Chapter 18

Vena parkedin her usual spot in front of our house and cut the engine with a sigh.

"We should have never agreed to stay there."

"Why?" I asked, getting out.

"Now I know how the other half lives. How can I go back to our crappy shower?"

I smirked at her. "We can afford this place. We can't afford that one…unless you changed your mind about MC and want a sugar daddy?"

She shot me a look. "Nope. Definitely not. But if it was Anchor, maybe." She sighed again. "We're on day six without even a hint of a clue. What are the chances–"

"Stop right there, Vena Bree Hunter," I said firmly. "Positive thoughts for positive results."

"But what if–"

"Nope. Our inside man has been out all night. He'll come through." I unlocked the door and let myself in.

The man in question was sitting on the couch, a sexy smirk tugging at his lips as he watched us.

"Am I your man, Everly?"

Vena snorted and closed the door behind us.

"Nope, you aren't," Vena said. "You haven't come through on anything yet."

"Any news after last night's bust?" I asked, ignoring his question and her response.

"A few interesting things. Let me have your phone." He held out his hand, and I immediately offered it. Rather than taking the phone, he caught my wrist and tugged me to his side. He leaned in and inhaled.

"You smell like Shepard."

"Well, I did sleep at his house and use his shampoo."

"Hmm."

"I can't tell if you said that because you like that she smells like Shepard or because you don't."

He shot Vena a dry look then gave me some space and focused on my phone.

"I found something interesting. Not your wolf, Vena, but I think you may still appreciate it."

I watched him browse to a website and enter a password, which redirected him to the app store.

"What's ‘The Howl'? I've never heard of that app before."

"It's a social chat app exclusively for werewolves," he said, installing it.

"Are you serious?" Vena asked, moving around the couch so she could watch over his shoulder.

"Very serious. There is a channel dedicated to their efforts to find Anchor. There's not much information, though. Just locations they've searched and a list of people they've questioned. There's also a channel about tonight's challenge that you might want to read."

He handed my phone back to me once he had me logged in then helped Vena install it on her phone.

"I think there's a werewolf book with the same name," Vena said. "We read it in high school when we were doing a paper on myths vs. realities, remember?"

"Yeah," I said absently, already browsing the channels. "The Howl by Melissa Haag. It had fairies in it too. You liked when they sparkled everywhere."

Vena laughed as I focused on the app. The chat topics were grouped into channels and had clearly labeled discussion threads. "Missing persons" was all about Anchor. They'd split up the city and were searching areas methodically and questioning everyone they thought might have a connection to him. Cross was right that they weren't really getting anywhere, though.

The channel labeled "Challenges" under "Pack News" caught my eye. As soon as I tapped it, I saw information about Shepard and MC's challenge and swore under my breath.

"MC is the alpha of the L.A. pack?" Vena questioned, obviously seeing the same thing I was.

All the tension with the L.A. pack and how MC got so mad at being ordered around made more sense.

"If MC wins, we're moving," Vena said.

"That won't help you," Cross said. "Shepard isn't just a local alpha. He's the Alpha. If MC wins, he'll have authority over all packs across the globe."

Vena dropped her phone on my shoulder then woodenly walked around to take a seat next to me on the arm of the couch.

"He can't win," she said on a shaky breath.

"No, he cannot," Cross agreed.

I turned to look at him, noting the hint of concern in his expression. "What happens if MC wins?"

"Nothing good. Shepard understands his responsibility. He keeps the peace between the wolves and the other races."

"Except the vampires," I said.

Cross shrugged slightly. "So long as the vampires continue to hunt and use humans as cattle, the same humans that the wolves mate with, there will be no peace between our kinds."

"But you're different," I said. "You don't use humans as cattle."

"I do not. And I believe that's why Shepard isn't breaking down that door in an attempt to kill me right now."

"Aw, look at you making a friend," Vena said somewhat bitterly.

"I haven't given up my search for your wolf," he said. "Though six days might feel like an eternity to you, it's barely measurable time. Trust that I will discover where your wolf is."

She sighed and nodded. I tossed her phone to her.

"Distract yourself with spending Cross' money. He needs a house. Now that you know how the other half lives, make it good."

She gave me a weak grin and lost herself in the search.

