Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

I n the late afternoon on the day of the benefit gala, Regie sat in a chair at her dining table in front of a portable three-sided mirror that the stylist had brought with her. Laney and Nora watched from the couch a few paces away, sipping prosecco and nibbling on chocolate truffles that they'd brought with them.

Regie had a glass of bubbly in front of her on the table, but the butterflies in her stomach didn't need any more stimulant. A wide headband pulled back her hair from her face, where the stylist applied the final touches on Regie's lipstick.

"You're a genius," Nora said to the makeup artist, a tall Caucasian woman named Malena, who had a bright pink pixie cut and sparkling brown eyes.

"Thank you." The stylist smiled .

Regie silently agreed. The applied makeup enhanced all her good features—her eyes looked huge and mysterious—but still made it look like she wore very little cosmetics.

Two assistants to Malena had done Laney's and Nora's faces, and both women looked amazing. The makeup artist working on Nora had asked if she wanted her scar covered, but the wolf shifter said the line showed her as a survivor and warrior, and she would never hide it from anyone, including herself.

Regie wished she had Nora's confidence. She wanted to embrace her emotional scars as something that made her stronger. Instead, she operated under the strategies of denial and fake-it-till-you-make-it.

Not that she considered herself weak or not confident. She knew her strengths in business and took pride in what she'd accomplished with Lofn Wellness. But in her relationship with her grandfather, she avoided conflict at all costs. And the older man still had the power to hurt her with some of his impulsive actions and words. His latest text told her to get herself fixed up for the party and look like a woman for once. A little dig at her penchant for wearing pants and jackets instead of dresses at the office.

She sighed out loud.

"Are you okay?" Malena asked, pulling off the headband on Regie's hair.

"Yes, just thinking about family stuff. "

"You're not allowed to think about anything problematic or sad tonight," Nora said. "This is your evening of being a princess. No bad thoughts allowed."

"I concur," Laney said.

Regie smiled at both women through the mirror. She'd been too busy in college and graduate school to cultivate friendships with women. And then she'd focused on building Lofn Wellness. Although she realized this moment of girly bonding was make believe, she enjoyed hanging out with Nora and Laney.

Her closest friend was probably Payel. And how sad was it that her assistant—now project manager—was the only person with whom she had anything resembling a personal relationship? Payel had insisted on booking Malena and her assistants for today. Regie had planned on doing on her own makeup and hair. When she'd told Payel, her eyes had reflected genuine horror.

The younger woman had also arranged for a selection of gowns to be sent to the Lofn Wellness offices and supervised Regie trying on each one. Finally, Payel chose a lavender silk dress for Regie. The garment's young designer had just started to make their mark on the San Francisco fashion scene. Made of braids and fabric swatches that crisscrossed Regie's body, the dress covered everything, but the silky fabric clung to and accentuated the few curves she had, making the gown look almost revealing. Regie had fallen in love with it instantly .

"Are you going to the event with a date?" Malena asked as she expertly twined tiny braids on the side of Regie's head.

"Her fiancé," Laney said. "Did you see the gorgeous ring he gave her?"

"Show her," Nora said.

Regie obediently held up her left hand so Malena could admire the amazing piece of jewelry. She hadn't seen Bolt since the Palace of Fine Arts event.

When he'd turned into a wolf.

Right in front of her.

She had so many questions, but couldn't ask any of them in front of Malena.

"That is so beautiful," the tall stylist said with a sigh.

Regie loved the ring even more than she loved the dress. She'd already made her mind up to buy it from Heimdall Shield, once they completed their job. When they finally caught the stalker and she could get on with her life.

She'd gotten so caught up in the pretend relationship with Bolt that she'd almost forgotten the true purpose of this charade. Catching a nasty predator so the IPO could proceed without incident, and she'd finally be able to pay back her grandfather for the fortune her father had squandered. And for raising Regina .

And yet, her thoughts returned to the handsome fake fiancée she hadn't seen since he'd turned into a silver wolf. The whole supernatural aspect should have bothered her more, but instead, it gave her a weird sense of comfort to know that other people had unusual powers.

Bolt had texted her to let her know he wouldn't be around for a while. She guessed it had something to do with the injured man…wolf shifter he'd protected her from at the Palace of Fine Arts. Nora had been her protective detail for the last twenty-four hours. But he'd promised he'd be at the gala tonight.

The thought made the butterflies in her stomach flutter their wings faster.

Malena wound the last uncurled strands of Regie's hair around her heated magic wand and then fluffed and sprayed the style to her liking.

Regie swiveled her head from side to side, admiring the artwork the woman had sculpted. Dozens of interwoven braids kept the style off her face but created height. Much of the hair cascaded down her back in loose curls, creating both a dramatic and playful look.

"Like I said, genius." Nora waved her fluted glass. "This goes perfectly with the dress."

