“Seriously though,” she continued, “you were a saint in that relationship. You cooked, cleaned, paid most of the bills, and helped him train. He’s not missing you. He’s missing his personal chef, maid, and ATM.”
“Nina!” I protested.
She softened. “I’m not saying you were stupid, Ava. I’m saying he took advantage of you. And now that Cybele can’t afford to support his lazy ass…”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
“Let’s talk about something more interesting,” Nina said.
“Girl, let me tell you about this guy I met yesterday.” I thought of the man from the mysterious item shop. I had to tell Nina about him. She would definitely find it interesting. I told her everything.
“He was insufferable.”I said.
“But hot, right?” Nina wiggled her eyebrows.
“Yes. But his ego was huge. And His scent was… intoxicating,” I admitted. “Like cedar and rain. But then he opened his mouth and ruined it.”
“This man really made an impression on you!” Nina commented.
“Nina, he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life! But he’s also very arrogant.”
“Ah, what a shame you didn’t give him your phone number. Arrogance can be corrected.”
We burst into laughter.
“We should get some sleep. We have to work tomorrow.” As I settled onto the couch, I felt safe. But Isaac’s words still echoed in my mind.
He’d called me defective. A wolfless Omega. It broke my heart. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to feel my wolf.
The next morning, Nina and I arrived at the mall together. We stopped by security on our way in.
“Morning, ladies!” Pablo, the head of security, greeted us with a warm smile. He was a middle-aged wolf with kind eyes.
“Pablo, we need a favor,” Nina said. She explained the situation with Isaac.
Pablo’s expression grew serious. “That won’t be happening on my watch. I’ll alert all the guards to keep an eye out for him. If he shows up and causes trouble, we’ll escort him out immediately.”
“Thank you,” I said. Relief washed over me. “I hate to be a bother.”
“No bother at all,” Pablo said. “Your safety is part of my job, Ms. Flynn.”
As we walked toward our stores, Nina squeezed my arm. “See? You’re not alone in this.”
I nodded and straightened my shoulders as I approached the store. Through the glass storefront, I could see Cybele and her friends, Laura and Cynthia, huddled by the register. Great. Just what I needed to start my day.
“Text me if you need anything,” Nina whispered before heading to her shop.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
As I clocked in, I caught Cybele’s hateful glance. She quickly looked away and whispered something to Laura. Let them talk. I had a job to do.
“Time to be professional,” I said to myself. Today would be better. It had to be.
Joseph’s POV
“Last call, gentlemen!” The bartender said loudly.
I finished my bourbon and turned to Ryan. “This is exactly what I needed after this week.”
Ryan nodded. “Eleanor finally let you off your leash?”
“More like she decided to set me free,” I laughed. “She’s been fixing the company. She said I was quite a handful this week.”
“That woman deserves a raise,” Ryan said. “You were spiraling, man. Almost as bad as your old man.”
I felt bad at the comparison to my father.
“Yeah, well…” I stopped when I saw movement at the entrance. “Shit. Look who just walked in.”
Ryan turned to see Sophia Walter walking in with her friends Vanessa and Ella.
“Time to go,” Ryan said. He stood up. “Last time I was around Ella, she wouldn’t stop asking about Draven. That woman doesn’t understand what ‘he’s not interested’ means.”
“Let’s get out the back,” I said. I threw some cash on the bar. We were halfway to the exit when I heard Sophia call my name. I pretended not to hear.
We made it to the parking lot. Ryan let out a breath. “That was close. I don’t need another night of Ella asking me to put in a good word with Draven.”
“Didn’t she show up at his office uninvited last week?”
Ryan nodded. “He banned her from the building.”
“Seriously?” I laughed. “Maybe I should send my resume to Thorne Enterprises. Sounds more entertaining than my place.”
Since it was Friday night, we decided to go to a strip club.
We drank and talked at the club until four in the morning. Then Ryan and I said goodbye.
The buzzing of my phone woke me from deep sleep. I reached for it with my eyes still closed.
“No, Eleanor, I swear I’m not hungover…” I said.
“Who’s Eleanor, Uncle Joseph?” A young male voice laughed.
I opened one eye. “Antonio? What time is it?”
“It’s two in the afternoon. Late night?”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply