by Dannika Dark
I only had concerns with Ben. He’d been absent, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Neither he nor Wheeler had discussed what had happened between them, but something was going on. I tried cornering Wheeler in my room to talk about it, but he changed the topic by attacking me with kisses.
He was really good at that, and I loved a man who knew how to start a new topic.
I also loved a man who brushed my cat.
“Naya, you look… I mean, is that costume legal?” Lexi asked.
“Only in three states, but we’ll find a way to make do.”
I glanced down at my costume, which was more than I’d be wearing if I were still working at the club. A red satin corset with black trim hugged my body, and a black ruffle skirt hung from my hips, short in the front with a slight tail in the back. What really set it off was the garter belt and heels. All our costumes came with masks—mine was a simple black mask over the eyes with feathers on the side.
“Austin still hasn’t seen my outfit,” she said, holding out her skirt. “What do you think he’ll say?”
“Hot tamale! The man is going to pass out cold and need mouth-to-mouth.”
Lexi had chosen a classic eighteenth-century ball gown—delicate gold the color of champagne, and a subtle petticoat beneath to give it a lift. An open neckline with a wide ruffle drew attention to her chest, whereas the rest of her body was covered. Her loose sleeves had lace at the wrists, and there was such attention to detail on every delicate texture and fold of the fabric that it was difficult to look away.
Lexi snapped out her fan and flipped her wrist, sending waves of air toward her face. She had pinned up her brown hair and wore only a hint of blush and lipstick.
“If you want to know the truth, darling, all the men will be looking at you. This?” I said, pointing down at my outfit. “They can pay to see it at any hot club. But you are going to make every Packmaster green with envy. You’re regal.”
She fanned harder. “I feel more like cookies in a hot oven. Can you tell Denver to run downstairs and crank the air lower? When this house fills up with Shifters, it’s going to be even hotter. Dammit! I have to pee again. This should be a fun evening. I might as well walk around with an easy-access hole in my skirt.”
I giggled and approached the door. “Good luck with that. Just don’t bend over or you’re likely to start a pack war. I’ll go take care of the air.”
Austin was looming outside the door, anxiously trying to steal a glimpse. He was dressed like a classic gangster in a pinstripe suit, fedora hat, and a black mask. I pushed him back. “Get downstairs and turn on some air. Your mate is about to expire if this house doesn’t get any cooler.”
“I’m about to expire if I don’t see what she’s wearing.”
“Darling, suspense is the best foreplay. If you think what I’m wearing is arousing, just wait until you see Lexi.”
“Why does that worry me,” he muttered over his shoulder.
“Perhaps it should if you don’t get some cool air going. She’s already talking about cutting a hole for easy access.”
“Hmm,” he growled, jogging down the stairs ahead of me. “I might like that.”
Voices overlapped below. The party had been in swing for the past hour, but Lexi wanted to wait until all the important people were there before she made her grand entrance. She knew how important these parties were when it came to pack relations and how other Packmasters perceived Austin. But deep down, Lexi was terrified. She’d never worn anything so elegant and had spent the early part of the evening having second thoughts—afraid she’d make a fool of herself.
“William?”
A gentleman in colonial attire turned to face me. I giggled at his blue breeches and white stockings. The matching blue waistcoat had dark blue trim, and the strange part about it was how well the costume suited him. Well, except for the poufy white scarf tied around his neck.
“What is that thing on your neck?”
He touched the delicate fabric, and a grin tugged the corners of his mouth. “A cravat, m’lady.”
“I don’t know if I’d be calling me a lady in this outfit, but I’ll take it,” I purred. “Good thing you weren’t wearing one of those white wigs or I wouldn’t have recognized you.”
He gave a close-lipped smile and adjusted the white mask on his face. “I didn’t think I could pull off a wig. Shall we?” William lifted his arm for me to take and escorted me downstairs.