"Since you're team werewolf now–" I said to Cross.

"I never said that."

"–I think it's time we introduced you to The Other House."

I leaned forward to pick up the remote, and when I sat back again, his arm settled around my shoulders. Did I feel right about kissing Shepard and snuggling up against Cross?

A kernel of guilt started to grow before I stomped it down. I wasn't dating Shepard. And I wasn't dating Cross. One was my boss, and I was the temporary money-keeper of the other one. Once my status changed in their lives, I'd worry about putting a label on whatever this was. Until then, I was free to do what I pleased.

It wasn't like I was trying to hide one from the other. I needed to get out of my head and just enjoy my unlabeled relationships with Cross and Shepard. There was no need to complicate things. It wasn't as if either were spouting words of love.

Smiling, I cuddled in further and turned on the television.

When the intro to The Other House came on, Cross watched for a bit and then asked, "Is there a purpose to this show? I've seen people watching this on their phones."

"Figuring out who the wolf is," Vena said. "And ogling the eye candy."

Cross resumed watching for a few minutes. "You don't know who the wolf is?" he asked. "I can smell him from here."

"You're not that good," Vena said, rolling her eyes. "And we already know who the wolf is. This is a rerun."

"I was being facetious. I already know who the wolf is just by watching the intro." Cross pointed to the screen. "And I saw snippets of this season. The wolf is–"

I went from cuddling his side to straddling him with a hand over his mouth.

Pretend-scowling, I looked him in the eye. "There's a rule about The Other House—you never, never cry wolf. You can speculate, but never name."

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled under my hand.

"Should I leave you two alone?" Vena asked. "I'm sure there's a missing sock I can try to find."

Cross' smile slipped away as his hands settled on my hips. His eyes darkened.

Scrambling off Cross, I paused the TV. "Who needs a snack?"

"Pretty sure Cross does," Vena said with a wink.

Sending her a warning look, I went to the kitchen and fumbled through the cupboards and refrigerator until I realized we needed groceries. Not that it mattered. I wasn't actually hungry.

Instead, I took two glasses of water back to the couch and handed one to Cross.

Our phones dinged at the same time with a notification as I sat down next to him.

"Looks like the location for the challenge has been set," Cross said as he scrolled through his phone.

"Does it say anything else?" Vena asked.

I nodded as I read with him. "It says delegates from surrounding packs will arrive soon. Looks like New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Virginia." I skimmed a little further. "They are warning wolves to keep the cubs at home."

Vena blew out a breath. "This is a bigger deal than Shepard is letting us believe, isn't it?"

I glanced up at Cross. "Shepard will be okay, right?"

"In a fair fight between Shepard and MC, who do you think will win?" he asked.

"Shepard," I said. I had no doubt about it. But the key word was "fair."

"Cross, how did you find out about ‘The Howl' app?" Vena asked.

"A vampire I met mentioned it. I borrowed the login information from him."

As soon as Cross mentioned the vampires, a shadow settled on Vena"s face, and I knew why. If the vampires were reading the discussion threads, they knew exactly where the werewolves were looking and how to avoid them.

"We need to tell Shepard," I said.

"I agree," Cross said. "However, I hesitate to tell him on the day of his challenge. I fear distracting him. The werewolves cannot afford to lose him as their leader."

Vena nodded. "I'm with Cross. We should wait."

"Fine. Once the challenge is over, we'll talk to Shepard then focus on finding Anchor and the master," I said.

Cross brushed his hand over my hair. The look he gave me while doing it set my pulse racing.

Vena stood and wedged herself between Cross and myself.

She smirked at me. "Consider me your roadblock. We should be able to get through the episode now without any bumpy rides."

Rolling my eyes, I scooted over so we all had room. I watched the TV, willing the nervous energy coursing through my body to settle. It wasn't all due to Cross. I was worried about Shepard's upcoming challenge, too.

We spent the rest of the day binging The Other House reruns, eating takeout, and being as lazy as possible.

I enjoyed seeing Cross in this different light. The uptight vampire that used to speak old English could now relax and even tease. It was as if he was rediscovering himself in this new world. And it was sexy as hell discovering Cross alongside him.

Unfortunately, our time came to an end as Vena and I got ready for our shift at Blur.

