Stripped (Wolves of Mule Creek #2)

by Katharine Sadler

  He looked me up and down and whistled. “You look slick, baby. That suit could be sharp on stage.” He looked me over again. “You'd need to show a bit more cleavage and shorten the skirt, but it could work.”

  “I'm not dancing for you.” I looked at my phone, pushed my chair back and stood. “And I'm going to be late if I don't leave now.”

  He blinked. “You're leaving for work at…” He blinked over at the clock. “Damn, when did it get to be seven?”

  “Probably while you were betting on darts or poker or… Whatever it is you bet on.”

  I'd learned about Gage's gambling problem shortly after I'd moved in with him. Of course, he didn't consider it a problem, but when he couldn't afford to fill his fridge, I figured it was more than just a fun hobby.

  “Want me to walk you to work?”

  Gage's place was downtown and my new job was in an office complex about ten blocks away. It was going to be hell on my feet in heels, but walking there was quicker than driving in the city traffic. “No thanks. You should get to bed. You must be exhausted.”

  He bent and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Good luck today, Babe.”

  “Thanks.” I smoothed down my skirt, picked up my purse, and hurried out the door, down the six flights of stairs, and onto the street.

  I was five blocks into my commute and my feet were screaming for mercy when my phone dinged with a text. I pulled it out to see a good luck message from Julie. I smiled and slipped my phone back into my purse.

  I'd kept in touch with her after all. She sent me pictures of Daisy at least three times a day and I told her how my job hunt was going. We didn't discuss Zane, but she'd let me know the pack was doing well and there'd been no more trouble from the vampires.

  When I'd gotten to Denver, I'd allowed myself one day to cry about Zane and wallow in self-pity and then I'd pushed him out of my mind. I'd moved on. I'd gotten a great job, I was living in a city with a coffee shop on every corner and a buzzing, fun social scene. I was living the dream.

  Okay, so I had watched his yoga videos online three… Hundred times, but that was just to see if they were picking up any viewers. They were doing amazing and had tons of views. No advertising, yet, but that would come. Maybe when more time had passed, I'd remind Julie to get him to make yoga DVDs he could sell. Other than the occasional slip-up watching online videos, though, I was doing great. Every once in a while, I thought I saw Zane on the street and once I'd thrown myself at a guy I was sure was him, hugged him so hard I nearly choked him out, but that was normal. I'd made the right choice.

  And I could mostly convince myself I'd done the right thing leaving Zane, except for the middle of the night, when I woke from yet another nightmare filled with vampires and blood and my friends screaming. In those moments, I'd curl up into a ball and I'd miss Zane so bad I wanted to scream. I longed for his warm arms around me, his soothing voice in my ear, the promise of safety and love that I'd only ever felt with him.

  I was so deep in thought, I almost walked right past my new office building. I paused in front of the glass doors and smoothed my skirt. I hurried inside and checked in at reception. My new boss, a perky woman with the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen and the ability to walk on four-inch heels like she was running a marathon, showed me around the office and led me to my cubicle.

  It was a tiny space, and I shared it with four other people, but it was mine, all mine. I sat at the desk and got settled. “Go ahead and set up your voice mail and look over your emails,” she said. “Howard will be here in a bit to give you a tour of the warehouse and talk to you about our products. Later, I'd like you to sit in on a client meeting.”

  “Sounds great.”

  She left and I got to work setting up my voice mail message and checking out my email and the basic qualities of my computer. It took about five minutes, and I was left staring at a computer screen with nothing to do.

  It was a strange feeling to have nothing to do at work. I'd always wished for a free moment at the club, a moment when I wasn't worrying about anyone or trying to get account sheets to add up correctly. Now that I had that moment, I realized it was darn boring.

  I spun my chair to check out my cube mates. Two of them were on phone calls, chattering away animatedly. The fourth was clicking through a website that sold purses. “That's a cute one,” I said when she clicked on a bright red clutch and the image filled the screen.

