by Leela Ash
The greatest physical connection she had ever shared with a man in her life, and he just simply dismissed her. Left her for the birds. Not worth his time or attention or even a hug afterward. He was an asshole. Pure and simple. And she hoped that she wouldn’t have to encounter him today. He knew he could come as he wished, and do as they had agreed upon and he would receive his salary. They didn’t have a whole lot to talk about anymore.
But she did want to start looking into other contracting companies. Maybe get rid of him.
Unfortunately, she knew that if she did so, she would be breaking their contract. He hadn’t technically done anything that made his services valueless. He had worked hard, done good work, and left her house better and better every time he left himself. But he had just about broken her heart. That had to count for something. And she would find someone out there who would help her get the work done that she needed without feeling like she had destroyed herself morally to do so. And she would do it not only for herself, but for her son.
Ella sighed, grabbing Mikey out of his highchair and heading to the car. She glanced up at the roof, hardly surprised to see Luke standing up there, his broad body silhouetted in the sun. She could feel him watching them as she loaded her son into his car seat, and wished that she didn’t feel so intrigued by this asshole’s attention. What the hell did he want from her? And why did she wish so badly for things to be better between them? He had already shown her what he was made of. She couldn’t let herself wallow in false hopes another second longer.
And so, away she drove, from her house and the man she had entrusted to help her build it up to its full potential, feeling more discouraged and ashamed of herself than ever before.
12.
Luke watched Ella and her son go, disheartened. He had heard every word of the conversation that she’d had with Mr. Grier, and it had made him livid. The wolf wanted nothing more than to shapeshift right there and then, jump off the roof, and tear the piece of shit a new asshole.
Instead of risking being seen however, he climbed steadily from the roof using his ladder, pacing himself because he knew if he was too rash and impulsive about it, he would live to regret it. The last thing he needed to do was fuck things up more than he already had with Ella. He would be on his best behavior.
He cringed inwardly, remembering their tryst, and the way he had dismissed her afterward as if he were some cruel fuckboy. He had never imagined he might treat a woman that way, and he knew if his mother had known about it, she would be so very ashamed of him. Hell, he was extremely ashamed of himself. But how could he possibly make it up to her? In the moment, he had felt like that was what had needed to be done. But as time went on and the ice between the two of them just seemed to grow colder, he realized he was gut-wrenched over it. He hadn’t wanted to make things more distant with her. He had wanted to be closer. That had been the whole fucking point. And now what was he doing? Making that all but impossible too. And now he had probably wrecked his chances with her forever. What the fuck was he supposed to do about it now?
Well, for starters, he could find more out about this Grier character. He had been meaning to look into the strange loans that bank was giving out, and he had a feeling that he knew exactly who was behind all of this. Today, he had a lead, and he wasn’t going to let that piece of shit get away with hurting Ella. Not when he had already hurt her enough. Not when that was the last thing she ever might deserve from either one of them. No, he would do his best to protect her, even if everything between them would stay fucked up for the rest of their lives. He owed her that much.
With the new goal in mind, Luke headed to the Town Square, where all the old shifter gatherings had once commenced. He could remember being a young child, excited always to be summoned there for important council business. That was, until the outsiders had infiltrated. He had been a young man forced to endure the brutal, bloodthirsty event known as the virgin auction, and watched in horror as human women were paraded out in front of him as a man who was attempting to steal the throne from the wolf shifter clan’s leader.
The day had been saved, fortunately, at the time, but it had been quite a horrific memory for all those involved. Especially somebody who had been as young as Luke had been at the time. It was that night his father had come home discouraged about the direction the council was taking. Telling his wife about how being an elder was not quite the same as it used to be, and he was concerned.
But the old man had kept his concerns mostly to himself. It had been his way to suffer in silence until he knew the best course of action to take to protect all those he cared about most. He didn’t want his family to worry needlessly. He didn’t want them to worry until he knew that something could be done. Until he knew the problem had a name and he had an idea of how to solve it. He was a wise man. A man of thought. And he had sired a man of action.
Luke knew all too well who was responsible for all the ills in the town. He knew that this was no coincidence, and that there would always be something dangerous and difficult in encountering it. And for Ella, he was prepared to face those dangers head on. He knew there was a deeper plot behind all of this. But like his father, he couldn’t speak out until he had the proof. And maybe, ultimately, the support of his pack.
But those days were over now. There was no pack for him. No support. He could only work quietly from his place in the shadows, trying not to wish he could still have the support of the community he had once relied on. They had all become increasingly desensitized. Lost sight of the way things had once been and how corrupt they had become. They wouldn’t believe any of it because they were comfortable enough that it didn’t matter to them, either way, who was in power. They didn’t see how they might be hurt.
If their town was lost to the outsiders, it would be an incredibly dangerous thing. The land they perched upon was sacred, and housed much potential for shifter magic. There was magic here. And it was theirs. If the outsiders got their hands on it, it could ultimately become corrupted. The whole place could be corrupted. His powers as a wolf shifter could even potentially fade. He couldn’t allow it.
