RAINI
”You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” I growled, tip-toeing into the grand lobby of the glass office where the wash of overhead conditioning hit me like a freight train.
Five months! That was how long I had been working at Giselle’s Fashion, And I was this close to sticking my head in the sewer pipes!
”Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” A woman’s sugary drawl had me tearing my lips from my teeth with trepidation and I turned to find that it was the impeccably dressed manager watching me with hawkish eyes.
Giselle Galloway was one of those plastic barbie dollies who based their entire personality around being the stuff of every man’s fantasies. Flaunting her luscious curves in her tight vomit-yellow gown that had some of the socialites swiveling to stare at her.
I was itching to tell her off before I caught the look on Trinity Fay’s ruddy face, my best friend from junior high.
The buxom redhead shook her head wildly to discourage my antics, her jade-green eyes swimming with fright.
Fine. Not today satan.
It was unnerving, the way everyone seemed to suck up to the botched surgery barbie, Giselle, when she wasn't the actual boss.
We all knew what she had done to get her position as manager. I had half the mind to cozy up to that sleazy bastard and get a fashion mall in my name too, after my lobotomy that is.
“Giselle! Didn't see you there! Sorry, I'm late-” I started in my sweetest voice, sounding more like a hungry pig than a somber employee.
It was obvious from the way Giselle’s neatly-plucked eyebrows shot up that I had surprised her.
I watched her large doe eyes roam over me disapprovingly and cranked my smile wider, crossing my fingers behind me as the murmur of the clients bumbling around rose louder.
The stiff lines on her face fell slack finally before she waved me off to the bling-lined isles and I let my smile fall, shuffling to the payout counter where my sister was settled with a wide grin.
The little shit had left me out to hang!
I’d found out the other day how she’d put me up for the billionaire’s soulmate draw, and I had not forgiven the gremlin for it yet, much to my mother's dismay.
I turned up my nose at River, trying to navigate the push of long-legged estate housewives and avoiding their piercing lizard gazes as I bagged their shiny jewels.
“One of these days suckers, I'm going to be up on that TV beside Zavier Cross,” Giselle announced proudly, looking up at the wide-set plasma television that was suspended above the isles where a muted version of the billionaire’s soul draw results was playing and I damn near choked on my spit, struggling to keep my eyes from twitching in their sockets.
“Say what now?”I murmured to Trinity, who had come up behind me, trying to cough through the cackle that scratched at my throat as I watched the raven-haired woman beside me.
She pointed a finger gun to her temple and let it rip, making me burst another giggle, which I stamped out when the blonde woman turned.
I wasn't looking to get backhanded.
“I'm not like the rest of you intellectual cripples, destined to live out your sad little lives in your dirty downtown cottages, I'm made for something bigger!” The blonde spoon of a woman chortled haughtily, and if I didn't know any better, I would have sworn I saw the hanger of Trinity’s shoulders sag.
Scarce before I had a chance to react, a woman shrieked loudly behind us and I damn near bolted out of my skin.
What was it with people screaming off their hats these days?
“Shit,” Trinity’s breathy gasp echoed dully in my ear as we watched the scene unfold and all eyes turned to the foyer.
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as I noted the ugly brown stain that ran along the woman’s ivory-white dress, The expensive kind that you couldn't get at the salvation army or the dollar store downtown, and the empty slushie cup clutched tightly in my sister's shaky hands.
”Miss Laverne! What is the meaning of this?” Giselle commanded in a tone that had the blood rushing through my head to pool in my ears as the slap of her heels on the black glass of tiles filled the air.
Shit! This was bad. Giselle Fashion's clients were the elite of society. Spilling coffee on one of the socialites was as much a recipe for disaster as putting me in a kitchen.
Goddammit, we didn’t need this now! Not when our mortgage on the house was due and Ma’s health insurance cheques kept bouncing!
“Can we all just calm down here?” I reasoned, shrugging off Trinity’s iron hand as I stepped up to the scene, unable to help the pang that twisted in my heart when I saw the wobble of my sister’s pink mouth.