  She spun to face me. She looked young, early twenties, and she had a tiny upturned nose, bright blue eyes, and dark hair. She could have been an angel in a painting by… Some famous painter. My boss had introduced us, but I'd met so many people, I didn't remember her name.

  Her expression when we'd been introduced had been cheerful and sweet, but she scowled at me now. “Didn't you used to own a strip club?”

  I breathed deep and pushed down the urge to get defensive. I'd be sharing this cubicle with this woman for a long time. “I did. In a small town about four hours from here.”

  “Right,” she said, with a sneer. “So, I don't think I'll be taking any fashion advice from you.”

  I looked over her outfit, ready to throw down my own verbal barb, but the guy in the corner across from her spun and faced us. “Really, Bridget, you shouldn't turn down any fashion advice.” Bridget, that was her name. And the guy, Ron, I think, was clearly lying, because Bridget's outfit was adorable. Bridget huffed and hurried out of the cubicle mumbling something about coffee.

  “Don't worry about her,” Ron said. “She's horrible to everyone. It's cool you owned a business. I love strip clubs.”

  “Ooh, yes,” the other woman in our cubicle, a curvy blond in slacks and a blouse, said. She spun and faced us. “I've always been curious about strippers. They seem so glamorous and brave. I could never stand on a stage and dance, much less take all my clothes off while I did it.”

  “It takes a special kind of bravery,” I said. “But I think the experience is different for everyone. Everyone has a different reason for dancing and motivation is a huge part of any job.”

  The woman, Mary I think her name was, nodded. “I'd have to have some major motivation, like the mafia threatening to kill all my cats if I didn't dance.”

  Ron rolled his eyes, but his expression was fond. “Mary, you read way too many novels.”

  “Probably,” Mary said cheerfully. Her phone rang and she spun back to her desk.

  “How do you like working here?” I asked Ron.

  “It's a good company. The benefits are awesome and most of the people are nice. You should come out with us after work on Friday, get to know everyone.”

  “That sounds great,” I said.

  He spun back to his desk to get back to work and I turned back to my computer screen. My mind immediately wandered to Zane. I wondered what he was doing, if he was thinking about me.

  My phone dinged with a text from Julie like she was reading my mind. She said Axel had sold one of his big sculptures for two thousand dollars. I texted back a huge congratulations, but I was still worried. The pack needed more income to avoid being vulnerable to the council's plans for them. They needed a claim to the land that no one could contest.

  I shot a quick text to Doc to ask her about her progress on figuring out what was in the water that made the vamps so powerful. I didn't expect to hear back for a while. She'd survived the vampire attack, but she'd been badly injured. Once she'd healed, there'd been a lot of people needing her expertise and there'd been the village to clean up. Julie said she'd only seen Doc once since Daisy was born and that was a quick visit to cut the umbilical cord.

  Since I'd moved to Denver, I'd been checking in with a couple people from Aspens Whiten to make sure everyone I still cared about was okay. Rixton was my best source of information, but I also talked to Emily every few days. She really did seem to be doing well.

  “Abigail,” a male voice pulled me from my reverie. I turned to see a tall, slim, older man at the entrance to my cubicle. He stretched a hand to me.
“I'm Howard. I run the warehouse. Are you ready for me to show you around?”

  “Of course.” I got to my feet and followed him out. My life was in Denver now. I needed to focus on my new job and forget Mule Creek and the pack. This was my dream and I needed to start living it.

  ***

  “How was the first day?” Gage asked when I walked into the apartment that evening.

  I kicked off my shoes and sat next to him on the couch. “Aren't you supposed to be at work?”

  He shrugged. “I stuck around to see how your first day went. You've been so down lately, I was hoping this new job would put a smile on your face.”

  I had been down, but I hadn't realized it had been obvious to anyone but me. I forced a fake smile. “There, how's that?”

  “Bad day?”

  I sighed. “It was fine. I mean, I should be grateful. I found this job insanely quickly, my co-workers are mostly nice, the benefits are so good I'm going to feel like a billionaire compared to what I had before.”

