I bowed my head on instinct as she approached. She’d said to treat her less formally since we were friends now, but that had been a private conversation. Publicly, I needed to be respectful of her position.
“Hi, Taffy,” the others responded.
“Shade, are you finished?” she asked. “I want to take you somewhere.”
“Oh…uh…yes,” I replied, quickly gathering the dishes as I stood.
“Briggita will take care of this. Won’t you, Briggita?” Taffy asked.
“Absolutely,” Briggita chirped with a smile. “You two go on.”
“B-but…,” I stammered. “Thanks, Briggita!” Taffy shouted as she pulled me along.
Alpha’s Orders
SHADE
Taffy led me out of the pack house and toward a large, deep-purple pickup truck.
“Uh…where are we g-going?” I asked. “I can’t leave. I have to protect Sunny.”
“Sunny will be fine,” Taffy sighed. “I promise. I have a couple of our best warriors watching her so you can have a well-deserved break. Besides, we have to run into town for a few things.”
“We do?” I asked as she opened the passenger-side door.
“Yep,” Taffy said. “Sooner you get in the car, the sooner we’ll be back, and you can get back to guarding Sunny.”
I glanced back at the pack house, anxiety rising in my chest.
What if something happens to Sunny while we’re gone? Taffy said she has warriors watching her, but that’s my responsibility. I could never expect anyone to put themselves at risk for her, and my father would never forgive me if anything went wrong.
“I’m waiting,” Taffy sang.
I let out a defeated sigh, climbing in as she gave an excited squeal and slammed the door shut behind me.
“So, what do we need to get?” I asked as Taffy pulled up in front of a strip mall.
She parked and jumped out, waiting for me as I did the same. She took my arm, ignoring the way I tensed at the casual touch, and led me toward a clothing boutique.
“Don’t take this as a criticism,” she said as we entered. “But your clothes are kind of boring. Seriously, you’re practically invisible. You need to stand out more, and you know, be more confident. So, we’re going to pick you out a few new outfits!”
I stopped as she started thumbing through the racks.Should I tell her that my wardrobe is by design? I’m supposed to be forgettable and unnoticed. I’m a servant, a guard. Drawing attention to myself would be counterproductive.
“I’m not supposed to stand out, Taffy,” I remarked. “And why should it matter? The alpha is never going to want me. I’m not even sure what he was thinking when he picked me. I’m probably just a seat filler because he had to choose at least five.”
Taffy gave me a bored look. “That’s ridiculous. Now, come on, what size are you?”
“Seriously, I don’t need anything. My wardrobe is fine.”
She sighed, pulling out a lilac sundress and holding it up to me. “Either tell me or I’m just going to start guessing.”
“I don’t have the money for this kind of thing anyway,” I argued.
“Which is why it’s my treat,” she said, hanging the dress over her arm and reaching for another. “I get the feeling that you don’t spend much of anything on yourself, and as your friend, I want you to know you deserve to feel special. So, get anything you like. No limit.”
I stared at her, the weight of what she’d just said hitting me abruptly. Whenwasthe last time I’d done something because I wanted to? Something that was just for me? Had I ever?
My entire existence was my duty to my pack and Sunny. I owed them. My happiness was unimportant. Wasn’t it?