”Are you okay?” I cooed to River, cupping her tear-streaked face in my hands and cutting off her stream of apologies after I had tucked her solidly behind me, facing the mammoth crowd that towered over us.
“That girl scalded me with her cheap drink! It's practically assault!” The woman who was now surrounded by other porcelain-faced elites screamed, spigots of her spittle raining on my face.
“She already apologized Frankenstein! What else do you want of the poor girl?” I snapped loudly, clamping my mouth shut when I realized what I had done.
“What did you just say to me? Worthless urchin! I'll teach you!” The woman thundered, and everything else seemed to happen in slow motion as I watched the meaty shaft of her hand shoot up to barrel toward me.
I squeezed my eyes shut as a strangled scream burst through my lips, throwing up my hands to defend myself before I heard the din of the crowd gasping.
Something had changed, I could feel it.
“M-Mr. Zaviar Cross! M-My! It's an honor to see you!” The woman sputtered, flushing a beet-root red and my eyes snapped open like a can of firecrackers, catching on the ringed fingers that had warped around the meat of her wrist.
I peered between my arms to find that the billionaire overlord from the advertisement was here! At Giselle’s fashion!
“Mrs. Spat, it would do you good to keep your hands well away from my wife.” The man rumbled in a deep baritone, and you could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed.
ZAVIER CROSSThe obese woman’s hand trembled from its lock in my iron grip as I hesitated, before shaking her loose and watching the broad jowls of her face puff and redden in embarrassment as she stumbled away.“M-my apologies Mr. Cross, I didn't realize...Dear God,” The woman wheezed, whipping her head back and forth between me and the lady before she trailed off, spasming as the estate wives rushed to catch her.I turned to see that the curly-haired girl with the razor tongue was watching me curiously, her green eyes meeting mine boldly.“You didn't have to do that,” The girl muttered blithely, much to my surprise as I stifled a derisive snort.Well, riddle me color blind! If I hadn't stepped in when I did, I had no doubt the round woman would have leveled her.I opened my mouth to respond to Raini’s less-than-enthusiastic greeting before a bright-eyed blonde woman cut me off.She was the leggy one I had seen prowling the grounds like a hungry lion looking to devour young, robust c
RAINI LAVERNE“What the fuck was that?” Giselle Galloway thundered as she whirled round to face me the second the billionaire stormed through the revolving glass doors of the fashion house, snapping me out of my reverie.I struggled to catch my breath, feeling the crimson heat creep up my cheeks as I felt the eyes of everyone in the store on me.Had I really won the billionaire’s soul search? The thought made my tongue floor about dryly in my mouth.“My resignation Giselle, effective immediately,” I grumbled, happy to realize I had managed to keep the tremor from showing in my voice as the people gathered around huffed dramatically.I wasn’t sure quitting was the best idea, but I couldn’t have just stood there and done jackshit when the Disney princess just fired my sister right in front of me.We were Lavernes, and my mother had always taught us to stick up for each other!“Raini! What are you-” Trinity Fay gasped, pinching me on my arm before I shrugged her off, a sliver of courage
RAINI LAVERNEI had tripped on the puffy umbrella-looking bodice of the red-jeweled gown when I finally settled in beside the striking man.“Hi,” I brayed, gritting my teeth and blowing off the choppy bangs of the hair my sister had butchered in her effort to make me look less like a grumpy nana and more like Cinderella.It had not worked, and now I was stuck looking like one of the botched science experiments from one of our nightly horror flicks.The dark-haired man only nodded, snatching up the menu with more grace than I could have imagined possible, and the impression of the long, ringed fingers he had curled around the purple plaque curled on the meat of my breasts rose unbidden in my mind.What the hell was wrong with me? Ugh! I shook my head imperceptibly, choosing to focus on the run of Italian words on the plaque instead of the non-too-gentle sway of the boat we were cruising on.I’d never had any foreign cuisine in my life, past the watery mimosas my mother made every now
