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“Like I just said—”
“We gave you that expensive makeup shit you wanted,” he cut in. “We got you a damn dress off a mannequin from fucking Saks.”
Rick whistled. “Wasn’t cheap, Macy.”
“Wasn’t cheapat all, and now you’re standing here telling me that it’s still not good enough for you?” He shook his head. “You’re as useless as your mother.”
That stung me right down to my muscles. I bowed my head toward the mirror as penance and tried not to take it personally. Sweat dotted my upper back and wept from under my arms, making me feel gross in the poorly air-conditioned room.
More tears attempted to make their way to the surface. I smoothed my hands over the dress, trying to appreciate the quality even as I felt like a horribly made princess caricature. “I’m sorry, Alpha.”
“Sorry isn’t good enough when I’ve been taking care of you your whole damn life, Macy.”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done, Alpha.”
He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Are you sure about that? Because right now, I don’t see you acting appreciative. I just see you acting like the disobedient brat that the elders tried to banish.”
Pressure ballooned in my throat. I tried to swallow the ball of shame, but it refused to go away. “I-I know. You saved me. I could have died in the wilderness, but you—”
He squeezed me tight to his side. “I took you in like you were one of my own while your mother drank herself to death.”
I closed my eyes. The tears came despite my silent protests, hot waterfalls streaking the perfect makeup I’d done about fifteen minutes ago. This was just embarrassing. How was I supposed to perform in front of a crowd if I was crying the whole damn time? I had to get my act together. I had to pay my debts and then I’d be on my way to brighter days.
Without any blood relatives to speak of, I was at the mercy of the Baneridge Hounds—and they hardly ever showed any mercy.
I was one of the lucky ones.
Percy rubbed my hip and then transferred his hand to my spine, drawing a line up to the base of my neck. Shivers erupted internally, microscopic reactions that were uncontrollable. As he rested his hand on my left shoulder, I noticed Rick glaring lasers into the mirror.
Triumph reigned in the secrecy of my mind.I bet he’s regretting how he treated me now that I’m being showcased like a freakin’ pony.
“Rick,” Percy stated firmly, “I need you to help Macy practice walking so she doesn’t break her neck on that stage.”
Rick started to growl until Percy shot him a sharp glance. While bowing his head, Rick kept his eyes on my body, possessiveness pouring from him like thick dough from a bowl. I leaned into Percy, impressed by the staggering metaphorical nails growing around Rick’s energy. I didn’t have a lot of skills as a stray wolf, but I could at least deal emotional damage.
Too bad I can’t run in heels, I thought.But I can certainly try to learn.
“Chin up, Macy,” Percy instructed while tapping my chin. “Tits out. Like we practiced.”
“We never—”
His gaze cut me off before I could say anything more. That was probably for the best. I always had something to say when a response just wasn’t required. Obedience training was recommended by the elders but denied by the pack at large. Thank goddess, Percy wasn’t the type to use shock collars.
But given the way Rick stared at my neck, he definitely seemed like he would be into that as a kink.
“You need to walk proper,” Percy stated while handing me off to Rick. “Act like a lady. You want this night over with, don’t you? That’s it. Keep walking.”
I did my best with the heels, hanging on to Rick’s extended hand to keep my balance. I pointed my chin toward the doorway, seeing it for what it was—my liberation. Percy hadn’t given me too many details about the gig, but from what I peeped in the other rooms, I had to guess it was some kind of stripping show or on-site escorting.
Many of the women had accompanied other creatures or human-looking men. Some of the performers looked totally lucid while others appeared completely zonked. I felt bad for them. Did they owe their families and caretakers debts as well? Was this where women like me ended up whenever their packs got tired of them?
Rick caught me when I stumbled, his gruff chuckle annoying the hell out of me while he groped my right tit. I shoved his hand off and grabbed his shoulder to steady myself.
Shit, I was getting in my own head. I had to focus on what I was doing, had to get through the night just like Percy said. Maybe if I did well, he would give me a better place to live instead of that crummy hovel he called a cabin right behind his house. To have a place that wasn’t accessible to Rick—or Percy for that matter—was all I ever wanted.
And I would be damned if I didn’t make it happen.
***
