He stepped closer, his thick breath invading my space, the stench of sweat and tobacco burning my senses.
“Come on, be a good girl,” he murmured, his voice slick like oil. “Do the video. I’ll make sure you get your own room, maybe even a heater. I’ll take care of you-“
The word care made my stomach twist. I took a sharp step back before he could touch me. “I need to check on my kid,” I said flatly.
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then fury twisted his face.
Before I could react, he yanked a fistful of my hair, snapping my head back so hard that stars exploded behind my eyes. Pain shot down my spine, my wolf snarling wildly inside me.
“You ungrateful little bitch,” he spat. “You think I’m just gonna let this slide?”
Evelyn’s POV
From the dorm, Lana’s cry echoed, sharp and terrified. The sound tore straight through my chest.
“Let me go!” I hissed, clawing at his wrist.
“Don’t think I don’t know about your record,” he sneered into my ear.
I froze. The words hit harder than any blow.
“What… what did you say?”
He laughed, low and cruel. “You heard me. I looked you up. You’ve got a record. You are a filthy convict, pretending to be some saint. An absolute Fake.”
My wolf snarled so violently that my whole body shook. “My child is crying. Let me go, or I’ll call the police!”
“Police?” He chuckled, his breath sour against my cheek. “You think I’m scared of that? You want to keep your bastard kid here? Then shut up and record the damn video.”
He dragged me toward a storage room. I twisted, kicked, but he was stronger. The door slammed behind us.
Inside, there was a single bed and the stench of mold. My wolf clawed at my chest, begging to be freed, but I couldn’t risk it, not here.
He shoved me into a chair, his shadow stretching over me like a predator’s. The metallic click of a camera echoed in the air.
“Say the lines,” he ordered. “Or you don’t leave.”
My throat was dry. My hands trembled.
“I can’t read,” I said flatly, my voice hollow.
He sneered. “You really wanna mess with me? Think about your kid, Evelyn. Don’t do something stupid.”
That grin, smug and taunting, snapped something in me.
I stared at the paper. The words blurred together, but I forced my mouth to move. “Alpha Declan… thank you for your kindness…” Each word scraped my throat raw. “For giving me warm clothes and bedding… you’ve provided a safe place… for me and my child… we will never forget your generosity.”
Each syllable was a wound. My wolf whimpered, humiliated.
The paper slipped from my hands. My vision tunneled.
When I looked up, Kevin was smiling again. He turned off the camera and stalked toward me. His eyes slid down to the neckline of my coat, his expression darkening.
“Evelyn,” he rasped, “how about you make me happy too, huh?”
That was it.
He reached for me – and I moved first.
A flash of silver in my hand, a twist, a scream. I didn’t even realize I’d grabbed the screwdriver until it was already buried in his neck. Hot blood sprayed across my arm. My wolf howled in triumph, but my body shook uncontrollably.
The door burst open.
“Oh, Mr. Curt! Sorry to barge in,” Kara’s voice rang out like she’d planned the timing down to the second. “The baby wouldn’t stop crying, calling for her mom. I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought her here.”
Behind her came several of the other women. They were older, hardened, their faces sharp as blades.
Everything froze.
I sat there, trembling, my coat torn, skin exposed. Lana’s faint cry echoed from the hall. The screwdriver clattered from my fingers, stained with blood.
Kevin clutched his neck, his eyes wide with hate and disbelief.
“You think you’re all that?” he spat. “You’re just a worn-out bitch with a bastard-stop pretending to be some saint!”
His words barely registered. I could feel my heartbeat everywhere – in my teeth, in my bones, in the wild drum of my wolf demanding to protect my young.
Kara moved fast, snatching the screwdriver and shoving it aside before pulling me to my feet. She pressed Lana into my arms and stepped in front of me, shoulders squared.
“Evelyn, you’ve still got your afternoon shift,” she said evenly. “Go feed your baby. Can’t you hear her screaming her head off?”
