by Angela Horn
“Problem?” Declan asked Silas loudly, but the Were ignored him.
Ella frowned. “Gigi’s on the ghoul floor for the first time. I hope they don’t sniff her ass and make her cry. She cries easily, you know,” she said, eyeing Michael who shrugged like he didn’t care. “Or maybe they’ll try to eat her?”
The males all frowned at her and Ella snorted. “Dipshits. The ghouls won’t eat Gigi. Maybe nibble, but nothing serious. Tobin’s on the floor after all.”
The necromancer irritated the hell out of Declan, but he was good about controlling his nasty minions. Silas was still studying the device and he signaled for one of the bouncers to head to the elevator.
“I hate when he gets all secretive,” Declan grumbled as his gaze remained on Silas.
Sighing, Ella headed for Silas. “I’ll find out what’s happening. That way the birthday boy can settle down and stop all his bitching.”
“Ella,” Declan warned, but he was happy to see her head towards Silas.
The redhead shoved up against her boss and looked at his device. Frowning, she seemed confused. Declan noticed the three males at his side were also watching Silas and Ella, clearly curious. Anton’s body language was hard to read to those who didn’t know him well, but Declan knew the Alpha was tense, worried even. He liked Gigi, though it was doubtful he would do anything about it. He was still waiting with a tension to his jaw which wasn’t like him.
Finn’s reaction was stranger because his brother didn’t even know Gigi, hadn’t asked about her, yet his face was tight with worry. Even if Michael blabbed about Gigi on the ride over – and Michael didn’t blab – Finn shouldn’t be so concerned over a girl he had never met. For Michael’s part, he looked cranky, but he always looked that way.
Ella laughed loudly and nudged Silas who was watching the screen with a half grin. Finally Silas let out one of his barking laughs. Ella whispered something to Silas who eyed the males. Rolling his eyes, he walked to them.
“I think they like her,” Silas said, lifting the device.
Declan watched as a circle of ghouls danced around Gigi who was holding a hideous thing in her arms. The ghouls were clapping in unison as they did their little dance while Gigi looked happy, if not a little confused. How she got those nasty things to treat her like royalty, Declan didn’t know. Maybe it had something to do with Tobin. The necromancer seemed human enough and he was male.
“Maybe she’ll be assigned to the ghoul floor permanently?” Ella said with a grin.
Declan rolled his eyes, but then he noticed how Finn clearly wasn’t looking at Gigi for the first time. Declan stared at his brother until the younger Were noticed.
“What?” Finn asked.
“How did you meet her?”
“Grocery store,” Finn said almost defiantly.
“Declan’s going to call dibs,” Anton muttered as he watched Gigi on the screen.
“Too late,” Finn replied. “We’re going out tomorrow.”
Declan frowned at Finn, but his brother purposely looked away and watched the little screen. Silas was smiling, but Anton had become very still again. Michael looked grouchy, having not changed his facial expression since arriving.
“Good for you,” Declan finally said.
Finn eyed him and there was worry in those eyes. Declan wanted Gigi like he had never wanted another female in his life. He wasn’t going to interfere with his brother’s love life though. If Gigi liked Finn, Declan was happy for them. Happy might be too strong a word, but he wasn’t going to meddle.
Chapter Ten
Gigi didn’t know what to expect on the ghoul floor. Everyone made it sound like hell, but when Gigi stepped out of the elevator, she was only startled by the bubbles. At first she thought children were chasing the bubbles which floated everywhere as slightly hypnotic music played. The music wasn’t too loud and the lighting was soft like on the witch floor. The room was lined with booths which sat mostly in the dark while the center of the room was a dance floor where the children were chasing bubbles - except they weren’t really children anymore.
The first one sniffed Gigi cautiously like a dog testing out a new person – curious, yet wary. The second one pulled at her arm and sniffed her wrist up to her armpit. Gigi stayed very still as her mind tried to grasp what these things were. Maybe they were once children, but their faces had thinned out to the point where they looked like tiny old people. Soon she was surrounded by them as they sniffed her intently. Then the little boy-thing to her right licked her and giggled. The others giggled too and licked her.