Earlier that day, I’d sat down with Austin for three hours, going over the music selection, stressing that not everyone attending was born in the same century as him. The whole purpose of a masked ball was to evoke a sense of history, so we compiled a playlist. The classical music was a given, but we livened it up with some soft rock, blues, and a few instrumental rock songs.
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, William drifted into the living room and out of sight. I glanced at the punch fountain in the room by the stairs. April had volunteered to refill it as needed, and what a beautiful display! Surrounding the crystal fountain were trays of chocolate-dipped strawberries, vegetables, and caviar with crackers. I’d convinced Lexi to pay for the standing tables we placed around the house, which meant moving some of their furniture into the room that connected to the heat house.
I nibbled on an olive and admired the costumes. Guests wore everything from ball gowns to capes. I adored how the women were dressed—from warriors to maidens. And here I was in a brothel costume sure to embarrass Wheeler.
A man dressed like Batman walked by me and grinned. I smiled politely but inwardly frowned as some of the younger men had chosen costumes more suitable for Halloween. I strolled to the windows and peered through the sheer curtains. Tiki torches lined the property and were affixed to the porch along the railing at a safe height.
“Auntie Naya?” I heard a small giggle behind me.
I turned around and beheld the most adorable creature. Maizy wore a vintage powder-blue dress made from delicate silk, and the front had what looked like a white apron. She clicked her black shoes together and simpered. It wasn’t customary for children to be masked at these events.
We walked toward the stairs so guests could help themselves at the snack tables. “You look absolutely darling. How are you feeling, baby?”
“Better. My mom said I could come down for a little while.” Maizy sat on the stairstep and looked through the banisters at the guests in the living room. “I think I might just sit here and watch.”
“Good idea,” I agreed. “The last time Alice in Wonderland went running off, she fell down a rabbit hole. Stay here and I’ll make you something to eat.”
I filled up a plate with fruit and cheese and handed her a punch glass.
She nibbled on a small cube of watermelon, her gaze traveling around the room. “Where’s Denny?”
“Good question,” I said. “He’s in charge of cleaning up trash and empty bottles.”
“Yeah, and having a blast,” Denver said peevishly from behind. “Thanks for giving me a job where I can parade around in this ridiculous costume.”
I turned around slowly and laughed so hard I had to cover my mouth. After Lexi had chosen the Alice costume for Maizy, she suggested keeping the theme and also making Denver as a character from the story. So she ordered the Mad Hatter. He had a tall, lopsided hat atop his orange hair. Rusty blades and spearheads were affixed to the hat along with a ribbon tied at the base. His long black coat and pants might have looked nice had they not been accented with garish scarves and multicolored socks.
“I’m not serving Lexi’s cupcakes,” he said. “A man’s gotta draw the line somewhere.”
“Denver, no one is going to make the connection. I doubt anyone here knows who you are.”
“The fuck they don’t. How come I don’t get a mask?”
“Because you get face paint.”
He rubbed at his eye, smudging some of the white makeup. “I smell bullshit. Someone didn’t want me to get laid.”
“Could have been worse. You could be wearing what Lexi picked out for Reno.”
He snorted. “True that. I’m outta here.” Denver strolled out the front door and into the safety of darkness.
Maizy looked on sullenly. “He always leaves me alone at the parties to talk to those women. I’m his best friend.”
I touched her silky hair and gave her a serious look. “He loves you in his own way, but he’s also a grown man, and grown-ups like to spend time with people their own age.”
She gave it some consideration. “He’s closer to my age than he is with some of those women who are three hundred.”
I chuckled and lifted her chin. “Someday you’ll outgrow Denver. He won’t be your watchdog forever, so don’t be down in the mouth on a night like tonight. Sit here for as long as you like, and be sure to save a cupcake for me.”
Lexi had cleverly placed her cupcakes and other pastries throughout the house with a Sweet Treats display behind them and her new menus off to the side.
