by Marla Monroe
The glass had been cleaned up and the bed stripped. It looked like the staff had things well in hand. She checked on the other ladies and put Tammy in charge while she checked on Janie. The poor woman thought she was going insane because of what she thought she’d seen. If there was one thing Kay had learned in life, it was that nothing was impossible and just because you can’t see and touch it doesn’t mean it isn’t real.
Chapter Two
“What the fuck were you doing at a brothel?” Cain demanded once they had Tommy safely back on pack land.
“It’s not like we have she-wolves here. I needed to let off some steam and thought that would be the best place. The women in town aren’t interested, and you’ve forbidden us to leave the Hickory Hill area.” Tommy stood in front of Cain and Shade, hugging himself.
“You know the reason for that. I would think you could keep it in your pants long enough for us to put a stop to the murders that threaten to expose us. Just because you’ve been allowed to run wild the last few months doesn’t mean you’re going to be allowed to do it in the future. Learn some control before you make a mistake you won’t recover from,” Shade told him.
Cain hated how the brothers in their new pack had been allowed so much freedom over the last eight months. He and Shade were beginning to wonder if it hadn’t actually been longer than that, with the resistance they were finding at the instigation of their new rules.
“It’s not fucking fair for the rest of us to be punished because of a few rogue wolves,” Tommy whined.
“One, you’re not being punished. Two, you could cooperate and give us the one or ones responsible for the murders and put an end to the sequestration. You aren’t ratting out a fellow brother; you’re stopping a killer who is going to bring the destruction of us all if he’s not stopped and stopped soon,” Cain ground out. “Why would you protect someone who has no respect for women? They are the most important people in our lives. Without them, we have no future. Pack law is clear on this.”
Tommy didn’t say anything. Instead his shoulders dropped into a slouch as if he felt completely defeated. What was so hard about turning in a rogue wolf with no respect for life? They didn’t even allow the pointless destruction of animal life like deer and rabbit. It only encouraged their baser sides to take over. Those days were hundreds of years in the past. They had to lead as civilized a life as possible to survive in the modern world.
Yes, there were some who believed they should step up and wrench control from humans, but Cain and his bondmate knew that there were far too many well-armed humans compared to the wolfen. It would be a blood bath, with the packs ultimately losing. They’d be annihilated or, worse, incarcerated in labs to be experimented on.
“You’re confined to pack land for now, Tommy. You exposed us to humans by nearly changing in front of one. Mike said he thought she was too shaken up to say anything, but he could be wrong,” Shade told him.
“What? You’re going to make me stay here? I can’t even go into town for food?” the younger wolf whined.
“You should have thought of that before you lost control. I’m sure you can convince a fellow pack member to bring back your groceries for you. If you’d chosen a bondmate when you had the chance, this wouldn’t be a problem for you. In fact, more than likely you’d have refrained from causing the entire mess in the first place.” Cain shook his head, thoroughly disgusted with the choices most of the wolves had taken in their pack.
“You may leave now,” Shade snarled.
As soon as the young wolf had left, Shade turned to Cain with a panicked expression. Cain knew exactly what the problem was. They’d found their mate, and she was a madam in a brothel. What the fuck was up with that?
“I’ve never been that close to losing control before,” Shade said through clenched teeth.
“Me either. Our mate. What the hell is she doing there? How do we expect any respect from the pack if half of them have been with her? This is a fucking nightmare,” Cain said.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a choice, brother.”
“Of course we have a choice. We ignore the mating and continue whipping this fucking mess of a pack into shape.”
“First of all, there’s no ignoring a mating call. You know this. We’ve seen the results of that back in North Dakota. Second of all, if we don’t take a true mate, eventually our pack that we’ve worked so hard to rehabilitate will die out for lack of cubs. Even the mated ones will not produce cubs until we’ve mated and had cubs. It’s our nature.”
Cain hated it when Shade made sense when he was trying so hard to forget. “I was trying to forget that part. At least give me a few days to pretend.”
Shade turned from Cain and howled in anger. Cain had no choice but to join him. Farther out in their land, others joined them. Packmates echoed packmates in their anger and misery. To Cain, it felt as if their world had come to an end. How could they lead and rule when their mate had been a whore?
A knock at the door signaled that Mike had returned home. Cain could scent him easily enough and called for him to enter. The young wolf walked in, closing the door behind him. Then he stood with his head bowed, waiting for his Alphas to address him.
“Mike, how long have you worked at this Creature Comforts place?” Shade asked in a deceptively calm voice.
Mike flinched. The wolf knew that tone. No doubt he’d heard it a thousand times from his previous Alphas. Had he been on the receiving end of it before?
“About three years, Alpha.”
“What is your job there?” Shade asked.
“I’m head of their security and personal bodyguard to Miss Kay,” Mike said.
“Where does your bondmate work?” Cain asked. He knew that Mike had made the decision to follow tradition and choose a bondmate at puberty.
Bondmates mated the same female to keep her safe and provide for her happiness. In the dangerous existence of the magical realm, the wolfen had natural enemies among some skin walkers, demons, and the black magic witches. Despite the fact that the curse of their existence originated with a particular vampire, they were not natural enemies. There were others in the realm, but they were few and usually remained neutral in an effort to not be hunted into extinction.