Gigi wanted to run away, but she was transfixed by what these things might have once looked like before death twisted them into little monsters. She just stood there and watched them until she heard a high pitched bark.
Maybe it was a dog. Once it might have had fur and its eyes might not have bulged out as they did now. Yes, maybe once it was a dog like her neighbor Bethany had – a little yippy fluffball dog. Now it was a discolored monstrosity and it was coming straight for her.
Gigi watched as the child ghouls backed away. The dog ghoul jumped up against her leg, its claws reaching just above her black boots. It was wagging its hairless tail and panting with a tongue which was black and foul. She realized it wasn’t attacking, but looking for affection. Gigi didn’t want to touch the ugly thing, but it whimpered and she finally reached down and picked it up.
Cuddling the stinky monster in her arms, Gigi wasn’t sure she wanted the dog to lick her. Soon what she wanted was a moot point. The ghoul slobbered on her face, licking excited as its tail wagged wildly. Around her, the child ghouls gasped and awed. They spoke in strange childlike voices, in a gibberish language Gigi didn’t understand. What she did understand very clearly was how they were amused based on their smiles which displayed sharp little teeth and black gums.
When the song changed, the little ghouls began to clap. Gigi thought they were clapping to the beat, but then she realized they were clapping for her. The little ghouls in their fancy dresses and suits, looking old fashioned, yet high class in clothes which hung from their twisted bodies began to circle Gigi. They clapped in unison and danced to the song and they laughed in their creepy way.
Gazing down at the ugly thing in her arms, Gigi realized it was happy just as Fred, Bethany’s dog, was whenever Gigi showed it a bit of attention. This thing was hideous and smelled weird, just like the child ghouls, but it only wanted love and acceptance. The children also wanted acceptance and so she made herself look at them and smile as they danced and clapped. When the song finished and they again moved towards her, Gigi hugged the little monstrosities. They were essentially children and based on her memories of her childhood, she knew kids loved hugs.
One of the child ghouls took the dog from her while another snagged her hand and pulled her towards a booth. Gigi wasn’t sure who was hiding in the murky light, but she couldn’t imagine anything more unsettling than the child thing holding her hand.
Two figures sat in the booth – one looked human while the other looked like it was once human. They were both male upon further inspection and the ghoul tapped his clawed hand at the booth so his dog-thing would join him. While the human male had long brown hair and dark blue eyes, the ghoul’s head was bald and discolored while his eyes were a creamy black.
“Were you raised around our kind?” asked the human male.
Gigi shook her head and her eyes fell to the boy ghoul who was licking her hand again. The human looking male made a noise with his tongue, a sort of clicking sound, and the ghoul stopped licking Gigi. The boy-thing looked scolded so against her better judgment, Gigi caressed his head. The little ghoul looked up at Gigi and gave her a horrible, yet sweet grin.
“Familiar with death then,” the ghoul male asked.
“No, I don’t think so.”
The ghoul smiled. “Impressive. You must be Katia’s replacement.”
“Yes,” Gigi said, unhappy to be referred to in a way which diminished Katia. �
��I’m Gigi.”
“The owner of the dog you treated so well is Murphy. I am Tobin. It is very nice to meet a human who can embrace our children without cruelty. You are human, aren’t you?”
Gigi nodded, but Tobin squinted as if unsure.
“You have no magic. Not a hint. How long have you lived in the Circle?”
“A week or two.”
“Soon,” Murphy said, petting the ghoul dog who stared at Gigi as if in love. “All humans absorb a hint of magic if they remain in the Circle for long.”
Gigi just nodded because she wasn’t sure what to do. Did she just pull out her pad and paper and start taking orders? Was she supposed to entertain these ghouls like she did Simon? Did she have to play with the ghoul children or babysit them? Confused, she must have shown something on her face because Tobin smiled.
“You are doing just fine,” he said then glanced at the children who were off chasing bubbles. “Don’t let them lick you though. They know better.”