But nobody gave a shit. Nobody believed him. He was alone in this. He would have to deal with it alone or just let it all go. And he couldn’t let it all go. Not when there was so much at stake. Not when they were even managing to hurt innocent, beautiful people like Ella. Her young son. No, enough was enough. Whatever they were up to, he was going to put a stop to it.
When he walked past the old stage, where the auction had taken place so long ago, a sudden feeling of foreboding washed over him. He turned just in time to see a fist flying at his face. He dodged the attack, but just barely, and jumped backward, snarling.
“What the fuck!?”
“You know you’re not welcome in these parts, scum.”
The voice was oddly familiar, and Luke furrowed his brow, attempting to remember where he had heard it before. “Alan?”
The man was old now. Nearly feeble. His gaunt features seemed even more pointed and pronounced now with age, and Alan scowled darkly at Luke.
“You leave this place. You and your father are traitors. You do not deserve to desecrate the holy area that our once proud society stood upon!”
Luke raised his brow, his fury more a deep, bubbling annoyance now. The man was a pest. A useless, harmless pest. He was smart though. Crafty and tricky like the outsiders. That meant trouble.
“If your values were so great, they would still be standing,” Luke spat. “My father and I tried to protect this place. But nobody would listen to us. And now look at it! We can’t even shapeshift in broad daylight. People don’t even believe in shifters anymore. We are invisible. We are no longer making a home for ourselves in the world. We are making enemies and becoming suspicious of humans, treating them like garbage. As if they do nothing of value and only want to steal our secrets. When the only ones attempting to steal our secrets are the outsiders who are claiming that humans are garbage in the first place! I won�
��t abide by it, and I will fight, even if I am the last man standing to fight. Even if I die trying.”
Alan listened to the speech, twitching anxiously. He was clearly neither amused nor convinced. “You have no right to be here, scum,” he repeated. His voice lacked the venom it once had. He was broken somehow. Damaged. Whether by the years or something else. There was something strange about him now. Luke didn’t like it. His whole energy was off.
“Look Alan, I don’t know what I can do to try and convince you, and everyone else, that there is disaster surrounding us. I can’t change your minds. I can only hope to stop this all before it’s too late.”
Alan shook his head and raised a fist feebly, as if he was going to try to attempt another blow.
“If you swing at me again, I will end you,” Luke cautioned as calmly as he could manage. “I’m going now.”
“Good. You are not welcome here, scum.”
Luke gritted his teeth. The outsiders had probably gotten to Alan somehow too. He had always been a weak-willed little man. Bitter and pessimistic. Of course, the allure of power promised to him by the outsiders would be tempting.
“Have a good one,” Luke replied cheerfully.
He headed out on his way. He knew exactly where he wanted to go next. He wasn’t going to let another asshole get away with a damn thing.
“I need to speak to Grier,” Luke demanded, slamming the heavy wooden doors to the bank open. He stepped inside menacingly, daring them to deny him the chance to speak with him personally.
“Of course,” Grier said, smirking as he stepped out from his office. He beckoned Luke toward him. “Step inside and we can have a great chat. There is really no need to manhandle my employees. They really have done nothing to deserve that.”
Luke gritted his teeth, casting a glance to the three young people behind the counter. They were all gaping at him. Two were human, one was a wolf shifter who had a really bad energy.
“All right, we can pretend to be civilized. For their sake.” He nodded toward the two humans, and the third wolf shifter sneered. He knew exactly what Luke meant.
“Very well. Would you like a loan? What can I help you with today?”
“Like hell I want a loan from you,” Luke snarled, stepping into the office and doing everything he could to keep from grabbing the slime ball by the lapel of his jacket and bullying him into the corner. He could easily overpower the man. But he had a strong, ungainly scent. The scent of a hybrid. He was definitely one of the corrupted.
“Then please, tell me. What is the meaning of this? Sit down. Would you like a glass of water? Perhaps it will soothe your foul mood. I swear, some people of your class are so uncivilized at times. But it is to be expected of the lower rung….”
Luke’s brow shot skyward. “My class? Lower rung? You really are full of yourself, you piece of fucking shit. I want to know what’s going on. Why are you giving these loans out so easily? What’s your fucking game here, Grier?”
Mr. Grier chuckled. “And paranoid. Don’t forget paranoid. I swear….”
“Playing dumb might work with the rest of my pack,” Luke growled. “But it won’t get you anywhere with me. Tell me what the hell you’re up to before I really start to lose my temper.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t recommend doing anything rash in a civilized place of business, Mr….?”
“Mr. none of your damn business, that’s who,” Luke snapped.
“Well, whoever you are, I think you understand the gravity of the situation here,” Mr. Grier said, smiling sadistically. “Your kind are vastly outnumbered. The goody-goods have all but fallen in line and are taking orders from those you seem to fear the most. Oh, yes, Lucas. I know all about you, and your father too. You poor fellows seemed to think you had a chance to resist. But nobody wants to. Isn’t it marvelous? And soon, we will have all the land of this disgusting little town. It will all be ours in a legally binding contract. When the loans we give out default and we take the houses back, the acres and acres of land these unwitting fools are investing in….” Grier cackled and something in Luke snapped.