“He also works at Creature Comforts. He’s on the security team, as well.”
“I guess this is why you both listed ‘security in town’ as your employment and didn’t elaborate,” Cain said.
“The two of you no longer work there. You have new positions though I am praying we haven’t made a poor decision,” Shade said.
“Alpha, sir. It will leave Kay vulnerable. She depends on me to keep her safe. Some of the clientele are not trustworthy,” he protested.
“Are you turning down the positons of Betas of your pack and assistants of your Alphas?” Shade demanded.
Mike’s eyes grew huge before he regained control and pride took over. Shade was glad to see that becoming Beta of the pack under only the Alphas was still a worthy position to aspire to. He had been beginning to think that nothing of the wolfen rules and heritage were followed in the Taum Sauk pack. He felt his bondmate’s satisfaction, as well.
“My Alphas. You honor us with the offer. Even without consulting my bondmate, I accept for us. It is an honor we will strive to earn and be worthy of. Thank you, sirs.” Mike’s body fairly vibrated with excitement and the need to share with his bondmate.
Cain looked over to Shade and nodded toward the door. A smile flicked across his brother’s eyes before he nodded.
“Deliver your immediate resignation to your ex-employer today and inform your bondmate to do the same. Then return here to assume your new duties. You will find that being the Betas of the pack isn’t as easy as you might think. There will be a lot of hard work and harder decisions to make.” Shade turned around and walked over to the desk.
“You can go now, Mike,” Cain told the other wolf. He watched as the wolf nearly flew out of the door, only just remembering to
close it quietly.
Cain grinned. He liked it when they were able to deliver good news to one of their packmates for a change. Of late, all they’d had to give had been censure and demands. This made for a good change that he wanted to bask in for a few seconds. His bondmate had other ideas.
“As much as I want them working as our Betas, I don’t like leaving her without protection. Until we can claim her, she has to be protected,” Shade said through gritted teeth.
He was having just as much trouble reconciling their true mate with the woman who managed a brothel as Cain was. How were those even possible in this day and age?
“I agree. I think Dax would be a good choice. He’s the more trustworthy of the wolves we’ve had time to study so far,” Cain suggested.
“Good choice. We’ll have him hang around if she refuses to hire him. I wouldn’t doubt it. She’s stubborn that way.” Shade shook his head.
“I’ll find him and give him his assignment. We’re going to have to talk about Kay when I get back. Leaving her too long will only make things worse for her and us,” Cain told his bondmate.
“I know. I know.”
* * * *
Kay paced her office from wall to wall. There wasn’t much room, but for her short stature, it was enough to allow for the release of at least some of her frustration. First the crazy client going off on poor Janie. Then Janie wanted to quit despite the fact she had to be able to pay for her mom’s medical care. Now her two best security men were quitting without notice. The business was falling apart. The owners would replace her if she didn’t get things cleared up and fast. She had her own debts, and without a job, she’d end up at the bottom of the nearest lake or buried in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest.
Damn her father for leaving her with that mess. All those years of famine to plenty made sense now. The idiot gambled for a living and she’d never known it. Now that he’d died of a heart attack at this very establishment, Kay was left to pay his gambling debts. She was very lucky that since it hadn’t been her doing, they had given her payment options. First, she had to manage their brothel, and second, she had to pay five hundred dollars a month toward the debt. At that rate, she’d finally be paid off in fifteen years. Generous. Right.
I might as well face it. I’m doomed to this life with no way out. Even once I’ve paid the debt, what am I going to do with a resume that says I was the manager of a damn brothel for nearly twenty years?
At thirty-five, she’d be fifty before she could make a change. By then, what was the point? She could knock ten years off if she’d take clients, as well, but she drew the line at that. She wasn’t going to trade her body for her father’s debts. She didn’t look down on the ladies who worked for her. They were all in similar situations, but she at least had a way not to have to sell her body.
Why had Mike and his friend left? The fact that they’d resigned not long after Tommy’s employers had been there wasn’t lost on her. She’d seen how Mike had kept his head down around them as if he was afraid to look them in the eyes. Had they been ashamed of working there, and had known the two men?
And what was it about those handsome devils that had her heart racing just thinking about them? No man had ever had this effect on her before. Damn, they’d triggered some kind of lust overdrive. She’d had to change her panties before she could go see about poor Janie. Even now her pussy moistened, threatening to ruin another pair.
I’m a slut after all. I’ve never seen them before, and I want them so much I might jump them if I ever see them again. What’s wrong with me?
She needed to get some air, as in out of Hickory Hill before she made a fool of herself. Maybe a trip into Springfield or Jefferson City? Hell, Cape Girardeau might be a good idea. A day of shopping might clear her head. She might not be able to afford to buy much, but she could sure window shop and have a nice lunch somewhere.
That was it. Sunday she’d make that happen. A knock at her door sent a wave of panic through her. Why was that?
“Come in,” she called out.
“Ma’am, there’s a man here to see you about a job.” Kevin, one of the three security men left, had taken over watching her door.
