Page 4 of Dual Nature

I laughed along with her before I answered. “Oh, he only raved about how the parties here were not something to be missed. That they’re a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.” Shrugging, I gave her a smirk. “I’m always up for a life-changing experience.”

Upon hearing my words, Delilah’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Girl, you have no idea how life-changing this weekend will be! I can’t wait to see what you’re going to be drawn to. Come on, let me give you a tour of the house and show you where you’re gonna be sleeping.”

Delilah grabbed my hand and pulled me after her. I glanced over my shoulder at Maxwell, but he just shooed me away. At the last second, I caught the worry in his expression before he could cover it up. Truly, he didn’t need to be worried. I couldn’t kill her right this moment. The United Senate needed actual proof of what she was doing so there could be no civil outrage once she was dead.

That said, Maxwell better not fuck this up for me, or I wouldn’t be the only one in trouble and fearing for my life.

three

The whole house reminded me of something you would see in a rustic magazine. Vaulted ceilings, warm-toned wood floors and trim, and a giant stone fireplace with a bear-skin rug. I couldn’t help but wonder if the rug was one of her kills or from a real bear. Shaking my head to get that thought out of my mind, I kept my eyes open for anything that might not have been on the blueprints that I’d memorized.

Delilah took me to the second floor and stopped in front of a row of men and women all dressed in what looked like private school uniforms. The jackets were red, and the pants and skirts were red and black plaid. I had no idea what to make of this when she turned to me and swept her arm out.

“Pick one. They’ll be your pet for the weekend,” Delilah announced.

Even with all my training, I had a hard time hiding my shock. Luckily, it was the expected response. The average newcomer wouldn’t be accustomed to Delilah’s idea of fun. “What do you mean? Who are they?”

“They’re all different types of supers that I keep to do my bidding,” she answered triumphantly. “Go on, check them out. If you want to know anything, just ask, and they’ll tell you.”

I walked up to the row of twenty people, feeling nauseous, unable to imagine what these poor supers had endured at the hands of guests. It was moments like this that I was glad I did what I did. There were people in this world that shouldn’t be allowed to live, and Delilah was one of them. No one had the right to force people into this kind of life, to take everything from them and expect them to serve others. The idea of adding a few more names to that list was becoming an attractive idea as well.

My instructors at the Organization had always told me I had a natural talent for reading people, so when I stopped in front of an attractive young man, I knew he was the one I had to pick. He screamed ‘submissive’ to me; he couldn’t even look me in the eye, keeping his head bowed. His long mop of curly hair had fallen over, shadowing his face, and he picked at the cuticle on his thumbnail.

“What’s your name?” I asked gently.

“Cory, ma’am,” he whispered.

“Do you mind if I ask what you are?”

“I’m a werewolf.”

Out of everything he could have said, I was not expecting that. In my time doing this job, I’d had many run-ins with werewolves, as they were a favorite choice for bodyguards, but this man standing in front of me couldn’t defend himself against a bee. An odd urge to protect Cory took over me, causing me to turn back to Delilah.

“He will be perfect. I like my men to take orders well,” I declared with a smirk.

Delilah walked up to Cory and removed a bracelet from him, putting it on my wrist. “He’s yours. This is connected to a matching bracelet that he’s wearing. With it, you’ll be able to summon him to wherever you are on the property at any time. Now, Cory, be a good pet and show Alexia to the Rose Room.”

Cory bowed at the waist and gestured to my overnight bag. “May I take that for you, Mistress?”

“Which direction is my room?” I demanded.

Once he pointed, I tossed my bag to him and started heading down the hall, noting that each of the rooms had the name of a different flower on its door. Cory caught up to me in an instant, staying right behind me at my elbow. When I reached the Rose Room, I waited while he opened the door then stepped in, trying not to grimace at the floral explosion before me.

“Is there anything I can do for you at the moment, Mistress?” Cory asked.

Gingerly, I sat on the bed and looked him over. “What is your rank?”

Cory looked me in the eye for the first time, letting me see their amber hue along with the feeling he was reading more about me than I wanted him to. “I’m sorry. What was your question?”

“What is your rank in the pack order?” I asked again, tilting my head to the side, my brows knitting together.

He gaped. “You’ve met other werewolves before?”

“Is that so uncommon? There are many shifters out in society. Pack order is something they teach in school these days,” I said, trying to figure out what I had done wrong. He shouldn’t have been reacting this way.

Cory seemed to shake himself out of his shock, but he still looked at me differently. “The simple fact that you asked is odd in this environment. Most of the guests here couldn’t care less about knowing anything about us. They just see us as toys to play with, not real people.”

This time, I didn’t hide my disgust. I might kill people for a living, which of course demanded a certain kind of moral gray area, but I’d never seen the appeal of torturing people for fun. The kind of person who found enjoyment in the suffering of others was the worst kind of living creature.