12. Beatriz

TWELVE

Beatriz was distracted the day after Mike paid her a surprise visit. It was super sexy and romantic for him to pop by like that … something that she normally would have grimaced about. But the second she spotted his car parked next to the cabin, her wolf came to life.

It was a reaction she hadn't been expecting. It felt like her longing for him had grown over the few days of not seeing him. Her body was completely possessed, making it a physical impossibility to be torn away.

She nibbled her nails, ruminating as she waited for Karla to return home. Night was slowly starting to fall, and there was a growing bite to the air. As soon as Karla got back, she sent Mike a text to let him know that she wouldn't be going straight back to the cabin.

Hey, handsome, she wrote. While I appreciate last night's visit, I want you to know that I'm stopping by Indulge to see if Wallis needs anything before heading back. Don't wait up for me … or do.

She accompanied the text with a flirtatious, winking face. She felt like she was a teenager again with a crush, butterflies soaring through her belly … actually, more like swans. He texted her back a few seconds later as she got into her car, a reply that made her swoon like some Victoria-era maiden.

I can't wait to taste you again.

"Fuck," Beatriz grunted, pressing the phone against her chest.

While she knew how daring it was to keep having sex with Mike, Beatriz quite literally could not resist. Her wolf craved him the way a diver craves oxygen. Her human side also found herself longing for him in every absence. The lust was evolving into something far more tangible and all the more terrifying.

But Beatriz tried to let all that scolding go as she drove to Indulge. She was thinking about how magical sex was with a man who knew what he was doing in bed when she noticed a strange van parked in the alley outside the wine and tapas bar.

At first, it didn't seem suspicious, just merely out of place. Beatriz figured that it might be one of their suppliers dropping off wine or food. But as she parked along the side of the road, something pricked the back of her neck … a sixth sense.

It was the shifter"s intuition perking up, telling her to pay attention. All shifters had a little bit of it naturally. But others worked harder to hone the skill in order to harness it during uncertain times. Beatriz felt it then as she climbed out of her car, as potent as catching the sight of smoke.

She decided to walk around the back of the building to have a poke around. She carried her purse with her and pulled her hood over her head as the rain had begun. The van was tucked away, hidden from the streetlamp luminance, and two people were standing at the back of it.

They were talking, the back van doors wide open. Trusting her instincts, Beatriz moved behind a stacking of shipping crates and crouched, eavesdropping on the conversation. She hoped at first that it was going to be something innocuous, but it soon became apparent that it was far from it.

"She's done nothing but hover," the first voice said. "And this is only the first week that the damn place has been open. So give me a break."

Beatriz knew that voice. It was Wallis.

The second voice was a man, one she did not recognize. She heard him scoff, then spit onto the damp ground.

"That's some bullshit, Wallis, and you know it. I don't give a shit that the place is open. What good is it if no one knows about it? Huh? Where's the ribbon cutting? The ads in the paper?"

Wallis let out a laugh that could only be described as maniacal. A sour taste rose in Beatriz"s mouth.

"The paper? Are you serious? What year are you living in?"

"You know what I'm talking about! People need to know that there is a big Wolfe gathering. That's the only way we're going to bring customers in."

"I fucking know," Wallis snapped. "I'm doing my best, Franky. Ellie isn"t giving me any space. Why does it have to be this bar, anyway?"

The man groaned. Beatriz heard him shuffle, and the weight of the van shifted. A flicker of a lighter and a long drag filled the silence while the mist around them thickened.

When the man named Franky spoke, he was much calmer and far more articulate.

"Because we can't get this drug to work at any of the other bars. You should know this. At The Horney Wolfe, that damn Lael sees everything, literally. Plus, the women there are far too distracted by the naked men waving their dicks in their faces to care. The dancers themselves are in impeccable shape and can't be seduced into using. Is it all coming together now?"

It was Wallis's turn to sigh. She began pacing back and forth, forcing Beatriz to go rigid against the crate. They were talking about dealing drugs. She couldn't be seen.

"Yeah, and I guess The Wolfe Den is out because Aric is fucking there all the time. And it"s always a bunch of regulars going in and out. What about the Sassy Wolfe?"

Beatriz imagined Franky shaking his head, then taking another laborious drag of his cigarette.

"Nate is there too often. He's got three kids now, so it"s vital that the club thrives."

Beatriz could feel her heart bouncing around inside her chest. She was enraged that Wallis was betraying Ellie and the family, but she was also concerned about how she was going to escape the situation. She listened, tightening her back against the wall as they went on.

"Indulge is going to be our best bet. It's new. Ellie is about to burst, and she trusts you. It's the only way we can take a reasonable swing at the Wolfe and Rahound families."

The van shifted again, and Beatriz supposed that Franky was standing. Billows of smoke from the cigarette mingled with the growing mist over her head, making her heart feel like it was sliding up into her throat.

"Start spreading the word so actual customers start coming in. Use social media, start screaming it from the rooftops. I don't give a shit. Whatever it takes to bring in crowds so the drugs can start flowing."

"Yes, sir," Wallis said sarcastically.

Beatriz felt the padding of their feet moving closer. The back door was right behind the crates, and she realized she had been holding her breath throughout the entire conversation. She swayed slightly and caught herself, but not before causing the crates to waver roughly.

She paused, clapping a hand over her mouth, and for a moment, she thought she got away with it. But then the man named Franky raced around the crates, a mortal look of terror in his eyes.

"Who the fuck is this?" he yelled at Wallis.

Wallis did the same as Beatriz scrambled to her feet.

"Fuck, it"s the fucking nanny!"

Beatriz was never going to go down without a fight. She tossed her purse to the side as the two backed up, murmuring to one another as they went.

"We can't let her go. Let's take her out."

"Agreed."

In the back alley, the traitor and her accomplice shifted into their wolf forms with the speed of a lightning bolt. Beatriz did the same after quickly stripping, wanting to have clothing to return to once the fight was over.

If she came out unscathed, that was.

Her smooth coat shimmered in the dark as the unfair battle began. Wallis, her fur a pale beige, lunged at her, missing dramatically, and smashed into the wall.

Beatriz was amused, backing in the direction that she arrived. That was when Franky went for her, nipping at her ankles and catching her calf with a firm, steady bite.

Beatriz howled into the air as Wallis took the upper hand. She slashed at her, connecting with jagged claws just below her neckline. Thankfully, Beatriz was able to return the favor with a harsh smack of her own, sending Wallis flying to the ground with a damp thud.

But Franky wasn't going down. She tried to charge him, but he dodged her effectively, toying with her by clamping down on her tail. That made Beatriz furious, so she spun around and head-butted the caramel-colored beast.

It sent her spinning for a moment. Her thoughts warped as a white-hot pain dissipated. The damage was minimal for Franky, which was troublesome, even in her dire state.

The two wolves went for her, one with a swift kick to the jaw, the other with a punch to the gut. Beatriz fell to the ground hard, out of breath, her throat stinging as she clamored for breath.

Darkness overtook her vision.