Ivy came in through the door, suppressing a laugh with her hand. The layers of fabric on her dress varied in shades of earthy green, and she tilted her body to the side so her gossamer wings wouldn’t snag in the doorway. I admired the pretty flowers affixed to her dress, and especially the crown of ivy and tiny white flowers on her head. Her mask looked like butterfly wings and only covered her eyes.
“I see someone’s feeling better,” I said with a wink.
A blush touched her cheek, and it didn’t look like she was comfortable discussing her heat spell.
Lorenzo peered inside, and all I could see of him was a black mask and long hair. “Don’t wander far, my fairy. I’ll be outside by our tree.”
A playful moment passed between them.
“Where’s Hope?” I asked, touching one of the flowers on her dress.
“This would be too much excitement for her. She’s shy, so all these strangers would frighten her.”
“Unlike that one,” I said, pointing at Izzy’s little girl, who was singing loudly and skipping around in a pink tutu with brown pants.
“I see Melody is becoming quite a handful, and now poor Izzy will have another child to chase after so close in age.”
“I thought you liked large families?”
She twirled her wand. “We do, but wolves usually space their children apart by a couple of decades—especially the boys. Having to homeschool is exhausting. The pack helps raise them, but it makes more sense to distance them by years. When they grow up, many will decide to be in the same pack, and those closer in age tend to bicker more and are not as willing to accept their rank.”
“Did you happen to see Wheeler outside?”
Her brows arched over her mask. “I heard about you two.”
When she moved closer, I could see her light brown skin had a beautiful dusting of sparkles.
Ivy lowered her voice so it wouldn’t carry. “Wheeler can appear to be as tempestuous as an angry ocean, but the further you are willing to go, the calmer the waters. I think you two will make a fine pairing. He needs someone to warm those icy waters and give him a chance to shine. Wheeler and Ben are two suns, and how can one outshine the other in the same sky? I’ve always felt bad for their situation. I’ve seen Wheeler fight for his pack, and he’s a loyal man with a heart. But something keeps him from shining. I hope you’re the one to bring that out.”
“Always a darling with words of wisdom. I need to mingle before the draft has me shivering.”
“I have a date with a few strawberries over there, so maybe I’ll see you later.”
The gold rugs and eye-catching tapestries I’d talked Lexi into renting lightened up the rooms and added a touch of elegance. I moved into the living room and my breath caught when I noticed a man in police uniform.
Purrr. I loved a man in uniform, and those pale brown eyes watching me through the black facemask made my heart beat faster. He licked his lips and leaned against the wall, running his hand down to the handcuffs swinging from his belt. He had on a long-sleeved shirt, hat, and the shiniest black shoes I’d ever seen.
I feigned indifference and turned away, only to catch sight of Lexi cautiously walking down the stairs. When she neared the bottom, she turned around to run back up, but then Austin caught her arm.
She not only stole his breath but also his words. Austin pulled his mask over his head and gaped at the beautiful woman before him. All he could do was look upon her with reverence. I felt as if I’d been transported back in time, watching a courtship between two lovers amid the glow of a magical evening. He lightly bowed, giving her a mischievous look as he coaxed her down to the bottom of the stairs. I’d never seen a man so proud. His chest must have doubled in size when she took his arm.
I’d honestly expected the man to back her into a wall and yank up her dress. Maybe my idea of what Shifters did at these parties was all wrong. Austin led her around the room as a gentleman would a lady.
I waved at Moreland, who was preoccupied at the snack table. They’d locked him in one of the cells when Delgado’s men had captured us, but he hadn’t been hurt.
An arm snaked around my waist from behind. “You’re under arrest,” Wheeler whispered. “Come with me.”
Wheeler turned us around with his arm still hooked around my waist, and we slipped into the lounge where April often read. When the door closed, he pinned me to the wall and pressed his entire body against mine. All I could see of him were his eyes and mouth.