Gigi also looked at the children who suddenly stopped and all stared at her. She frowned as she returned her gaze to Murphy and Tobin.
“How do I keep them from licking me?”
“Just tell them no. If you show authority, they will respect you. They just need direction and boundaries like all children do,” Tobin said.
Gigi thought to get their drinks, but then she remembered how Sara told her to be rude and get banned from the floor. Turning back to the males, she asked the only question which truly mattered.
“Why do you have dead children?”
“Because we can not have living children, Gigi,” Tobin said softly as if explaining something rather obvious.
“Whose children were they originally?”
“Who knows?” Murphy said. “Many are older than you and I can’t remember where many of them come from.”
Tobin held Gigi’s gaze then smiled. “For a few of the children, their parents paid to have them returned to life and then changed their minds once they witnessed how harsh death can be on a body. Most were abandoned in life so we claimed them in death.”
Gigi didn’t feel she was being rude enough so she eyed the dog who was still gazing at her.
“What about the dog?”
“Jasper?” Murphy answered with a grin. “He was a fine companion and I couldn’t bear to let him go when his time came. Dogs are man’s best friend, are they not?”
Gigi realized these ghouls weren’t easy to offend and she wasn’t sure what to say which would make them ban her from the floor. In fact by the end of the evening, the children begged her to return and Murphy had Gigi hold his ugly dog while he took a picture of them. Gigi was making friends left and right even when she tried not to.
Chapter Eleven
Declan was Ella’s favorite jackass, but she had no idea what to get him for his birthday. With his money and power, he didn’t really need much. As a male, he didn’t long for things. If he saw something he liked, he just bought it for himself. The exception to this rule was Gigi and so the blonde was Ella’s birthday gift to her Alpha.
Between his dating policy and Finn’s date with Gigi later in the day, Declan would never do more than ogle the blonde. Ella figured Declan needed more opportunities to check her out. No matter her good intentions, she couldn’t avoid screwing with Declan when the opportunity presented itself.
The male Weres were standing around sweaty and very macho when Ella entered. None of them paid her much mind, only because Declan called dibs on Ella years ago to avoid having anyone move in on his “kid sister.” For Ella, his protective streak meant she was forever flirted with, but never dated. Yeah, this alone meant Declan had some punishment coming his way.
Declan nodded a hello to her then returned to talking with Dave. At first none of the males cared about Ella and her guests. Then Dahlia pushed back her cloak and the gym fell silent.
“No, Ella,” Declan growled, strolling forward. “Let the Vamp work out at one of the Vamp gyms.”
“Vamps don’t work out, Declan. They’re too busy brooding and being stuck up for that. She needs somewhere to practice her ass kicking moves.”
“This is a gym for Weres.”
Ella put on a pout and sighed. “Oh, that’s too bad. I was really hoping to train Gigi to protect herself from all the big bads in the Circle. I guess I’ll just tell her to suck it because she’s not a Were.”
Declan was an expressive Were and Ella found his face intensely entertaining. The sudden switch from pissed Alpha to horny teenage boy was hilarious. The other guys also heard the blonde’s name and paid attention.
“You brought Gigi here?” Declan asked, having regained his manly demeanor. His eyes remained too curious though.
Ella grinned. “Sara and Justine too. Hey guys, bad news,” she called out to the three humans who wandered forward nervously. Gigi didn’t look nervous as she reached up and ran her fingers down the two ponytails hanging from her head. “Oh, did I mention Gigi has pigtails?”
Declan laughed Ella winked at him.
“Happy birthday, jackass.”
Dave appeared behind Declan and grinned. “Pigtails, boss.”
“Yeah, I see them,” Declan said with a sigh. “Fine, Ella, your friends can stay, but keep an eye on the Vamp.”
Ella nodded then waved the girls over. Gigi didn’t seem any more nervous being surrounded by the male Weres here than she was at the club. She did seem very confused about why they were at the gym. Ella knew Gigi only agreed to come along because she didn’t like being alone.
