Chapter 006

[Apple]

“Hi, Alpha Sterling,” I tried to sound cheerful, even though I felt like I  failed. “Can you please ask your Beta to pick me up at 7:30 instead? I don't want to sign anything...yet," I explain. "I just want to give it a try."

My heart is racing and I am unable to sleep as I process what I’m about to do tomorrow. What am I going to wear, how am I going to survive in a building full of apex predators. 

Staring at the clock across the room, I watch the minutes tick by slowly. 

Why does it feel that I’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire?

A brisk banging on the door jolts me awake. I don’t know when I fell asleep, but by the way, my eyes are burning, it couldn’t have been that long ago. 

“5:59” I groan as I peek through my swollen eyelids.

Maybe they’ll go away, or Hazel or one of her roommates will get it. 

BANG. BANG. BANG. “Ms. LeRoux!”  the doorframe rattles with the strength of his banging as he calls my name repeatedly.  

Falling off the couch with a thunk, I hurry to the door to open it before either my new roommates kill me or the neighbors call the cops. 

“Um, hello,” I open the door and find a handsome young werewolf with long blonde hair braided off of his face, warm brown eyes, and a genuine smile. 

“Ms. LeRoux?” His voice is a question, when I nod his smile widens. “I’m Beta Rudolph Forrester. I’m here to take you to work.” 

I turn around to look at the hanging clock. “I asked to be picked up at 7:30.” 

The young man standing on the front porch blushes at my state of undress and I remember stripping down to my bra and panties the night before, I cross my hands over my chest as he averts his eyes. 

 “I’m sorry, Luna,” he gulps. “But the Alpha overrode your request.”

A tendril of anger rises inside of me. He said I had time to think. He said I could negotiate my terms, but already on day one of our trial arrangement he is changing the rules! What was the point in having me arrange a later time with his Beta when he’s going to show up whenever he wants?

“Um,” I gesture toward the worn-down couch in the center of the living room. “Why don’t you come in and sit down while I grab something quick to eat and…”

“No time,” he grabs my hand and pulls me through the door. “We need to get going right now! We have so many stops to make before you’re ready and…”

“Hold up,” I snag my hand out of his grip. “Can’t I at least put something on first?” 

His face grows even redder as he averts his gaze to my toes. “You have 5 minutes, but then you need to be in the car.” His expression is still polite and friendly as he adds. “ I’ve been instructed to carry you out if necessary.” 

Not wanting to make a fuss, I do the best I can to throw on whatever I can find. 

Racing down the stairs and into the hall when I reach the entryway, the beta  is waiting there, his hands crossed over his chest. 

“Luna,” he nods, holding the door open for me. 

“Um, thank you,” I look sheepishly at the Beta Rudy whose face is unreadable as he leads the way to the car he has parked out front. It is a nice car, a fine black sedan polished to a shine, not unlike the one the Alpha had driven me home in the night before. 

When I reach to open the passenger side door, the Beta moves into place blocking me. 

“A Luna NEVER opens her own door,” he insists. “And she always sits in the back.” 

“That’s…” I’m about to protest when he shakes his head again. 

“That’s the way it is, Luna.” He opens the back door. Taking a deep breath, I try to adjust my thinking as I take my seat. This is all so new to me and werewolf culture is complicated. 

“Now please don’t take this the wrong way,” he takes a deep breath as we pull up to our next stop. “But we need to do something about the way you look. I can’t bring you into work looking inappropriate.  It will make both myself and the Alpha look negligent of your needs.”

Looking down at myself, I can see his point. I’m wearing borrowed clothing that is two sizes too big and my hair looks like it’s been through a tornado. This look wouldn't be appropriate even at my old job.

“Okay,” I agree meekly, my voice small. “I guess that’s okay.”

Smiling, he drives us to a more affluent part of town and stops in front of a tall, black building. 

As we step out of the car, we are greeted by a middle-aged witch with a bright streak of silver in her coal-black hair. She looks me up and down with a discerning eye, her lips tightly pinched.

Beta Rudy clasps his hands as he looks down at his watch.

“I’ll be back, Luna,” he apologizes, looking over his shoulder at the cold-eyed witch with the hyper-critical gaze. “I’ll have to make this next stop without you.”

"O...kay," I barely manage to say before he dashes off, leaving me alone with yet another strange supernatural. 

The salon owner grabs my arm and leads me to a room full of clothes, shoes, makeup, and accessories. In the time Beta Rudy is gone, I have undergone a complete transformation. Every part of me has been scraped, polished, shined, and perfumed.

I don’t feel at all like myself. I feel like some sort of impostor. 

“Are we ready to go," Beta Rudy peers in to see me fully dressed and nods, pleased. "Good. That's better. Let's go, the Alpha is waiting."

As we exit the salon, Rudy hands me a small gold bag.