaven? These jeans were going to make her ass look amazing.
Shifters who changed into wolves or dragons or any number of other creatures had to expend
energy to access their inner beasts. They didnât have to focus hard on becoming their animals,
because their internal companion was as much a part of them as their very souls. Still, the change
took effort, even if it was an unconscious one. It ate up bodily resources. For some, like dragon
shifters, it meant a period of recovery time to compensate for the enormous changes in mass from
dragon to human form.
The kind of transformation I was undertaking didnât take anywhere near that kind of effort or energy.
Although Iâd never done it before, I knew I could access my shapeshifter giftsâ¦I just needed a little
bit of practice. First, to decide what I wanted to look like. And then, to hold that form in place no
matter what else I was doing.
If I thought being a Celestial freaked people out, I didnât want to think about what would happen if I
was talking to someone and I forgot to keep my eyes the right colorâ¦or in the right place.
Also, deciding on a face and body was an important decision, and one I didnât want to rush. If I was
really going to embark on this grand new adventure, I wanted to make sure I did it looking like
someone I could feel comfortable being for as long as I had to be her.
Abba had pointed out that looking like a different person was going to give me the chance to meet
people as someone they didnât think they already knew. So. Who was she?
A blonde? Brunette? Ginger? Did she wear her hair in long waves or tight curls? Was she blue-
eyed, or green, or brown, or something totally wild, like purple?
I was giddy with the possibilities as I watched my face go through every change as I thought of it.
My body, too. Big breasts, thick thighs, wide hips, narrow waistâ¦When the body filled out the
clothes Iâd chosen to perfection, I stopped.
I ended up with longer legs, but a slightly thicker waist. A bigger butt and bust, but my face was
fuller, too. Long golden curls reached to the small of my back, giving me plenty to play with. I settled
on gray-blue eyes rimmed with thick lashes that looked natural but would pop with the right amount
of mascara.
Elleah Whitehaven was pretty, but not beautiful. Sheâd blend into a crowd of other regular people,
not much to stand out or call attentionâ¦but she wasnât ugly, either. When I used âherâ mouth to
smile, she lookedâ¦
Nice.
Normal.
She looked like someone Iâd like to get to know.
More importantly, she looked like someone Iâd like to be.
I paused for a moment to close my newly colored eyes and send up a message to the Moon
Goddess. I asked her to help me make the right choices. To serve her will, but also, I asked for her
blessing as I ventured out and tried to learn how to live. In return, I got a sense of peace and
comfort, which I took as her blessing.
I opened my eyes. I smoothed my blouse. I practiced Elleahâs smile until it felt natural, like my own.
Now all I had to do was try it out on someone else.