  “But you aren't feeling grateful?”

  “It's just… Did you know I get half an hour for lunch and two fifteen-minute breaks? I had nothing to do today, except get the hang of this new job and I had to sit at that desk and stare at a blank computer screen because of some rule about break times. It's like I'm a kindergartner.”

  Gage nodded. “Corporate life, babe. That's one of the many reasons I've avoided those sorts of gigs.”

  “I guess it'll just take some time. I'll get used to it.”

  He nodded. “Want to hang at the club tonight?”

  “No, thanks. I think I'm going to try that restaurant on the corner and get to bed early tonight.”

  He hugged me and left. I changed out of my work clothes and walked the half block to a Greek restaurant on the corner. The street was busy, bustling with people out, laughing and talking. The night was cold and the crisp air smelled of stale coffee and gas fumes. Thanksgiving was only a couple weeks away and already there were Christmas decorations out. It was weird to see holiday decorations and no snow. I'd get used to it. This was where I wanted to be. It was great being able to walk to any sort of restaurant I could imagine and to be among so many people at a moment's notice.

  It was also the loneliest sort of hell. None of the people knew me or even seemed to see me at all. I was invisible and surrounded by concrete. Aside from the Rockies in the distance there was no scenery. I'd never appreciated how much I loved nature and the outdoors until I was encased in concrete and steel.

  I sighed and walked into the restaurant. This was my dream, it was everything I'd ever wanted. If it felt empty because Zane's hand wasn't in mine and his easy smile wasn't in my line of sight, it was because I was new to town. Everyone felt lonely in a new town.

  There was an hour wait for a table, so I took a seat at the bar, surrounded by people laughing and drinking. I ordered my food and watched the bartenders work. I hadn't even brought a book. It was okay, I'd make friends and I'd… I stopped. I'd never been good at lying to myself. I wasn't happy there, but that was probably normal. I just needed more time. I needed to give Denver more of a chance.

  Maybe I needed to stop talking to Julie, to move on and forget about her and Daisy and the pack. And Zane. My chest hurt with an ache that rose to my throat. I must have been hungrier than I'd realized.

  The bartender delivered my food and I ate, but the ache didn't retreat. I couldn't be coming down with something, not when I was starting a new job, not when I was starting a new life.

  I finished my meal and left. I hadn't tasted a bite of my dinner. Emptiness filled me, my center felt hollowed out. It was a feeling that had started when I drove away from Mule Creek and it had only gotten worse with each day that passed.

  I took my time walking back to the apartment, but I knew I'd give in even before I unlocked the door. I let myself in, sat on the couch and dialed a familiar number.

  “Abby,” Julie said, sounding excited. “How are you?” The pain in my chest eased just a bit.

  “How is he?” I asked.

  Julie said nothing for a few seconds. “He's… Look, I don't feel right talking about him. If you want to know, you should call him.”

  “Just tell me. Please.” I couldn't call him, I couldn't bear to hear his voice and not be able to see or touch him. “Did I make the right choice? I mean I'm sure he was sad at first, but it's been two weeks. He'll be better off with another werewolf. Maybe he's already dating someone else?”

  Julie sighed. “You made your choice, Abby. You can't worry about him now. Are you happy? Do you think you're better off?”

  It was my turn to say nothing. “How is the business going? Is Axel more comfortable with the pricing I suggested now that he's selling more pieces?”

  Something rustled on her end and I heard a tiny baby whimper. Sadness washed over me like an ice-cold wave. Why did I feel like I should be there? Why did I want to see and hold Daisy so bad I wanted to cry? What the hell was wrong with me? “I wouldn't say he's comfortable, but he's accepted that you were right about increasing his prices. Zane's online videos got their first ad today, so that should start bringing in money, soon. Lila opened an online shop for her crocheted hats. It's a start, you know, but it's not enough. We need a more stable income, something we can count on.”

  “Can you can get into Aspens Whiten now that the vampires have settled down?”

