Seven

Kian

My eyes focused on my reflection in the grubby, mottled mirror, ignoring the dark clumps of hair that fell to the floor like feathers from a plucked turkey. The noisy vibration absorbed through my skull each time Lexi dragged the clippers over my scalp.

When she was done, I ran my hand over the millimeter-long stubble, feeling the coarse texture against my palm. The boy staring back at me was skinny and gaunt, like some sick kid in the hospital who only had months left to live.

"You look bad-ass," Lexi complimented.

I eyed her with intrigue, trying to work her out.

"Thanks," I replied, unsure how best to respond to her comment.

She met my gaze in the mirror and smirked. "What?" She pressed me for an answer, seeming wise to my silent analysis. "Just come out and say whatever it is you want to say, little bear. Don't be shy because it doesn't suit you." She placed a hand on her cocked-out hip, delivering a bucket-load of sass.

"Little bear?" I scrunch my face, highly offended. "Thanks a lot," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

She chuckled, squeezing both of my shoulders and shaking them gently. "If you don't like that, then you gotta choose a Cage name," she chorused playfully.

I dusted the itchy strands of hair off the back of my neck. "Just call me Kian. I don't want a stupid nickname," I growled moodily.

She raised her brows, her face lighting up with amusement. "I like you." She wagged her finger at me. "So, tell me. What were you thinking about just then? You know us wolves can smell a lie, right?" Her glossy red lips curled up over her teeth in a shit-eating grin.

So, Lexi was a wolf, huh? That explains the “little bear” mockery. My kind would've referred to me as a cub, the same as the kids in the fox and the cat community. A young wolf is referred to as a pup. It was only members of the wolf community that liked to poke fun with comments like that.

Lexi had a likability about her that made our conversation flow easily. I decided to come clean with my thoughts, knowing she would call me out on any bullshit if the tables were turned.

"You seem nice enough," I admitted. "You dress like the other girls here, but you don't act the same way." My eyes narrowed as I continued to study her expression.

I saw a flicker of truth as her pupils expanded, and the smile she held on her lips appeared too heavy as it faltered.

"You don't belong here," I continued. "You're here either because of a bad choice you made or because you feel obligated to that asshole, Chance. Who, by the way, doesn't deserve you," I mentioned with a jerk of my head in his direction.

She saw the same thing as me. Him dragging his eyes across every female he passed. Her brows dimpled in the middle at that revelation, as if I were scratching too close to the bone. She swallowed hard, then licked her lips anxiously.

"You're right. He is an asshole." She rolled her eyes with a bitter edge to her voice. "But one who helps pay my bills and keeps the Reaper Cartel off my back."

That name ought to spark the fear of God in anyone and everyone. The Reaper was a foreign species of shifter whose kind wasn't much welcome here at Whitehaven. The guy was a reptile, cold-hearted, and merciless. And I'm not kidding either. He was a gator, and a big fucker too. He hid under the radar of the Alpha dog, Alec White, in the underbelly of Lakewell. It wasn't only this place he had a scaly hand in. It was guns, drugs, and prostitutes. His name wasn't above the door of the casinos and strip clubs, but the guys who ran those types of places were all on his payroll.

"Ain't wolves supposed to be loaded?" I asked out of sheer curiosity. Everybody talked about Whitevale as if the streets were paved with gold. There wasn't a wolf born there who didn't have less than a six-figure bank balance.

Lexi almost laughed out loud, rearing her head back. "Oh man, if only that were the truth." She pinched the corners of her eyes. "Nobody walks away from the Reaper Cartel unless he says so. My disobedience cost me a place in my pack. I let my beta and his mate leave town with their newborn daughter. When my Alpha found out what I'd done, he almost tore out my throat. It was my aunt Agatha who got him to spare my life. He gave me a head start, and I've been hiding here ever since. All my assets were frozen the second I left Whitevale. When you're flat broke and desperate, you'll agree to almost anything to keep the dog off your back." Lexi shuddered. "Trust me, the Reaper is a picnic compared to the Alpha."

I felt bad for Lexi. Finding a half-decent girl with a good heart in a place like this was like finding a diamond in a box full of shattered glass. At first glance, they all looked the same, but when held up to the light, you could truly see their worth.

"You're worth a million of the trash in this dump," I told her, figuring she could sense the integrity behind my words. "If I were you, I'd cut and run the first chance you get."

Moisture filled her eyes like lagoons. It wasn’t that she was sad, more like she was too darn proud to admit that I was right. This wasn't who she wanted to be, and rightly so. The bottle blonde, slutty clothing, and heavy makeup were all a mask to hide the real version of herself. One way or another, we all hid behind a vizard to guard ourselves. Even at ten years old, I wore mine well.