“You know we don’t play that human shit, Flora. If there is any chance this could turn dangerous, then we need to handle it now. Not after you’ve been kidnapped, sold, or killed,” Willow added in, her forehead creasing with stress and worry.
“Promise you’ll call?” Luxe asked.
“Promise.”
“Alright ladies, lunch is over,” Willow announced. After hugging goodbye, Flora pulled out of the Clothes Before Bros lot and headed toward Dainty Rebel’s offices. Flora loved that Rainfall Avenue paid graffiti artists to spruce up the exterior of businesses downtown. This Shifter town had its ups and downs, but its creativity was definitely an up.
“Make a right here,” Willow insisted, staring out the window. Without question, Flora made the next right turn. Even though Flora trusted Willow, she still threw her a confused glance.
“Check the car behind us,” Willow said. Looking out the rearview mirror, Flora felt the air become tense as her eyes started to shift back to the road. Tapping each finger on the steering wheel, she glanced at Willow. She continued to make three more rights before reality set in, her eyes growing wide. Flora saw the same car from the night she was followed leaving Lust Lane. But this time, she could see the man’s eyes under the mask he wore.
Flora felt dread and fear surround her entire body.
“I’m going to the police station, call Luxe.” A sigh of relief escaped Willow.
“I thought I was going to have to call her behind your back. You can be so stubborn,” Willow mumbled, pulling out her phone.
“A promise is a promise, darling. I don’t break my promises.”
Flora just didn’t think she would have to call her so soon.
2
DYLAN
“Dylan, don’t you have something to announce to the Pack?” Jackson, the Enchanted Pack’s Alpha, asked as he cooked on the stove.
Dylan’s Alpha was young and often caught shit for it. Being the same age, Dylan knew older Shifters viewed them as pups compared to the long lives they lived, but his respect and love for Jackson as his leader ran deeper than what outside opinions could ruin.
“I got a job.”
“It's about damn time,” Eddie, the comedian and engineer of the Pack, joked. Though Eddie was only kidding, the words stung. Dylan was retired, and while the Pack thought it a good idea for him to retire, he felt lacking. He was used to being the highest earner in the Pack and went from that to the lowest earner. They all told him it wasn’t a big deal. His previous job took great risks and more mental strength than he would've liked to admit. He worked with a crew of assassins for days at a time. One person can only kill so many people before their reflection stared back at them, screaming that they are no better than their targets.
“At Lust Lane,” Dylan finished, picking at the grape bowl on the counter. “Why aren't these in the fridge? They’re getting warm.”
“They're hiring male strippers now?” Eddie asked, an eyebrow raised.
“No, Eddie, as a bodyguard, not that we shame anyone for their choices if that's what they wish—” Jackson said. His apron and beanie combo looked strangely normal in the Enchanted Packhouse. One of Jackson’s top three Pack rules was acceptance of things outside the norm. They were a wolf Pack with a crow and a bear amongst their ranks, so it was natural to be considerably more open-minded.
“That’s great that you’ve gotten back into the workforce, Dylan. So great I’ve already found another bodyguarding gig for you,” Jackson smiled, his too-damn-white and too-straight-teeth shining in Dylan’s face. He hadn’t even started his first bodyguarding job and he already had another?
“Word goes around fast,” Eddie commented, sliding onto a barstool at the island.
“What do you mean, Jackson?” Dylan asked.
“Well, a friend of mine, Luxe, called me a few moments ago. Her friend needs a temporary bodyguard. It would be just for a few days and shouldn’t interfere with the Lust Lane gig,” Jackson shrugged. Dylan had taken down bodyguards more times than he could count. But being one? He was nervous, anxious even. Knowing the extra gig was from Luxe made the job a lot more intense. Luxe was Jackson’s soulmate, whether he knew it or not. Luxe was also a Luna.
“Who is Luxe’s friend?” Eddie asked.
“Her name is Flora Larkspur. She’s the owner of Little Rebels, a fashion brand or something,” Jackson informed. “She’ll be here later tonight to meet you.”
“Tonight?” Dylan asked. He looked up, shocked everything was moving so fast. His dark brown hair was surely mussed with how often he ran his fingers through it.
“Don’t worry, Dylan; if you're as good a bodyguard as you were an assassin, everything will be smooth sailing.”
“Yeah, smooth sailing,” Dylan muttered. This time, he wouldn’t have to kill anyone. He got to keep everything else about his old job except the part that tore at his core. Tore so deep he wasn’t sure if he could ever recover. His life changed the minute he made his first kill, and ever since then, he didn’t know how to stop. Killing had become his nature. He took the job as a bodyguard at Lust Lane to practice the art of not killing. To protect without murdering. Now the pressure was dire with the addition of another job, and he needed space.
Dylan made his way back to his room. His dark green high-top shoes reflected in the mirror. He was given the mirror from his parents as a going-away gift. If they could let their son move across the state to become an assassin and join a brand-new Pack that only had an Alpha, then he could learn how not to be a stone-cold killer.
