Chapter Fifteen

After my final class of the day, I retreated to my room to get ready for what I was at least 50 percent sure was a date. It had to be, right? "I should have asked what to wear."

Dahlia slid my things from right to left in the closet, clucking her tongue. "You need to go shopping."

"Yeah, well, probably. But I don't have the money right now and also the time. He's going to be here in a half hour." I'd already showered and looked over every item of clothing I had at last three times. "I guess jeans are always okay, right?"

"Jeans for a date with that hottie? Why didn't you ask him where you're going?" She gave up on my wardrobe and reached for a long black skirt from hers. "You have that white tank top, you can wear with this and also the boots again."

"Boots with a skirt?" I groaned. "Really?"

"Country bumpkin," she teased. "Everyone wears boots with everything. Put it on and let me do your makeup."

"Oh no." I backed away. "I can't carry off that much eyeliner."

"Of course you can't." She led me over to her desk. "It's just not you. Now hold still."

By the time the knock came on the door, I was looking as good as I could get. "With that platinum hair, you should wear a lot more black." Dahlia fluffed my hair over my shoulders. "Now I'm going before it's too late to get any dinner. I'll let your date in." She opened the door and giggled. "I mean dates. Bye, roomie." She ducked into the hallway and disappeared, leaving me staring at not one, not two, but three alpha wolf shifters, two of whom had apparently escorted their friend there on their own way to dinner.

"D-did she say dates?" I blurted out.

"Yes." Artemis looked at the men to his right and left. "Ian, didn't you ask Kiki to come out with us tonight?"

"Of course I did." But Ian's brow scrunched in confusion. "Did you change your mind, Kiki?"

"No," I said, trying not to sound as freaked out as I felt. "Not at all. Let me grab my bag."

Turned out, I had a date with not one but three men, and they were all as comfortable about the whole thing as I was panicked. On the way to the underground parking lot, they made small talk about the day's classes and some of our fellow students. We piled into Artemis' sleek dark sedan and drove off into the night. Or rather drove several blocks and pulled into another underground garage.

"We're going to a very special restaurant," Neo told me. "Owned by a friend of mine."

"Sounds great." The car was so filled with their autumnal scents, I could barely breathe, much less think about eating.

Artemis tossed his keys to an attendant and we boarded a shiny stainless steel elevator. But instead of going up, Neo hit the down button and we descended so rapidly, I grabbed for the rail behind me. Ian's arm shot out to brace me.

"Where is this place anyway? The center of the Earth?"

"Practically." Neo chuckled. "This city lies atop a whole warren of tunnels and caves. A full underground city, in fact, most of which is in ruins. But some pockets have been reclaimed by a certain underworld element. Have you ever met a mole shifter?"

I had not. And as we exited the elevator and entered a whole other world out of my experience, it turned out, I would not be meeting one that night either. Although Neo's friend did indeed own the cave restaurant, he was not there but had left word with his staff that we were to have the best of everything.

The walls were carved out of the native stone, something that had a quartz-like sparkle to it, and our little part was seated at a table along one wall with benches also carved from the stone. Fortunately, they also had cushions, and we were served an array of dishes, family-style. I had not tried most of these things before, but they were all delicious. And I was far more into the company than anything. Other guests dined, and I could hear their voices, but somehow each party was mostly out of sight of the others, giving privacy and a chance for me to just sit back and enjoy a relaxing time with my dates.

It seemed that even if I wondered what they saw in me, they didn't because they were funny and charming and attentive. Everything a girl could want from a harem. If that girl was ready to have one. And if they weren't just being nice.

Dessert was a shared plate of cake topped with ice cream and a chocolate coating and lit on fire. Served with four spoons, all of which seemed to be used to fill me with sweetness. I had to protest that they had to eat some, too. So good! The only downside to the evening was that my skin seemed supersensitive, and if one of them even brushed it, I was ready to jump. And a few times, the candle flame flickered as if in a stiff breeze that came out of nowhere. Not the time for my wind thing to act up.