Skinwalker

Pondering all of the terrible ways this evening could end I find an outfit in my locker that matches the cobalt heels I have in my tote and get dressed. In the bathroom I put my makeup on a little heavier than normal before fussing with my hair that I curled back at the apartment. By the time I’m convinced I’m ready for the evening my stomach is uneasy, twisted in knots of nervous anticipation.

I’ve never officially met an alpha. Sure, Tate was here the other day to reinforce new rules, but I didn’t have to spend any time around him. He made a speech and then everyone was dismissed. I was just a random face in a sea of tails that went unnoticed. Or was I? Maybe Noah had already asked for his permission to invite me into the pack by then and he just hadn’t brought it to my attention yet. Is that why the alpha is here tonight, and his beta is asking me to wait on him? He wants to inspect the new addition and make sure I’m pack material.

Understanding that I know it will be a small miracle if Noah can keep Tate from talking about my invitation tonight, I head out into the club. A cat call comes from my right when I stop next to the bar. Alec Long, werewolf, is working the bar with Levi and he’s got a playful grin on his face as he blatantly checks me out.

“Now that is how you sell sex, Red.”

“Don’t get any ideas,” I warn.

“It’s far too late for that, baby girl.” He leans back and looks at my ass. “Damn,” he growls.

Levi snaps him with a damp towel. “Eyes off, dude.”

“Oh, come on, she’s practically begging for someone to rip the clothes right off of her.”

“Lay off.”

“What? She’s the one begging for it.”

“I don’t hear her begging for anything.”

It’s easy for me to see the shift in Levi’s body language. He’s about to fall off the deep end and the werewolves that’s harassing him is the type who enjoys causing a little bit of chaos whenever he can, especially this close to the full moon. Alec wants to push every one of his friends’ buttons; he wants to start a fight. I’m just fuel for the fire.

“The girl has an itch, and I could scratch it for her.”

Noah’s at the entrance of the club extending his hand to someone in the hall I can’t see quite yet. Knowing he doesn’t greet customers, ever, tells me who is just out of sight.

“Tate’s here,” I announce.

The two men fall quiet and when the alpha steps into view; there seems to be a moment of hush that rolls over the place as everyone recognizes the tall, muscular man. The shift back to normal happens so quickly throughout the club, it’s like I imagined the pause.

The fight that was brewing between the two bartenders is dwindling into nothingness because Alec has lost all of his power now that Tate is in the club. One step out of line in front of that man could result in punishment. Especially if it were to expose any of us for what we are. Levi on the other hand, still looks like he wants to sucker punch his friend.

“For future reference.” I cut into the silence between them. “Levi is the only one who gets to scratch any of my itches.”

Levi and I agreed to keep our relationship outside of work and I just brought it into the building without discussing it with him first. I was expecting him to be shocked that I made that decision in this moment but instead he looks smug, and the cocky grin on his face makes Alec silently fume.

To my surprise, Levi grabs my wrist, pulls me toward him, and kisses me significantly right there at the bar. I’m smart enough to know he’s marking his territory and by the time he’s finished, I don’t really care. The act made me feel like a giddy schoolgirl and the fact that we’re not in the shadows anymore is a weight off my shoulders. While I hadn’t planned for this to happen today, it’s possibly the best thing that could have come out because it will get back to Noah. It could keep him from following up on my pack invite, at least for now.

When Levi’s made his point, I’m relieved to see that there hasn’t been any extra attention drawn to us. Alec begins working on tabs, muttering under his breath. None of the waitresses have come around looking for drinks. Noah, Tate, and the two werewolves that accompanied the alpha are seating themselves in the back of the club at a semiprivate stage, and customers are focused on the entertainers and the show.

I give the alpha and his friends a moment to get situated in the booth, just like I would any of my customers, and then make my way toward them. Noah glances at me as I make my way toward them and then Tate looks my direction and stands.

“Good evening gentlemen,” I greet and set out drink napkins. “My name is Piper; I’ll be your waitress tonight.”

Noah inhales slowly.

Tate offers me his hand. “Ah, the shapeshifter Noah was telling me about.”

Ignoring my nerves, I put my hand in his. “I hope he wasn’t telling you anything that would make me look bad.”

After brushing a kiss over my knuckles, he says, “I wouldn’t worry about words making you look bad, darling.”

When I first began working here, Tails opened the door to an entirely new world for me. For the first time in my life, I was engulfed in an environment where men ogled me with their eyes and fantasized about what my body could do. Most of these men would never waste a second glance on me in public but in here, in this outfit, and in this lighting, they consider me every time they see me.

How everyone else looks at me is not how Tate is looking at me right now. He is looking at me for everything I am and everything I can offer his pack, environment excluded. He’s examining the request of Noah to see what makes me worthy of an invitation. Because I enjoy my job and I’d like to keep it for a while, I remind myself that tonight, Tate is just another client. He can look at me however he’d like and I’m not going to protest.

“Scotch on the rocks, all around,” Tate orders for the group.

I glance at the rest of the men at the table, to make sure this is indeed the drink they prefer, and no one argues. Not even my boss, who I’ve never seen drink anything with alcohol.

“Sounds good.”

Instead of passing the order off to one of the boys I fill it myself. Alec and Levi have a whole club to take care of, I have one table.

