"Do you know what a strip club is, Roel?" Rosette asked, her voice a mix of amusement and concern.
"No, Luna," he said, scanning the dimly lit parking lot and low dingy building, his gaze a mix of curiosity and apprehension."It's a place where human women dance in little to no clothing. They are supposed to just dance, but in some places the women have sex with men for money. This place is like that. The women in here will approach you to see if you want to see them dance or have sex," Rosette told him, her voice a mix of explanation and warning."What should I say?" he asked, his voice a mix of nervousness and curiosity."I'm guessing Cindy may be a dancer. Tell them you want a dance from her. We'll see where that gets us," Rosette answered, her voice a mix of confidence and determination.She'd forgotten about the wires Roel and she were wearing. She heard Kyle's sultry voice invade her mind.'How exactly do you know about these types of clubs?' he aRosette pulled the truck into a shadowy alley, her gaze fixed on the van parked further down, where Kyle, her steadfast companion, awaited her. Roel, ever the impulsive one, had already bolted towards the van, his steps a blur of frantic energy. He reached the van in a flash, his knees hitting the pavement as he threw himself at Kyle's feet, his voice a desperate plea for mercy. Rosette's heart ached for the big man, who had endured a torrent of hardship and sorrow.By the time Rosette reached them, Roel was still kneeling, his head bowed, his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. Her gaze fell upon his face, etched with a mixture of despair and desperation, and a pang of sympathy shot through her. His eyes, normally filled with a spark of life, were now dull and lifeless, reflecting the depths of his anguish. When he finally turned towards Rosette, his voice choked with emotion, the sight of his brokenness shattered her own composure."Please, Rosette," he pleaded, his
Rosette and Kyle remained parked, their van a silent observer to the unfolding scene. Jupiter, her voice laced with frustration, spoke, "Well, I'm not strong like you. I can't go work construction. There are only so many jobs I can get that pay cash under the table," she huffed. "I want to earn my keep, too.""Speaking of," one of the males said, his voice a casual drawl, "there's a guy promised us one hundred cash each to come and work the graveyard shift for him on the new road construction. We took the offer. It'll make a long day, but we need the money.""You just got home," Juniper said plaintively, her voice edged with concern, "and you look exhausted. Can't you just not go tonight. I'll work an extra couple of shifts at the club and make up for it.""Sorry, sis," another voice said, his tone laced with a hint of resignation, "it's hard to find work with the packs cracking down. We'll be home by dawn. Just lock the door and be safe, okay? Don't let anyone in."
Rosette delved into Kyle's mind, witnessing his internal struggle. These kids had fled a horrific tragedy, and he had no desire to harm them in the first place. The fact that one of them was destined to be mated to a member of his pack made him even less inclined to cause them any pain.However, Kyle didn't want to risk endangering the pack by welcoming unpredictable renegades."Emily," Rosette said softly, "please remember protocol. We don't know these boys. Apologize for interrupting your Alpha.""I'm sorry, Alpha Luther," Emily said, "please don't hurt him. You have to understand, I need him. Please, let me keep him."Kyle ran a hand through his hair and addressed Rosette through their bond.'We shouldn't hurt a pack member's pre-determined mate. If these boys are who I think they are, I'm letting them stay as full members. We've got the cameras in the den now. We could literally watch everything they did. Do you agree with me?' he asked.'I don't sense these are dangerous renegade
"We don't want to harm her," Kyle said, "I would like to question her, though. Can you tell us where she went? We were watching your trailer. One of your neighbors alerted her we were nearby, and she ran.""No, sir, I don't know where she went," the boy said shaking his head."Keep looking for the girl," Kyle ordered Ethan. "Absolutely no harm is to come to her in our care.""Yes sir, Alpha Luther, we'll keep on it," Ethan said, striding out of the room."Tell me your names," Kyle demanded."Joseph," the boy said and then pointed to the other boys introducing them as Brett, Michael, and Rick."You are the acting Alpha in your pack, Joseph?" Kyle asked."Yes, sir, I guess I am," the boy nodded."I would like to do this right. We will meet in the circle, and we will battle. When I win, I lay claim to all of you," Kyle said, "including the female.""And what if I win?" Joseph asked, puffing out his chest.The Betas in the room all snickered a little."You've never fought a true Alpha, ki
Rosette snuggled with Kyle and thought about Roel. Part of her hoped he really had found a mate, and part of her hoped he hadn't. It was going to be hard either way.The healer was at their door the next morning with the glass from the strip joint."No spells," she guaranteed them, "although they might want to invest in a dishwasher. I don't think this thing has ever really been cleaned."Rosette balked, thinking she had drank out of a glass just like that one."You have a superior immune system now, love," Kyle reminded her when he caught the look on her face.Kyle and Rosette went to the security center and watched the videos from overnight. Brett had stayed with Emily's family. He had not left their quarters, no surprise there. Joseph and the others stayed in a room for unmated wolves. One of them had been out checking out a different part of the den all night."The only thing they did that was questionable was take a bunch of food from the kitchen," the security chief told them. "
Rosette and the boys talked for a while after they got off the phone. During the light conversation, she noticed Rick's stutter had returned with a vengeance; it had almost disappeared this morning. She wondered about it, but didn't ask for fear it would embarrass him. After the meeting, she took Rick and headed for the infirmary while Kyle dealt with things upstairs. Rosette wasn't wrong about Rick. He had a sixth sense about dealing with people. He was an excellent listener and knew how to speak to people that had been hurt. As the days passed, Rosette came to trust Rick completely with the injured women. He spent most days watching over them. It was a big relief for her not to worry over whether they were with someone that would scare them. Rick listened to the survivors; they told him all their stories. It was like they'd known him their entire lives. His capacity to really appreciate someone's position was awe-inspiring. Rosette knew he must be counselin
The boys explained Dee was a human. She had been burglarizing a fifth-story condo and fallen. She caught herself, but her grip was slipping. They had been in the alley below, and Juniper had begged them to help. Joseph climbed the building and lowered her to safety."You told her you were werewolves?!" Rosette accused, getting irritated along with her mate."No, ma'm," Rick said, "she knew what we were. Dee knows all about things she shouldn't know about: werewolves, magic, just about anything. She taught us a lot about how to survive. We helped her steal for about a couple of years, and then Joseph said we should stop. He thought it wasn't a good way to earn money."Kyle and Rosette both commended Joseph on his good judgment. Stealing was certainly a bad way to make a living. It was nice to see that when he was Alpha, he had his pack's best interest at heart."She's gone straight now, I've heard," Brett told them. "She came into some money and bought a semi-truc
Rosette followed Kyle toward the back of the rig. Dee undid the locks and levers and threw the doors open. None of the warriors or security people got in front of the doors when they were opened. They waited for instructions.Rosette pushed into her mate's mind and felt his discomfort with this situation. Some deep instinct told him to be cautious, that there was danger very near. Softly, she told him she felt the same way.Dee stood looking at them and pointed into the truck."Your shit's in there," she said. "Get it the fuck out. I'm not touching it anymore.""Hell of a mouth you've got, Dee," Will said, passing in front of the open doors and walking toward her.She backed away from him and the truck. "I got his word," she said, pointing at Kyle, "I get to leave. Don't touch me."A warm breeze came through the trees and pushed into the trailer. The wind billowed back out at them, and they gagged as a group. Rotten, putrid flesh assaulted their senses.