“How would he know we needed someone?” she asked no one in particular.
“I wouldn’t know,” Kevin said.
“Send him in.” Kay quickly walked around her desk to wait for whoever walked through the door.
A slightly Native American–looking man walked in to stand in front of her desk. He had straight brown hair that didn’t quite reach his shoulders and hazel eyes. Though he wasn’t as buff as Mike and his friend had been, he wasn’t a slouch either. His broad shoulders looked strong enough to handle some of the men who frequented Creature Comforts.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“My name is Dax. I understand you need a head of your security team. I’d like to apply for the position,” he said.
Kay nearly dropped her composure. Was someone watching them? Did she trust this man not to be a plant? If the police were able to figure out a way to close them down for prostitution, she might as well lay down and wait for the bullet that would kill her.
“I’m not sure where you got your information, but I’m not looking for anyone right now. Thank you for thinking of us. If you’d like to leave a resume, I’ll keep it on file for the future.” She picked up a piece of paper without looking at what it was and started to sit down in dismissal.
“Mike sent me. He knew you’d need someone you could trust and he trusts me. Call him. He didn’t want to leave you unprotected, but he and Torin were offered an opportunity they’d been trying to get for a long time. They’re going to get the positon of their dreams. The only problem was that they had to start immediately.” Dax sounded like he was almost envious of the two men.
“So, is there some position somewhere you are waiting to come up so that you’ll leave me in a few months?” she asked without bothering to cover the obvious sarcasm in her voice.
Dax winced but didn’t say anything. She turned over her options but kept coming up with the same thing. She didn’t have much of a choice but to trust the man, but she’d check with Mike first.
“I’m going to call Mike, and if he corroborates your claim, you have the job. Your first order of business is to find two more security officers for the team,” she told him. “Leave your number with Kevin at the door. If you are certain that Mike will give me the good news himself, then return tomorrow for more instructions.
“We aren’t open on Sundays, so you aren’t required to be here then. Our doors are open Monday through Saturday nights beginning at six p.m. and close at four a.m. each morning. You are required to be here from nine to four thirty. That’s all,” she said.
He nodded and turned to leave. When he opened the door, Kay called out for Kevin to get his number and address. Then she relaxed once Kevin had closed the door behind the man.
Dax. What an odd name. Another man’s name hit her as odd as well. Shade. Of course Mike’s friend had been named Torin. He’d said it was an old family name, but she’d met several others with similarly weird names in Hickory Hill. Her plain Jane name of Kay seemed almost out of place. She shrugged and filed the paperwork she’d been working on. She’d fax it later. Kay wanted to check in on Janie. The woman wouldn’t be working for a few nights due to the stitches in her foot.
Kay had convinced her to stay the night last night but wasn’t sure she could get her to stay another one. Janie didn’t like leaving her mom alone even if she did have a younger sister to watch her. Kay couldn’t blame her.
When Janie answered her knock with a call to come in, Kay walked in wearing a strong smile. She knew the woman was still spooked and wanted to give her some strength by appearing confident.
“How are you feeling, Janie?”
“I’m okay. Just a little shaky and my foot aches unless I keep it up,” she said.
“Do you want to talk about it now that you’ve ha
d some time to rest?” Kay hoped she would confide in her.
“I—I can’t sleep without seeing those eyes, Kay. I swear they changed colors when he was on top of me. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I know you don’t believe me, but I’m not making it up. They changed.” Janie whispered the last statement.
“I believe you, honey. There are some things in this world you just have to accept. I’ve learned not to question them. What you have to do is accept that it happened and put it behind you. You can’t go through life always being afraid. You’ll end up going insane and missing out on the good things.” Kay wasn’t sure she was having any effect on the woman. She didn’t want to come over as sounding like she just wanted Janie to keep working. Kay wanted the woman to live a normal life, no matter if she continued at Creature Comforts or not.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I really need to go home now, Kay. I’m worried about my mom. Sissy is good to her, but she can’t handle her like I can.”
“Okay. I just wanted to be sure you were strong enough to go home. You aren’t going to be able to walk on your foot for a few days, Janie. You’ll tear open the cut and pull out the stitches. Use the crutches and let Sissy help.”
“I will,” the other woman said.
“I’ll get Kevin to arrange for someone to drive you home. We’ll get your car to you in the next few days, okay?”
Janie nodded. “Thanks, Kay. Thanks for everything.”
That sounded like a good-bye to Kay, but she smiled and nodded just the same. She couldn’t force the woman to stay and didn’t even want to. If she could manage to get out and still provide for her family, then Kay was happy for her.
Now, if she could just get two sinfully handsome men off her mind, she could get on with the night’s business. She knew business would be lighter for a few nights, with word of what had happened spreading, but it would pick back up by the next week. People forgot what wasn’t staring them in the face.
Kay intercepted one of their regulars with a smile. While she flirted just enough to give the man’s ego a stroke, she thought about how Cain and Shade’s faces had shown their contempt at what she did and where she worked. It ticked her off that they would judge her or any of her ladies. They knew nothing of life at the bottom of the hill. It was more than obvious that they were at the top of the hierarchy.