He lunged at the man, his hands grasping for the lapels of Grier’s jacket.
“You will never get away with this. Do you understand me?” he growled. It took all he had not to let the wolf out right then and there, but the irritating little asshole had a point. He was outnumbered here. And taking on a bear shifter hybrid by himself on the enemy’s turf was incredibly ill-advised. There was no guarantee he would survive it if he tried anything. But he wanted the man to know just how deathly serious he was. He was going to come up with something. A plan. Maybe he would try to appeal to the pack again to help him out. Maybe this time they would listen.
No, they would just call him a conspiracy theorist again. Luke gave Grier a menacing shake and the man flinched slightly, but smirked to try to cover his fear. Luke couldn’t turn to the pack. Not again. He refuse to go through that again. He had no choice. He was going to have to take matters into his own hands. Even if it meant he didn’t survive.
13.
Ella sighed heavily, standing up straight and wiping the sweat off her forehead. Why was she feeling so damn winded lately? Was she getting sick? Something had been going around the daycare, but she had thought her son had managed to avoid it. Was it possible he had simply become a carrier for it and infected her instead?
She glanced over to Mikey, who was scribbling pleasantly with some fat crayons and a coloring book. He was smiling in such a carefree way that it almost made her feel guilty to suspect him of getting her sick. But there wasn’t anything else to explain it. She’d been nauseated. Her stomach hurt. Her head hurt. She had been getting so, so tired. Maybe she was just overworking herself. She could use a break. A break from housework, a break from responsibility, a break from everything.
But no, that was not possible and never would be. She couldn’t just abandon her son to go gallivanting who knew where, to do who knew what, just to try and destress herself. If she wanted to destress, she could do a meditation in the morning or while Mikey was at daycare. She wasn’t going to abandon her son. And her responsibilities. She needed to finish the house. Flip it and pay off the loan. She would sell it. She would have to if she didn’t want the bank to foreclose on all of her property. According to them, everything she did was pointless. Every agreement they made still left her in the hole. And no matter how infuriating it was, there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She had signed the contract. It had been her own mistake that had gotten her into this mess. That’s what she got for trusting people.
Another pang of nausea surged through her when Luke popped into her head. Yeah, no point in trusting people. She hadn’t seen him around since the day he had appeared randomly on her roof. And although she had felt his eyes boring through her as she drove away, he still hadn’t spoken a word to her. He came and went like a ghost, leaving her feeling worse and worse, especially when the work he did turned out remarkably well. He was a talented man, there was no denying it. She just wished he hadn’t acted that way. That he would talk to her….
Ugh, but she was pathetic for wanting that so much, wasn’t she? Shouldn’t she be telling him off and setting an example for her kid? That people who use and abuse you aren’t worth the time of day once they are done discarding you?
But Mikey didn’t know what had happened between them. That had been a private affair. And she had vowed to herself not to doubt herself. Even if that meant giving a piece of shit a second chance. She needed to talk to him. She felt connected to him now, somehow. Whether she liked it or not. She didn’t have to be pathetic about it. It was just an adult conversation. She could go up to a man and say, ‘hey, I want to know why you did what you did and said what you said and why you don’t think that I am worth talking to anymore after that.’ She could ask him if he had lost respect for her. If she had given in too easily. If he thought she was some kind of woman with loose morals.
And if he did think so, she could t
ell him off for it. Tell him that she had been fighting her feelings and it hadn’t meant anything to her either. That if he hadn’t apologized and distanced himself, she would have been the one to do so because there was no call for her to be having flings with men when she had a young son at home who needed stability and a mother to devote all of her attention and resources to him. She didn’t have the time to go messing around, especially not with people who were just going to use her and leave her out to dry. No, that was never going to be okay. And the more she thought about it the angrier she became. Nobody deserved to have something like that happen to them. She had been more than kind to him. She’d fed him. Driven him home. And what did he do to her? Gratify himself and then leave her without another word except to tell her that it was a mistake.
That hurt. It really did. She couldn’t pretend that it hadn’t. How was she supposed to act like it hadn’t happened? It had been the single most incredible connection she had ever felt with another person in her life, and he had acted like she was just a pain in the ass. Nothing worth holding on to. Displaced. Rejected.
Whatever. She would confront him.
Another stomach cramp made Ella wince. She would confront him once she was starting to feel a little bit better.
For now, she had work to do. Whether she felt up to it or not.
The phone rang suddenly, and Ella answered, fighting back a pang of nausea. What was going on with her? What if Michael hadn’t gotten her sick after all? What if she got him sick? That wouldn’t be good. She was going to have to be careful.
“Hello?” Ella asked uncertainly.
“Ella, hello. This is Jasmine from Shifter Floral. I had an offer for you.”
Ella furrowed her brow. “What sort of an offer?”
“Well, we don’t need full-time help but there is a contract I would love if you could take care of. A campaign. It wouldn’t last very long but I thought since you wanted an opportunity to work at home, we could arrange that for you.”