  “Maybe,” she said. “But nobody trusts them. The council has promised they'll keep the vampires away from us, but we don't trust the council either. We need an income no one can touch, but even if we find one, who's to say the council won't just walk in and give our pack to some vampires they deem potential vamp police?”

  “Has Doc's friend made any progress on the water?”

  “Not yet. The thing is… I'm not sure the council's wrong. If vamps are causing trouble, they could make trouble for everyone in the supernatural community. Axel thinks I'm crazy, but I've been arguing to leave the water as it is and sell our blood to the council right now. We just need some safeguard against the council abusing our generosity or deciding we're too much trouble and replacing us with more agreeable werewolves.”

  I mulled over her words, I was surprised by what she was saying, but it made sense. More powerful vamps were only a problem if they were also crazy and wanted to hurt the pack. If they actually policed trouble makers, they could benefit everyone. “You need leverage,” I said. “Both to control how much blood you give and to whom you give it.”

  “There's no way the council would let us have so much input,” she said. “That's not how they operate.”

  “Which is why you need leverage. I'd really like to help with this, but I'd need a lot of information from you.” My heart leapt with excitement, the first time I'd felt truly excited about anything since my move to Denver.

  “I'd love your help. I'll do my best to get you whatever you need.”

  “I'd like a list of the skills and abilities of everyone in the pack, as well as what job they're already performing. I'd also like a list of any powerful, rich, or skilled allies the pack has. If any of those allies knows how to get dirt on council members, that would be even better.”

  “Okay.” Daisy was fussing on the other end, but Julie sounded excited. “I can get you that. It will take a few days, probably, will that work?”

  “That would be great. Thank you for letting me help.”

  “Thank you. We need all the help we can get at this point.”

  I let her go tend to Daisy and hung up. I could have sat back on the couch and watched television, vegged out, but I was too excited. I got online and started researching the public response to werewolves. We needed to know how much human support they had and figure out how to generate more. One thing the council didn't want to do was have humans turn on the supernatural. The wolves and vamps might be stronger, but they were still the minority. We could work to build the pack as a brand. The more support and love the pack gained, the harder
it would become for the council to abuse them or chase them off their land.

  I researched until I couldn't keep my eyes open, jotting down ideas as I worked. There was a lot of negativity and fear out there on the internet, but there was also a fair amount of love and fascination. There was enough to work with.

  Before I went to bed, I watched one of Zane's yoga videos, read through the comments, and analyzed the views and response he was getting. I jotted down ideas about how he could generate more love and attention.

  I laid in my couch bed feeling pretty happy with the work I'd done and excited about my ideas. I snuggled down under my warm blankets and closed my eyes, but my mind immediately went to Zane. I pictured him, as I'd seen him about a million times, in nothing but shorts contorting his beautiful body in yoga poses, and my body lit up like the fourth of July. I missed his hands on me, his body over mine, inside mine, but even more than that I missed his arms around me as I slept, missed his smile when he saw me in the morning, missed his sweet kisses as much as his hot ones. I sighed, flipped onto my stomach, and started counting sheep.

  ***

  Over the next couple of weeks, I went to work every day and learned my job. I made contacts with clients and made friends at the office. I discovered I really enjoyed certain aspects of the job, and I got more familiar with Denver and found some great restaurants and bars. I found a beautiful park not too far from the apartment and took up running to make up for all the hours I spent sitting at a desk. Gage and I had a quiet Thanksgiving of take-out and Christmas movies and we laughed so much I started to believe I was happy.

  I'd also been doing yoga from Zane's videos. I was calling it market research. How could I really know what would increase the popularity of the videos, unless I tried them myself? If I got unduly excited when I noticed he'd applied one of my ideas, I reminded myself Julie had passed it on to him like it was her idea. I wondered what he'd thought of my idea to talk to the viewers about being a werewolf and what it meant to him as a practitioner of yoga? I wondered if he'd balked or if he'd loved the idea. I couldn't tell from the way he spoke on the videos.