“Dahlia, let’s spar and see if Vamps really are faster than Weres?”
Dahlia gave her a lazy smile. “I’m going to kick your ginger ass.”
Laughing, Ella jumped into the boxing ring. “Bring it, Goth girl.”
Wearing a black shirt, tights, and tennis shoes, Dahlia looked quite elegant as she danced around the ring. For all her grace though, the Vamp wasn’t much of a fighter. Ella punched her square on the jaw and the Vamp simply fell to the mat, staring horrified at her own blood.
“No wonder you have so many friends,” Declan teased as he and the other males watched from the sideline.
“She agreed to the match,” Ella said then helped Dahlia back to her feet. “Ready for another around.”
“No thank you,” Dahlia muttered, exiting through the ropes.
“Don’t pout,” Ella sighed. “How about you, Justine?”
Tossing back her thick brown hair, Justine snorted. “Screw you. I’m not getting my ass kicked by a dog.”
Ella grinned then noticed Gigi staring at her in that way she stared at everyone. There was something altogether wrong about Gigi. Something that would eventually get the blonde hurt, if not killed. Ella pulled the ropes apart then signaled for Gigi to climb into the ring.
“I want to show you some moves,” Ella said as Gigi joined her.
“What kind of moves?”
“You live in the Circle, so you’ll need to learn how to fight.”
Ella showed Gigi how to hold her hands in fists and told her to dodge any punches.
“Ella, she doesn’t understand,” Sara said in her cranky Sara way.
“She will.”
Ella threw a punch. Pulled a punch really, but it still hit Gigi square on the left cheek. Sara was right. Gigi didn’t understand. Ella thought everyone knew to dodge things flying towards their faces.
“Ella,” Declan growled as Gigi collapsed on the mat.
“She needs to learn.”
“Beating her up isn’t teaching her,” Sara said, climbing into the ring and pulled Gigi up. “Gigi, you have to put your hands up and protect your face. Move around like Dahlia and Ella did when they were fighting. Move out of the way, if something comes at your face.”
“Ready?” Ella asked Gigi who stared blankly while holding her cheek.
“She’s hitting you, so you can learn to fight,” Sara told Gigi then added with a sneer, “It’s okay to hit Ella back.”
“Gigi, just do what you saw them do,” Sara said.
Justine snorted. “Except for the part where Dahlia fell on her ass.”
Before the Vamp could give a snappy retort, Ella made her move on Gigi. The blonde backed away and dodged the first punch.
“See, she’s learning,” Ella said to Declan who was watching her with such intensity she could feel his Alpha stare clawing at her flesh.
“Hit her, Gigi,” Sara said and Gigi turned to look at her friend.
Ella’s punch nailed the blonde on the side of the head, just under one of those pigtails. Gigi fell down too fast to brace her fall.
“Knock if off,” Declan growled and Ella knew he was losing his temper.
“She’s alone in the Circle. When some bastard comes to hurt her, you won’t be there to save her, boss,” Ella growled back.
Declan glared at her, but Ella ignored him as Gigi stood up. Looking scolded, the blonde didn’t make an effort to protect herself. Ella leaned into Gigi’s ear.
“I’m trying to make you a badass. I’m your friend, but I want you to be strong.”
Nodding, Gigi pulled her hands back into fists as Ella bounced around her. The blonde though was just staring - always staring like she was searching for some undeniable truth hidden in a person’s eyes.
Ella moved to punch her and Gigi dodged it. Her face was completely expressionless and her dark eyes seemed dazed and confused. Yet she dodged the next strike too. When Ella tried to sweep her feet out from under her, Gigi jumped out of the way.
“Now hit her, lil sis,” Sara yelled once Gigi got the hang of dodging Ella’s increasingly aggressive strikes.
Gigi turned again towards Sara’s voice and again Ella made her move. Without looking at the punch, Gigi ducked it then threw out her fist. The punch met Ella’s face and threw her backward. Bouncing quickly back to her feet, Ella smiled at Gigi.
“Good. Now you’re ready for a real challenge.”