This was where she drew the line. The short amount of time she had spent with Gil was overwhelming enough, and now he wanted her to do that, times ten? No way. This may be the life he was used to, but she was not. "What do you mean? Stop what?" he asked. "I don't want ten bodyguards. I've only had a few hours to understand this, and you expect me to jump in straight? No questions asked?" "This is about your safety. You don't know who you're dealing with Enora, he'll do whatever he wants! And he's laying low because of that!" he shouted. "That's my point, Vic. I don't know anything. Thus, why surrounding me with what he knows best, only puts me further on his radar." Victor threw his hands up in frustration, pacing back and forth and looking at her incredulously. "That's not how this works. Once he knows where you are or tries something once, that's it. So, the more people with you the better. Which you don't seem to understand." "And whose fault is that?" she snapped, fingers p
Enora hummed along to the song wafting through the speakers of the cafe; its classic tune had some of the customers singing passionately and jovially. Even some of the dogs joined in with little yips and howls. She laughed while looking for something to keep her busy. Lately, her good moods were fleeting and bland. Although being at Pawsitivity Time made her happy, there was no ignoring the obvious emptiness in her life. Victor was the sunshine of her day that she'd never realized was so cloudy. "You chose this Enora. No use in obsessing over a done deal," she voiced aloud, hands absently rearranging glasses on the shelves. It was after lunchtime, meaning there wasn't much to do until the next hoard came in. Enora decided on taking a breather in her favorite spot in the cafe. Sunlight streamed inside indirectly because of the surrounding buildings, so there were certain spots where it glaringly blinded you, but she found it perfect for napping. It also had the most plants surround
"Ok Enora, just calm down. Maybe this isn't something bad," she said aloud to herself. The air felt heavy. Goosebumps crawled up her body and made her tremble. The box was a dark wood with a hinge and latch on the top. Her name and cafe address were typed in a creepy, thin font that was too small for the label. Until now, Enora's paranoia had been low. Not that she wasn't afraid, but after the first three days of being transported back and forth in black SUVs and getting used to the new routine, she was able to relax. And aside from the excessively expensive things being used for her, life was still ordinary. There were no mysterious people jumping out to scare her, no threatening letters in her mailbox, or suspicious cars tailing them. In this moment however, things felt far from normal. What if this was Victor's rival making his move? What came next if it was? What if this was a distraction and Victor was going to be ambushed? She hurried to the front of the café where Gil and
She found herself humming and dancing as she finished getting ready for the party. As she had planned to have the café close earlier than usual today, it gave her ample time to return home. The drive was about forty-five minutes from her place, and she liked being on time. "Wow, you clean up nice," Enora complimented. Gil stepped out of the bathroom in his masquerade attire, looking effortlessly cool in it. He shrugged as he observed himself in the mirror on her bedroom door, and answered shyly, "You think so?" "Of course. I wouldn't lie about that." "You sure this isn't a ruse to get on my good side because I'm mad at you?" She put her hands up in defense, "Hey, I said I was sorry! I'm not purposely forcing you to go. You have to be my plus one since Victor isn't here." "He owes me for this. I hate parties," he mumbled angrily. "Me too. Guess we can awkwardly be there together," she replied. He released a sigh, "At least the theme is cool." "That's the spirit!" Enora tr
"I hope you enjoyed the party; you shall not be rejoining." His mask looked creepier in this light; one of those ugly, full faced masquerade ones with the protruding lower half. It muffled his voice so she couldn't tell if she recognized it or not. She scanned the room. They were in a storage room with old furniture and paintings. A box with what she assumed were antiques, sat to her right and she noticed a number of them were silver. Her hand inched towards the purse hanging low on her hips when he put a hand up, "Ah, ah, ah. We shall have none of that." A slight pain went up her leg when she got to her feet. Meaning, it would be a problem when it came time for her to escape. If she were to escape. "I must admit that I expected more of you. The way Alpha is so enamored, you would think you were the perfect Luna." She swallowed thickly, "Should I apologize for disappointing you?" He gave a dry laugh, "Ah, maybe it is your attitude he likes. I can see the appeal, but it does not
Caitlyn and Nadine hastened down the hall towards Enora who was being examined by a pack medic. She tried to call out to them, but the gauze in her mouth muffled her words. "Oh my gosh what happened?!" Caitlyn yelled as she got closer. "Allen! Send everyone home! The party's over!" Her husband shouted a confirmation and cut off the music moments later. "Enora! What–!" Nadine began, putting her hands to her mouth in horror. Enora was about to answer again, when the door opened to reveal the stranger being carried out. A quick scan of his body showed no wounds and his chest moved, but he was unconscious. "Who is that?! He attacked you?! And how did these guys get here so fast?!" Caitlyn shouted again, seeing the state of her friend. The sleeve on Enora's dress had been torn and her hair had fallen out of its bun. Her face was sore and swelling; mouth slightly bleeding from where her gums were cut. This was definitely not good. Gil stepped in beside them, "These are old cop buddie
The night had grown windy; their steps harsh on the stone path. She followed Victor to the car so she could speak to him out of earshot of the others. The beep from the car, cut through the air suddenly and made her jump; she hoped Victor hadn't noticed. Come on, Enora. Get a grip. "Victor, you don't have to stay. I know you want to be there to interrogate that shifter. To figure this out," she began. He didn't look at her as he opened the trunk to retrieve a backpack, "I'm not letting you out of my sight tonight. There's nothing to discuss." "But isn't it your duty to be there? And we're still..." she was unsure of how to finish. "My duty is also to my–" he said, voice rising. "You are my priority because you were in danger. Besides, it's because of times like these, that I have two others in charge. They'll relay all of the information I need to know." Enora let out a long sigh, "Then I'm wasting my time." "I told you. Nothing to discuss." He took her hand again as they walke
Victor catapulted from the bed to Enora's side in a flash, body shielding hers in a defensive stance. A quick observation of the room produced no threats, and he turned back to attend to her. Excessive short breaths and shaking hands seized her body, keeping her gaze unfocused and erratic. "Enora! Hey, look at me. You're ok." It took a moment for her to register. Like a switch, her body reacted and came back into the present. The grip she had reflexively put on his arms relaxed, and her breathing slowed, but her heart still pounded to the beat of a drum's crescendo. "I'm sorry, I..." she began, unable to finish the sentence. The adrenaline from her dream coursed through her veins, setting her senses on overload. Looking at Victor, she rubbed at the part of her neck he had bitten and felt the breaking of her skin. She saw him again with flushed skin and open mouth; how his voice had lowered an octave. "Are you listening?" Victor asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Huh? What did yo