“Get out of my face,” I demand.
She flinches, retreating a few steps, and I laugh a little harder as I watch the confusion play out.
“Wh-what?”
“Get home safe,” I say. “And maybe change. This look doesn’t suit you.”
She blinks, mouth ajar, and I push past her, stifling my laughter. But it seems I may have underestimated her as she makes one last-ditch effort.
“You deserve something better!” She calls out. “Not your average succ-slut!”
Her words echo through the deserted alleyway, and my dampener constricts, nearly strangling me, but I don’t bother trying to ease the pressure as I turn on my heel.
“The fuck did you just say?”
“You deserve better,” she repeats. “Than a slut like Iris Ashbourne.”
As her name leaves her mouth, I realize whose costume she’s wearing.
The skirt, the heels, the pink.
She’s dressed like Iris. Or, rather, a crude caricature of her.
What I see in front of me could hardly do her justice. Iris doesn’t derive her confidence from her clothes or her sex appeal. She’s confident because she’s one of the most dangerous women lurking around Highcrest. The fact that she’s fine as fuck is just a happy coincidence.
But my new friend here is right about one thing.
I don’t deserve Iris. No one does.
I stalk back, jamming my forearm into her throat and crushing her against the wall.
“This is over,” I growl. “You try this shit again, I’ll have your tail, do you understand me?”
Fear swells in her eyes, and she claws at me as a gurgling sound makes its way up her throat, and she chokes out, “Yesss.”
“What was that?” I snap, increasing the pressure. “I can’t hear you.”
“Yes!” she wheezes, fingers paling as she wraps her hands around my arm in a feeble attempt to free herself.
It’s a useless effort. Even with my dampener, the only person who stands a chance is Kitty.
“If I hear even a whisper of what you saw that night, I will sever your bonds and leave you lone. Is that what you want?”
Her head shakes, eyes glistening with unshed tears, but she cannot get the words out.
As I release her, she crumples, kneeling in the sticky fluid coating the ground.
“And I don’t want to hear her name come out of your mouth ever again. Is that clear?”
Her head bows.
“Yes, Beta.”
I stare at her a moment, wondering what could possibly possess someone to be so stupid, but I don’t bother helping her up. She’s lucky this dampener works so well, otherwise her head would no longer be attached to her shoulders.
As a matter of fact, I can think of a few people who are lucky this dampener works so well.
My phone rings as I exit the alleyway, and her name lights up my screen when I free it from my pocket.
