“Of course, Miss. I will endeavor to keep things safe here in your absence. And you need to be careful while you are on the town.”
When I heard Maddie’s horn, I nearly jumped out of my boots. I patted Oscar’s head, checked the bakery lights one more time, set the alarm, and locked the doors behind me. The night air was brutal, but I walked out to her car with my head high, every step daring anyone to try me.
At the curb, Maddie rolled down the window, eyes wide. “Girl! You look amazing. Get in here before you freeze your ass off.”
I slid into the passenger seat, cheeks already numb. “You don’t think it’s too much?”
She gave me a look. “If anything, it’s not enough. Wait until you see what the girls at the bar are wearing.” She put the car in drive. “You ready?”
I tried to say yes, but it stuck. I nodded instead, my heart thudding like a bass drum.
We drove off, the bakery lights fading behind us, and I let myself feel it—a weird, giddy thrill.
Tonight, I’d try to be someone new.
Someone brave.
Someone who, when she looked in the mirror, finally liked what she saw.
We cruised west of Dairyville, past downtown and toward the county line. Maddie kept the radio up and the conversation light, but I could feel her studying me, checking my mood every few minutes.
“You ever been around a bunch of wolves before?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Not unless you count the ones I’ve served scones to.”
She cackled. “Trust me, the scones are the least dangerous thing about them. Just remember: if a guy gets weird, tell him you know the Alpha’s sister. They’ll back off.”
I nodded, but it sounded more like folklore than advice.
“And if you need anything, anything, you tell me,” she added. “Also, dance at least once. It’s required.”
“I don’t know how to dance,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.
Maddie gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Neither do most of the guys. Just move. It’s fun if you let yourself.” She glanced over, then grinned again. “Did you tell Papa you were coming out tonight?”
I frowned. “Why would he care?”
She laughed so hard she had to slap the steering wheel. “Oh, he’d care alright. Wait until you see his face if you run into him tonight.”
I blushed so fast I could feel the heat rise up my cheeks and into my scalp.
The parking lot of the bar was packed, mostly pickups and battered SUVs, some bikes lined up in a row near the door. The sign above the building just said “County Line Bar”. From inside, the sound of thumping bass and a hundred loud conversations spilled out every time the door opened.
Maddie parked, looked at me, and did her best to be gentle. “You okay?”
I nodded, then shook my head, then nodded again. “I’ve never even been in a bar before.”
She squeezed my hand, warm and steady. “Just stick close. It’s not so bad. The worst part is the bathrooms, and I know how to jimmy the door if you get locked in.”
With that, she hauled me out of the car and up the walk. The bouncer at the door, a guy who looked like he’d bench-pressed a refrigerator for fun, barely glanced at our IDs before waving us inside. Maddie went first, dragging me along by the wrist.
Inside, it was a blast of color and light and noise. The air smelled like beer and perfume and those cheap pink urinal cakes. Tables crowded almost every inch of floor space, with people yelling to be heard over the jukebox. At least two dozen people were on the dance floor, swaying to a country song I half-recognized. At the bar itself, a cluster of men in leather jackets drank from giant mugs and watched wrestling on the TV overhead.
I scanned the crowd, looking for anything familiar, but it was just a blur of faces. Maddie leaned in and yelled over the noise, “Let’s get a drink first! Bars are always less scary with a drink in your hand.”
She wedged us through the bodies until we landed at the edge of the bar. The bartender—a guy Maddie introduced as “Gator,” had a buzz cut and arms covered in tattoos of alligators, naturally. He grinned when he saw Maddie, and his whole face changed, going from “could crush a beer can in his teeth” to “puppy dog at Christmas.”
“Hey, Mads! You brought the new girl!” Gator said, giving me a look that was friendly but with a clear “don’t fuck with Maddie’s friends” vibe.