I let my hands slide around his belt. “Mmm, are you going to perform a search, officer?”
He growled and then his fingers carefully worked at the laces on the back of my dress. I furrowed my brow when he suddenly unzipped his pants. “Suck on me.”
“Kiss me.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and that’s when I knew. I pushed him away and he moved back against me, trying to kiss on my neck.
“Hurry,” he whispered.
“Get off me, Ben.” I shoved him again.
“How did you know?”
“Do you really think you’re that much alike? You might fool me with your eyes and height, but when I get close enough, the differences are obvious. I know Wheeler’s smell, the taste of his kiss, and the way he undresses me. Wheeler would never haul me into a room and demand I get on my knees. Do you know why?” I moved away from the wall. “Because he’s not selfish.”
Ben reached out and cupped my elbows. “You’re not just a little bit curious? No one has to know. We’re alone in here. Even if someone finds out, they’re not going to blame you. Come on, it’s not like it’s cheating. Same body, same large cock—”
I slapped him so hard his head turned to the side. Not the same impact as I’d hoped for since he had on the facemask made from a thin material. Ben turned his sharp eyes back to mine and I slapped him again. His police hat fell to the floor and I shoved him back.
“Don’t you ever put your hands on me again, and don’t compare yourself to Wheeler. You’re not even in the same league. I may have to live in this house with you, but there’s nothing in the rules that says I have to like you. And while I don’t know what happened with Delgado capturing Wheeler, I’m positive you had something to do with it. Wheeler told me all about you.”
Ben slowly pulled off his mask and tossed it to the ground. “What the hell did he say?”
“That you’re a manipulator, a liar, a thief, and selfish. Don’t you even care about him? He’s done so much for you since you were little boys. Can’t you appreciate all that he’s sacrificed for you? He’s the one with the tarnished reputation—all because he was protecting you. Wheeler loves you. Why do you keep using him?”
“Shut your mouth. You don’t know a goddamn thing. Nothing but a stage whore, and that’s about the best he can do. I’m sick of his guilt trips. You help family; no questions asked. I bring money into this house, and so-fucking-what if he has to lend me some?”
“What about the cage fights!” I shouted.
Ben came at
me like a hurricane and covered my mouth. “Shut your mouth before someone hears. I feel like shit about it, but better him than me. He’s nothing but wasted talent.”
I knocked his hand away. “You ruined him. After the cage fights, how could he go back to his life with a damaged reputation? What sense of normalcy could he possibly feel? Did you even ask him what he suffered through—what he had to endure for your freedom?”
“What’s done is done,” Ben said ruefully, and I could sense he wasn’t an evil man. There was no black sheep in this duo; there were only two brothers struggling to make sense of their identity.
“How many times are you going to keep doing it? When does it end? He’s mine now. You can’t have him. I won’t allow you to use him anymore to save you. What you’re doing is out of control, and you need help. It’s an addiction, and you don’t even recognize it. You keep justifying your actions because it brings money into this house. The next time you’re in trouble, you better find a way to save yourself.”
“You fucking whore!”
The door swung open as I pushed him away. A stranger looked at us and a few men peered in, murmurs trickling through the crowd.
Ben laughed and bent down to pick up his mask. “We’re just role-playing.”
Another head peered in, but this man pushed his way inside. He was the antithesis of Ben—dressed in a tight black sweater, gloves, a black cap, a mask over his eyes. He tossed a bag with a money symbol onto the floor.
“What the fuck is this about?” Wheeler couldn’t help but notice the smear of burgundy lipstick across Ben’s mouth.
Ben glanced at me. “Some mate you picked out, Wheeler. She came on to me.”
“That what happened?” Wheeler asked me. He stepped all the way inside and closed the door behind him. Then he turned to face Ben. “You and I both know that’s bullshit. Were you hitting on my woman?”
“He tricked me with the mask,” I said. “Then we started arguing about you two.”
