My heart fluttered, delicate tiny flutters that I’d never felt before.
It couldn’t mean anything good. Probably a heart attack.
Moving to my wardrobe, I pawed through the rows of hanging items, narrowing my eyes as I found extra clothes that hadn’t been there this morning. Someone had stealthily added clothes while I was out, sliding them between items.
Kellan was my first thought, but it could just as easily be Hunter. His instincts were to take care of his pack, and he was controlling enough not to care how I felt about his intrusion.
Deciding I’d deal with the culprit later, I pulled out a pair of black slacks that were tight enough to hug my ass—because tips—but wouldn’t get anyone murdered. I paired them with a black tank that flashed only moderate cleavage.
Dropping both on the bed with new underwear, I raced into the bathroom for a quick shower. When I was clean and dry, I opened the drawer for my hairbrush, only to find it was now filled with brand new makeup.
Enough to replace everything I’d left behind, plus so much more.
What in the…?
Whoever had topped up my clothes had been in here as well, and as heat burned behind my eyes, I let myself have a tiny moment. No one had ever taken care of me before.
Not even my mother.
Without asking, one of the alphas had seen my need and provided for me. Damn them.
There wasn’t even anyone here to yell at, and for once I was tempted to just accept the gift and not think about the strings that were no doubt attached.
Were they trying to buy me? Would I end up owing them too much to ever leave?
Or was this a genuine gift?
As I rifled through the drawer, I recognized all the brands—everything was top of the line and expensive. Deciding that whatever I used I would have purchased anyway, and I could pay them back with my wages, I removed a few items.
It took five attempts to get my eyeliner and mascara right, but by the time I’d finished, I was happy with the final results. Dark liner, red lips, and a dusting of powder over my nose. It blended my freckles until they weren’t as obvious, since theStrawberry Shortcakelook wasn’t for everyone, and I needed maximum tips.
I pulled my hair into a high ponytail to keep it out of my face, and then got dressed in the black clothes. There was still an hour until Slade needed to leave, so I spent time googling the club and bringing up their menus to familiarize myself.
I’d never been to conventional school, having learned only what Mom bothered to teach me before she met her pack. After that, she gave up completely, though it wasn’t all her fault.
Whenever I tried to read, letters jumbled around in words. Half the time they made no sense, but whatever. I’d long ago accepted that I was a dumbass with a kindergarten reading level.
Thankfully, I’d spent years in bars, so most of Luxuria’s drinks were already familiar to me, and they only had limited snacks—mostly wings and tacos—which wouldn’t give me the issues I had at Golden Fin.
I needed to ask Hunter what had happened with Bradley, and if there was any fallout from his douchery, but it could wait foranother day. Maybe if I enjoyed working at their bar, I could keep it as my main job for a while.
At ten to four I wandered downstairs, dressed and already sweating. Not because it was hot, or I was particularly nervous about the job, but because I was about to spend time in an enclosed space with a dragon shifter.A fucking dragon shifter.
There was no sign of Slade as I waited by the front door, fiddling with the couple of items I had on me: my phone, the cash left over from lunch today, and a lipstick for touchups through my shift.
The scent of toasted marshmallow wrapped around me first, and he arrived so silently I couldn’t be sure he didn’t sprout wings and glide down.
Could he partially shift like wolves?
The avalanche of questions in my mind was cut off as Slade, dressed in boots, black combat pants, and a black shirt stretched to capacity over his massive, muscled body, strode past me without a word. I found myself racing behind like a lost duckling.
He led me through a section of the house that I hadn’t been to before. We passed the laundry and the drying room, and then he opened a door to reveal a set of stairs.
He didn’t glance back once, and I got the sense that this was a test of some description. Neither of us wanted to be here, and he especially didn’t want to be doing this and wouldn’t be making it easy on me.
Mate.My wolf’s whine this time was filled with a thread of insecurity, as if even she was unsure we could handle a mate like Slade. Don’t get me wrong, she wanted him, but that need was diluted by fear.You and me both, sister. You and me both.
Knowing I couldn’t reveal my distress, I followed without fuss, all the while hoping he hadn’t decided to lead me into their creepy murder basement. When I reached a large metal door,I pushed against it, the heavy material taking a few seconds to move.