Malena turned to where the lavender silk garment hung off a cabinet doorknob. "I used the garment as my inspiration. The braids of the dress called for something similar in her hair." She fluffed the Regie's hair one more time and smiled at her through the mirror. "Your fiancé won't know what hit him tonight."

Regie blushed and stopped the thoughts in her mind that wished for some part of this to be real.

For Laney and Nora to be real girlfriends.

For Bolt to be a real date.

The stylist packed up her equipment and left the apartment, wishing the women a fantastic evening. Regie made a note to add a large tip to her bill.

"Right." Laney put down her glass of prosecco, still almost full. "Now that you look amazing, let's make sure you're comfortable on the inside too."

"What questions do you have about us being wolf shifters?" Nora asked. She'd barely touched her beverage, either.

Both of them had been in work mode the whole time while Regie had dreamed of make-belief becoming real. She squelched the flare of disappointment rising in her chest. "So many," she answered Nora. Thoughts twisted around each other in her head. "Are you born as shifters? Are you immortal? Are you allergic to silver?"

"It's unusual for a shifter to be born with their ability. Usually, we gain the capability to transform into our animal when we're injured by a shifter, and our blood absorbs theirs. No to immortality, but we live a long time. And yes, silver is unpleasant. "

"Your animal," Regie said. "There are more than just wolf shifters out there?"

Nora nodded. "But that's not my story to tell. Our pack is only wolves."

Regie's mind raced. What else did she need to know? And then she took a deep breath.

Nothing. She didn't need to know anything.

The Heimdall Shield people were not her friends. They were professionals she worked with, and they had proven they were capable of doing their jobs. After they'd caught the stalker, she would most likely never see them again.

Some of her thoughts must have reflected on her face because Nora asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. I don't have any more questions."

Nora exchanged a glance with Laney, but didn't say anything. The other woman stood and walked over to Regie. "So next on the agenda, we need to talk about the powers I sensed inside you when we first shook hands. What can you tell me about them?"

"They materialize when I'm stressed. I don't know what they are, but I want them gone." Regie swallowed hard.

Laney pulled out a chair and sat opposite, their knees almost touching. "Describe them to me. How do you see them in your mind's eye? "

Regie took a breath and then described the black tendrils, their essence of dark power, and how they showed up when someone threatened her or something upset her.

When she'd finished, Laney asked, "Can I take your hands?"

"Sure," she held them out, and the other women gripped them loosely. When their skin touched, that same spark of awareness passed between them.

"This may feel weird at first, and your instinct might be to close down our connection, but open your mind and try to let me in."

Regie had no idea what she meant, but she nodded.

Laney closed her eyes, and after a little while, heat passed from her hands to Regie's. It traveled up her arms and shoulders, but somehow on the inside of her skin. When it reached the back of her neck, Laney hummed beneath her breath, too quietly for Regie to make out the words.

To her horror, the black tendrils appeared, reaching for the heat Laney had sent, which now appeared as gold swirls in Regie's mind. She prepared to suppress the blackness.

"No," Laney said. "Let's see what they do without interference."

Nora stood and walked closer to the table.

Regie steeled herself for bad things to happen, but to her surprise, the black tendrils swirled around the sparkling threads of gold. They mixed together, and the darkness lightened to first a pale shade of gray and then a gleaming silver.

The golden warmth retreated into Laney, who opened her eyes and smiled broadly. "Wow. You are one powerful witch." She made the label sound complimentary.

"What did you learn?" Regie asked.

"Everyone sees their powers differently while working with their abilities. I'm very weak when it comes to manipulating biological matter. My abilities lend themselves better to earth materials, and I see my energy almost as sparks of electricity."

"To me, they are golden strands of heat," Regie blurted.

"I saw nothing," Nora piped in. "The two of you were just having a nice moment, holding hands." She laughed, lightening the moment.

"The point is," Laney said, "that what powers look like is personal. Your mind assigns an appearance based on what it perceives their function to be. So, you see your powers as black because you've decided they are evil."

"They changed color," Regie said. "They swirled with your powers and became silver."

"That makes sense," Laney said. "I sensed that you can wield your abilities with precise control, the way a surgeon uses a scalpel. Having a metal hue seems right. You can use them to heal, or you can use them to hurt."

Regie's thoughts raced. She could use them to heal? "How?"

"Just like a surgeon would learn, study with a mentor, and then practice."

"How do I find a mentor to teach me?" Fragile hope rose in her chest. Could use this weird power to do good?

"I can try to help you," Laney said. "And if I'm not able to, we'll find someone who is."

Tears welled in Regie's eyes. "I would like that very much." Maybe she would see the Heimdall Shield people after they caught the stalker. She liked the warmth that spread in her chest at the thought. At least she'd see Laney.

And maybe Bolt.