The Luthers’ celebration soared as more pack members returned from the grid, and my devastation swelled in tandem with their joy.
I was aware what this win meant to them.
To Sascha.
Even so, I couldn’t sit here and be happy while knowing what the tribe currently felt.
Booker. Want to get out of here?
If there’s one thing my anti-social companion could be depended on, it was leaving others behind.
Thought you’d never ask.
5
I dabbed shimmer on my lids over the rose-gold shadow. Gathering my hair in a high pony, I pulled some tendrils free to frame my face.
The uniform was laid out on Sascha’s bed.
If Leroy hadn’t specified that women designed this, I’d assume male alphas absolutely had a hand in it.
The tight, short jumpsuit was made of satin. While the top half plunged at the back, the front was high and collared. I wiggled into the thing, working the suit over my hips.
Yikes. Would this zip up?
“Need a hand?” Sascha entered the room.
I swear he listened for sounds of me changing and happened to appear.
I eyed the biggest obstacle to success. My boobs. “Yes, please.”
He crossed the room at Luther speed, hands reaching for the zipper situated low on my stomach. Christmas had come for Sascha Greyson.
I sucked in as he drew the zipper up over my belly button and waist.
The zipper stopped beneath my boobs.
“Hold on.” I held the ends of the jumpsuit over my breasts.
Air lodged in his throat. “Cleavage.”
“The zipper, Sascha.” I tucked away my grin.
Blinking several times, the Luther drew the zipper up to the base of my neck. His hand lingered there, the other curling around my waist.
“Suddenly, I’m looking forward to work tonight,” he murmured.
I tugged the suit down. “I feel like my butt is half out.”
He circled behind me and swore. “There wasn’t a bigger size?”
“I don’t know. Leroy gave it to me.”
“Never let an alpha pick out your clothes—either gender.” Sascha grabbed the red tie and clipped it into place, folding my collar down over the top. “Each time I think you couldn’t be sexier, you prove me wrong.”
I broke our burning stare. “Don’t you smoulder at me. I’ll be late.”
He hooked my waist and drew me back against his body. I shivered as he moved his mouth to my ear. “Guess what. I’m the boss. You can be five minutes late. Plus, I’m taking you there.”
Oh… “I thought I could just drive.”
“Nonsense. I’m going. You’re going. We might as well share a car, and I don’t fit so well in yours.”
Had I ever seen Sascha in a car? “What do you drive?”
My continued axe-swinging lumberjack fantasy associated Sascha with a rundown pickup truck.
“Just an old pickup truck,” he answered.
Knew it.
He changed into a crisp, black suit, and I grabbed my purse.
We walked outside to a faded blue truck. The leather seats were torn. Only the driver seat was spared from the layer of dust coating the dash and passenger seat.
“Shoot. Hold on.” He reached into the back and spread a blanket over the passenger seat.
“Thanks.” I hoisted myself inside. “Sascha, I can feel you looking at my ass.”
“Forgive me, mate.”
I grinned. He was so full of shit.
We rumbled out of pack lands and drove along the south side river road.
“I’ve been meaning to ask how you are after the Sandstone turnover,” he said.
I rubbed my arm. “I mean, one of us has to lose.”
The thought made me frown as obvious as it was.
One of us would lose.
“You shifted and left.” He glanced my way. “Was our reaction too much?”
“The pack deserves happiness too. I know that.”
“I’m just aware this is a difficult adjustment.”
Adjustment. There was that word again.
I nodded. “Being on pack lands while the tribe played Grids was harder than expected. Harder still because they lost.”
My answer saddened him.
“Is there anything else worrying you? You’ve seemed distant today.”
“Just stressed about my stewards and how they’re coping.” I focused out of the window.
“Of course. It would be unreasonable to expect otherwise. Thank you for trying with the pack regardless.”
Me doing so overjoyed and relieved him big time. “I won’t stop trying. But I’m starting to wonder if I’ll settle in as things are.”
“Give it more time,” he said low.
I inhaled his sharp spike of desperation and my chest tightened. “I will, Sascha. Just thinking aloud. Don’t worry about it.”
His borderline panic didn’t abate, and I shut my mouth for the rest of the drive.
We crossed the bridge into town.
Main Street was packed with people decked in their gambling finery. Jewels flashed and laughter rang out. Sascha drove up the hill, turning in behind The Dens.
He parked and killed the engine.
We sat in the dark.
I grabbed the handle. “See you later.”
“Please don’t feel so sad and alone, beautiful wolf. We’ll figure this out.”
I opened my mouth to answer but my words scuttled off into the night. I closed the door without replying and entered the back door of the club.
The Dens had a hypnotic, erotic vibe that pulled patrons from hours away. The deep thrum of the deejay’s music worked its way into me, loosening some of the darkness gripping me.
“Seen Leroy?” I asked Grim.
He jerked his head. “Back room.”
I found the alpha working the exchange counters. “Who am I tagging today?”
“Andie, hey,” he said. “Lisa’s holding down the roulette fort. She’ll mentor you.” He dug around under the desk and passed me a trainee badge.
“Anything in particular you want me to do?” I pinned the badge to my jumpsuit.
“Watch Lisa work. We’ll catch up later to see where you’re at. I’d like you to spend time working the table under her supervision either tomorrow or Saturday.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose and the elastic sensation under my ribs confirmed Sascha was somewhere behind me. “Sure.”
Without looking back, I entered the casino.
Money-green felt coated every playing surface in the huge space. Bright neon lights flashed from the slot machines. An excited bustle filled the air, punctuated with groaning exclamations as someone lost.
I’d hated these places for as long as my memory stretched back. Shoving away unwelcome thoughts of Ragna, I weaved between the drinking patrons towards the roulette table.
Four people already played.
Lisa greeted me as I took up position behind her. She set the roulette wheel moving anti-clockwise and spun the ball clockwise around the top edge.
I checked out the four non-value chips laid out above the wheel. Brown, blue, grey, and burgundy were in play. Lisa had set the denomination on top of each of the four chips to help her remember each person’s bet. Burgundy was playing at twenty dollars a pop. Rich guy.