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“You think it’ll be safe for me?” I hate to question his judgment, but after some of the stuff I’ve been through at the hands of underworlders, I’ve got to know.
His face turns serious. “I’ve thought a lot about that. I think it’ll be safer for you than anything else. The underworlders in this city are curious about you after the whole mess you got into last month. I think having you around where they can meet you, and quench their curiosity under my watchful eye, will help ease some of the tension and dispel the rumors. It’ll let people know that you’re really under my protection.” His smile turns wry. “Seems not many people believe I’ve claimed a human as clan.”
I snort. “I wonder why.” He’s only the first troll in history to claim a human.
Terrance raises his brows, waiting, so I nod. “Okay, sure. Why not?”
Terrance beams at me. “Thanks. Wulf could really use the help.”
“Wulf, the werewolf bartender?”
Terrance smirks. “Get your giggles out now, because he hates being asked about that.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Don’t you go starting any trouble in my club now, Trouble.”
I grin at the nickname. “No promises. You sure you want me there?”
Terrance tries not to laugh, but his lips twitch until he starts to chuckle. “Heaven help us all, but I really do.”
. . . . .
Underworld perfectly fits its name. It’s in one of the roughest parts of Detroit, in a large converted warehouse that’s surrounded by abandoned buildings. It has a reputation among the humans for being dangerous and run by gangsters. Gangsters, no. But dangerous? Hell, yes. To humans, especially. Because they don’t know that monsters exist and that they’re walking into their den when they come to this place. I’ll likely be the only human here most nights. Like Terrance said, a novelty.
We come in through a back entrance off the employee parking lot. It brings us down a dim hallway past a few offices where Terrance makes me fill out all the proper paperwork before dragging me out into the club. He may be an underworlder, but he’s still a law-abiding citizen. Underworlders don’t like to call attention to themselves. Not paying taxes or running illegal businesses in the city would definitely raise a few eyebrows in the human world.
After I’m an official Underworld employee, Terrance gives me a tour of the place. We’re early, so it’s not open yet. There are three different dance halls that each play different styles of music, but the main one is where I’ll be working with Wulf. (I’m to be by his side or Terrance’s at all times.) It’s a large room, with dance cages at the front on either side of the DJ stand. The room is black, with plush, red couches and chairs scattered around the dance floor. There are a few red booths, too, with black tables, but mostly the room is sparse, encouraging people to be out dancing.
Wulf is here early, getting things ready behind the long bar that spans the entire length of one wall in the room. He’s not the only bartender, of course, but he’s the manager of all of them. And he’ll be my trainer, since he’s the only guy in the joint Terrance trusts fully with my safety.
The ruggedly handsome man with the thick brown hair, light green eyes, a nice, deep tan, and a sexy five o’clock shadow smiles as we approach. “Ho! So your feisty little human decided to take you up on the offer,” he teases Terrance while shooting me a friendly wink. “This should make the nights more interesting. Welcome to Underworld, Nora.”
Wulf holds out a hand to me. I nod, opting not to shake hands. I don’t touch people skin to skin, if I can help it. It’s part of those psychic abilities I mentioned. I can read people’s minds. It’s really not as fun as you’d think, and I avoid doing it as much as possible.
“Make sure you keep a close eye on her.” Terrance scowls at Wulf in warning, then looks at me. “You okay here? I’ve got some stuff to do.”
I nod again. “I’m good. Go do your thing, T-Man.”
When Terrance disappears, I turn back to my new supervisor. The smile he gives me is all wolf. It’s toothy, shows his pointed canines, and screams predator. And it makes me laugh. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Wulf. Thanks for being willing to watch thefeisty little human’sback.”
“Eh.” He shrugs, but it’s a farce. “Things could stand to be a little livelier around here, and Terrance is right that you’ll be a big draw.” He eyes me from head to toe and shakes his head, huffing out a breath like I’m going to be trouble. I’m not dressed in anything spectacular—Terrance had me put on a black T-shirt and black yoga pants—but they’re form fitting and make my tall, slender frame look curvier than it really is. I also have long, shiny brunette hair, pouty lips, and haunting green eyes. I tend to get looks.
“Every underworlder from here to Chicago is going to want to buy you a drink and take you home.”
Unfortunately, he’s right. I have a natural allure about me. It’s got something to do with my weird powers, I think, but it’s more than just my decent looks. Men are drawn to me. Some worse than others. It gets dangerous. I’ve had some horrible experiences because of it, and now I don’t date. At all. Ever.
My anxiety kicks up, dissolving the playful atmosphere. I swallow hard as I look at Wulf, beseeching him with my eyes so that he knows how serious I am. “You’ll be able to keep me safe, right? Because menwillbe a problem for me.”
Wulf grows serious as well. From the storm in his eyes, I’m pretty sure Terrance has let him in on a little of my history. That’s okay. The more he knows, the more he’ll watch over me. I’m all for being a strong woman, but I’ll never turn down a knight in shining armor, either. He clenches his jaw and glares fiercely at nothing in particular. “Anyone who touches you will answer to me,” he growls. “And then Terrance will rip them to pieces.”
He means that literally. I’m also fairly certain that Terrance would not be alone in the ripping-people-apart category. If I had any question about Wulf’s alpha status as a werewolf, I don’t now. He’s so dominant that I’m shaking, and I don’t have an inner wolf. If I did, I think I’d be belly up at his feet right now.
“Okay.” I choke the word out. “Um, thanks.”
Wulf takes a breath, and the glow of the animal in his eyes dims. “Just stick close to me, never sample the merchandise, and we should be fine. I mean that last part. We serve underworlder drinks here. Most of them would have severe consequences for humans.”
“No worries. I don’t even drink human alcohol. I’ve been through too much shit in my life to ever want my judgment impaired.”