Cross walked us to my car.

"Will we see you later tonight?" I asked, remembering that Shepard had asked Cross to keep an eye on things while the wolves were busy doing their furry fight club.

"Not if everything goes well," he said, leaning in to kiss my forehead. "Tell Shepard to watch his back."

Vena snorted. "You've been very interested in Shepard's backside lately."

Cross winked at her and opened my door for me.

"Text me if you need anything."

"Same," I said, getting in.

As soon as Vena pulled into the employee parking lot behind Blur, I knew it wasn't going to be a typical night.

"Why are there so many cars?" she asked.

I shook my head, not having an answer.

Gunther was once again in his usual spot in the kitchen. However, Jaws stood shoulder to shoulder with him, helping with the dishes.

"Hey, Gunther," I called, pausing by the door to the lockers.

Gunther glanced over his shoulder at me and nodded, looking more grumpy than usual. His gaze flicked to Jaws, who'd turned to look at me as well. Then he shook his head slightly.

"Everly. Vena," Jaws said with a curt nod at us.

"Didn't know you aspired to be a dishwasher, Jaws. Was that something you dreamed of becoming since you were little?" Vena asked.

I grabbed her arm and flashed him my signature sugary smile.

"Sorry, Jaws. Vena's late this month and raging hard. Best to avoid her."

I pulled her into the locker room and closed the door. She got my mean face until she looked suitably apologetic. I pantomimed that she'd better behave or else. The or else wasn't the typical thumb across the throat move. I pantomimed a blow job then a chopping motion. Her eyes went wide, and she stuck her bottom lip out, understanding the Vena-V ban and her future sex life depended on her good behavior.

"We"re here to make money, not friends," she mumbled.

"Or enemies. Play nice. Final warning."

She made a face but nodded. On our way out, I saw the door to the main bar swing closed behind Jaws.

Vena and I clocked in and left the kitchen to head upstairs. The main bar had extra guys in it, too. Buzz and Boulder were behind the bar with Hollywood and Ink. I gave Buzz a curious glance, and he shook his head slightly just like Gunther had.

Weird.

At the bottom of the stairs, Gunner stood next to Riff. Shoulder to shoulder, the pair of them completely blocked the way up, but they moved for us.

"Are we caught up in a hurricane of what-the-fuck, or is it just me?" Vena asked under her breath.

Neither of us was surprised to see Detroit and LA behind the bar in VIP.

"Are we sure a challenge means what we think it means?" Vena asked. "Cuz it's starting to look like they might be dating."

I almost laughed at her snark. However, the sight of MC waiting in the meeting room with Shepard killed our humor.

"Ladies," MC said with a smile. "It's good to see you again. I apologize on Shepard's behalf that you were inconvenienced last night and had to leave your home because the vampire situation hasn't been properly dealt with yet. It will be soon."

"Yeah, looks like I'm going to be cock-blocked for the next month cuz your grandma didn't teach me to play this nice," Vena said to me.

I elbowed her and looked at Shepard.

He didn't look nearly as upset as I would have been.

"Did you get everything settled?" I asked.

"I did."

Pam walked into the room behind us, cutting off any wolf or vampire talk.

"Full house tonight," she commented. "Are we expecting more trouble?"

"MC's group is thinking of taking over a nightclub and wanted to shadow us to see what success looks like," Shepard said.

Vena covered her mouth and coughed.

MC looked like he wanted to murder Shepard for half a second then smiled at Pam.

"Knowledge is power," he said. "The more I know, the better situated I am to lead with success."

Pam nodded and stepped off to the side as the others slowly joined us. Shepard went through and assigned our sections, placing Vena and me on the lower floor.

We hurried out of the room and to our stations. I could tell she wanted to say something, so once I was set up, I sent her a text even though it was against the rules to have phones on the floor.

Me: What?

Vena: One nut punch.

Vena: No, wait. Two.

Vena: Nope. I want to use his pooch pouch like a speed bag until he coughs his babymakers out. He's too stupid for offspring.

Me: Harsh.

She sent me a screenshot of a conversation on her phone.

Major Cunt: As soon as you're set, please come up to the meeting room. We need to talk.

Vena: I don't think we do. You've said too much already.