RAINI LAVERNEI am fucking moving to the house of Zavier Cross, it is absurd how my life went from being remotely boring to moving to a mansion across town where I would probably get decapitated; I am not even joking.I choose to blame River, I still feel like strangling her to death or sucking her life out with a straw while she sleeps, but I think the latter will be more pleasurable to watch, my mum would probably be mortified and murder me afterward but that would be a worthy trade."I still feel this is the worst idea in the history of worst ideas ever," Trinity Fay muttered bitterly as she angrily shoved my clothes into my back, I am reconsidering inviting her to help me pack but how do I kindly tell her to go home without breaking her heart more than it already is."Don't listen to her," River interjected before I could reply to her, she wasn't helping me pack my clothes, just trying out my different shades of lipstick in front of my vanity mirror."She should listen to me becau
ZAVIER CROSSIt’s been fourteen hours, five minutes, and ten seconds since Trinity Fay and River have left me alone with Zavier Cross, but who is counting, I can't help but feel nervous as I pace around my enormous room. I glare around and wonder how I would survive the next 30 days living with this total stranger. A lot of thoughts rage in my mind, and my pessimistic attitude believes it will turn out really bad.As I pace around, the door opens and a young lady about my age enters the room. She introduces herself as Karla and tells me that Zavier has put her in charge of everything I would need. “ I will be the one who will cater for your every need, be here at your every beck and call even when you don’t need me, in other words, I will be the ultimate pain in your ass,”I can't help but chuckle. Karla has a wonderful sense of humor, and I soon warm up to her.We have a wonderful conversation, and I can't believe how funny and engaging she is. We joke and tease each other, and I st
POVII do not like being humiliated in front of anyone,especially because of some spineless celebrity wanna-be like Raini Laverne. "I need you to do something for me," I wasn't asking because I knew when I wanted something, I get it."I am sure you know whatever you want, I will give it to you, no question asked," Jason said, he was a muscular tall man with broad shoulders."I know that I do,"I walked majestically, close to where he stood, gazing at me and began touching his shirt, " I know you are one of the guards of Zavier Cross,"He let out a chuckle, "You women and how you are so infatuated by Zavier,"He dare called what I feel for Zavier an infatuation, I would have slapped Lucifer out of him, if not that I needed him."Well call it what you want, I know you are aware of his new TV wife,""Yes, Raini, she is hot,"This guy is really getting on my nerves but I won't bite."I want you to tell me everything she does when she is in the house, what is her relationship with Zavie
ZAVIER CROSSI walked into Raini's room and found her in a much better mood than I had left her in. It seemed like she had hit it off with Karla, which was a relief to me. I told her that we would be having dinner together and that she should get ready. I noticed her looking at me intently as if she was sizing me up. I could understand why, I mean, I was a stranger to her, a billionaire TV sensation that she had won in a contest."Hello, Raini," I say, giving her a smile.She looks up at me, a mix of apprehension and curiosity in her eyes. "Hi, Zavier. What's up?""I just wanted to let you know that we'll be having dinner together tonight," I say. "I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other a little better."Raini looks like she's about to protest, but then she seems to change her mind. "Okay, sure. What time?""Let's say seven o'clock," I say. "And feel free to wear whatever you're comfortable in. We're not exactly formal around here."Raini nods, looki
I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of something rustling outside my window. My senses were on high alert, and my heart was racing as I tried to identify the source of the noise. That's when I saw it- a shadowy figure lurking just outside the glass.Instinct took over, and I felt the transformation begin. My muscles contracted and expanded, and I felt my bones shifting and reshaping. My skin itched and burned as my fur sprouted, and my jaw elongated as my teeth sharpened.Within seconds, I had shifted completely into my black alpha wolf form. I felt my heightened senses kick in, my sense of smell and hearing becoming more acute. My vision changed as well, and everything took on a blue hue.I padded silently over to the window, my claws clicking softly on the floor. The shadowy figure outside was still there, but I could now see it more clearly. It was a person, standing just beyond the reach of the porch light.I growled low in my throat, warning the intruder to leave. B