I set a rocks glass on the bar top a little rougher than I intended. “It’s going to be a long night,” I say and then line up three more glasses before grabbing an ice tray from the freezer under the counter.

“Care to elaborate?” Levi fills two beer glasses at the tap next to me.

I never told him about the pack invitation, so I shake my head. “It’s fine.” Even if I decide to tell Levi about the offer this is not the time or place.

He debates pressing the matter as I drop 1 large balls of ice in each glass. By the time I pour scotch over the four of them he’s chosen to abandon the conversation.

On my way back to the table I notice the Sarko twins heading in the direction of Tate’s table. One is dressed in charcoal gray, the other in pearl white. Which is which, I have no clue. The girls are not only sirens, but they’re mirror twins as well, and if there is one thing they love being, it’s identical. They’re a unique fixture at Tails and typically reserved for private booths and deluxe private rooms, appearing for the public only during the Spotlight Shows. Together they attract a lot of attention. I’m almost certain Noah requested them for Tate as well.

I follow the twins back to the private stage and pass the drinks as the girls begin flirting with the group. The one in pearl immediately makes herself comfortable on Tate’s lap.

“Do you dance?” One of the other werewolves, whose names I don’t know, inquires as I set down a napkin for his drink.

“It’s not one of my talents,” I say.

“Show us a little something, anyways.”

A moment later the Sarko who isn’t entertaining the alpha, grabs the back of my arm and tugs me playfully toward the small stage with her. Whichever one it is, she’s giggling and having far more fun with this than I am.

“Just dance, Red, that’s all you have to do,” she whispers, feeling me up and making me even more uncomfortable. “And pretend like you like it.” Then she moves downward, running her hands down my sides and over my hips before popping up and leaving me center stage.

The twin in the pearl outfit is teasing one of the strangers and the one who just left me goes for the other. They both have realized that the alpha’s interest is in me, and we all know that Noah typically doesn’t take an interest.

Most nights he’s in his office with the blinds closed paying attention to bookkeeping and whatever else a business owner needs to do. He works the bar from time to time, fills in as security, and rarely he serves the tables. What I’ve never seen him do, is watch. I’ve seen every other man that works in this club watch, even Levi, but never Noah. Right now, he’s watching.

For the rest of the evening, I’m the groups puppet. The alpha is the silent type, just like his beta, but the lackies enjoy the small bit of power they’ve been given. I bring them drinks and satisfy their whims in ways I would refuse for any other customer. They’re a bit more handsy than clients ever are with me. They don’t ask for permission, but they also don’t pass boundaries that would have me slap their hands or ask for security. I’m not even sure security would help based on who the table belongs to.

Even though my joining the pack is never mentioned, by the end of the evening I decide the debt Noah owes me for this not satisfied. Not even close. They may not think anything of it but by the end of the night I’d spent over four hours essentially acting like a tail. A roll I don’t want, but one I filled anyways to keep Noah in good standing. The last thing I want is for him to look bad because of me.

In the locker room I dress back in the clothes I wore to work. Deciding I don’t want to spend the rest of my night working on laundry, I grab only the essentials from my locker and leave the rest. I just want to go home, have a tall glass of wine, take a bubble bath, and forget this night happened.

Before heading out, I decide I should see Noah.

With barely a warning knock, I push the door into his office open. “I’m…” I stop myself from entering any further.

It doesn’t matter what Noah and Tate were talking about before I barged in but neither of them looks very happy. Noah’s composure isn’t as instant or as convincing as Tate’s.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”

“What did you need?” Noah inquires.

I lie and say, “I just wanted to say goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” He looks relieved.

“I’ll walk you,” Tate says.

“That’s really not necessary.”

“I do believe there is a buddy system in place?”

I don’t have an argument. I wish I could say Kendal was getting off and I intended to wait for her, but I’m not sitting in the locker room for several more hours waiting when I could be at home in less than 5 minutes.

“I insist.”

Of course, he does.

Tate opens the office door and holds it for me.

When I pass the bar heading for the exit, both Alec and Levi watch us pass. I give my boyfriend an apologetic look and say goodnight with my eyes. We exit through the employee door and into the late evening. Together we walk down the decapitated alleyway toward the parking lot.

“Where did you park?”

“I didn’t.” I nod my head toward the apartment complex.

“There’s something I must make clear.”

I remain quiet as I wait for whatever speech he is about to make, knowing it’s about the pack. It seemed too good to be true: making it through the night without someone mentioning the invitation.

“I’ll need to know what you are before I agree to let you in.”

His point is made; Noah warned me that he knew I was a hybrid.

This time, when he extends his hand toward me, there is something in his. He brushes a kiss across my knuckles and leaves a wad of cash in my grasp.

“It was a pleasure, miss Monáe.”

“Goodnight.” I leave him in the parking lot and head home.

When I get to the stairs that lead up to my apartment, Dusty jumps from the bushes and follows me up the stairs. I glance back toward Tails and see Tate standing where I left him. Watching, and ensuring my safety as I traveled home. Once inside, I lock the door, and then count the tip he left in my hand. Even for the hoops I had to jump through this evening, the tip is overly generous. I could pay two months’ rent with it.