Her voice was sharp, like a warning cloaked in casualness.
Then she turned to Kevin. “Don’t take offense, Mr. Curt. Evelyn’s just a scarred girl. She’d never dare make a move on you.”
The other women joined in, their tones syrupy and deadly all at once. They surrounded him like a pack, closing ranks.
He blustered, red-faced, muttering curses, but he couldn’t touch any of us. Not with so many witnesses. Not with blood still seeping down his collar.
When he finally stormed out, slamming the door, the tension collapsed all at once.
My body trembled violently. Lana whimpered in my arms, and I clutched her so tightly she squeaked.
Kara’s voice softened. “Evelyn, are you alright? Did he-?”
I couldn’t answer. My throat closed up. I just buried my face in Lana’s tiny shoulder, my tears soaking her blanket.
Declan…
You vanished from our lives for eighteen months. Why now? Why send help only to destroy what little peace I’ve built?
Lana’s little hand touched my cheek, her eyes round and innocent. “Mm…” she cooed, and something inside me cracked open.
For a fleeting moment, warmth flooded through me.
But my wolf’s ears were still perked. Because peace never lasted long.
And trouble had a way of coming all at once..
Evelyn’s POV
“Evelyn, you’re not getting paid this month.”
Anita Clark, from the Community Board slapped a slip of paper in front of me as if she couldn’t stand to touch it or me. Her mouth twisted into that familiar look of disgust I’d come to know too well from people who thought they were above me.
For a moment, I couldn’t move. The broom slipped in my raw, cracked hands, the cold chill biting straight through my gloves.
I blinked at her. “What did you just say? That can’t be right. It’s only the second of the month.” My voice came out thinner than I wanted. “I’ve still got twenty-eight days left to work. How can I already have lost a whole month’s pay?”
Three thousand dollars – gone.
That was food, heat, diapers. Everything Lana and I needed. My chest tightened, a low whine catching in my throat before I swallowed it down.
My wolf pressed against the inside of my ribs, angry and protective.
Anita stood there in her thick fur coat, smug and warm while the wind cut me open. Her hot dog steamed in the air, the smell making my empty stomach cramp. “And you have the nerve to ask why?” she sneered.
“Someone reported a missing gold necklace in the section you cleaned yesterday. Said you took it. You really thought you could pocket it and no one would notice?”
My nails dug into the broom handle . My wolf’s claws prickled beneath the surface, itching to show themselves.
“We need cleaners, not thieves,” she continued. “Docking just one month’s pay is me being merciful.”
Merciful.
Is she really being serious right now?. Lana shifted in her sling against my chest, letting out a soft whimper. I stroked her back gently, forcing my voice to stay calm. “There’s been a mistake. I never saw any necklace, let alone take it.”
“Oh, please.” Anita took a slow bite of her hot dog, her eyes gleaming with condescension. “You think I’ll fall for your lies? If it weren’t for you, I’d still be in my warm office instead of freezing my ass off out here. I should’ve known better than to hire you. I’ve said my piece. Now get to work and make sure this area’s spotless.”
She gestured toward the pavement where her own trash scattered at her boots, and turned as if I didn’t exist.
The growl rose before I could stop it. It was low and dangerous. My hand shot out, grabbing her arm. “So you expect me to clean this whole street all month and not get paid a cent?” My voice came out rougher, my eyes flashing gold for a heartbeat.
“I want to see the security footage. The cameras will prove I didn’t steal anything.”
For a second, she froze. I bet she hadn’t expected my reaction. After a few seconds she scoffed and shoved me away. “The footage is corrupted. Nothing was recorded.”
Liar. I could smell it on her. I clenched my jaw. “Then you can’t accuse me,” I said, stepping closer. “If there’s no video, how do you know the necklace was even dropped in my section? Or that I took it?”
Anita clicked her tongue, feigning pity. “Well, aren’t you clever, Evelyn. So now I’m framing you? Go ahead, take me to court if you think you can. You’re nothing but bad luck.”
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