Major Cunt: That's what I'd like to talk about.

Vena: No thanks.

Major Cunt: Tonight's going to change everything. For both of us. I want to be gentle with you, Vena, but you're making it difficult.

Gentle with her?

I looked up at Vena and met her angry gaze.

My first instinct was to go to Shepard. But wouldn't that be throwing fuel on an already combustible situation? So, I subtly shook my head at her in warning and sent another text.

Me: He's not wrong about things changing. Once Shepard wins, MC won't be able to pull this crap. Hang in there. The night will go fast. You'll see.

When Army opened the doors, my tables filled within ten minutes. It was as if all our nervous energy pulled customers to Blur. I no longer had time to think about the upcoming challenge. The most I could do was control my breathing so I wouldn't hyperventilate as I ran back and forth with drink and food orders.

On every pass, I glanced over at Vena to make sure she was okay and that MC wasn't making a move on her. But even MC was pressed into work at the bar. That didn't keep him from glaring at every man who talked to Vena, though. It was a good thing she had no interest in MC because he would take the jealous boyfriend act to another level.

Close to nine, Shepard helped me run food to my section.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I might need to stress bake cupcakes for everyone tomorrow, but otherwise, I'm okay."

"Hang in there," he said. "When this is all over, I'll buy you everything you need to stress-bake anything you want."

"Shepard!"

We both glanced over to find Mr. and Mrs. Hunter weaving their way through the crowd. I wanted to groan, but Vena's parents were watching us.

"You have a busy place here," Mrs. Hunter said to Shepard.

"It's a little busier than usual," he said. "Let me see if I can find you a table."

Shepard took charge of the Hunters while I went to the bar to fill more drink orders. Behind the bar, I saw MC watching Shepard and the Hunters. He started to leave his post.

"Hang on," I said. "I need drinks."

"The other guys will help." MC walked around me and veered over to Vena's section where Shepard found a table for the Hunters.

With a silent curse, I followed, knowing Vena didn't want MC anywhere near her or her parents. I might have fewer tips after ignoring my tables, but I didn't care.

As soon as the Hunters were seated, MC swooped in. Mrs. Hunter turned a dazzling smile at him.

Vena had been serving a table and didn't see MC or her parents until she turned around. The look she gave him made my imaginary balls retreat in sympathy.

"Oh, Vena!" Mrs. Hunter gave a wave. "Come over here for a second."

Vena and I arrived at the table at the same time.

"I won't keep you girls long because I know you're busy, but look how adorable you both are in those uniforms. Am I right, boys?" Mrs. Hunter asked.

Shepard dutifully nodded while MC undressed Vena with his eyes.

"I'm so happy you all work here together," she continued. "I know my Vena can take care of herself, but it's good to see she has people to look after her as well."

"I'll always look after her, Mrs. Hunter," MC said.

Vena's foot lifted, but I'd anticipated it and twirled her around to the bar.

"We have to get our drink orders," I said and hurried her away.

MC glanced from Vena to her parents. He then smiled and made himself comfortable at the table. I sent a warning look to Shepard, but he left the table with MC still there.

Giving me a slight shake of the head like the other D.C. wolves had been doing since we arrived, Shepard indicated he wouldn't stop MC. It made sense. MC was being a pain in the ass, but he wasn't harming anyone.

Mrs. Hunter laughed at something MC had said.

"We'll switch sections," I said to Vena. "Let me just serve the drinks that were already ordered; then you can take over."

Within a few minutes, we were in our new stations. MC noticed the change and flagged me to the table.

"Why isn't Vena over here?"

"Her regulars just showed up," I said, which wasn't a total lie. The friendly dwarves who were regulars at the club had just sat down after other customers had left. "They tip well."

"She doesn't have to worry about money. I'll take care of her."

Mrs. Hunter smiled. "I love that you are so willing, but Vena is an independent girl. She'll get her own money. And thankfully, it's here at the club instead of with her obsessive love of treasure hunting. I swear that girl will bring the end of civilization with one of her discoveries."

Mrs. Hunter was joking, but after the whole Cross wake-up fiasco, the vampire uproar, and now the alpha challenge, Vena might actually succeed at bringing about the end of civilization.