Chapter 5

5

“You want to go on a date with me?” Reed asked.

I nodded and smiled wide. “Yes, why is that so hard to believe? It’s been a while and I thought it would be nice if we went out to dinner and watched a movie, just the two of us. What do you think?”

“I can’t tonight,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Tomorrow night?”

“It’s a date!” I said with a wink, spun away, and hurried up the stairs to my room so I could change to go see Silver and have the dreaded talk with Theo.

“Who are you getting all dressed up for?” Grant teased.

I spun in a circle like I wore a dress despite only wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top. “I was invited to the King’s Gala! Can you believe it?”

He leaned his shoulder against my doorframe. “The king better not be single or thinking about setting you up with the prince.”

After applying my eyeliner, I turned, hands clasped together against my chest and said in a higher than usual voice, “Oh, that would be the perfect dream, wouldn’t it? If only I were so lucky.”

“You don’t believe in luck,” he countered.

Skipping over, I tapped the tip of his nose and said, “True.”

“Reed looked … perplexed when he left earlier. What did you say to him?”

“I asked him on a date,” I replied honestly, walked to my closet, and pondered over which shirt to wear. I could go out in the tank top, but I wanted a nicer shirt. One I could use to catch a few men during my pool shark escapades to pay for my dinner.

“The maroon one with the v-neck,” Grant said from the doorway.

I grabbed the shirt and nodded. “Perfect.”

“So, what changed your mood?”

“A guy,” I said as I pulled the shirt over my head, then winked at him.

“Kass,” he growled.

“Silver gave me some fatherly advice,” I answered.

“Oh.” His eyes widened a moment before his entire body relaxed. “Good. I’m glad you have him.”

“Me too.”

“Will you be home late?” he asked.

“I might need a pick up,” I said honestly. Who knew how much I would drink tonight.

“Have Tonka or one of the sisters text me and I’ll fly right over,” he promised, kissed my cheek, and left.

Heading down the street towards Silver’s Bar, I looked around at the other people walking. One of the things I loved about this city was the diversity. Humans, shapeshifters, vampires, ogres, trolls, orcs, and more. And none of them knew that we’d come so close to having a kraken overlord.

“You’re all welcome,” I mumbled.

Several women in matching rompers waited at the front of the line. One of them had a sash proclaiming she was a bachelorette. They laughed and shifted with excitement as they waited to get let in.

I walked up, ignoring the line, but smiled without showing my teeth at the bachelorette as I bypassed them. They smelled interesting, like something fluffy … what was it? A rabbit! They smelled like rabbits.

Tonka held up his fist as I approached.

I bumped mine against it. “Evening, Tonka.”

“Evening, Kass.”

“Wait, she just got here and they’re letting her in?” one of the women asked.

“Maybe she’s sleeping with the bouncer,” another whispered.

I stepped on the other side of the rope, turned, and gave the girls a full smile, showing off my teeth, which made them all pale and still.

Yes, that’s right, I’m a predator.

Maneuvering my way around all the people, I made my way to the main bar where Silver was serving drinks.

“Oy,” I called to get his attention.

He looked over his shoulder from where he was grabbing glasses. “One sec.” He spun the glasses in his hand before setting them down, filling them with ice, then moving them to the counter, pouring a few different things into them, and sticking a straw in each.

“You’re getting better at that,” I said as he came to stand before me.

“I’m bored in my old age so I’m trying new things that the patrons seem to like,” he said. “What do you want tonight?”

“Something strawberry,” I said and smiled. “Surprise me.”

He quickly made a pink, sparkly drink and set it on the bar top in front of me, but kept a hand on the glass so I couldn’t take it. “Did you take my advice?”

I nodded. “I asked him on a date and we’re going tomorrow night.”

“How’d he react?”

The bachelorette party entered and squeezed their way up to the bar at the other end from where I was. One raised her hand at Silver, but he simply held up a single finger to tell her to wait.

“He seemed shocked,” I admitted, “but he agreed.”

He nodded. “Good.” He released my drink and shooed me. “Theo’s upstairs.”

I took my drink and squeezed through the packed place, up the stairs, and stood a moment trying to spot her.

The bar was unusually packed tonight, so it took me longer than usual to see her in the back corner in one of the high-backed plus chairs that sat around a thin circular table just big enough for a few drink glasses.

She raised her hand when she saw me and stood out of the chair. Tonight, she wore a flowy tie dye skirt with slits up each thigh and a matching tie dye halter top. Her wig was long, curly, and bright pink, and she’d matched her eyeshadow and lipstick to the wig.

I hugged her before I sat and then we both clinked our glasses against each other.

“You look lovely,” I said.

She put her hand against her cheek and batted her eyelashes. “Why, thank you. You look good, too.”

“Thanks, Grant picked out the shirt.”

“Definitely a good choice.”

Never one for swimming around the coral, I blurted out, “I’m going with the guys to a poker tournament in the desert.”

Her eyes widened and she blinked slowly a few times as she absorbed what I’d just said. “For how long?”

“A week.”

“You’re abandoning me here for a full week? Wait, you’re going to a desert? Are you going to be able to handle that? Have you ever been away from the ocean? No, of course you haven’t.”

I shrugged. “It might be my last chance to convince Reed to stay with me.”

“Is it really that bad?” she asked softly.

“Let’s focus on something else equally important,” I said and narrowed my eyes at her. “You and the cor … dolphin shifter.” If they really were dating, I couldn’t keep calling him insulting names or that would just drive a wedge between us. It was better to talk to her logically.

Maybe Reed was right and I was too biased from being bullied by them, but it wasn’t as if Tristan hadn’t done anything wrong. He had been in on the bullying, participating in it, not just standing off to the side.

“I know he did some awful things before, but he’s changed a lot recently,” she said. “He said he really regrets what he did to you and that he’s wanted to apologize, but on land you’re stronger than him and he didn’t want his arm bitten off.”

That would have been a likely outcome.

“We’ve all done some messed up things and I know you hate dolphin shifters, but he’s really nice, treats me well, and makes me happy.”

It was really difficult for people to change for good. Many times the change was temporary. For my friend, though, to keep our friendship good and allow her to enjoy the happiness, I would hold my tongue on the matter.

“If he makes you happy, I’ll hold my judgment,” I said. “However, I’m going to continue watching for red flags and you better listen when I point them out.”

Her eyes brightened and she smiled.

“But! If he hurts you, I’m going to bite his arm off,” I threatened.

She leaned over the table and hugged me. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Hey! Shark bitch!” a deep voice yelled.

Theo and I turned around and looked at the person with a death wish.

It was Preston, Reed’s former pack member.

“Fuck,” I whispered.